Semirara uncertainties deepen as DOE scraps 2026 coal auction

Inquirer.net - Sep 18, 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has ditched plans to bid out coal contracts this year as it overhauls awarding rules, a development that further fuels the anxiety gripping Consunji-led Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC). In an advisory dated Sept. 15, the Department of Energgy (DOE) scrapped the 2026 coal bid round covering three predetermined

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TAT is expanding Nihao Month 2026 to boost travel to China and increase engagement

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TAT is expanding Nihao Month 2026 to boost travel to China and increase engagement

TAT's Nihao Month 2026 targets Chinese tourists with Meituan promotions, cultural events, and KOL trips to boost engagement.

Hong Kong malls bet on Asian Games to boost footfall, tenant sales amid spending shifts

Sep 17, 2026

Hong Kong malls bet on Asian Games to boost footfall, tenant sales amid spending shifts

Hong Kong shopping mall operators are extending a strategy used during this year’s Fifa World Cup into the Asian Games, leveraging major sporting events to draw visitors and support tenant sales as retailers face competition from Shenzhen, overseas shopping and online spending. Sino Group is among the landlords expanding the strategy beyond tournament broadcasts. It expects foot traffic across four malls to increase during its Asian Games campaign, with selected merchants forecast to record...

P74-M facility to boost Cabanatuan rice processing

Sep 17, 2026

P74-M facility to boost Cabanatuan rice processing

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) has opened a new P74.4-million rice processing facility in Cabanatuan to improve postharvest processing in Nueva Ecija, the country’s top rice-producing province. The facility, inaugurated on Thursday, includes a multi-stage rice mill that can process 4 to 5 tons per hour, along with three recirculating dryers, each

Soft demand to slow Toyota’s PH production in ‘26

Sep 17, 2026

Soft demand to slow Toyota’s PH production in ‘26

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine production at Japanese automotive giant Toyota may slow in 2026 as weak demand weighs on vehicle sales, putting the automaker on track to fall short of its banner production year in 2025. According to Toyota Motor Philippines senior vice president Sherwin Chua-Lim, output from the company’s Santa Rosa plant in Laguna may

Meat traders buck plan to raise pork jowl tariffs

Sep 17, 2026

Meat traders buck plan to raise pork jowl tariffs

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine meat importers are pushing back against the Department of Agriculture’s (DA) bid to reclassify frozen pork jowls as swine meat, a move that would raise the tariff on the imported cut to up to 40 percent. In a June petition to the Tariff Commission, the DA noted that retailers and food

Yuchengco urges SEC to withdraw broker-director term limits

Sep 17, 2026

Yuchengco urges SEC to withdraw broker-director term limits

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Stock Exchange director Ma. Vivian Yuchengco urged the Securities and Exchange Commisison (SEC) to revoke term-limit rules for broker-directors, asserting that shareholders should determine the tenure of their elected representatives on the board. In a statement, Yuchengco reiterated her opposition to SEC Memorandum Circular No. 17, Series of 2026, which caps broker-directors’

NGCP boosts grid capacity with P23.5-B transmission project

Sep 17, 2026

NGCP boosts grid capacity with P23.5-B transmission project

MANILA, Philippines — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) is on track to activate P23.5 billion worth of transmission projects this year as it works to strengthen the country’s grid network further. Breaking it down, NGCP assistant vice president Leonor Felipa Cynthia Alabanza said the grid operator is spending around P11 billion to finish

Debt ratio seen rising to 70.7% by 2027 in severe conditions

Sep 17, 2026

Debt ratio seen rising to 70.7% by 2027 in severe conditions

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine debt could climb to as much as 70.7 percent of gross domestic product by 2027 under a severe downside economic scenario, according to a sensitivity test that flagged the government’s growth assumptions as still too optimistic. The estimate is not a forecast but forms part of the alternative growth scenarios developed by

PH to unveil integrated trade-climate strategy by November

Sep 17, 2026

PH to unveil integrated trade-climate strategy by November

GENEVA, Switzerland — The Philippines will unveil an integrated Trade-Climate Strategy by November, outlining a framework to align domestic policies, boost trade competitiveness, and ensure key sectors are regulatory-ready. The Philippine Mission to the World Trade Organization (WTO) told the Inquirer that it will launch the integrated Trade-Climate Strategy at the United Nations Climate Change Conference

PH backs careful recalibration of global trade rules—official

Sep 17, 2026

PH backs careful recalibration of global trade rules—official

GENEVA, Switzerland — Many developing countries, including the Philippines, are open to a careful recalibration of the global trading system that protects its foundation while ensuring fairness, according to a Philippine government official here. Speaking at the launch of the World Trade Organization (WTO) World Trade Report 2026, Ambassador Manuel Antonio Teehankee, the Philippines’ Permanent Representative

PSEi rebounds on bargain hunting but stays below 6,000

Sep 17, 2026

PSEi rebounds on bargain hunting but stays below 6,000

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine stocks bounced back on Thursday as investors hunted for bargains following two straight sessions of losses, although the benchmark index remained below the 6,000 level. The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) climbed 0.70 percent, or 41.70 points, to close at 5,958.64. READ: PSEi drops below 6,000 on slower growth, geopolitical woes Philstocks

DOF, IMF to refine economic forecasting

Sep 17, 2026

DOF, IMF to refine economic forecasting

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Finance will work with the International Monetary Fund to enhance its macroeconomic forecasting model and improve fiscal planning projections. In a technical assistance report, the IMF said the DOF agreed to integrate the Comprehensive Adaptive Expectations Model (CAEM) into its existing forecasting tools for revenue predictions. READ: Amro cuts

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