EU firms express confidence for PH business environment in 2025
The ECCP expressed optimism for the country’s business environment this year, signaling continued confidence from the nation’s fourth largest trading partner by regional bloc.

More PHL effort needed to attract European investment—ECCP 
The Philippines will have to do more to promote itself as an investment destination to attract investment from the European Union (EU), as companies within the trading block consider Southeast.

PH-EFTA trade growing, though issues persist—Norway envoy 
Trade between the Philippines and the European Free Trade Area has yet to reach its full potential, although transaction volumes are growing steadily, Norwegian ambassador to the Philippines Christian Lyster said over the weekend.

Trade gap widens to $54.2 billion in 2024 
The Philippines’ trade-in-goods deficit widened in 2024, the largest trade gap in over two years as imports picked up while exports continued to decline, the PSA reported on Friday.

Want to do biz in PH? Here’s a guidebook from the European Chamber of Commerce 
For those looking to navigate the complexities of setting up shop in the vibrant Philippine market, the ECCP on Thursday released the ultimate resource, the “Doing Business in the Philippines 2025” guidebook.

ECCP: Keep momentum via continuous reforms 
Forward-looking policy reforms and proactive initiatives in trade and investment promotion are the main drivers of growth and development for the country, according to the ECCP.

Green lane-eligible projects top P4.55 trillion 
Three more projects worth P15.35 billion have been endorsed by the One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments (OSACSI) for green lane treatment this month, bringing the total value of such projects to P4.552 trillion, a Board of Investments (BoI) official said.

Philippines unlikely to hit 2024 growth target after typhoons disruption, minister says 
The Philippines may have likely missed its growth target last year due to economic disruption from a spate of typhoons in the last three months of 2024, its economic planning minister said on Friday.

BSP sharpens framework for probing suspicious accounts 
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has proposed rules that will guide its investigations into bank accounts and e-wallets suspected of being used to commit financial crimes and fraud.

PEZA, Tesda ink cooperation agreement workforce development 
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on Friday said it signed an agreement with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) to cooperate on aligning workforce skills with industry needs as part of the government’s bid to address the mismatch seen in the local labor situation.

Peza, BI sign data sharing agreement to boost visa service 
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) on Thursday said it signed a data sharing agreement with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) as part of its bid to improve its investor visa services.

BOI rationalizing tiering system in gov’t’s investment priority plan
The head of the Board of Investments (BOI) on Thursday said they are amending the government’s investment priority plan, rationalizing the tiering system which determines the incentives for businesses registered with them.

DA forms TWG for food security emergency 
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formed a technical working group (TWG) to formulate the implementing rules for the release of National Food Authority (NFA) rice stocks once the government officially declares a food security emergency on the staple.

BOI eyes release of new SIPP within H1 
The Board of Investments (BOI) expects to release the Strategic Investment Priority Plan (SIPP) for 2025 to 2028, which will identify activities eligible for incentives, within the first half of the year.

GDP likely expanded in Q4—poll 
Philippine economic growth was expected to have quickened in the fourth quarter of 2024, driven by strong consumer spending during the holiday season, although the full-year print likely fell short of the government target, a BusinessWorld poll showed.

Agricultural output may have contracted in 2024 
Philippine farm output likely contracted in 2024, reflecting the adverse impact of weather-related events such as El Niño and La Niña, analysts said.

Philippines may escape ‘middle-income trap’ by 2050—Nomura Research 
It may take more than two decades before the Philippines can escape the “middle-income trap,” Nomura Global Markets Research said, citing the need to implement key reforms to boost investment-led growth

Foreign borrowings decline to $13.7 billion
Foreign borrowings approved by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) went down by 5.6 percent in 2024, as the national government borrowed less from offshore creditors

DOTr seeks revision of ROW Law 
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has proposed a further revision of the country’s Right-of-Way (ROW) Law, particularly to lower the limit of the government in accessing land at 25 meters below ground of privately owned properties from the current 50 meters.

PH, WEF to keep jobs accelerator partnership in place 
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the Philippines and the World Economic Forum (WEF) have agreed to sustain their cooperation for the Jobs Accelerator Network Initiative.

SEC, IFC team up for sustainable finance 
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is joining forces with the International Finance Corp. (IFC) to accelerate finance in the country.

PHL urged to unlock potential of $788.4-million solar export market 
The Philippines can access a potential export market of $788.4 million for its solar photovoltaic (PV) modules if it properly addresses the non-tariff barriers hindering the trade, the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. said.

Budget consultations start with Cabinet Secretaries 
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has started consulting with heads of government agencies in conducting the budget call forum for 2026.

Tobacco industry backs pause in raising excise tax rates
The tobacco industry said it supports a pause in excise tax rate hikes and called for more efficient utilization of local governments’ national tax allotments (NTA).

Maharlika Fun makes first investment: Buys 20% stake in NGCP
The Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC), the governing body of the Maharlika Investment Fund, has made its maiden investment by acquiring a stake in the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

PEZA approves over P30-B investment pledges in January 
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) saw a surge in investment pledges to P30.156 billion in January, putting it on track to boost investments by as much as 10% this year.

BSP eyes tighter rules on IT risk management 
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is looking to tighten rules on information technology (IT) controls and account security for financial institutions, as part of efforts to stamp out cybercrime and protect consumers.

ADB, Ayala ink $100-M loan to develop EV ecosystem 
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Ayala Corp. have signed a $100-million (around P5.8-billion) financing deal to support the company’s efforts to develop an electric mobility (e-mobility) ecosystem in the Philippines.

Philippines draws global interest for AI investments—DOF
The Philippines continues to position itself as a key hub for artificial intelligence (AI) and digital innovation, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

Fitch: Philippines banks to benefit from shallower rate cuts
Philippine banks are expected to emerge as key beneficiaries across Southeast Asia economies if policy rate cuts remain shallower than anticipated in 2025, Fitch Ratings said.