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Agriculture
DA urges more investment in livestock, priority crops
The Department of Agriculture (DA) called on farmers and local governments to invest more in livestock and key crops to reduce the Philippines’ heavy reliance on food imports, Agriculture undersecretary for operations Roger Navarro said on Wednesday.
Storms temper agriculture growth to 2.6% in 2025
The value of Philippine agricultural output rose to P1.77 trillion in 2025, up 2.6 percent from a year earlier—a solid showing that would have been stronger were it not for weather-related disruptions in the final quarter, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed.
PhilRice warns farmers of rice pest outbreaks in early 2026
The Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), under the Department of Agriculture, is warning rice farmers to prepare for possible pest infestations in the first quarter of 2026, based on trends seen over the past five years.
DA probes trade flow and costs behind food prices in Divisoria
The Department of Agriculture (DA) visited Divisoria on January 23 to examine how vegetables and other farm products move from suppliers to consumers, and how costs along the way affect retail prices.
Corporate
GSIS Touch hits 2M users, boosting digital access for members, pensioners
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has reached a major milestone as its GSIS Touch mobile app surpassed two million registered users, reflecting the growing use of digital services by members and pensioners nationwide.
Tanduay pours premium play, eyes globe
Tanduay is doubling down on premium spirits while sharpening its global ambitions, as Spanish brandy house Torres officially enters the Philippine market through a new distribution partnership with the local liquor giant.
BPI Foundation, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna launch financial literacy partnership
The Bank of the Philippine Islands, through the BPI Foundation (BPIF), has partnered with Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (MMCL) to expand financial literacy efforts for underserved Filipinos through the FinEd Unboxed Program.
Toyota brings hospitals on wheels
The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), together with Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation and the University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), has rolled out the HEAL Mobile Clinic, a healthcare initiative that brings hospital-grade diagnostic services directly to underserved communities through mobility-driven solutions.
Corporate Bulletins
GSIS Touch hits 2M users, boosting digital access for members, pensioners
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has reached a major milestone as its GSIS Touch mobile app surpassed two million registered users, reflecting the growing use of digital services by members and pensioners nationwide.
PLDT, Smart boost connectivity and experiences at Sinulog 2026
PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. used digital technology to enhance the Grand Sinulog Festival 2026, offering improved connectivity, exclusive perks, and wider access to cultural and religious activities for Filipinos in Cebu and abroad.
Globe Prepaid Adds Free Unlimited 5G to Go+ Promos
Globe Prepaid has upgraded its Go+ promos to include free unlimited 5G access, marking a major shift in how prepaid users can enjoy high-speed mobile data. Starting today, subscribers to Go+149 and higher plans will get unlimited 5G, replacing the previous 8GB 5G data cap.
Aboitiz Land wins big by seas
Aboitiz Land’s Seafront Residences has clinched the title of Best Waterfront Housing Development in Asia at the 20th PropertyGuru Asia Property Awards, cementing its position among the region’s standout residential projects.
Social Responsibility & Sustainability
BPI Foundation, Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna launch financial literacy partnership
The Bank of the Philippine Islands, through the BPI Foundation (BPIF), has partnered with Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (MMCL) to expand financial literacy efforts for underserved Filipinos through the FinEd Unboxed Program.
Toyota brings hospitals on wheels
The Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), together with Toyota Motor Philippines Foundation and the University of the Philippines–Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH), has rolled out the HEAL Mobile Clinic, a healthcare initiative that brings hospital-grade diagnostic services directly to underserved communities through mobility-driven solutions.
Security Bank employees fund the scholarship of 41 students
Security Bank employees raised funds to support 41 scholars under the Regalo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko (RMKK) scholarship program during the bank’s year-end activities in 2025.
Meralco donates solar lamps to Batangas parishes
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco), led by Manuel V. Pangilinan, has donated 1,000 solar lamps to 68 parishes under the Archdiocese of Lipa in Batangas. The donation was made through its corporate social development arm, One Meralco Foundation (OMF).
Markets
UnitedHealth fall exposes Dow’s quirks
A policy update out of Washington was all it took to send UnitedHealth Group into a tailspin—and drag the Dow Jones Industrial Average down with it.
Robinsons Land unlocks REIT war chest
Robinsons Land Corp., the property development arm of the Gokongwei Group. cashing in—methodically and at scale.
Bonds beckon amid rate cross currents
Investors are getting a fresh menu of peso bond options as state-owned Landbank of the Philippines and lister property developer Rockwell Land Corp. line up new offerings, tapping demand for predictable income while interest-rate expectations remain finely balanced.
