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Agriculture
DA orders fresh probe into farm subsidy program amid irregularity claims
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has ordered a new and broader investigation into alleged irregularities in the procurement and distribution of subsidized farm inputs and machinery, following complaints from farmers’ groups.
Bataan resident feedback sought in P500-M poultry farm project
Residents of Abucay in Bataan will get a first look at a proposed P500-million poultry farm as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through the Environmental Management Bureau, opens a public scoping on February 24, 2026.
DA sets up coffee office to revive struggling sector
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has created a new Coffee Industry Development Office (CIDO) to revive the country’s struggling coffee sector and better manage government support for the crop.
DA reopens door to Czech pork after ASF clearance
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted its temporary ban on pork and swine product imports from the Czech Republic after the European nation resolved its African swine fever (ASF) cases.
Corporate
SEC sets stricter training and accreditation rules
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has released draft rules that would tighten mandatory corporate governance training for company directors and key officers, aiming to improve oversight and accountability in Philippine businesses.
Innovation driver Hu Jianguo named director at DigiPlus
DigiPlus Interactive Corp. has appointed Hu Jianguo to its board of directors following the resignation of Tang Yong, whose departure took effect Tuesday. Yong will remain with the company as board adviser, ensuring leadership continuity.
ACEN lands TIME’s elite list
ACEN has secured a coveted spot in TIME and Statista’s Asia-Pacific’s Best Companies 2026, joining 500 top-performing firms recognized for shaping the region’s business landscape.
SM Prime balances debt, expansion funding
SM Prime Holdings Inc., the listed property flagship of the Sy Group, is lining up a balanced funding strategy for 2026, zeroing in on refinancing maturing obligations while bankrolling its flagship Bay City Reclamation Project.
Corporate Bulletins
ACEN lands TIME’s elite list
ACEN has secured a coveted spot in TIME and Statista’s Asia-Pacific’s Best Companies 2026, joining 500 top-performing firms recognized for shaping the region’s business landscape.
Globe delivers consistency, not just coverage in PH internet race
Globe has claimed the top spot in Ookla®’s 2025 Speedtest Verified rankings, earning recognition as the Most Consistent Mobile Network, Most Consistent Fixed Network, and the provider with the Widest 5G Coverage in the Philippines.
Practical gifting at the heart of Hanabishi promo
Hanabishi Appliances has launched a Valentine’s Day and Lunar New Year campaign encouraging shoppers to celebrate love and new beginnings through practical gifts.
WTCMM wins ASEAN award for exhibition excellence
World Trade Center Metro Manila (WTCMM) has been honored with the ASEAN MICE Venue Award in the Exhibition Venue Category at the 2026 ASEAN Tourism Standards Awards. The accolade was presented during the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2026 at Nustar Resort, Cebu.
Social Responsibility & Sustainability
P400-M gift aims to fight college dropouts, support PHINMA scholars
Business leader Magdaleno B. Albarracin Jr., vice chairman of PHINMA Corporation, and his wife Trinidad M. Albarracin have pledged P400 million to PHINMA Foundation Inc. to help students complete their college education.
SteelAsia earns region’s top green mark from Moody’s
SteelAsia Manufacturing Corp. has secured a “very good” SQS2 rating from Moody’s, earning what the agency described as the strongest and only Sustainable Finance Framework of its kind in the region to fully link financing with measurable decarbonization outcomes.
Jollibee Group shift Philippine facilities to 99% renewable
The Jollibee Group has transitioned its commissaries and logistics facilities in the Philippines to 99 percent renewable energy, marking a major step in its sustainability efforts.
Skills take center stage in bank foundation’s classroom turnover
Security Bank Foundation, Inc. (SBFI) has turned over a new two-storey, six-classroom Technical-Livelihood Education (TLE) building to Zamboanga City High School Main (ZCHSM), marking its 900th classroom built nationwide.
Markets
No cheers for shares of Cheerios maker
Shares of General Mills tumbled 7 percent Tuesday after the Cheerios maker slashed its full-year sales and profit outlook, blaming stubborn inflation and a “challenging” consumer backdrop for squeezing volumes.
Profit-taking weighs down stocks; peso finish higher
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) slid 1.3 percent to 6,384.58, extending profit-taking for a second session after touching seven- to nine-month highs. Even so, the benchmark remains comfortably above the 6,000 mark, keeping the broader uptrend intact and suggesting the pullback is more consolidation than reversal.
