Inflation settles at 2.1 percent in February
Inflation eased to 2.1 percent in February because of slower price increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages, among others, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Wednesday.

Philippine unemployment rate rises to 4.3% in January
There were 2.16 million jobless Filipinos in January, up from 1.63 million unemployed in December as the wealth of seasonal jobs during the Christmas rush might have started to wane, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.

DICT chief Ivan Uy resigns
Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy has resigned, Malacañang confirmed on Thursday. Uy's resignation was accepted by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, Presidential Communications Office Usec. Atty. Claire Castro said. She added that an officer in charge will fill the position until the President appoints a secretary.

ICAO defers safety audit; aviation law pushed
Newly appointed Transportation Secretary Vivencio B. Dizon has exactly one year to get a law passed and signed to establish an independent transport safety and investigation board, or the country runs the risk of cementing its reputation as unsafe for foreign carriers.

NG debt rises to new high of ₱16.3T
The National Government’s (NG) outstanding debt hit a fresh high of ₱16.31 trillion at the end of January as it ramped up borrowings, the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) said on Tuesday.

Palawan imposes 50-year mining moratorium
Environmental groups in Palawan are celebrating the passage of a landmark ordinance imposing a 50-year moratorium on new mining operations in the province.

Maharlika considering broadband as focus of next investment move
The Maharlika Investment Fund said it will look into investing in broadband connectivity projects after it achieves deal closing on its previous two investments.

Dizon fires MRT common station contractor for ‘excessive delays’
The Department of Transportation has fired the contractor of the Unified Grand Central Station — which is envisioned to link major railways Light Rail Transit Line 1, Metro Rail Transit Line (MRT) 3 and MRT 7 — citing “excessive delays.”

Philippines beats pre-pandemic tourism revenue
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Thursday reported that the country’s tourism revenue in January 2025 reached P65.3 billion, surpassing pre-pandemic earnings in 2019.

NAIA ‘full system overhaul’ underway – operator
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) will undergo a “full system overhaul” this year through a partnership with US-based Collins Aerospace, the New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) said Thursday.

Pork prices seen falling in next few weeks
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said on Wednesday that pork prices are expected to fall in the next few weeks, citing improving production and an industry commitment to reducing market prices.

DA pushes P380 per kilo pork belly price limit
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has put a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) of P350 per kilo for pork shoulder (kasim) and P380 per kilo for pork belly effective March 10 to curb rising retail prices.

Tobacco excise tax revenue decline slows
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said the decline in tobacco tax revenue has slowed down compared to the shortfalls of recent years.

More room for easing amid slow inflation — analysts
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has more room to further reduce interest rates due to an easing inflation outlook, though the need to be cautious remains amid uncertainties.

PhilHealth to settle P8.8-B denied claims of hospitals from 2018-2024
The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has committed to pay billions worth of unsettled claims to hospitals in the next six months.

World Bank lends $1B for health care, Mindanao highways
The World Bank (WB) approved two loans for the Philippines with a combined amount of nearly $1 billion to finance projects aimed at improving transport connectivity and health services in Mindanao and “low-capacity” provinces across the country.

Law signed on new way to earn college degree
The Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) on Wednesday lauded the signing into law of Republic Act (RA) No. 12124, which would allow Filipinos to earn college degree credits from their gained professional expertise.

Recto wants stricter rules, not ban on online gambling
Instead of a total ban, the government should tighten rules and enforcement of online gambling operations as the government rakes in stronger revenues from the industry, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto said.

Local salt producers want tighter import rules
A local salt industry group has urged the government to implement tighter rules and regulations that would limit the country’s importation of the commodity to plug the foreseen shortfall in domestic supply.

Philippine banks’ exposure to real estate sector rises at end-2024
The exposure of Philippine banks and trust entities to the property sector increased at the end of December amid a rise in residential and commercial real estate loans, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Philippine miner expands renewable energy business as nickel prices fall
The Philippines’ largest nickel ore miner is expanding its renewable energy business as it pushes to grow beyond core operations that have been overshadowed by volatile metal prices.

NAC sees nickel prices rising on supply constraints
Listed Nickel Asia Corp. (NAC) said it expects upward pressure on nickel prices due to potential supply constraints amid rising demand from the stainless steel and electric vehicle sectors.

Banks’ real estate loans climb to 19.8% in 2024
The exposure of Philippine banks and trust entities to the volatile property segment inched up to 19.8 percent of total loans in end-December 2024 amid the sustained expansion of property-related lending despite economic uncertainties.

Philippines to be well-insulated from Trump's 'tit-for-tat' tariffs, analysts say
The Philippines is seen to be well-insulated from the tit-for-tat retaliatory tariffs, analysts said, as its trade balance and currency are not likely to be significantly affected compared with its regional neighbors.

Power banks exceeding 160Wh now banned on flights
All power banks exceeding 160 watt-hours are strictly prohibited on both international and domestic flights, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) announced on Tuesday.

TIN validation coming to SEC platforms
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will soon mandate the tax identification number (TIN) validation service across its online systems to enhance monitoring efforts.

Regulator still targets cashless, unified toll rollout this year
The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) expects the simultaneous implementation of the cashless and unified toll collection system within the year despite the Transportation department’s move to postpone the full cashless toll operation at major expressways.

Think tank urges PHL gov't to issue EO on AI regulation
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should issue an executive order (EO) to regulate the use of artificial intelligence (AI) temporarily pending legislation, according to a House of Representatives think tank.

DoE bares nuclear emergency plan
The Department of Energy (DoE) has strengthened its preparedness measures to address potential nuclear and radiological emergencies by coming up with a plan that establishes protocols and procedures.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DoE said it has finalized the National Nuclear and Radiological Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan (RADPLAN), following write-shops and a review by the Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Nuclear Research Institute Technical Working Group.

PAL increases flights from Clark to Siargao and Batanes
Ahead of the upcoming summer season, Philippine Airlines (PAL) announced on Thursday the start of daily flights from Clark to Siargao and Batanes by May 1, giving passengers more options when flying to the tourist destinations.

Filipinos gain appetite for business class flights
While Filipino airline passengers usually flew economy when they visited the United States and Asian destinations, more travelers also splurged on business-class tickets in the past year, according to a report by travel company Trevolution Group.

Automated parking introduced at NAIA
The New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) has introduced an automated parking system at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), starting at Terminal 3 on March 1 and at Terminals 1 and 2 on March 14.