Potato farmers in Benguet are testing seven new varieties alongside the familiar Granola in a bid to raise productivity, widen planting options and strengthen the commercial viability of one of the Cordillera’s key vegetable crops.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has indefinitely suspended exports of fresh purple yam, or ube, to shore up scarce planting material as the Philippines seeks to expand domestic production and turn the crop into a bigger export earner.

Potato farmers across Benguet’s vegetable-growing highlands have begun harvesting crops planted just months ago, with this year’s harvest bringing new promise alongside familiar yields.

The Philippine hog sector is recovering faster than expected from African swine fever, but rising pork demand will keep the country heavily dependent on imports, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) won two honors at the 2026 Philippine Quill Awards for communication campaigns aimed at widening access to formal financial services and bringing digital banking closer to underserved Filipinos.

Security Bank Corporation (PSE: SECB) has been named the highest-ranked Philippine firm in TIME and Statista’s 2026 World’s Best Companies, securing a place among the top 1,000 global organizations.

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC) has won two major workplace awards for inclusion and employee engagement, highlighting its efforts to strengthen talent retention and development in the hospitality industry.

Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI) is growing its beverage range with the expanded Lipton Soda line—a sparkling tea that blends the well-known taste of Lipton iced tea with the light fizz of soda for a fun, refreshing experience.

Business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan returned to his hometown of Apalit, Pampanga to personally distribute relief packs to families displaced by severe flooding caused by days of heavy Habagat rains.

Multi-sector partners are strengthening local defenses against online child risks, with PLDT and Smart donating mobile and connectivity gear to Xavier Science Foundation (XSF) for Project Swipe Safe—an initiative countering online sexual abuse and exploitation (OSAEC).

Fifty-one Security Bank employees from six local branches volunteered August 1, 2026, to paint new classrooms at Iloilo City National High School (ICNHS), supporting the Security Bank Foundation (SBFI)’s education and nation-building mission.

The Malampaya Foundation Inc. (MFI), the social development arm of the Malampaya gas project joint venture, has launched two community-run enterprises in Oriental Mindoro—combining steady livelihoods for local residents with ongoing marine conservation work.

The Philippine peso and stocks could remain volatile this week as a hawkish US Federal Reserve, crude oil prices above USD100 a barrel and heightened Middle East tensions keep investors cautious.

The PSEi is knocking on 6,100—but whether it can break higher may depend on how the peso holds up as geopolitical tensions, dollar demand and shifting rate expectations add to market uncertainty.

Global gold demand stayed resilient amid market volatility, reflecting strong long-term investor confidence in the metal as a reliable way to preserve wealth. In the first quarter of 2026, total global demand hit 1,231 tons - valued at a record US$193 billion. This strength held even though gold prices dropped 15.4 percent in the second quarter, driven by expectations of higher interest rates.

Philippine Seven Corp., operator of 7-Eleven convenience stores, is pressing ahead with aggressive expansion despite the rapid growth of hard-discounters, confident that its convenience-store format remains sufficiently differentiated to withstand the new competition.

iPeople, the listed Yuchengco-Ayala education joint venture, is pursuing an expansion strategy built around international partnerships, new campuses and facilities, sustainability-focused programs, and deeper artificial intelligence integration as it aims to nearly triple its student population to 200,000.

Vivant Water is treating 2026 as a pivotal year as it moves from building its presence across the water industry to scaling operations, investments, and its project pipeline.

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.

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.