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Canadian mining pledges fuel green growth, jobs outlook

Fresh Canadian mining investments and deeper cooperation on critical minerals and clean energy are set to bolster the Philippines' drive to become a preferred destination for responsible mining while creating jobs and supporting the global energy transition.

News Dispatch

Agriculture

DAR frees Bicol farmers from  ₱418M debts, grants full land ownership

Over 9,900 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) across the Bicol Region now fully own their farmland and are relieved from more than ₱418 million in unpaid debts, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) announced Thursday.

DA weighs import pause, price cap to protect local rice farmers

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is exploring multiple measures to support local rice growers amid rising imports.

BFAR scales up climate-smart, energy-efficient projects to boost fisheries sustainability

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) is prioritizing climate-resilient and energy-efficient initiatives this year to secure the long-term future of the country’s fisheries sector and support local fisherfolk.

DA, DILG launch tax break rules for eligible farm warehouses

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) have issued joint guidelines granting real property tax exemptions to qualified farm storage facilities, to cut operational costs and draw more investments in post-harvest infrastructure.

Corporate

PLDT, Smart deploy AI tool helping employee, family emergency preparedness

PLDT Group and its wireless arm Smart Communications have launched an AI-powered platform called EVE (Emergency Vital Essentials) to help employees and their families prepare for disasters and crises long before they occur.

Globe powers reliable connectivity for 2026 Sangyaw Festival in Tacloban

Globe delivered steady digital access for residents, visitors, organizers and local businesses during this year’s Sangyaw Festival, supporting seamless communication across the city’s key cultural and religious events honoring Señor Santo Niño de Tacloban.

Security Bank Capital named PH’s Best DCM House by FinanceAsia 

Security Bank Capital Investment Corporation, the investment banking arm of Security Bank Corp., has won the Best Debt Capital Markets (DCM) House – Domestic award at the FinanceAsia Awards 2026 held in Hong Kong last June 25.

Taiwan sends P12M quake aid to Mindanao communities

Taiwan has extended USD200,000 (about P12 million) in humanitarian assistance to support relief and recovery efforts for communities devastated by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, reinforcing its long-standing partnership with the Philippines in disaster response.

Banking & Insurance

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Corporate Bulletins

PLDT, Smart deploy AI tool helping employee, family emergency preparedness

PLDT Group and its wireless arm Smart Communications have launched an AI-powered platform called EVE (Emergency Vital Essentials) to help employees and their families prepare for disasters and crises long before they occur.

Globe powers reliable connectivity for 2026 Sangyaw Festival in Tacloban

Globe delivered steady digital access for residents, visitors, organizers and local businesses during this year’s Sangyaw Festival, supporting seamless communication across the city’s key cultural and religious events honoring Señor Santo Niño de Tacloban.

Security Bank Capital named PH’s Best DCM House by FinanceAsia 

Security Bank Capital Investment Corporation, the investment banking arm of Security Bank Corp., has won the Best Debt Capital Markets (DCM) House – Domestic award at the FinanceAsia Awards 2026 held in Hong Kong last June 25.

Study finds silent customer loss top threat to APAC brands, launches AI tools to measure “believability” 

Ogilvy has released its first APAC 2026 Believability Index, a new study looking at how consumers across Asia-Pacific decide which brands and organizations they trust. The research, done with YouGov, surveyed 7,176 people in Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, Hong Kong SAR, and Mainland China. 

Social Responsibility & Sustainability

Taiwan sends P12M quake aid to Mindanao communities

Taiwan has extended USD200,000 (about P12 million) in humanitarian assistance to support relief and recovery efforts for communities devastated by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, reinforcing its long-standing partnership with the Philippines in disaster response.

BPI BanKo, Jollibee Foundation expand financing pact supporting onion farmers

BPI Direct BanKo, Inc. (BanKo), the microfinance arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, and the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) are boosting their partnership to improve livelihoods and build sustainable futures for local onion farmers under the foundation’s Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP).

Unified 911 expands Mindanao emergency response network

The government's Unified 911 Emergency Response System is expanding into Mindanao with the opening of satellite command centers in Cagayan de Oro and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), strengthening efforts to build a faster and more localized nationwide emergency network.

LWUA emerges as water crisis first responder

The Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) is quietly becoming one of the government’s most important players in water security, stepping beyond its traditional role as a lender to local water districts and into a more visible role as crisis coordinator and sector stabilizer.

Markets

Lazada deepens MSME drive via digital skills partnership

Lazada Philippines is stepping up its support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), expanding partnerships with government agencies and relaunching its LazGrow Together program to help more Filipino entrepreneurs compete in the country's fast-growing digital economy.

