DA braces for full impact of El Niño on rice output

Inquirer.net - Nov 5, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is bracing for the “more significant effects” of the intensifying El Niño phenomenon on rice production in the first half of next year. This could result in a further decline in local palay output, which is projected to fall by 5 percent to 18.67 million metric tons from

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PH seen missing 2032 nuclear power target 

Nov 5, 2026

PH seen missing 2032 nuclear power target 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is setting the stage for local nuclear development, but the government may miss its 2032 target to generate the first kilowatt from the technology, an official of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) said. Speaking to reporters, William Magwood, NEA director general, said the country was “very well-positioned” for a country

ERC grills firms over VisMin outages

Nov 5, 2026

ERC grills firms over VisMin outages

MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has started to clamp down on generation companies (gencos), including those owned by energy giants, due to ongoing electricity supply issues across the Visayas and Mindanao caused by power plant outages. On Wednesday, the commission said it had issued 24 show cause orders (SCOs) against 13 gencos last

Cheap imports didn’t lower pork prices—Sinag

Nov 5, 2026

Cheap imports didn’t lower pork prices—Sinag

MANILA, Philippines — Amid mixed reactions to the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) proposal to restore pork tariffs, the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag) said cheaper imported pork has failed to lower retail prices and has impacted the livelihoods of local hog raisers. “Instead, it has driven down farmgate prices and placed the burden of excessive imports

Chinese banks explore local e-CNY wallets for foreign firms via upgraded platform

Nov 5, 2026

Chinese banks explore local e-CNY wallets for foreign firms via upgraded platform

Beijing is expanding its central bank-backed digital currency network to offshore institutions, including Hong Kong branches, while banks are also exploring local e-CNY wallets for foreign firms to deepen cross-border integration. “We currently have 30 domestic banks as e-CNY operators. Right now we’re working to extend this capability to offshore banks,” Lu Yuan, deputy head of the People’s Bank of China’s digital currency research institute, said on a panel at Hong Kong’s Fintech Week. “We...

Diversification and flexibility key to investment in challenging times

Nov 5, 2026

Diversification and flexibility key to investment in challenging times

[The content of this article has been produced by our advertising partner.] Many indicators have highlighted Hong Kong’s growing pre-eminence as an international financial centre, including the “World Ultra Wealth Report 2026”1 – published in June by the New York-based wealth intelligence firm Altrata. It showed that, up to the end of last year, Hong Kong had an estimated 18,290 ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) individuals with personal assets of more than US$30 million, which represented a 26.4 per...

Why Hong Kong wealth managers want broader access to mainland China’s Nasdaq-style markets

Nov 5, 2026

Why Hong Kong wealth managers want broader access to mainland China’s Nasdaq-style markets

Most asset managers in Hong Kong expect broader access to mainland China’s two Nasdaq-style stock markets to strengthen the city’s private wealth business, an industry survey shows, as hard-tech firms continue to attract investors despite a recent pullback. The report, released by the Private Wealth Management Association (PWMA) and KPMG China, surveyed most of the association’s 44 institutional members, ranging from Agricultural Bank of China (Hong Kong) to UBS, as well as asset managers and...

Inflation rises to 7.8% in October

Nov 5, 2026

Inflation rises to 7.8% in October

The country"s inflation rate accelerated for the second straight month in October, mainly due to faster increases in transportation, fuel, and utilities costs during the period.

Could Shanghai project smooth indebted New World’s path to cash?

Nov 4, 2026

Could Shanghai project smooth indebted New World’s path to cash?

New World Development’s recent announcement that its Shanghai K11 Elysea office project has reached an occupancy rate of about 80 per cent may pave the way for the indebted group’s next securitisation exercise, analysts say, adding that it could generate 100 million yuan (US$15 million) in annual net operating income. The company said on Tuesday that new tenants, including luxury brands Hermes and Rolex, were preparing to move into the project’s office component on Huaihai Middle Road. Others...

Oil slumps after midterm election rebuke to Trump raises bets on Iran war exit

Nov 4, 2026

Oil slumps after midterm election rebuke to Trump raises bets on Iran war exit

HOUSTON - Oil prices fell more than 8% to settle at their lowest in more than two months on Wednesday after President Donald Trump's Republican Party lost control of Congress in midterm elections, as investors bet that the shift in power could hasten the end of the US-Israeli war with Iran.

Filinvest REIT profit jumps 28% to P1.3B in 9 months

Nov 4, 2026

Filinvest REIT profit jumps 28% to P1.3B in 9 months

MANILA, Philippines — Filinvest REIT Corp. (FILRT) grew its nine-month net income 28 percent to P1.3 billion as Festival Main Mall lifted revenues while expenses grew modestly. On Wednesday, the company, backed by Filinvest Land Inc., reported revenues of P3 billion in the January-to-September period, up 18 percent from a year earlier. READ: FILRT H1 profit

Steady enrollment lifts STI Holdings profit to P2.01B

Nov 4, 2026

Steady enrollment lifts STI Holdings profit to P2.01B

MANILA, Philippines — STI Education Systems Holdings Inc. earned P2.01 billion in the 2025–2026 school year, supported by tertiary enrollment as the group continued spending on campuses and learning technologies. The Eusebio Tanco-led private school reported revenues of P5.55 billion and a net income margin of 36 percent, according to a stock exchange filing on Wednesday.

GlobalSource: BSP rate hike aimed at inflation, not peso

Nov 4, 2026

GlobalSource: BSP rate hike aimed at inflation, not peso

MANILA, Philippines — New York-based GlobalSource Partners noted that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas should not see its recent rate hike as peso defense, stressing that the main goal of monetary policy is price stability. In a report, GlobalSource analyst Diwa Guinigundo said the peso’s recent recovery from record lows, following President Marcos’ pledge to defend

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