Friday, 27 February 2026, 4:48 am

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    Top News

    P1T reserve breach powers SSS pension boost

    State-run pension fund Social Security System (SSS) is set to roll out another round of pension increases and a new micro loan program after its reserve fund breached the P1-trillion mark for the first time in its 69-year history, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced Thursday.

    News Dispatch

    Agriculture

    Searca and TFNet launch collaborative growth program

    The Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (Searca) and the International Tropical Fruits Network (TFNet) have signed a partnership to strengthen tropical fruit production in the region. The agreement, formalized through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on February 12, aims to promote research, education, innovation, and capacity-building across Southeast Asia and other tropical fruit-producing areas.

    NFA relaxes palay buying rules to boost farmer incomes ahead of harvest peak 

    The government has moved to shield rice farmers from falling prices during the peak harvest season, with the National Food Authority (NFA) announcing more flexible palay procurement rules aimed at putting more money directly into farmers’ hands.

    Fishta Seafood: From pond to plate, proven safe

    In an industry where “fresh” is often a promise and rarely a proof point, Fishta Seafood is betting that receipts—digital ones—are the future of trust.

    Silver-winning Mabango 3 rice proves tough even in floods

    Fresh from winning silver at the 2025 World’s Best Rice Award in Cambodia, Mabango 3 is showing it offers more than great taste and aroma. The rice variety, officially known as NSIC Rc218, can also survive and grow even when newly planted fields are flooded.

    Corporate

    Robinsons Retail, RLC unit to launch big-box Shopwise in Rizal

    Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. is expanding its footprint with a major new supermarket project in Rizal, teaming up with Robinsons Logistix and Industrials Inc., the logistics and industrial arm of Robinsons Land Inc., to develop a large-format Shopwise store in Cainta.

    Elaine Katindoy named education committee head of PLIA

    Pru Life UK announced that Elaine Katindoy, vice president for PRUAcademy, has been appointed as the education committee head of the Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA). The role highlights her dedication to advancing financial literacy and professional development in the life insurance sector.

    URC brands win big at Malaysia’s 2025 Putra Awards

    Universal Robina Corp. (URC) has earned national recognition in Malaysia after two of its leading brands won honors at the 2025 Putra Brand Awards, highlighting strong consumer trust and growing corporate momentum in the country’s competitive snack market.

    Chinabank posts record profit in 2025, boosts balance sheet

    China Banking Corp., the country’s fifth largest lender by assets and part of the Sy Group, delivered a banner performance in 2025 with record net income of P28 billion, up 13 percent from a year earlier, as core lending and fee businesses powered broad-based growth.

    Banking & Insurance

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    Corporate Bulletins

    Elaine Katindoy named education committee head of PLIA

    Pru Life UK announced that Elaine Katindoy, vice president for PRUAcademy, has been appointed as the education committee head of the Philippine Life Insurance Association (PLIA). The role highlights her dedication to advancing financial literacy and professional development in the life insurance sector.

    URC brands win big at Malaysia’s 2025 Putra Awards

    Universal Robina Corp. (URC) has earned national recognition in Malaysia after two of its leading brands won honors at the 2025 Putra Brand Awards, highlighting strong consumer trust and growing corporate momentum in the country’s competitive snack market.

    Jollibee ranks 5th among world’s strongest restaurant brands in 2026

    Philippine fast-food giant Jollibee has climbed to fifth place in the 2026 ranking of the world’s strongest restaurant brands, up from ninth last year. The rise reflects stronger consumer recognition, preference, and loyalty across international markets, according to the company’s Brand Strength Index.

    Bank marketers make themselves heard

    If marketing once played a supporting role in banking, 2026 suggests it is ready for top billing.

    Social Responsibility & Sustainability

    CIAC seals deals protecting heritage, secure food supply

    The Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC) has signed two agreements aimed at protecting heritage, improving food security, and boosting economic growth in Central Luzon and beyond.

    Vivant hands over solar system to Palawan school

    Vivant Corp., through its Vivant Foundation, has turned over an 18.7-kilowatt solar power system to Canipo Integrated School in Coron.

    AEV emerges as ESG leader in 2025 S&P Global rankings

    Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV) ranked among the top three Philippine conglomerates in the 2025 ESG Ratings of S&P Global, highlighting the company’s strong governance practices and people-focused programs.

