The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Apart from exciting beach excursions, what defines a good summer are the refreshing treats of the season. Cool and sweet desserts, especially Filipino favorites, like halo-halo, mais con hielo, ice candy, and fruit shakes hit the spot on hot days. The House of Fruitas (HoF) is prepared to help beat the summer heat as it launches the “Fruitas Always” campaign, …

Consistent with the policy directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to bolster the government’s campaign against agricultural smuggling, the Department of Agriculture-Inspectorate and Enforcement Office led the inspection of 58 container vans offloaded at the Port of Subic, which were placed on alert mode last January 4, 2023. The operation conducted on March 2, 2023 in partnership with the Bureau …

Dried pili nuts from the Philippines can now enter the 27 member states of the European Union (EU) following the issuance of the European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2023/267. The document signed on February 8, 2023 authorizes the inclusion of dried pili nuts in the Union list of novel foods that may be placed on the EU market after it …

Headline inflation in February this year eased to 8.6 percent from 8.7 percent the previous month, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported Tuesday. In a virtual press conference, PSA Undersecretary Dennis Mapa said prices of goods and services remained elevated despite the slowdown in inflation. The PSA attributed the easing of inflation last month to the slowdown of transport group …

Jersey Marticio of Cabuyao City, Laguna ruled the girls’ Under-16 division of the Vice Gov. Athena Bryana D. Tolentino National Age Group Chess Championships at the Tagaytay International Convention Center on Sunday. The 15-year-old Marticio finished with 5.5 points. Sara Dalagan, Daren dela Cruz, Kate Nicole Ordizo and Arleah Cassandra Sapuan registered identical 5.0 points, Maryss Annxeniel Caldoza and WNM …

A professional surfer from Siargao Island captured the crown of the March 2-5 international Qualifying Series 3000 (QS3000) in Japan, an official said Monday. “Congratulations John Mark Tokong. You did it again. Thank you for bringing honor to our country and for making our home island, Siargao, known to the world,” Surigao del Norte 1st District Representative Francisco Jose Matugas …

Manila Water Foundation, the social development arm of the Manila Water enterprise, concludes its month-long series of events to mark its 18th anniversary with a Partners Recognition Event. The Filipiniana-themed celebration was hosted by Manila Water Foundation to express gratitude to its generous partners as it turned 18 in animating the mission of bringing environmental programs and water access, sanitation, …

The six major digital banking channels of the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) posted an unprecedented P5.6 trillion in terms of value in 2022—equivalent to a 126% growth year-on-year—as the Bank continues to ramp-up efforts toward digital and inclusive banking. The state-owned Bank facilitated a total of 155.8 million digital transactions for a 14% increase over the previous year, …

The February 2023 inflation outturn of 8.6 percent is within the BSP’s forecast range of 8.5 to 9.3 percent. Inflation is projected to remain above the target until early Q4 2023 before decelerating close to the low end of the target range by January 2024 due mainly to negative base effects and the likely decline in global oil and non-oil …

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) turned over a total of P4.1 million in cash incentives to the 82 members of the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent to Turkey.  Each member of the contingent will receive a P50,000 cash incentive from PAGCOR. The contingent consists of volunteers from different agencies including the  Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Army (PA), Philippine …