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Agriculture
New dairy law drives NDA digital reforms
The National Dairy Authority is accelerating digitalization and science-based...
DA says P50 rice price cap still allows fair profit for sellers
The Department of Agriculture (DA) said the P50 per kilo price cap on imported rice is fair for both consumers and rice sellers, as authorities continue enforcing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to keep rice prices affordable.
DA plans setting P53/kilo SRP for local rice
Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. announced Tuesday that the Department of Agriculture (DA) has reached an agreement with rice industry stakeholders to set a suggested retail price (SRP) of P53 per kilo for local rice, striking a balance between farmers’ profits and consumers’ budgets.
Sugar surplus grows as local demand weakens— PSMA
The Philippine Sugar Millers Association (PSMA) said the country currently has enough refined sugar supply, even as demand for locally produced sugar has weakened.
Corporate
BDO, Mastercard celebrate 20 years supporting OFWs
BDO Unibank and Mastercard marked 20 years of partnership focused on helping overseas Filipinos send money home and stay financially connected with their families.
Ayala rolls out green solutions amid high fuel costs and supply concerns
As rising oil prices and supply disruptions continue to strain households and businesses, Ayala Corporation said it is ramping up sustainability and efficiency initiatives across its businesses to help ease costs for consumers.
PLDT Enterprise, SKYGO expand partnership to boost digital transformation
PLDT Enterprise is strengthening its partnership with SKYGO Marketing Corporation to support the company’s digital transformation and nationwide operations through improved connectivity, cloud-ready infrastructure, and network security.
SEC warns public vs fake MocaMoca lending platforms
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public against dealing with fake online lending platforms posing as MocaMoca and Copperstone Lending Inc., citing reports of fraud, harassment, and possible misuse of personal data.
Corporate Bulletins
BDO, Mastercard celebrate 20 years supporting OFWs
BDO Unibank and Mastercard marked 20 years of partnership focused on helping overseas Filipinos send money home and stay financially connected with their families.
Ayala rolls out green solutions amid high fuel costs and supply concerns
As rising oil prices and supply disruptions continue to strain households and businesses, Ayala Corporation said it is ramping up sustainability and efficiency initiatives across its businesses to help ease costs for consumers.
PLDT Enterprise, SKYGO expand partnership to boost digital transformation
PLDT Enterprise is strengthening its partnership with SKYGO Marketing Corporation to support the company’s digital transformation and nationwide operations through improved connectivity, cloud-ready infrastructure, and network security.
Converge, Danao City partner to boost digital services
Broadband and technology provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has partnered with the Danao City local government to strengthen the city’s digital infrastructure and improve public services.
Social Responsibility & Sustainability
Moms turns side hustles into thriving businesses
Filipino mothers are increasingly becoming “mompreneurs,” turning home-based side hustles into sustainable businesses with the help of digital technology and online communities.
Baguio boosts smart city push with AI partnership
Baguio City is stepping up its digital transformation efforts after partnering with PLDT and Smart to launch “AI-in-a-Box,” a program designed to help local governments use artificial intelligence to improve public services.
SBMA launched expanded relief package for stakeholders
The Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) is rolling out a new set of relief measures aimed at easing economic pressures on stakeholders in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ). The announcement follows a public consultation held on May 11, 2026, at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC).
GT Capital donates prime real estate to boost Cavite education
In Philippine real estate, 15 hectares is usually enough space for condominiums, commercial strips, and the occasional traffic headache. GT Capital Holdings, Inc., however, has decided the land is better used for classrooms, libraries, and future blue eagles.
Markets
Peso near lows as markets turn defensive
The Philippine peso is again nearing record lows as persistent inflation, geopolitical tensions, and strong US dollar demand continue to pressure local markets. Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort said the peso could retest historic weakness after falling 1.8% this week and approaching the April 30 intraday low of P61.75 against the dollar.
Blue chips signal medium-term PSEi opportunity
The Philippine stock market remains cautiously constructive as investors weigh short-term macro headwinds against improving medium-term earnings visibility.
PSEi faces volatility amid foreign selling pressure
The Philippine stock market is navigating a mixed outlook as the PSEi contends with renewed foreign selling, offset partially by improving domestic investor sentiment and anticipated foreign inflows into the local bond market.
