Friday, 19 December 2025, 10:36 pm

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    BSP surveys show mixed but policy-relevant signals of wary consumers but upbeat business sector

    Filipino as consumers turned more cautious in the fourth quarter of 2025 while businesses became more optimistic, underscoring a mixed economic outlook that remains important for macroeconomic policy, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

    News Dispatch

    Agriculture

    Budget boost paves way for more farm-to-market roads in 2026 

    Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. welcomed Congress’ decision to more than double funding for farm-to-market roads (FMRs), calling it a “game-changing investment” for farmers, food supply chains, and rural economies as lawmakers finalize the 2026 national budget.

    DA steps up market checks ahead of Christmas

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) has tightened the monitoring of wet markets as demand for food rises ahead of Christmas, aiming to keep prices stable and protect consumers.

    DA steps up crackdown on pork and onion price violators

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) has intensified its crackdown on food retailers selling pork and onions above the government’s maximum suggested retail price (MSRP).

    DA plans mung bean shift as irrigation damage threatens rice harvest

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) plans to convert up to 37,000 hectares of rice fields in Nueva Ecija to mung bean production after major irrigation damage threatened rice output in the country’s top rice-producing province.

    Corporate

    Ayala Corp. ends 2025 with expansion push, backs long-term PH growth

    Ayala Corp. rounded 2025 after a year of expansion, new partnerships, and fresh investments, saying it remains confident in the country’s long-term growth prospects.

    Home Credit to expand fun run in 2026

    Home Credit Philippines will hold a bigger edition of its Takbo Para sa Life fun run in 2026, following the strong turnout of its first event in February 2025.

    Converge donates computers to Pampanga orphanage

    Converge ICT Solutions Inc. shared the spirit of Christmas by donating three desktop computers to the Children’s Home of Eucharistic Love and Kindness (CHELK), an orphanage in Pampanga.

    PetroEnergy tightens grip on Petrowind

    PetroEnergy Resources Corp. (PERC) is moving to consolidate its stake in renewable energy after signing a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire BCPG Wind Cooperatief U.A.’s entire 40 percent equity interest in PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI).

    Banking & Insurance

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    Corporate Bulletins

    Home Credit to expand fun run in 2026

    Home Credit Philippines will hold a bigger edition of its Takbo Para sa Life fun run in 2026, following the strong turnout of its first event in February 2025.

    Converge donates computers to Pampanga orphanage

    Converge ICT Solutions Inc. shared the spirit of Christmas by donating three desktop computers to the Children’s Home of Eucharistic Love and Kindness (CHELK), an orphanage in Pampanga.

    Clark Water, Laguna Water recognized as IWA Climate Smart Utilities for 2025

    Clark Water and Laguna Water, two non-East Zone units of Manila Water, were named Climate Smart Utilities for 2025 by the International Water Association (IWA) during the IWA Water and Development Congress in Bangkok from December 8 to 12, 2025.

    Metrobank promotes early financial planning for entrepreneurs and youth through #EarlyGIFTChallenge

    Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) is helping Filipino entrepreneurs and young Filipinos build strong financial habits through its #EarlyGIFTChallenge, a financial education campaign focused on early planning and smart money management.

    Social Responsibility & Sustainability

    SM launches free sustainability course for MSMEs

    SM Investments Corp., in partnership with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), has launched a free online course to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) learn about sustainability reporting. The program was announced during a recent training workshop for publicly listed companies at SMX Aura in Taguig.

    Honda shines with solar, cuts factory power cost

    Honda Parts Manufacturing Corp. (HPMC) has switched on the...

    L’Oreal, DTI development of beauty skills spark career, commerce

    L’Oréal Philippines is widening its push to develop the next generation of beauty and social commerce entrepreneurs, expanding its Beauty for a Better Life (BFBL) E-Beauty Advisor (e-BA) Program across Luzon in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), local governments, and academic institutions.

    McDonald’s opens Green & Good store in Cebu

    World famous fast food chain, McDonald’s, marked its 44th year in the Philippines with the opening of a new Green and Good store at Il Corso Cebu recently, reinforcing the food company’s twin push for sustainability and inclusive employment.

    Markets

    US inflation surprise spurs Wall Street rally

    U.S. stocks jumped Thursday after a long-delayed inflation report delivered a clear upside surprise, snapping Wall Street out of a four-session slide and reigniting hopes for interest-rate cuts.

    US job growth stalls as labor market cools

    US hiring barely moved in November, signaling a labor...

    Cashless shift forces small businesses to move fast

    Cash is no longer king—and today’s new generation of entrepreneurs is feeling the pressure to adapt.

    Trump teases weed reclassification, stocks quickly sober up

    President Donald Trump on Monday floated — but stopped short of promising — a rethink of marijuana’s federal status, sending cannabis stocks from high hopes to a harsh comedown.

    Travel

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    Energy

    Prime Energy notes importance of homegrown natural gas

    Prime Energy turned up the volume on the case for indigenous natural gas as the Philippines locked in a new, coordinated push on energy security, sealing a rare public-private pact to power the country through the energy transition.

