Philippines Business News

BSP could keep hiking despite risks to growth

THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may have to further tighten policy to address peso and inflation pressures even if this weighs on economic growth, a Cabinet official said. “I’m sure they (BSP) are monitoring the situation. So if they need to tighten, they should tighten,” Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan told reporters last week. “Because it’s true that they would have to, and I believe that they are acting in a way to address the volatility

NG debt payments surge in July

HIGHER INTEREST and amortization payments drove the National Government’s (NG) debt service bill up by nearly 30% in July, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed. The latest Treasury data showed payments for the government’s debt obligations rose by 29.56% to P139.99 billion in July from P108.06 billion in the same month a year […]

BSP may hit long pause if economy rebounds in second half — UOB

THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY may recover in the second half of the year, giving the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reason to stand pat for an extended period, Singapore-based United Overseas Bank Ltd. (UOB) said. In its quarterly global outlook for the fourth quarter, UOB Group Research said the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) will likely […]

DA pushes national land use law to protect farmlands

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said enacting a national land use law is critical to identifying and protecting prime agricultural lands, allowing the government and private sector to focus investments on areas that can sustain long-term food production.

EVAP says extended tariff perks key to meeting clean transport target

THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE Association of the Philippines (EVAP) is urging the government to extend tariff incentives for imports of electric vehicles (EV) and components through 2040, saying the move would support the Department of Energy’s clean transport goals and accelerate EV adoption.

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PSE sponsor rule changes may widen SME IPO pipeline — analysts

PROPOSED changes to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc.’s (PSE) sponsor rules could make initial public offerings (IPOs) more feasible for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by lowering costs for sponsors and widening the pool of advisers willing to bring companies to market, analysts said.

Sweeter things for 40th year of the Negros Trade Fair

FORTY YEARS after the Negros Famine of the 1980s that sparked the launch of the Negros Trade Fair in the first place, things are sweeter for the region — and the fair. In an event on Sept. 1 in SM Aura, where the fair will be held at the SMX Convention Center within the Taguig […]

AIC eyes Asian flights to support airport traffic

ABOITIZ INFRACAPITAL, INC. (AIC) expects additional inbound flights from key Asian markets, including China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, to support passenger traffic across its airport network toward the end of the year, its top official said. “There’s a lot of flights for Q4 (fourth quarter), but we are monitoring the movement of jet fuel […]

Rates of Treasury bills, bonds may rise as inflation fears grow

RATES of the Treasury bills (T-bills) and Treasury bonds (T-bonds) to be offered this week may be mostly higher as the market stays wary amid fresh inflation risks from the Middle East conflict, and due to hawkish US Federal Reserve bets. The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) will auction off up to P60 billion in […]

Aboitiz Foundation strengthens partnership with LMP, TESDA to bring opportunities to more communities

Aboitiz Foundation is strengthening two key partnerships with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to bring education, livelihood, and sustainability programs closer to Filipino communities. Through its partnership with LMP, Aboitiz Foundation will work with municipalities nationwide to identify communities where its flagship programs — AuroraPH, Elevate AIDA, and CarbonPH — […]

Cathay Pacific studies additional PHL flight frequencies

CATHAY PACIFIC Airways Ltd. is studying additional flight frequencies on its Philippine routes as it reviews capacity amid growing passenger demand, its local head said. “I think for the Philippines, we have grown over the period of time. It has always been an important market for us. The Philippines will continue to be a very […]

A zombie budget: Skewed priorities in DoTr’s 2027 budget proposal

The Department of Transportation’s (DoTr) proposed P251.93-billion budget for 2027 is a rehash of past submissions — a “zombie budget” that recycles old projects without addressing urgent national transport priorities. Despite the Philippines’ archipelagic geography, high logistics costs, and a sclerotic public transport system relied upon by millions across 1,600 local government units (LGUs), the […]

Peso may slide to fresh record lows on revived Fed hike bets

THE PESO may sink to new record lows versus the dollar this week after stronger-than-expected US labor data bolstered expectations of a hawkish US Federal Reserve, and with the Middle East war weighing on market sentiment. On Friday, the local unit dropped by seven centavos to log a new all-time-low close of P62.59 from P62.52 […]

LaunchStrong mentors over 150 Filipino e-commerce entrepreneurs in its first year

E-commerce mentorship program LaunchStrong marks its first year having mentored over 150 first-time Filipino founders and facilitated the development of more than 100 homegrown brands at various stages to date. The milestone highlights a growing movement of aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs turning raw concepts into viable, more accessible, and market-ready consumer products. Founded in 2025 by […]

National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares, 83

RESIL MOJARES, renowned Cebuano writer, historian, and leading scholar of Philippine literature and culture, died on Sept. 5, a day after his birthday. He was 83. His daughter, Leigh Go Mojares, confirmed his death that same day in a Facebook post: “We are heartbroken to share the passing of our beloved father, Resil Buagas Mojares. […]

ICTSI shares climb on Mexico terminal expansion

SHARES of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) rose last week after its Mexican unit secured approval to handle larger container vessels, with analysts citing the expansion, strong earnings, and the weaker peso as factors supporting the stock.

The geography of electrified mobility

THE PHILIPPINE automotive market is decidedly in a state of flux as electrified mobility captures the imagination — or, at the very least, the curiosity — of motorists worldwide.

LGUs to decide on commercial fishing in municipal waters — DA

AGRICULTURE SECRETARY Francisco P. Tiu Laurel, Jr. said proposed amendments to the Fisheries Code of 1998 will include giving local government units (LGUs) the authority to allow commercial fishing vessels into ply municipal waters. Speaking on the sidelines of the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) budget hearing at the House of Representatives last week, Mr. Laurel […]

Philippines holds 79th spot in global prosperity index

The Philippines ranked 79th out of 161 countries with a score of 63.06 out of 100 in the latest Legatum Prosperity Index released by investment firm Legatum and London-based think tank Prosperity Institute. The index assesses prosperity across three domains — development, freedom, and society — which measure the extent to which countries create the […]

BSP eyeing tighter risk-based controls for payment activities

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) wants its supervised institutions (BSIs) to implement tighter risk-based controls to enhance the security and integrity of the national payment system. In a draft circular, the BSP proposed amendments to the Manual of Regulations for Payment Systems (MORPS) that require BSIs to establish mechanisms that would strengthen controls for […]

Building energy security

(Part 2) In my previous column, I discussed the recent Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) paper “How Energy Secure is the Philippines?” by Dr. Adoracion Navarro and her co-authors, presented at a policy forum titled “Energy Security in the Age of Renewables: Is the Philippines Ready for the Energy Transition?” The paper proposed a […]

Muji opens 13th store in Eastwood

WHILE Muji opened its 12th store in SM Aura last June with more fanfare and a splashy makeup launch, the store opening at Eastwood City on Aug. 27 was a bit more sedate, with a drum performance and little fuss (which really, is just on brand for the Japanese company selling a minimalist lifestyle). The […]

NEXTASIA Land prepares for eventual PSE listing

NEXTASIA LAND is preparing for a potential initial public offering (IPO) as it undergoes pre-listing work under a Philippine Stock Exchange, Inc. (PSE) program aimed at helping companies prepare for the public market, its top official said. “We’ve been doing the PSE handholding program since two years ago. But since the market is bad lately, […]