Barbie’s holiday hangover hits Mattel
Barbie wasn’t in the mood to celebrate — even if Ken showed up with Hot Wheels and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Investors weren’t feeling festive either.
Markets cool off as peso flexes quiet strength
Global markets are taking a step back—not because of panic, but caution. Investors are reducing risk as they navigate uncertainty around inflation, interest rates, and global tensions.
Energy
DOE opens 18 coal blocks to private bidders
The Department of Energy (DOE) will open at least 18 coal blocks across the country to private investors as part of a competitive bidding round set to begin on February 27, 2026.
NONECO secures 30-MW power deal to stabilize rates, improve reliability in Northern Negros
Consumers in northern Negros Occidental can expect more stable electricity service following a new 30-megawatt power supply agreement between the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NONECO) and Aboitiz Power Corporation.
Meralco secures $2.8-M U.S. grant to advance nuclear energy plans
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) power generation arm Meralco PowerGen Corporation (MGEN) has received a $2.8 million (about P162 million) grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to support studies on bringing nuclear energy to the Philippines.
LPU Batangas, Laguna shift to geothermal power under First Gen deal
The satellite campuses of the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Batangas and Laguna have pooled more than 1,150 kilowatts (kW) of electricity demand to secure direct renewable energy supply from First Gen Corporation.
Property
SM Prime balances debt, expansion funding
SM Prime Holdings Inc., the listed property flagship of the Sy Group, is lining up a balanced funding strategy for 2026, zeroing in on refinancing maturing obligations while bankrolling its flagship Bay City Reclamation Project.
Filinvest Land to tap bond market anew
Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) is returning to the debt market, with its board approving the issuance of the third tranche of retail bonds under its P35-billion shelf registration program with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Disciplined billions fuel SM Prime growth in 2025; P100B capex planned for 2026
SM Prime Holdings, Inc., one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia controlled by the Sy Group, is setting aside about P100 billion in capital expenditures for 2026, matching last year’s outlay while sharpening its focus on returns after posting a 7 percent rise in 2025 profit.
CLI, NTT UD Asia expand Metro Manila footprint
Cebu Landmasters, Inc. (CLI) is doubling down on its alliance with NTT UD Asia Pte. Ltd. (NTTUDA), a unit of Japan’s NTT Urban Development Corp., with a second joint venture that signals a bigger push into the National Capital Region.
Technology
Globe reports record 2025 data revenue, expands digital access nationwide
Globe Telecom posted record results in 2025 as mobile data revenues reached ₱101.2 billion, accounting for 87 percent of total mobile service revenues, while total mobile data traffic climbed to 6,614 petabytes. Its mobile subscriber base grew to 65.8 million, highlighting the company’s strong market position.
Viral AI caricature trend sparks fraud and privacy warnings
A viral social media trend encouraging users to upload personal photos and ask AI tools to create caricatures based on their life and job is raising cybersecurity concerns.
Globe taps Confluent to accelerate enterprise AI shift
Globe Business has formed a strategic alliance with Confluent to help Philippine enterprises speed up artificial intelligence (AI) adoption through real-time data streaming.
Sipag at tiyaga turn into profit for Naga’s Surf2Sawa sellers
Hardworking sales agents in Naga are reaping big rewards as demand rises for the Surf2Sawa prepaid fiber plan of Converge ICT Solutions.
Opinion
Smoke Without Fire, Markets Without Rules
When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) discards its own scientific “endangerment finding,” it does more than revise a memo from 2009. It performs a kind of regulatory alchemy: turning greenhouse gases from legally recognized threats into political inconveniences.
Philippine bond market: Confidence, stability, lower borrowing costs
The Philippine government bond market may sound like a tangle of numbers and acronyms, but it matters to everyone.
Philippine paradox: Doing right, paying wrong
Even when the government acts with moral clarity, ordinary Filipinos often end up holding the short end of the stick.
Airport knife shooting thrusts security governance into spotlight
A knife-related shooting at Iloilo International Airport has forced an uncomfortable reckoning inside aviation security circles: what happens when systems meant to stop danger at the door allow it to fester into a crowded terminal.
Exclusive
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.
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.