TikTok deal ends control standoff, averts US ban
TikTok on Thursday finalized an agreement placing its US operations into a new joint venture controlled by American investors, ending years of political and regulatory pressure over Chinese ownership.
Energy
P14.36B wind project in Bohol up for public review
A proposed P14.36-billion wind power project in Valencia, Bohol will undergo public scoping in February, according to the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
ERC allows P31.34B recovery from terminated Meralco contracts
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved the recovery of P31.34 billion by four power generation companies following the termination of five power supply agreements (PSAs) with Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) due to a change in circumstances.
DOE partners with Iloilo, Bacolod for solar energy in public buildings
The Department of Energy (DOE) has signed separate agreements with the Provincial Government of Iloilo and the City Government of Bacolod to promote solar power use and energy efficiency in public buildings.
Alternergy secures GEA awards, fast-tracks expansion
Renewable power pioneer Alternergy Holdings Corp. has cleared a major regulatory hurdle after receiving all five Certificates of Award from the Department of Energy for the projects it won under the Green Energy Auction 4 program.
Property
Pueblo de Oro steps up role in Mindanao growth corridor
Pueblo de Oro Development Corp., the residential arm of the ICCP Group, is marking its 30th anniversary with a renewed focus on supporting Cagayan de Oro’s role as a key growth center in the Mindanao corridor.
PCC clears Japanese firm’s Cebu Landmasters deal
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has approved the entry of Singapore-based NTT UD Asia Pte. Ltd. into Cebu Landmasters Inc.’s Luzon expansion vehicle, clearing the way for the foreign developer to acquire a 40-percent stake in CLI Luzon.
Avida to invest P3.1B in student-focused condo in Katipunan
Avida Land Inc., a subsidiary of Ayala Land Inc., will spend P3.1 billion to develop The Heights Katipunan, a condominium project aimed mainly at students and investors, in Quezon City. The project will rise on a 1,833-square-meter site along Katipunan Avenue, near Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College.
Robinsons Land unlocks REIT war chest
Robinsons Land Corp., the property development arm of the Gokongwei Group. cashing in—methodically and at scale.
Technology
DICT taps UP to help craft ICT policies
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has partnered with the University of the Philippines (UP) to tap academic expertise in crafting policies on the use and governance of information and communications technology (ICT).
Cisco bolsters Partner Program for AI era
Cisco has hit reset on its partner strategy with the launch of the Cisco 360 Partner Program, a major overhaul shaped through 15 months of co-design with its global ecosystem. The move underscores Cisco’s belief that in a fast-moving AI market, partners are no longer just routes to market—they are the strategy.
Xurpas cashes out, sharpens focus
Xurpas Inc. is paring back its regional footprint, approving the sale of its 49 percent equity stake in PT Sembilan Digital Investama (PT SDI)—an investment it has held since 2015—as it looks to free up cash and refocus resources.
Philippine firms lag in cyber risk readiness as supply chain threats rise
Organisations in the Philippines are among the least prepared in the region when it comes to managing cyber risks from third-party vendors, according to new research by global cybersecurity firm BlueVoyant.
Opinion
Demeter meets CRISPR: Self-replicating rice takes on the seed economy
For decades, hybrid rice has been the most frustrating agricultural miracle: spectacular yields, structurally expensive. Farmers get abundance—then a bill. Because hybrids don’t reliably reproduce, the system forces growers onto an annual seed treadmill. Productivity, yes. Ownership, no.
124 million dreams, limited elbow room
The Philippines is not running out of people. It is running out of excuses.
Preparing Philippine business and workers for the Age of AI
Artificial intelligence (AI) is here and is already transforming how businesses in the Philippines operate. Across industries such as manufacturing, finance, marketing, and education, AI is enhancing efficiency, enabling smarter decision-making, and unlocking insights from data like never before.
Trump’s credit card cap spooks bank bulls
US financial stocks stumbled Monday after President Donald Trump lobbed a populist grenade into Wall Street’s trading pits, suggesting he wants to cap credit card interest rates at 10 percent a year—roughly half today’s levels.
Exclusive
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.
SteelAsia bets big on green steel
In an exclusive interview with Context.PH, SteelAsia chairman and chief executive officer Benjamin Yao laid out a vision that goes beyond growth targets and capacity figures. At stake, he said, is nothing less than the country’s industrial future.
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.
