Marcos names digital technocrat Henry Aguda new DICT chief
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. has appointed digital technocrat Henry Rhoel Aguda as the new secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). He replaced Ivan Uy, who resigned from the post early this month.

BSP sees GDP growth hitting the lower end of 6-8% target
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) expects economic output to hit the lower end of the government’s target this year and 2026 as elevated global commodity prices and trade uncertainties could weigh on growth.

NG budget surplus narrows in Jan.
The national government’s (NG) budget surplus narrowed in January, as state spending growth outpaced that of revenue collection, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said.

Philippines now ‘moderately free’ in economic aspects — global index
The Philippines went up six notches to 82nd out of 176 countries and is now considered “moderately free,” according to a global index on economic freedom by The Heritage Foundation.

DoE targets 2026 release of PHL Energy Plan
The Department of Energy (DoE) said it is looking to release the next edition of the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP) by next year, with targets likely to remain unchanged.

February auto sales growth eased to 2.9%
Automobile sales in the Philippines grew at a slower pace of 2.9 percent in February, as demand for passenger vehicles fell while purchases of commercial vehicles decelerated.

Tourism businesses cite burdensome cost of power interruptions, fluctuations
Businesses in four major destinations are complaining that unreliable power is costing them up to hundreds of thousands of pesos a day, according to ILAW, a non-government organization representing energy consumers.

A majority of businesses intrigued by the potential of AI in achieving sustainability goals whilst energy consumption concerns persist
More than one in two organizations acknowledge gap in understanding how digital technology can facilitate achieving sustainability goals

NEDA OKs P70.6 billion projects for infrastructure, community resilience
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board has approved P70.6 billion worth of projects aimed at boosting community resilience and infrastructure development.

Philippines is 4th happiest country in Southeast Asia
The Philippines slipped to 57th place out of 147 countries in the latest World Happiness Report (WHR), despite showing an improvement in its overall happiness score.

Transport stakeholders: Motorcycle riders need training to avoid mishaps
The government should provide free training and education for motorcycle riders to help reduce motorcycle-related accidents, transport leaders and local officials said Tuesday.

Fuel surcharge for airline passengers cut in April
The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said it reduced the airline passenger fuel surcharge in April. In an advisory on Wednesday, the CAB lowered the passenger surcharge to Level 4 from Level 5 in March.

P2.6 trillion PPP projects currently in pipeline
The Philippines has 176 projects amounting to P2.60 trillion in the pipeline for implementation through the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Recto sees 50-to-75-bp full-year BSP rate cut
Finance Secretary Ralph Recto sees “high probability” of an interest rate cut at the April 10 policy meeting of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), adopting a more dovish outlook as he hopes for lower borrowing costs to spur growth.

More cuts likely if growth weakens
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) could cut rates next month, its top official said, noting the possibility of up to 75 basis points (bps) worth of easing for the entire year if economic output weakens further.

Philippine exporters brace for underperformance in 2025
The country’s largest umbrella group of exporters sees industry revenues falling short of targets due to a challenging local and global operating environment this 2025.

BoC says tariff cuts result in P35-B foregone revenues
The Bureau of Customs (BoC) on Tuesday said Executive Order (EO) No. 62, which lowered tariffs on rice, electric vehicles and other commodities, resulted in around P35 billion in foregone revenues.

Rice imports fall 46% as MSRP, food emergency deter traders
Rice imports fell 46% year on year to 641,000 metric tons (MT) in the year to date ending March 13, which industry representatives attributed to trader reluctance to import in the face of a maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) scheme.

NFA palay purchases soar 781% in January
Higher buying price allowed the National Food Authority (NFA) to expand its purchases from palay farmers in January by more than eight times on an annual basis to over 14,000 metric tons (MT).

Pork producers urge consultations as retail prices surpass P400 per kilo despite price cap
After the Department of Agriculture (DA) found that only one in five pork retailers complied with the agreed maximum suggested retail price (MSRP), stakeholder groups are urging another round of consultations.

April commercial release targeted for ASF vaccine from Vietnam
The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said it is working to ensure the commercial release by April of a Vietnamese vaccine against African Swine Fever (ASF).

Peso moves sideways as market eyes Fed, BSP
The peso was mostly flat against the dollar on Wednesday before the US Federal Reserve’s policy decision announcement and amid rate-cut signals from local monetary authorities.

NEDA Board approves community dev’t, irrigation, road improvement projects
The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Board approved on Wednesday a P56.7-billion community development project of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to prepare them for natural disasters, the construction of the P13.9-billion Tumauini River Multipurpose project in Isabela, and changes to a project aimed to improve road infrastructure in Mindanao.

Creative economy’s value nears P2-T in 2024
The value of the Philippines’ creative economy neared P2 trillion in 2024, the statistics agency said on Thursday.

Spending rate of state firms slows to 83%
State agencies recorded a lower spending rate as of February following adjustments done by Congress that President Marcos placed under conditional implementation.

NIA: 60% of irrigation structures damaged by Kristine in Bicol restored
The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) has successfully repaired 60 percent of the irrigation structures in Bicol that were severely damaged by Typhoon “Kristine” (international name: Trami), the agency reported Tuesday.

BOP swings back to $3.1-B surplus in February
The country’s balance of payments (BOP) position returned to a surplus of $3.1 billion in February, the highest in five months.

Globe to build infra in 100 remote towns
Telco-to-tech provider Globe Telecom Inc. is placing cellular sites in 100 geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) to narrow the digital divide in the Philippines. For 2025, Globe has committed to locate cell towers in 100 GIDAs to bring connectivity services to some of the most unconnected communities in the archipelago.

Gov’t clears legwork for 62-MW Bataan solar farm
The Department of Energy has given listed firm Basic Energy Corp. the go-signal to lay the groundwork for a 62-megawatt Mariveles Solar Power Project in Bataan.

$150-M ‘telco-neutral’ data center launched in Pasig
Digital infrastructure service provider Beeinfotech PH has inaugurated a $150-million data center in Pasig, touted as one of the largest ‘telco-neutral’ facilities of this kind in the country.

150-MW Cebu solar park to switch on by 2026
A 150-megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Cebu owned by Spanish firm Acciona Energia Global is expected to begin operations by 2026, the Board of Investments (BOI) said on Thursday.

TotalEnergies shifts PHL business to franchise model
French multinational integrated energy company TotalEnergies is transitioning its Philippine operations from a joint venture to a franchise model, according to listed Basic Energy Corp. (BEC).