Business names registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) expanded by nearly five percent in the first half of 2026, even as the impact of elevated inflation is already being felt in the pace of filings. The latest DTI data showed that business name registrations from January to...
The government restored excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene after global oil prices fell below the state-mandated threshold, ending the temporary tax holiday designed to shield consumers from high energy costs. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) announced on Wednesday, July...
The Philippines’ rice imports rose by a fifth to a record 2.75 million metric tons (MT) in the first half of 2026, as the country leaned on purchases from abroad to counter subpar domestic output and temper retail prices. The latest Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) data showed that rice imports in...
The Philippines remains energy insecure as its growing dependence on Middle Eastern crude oil and tightening power reserves leave the country increasingly vulnerable to global fuel supply disruptions as well as power supply risks, according to state-run think tank Philippine Institute for...
The Philippines is pushing for an exemption from the proposed 12.5-percent tariff on its imports into the United States (US), arguing that existing trade policies have not been proven to facilitate the importation of goods produced with forced labor. In a July 6 submission to the Office of the US...
While the Philippines’ graduation to upper-middle-income-country (UMIC) status is a nod to its economic progress, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s chief economic manager said the milestone alone cannot do the heavy lifting needed for the country to achieve an ‘A’-level sovereign credit...
Japanese railway expert Sumitomo Corp. is seeking to expand its investments in the Philippines’ railway infrastructure through a potential collaboration to manage the country’s largest railway project, according to the Department of Finance (DOF). The DOF said in a statement on Tuesday, July 7,...
The country’s meat imports in the first five months of the year rose by nearly 22 percent to more than 720,000 metric tons (MT), as shipments from abroad continued to supplement subpar domestic production. Citing the latest Bureau of Customs (BOC) data, the Congressional Policy and Budget...
More than 60 kilometers (km) of farm-to-market roads (FMRs) and bridges with total funding of ₱2.06 billion have received clearance from the Department of Agriculture (DA), kickstarting the development of much-needed infrastructure to boost food productivity. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu...
Canadian communications technology firm TELUS Corp. plans to increase its investments in the Philippines in the coming years to support the growth of its artificial intelligence (AI)-related services, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). In a statement, the DTI said the company...
If you look closely enough, today’s landscape tells a rather unsettling and ironic story: hillsides and mountainous terrains are being shaved bare, while fertile farmlands are steadily turned into endless rows of solar panels—as if we can run a country entirely on sunshine and somehow expect...
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is aiming to secure a mere two-percent increase in its budget for next year to further strengthen the country’s long-term food security, but this could still be reduced given the country’s tighter fiscal space. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said...
