San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has received recognition from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for importing nearly USD370 million worth of American agricultural products in 2026, highlighting the Philippines’ importance as a market for US farm exports.

The Jollibee Foods Corporation continues to leverage international store expansion to drive business growth, as its top executive emphasized the capacity of Southeast Asian brands to establish a strong presence in the global market during a regional summit in Pasay City.

JG Summit Holdings Inc., the listed investment holding company of the Gokongwei Group, plans to acquire nearly 37.1 billion common shares in listed Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corp. (OPMC) from its wholly owned subsidiary, consolidating its investment in the oil and gas company at the parent level.

GMA Network Inc.’s principal shareholders, Television International Corporation (TIC) and M.A. Jimenez Enterprises Inc. (MAJEI), have approved a merger that will consolidate the two entities into a single corporation, with TIC as the surviving company.

Subic EnerZone Corporation, a power distribution utility of Aboitiz Power Corporation, has officially renewed its partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority to continue managing and operating the Subic Bay Freeport Zone’s electrical distribution system for another 25 years.

Citicore Renewable Energy Corporation (CREC) has secured P35.014 billion in syndicated financing from three Philippine banks to bankroll five solar projects in Batangas, expanding its renewable energy footprint as the country seeks to bolster power supply and accelerate the shift to cleaner energy.

Globe Telecom Inc. announced Friday that more than 1,000 of its cell sites are now running on renewable energy as of August 2026, marking a key step in the company’s push toward cleaner and more reliable operations. The shift was made possible through the government’s Retail Aggregation Program, making Globe the first telecommunications provider in the country to reach this milestone.

The electricity grid is getting busier. Rooftop solar panels are turning homes into power producers, batteries are storing energy for later, and electric vehicles are adding new demands to the system.

Pag-IBIG Fund nearly tripled its financing for socialized housing in the first nine months of 2026, as subsidized interest rates under the government’s Expanded 4PH Program helped expand access to homeownership for low-income Filipino families.

DoubleDragon Corp.’s Hotel101 Global Holdings Corp. is taking its Filipino hotel brand to Africa, signing a countrywide development agreement in Egypt anchored by a planned 750-room property in Cairo worth an estimated USD102.1 million.

Government agencies are emerging as a significant driver of demand for quality office space in Metro Manila’s Bay Area, capitalizing on competitive rental rates and available properties as the district adjusts to the exit of Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs).

Pavia, long known as a simple, quiet town in Iloilo, has steadily evolved into a dynamic agro-industrial center, bringing noticeable changes to its community atmosphere that carry meaningful benefits for local property owners and business operators alike. Where once the area was defined by its slow-paced provincial charm, it now balances that familiar calm with growing vibrancy, serving as home to a rising number of manufacturing firms, commercial hubs, and carefully planned residential communities.

The electricity grid is getting busier. Rooftop solar panels are turning homes into power producers, batteries are storing energy for later, and electric vehicles are adding new demands to the system.

The European Union and the Philippines are setting up a joint artificial intelligence (AI) industry laboratory to help businesses adopt emerging technologies, improve productivity and attract investment, with micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) among the intended beneficiaries.

Converge ICT CEO Dennis Anthony Uy is calling for stronger transparency and accountability, saying good governance is essential to turn the Philippines’ digital ambitions into real economic progress.

Newly installed Department of Information and Communications Technology Secretary Robert Joseph M. de Claro is pushing for an organizational restructuring to boost the department’s performance and deliver more effective digital public services to Filipinos.

Woke up this morning hoping for a reset, with my circadian rhythm hopefully back on track after weeks of near-sleeplessness, due in part to bodily changes occasioned by advancing age and to the ayuda economy, which has gone from bad to worse to overdrive. I cannot believe what has recently been printed in both legacy news outlets and portals like the one where I currently work, or the level of absurdity that has pervaded the country. When I ask any reasonable person what ails the Philippines, with its rich resources and poor economic performance, the retort and the discussion that follow quickly turn absurd. The survey firms Pulse Asia and OCTA have a four-word answer: the cost of living. Two-thirds of the country say the most urgent issue is inflation, and that “public sentiment . . . is being shaped primarily by economic strain and the rising cost of living.”

A Toyota is not a car that makes you want to write poetry. It is a car you get into, press the start button, select Drive, and take wherever you need to go. No drama, no complicated rituals, no need to call the children over to explain how to operate the touchscreen.

Congress has been reminded that the national budget is not a wish list, a political buffet, or an ATM where lawmakers can increase the withdrawal limit simply because the money looks lonely.

There was a time when watching a basketball game largely meant arguing about the referee, questioning the coach’s substitutions, and insisting that the player who missed three free throws should have been benched in the second quarter. These remain perfectly respectable ways to ruin a Sunday afternoon. Of late, however, there is increasingly another reason to get worked up over a game: money.