ECCP: PH removal from FATF gray list boosts investor confidence
The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) hailed the country’s removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list, saying this will bolster investor confidence and promote sustainable economic growth in the Philippines.

DoF sees FDI exceeding pre-2019 levels this year
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is on track to exceed 2019 levels this year, with investors drawn in by reforms that have made the Philippines a more attractive investment destination, the Department of Finance (DoF) said.

PH GDP growth seen picking up pace in 2025
The country’s economy could expand at a faster pace this year compared to 2024 due to the typical boost from elections, although an all-out global trade war could drag growth below the government’s target.

Budget gap exceeds full-year ceiling
The national government’s budget deficit narrowed year on year in 2024, but overshot the target by 1.48%, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said. Data from the Treasury released on Thursday showed that the budget deficit shrank by 0.38% or P5.7 billion to P1.506 trillion in 2024 from P1.512 trillion in 2023.

Dizon swears in new DOTr officials
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon administers the oath of office of the new officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) at the agency's head office in Mandaluyong City on Thursday, February 27, 2025.

DTI pushes for more efficient logistics, supply chain
Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Mary Jean Pacheco reaffirmed the government’s goal of making logistics and supply chains in the country more efficient to reduce the cost of goods.

Peza approves P53-B projects in Jan-Feb 2025
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) has approved P52.93 billion worth of investment pledges in the first two months of the year.

PH internet users nearly 100M; surfing close to avg 9 hrs/day
Internet users who spend nearly 9 hours on average per day web surfing in the Philippines have reached close to 100 million this month, Meltwater, a global leader in social and media intelligence, said in its latest report.

DOTr chief establishes new office to accelerate major gov't infra projects
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon has established a new office within the agency to oversee policies aimed at expediting the Marcos administration’s big-ticket infrastructure projects.

Philippine digital economy to sustain growth
The Philippine digital economy is expected to remain robust this year amid the continued growth of the e-commerce and financial technology (fintech) sectors and increased adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, analysts said.

ECCP lauds PH for exiting money laundering gray list
The European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) lauded the Philippines on its removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) gray list.

ECCP sees exit from FATF gray list strengthening Philippine argument for attracting investment
The Philippines’ removal from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) gray list is expected to improve the overall investment climate and enhance confidence, the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) said.

Marcos ‘evaluating’ need for Cabinet leadership change – Palace
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is “evaluating” the need for a change of leadership in his Cabinet, the Palace said on Tuesday.

ERC defers approval for 6 NGCP projects worth P20.32B
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has deferred the approval of six capital expenditure projects applied by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) worth a total of P20.32 billion.

‘Philippines data center pipeline needs $1.09 billion to build’
The Philippines will need approximately $1.09 billion worth of capital to build data centers in the pipeline for the coming five to seven years, according to Cushman & Wakefield.

Digital banks likely to remain in the red
Digital banks in the Philippines remained in the red in 2024 and will likely continue to post losses in the near term as they struggle to expand the reach of their credit products, a central bank official said.

Sustainable fisheries, aquaculture to support coastal livelihoods — ADB
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) said sustainable fisheries and aquaculture are crucial to supporting coastal livelihoods and food security in the Philippines.

EV sales in PH seen hitting 20,000 in 2025
Sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in the Philippines could increase by 7 percent this year, hitting an annual purchase volume of 20,000 units for the first time, according to industry expectations.

Rice tariff collection plunges 70% in January
The government’s rice tariff collections in January plunged by 70 percent on an annual basis because of lower tariff rate and decline in import arrivals.

MCT increases renewable energy utilization
International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) said its Cagayan de Oro operation, Mindanao Container Terminal (MCT), is now running on pure solar energy during daytime operation.

Sugar harvest to reach 1.78m tons in 2025
The Philippine sugar industry remains hopeful of reaching its projected 1.78 million metric tons (MT) output for the 2024-2025 crop year.

Escudero says DOTr to suspend PUV modernization pending review
The Department of Transportation (DOTr), under its new leadership, will temporarily suspend the implementation of the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP) pending review.

Filipinos blame business profits, interest rates for rising costs — survey
Businesses making large profit margins are among the key drivers of rising living costs, according to 77% of Filipinos in a 2024 survey by international research firm Ipsos.

