Vince Dizon named new DOTr secretary
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed former Bases Conversion and Development Authority chief Vince Dizon as the new transportation secretary, replacing Jaime Bautista.

Renewable energy sees ‘record-breaking’ capacity add
The Philippines’ renewable energy market may have seen its best year yet in 2024, as the government recorded a historic power generation capacity expansion with more clean power injected into the national grid.

Philippines nears exit from watchdog’s dirty money ‘gray list’
The Philippines may be removed from a global dirty-money list as early as next week, a potential boost to the Southeast Asian nation following a reform push to counter money laundering and terrorist-financing risks.

PHL services rules ‘restrictive’; transport deemed a bright spot
The Philippines had some of the most restrictive regulations for trade in services in 2024, particularly in terms of barriers to foreign investment, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said.

Nickel miners see ore export ban hurting PHL standing as supplier
Nickel Producers said that the government should focus on easing the mining permit process and reduce production costs instead of imposing a mineral export ban, which it said will damage the Philippines’ standing in global value chains at a time when a market rebound is looming.

Philippines’ ranking inches up in global corruption perceptions index
The Philippines saw a slight improvement in its ranking in a global corruption perceptions index by Transparency International, although its score remained well below the global average.

PPP projects in pipeline now at P2.47 trillion
The Philippines has a total of 176 projects worth P2.47 trillion in its pipeline of public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

NGCP: Transmission rates increase in January on ancillary service hike
Customers are set to face higher electricity bills this month as a result of increased transmission charges due to higher ancillary service (AS) costs, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines.

GEA-3 attracts 7,500-MW power projects
The government has attracted 7,500 megawatts of power projects in the third green energy auction round (GEA-3), surpassing a 4,650-MW installation target.

Maharlika fund eyes 3rd investment with foreign-listed firm
The Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC) is gearing up for its third investment which would involve a foreign-listed company with ties in the infrastructure sector, according to its top official.

Government eyes ADB loan for geothermal risk reduction
The Marcos administration wants to secure a loan from the Asian Development Bank this year to bankroll its geothermal risk reduction strategy, a senior energy official said.

29 PH firms make it to Time’s best companies in Asia-Pacific
Some of the country’s largest conglomerates, banks and other institutions made it to Time Magazine’s list of the 500 Best Companies in the Asia-Pacific region for showing strong growth last year despite threats posed by geopolitical uncertainties.

DTI allots P800M for new equipment in shared service facilities
The head of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Wednesday said around P800 million has been earmarked as budget for its shared service facilities this year, funding that will be used to buy new equipment, including modern packaging machines.

DBM thanks Senate for advancing gov’t rightsizing bill
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has expressed its appreciation for the Senate’s approval on second reading of a measure pushing for government rightsizing.

Government hiking purchase of raw sugar to 500K MT
The government will siphon off as much as a quarter of the country’s projected raw sugar supply as it seeks to propel farmgate prices of the commodity to a level favorable to planters while keeping retail prices affordable to consumers.

Higher power spot market rates loom
Electricity rates in the country’s power spot market are likely to rise in the coming months due to higher demand driven by the summer heat and election campaign rallies.

BSP surprises by keeping rates steady
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) unexpectedly held interest rates steady on Thursday as global uncertainties threaten the outlook for inflation and growth, although signaled that the easing cycle is still underway.

PH eyes ‘sectoral FTA’ with US under Trump
The Philippines may pursue a “sectoral” free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United States under the administration of President Donald Trump, with the critical minerals sector likely the first priority.

Bank lending growth hits 2-year high
Bank lending in December expanded at its fastest pace in two years, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

PHL banks’ bad loan ratio falls to one-year low
The Philippine banking system’s gross nonperforming loan (NPL) ratio fell to a one-year low in December, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Philippines may lose $1.9 billion in US exports if Trump raises tariffs
The Philippines could lose as much as $1.89 billion (P107.6 billion) in exports of mostly mechanical and electrical equipment to the US if President Donald J. Trump makes good on his threat to impose higher tariffs, according to a House of Representatives think tank.