Planters Products Inc. (PPI) welcomed the indictment of former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor and pledged full cooperation with government prosecutors pursuing the cyber libel case over false and damaging statements against the company.

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has teamed up with top logistics provider FAST Group to roll out BPI’s Digital Supply Chain Finance Program for the firm’s suppliers, giving them quicker access to working capital.

SM Investments Corporation has earned the Institute of Corporate Directors’ highest Five Golden Arrow rating for the third straight year, based on the 2025 ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard review.

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) saw its net income plunge 85 percent to P2.17 billion in January to September 2026, as a steep decline in electronic gaming revenues and higher statutory remittances squeezed its earnings.

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) fined Pilipinas Enterprise Management Holdings Inc. (PEMHI) and Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) P5.8 million for repeatedly missing reporting deadlines tied to their merger clearance, underscoring the regulator’s tougher stance on compliance with post-merger commitments.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc. (AEV) reported a 54 percent drop in third-quarter net income to P4.1 billion from P8.9 billion a year earlier, limiting nine-month earnings growth despite stronger contributions from power and banking.

Aboitiz Power Corp. reported a 13‑percent increase in net income for the first nine months of 2026, reaching P26.2 billion from P23.3 billion in the same period of 2025, the company said in a disclosure filed Thursday at the Philippine Stock Exchange.

Renewable energy groups are pushing for an urgent energy summit for the Visayas region before the Christmas holiday, warning that narrow power reserves are putting households and businesses at risk of outages and higher electricity bills.

Anflo Industrial Estate (AIE) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, has attracted an estimated P8.5 billion in combined investments from its developer and locators, as new cold storage and manufacturing operations are set to expand its industrial footprint this year.

Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) has opened Astra Lifestyle Centre along A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City, adding a retail component to its mixed-use Astra Centre development as property developers increasingly combine shopping, dining, residential and workplace offerings in a single destination.

Flexible office spaces are gaining ground in Metro Manila’s subdued property market, with net take-up rising 185 percent in the first nine months of 2026 as companies seek to contain costs and adapt workplaces to changing business needs.

Metro Manila’s condominium market continues to grapple with persistent oversupply as buyers withdraw from purchases when monthly payments jump sharply upon transitioning from developer financing to bank loans.

PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications on Friday say businesses should focus on pairing artificial intelligence with human empathy and judgment rather than rushing full‑scale automation, as generative AI reshapes customer service across industries.

Globe Telecom has stepped up network preparations in line with the National Telecommunications Commission’s call for stronger readiness and coordination among telcos ahead of the Undas observance this month.

PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications are accelerating roll‑out of the government‑backed Bayanihan SIM program through expanded network coverage and on‑the‑ground activation efforts, strengthening the group’s role as a key private‑sector partner for national digital inclusion. The Bayanihan SIM initiative gives underserved communities access to basic mobile connectivity, with PLDT‑Smart leveraging its extensive fixed‑fiber and mobile network infrastructure to bring the program to more remote locations.

The Philippines and the European Union are advancing an artificial intelligence laboratory designed to bring research closer to market, attract investment and encourage responsible AI adoption across businesses and government.

There are few things in life that can transform a perfectly reasonable Filipino into an aggrieved Elizabethan actor quite as quickly as a traffic dispute. The most demure women become tigresses. Soft-spoken gentlemen discover that their vocal cords have capabilities they never knew existed. People who would ordinarily apologize when someone steps on their shoes suddenly develop an unshakable conviction that the entire road system has been personally entrusted to their care. And the language. My goodness, the language.

The latest vow of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to defend the peso with the country’s foreign exchange reserves and policy tools invites a question: Has his administration forgotten the costly lessons of the 1997–1998 Asian financial crisis?

Christmas is coming, and with it, the annual homecoming of thousands of overseas Filipinos eager to reunite with their families, enjoy familiar food, visit favorite destinations, and celebrate the holidays in the Philippines.

There are few things more amusing than watching otherwise sensible adults become unreasonable over a basketball game played by people young enough to be their children. A missed free throw becomes a character flaw. A referee’s call becomes evidence of a conspiracy. A victory is proof that an entire institution is superior, while a defeat is something that requires immediate explanation. The players may be the ones on the court, but the people in the stands often behave as though their own futures are at stake.