More than 1,000 students took part in an onboarding event for the Youth Financial Inclusion Initiative held on 20 August 2026 at Southern Leyte State University in Sogod, Southern Leyte, where 528 transaction accounts were successfully opened. Led by Visayas-based Youth Financial Inclusion Ambassadors in collaboration with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, this marked the second account-opening drive in the region under the Youth Financial Inclusion Ambassadors Program, building on the inaugural August 2025 activity that registered 551 new accounts at the same institution.

MPower, the retail electricity supplier of Meralco led by Manuel V. Pangilinan, has officially partnered with Big Ben Group to provide stable, cost‑effective power to the company’s manufacturing facilities in Pulilan, Bulacan.

PLDT Enterprise, together with PLDT and Smart, has deployed Starlink satellite connectivity to restore critical communications after the powerful earthquake in parts of Mindanao. Teams were immediately sent to General Santos City and South Cotabato to assess networks and support restoration in coordination with the DICT and local governments. Most facilities remained stable, with disruptions driven mainly by power outages; Starlink was rolled out at key sites including Malungon and Alabel Sarangani Provincial Hospitals, and response command centers. PLDT COO Menardo “Butch” G. Jimenez Jr. noted connectivity lets people reach loved ones and supports rebuilding, while PLDT Enterprise SVP Blums Pineda said the group aims to be first responders for responders to speed recovery. The companies stand ready to support communities through rebuilding.

Ferronoux Holdings Inc. shareholders have approved a P1.52-billion property-for-share swap with Eagle I Landholdings Inc., giving the latter a majority stake in the listed investment holding company as Ferronoux expands into real estate.

Stakeholders including the Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) and the Department of Finance (DOF) have voiced strong optimism over the transformative economic promise of Executive Order (EO) 122, signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to establish a national framework for critical minerals.

The Department of Energy (DOE) is confident the entire 400 megawatts (MW) of capacity on offer in the special waste-to-energy (WTE) round of the Green Energy Auction (GEA) will attract full investor interest, signaling strong market confidence in the country’s clean energy expansion.

The Philippines will align policies to attract more investments into critical minerals while encouraging higher-value processing and manufacturing, as the government seeks to capture a larger share of global mineral supply chains.

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Monday (24 August 2026) clarified that Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC) was operating well within its allowable system losses cap after being wrongly identified as noncompliant with the cap for private distribution utilities (DUs).

Megaworld is accelerating its hospitality expansion, targeting nearly 12,000 hotel rooms by 2032 as it moves deeper into some of the Philippines’ fastest-growing tourism destinations, including Palawan and Ilocos Norte.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. is expanding three malls in Iloilo, Batangas, and Naga, adding about 70,000 square meters of gross floor area to its regional retail portfolio in the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development has indefinitely suspended the deadline for homeowners’ associations to amend their bylaws, giving organizations more time as the government reviews rules governing the sector.

Pag-IBIG Fund’s housing-related assets have surpassed P1 trillion as stronger home financing and lending to housing developers continued to expand its portfolio.

KairoTech and Packworks are developing a retail media network built around the Philippines’ ubiquitous sari-sari stores, creating a potential new advertising channel that links digital campaigns with consumer activity in local communities.

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is extending digital support to Cebu entrepreneurs as government and industry partners seek to help micro, small, and medium enterprises turn social commerce into a sustainable growth channel.

Smart Communications, Inc. is scaling up its mobile network infrastructure here to deliver faster, more reliable connectivity in a key commercial and agricultural center of the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Two Philippine startups are getting a bigger regional spotlight after Clouted and OneLot landed on Forbes Asia’s 2026 “100 to Watch” list, putting the country’s young tech ventures among Asia-Pacific’s emerging companies to watch.

Every generation gets its villain. In 1979, it was Voltes V and other Japanese robot cartoons. Today, as the Philippines confronts fresh school shootings, the finger is pointing at Roblox.

The livestreamed shooting at a school affiliated with Ateneo de Zamboanga University should end the country’s familiar cycle of outrage, condolences, and calls for tighter security. It should instead trigger a harder look at how firearms are acquired, stored, and kept out of the hands of those who should never have them.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon spent much of the past year cultivating the image of a no-nonsense reformer determined to clean up one of government’s most corruption-tainted agencies.

Impeachment may be political. It may be bruising, theatrical, and occasionally combustible. But it is still a legal proceeding, and lawyers do not get a temporary exemption from good manners simply because the stakes are high.