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Power rates rise in March; households, businesses face higher electricity bills

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced a power rate increase for March, raising electricity prices by P0.6427 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

News Dispatch

Agriculture

Digital portal speeds up farm loans for Negros farmers

Farmers in Negros Oriental are getting quicker access to government-backed farm loans with the rollout of a new digital system designed to simplify applications and approvals.

DA to buy Mindoro onions to stabilize prices

The Department of Agriculture (DA) will buy onions from farmers in Occidental Mindoro to prevent farmgate prices from collapsing during the peak harvest from March to April.

DA probes suppliers, freezes fertilizer stocks over quality concerns

The Department of Agriculture has launched a sweeping investigation into several fertilizer suppliers with government contracts and temporarily halted the release of their stocks following complaints over product quality.

High-tech warehouses anchor DA-NFA rice security push

The National Food Authority (NFA) is turning up the heat on inefficiency—by cooling it down.

Corporate

San Miguel Food boosts earnings in 2025

San Miguel Food and Beverage Inc. posted stronger earnings in 2025, with net income climbing 13 percent to P46.3 billion as its food, spirits and international beer businesses delivered steady growth despite a cautious consumer environment.

Philippines ranks second globally in women leaders – report

The Philippines has strengthened its position as a global leader in women’s representation in business leadership, according to the Grant Thornton Women in Business 2026 report.

Mapúa links classrooms to mines, power

At the storied Intramuros campus of Mapúa University, the chalkboard is increasingly sharing space with the real world.

FFCCCII turn classroom legacy into TikTok challenge

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. is bringing its decades-long classroom donation program to TikTok in a bid to engage younger audiences. 

Banking & Insurance

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Corporate Bulletins

Mapúa links classrooms to mines, power

At the storied Intramuros campus of Mapúa University, the chalkboard is increasingly sharing space with the real world.

DHL opens Redemptorist LRT hub for commuters 

Global logistics firm DHL Express has opened a new service point at Manila Light Rail Transit Line 1’s Redemptorist Station, strengthening its push to bring international shipping closer to Metro Manila’s daily commuters and small businesses.

First Gen celebrates 50 years of EDC, launches unified brand

First Gen Corporation marked the 50th anniversary of its subsidiary, Energy Development Corporation (EDC), highlighting its role in advancing geothermal energy in the Philippines.

Aboitiz Foods’ HERstory: Women who lead

In the world of food and agribusiness, the journey from mill to meal is rarely simple. It demands sharp strategy, scientific precision, and the kind of resilience that thrives under pressure. 

Social Responsibility & Sustainability

Mapúa links classrooms to mines, power

At the storied Intramuros campus of Mapúa University, the chalkboard is increasingly sharing space with the real world.

FFCCCII turn classroom legacy into TikTok challenge

The Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. is bringing its decades-long classroom donation program to TikTok in a bid to engage younger audiences. 

Women leadership shapes talent recruitment choices

Gender diversity in senior management is becoming a decisive factor in where professionals choose to work, as job seekers increasingly scrutinize companies for the presence of women in leadership roles.

AEV exits GCNP board, keeps sustainability focus

After completing a three-year term on the board of the UN Global Compact Network Philippines (GCNP), Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) said its formal governance role may have ended but its push for sustainability and responsible business practices is far from over.

Markets

US-Iran conflict sends oil prices soaring

Global oil markets swung violently Monday as the escalating conflict between the US and Iran disrupted one of the world’s most important energy corridors, briefly sending crude prices soaring before easing on hints the conflict might end soon.

Oil shock, war risks rattle Philippine markets

Philippine financial markets enter the week on fragile footing as surging oil prices and escalating Middle East tensions complicate the outlook for equities, the peso, and monetary policy. 

PCC clears DoubleDragon’s MerryMart share purchase

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has cleared the proposed acquisition by DoubleDragon Corporation of shares in MerryMart Consumer Corporation, allowing the transaction to proceed before the end of the regulator’s Phase 1 review period.

Jollibee weighs Vietnam IPO for Highlands

Jollibee Foods Corp., one of the largest fast food chain in Southeast Asia, is exploring a public listing for its fast-growing Vietnamese coffee arm, Highlands Coffee, in a move that could unlock fresh capital and sharpen the group’s regional expansion.

Travel

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Energy

Wind power duo gains regulatory green light

Renewable energy leaders Alternergy Holdings Corp. and ABC Energy Inc. have officially secured the Philippine Competition Commission’s (PCC) nod to jointly develop two major wind projects: the 128 MW Tanay Wind Power Project and 64 MW Alabat Wind Power Project.

Power rates rise in March; households, businesses face higher electricity bills

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) announced a power rate increase for March, raising electricity prices by P0.6427 per kilowatt-hour (kWh).

