Recent News
185 Years of Private Banking Heritage, A Legacy of Forward-thinking Stewardship
[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] The J. Safra Group, “the Group”, approaches its landmark 185th anniversary uniquely positioned to meet the demands of a changing financial landscape. Through Bank J. Safra Sarasin, the Group seamlessly blends historical heritage with strategic transformation. The recent acquisition of Saxo Bank equips Bank J. Safra Sarasin with a cutting-edge digital platform and serves as a catalyst for a profound evolution in its...
EU, Philippines hail ‘breakthrough’ in trade deal talks
BRUSSELS, Belgium — The European Union and the Philippines said Tuesday that the two sides made a “breakthrough” in their talks on a long-awaited free trade deal. Brussels and the Philippines “reached substantial agreement on a Free Trade Agreement (FTA), marking a significant milestone for both sides,” EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic and Philippine trade secretary
China’s Hygon moves beyond data centres with embedded processors for robotics, edge AI
Chinese chipmaker Hygon Information Technology on Tuesday launched a suite of central processing units (CPUs) for robotics and industrial edge devices, expanding beyond cloud computing and into the fast-growing market for physical artificial intelligence. The firm unveiled its Hygon 1000 series processors, designed to be embedded into physical devices in industrial automation systems such as robotics and factory controllers, enabling computing and graphics processing to be handled locally. Built...
Visayas brownouts possible amid tight supply
MANILA, Philippines — Consumers may need to brace for power interruptions, as high demand amid tight supply caused by coal plant outages on Tuesday has prompted the grid operator to place the Visayas grid under red alert. In an advisory, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said the red alert would be in
Senate takes up system loss charge: 'Electricity is not a luxury'
The Senate on Tuesday took up the bill removing the system loss charge in consumers" electric bills during the session, with many senators backing the measure.
DOF chief signs resolution on suspension of LPG, kerosene excise tax
Finance Secretary Frederick Go said he has signed a resolution on the suspension of the excise tax on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and kerosene.
PH secures P2-billion grant from Australia for job generation --DOF
PH secures P2-B grant from Australia for job generation --DOF
PlayTime Entertainment expands footprint as Manila Fashion Week partner
PlayTime Entertainment is solidifying its footprint across diverse commercial sectors, stepping onto the runway as the official entertainment partner for Manila Fashion Week.
Global biofuel output to jump nearly 70% by 2030 due to Gulf energy crisis, study finds
Global biofuels output is expected to surge nearly 70% by 2030 from 2025 levels as major producing countries push ahead with raising blending mandates in response to the energy crisis.
Some family offices eyeing Chinese investments as US-China tensions ease: report
Ultra-wealthy families in Europe, the Middle East and Africa view China as their most favoured market for future investments, as concerns over tensions between Beijing and Washington ease, according to a survey by Citigroup. The latest edition of the Global Family Office Report, published on Tuesday, analysed the investment plans of 351 family offices – private companies set up to manage the assets of ultra-wealthy families – from more than 40 countries around the world. In the survey, 29 per...
China’s Huawei trims mobile chip gap with Apple as Tau Scaling Law pays off: Bernstein
Huawei Technologies’ latest smartphone processor, the Kirin 9050 Pro, unveiled earlier this month, has narrowed its gap with Apple’s chips to about three years, from roughly four years in the previous generation, according to equity research firm Bernstein. The chip, which Bernstein estimated was produced using technology equivalent to a 7-nanometre process node, outperformed Apple’s 3nm A17 Pro in Geekbench 6 multicore tests, a widely used benchmark that measures how effectively processors...
DOE stands by P24B demand from solar energy firm founded by Leandro Leviste
The Department of Energy (DOE) on Tuesday said it sent termination letters, including a demand for P24 billion, to Solar Philippines Inc., the renewable energy firm founded by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, in connection with its renewable energy contracts.
DTI defends exclusion of e-motorcycles from EV incentives
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) remains open to incentives for electric motorcycle and tricycle manufacturers but is currently prioritizing four-wheelers to prevent investment redundancy. This follows the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) criticism of the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (Evis), the P60-billion incentive scheme currently focused on manufacturers that
Wharton MBAs meet to encourage next generation in PH business, finance
The alumni network of prestigious Wharton School is actively opening doors to global finance, encouraging the next generation of local business and finance graduates and professionals.
