As December saw lowest monthly tally in 11 years, FDI net inflows inch up 0.1% in 2024
Net inflows of foreign direct investments (FDI) into the Philippines inched up by just 0.1% in 2024 but plunged in December to its lowest monthly tally in 11 years, amid uncertainty in global trade, data from the central bank showed.

Marcos gov’t to revisit 2025 growth targets amid ‘uncertainties’
Economic officials of the Marcos administration will revisit their macroeconomic targets amid “uncertainties” that are threatening the entire global economy, the government’s top socioeconomic planner said.

FDA receives most complaints among agencies
ARTA director-general Ernesto Perez said in a forum on the Ease of Doing Business organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP) on March 5, 2025 that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received the most complaints from companies and businesses.

Anti-red tape office says 98.95% of cases resolved
THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has achieved a 98.95-percent resolution rate in 24,932 out of 25,197 complaints filed as of January, the agency's Director General Ernesto Perez disclosed in a forum hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines on Wednesday.

Discover Europe Like Never Before: Landers Superstore’s Biggest European Festival is Here!
Landers Superstore, the fastest-growing membership retail chain in the country, is hosting the biggest European festival this month, to put the spotlight on European excellence and bring beloved European products closer to home.

DICT Usec Paul Mercado is agency’s OIC – Palace
Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Undersecretary for Special Concerns Paul Mercado has been assigned officer-in-charge of the agency, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Monday.

Romualdez welcomes 2M increase in agriculture, trade jobs
House Speaker Martin Romualdez welcomed the January 2025 Labor Force Survey of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), which stated that over 2 million jobs had been created in the first month of the year.

DFA hails Philippines exit from FATF gray list
The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday hailed the removal of the Philippines from the gray list of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), a top international money laundering and terrorism-financing watchdog.

NNIC taps Collins Aerospace to modernize NAIA
San Miguel-backed New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) has partnered with Collins Aerospace, a global leader in airport technology, to modernize and improve the overall passenger experience at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Pharma industry eyes 9% growth this year
The Philippine pharmaceutical industry is targeting at least 9% growth this year amid the implementation of the universal healthcare law, an industry group said.

Cybersecurity, digital infra seen as next DICT Secretary's top priorities
A unified national cyber defense center and the expansion of digital infrastructure should top the to-do list of the next Secretary of Information and Communications Technology, technology and cybersecurity analysts said.

Government borrowings soar to P2.56 trillion
The government jacked up its borrowings to P2.56 trillion last year following a double-digit increase in both domestic and external debts, data from the Bureau of the Treasury showed.

As December saw lowest monthly tally in 11 years, FDI net inflows inch up 0.1% in 2024
Net inflows of foreign direct investments (FDI) into the Philippines inched up by just 0.1% in 2024 but plunged in December to its lowest monthly tally in 11 years, amid uncertainty in global trade, data from the central bank showed.

Factory output grows in January
Manufacturing output climbed to six-month high in January as heavily weighted food products rebounded, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday.

90% of Edsa Busway station timers now operational – DOTr
Ninety percent of Edsa Busway station timers are finally operational, Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon said on Friday.

Quezon-Sorsogon toll road project under way
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is set to start constructing the first segment of its 417-kilometer toll road linking Quezon to Sorsogon by the end of the month, according to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).

DOTr to prioritize Iloilo airport in gov’t privatization efforts
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will prioritize the Iloilo International Airport in Cabatuan town in the government’s privatization efforts.

NALEX, SALEX construction may start this quarter — TRB
The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said the construction of San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) two toll road projects may start within the first quarter.

MPTC eyes P35B for projects this year
Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), is allocating P35 billion for its capital expenditure (capex) budget this year, primarily for the projects of its subsidiaries, a company official said.

Western Visayas tourist arrivals up 10.25%, generate P74B in 2024
Western Visayas recorded a 10.25-percent increase in tourist arrivals in 2024, generating P74 billion in revenue, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT).

World Bank says PHL can boost revenues by expanding its VAT base
The Philippines can boost its revenue collections by expanding its value-added tax (VAT) base and improving tax administration, the World Bank said.

World Bank says PHL needs reforms in education, health
The Philippines should focus on reforms that will improve learning and health outcomes, as well as boost private sector competitiveness to sustain economic growth, a World Bank official said on Monday.

Agri trade deficit narrows 2.8% to $1 billion in Jan.
The deficit in the trade of agricultural goods in January narrowed 2.8% year on year to $1 billion, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Agriculture industry group seeks restoration of 35% rice import tariff
An agriculture industry association asked the Tariff Commission to restore the rice import tariffs to 35% for Southeast Asian grain, while imposing a 50% rate for all other countries of origin.

