Executive Secretary Ralph Recto has urged government agencies to accelerate spending in the remaining months of 2026, particularly on programs to prepare for El Niño, his office said Saturday.

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) directed regional development councils (RDCs) to start reviewing and prioritizing projects as they prepare for the 2028 national budget. Consequently, they must submit endorsed proposals to national agencies by mid-December. The DBM and the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) have issued joint guidelines

The Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC), the corporate arm of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), is launching an initiative to rehabilitate degraded forestlands and turn them into productive agricultural and forestry estates through private sector investments.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Saturday announced that it had approved Manila Electric Company"s (Meralco) regulatory rate reset for the first time in more than a decade.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced on Saturday that a daily minimum wage increase of up to P45 has been approved for workers in the CALABARZON region.

Cryptocurrency’s promise of financial freedom carries a cost the industry must confront: growing wealth can make its owners more attractive targets for violent criminals. Protecting digital assets while treating the physical safety of their holders as a personal matter is an inadequate approach to financial security. The industry must take responsibility for designing products and services which account for the reality that people can be threatened into surrendering their assets. The rise in...

Gen Z high-net-worth collectors have overtaken older generations as the art market’s biggest spenders, with average fine art expenditure more than twice that of older collectors, helping drive a global sales rebound to nearly US$60 billion, according to the latest Art Basel and UBS market insights. The surge came as mainland China and Hong Kong continued to play pivotal roles in the global art market’s growth, according to the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026, released earlier...

MANILA, Philippines — Diesel products are on track for three consecutive weeks of rollbacks, while gasoline prices are expected to increase anew on Oct. 13. In an advisory on Friday, Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas said diesel prices may decrease by P1.80 to P2 per liter, while gasoline may rise by P2 to P2.20 per

The Department of Budget and Management on Saturday shed light on the concept of national budgeting, saying that the National Expenditure Program is not akin to available cash in a vault.

Developer Golden TW Realty and Development Corp. announced Saturday a strategic partnership with restaurant group RVD, securing established Asian dining brands Chung Dam and Umi Matsu for Kaban Hotel and Casino, the first hotel-casino in Boracay Island.

MANILA, Philippines —˜The Marcos administration has raised P167.25 billion in new money from its 32nd retail Treasury bond (RTB) offering, exceeding its P150-billion target after a weeklong offer period. Initially, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) set a P30-billion target in its notice of offering before raising it to P150 billion during the launch. READ:

MANILA, Philippines — The strong reception for GCash parent Mynt Inc.’s initial public offering (IPO) is drawing investors’ attention beyond the fintech giant, with some now looking at other Philippine companies. On Friday, Mynt chief financial officer Evelyn Ng said a handful of investors they had spoken with were beginning to explore investment opportunities elsewhere in

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will adopt an international bond pricing convention on Jan. 4, 2027, covering eligible peso-denominated government and corporate securities as regulators seek to attract more investors and deepen market liquidity. On Friday, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said the transition covers eligible peso-denominated, coupon-bearing securities. READ: PH to iron out bond

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) exceeded its 2025 targets for asset recovery, loan resolution and the liquidation of closed banks, boosting recoveries for depositors and creditors. The state-run deposit insurer resolved 2,389 pieces of property with a combined gross book value of P524.9 million and offered 404 for public bidding, according to

MANILA, Philippines — Four big-ticket projects in the Philippine Economic Zone Authority’s (Peza) pipeline could propel the agency to an all-time high in investment approvals this year, potentially surpassing its P311-billion record by about P200 billion. Peza Director General Tereso Panga said the agency, which had already approved P297.14 billion worth of projects as of September,

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has issued a new regulation requiring the amount of creditable withholding tax, when applicable, to be shown as a separate item on invoices.

