Tuesday, 08 July 2025, 3:24 pm

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    Top News

    Philippine jobless rate slides to 3.9% in May

    The Philippines' unemployment rate eased in May, as the economy generated more jobs, reducing the number of Filipinos without work compared to both April this year and May of the previous year.

    News Dispatch

    Agriculture

    DSWD beneficiaries get P20 rice under new program

    Beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) flagship Walang Gutom Program (WGP) can now purchase rice at just P20 per kilo, following its partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA) under the Kadiwa ng Pangulo initiative.

    DA plans disposal of E. Coli-tainted onions seized in Mindanao port 

    Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said smuggled onions intercepted at the Mindanao International Container Terminal in early June will be destroyed as recommended by the Bureau of Plant Industry after samples tested positive for Escherichia coli bacteria.

    PCAFI urges Congress to reform agri import tariffs, MAV system

    The Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. (PCAFI) is calling on Congress to prioritize amendments to key provisions on agricultural imports, specifically advocating for reforms in tariff utilization and the Minimum Access Volume (MAV) system—moves seen to significantly impact domestic agricultural productivity and competitiveness.

    DA rolls out Gulayan sa Bayan for food security

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) has formally released policy guidelines for the proposed Gulayan sa Bayan (GSB) program, which aims to improve food security and address malnutrition through the establishment of community-based vegetable nurseries nationwide.

    Corporate

    Top Line acquires 38 fuel stations, depot, tanker fleet for P925M 

    Top Line Business Development Corp. said on Tuesday it acquired 38 retail fuel stations, a 2-million-liter depot, and 15 fuel tanker trucks from Total Oil & Gas Resources Inc. and Ballston Metro Corp. 

    Converge wins Moonshot Award for AI telecom innovation

    Converge ICT Solutions Inc., the country’s leading fiber broadband and technology provider, has secured top honors at the TM Forum Moonshot Catalyst Awards, reinforcing its leadership in AI-driven digital innovation in the telecom sector.

    McDonald’s PH opens 800th store

    McDonald’s Philippines has opened its 800th store at the Davao Global Township (DGT), a rising central business district in Davao City.

    EastWest Bank secures Great Place To Work® Certification for 2025

    East West Banking Corp. (EastWest) has been Certified by Great Place To Work® for 2025, marking a major milestone in its ongoing people-first transformation.

    Banking & Insurance

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    Corporate Bulletins

    Converge wins Moonshot Award for AI telecom innovation

    Converge ICT Solutions Inc., the country’s leading fiber broadband and technology provider, has secured top honors at the TM Forum Moonshot Catalyst Awards, reinforcing its leadership in AI-driven digital innovation in the telecom sector.

    McDonald’s PH opens 800th store

    McDonald’s Philippines has opened its 800th store at the Davao Global Township (DGT), a rising central business district in Davao City.

    EastWest Bank secures Great Place To Work® Certification for 2025

    East West Banking Corp. (EastWest) has been Certified by Great Place To Work® for 2025, marking a major milestone in its ongoing people-first transformation.

    DITO named fastest mobile network in PH by Opensignal

    DITO Telecommunity has been recognized as the fastest mobile network in the Philippines, according to the April 2025 Mobile Network Experience Report by Opensignal, a global authority in mobile analytics.

    Social Responsibility & Sustainability

    SM builds inclusive workplace through policy, programs, and design

    SM Investments Corp. is deepening its commitment to workplace inclusion through strategic policies and corporate support that reflect the needs of a multigenerational and diverse workforce.

    Pilmico, Iligan City launch corn post-harvest hub

    Pilmico, the food and agribusiness arm of Aboitiz Foods, has partnered with the Iligan City Government to launch "Project Silk Iligan Post-Harvest Support," an initiative aimed at strengthening the yellow corn value chain through improved infrastructure and farmer support.

    Western Visayas leaders urge urgent action on integrated water infrastructure

    Western Visayas is confronting deepening water insecurity amid fast-paced economic growth—and Aboitiz InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC) and Apo Agua Infrastructura, Inc. stepped forward at Water Dialogue 2025 in Iloilo City on to catalyze a collaborative path forward. 

    Converge extends anti-fraud training to educators

    Converge ICT Solutions Inc., a leading fiber broadband provider, reinforced its corporate social responsibility and digital advocacy by extending online fraud awareness training to educators, highlighting its broader commercial commitment to safe digital environments.

    Markets

    Elon Musk’s political move causes Tesla stock fall

    Investors are sending a clear message to billionaire Elon Musk: stay out of politics.

    Petron bonds listed on PDEX, investor confidence underscored

    Petron Corp. on Monday listed on the Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corp. (PDEX) its fixed-rate bond that raised P32 billion amid oversubscription, which underscored investor confidence on the Philippines’ largest oil company.

    PSE pushes retail investing to combat gambling trend

    The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) is ramping up efforts to attract more retail investors to the local stock market as it faces the challenge of competing with the growing popularity of online gambling and non-essential spending.

    Hotel101 Global debuts on Nasdaq July 1

    DoubleDragon Corp.—the brainchild of Jollibee’s Tony Tan Caktiong and Mang Inasal pioneer Injap Sia—said Tuesday that its subsidiary, Hotel101 Global, will begin trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “HBNB” starting July 1 (evening Manila time).

    Travel

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    Energy

    Joint initiative targets cheaper, cleaner Visayas, Palawan electricity

    Primelectric Holdings Inc. (PHI) has signed a joint study agreement with Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power to explore renewable energy (RE) and storage opportunities in the Visayas and Palawan.