    Globe, CANVAS champion safer internet for Filipino families

    In line with Safer Internet Day 2026, Globe Telecom partnered with Center for Art, New Ventures and Sustainable Development (CANVAS) to hold an interactive learning session on artificial intelligence (AI) and online safety for families.

    Markets

    Nvidia shatters earnings records as AI boom accelerates

    NVIDIA, the world’s most valuable publicly-traded company and the dominant supplier of chips powering the artificial intelligence revolution, capped a landmark year with blockbuster fourth quarter results, a bullish revenue outlook, and fresh momentum in its stock. 

    SEC rewriting IPO public float playbook

    The Securities and Exchange Commission is redrawing the rulebook for companies eyeing a stock market debut, proposing a tiered minimum public ownership (MPO) framework that could make it easier—especially for large firms—to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

    Trust takes lead in mega sale

    Lazada Philippines is putting brand power and buyer confidence front and center as it rolls out its upcoming 3.3 Pasabog Sale, signaling a strategic pivot from flash-sale frenzy to credibility-driven commerce.

    FILRT lifts dividend, yield hears 8%

    Filinvest REIT Corp. kicked off 2026 with a higher...

    Travel

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    Energy

    Leviste puts 16% stake in MGen Renewable Energy up for sale to foreign investor

    Meralco Power Gen Corp. (MGen) announced that Batangas First District Congressman Leandro Leviste is offering his remaining stake in MGen Renewable Energy Holdings Inc. to a foreign investor.

    DOE mandates energy storage for bigger renewable projects to boost grid reliability

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a new circular aimed at encouraging wider adoption of energy storage systems (ESS) across the country.

    Davao Light now in control of Samal power distribution

    The Sheriff of the Regional Trial Court in Panabo has formally taken control of the power distribution assets in the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) and turned them over to Davao Light and Power Co., Inc..

    Nickel Asia profits soar as exports, prices rise

    Nickel Asia Corp. said its net income quadrupled in 2025, driven by stronger ore exports and firmer saprolite prices, underscoring a rebound in nickel markets and improved operating leverage.

    Transport & Communications

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    Property

    Metro Manila hotels supply to rise amid weak foreign demand—Colliers

    Metro Manila is bracing for its biggest hotel supply surge in eight years, with nearly 2,900 new rooms set to debut in 2026, a sign of developer confidence even as international arrivals lag, according to Colliers Philippines.

    LIMA Gateway spurs Luzon investment surge

    Southern Luzon is lining up for a major infrastructure boost as Aboitiz Economic Estates pushes ahead with the LIMA Gateway interchange, a project set for completion in 2027 that promises faster logistics, smoother commutes and stronger investor appeal.

    SM Prime confident spending to spring back

    Caution may define the macro mood, but SM Prime Holdings is penciling in a brighter 2026.

    Megaworld earning up in 2025 on township growth

    Megaworld Corp., the listed property development company of billionaire Andrew Tan, posted record net income of P24 billion in 2025, up 11 percent year-on-year, driven by strong residential sales, leasing growth, and expansion of its recurring income portfolio. 

    Environment

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    Technology

    Globe strengthens innovation drive, connects startups to real world enterprise needs   

    The Globe Group is stepping up its push to make innovation a core part of its corporate strategy by directly linking startups with real business environments.

    Dataiku bets on open source to restore trust in business-critical AI

    As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in core business operations, Dataiku is taking direct aim at one of the industry’s biggest challenges: trust.

    Gov’t puts messaging app Telegram “under observation” amid rising online crimes

    The Philippine government is closely monitoring the messaging app Telegram after reports linked it to online scams, gambling, piracy, illegal drug sales, and the exploitation of children.

    Igloo goes AI-native, eyes Philippine market

    Regional insurtech Igloo is doubling down on artificial intelligence in 2026, accelerating its transformation into an AI-native company as it targets rapid expansion in the Philippines.

    Health & Science

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    Opinion

    When safety grounds flights, bills soar

    Gilbert had barely settled into his seat on a Friday evening flight bound for Manila, pleased to be heading home after several days of meetings in Mindanao. An hour later, the single-aisle jet remained parked on the tarmac at Francisco Bangoy International Airport, engines silent, cabin restless.

    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. 

    Sports & Entertainment

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    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.