The increasing global appeal of Chinese firms’ novel therapies has propelled the country’s rise as a biomedical powerhouse, but China has yet to produce a drug to rival all-time best-selling Western blockbusters in sales. Beijing has set ambitious new five-year targets to boost its global presence, including at least five products with annual global sales surpassing US$1 billion by 2030. The goal is achievable, according to some analysts. Jefferies’ head of Asia healthcare research Cui Cui noted...

What makes a city truly livable? In Quezon City, neighborhoods bring together schools, healthcare, employment, commerce, recreation, culture and public spaces. It stands out for its extensive green spaces amid a highly urbanized setting, giving residents the convenience of urban living while keeping them connected to nature. (https://travelagencymanila.com) Access to everyday needs Schools, healthcare facilities,

The Circumferential Road 5, known as C5, is one of the most important thoroughfares in the country’s capital region. It connects eight cities namely Las Piñas, Parañaque, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Quezon City, Taguig and Valenzuela. Transport corridor C5 Road is generally recognized as a busy transportation corridor in Metro Manila, second only to Edsa in

Property investment typically comes down to two considerations: the advantages a location offers today and the value it can still create over time. Along Metro Manila’s C5 corridor, both are increasingly evident. Thriving growth corridor A few years ago, C5 Road was still regarded as an emerging proposition—one of the capital’s fringe addresses taking shape

(First of two parts) For generations of Filipinos, the formula was almost instinctive: Finish school. Get a job. Get married. Have children. Buy a house. For many families, the house was proof that years of hard work had finally produced something tangible. It was where children would grow up, where family reunions would happen, where

ASEAN consumers increasingly use AI tools like ChatGPT for product research, shifting visibility challenges from Google rankings. Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) now structures content for AI citation and recommendation, becoming essential for foreign businesses entering Southeast Asian markets competing for consumer decision-making visibility.

MANILA, Philippines — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking comments on proposed revisions to Philippine Green Equity guidelines that would put exchanges in charge of granting and monitoring the label for qualifying listed companies. The draft would task exchanges with evaluating applications, accrediting external reviewers, and checking issuers’ continued compliance, subject to SEC oversight.

MANILA, Philippines — The World Trade Organization (WTO) has more than doubled its global merchandise trade growth forecast for 2026, as surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) equipment, particularly from Asian manufacturers, has outweighed disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East. In its latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report, the Geneva-based organization

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging the new generation of Filipinos to return to farming, stressing that distributing land, loans, or subsidies alone will not resolve the issue of an aging farm workforce. “For the Philippines, generational renewal in agriculture and fisheries is not simply about replacing an aging generation,” Agriculture Assistant

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 2,379 micro taxpayers have availed of the One-Time Abatement Program of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as of Oct. 3, with total tax liabilities and penalties abated reaching P149.35 million. These taxpayers filed 10,229 applications under the program, of which 8,464 have so far been approved. Of the

MANILA, Philippines —The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) warns taxpayers against accessing orus.ph, a website that appears to imitate its Online Registration and Update System (ORUS). The website may expose users to suspicious pop-ups, unfamiliar prompts, or other potentially unsafe content that could pose privacy and cybersecurity risks. Taxpayers are strongly advised not to access

MANILA, Philippines — Saavedra-led Megawide Construction Corp. is redirecting P1.23 billion in unused bond proceeds from transport-centric developments to housing projects under the government’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program. Its board approved the reallocation on Friday, Oct. 9, according to a stock exchange disclosure. READ: Megawide bags P13B in new gov’t housing contracts The

MANILA, Philippines — Local stocks rebounded Friday as investors bought beaten-down shares. Meanwhile, a pause in the peso’s slide offered some relief to market sentiment. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) climbed 1.61 percent, or 90.60 points, to close at 5,700.99, partially reversing Thursday’s 2.2-percent decline. READ: Peso sinks to fresh record low of

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has yet to see any sign of a reenacted budget for 2027, amid concerns that the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could delay legislative deliberations. “We’re working closely with Congress to ensure that the process keeps moving forward. We haven’t seen any signs