    NGCP cleared to recover ₱28B in past charges

    The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Monday announced that the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) may begin collecting up to ₱28.29 billion in transmission rate adjustments starting August this year following the regulator’s approval of the utility’s fourth rate reset and under-recovery charges from 2016 to 2022.

    Fuel prices drop again, but year-to-date gains remain high

    The various fuel retailers will roll back pump prices for the second consecutive week starting Tuesday, 8 July, with gasoline down by ₱0.70 per liter, diesel by ₱0.10, and kerosene by ₱0.80, according to announcements from the major players including Caltex, Seaoil, PTT, and Clean Fuel.

    MBC flags risks in WTE, biomass projects ahead of GEA

    The Makati Business Club (MBC) has raised critical concerns about the viability of Waste-to-Energy (WTE) and biomass projects in the Philippines, highlighting unresolved cost, regulatory, and feedstock supply issues that could undermine their inclusion in the upcoming Green Energy Auction (GEA) round.

    Transport & Communications

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    Property

    Highlands Prime’s Trealva: A fresh take on mountain living

    Highlands Prime Inc., a subsidiary of SM Prime Holdings, is picking up pace as it readies the turnover of Trealva at Midlands West—a breezy, highland-chic development slated for completion in the second quarter of 2026. 

    Bohol welcomes landmark luxury Rresort by Accor’s MGallery Collection

    South Palms Resort & Spa in Panglao is set to open in August this year, marking a milestone in the evolution of Bohol’s tourism and luxury hospitality sectors.

    Iconic hotels return as tourist arrivals hit 2.9M

    The real estate market maintained its growth momentum in the first half of 2025, bolstered in part by a resurgence in tourism and strong demand across the office, industrial, and residential sectors, according to Santos Knight Frank’s latest market report.

    Arthaland unit to acquire Makati property for P1.49B

    Arthaland Corp. said on Tuesday that its wholly owned subsidiary, Zileya Land Development Corp., is acquiring condominium units in the Mid-Land Mansions property from ISOC Land Inc. for a total consideration of P1.49 billion.

    Environment

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    Technology

    Smarter parcels, faster routes, fewer errors

    The way your favorite shampoo or snack bar gets from the factory to your nearby shelf is changing—and fast. 

    Cisco study: AI driving urgent network overhaul globally

    A global shift in enterprise network architecture is underway as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, and real-time data reshape the demands placed on corporate IT infrastructure, according to a new study released Thursday by networking giant Cisco.

    Lenovo taps NVIDIA, Intel & IBM to power next-gen AI factories

    Lenovo has announced a major expansion of its Hybrid AI Advantage™ portfolio, introducing new services, industry solutions, and validated hybrid AI platforms designed to help enterprises build and scale AI “factories” across modern IT environments. This positions Lenovo as a critical enabler in the growing enterprise AI market, as corporate AI budgets are projected to reach nearly 20 percent of total IT spending by 2025.

    Code-to-cloud just got faster: Fortinet revamps FortiCNAPP for hybrid and multi-cloud defense

    Fortinet has announced major upgrades to its cloud-native security platform, Lacework FortiCNAPP, reinforcing its commitment to code-to-cloud protection. The updates include faster threat detection, deeper visibility, and simplified operations—helping customers secure applications and workloads across hybrid and multi-cloud environments with greater agility.

    Health & Science

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    Opinion

    Duty, drugs, dismissal

    It was a sight to behold: billions of pesos worth of seized drugs, sealed in plastic, and under heavy security fed into a roaring industrial incinerator. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stood by, face mask on, watching calmly, almost dispassionately.

    A Promise the Nation Can’t Comprehend

    For years, the Philippines has looked ahead with optimism, banking on its so-called “demographic sweet spot.” With around two-thirds of the population between the ages of 15 and 65, the country seemed poised for rapid economic growth—a young, able-bodied workforce ready to fuel productivity and progress.

    Vote smart or pay the price

    You can feel it in the air, even if no one says it out loud. The world is tilting, and tension is building between countries that no longer trust each other. The US and China—two giants locked in a stare-down—are turning tariffs into weapons. Everyone knows what comes next: slower global growth, just when the world is finally getting back on its feet after the pandemic.

    The Duterte Arrest: A Complicated Affair of Sovereignty and Justice

    Here we are again, watching the political drama unfold with the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte. It’s strange how something that’s supposed to be about justice often turns into a series of complex, tangled arguments, full of political posturing and personal pride.

    Sports & Entertainment

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    Exclusive

    Boeing deepens strategy cuts as operations take center-stage – sources

    Boeing Co has embarked on deeper-than-expected cuts in its strategy ranks, halving the number of planners working within key divisions as it refocuses energies on tackling industrial pressures, people familiar with the matter said.

    Maynilad may consider sourcing water from Manila Bay if desalination cost eases to affordable levels

    Maynilad Water Services Inc., the water utility of Metro Pacific Investment Corp., may consider Manila Bay as source of potable water for its concession area in Metropolitan Manila and nearby towns if the cost of desalination comes down or large consumers such as factories start extracting water from the salt-water bay for their needs.

    Converge mulls sale-leaseback deal for fiber network, plans dividend payout

    With the aggressive fiber network rollout behind it, Converge...

    Converge’s Dennis Anthony Uy Plans $1 Billion “Silicon Valley” Project In Pampanga

    Dennis Anthony Uy, co-founder of publicly listed Converge ICT,...