Calmer oil, cheaper fuel buoy local equities

Philippine shares could finally catch their breath this week.

Tanduay retains World’s Top Rum spot for 9th straight year

Tanduay, the Philippine rum brand owned by tycoon Lucio Tan, has kept its title as the world’s best-selling rum for nine consecutive years, according to Drinks International Magazine.

Hormuz risk keeps peso, PSEi on edge

Philippine financial markets are heading into the week on a cautious footing as renewed threats by Iran to potentially close the Strait of Hormuz inject fresh volatility into global oil supply expectations and inflation outlooks, according to Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort.

Travel

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Energy

PETValue, Republic Cement close plastics waste loop together

Two Aboitiz-backed companies are deepening the country's circular economy push by turning hard-to-recycle plastic waste into an industrial resource instead of landfill, highlighting how corporate partnerships can unlock both environmental and business value.

LPU Cavite joins First Gen clean energy pact, completing four-campus shift to geothermal power

Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) has expanded its partnership with leading local renewable energy firm First Gen, bringing its Cavite campus under clean power supply starting June 2026.

PNOC, PEZA eye Bataan energy hub partnership

The Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) is moving to unlock the commercial potential of its industrial estate in Bataan by tapping the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), a partnership that could transform the property into an investment-ready energy hub while advancing the government's fuel security agenda.

NPC, Tawi-Tawi LGU together bring solar power to border islands

The National Power Corp. (NPC) has signed an agreement with the Sitangkai local government in Tawi-Tawi to supply solar power to remote island communities near the Malaysian border.

Transport & Communications

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Property

VisMin is next real estate growth hot spot, says Colliers

The Philippines' next real estate growth story may no longer be written in Metro Manila.

PEZA finds greener home, strengthens investor advantage

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority has a new address, but the bigger story is how the move could sharpen its investment promotion efforts while trimming costs and modernizing public service.

DHSUD expands 4PH with UP rental housing pilot

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the University of the Philippines Diliman (UP Diliman) have unveiled the model unit for the Southern Diliman Gardens Rental Housing Project, a signal of the government's growing shift toward rental housing as a key pillar of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (Expanded 4PH) Program.

Arthaland sells portion of premium Sondris project

Arthaland Corporation has sold roughly 14 percent of its premium Sondris residential development in Makati, just one month after its official launch.

Environment

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Technology

Globe chief: AI future rests on people, trust, purpose – not just tech 

At MWC Shanghai 2026, Globe president and CEO Carl Cruz stated during a keynote that AI’s true value lies in improving lives, not the technology itself. Speaking alongside global telecom leaders, Cruz noted the Philippines’ strong digital footprint makes it well-placed to benefit from AI.

Canada fuels Philippine shift toward advanced digital services 

The Philippines is accelerating its transition from traditional outsourcing to higher-value digital services after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. secured fresh investment commitments and expanded technology partnerships with Canadian companies during his official visit to Canada.

Globe pushes network expansion, lower costs, and climate action in 2025 sustainability report

Globe has laid out its progress in building a more connected, resilient, and sustainable Philippines in its 2025 Integrated Report, titled “Foundations for the Future: Building Resilience Through a Connected Nation.” The document outlines how the company is embedding sustainability into its core strategy, balancing business growth with expanded digital access, environmental responsibility, and transparent reporting.

Converge teams up with IBPAP to upskill BPO workers for AI era

Leading fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has partnered with the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to strengthen the country’s IT-BPM sector amid rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI).

Health & Science

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Opinion

Upper-middle income, yet many Filipinos still feel left behind

The Philippines has earned an economic promotion. The World Bank now classifies it as an upper-middle-income economy, a milestone reached after years of growth and a steady post-pandemic recovery under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The great fork heist and other national priorities

At long last, the public can sleep soundly. The National Capital Region Police Office has announced the arrest of a 43-year-old man accused of attempting to make off with 26 forks and seven silver spoons from a Manila hotel—the estimated value of the alleged loot is P12,658.14.

Reframing the South China Sea conversation 

For more than a decade, the South China Sea has been ASEAN's diplomatic traffic jam. Everyone knows there is a problem. Everyone agrees it matters. Yet the moment the conversation turns to China, the convoy grinds to a halt.

Ghosts of 1949 haunt today’s Senate

The Philippine Senate has a remarkable talent for proving that history never really leaves the chamber. It merely changes surnames.

Sports & Entertainment

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Exclusive

Visayas roots, Singapore routes: Top Line redraws its map

Singapore is no longer just a distant dot on Top Line Business Development Corp.’s growth chart. It has become a very literal marker of how far the company has travelled in 12 years, from a Visayas-based real estate developer to an emerging energy player now thinking in global supply routes.

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.