Food manufacturer installs rooftop solar to boost clean energy use

A Philippine food manufacturer has begun using renewable energy at its production facility in Cebu as part of efforts to improve efficiency and support cleaner operations.

US-Iran conflict sends oil prices soaring

Global oil markets swung violently Monday as the escalating conflict between the US and Iran disrupted one of the world’s most important energy corridors, briefly sending crude prices soaring before easing on hints the conflict might end soon.

Transport & Communications

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Property

New road link to NLEX expected to boost access for Mabalacat homeoners

A planned road project connecting the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Sta. Ines exitto the Mabalacat–Atlu Bola Bypass Road is expected to improve travel and reduce traffic congestion in the fast-growing city of Mabalacat City, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Filinvest Land Taps Banks For P11.6B Bonds

Filinvest Land Inc. has tapped a consortium of major banks to underwrite and arrange a planned bond offering of up to P11.57 billion, as the Gotianun Group’s property arm returns to the debt market to support expansion.

Hotel101 opens Madrid hotel, boosts global expansion

Hotel101 Global Holdings Corp., the Nasdaq-listed hospitality arm of DoubleDragon Corp., has opened its first European property with the launch of Hotel101 Madrid, marking the international debut of a Filipino homegrown hotel brand.

Century Properties launches upgraded housing project in General Trias

Century Properties Group announced Monday the launch of a new residential development in General Trias, Cavite, expected to generate about P6.6 billion in sales.

Environment

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Technology

Fiber momentum fuels Converge earnings growth

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. kept its growth streak intact in 2025, posting double digit revenue gains as demand for fiber broadband remained strong across households and businesses.

AI rewrites future of office towers

The modern office building is quietly becoming a data machine—and SM Offices wants to be ahead of the curve.

ILO warns Filipina workers face rising AI risks

Women workers in the Philippines may face greater workplace risks as generative artificial intelligence spreads across industries, according to new research from the International Labor Organization, which found that female-dominated jobs are more vulnerable to automation.

Globe to deploy 400 wireless laser links to boost 5G rollout

Globe Telecom has partnered with Singapore-based Transcelestial to deploy more than 400 wireless laser links across the Philippines over the next three years, aiming to speed up the rollout of 5G and strengthen the country’s digital infrastructure.

Health & Science

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Opinion

Luzviminda’s daughters: Steel, silk, sovereignty, spotlight

If you want to understand the Philippines, resist the temptation to start with its strongmen and their statues. Begin instead with its women, the quiet architects of its revolutions, the steady hands at the tiller when storms arrive.

NAIA Terminal shakeup tests airlines nerves

At Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the runway is not the only thing shifting. Airlines are now studying a government proposal to redraw the airport map itself, clustering carriers by business model in a sweeping terminal realignment. 

When safety grounds flights, bills soar

Gilbert had barely settled into his seat on a Friday evening flight bound for Manila, pleased to be heading home after several days of meetings in Mindanao. An hour later, the single-aisle jet remained parked on the tarmac at Francisco Bangoy International Airport, engines silent, cabin restless.

Smoke Without Fire, Markets Without Rules

When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discards its own scientific “endangerment finding,” it does more than revise a memo from 2009. It performs a kind of regulatory alchemy: turning greenhouse gases from legally recognized threats into political inconveniences.

Sports & Entertainment

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Exclusive

Sunlight Air chooses precision over size aloft

In an aviation industry often driven by scale and speed, Sunlight Air is taking a more measured route. The boutique carrier is building its business around efficiency, discipline, and destination depth, convinced that smarter operations can deliver both commercial returns and environmental gains.

PSAC urges stronger funding for Philippines startups 

The Private Sector Advisory Council is raising a clear warning. In a recent meeting with the Department of Trade and Industry, PSAC said the Philippine startup scene is slipping behind Southeast Asian peers, not for lack of ideas but for lack of capital that actually moves.

Tariffs rattle, AI thrives: Gruppo EMS builds ahead 

Amid escalating US-China trade tensions and renewed tariff uncertainty from Washington, EMS Group of Companies is expanding production, accelerating its push into artificial intelligence hardware, and positioning the Philippines as an increasingly strategic alternative manufacturing base for global electronics firms.

Aboitiz focus on industry, townships follow jobs

For three decades, the Aboitiz Group has been quietly building a real estate portfolio that spans homes, offices, and commercial spaces. But in recent years, it has made a deliberate pivot away from crowded residential battlegrounds toward a less glamorous, far more strategic corner of the market: industrial development. The bet is simple but bold—build where factories, logistics, and infrastructure go first, and let communities grow organically around them.