PSEi range-bound amid global risks, weak peso
The Philippine stock market is expected to stay under pressure in the near term, as global uncertainties and a weak peso continue to dampen investor sentiment, according to 2TradeAsia.com.
Energy
NGCP raises yellow alert over Visayas grid for seventh time this month
The Visayas power grid was placed under a yellow alert today, Tuesday, marking the seventh alert issued in the region this month due to ongoing power plant outages and reduced electricity supply.
NGCP gets ERC nod for Laoag power stability project
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has approved the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ (NGCP) proposed P2.79-billion Laoag power quality improvement project in Ilocos Norte.
AboitizPower, MOELCI-I sign emergency power deal for Misamis Occidental
Therma South, Inc. (TSI), a subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation, has signed a two-megawatt Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA) with Misamis Occidental I Electric Cooperative, Inc. (MOELCI-I) to help ensure stable electricity supply in Oroquieta City and seven municipalities in the province.
Meralco says ERC rejects NASECORE bid to stall rate reset
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said its pending rate reset application before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will move forward after regulators denied a bid by consumer advocacy group National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms Inc. (NASECORE) to stall the proceedings.
Property
Property boom seen shifting to Visayas and Mindanao — Prime PH
Real estate investments in the Philippines are expected to increasingly move to the Visayas and Mindanao in the coming years as businesses expand outside Metro Manila, according to Prime Philippines Inc.
Century Properties 1Q profit slips on higher costs
Century Properties Group reported a 6-percent decline in net income in the first quarter of the year, as higher interest expenses and taxes offset gains from its core operations.
Filinvest Land settles P1.76B bond on May 18 maturity
Filinvest Land Inc., the listed property development arm of the Gotianun Group, completed the payment of its 5.5-year fixed-rate bonds worth P1.76 billion on May 18, 2026, fulfilling its obligations on the securities’ maturity date.
Trinoma expansion poised to transform commuter traffic
Ayala Malls is supercharging Trinoma with The Exchange at Trinoma, a new 40,000-square-meter retail and office wing designed to tap into rising commuter traffic and commercial activity at Quezon City’s upcoming Unified Grand Central Station.
Technology
Converge tops PH broadband speed rankings; DITO leads mobile internet in latest report
Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has ranked first in the Philippines’ SpeedGeo Broadband Internet Speed Ranking for the first quarter of the year, based on hundreds of thousands of user tests nationwide.
TikTok expands MSME push in Visayas, Mindanao
TikTok Shop is ramping up efforts to support more micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) across the Philippines, with plans to strengthen partnerships with local government units (LGUs) and expand its “Unlad Lokal” initiative deeper into the Visayas and Mindanao by 2026.
Scam crackdown urged as digital fraud surges
The Consumer Lending Association of the Philippines (CLAP) has pushed for tougher enforcement of the Anti-Financial Account Scamming Act and a shift from a largely defensive stance to a more aggressive, coordinated campaign against financial fraud as digital transactions and online scams continue to rise nationwide.
Philippines eyes bigger role in global chip market
Academic leaders, semiconductor executives, and government officials gathered Monday at the Asian Institute of Management to push for a stronger Philippine foothold in the global semiconductor industry’s high-value frontier: integrated circuit (IC) design.
Opinion
Senate power shift risks Estrada-style backlash
The sudden leadership shake-up in the Senate ahead of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Dutertel may yet prove a poisoned chalice—a glittering prize that offers control today but threatens political liability tomorrow.
A house divided: Lopez family rift tests corporate governance
“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every house divided against itself will not stand.” In the Lopez corporate universe, the verse now reads less like scripture and more like a live governance case file—complete with injunctions, contested boardrooms, and competing versions of who nearly switched off the lights.
The Days Ahead
Several things have changed over the past month. The global economy is now poised to face another severe slowdown and rising inflation as a result of the Middle East conflict. While the impact on countries may differ in magnitude, the oil supply shock will squeeze economic activity and raise prices significantly.
Fuel crisis or policy gap?
Airline executives were caught off guard when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned that Philippine carriers may be forced to cut flights—or even ground planes—due to a possible jet fuel shortage tied to the escalating U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.
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.