Reduced generation charges seen in Visayas, Mindanao
Reduced generation charges seen in Visayas, Mindanao
Metro Manila flood project delay trims 2026 infra completion target
MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration has dropped the long-delayed Metro Manila Flood Management Project from its list of flagship projects targeted for completion this year, bringing the number of projects set for a 2026 finish down to just eight. Data from the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (Depdev) as of the second quarter showed
PH, EU seal landmark FTA
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and the European Union (EU) have successfully concluded talks on a landmark free trade agreement (FTA), a deal expected to liberalize access for Manila’s goods to the regional bloc of about 450 million people, and vice versa. Trade Secretary Cristina Roque and EU Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maroš Šefčovič
Amazon and Shorea Capital deals underscore foreign interest in commercial property
Foreign investors continue to pile into Hong Kong’s commercial real estate, with a unit of online retail giant Amazon and Singapore-headquartered Shorea Capital among the latest to snap up assets, according to agents. Shorea won the tender for The Pemberton, a mixed office and retail property in Sheung Wan, for an undisclosed amount, Colliers said, underscoring Southeast Asian investors’ continuing robust demand for real estate assets in Hong Kong. Colliers was the lead agent and broker for the...
Hong Kong regulators to flesh out new yuan strategy after Beijing meetings
Beijing and Hong Kong are laying the groundwork for a new phase of offshore yuan development and other goals after the city unveiled its first five-year plan, with banking and securities regulators set to provide more details on Wednesday. The city’s market regulator, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC), would outline further details of the blueprint, chairman Kelvin Wong Tin-yau said on Monday. Hong Kong Monetary Authority chief executive Eddie Yue Wai-man is also expected to elaborate...
BlackRock gains QDII status in China’s US$149b market as Beijing leans into opening up
US asset manager BlackRock has obtained Qualified Domestic Institutional Investor (QDII) status in China, making it the first wholly foreign-owned public fund manager to obtain the qualification, with more such developments likely as Beijing signals broader financial opening. This qualification allows firms to raise funds in China and deploy part or all of the proceeds for overseas securities investment management through asset portfolios. New York-based Neuberger Berman, another foreign-owned...
GCash sees wealth management portfolio boost amid IPO
Mobile wallet GCash is expecting its wealth management portfolio to grow further amid investors" interest in its parent company, Mynt Inc."s initial public offering (IPO).
Peso recovers slightly to P62.725 vs $1
The Philippine peso recovered slightly against the US dollar, after two straight days of decline, amid optimism arising from anticipated diplomatic efforts to resolve the Middle East crisis.
P8/liter rollback in fuel prices possible next week --DOE's Abad
Department of Energy-Oil Industry Management Bureau Director Rino Abad floated Tuesday the possibility of an P8 per liter rollback in the prices of fuel products next week.
Canada: Trade agreements with PH, ASEAN 90% complete, eyes November finish
Canada's trade minister said on Tuesday that negotiations on separate free trade agreements with the Philippines and ASEAN are more than 90% complete, with Ottawa pushing to have both deals ready by the time Prime Minister Mark Carney visits Manila in November.
BSP eyes wider bank insurance services within 2026
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is looking to liberalize its bancassurance rules within the year, allowing banks to offer insurance products beyond their respective corporate groups.
Casino Plus cites player protection measures
Online gaming platform Casino Plus has cited its player-protection protocols and financial safeguards after paying out P1 billion worth of jackpot prizes in the second quarter of 2026.
Mynt-Gcash IPO tracked as major regional equity-market event
An independent Asia-Pacific equity-capital-markets research firm Aequitas Research is tracking the upcoming initial public offering of Mynt Inc., the parent company of GCash, placing the PSE-approved listing among significant regional equity-market transactions being watched by investors.
Hisense unit gains in Hong Kong debut amid rush of mainland Chinese corporate spin-offs
Television maker Hisense Group Holdings’ optical communications unit made a steady debut in Hong Kong after raising HK$5.6 billion (US$714 million), adding momentum to a fresh wave of mainland Chinese conglomerates spinning off business units to tap overseas capital and support technology expansion. Shares of fibre-optic communications equipment maker Ligent Technologies jumped as much as 19.2 per cent on Tuesday morning, valuing the company at more than HK$35 billion. The stock pared early...
BIR: Over 6,000 applications received for micro taxpayers abatement program
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said Tuesday its one-time Abatement Program for Micro Taxpayers received more than 6,234 applications during the first two months of the initiative's implementation.
MANIBELA renews call for fare increase amid rising fuel prices
MANIBELA renews call for fare increase amid rising fuel prices






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