Foreign mineral processors studying PHL market
Four foreign mineral processors have expressed interest in operating facilities in the Philippines, according to the Board of Investments (BoI).

Turboprop transfer scheduled for March 30 subject to review — MIAA
The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said the decision to transfer turboprop aircraft away from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) could still be reviewed by the Department of Transportation (DoTr) given the turnover in membership of the committee allocating airport slots.

AirAsia boosting fleet with 14 new aircraft
One of the leading low-cost carriers in Asia-Pacific is boosting its fleet with 14 new aircraft this year to meet soaring travel demand, and this is expected to benefit the Philippines given the growing reach of its local subsidiary.

Lower milling rate to hike rice imports
The Philippines’ rice import requirement may increase after the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revised a key parameter used by the government in estimating the country’s domestic production and supply of the staple.

Bulk price growth inche up in January
Growth in wholesale prices of general goods rose to its highest in a year in January as elevated prices after the Christmas holidays spilled over that month.

Marcos’ private sector advisers urge more pharmacies for remote areas
An advisory group to President Marcos has pushed for more reforms in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), expand the number of pharmacies to reach underserved communities and fast-track the approval of essential medicines to help lower Filipinos’ out-of-pocket costs for healthcare.

DICT free Wi-Fi program could tap LEO satellites
THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said it will overhaul the free Wi-Fi Program to make use of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

NTC looks into requiring personal appearance for SIM card registration
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will study the possibility of requiring personal appearance for SIM (subscriber identity module) card registration to deter individuals from illegally selling their identities.

NFA to upgrade storage network for P10 billion
The National Food Authority (NFA) said on Monday that its rice storage, milling, and drying facilities will be modernized in a P10-billion program.

Bank lending posted best growth in over 2 years in January
Loan growth quickened in January to hit its fastest pace of expansion in over two years, as businesses continued to regain their appetite for bank credit amid the ongoing interest rate-cutting cycle of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Peso may return to ₱56 level on cautious Fed
The peso could continue its climb this week and return to its ₱56-per-dollar level, with the US Federal Reserve on wait-and-see mode as it awaits clarity on the Trump administration’s policies.

Dollar reserves rise to $107B in Feb.
The Philippines’ dollar reserves rose to $106.65 billion as of end-February, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

BSP could resume easing cycle in April — analysts
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to resume its rate-cutting cycle as early as April following slower-than-expected inflation in February, analysts said.

Big banks’ asset growth slows in 4th quarter 2024
The aggregate assets of the Philippines’ largest banks grew by single digits in the fourth quarter of 2024, reflecting slowing economic growth and still-elevated interest rates.

Gov’t upsizes T-bill award amid robust demand
THE GOVERNMENT hiked the volume of Treasury bills (T-bills) it awarded on Monday as rates were below secondary market levels on growing expectations that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will resume its easing cycle next month following slower-than-expected February inflation.

Thrift banks to request lower MLR after RRR cut
Thrift banks will ask the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to lower the minimum liquidity ratio (MLR) for the industry to 16%, as the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) cut takes effect later this month.

Licensing, certification seen as bottlenecks to hospital expansion
The Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) said hospital licensing and physical facility standards need to be reviewed to accelerate the establishment of new hospitals and healthcare facilities, thereby easing the hospital bed shortage.

PAL pledges P10 million for women’s program
Philippine Airlines has pledged P10 million to the PAL Foundation, which manages the Fly With Her program aimed at bridging the gender gap in aviation by supporting women in pursuing their dreams.

Ilocos Norte eyed as economic hub in Southeast Asia
The Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center and the provincial government of Ilocos Norte have teamed up to promote the province as a key economic hub in Southeast Asia through the implementation of PPP projects.

Tourist convenience seen key to growing hospitality industry
The Philippine government should increase direct flight connections and make mobility more convenient for visitors, a Thai Chamber of Commerce official said.

Food service competitiveness seen depending on gov't private-sector tieups
The government needs to build more partnerships with the private sector to develop the food service industry and to promote its food products globally in keeping in step with its neighbors, according to the Food Caterers Association of the Philippines (FCAP).

DENR orders developer to vacate Masungi Georeserve property
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ordered the developer of Masungi Georeserve in Rizal to vacate the 300-hectare property.

Sari-sari stores drive women’s empowerment in the Philippines — study
Sari-sari stores, locally known as neighborhood mom-and-pop shops, are not just a primary source of daily essentials for around 94% of Filipinos but a vital source of empowerment among women entrepreneurs.

Cebu airport developments may be done to other regional airports
Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vince Dizon said he was satisfied with the developments made at the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) and would want to replicate them to other regional airports.

DTI eyes Boeing tie-up for satellite, digital infrastructure development
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is looking to expand the country’s production of aerospace and satellite technology through a collaboration with American aerospace giant Boeing.