Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco vowed to fast-track efforts that promote inclusive growth and uplift local communities through tourism following her reappointment by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during the administration’s midterm Cabinet review. The...
After a disappointing 5.7-percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate last year, the Philippines is expected to post an even slower growth rate of 5.6 percent for 2025, which would once again fail to reach the government’s growth target of six to eight percent. Growth would only accelerate...
The Philippines and Canada have officially assumed co-chairmanship of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s (OECD) Southeast Asia Regional Program (SEARP), succeeding Vietnam and Australia during the OECD ministerial council meeting held in Paris, France. In a statement on...
In the quest to materialize the great regional grid interlink across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB) is projecting around $16 billion (approximately ₱890 billion) worth of investments to pursue the development of key...
The local stock market rose further as investors continued to bank on expectations of a low inflation rate for May that increases chances for a rate cut. The main index jumped 60.20 points or 0.95 percent to close at 6,412.86 as the interest rate-sensitive Property sector led the advance while...
President Marcos has approved the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP) until 2028. Marcos signed issued Memorandum Circular No. 84 dated May 21 which approved and adopted the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan 2024-2028. The CFIDP aims to provide targeted interventions...
In a continuing push to improve the power situation in off-grid communities, the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) are collaborating on a program to upgrade the off-grid systems of the National Power Corp. (NPC). During the Asian Clean Energy Forum (ACEF), Energy...
The local stock market rose as investors cheered the passage of a law that will reduce the stock transaction tax while also betting that the inflation rate would remain low last May. The main index added 11.13 points or 0.18 percent to close at 6,352.66 as the Property sector led the advance,...
Amid tight fiscal space for public spending, the government has tripled the number of projects included in the list of priority programs where donors from the private sector can enjoy tax deductions. In a May 22 addendum, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) included 12...
The government is looking to include 4,240 priority programs and projects (PAPs), with an investment requirement totaling about ₱4.71 trillion, in the 2026 national budget proposal to sustain public investments—especially in infrastructure and regional development. According to the Department...
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has called on its engineers and officials to adopt innovative solutions and fast-track project implementation in support of the Marcos administration’s infrastructure program under the Bagong Pilipinas agenda. DPWH Secretary Manuel M. Bonoan...
Expect pickup trucks to be more costly after the provision reimposing the excise tax on the vehicle type was approved, alongside other tax reform measures under the proposed Capital Market Efficiency Promotion Act (CMEPA). The CMEPA, a legislation deemed a priority of the administration under the...