NGCP sees ‘vindication’ in Singapore arbitration
National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said its successful outcome of its Singapore arbitration case serves as “vindication,” with a neutral third party affirming it has honored the terms of its concession agreement, specifically the restrictions on foreign ownership.

SEC pushes expansion of government securities repurchase market
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is pushing to expand the government securities repurchase agreement (repo) market in line with its efforts to deepen the country’s capital market.

Food vouchers programs in PH to continue
The Philippines’ flagship school meals and food voucher programs will continue to receive unhampered funding from the World Food Program (WFP), its Asia-Pacific chief said against the backdrop of a changing global funding landscape.

Sugar regulator to set up soil lab in Bukidnon to help drive production
The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) said it will sign an agreement to establish a 40-hectare soil laboratory at Central Mindanao University (CMU) in Bukidnon.

BIZ BUZZ: New ADB chief ready for global turbulence
Masato Kanda, who officially became the 11th president of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) yesterday, is ready to steer the multilateral lender at a time of complex global economic challenges emanating from rapid-fire tariff actions in the United States.

NEDA leads UN delegation on human rights, economy
The government reaffirmed its commitment to upholding human rights and advancing inclusive development, as the country’s delegation, led by National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Undersecretary Rosemarie Edillon, participated in a constructive dialogue with the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) on Feb. 18 to 19, 2025.

Semirara gets DOE nod for P291 billion coal mine expansion
Consunji-led Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) has secured the green light from the Department of Energy for its planned P291-billion coal mine complex expansion project in Antique.

Trade war poses risk to PHL growth
The Philippine economy’s biggest risk this year is the looming global trade war, Security Bank said, which could also cause the central bank to be more ‘external-dependent’ to account for these uncertainties.

New DOTr chief looking to extend MRT, LRT operating hours
Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday expressed openness to the possibility of extending the operating hours of the major train lines in Metro Manila such as the Light Rail Transit (LRT) systems, as well as the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3.

Imported rice SRP to be cut to P49 per kilo starting next month
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is lowering the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) for imported rice to P49 per kilo starting in March in selected cities.

‘BSP may allow peso to weaken against $’
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may start easing its stance in defending the peso by the second half of the year to allow exports to grow and the economy to expand, according to a research group.

Petition vs zero PhilHealth subsidy filed before SC
A health advocate questioned the zero subsidy for the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) before the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, citing violations in the provisions of the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act.

Marcos inaugurates Pasig River rehab project phase 3
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday led the inauguration of the third phase of the Pasig River rehabilitation project in Intramuros, Manila.

Palace vows swift action on alleged resurgence of Pogos in PH
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro on Thursday vowed swift action on the alleged resurgence of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (Pogos), two months since its total ban took effect.

DOE developing ‘transition financing’ measures for nuclear deployment
The government is working on financing schemes to ensure the realization of nuclear power in the Philippines despite increasing financial demands and supply issues facing the industry, according to the country’s energy chief.

Dizon: ROW issues stall Metro Manila subway project
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is no longer setting a timeline on when the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) will be completed until such time that challenges on right of way (ROW) are sorted out.

PH economy to grow 5.9% in 2025 — UBS
The domestic-driven Philippine economy may grow 5.9 percent this year, with the peso “slightly” outperforming its regional peers should the global trade war escalate, UBS Investment Bank Global Research said.

PH internet users nearly 100M; surfing close to avg 9 hrs/day
Internet users who spend nearly 9 hours on average per day web surfing in the Philippines have reached close to 100 million this month, Meltwater, a global leader in social and media intelligence, said in its latest report.

Budget gap exceeds full-year ceiling
The national government’s (NG) budget deficit narrowed year on year in 2024, but overshot the target by 1.48%, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said.

BSP seen to bring down RRR to zero by 2028
Big banks’ reserve requirements are seen to be slashed further to zero in the near term, Security Bank said.

Peso dips as Trump tariff vs EU fans trade war fears
The peso dipped against the dollar on Thursday after US President Donald J. Trump said he would slap a 25% tariff on the European Union (EU), which vowed to counter “firmly and immediately,” fanning fears of an escalating trade war.

Honda Philippines eyes growth in marine business
Honda Philippines Inc. (HPI) is aiming to grow its marine business as it sees opportunities to cater to the government and even private users.

SEC: No let-up in keeping Philippines out of FATF dirty money listThe Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) plans to roll out more reforms to fight money laundering and terrorist financing to help keep the Philippines out of the gray list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).