    PetroEnergy tightens grip on Petrowind

    PetroEnergy Resources Corp. (PERC) is moving to consolidate its stake in renewable energy after signing a Share Purchase Agreement to acquire BCPG Wind Cooperatief U.A.’s entire 40 percent equity interest in PetroWind Energy Inc. (PWEI).

    OPMC eyes bigger, longer Linapacan play

    Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corp. is gearing up for the next chapter of the West Linapacan project as its joint venture moves to secure a new petroleum service contract ahead of the current concession’s expiration.

    Meralco, EVAP charge up Philippines’ electric shift

    The Manila Electric Co., the country’s largest power distribution better known as Meralco, and the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines (EVAP) are ramping up efforts to accelerate electric vehicle adoption, reaffirming a partnership seen as critical to building a sustainable transport future.

    Transport & Communications

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    Property

    MREIT bulked up with prime offices

    MREIT, Inc., the real estate investment trust of Megaworld Corp., is expanding its footprint after its board approved the infusion of nine Grade A office buildings through a property-for-share swap valued at P16.22 billion.

    Stern deepens Camp John Hay hospitality bet

    Stern Real Estate and Development Corp. is ramping up its presence in Camp John Hay, committing fresh capital to expand hospitality offerings within the former American rest and recreation facility.

    SM Hotels accelerates expansion with Dasmariñas hotel opening

    SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. is stepping harder on the growth pedal, setting a 2027 opening for Park Inn by Radisson SM City Dasmariñas as it rapidly expands its nationwide hotel pipeline.

    Federal Land sells stake in Crown Central

    Federal Land Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of GT Capital Holdings, and its subsidiary Horizon Land Property Development Corp. have sold their entire 52 percent stake in Crown Central Properties Corp. to Crown Equities, Inc. for P73.475 million.

    Environment

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    Technology

    Couchbase launches AI services to help enterprises deploy agentic AI at scale

    Couchbase, Inc. has announced the general availability of Couchbase AI Services, a new set of tools designed to help enterprises build, deploy and manage agentic AI applications in production environments.

    EMSA awards Airbus €30m contract for maritime surveillance drones

    The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) has selected Airbus to provide maritime surveillance services using its Flexrotor uncrewed aerial system under a €30 million framework contract.

    Globe, GCash test password-free login for safer transactions

    Globe Telecom and GCash have completed the first phase of testing for silent network authentication (SNA), a new technology designed to make digital transactions safer and easier for users.

    Germany orders 20 more Airbus H145M military helicopters

    Germany has ordered 20 additional H145M light combat helicopters from Airbus, raising its total order to 82 aircraft. The decision follows a contract signed in December 2023 that included an option for more helicopters.

    Health & Science

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    Opinion

    All revved up, nowhere to go

    There is a familiar sound in Philippine policymaking: an engine idling in neutral. It is neither progress nor collapse, just the quiet waste of momentum. This is where the government’s automotive incentive programs now stand. RACE and CARS were meant to strengthen local vehicle assembly, yet both remain stalled by delays, budget constraints, and unpaid commitments.

    Thousands lose jobs in brutal anti-graft war

    President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s anti-corruption blitz in flood-control and public-works agencies was meant to clean house. Instead, it is triggering political, economic, and social tremors that now overshadow its stated purpose. The irony is hard to ignore: a campaign launched to restore trust is increasingly viewed as deepening uncertainty.

    Airbus A320 recall shakes global travel

    The sudden global recall of nearly 6,000 Airbus A320-family aircraft has sent shockwaves through aviation, tourism, and trade.

    Valuation shock shatters an industry titan

    November 13, 2025 will not fade easily from the memory of Manuel Villar. For the Filipino property magnate—ranked the country’s third wealthiest by Forbes—that date marked a reckoning. His flagship investment holding firm, Villar Land Holdings Corp., formerly Golden M.V. Holdings, finally submitted its long-delayed 2024 audited annual report to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). The filing arrived seven months past deadline—and detonated like a financial depth charge.

    Sports & Entertainment

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    Exclusive

    Boeing deepens strategy cuts as operations take center-stage – sources

    Boeing Co has embarked on deeper-than-expected cuts in its strategy ranks, halving the number of planners working within key divisions as it refocuses energies on tackling industrial pressures, people familiar with the matter said.

    Maynilad may consider sourcing water from Manila Bay if desalination cost eases to affordable levels

    Maynilad Water Services Inc., the water utility of Metro Pacific Investment Corp., may consider Manila Bay as source of potable water for its concession area in Metropolitan Manila and nearby towns if the cost of desalination comes down or large consumers such as factories start extracting water from the salt-water bay for their needs.

    Converge mulls sale-leaseback deal for fiber network, plans dividend payout

    With the aggressive fiber network rollout behind it, Converge...

    Converge’s Dennis Anthony Uy Plans $1 Billion “Silicon Valley” Project In Pampanga

    Dennis Anthony Uy, co-founder of publicly listed Converge ICT,...