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Peso falls to record low vs USD as Iran retaliates, oil soars

The Philippine peso tumbled to a fresh record low on Thursday, breaching the P60-per-dollar mark, as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and surging oil prices rattled markets and drove investors toward the safety of the US dollar.

News Dispatch

Agriculture

PCA rejects full suspension of biodiesel blend amid Middle East conflict

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) says it does not support proposals to fully suspend the country’s biodiesel blending program, despite rising global fuel prices linked to the Middle East conflict.

NTA calls on local governments to step up fight vs cigarette smuggling

The National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has urged local government units to strengthen efforts against cigarette smuggling, saying the illegal trade costs the country billions of pesos each year.

Nescafé Plan: Coffee farming that triples yield

Nestlé Philippines is betting on the ground game, and it’s paying off. Through its Nescafé Plan, the company is scaling regenerative farming, lifting farmer productivity while fortifying the country’s fragile coffee supply.

Fish, finance, fortune: Alsons Development’s inclusive catch

Alsons Development and Investment Corp. (Alsons Dev) is flipping the script on Philippine aquaculture.

Corporate

Jollibee Group wins top global workplace honor, sets benchmark for Filipino companies

The Jollibee Group has secured one of the world’s highest workplace recognitions, earning the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award (GEWA) with Distinction from Gallup for its outstanding employee engagement and people-first culture.

Filinvest posts broad growth, 15% net profit growth

Filinvest Development Corporation (FDC) delivered a record-breaking performance in 2025, with net income attributable to equity holders climbing 24 percent to P15.0 billion from P12.1 billion a year earlier, driven by strong contributions across its diversified portfolio.

PhilWeb, Okada launch premium gaming platform

PhilWeb Corp., a listed electronic gaming company, has sealed a strategic partnership with Tiger Resort, Leisure and Entertainment, Inc. to roll out a new online gaming platform branded OKADA PLAY, marking a significant push into the country’s fast-growing digital gaming market.

DM Wenceslao raises dividend to record high

D.M. Wenceslao & Associates Inc. (DMW) has approved a regular cash dividend of P0.10 per share, marking its highest payout to date and delivering more than 5 percent growth year-on-year as the listed property developer underscores financial resilience and shareholder returns.

Banking & Insurance

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Corporate Bulletins

Jollibee Group wins top global workplace honor, sets benchmark for Filipino companies

The Jollibee Group has secured one of the world’s highest workplace recognitions, earning the Gallup Exceptional Workplace Award (GEWA) with Distinction from Gallup for its outstanding employee engagement and people-first culture.

Luzon barangays can win P50,000 for Flores de Mayo via Lalamove

Luzon communities preparing for the annual Flores de Mayo festival now have a chance to receive support from Lalamove through its new initiative, Flores de LALA. The program highlights the effort behind the celebrations, from planning and decorations to organizing processions and church activities.

GCash launches international money transfer feature

GCash has introduced a new service that allows users to send money directly from their e-wallet to bank accounts, cards, and other e-wallets in 16 countries.

Radius Telecom achieves top Google network certification

Radius Telecoms Inc., a subsidiary of Manila Electric Company, has earned the highest level of certification under Google’s Verified Peering Provider (VPP) program, gaining Gold status for its network performance and reliability.

Social Responsibility & Sustainability

Nescafé Plan: Coffee farming that triples yield

Nestlé Philippines is betting on the ground game, and it’s paying off. Through its Nescafé Plan, the company is scaling regenerative farming, lifting farmer productivity while fortifying the country’s fragile coffee supply.

Frasco’s next tour: Resilience as policy 

When Christina Garcia Frasco left the helm of the Department of Tourism, it wasn’t quite a farewell tour—more like a change in itinerary. Now appointed Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the former tourism chief is swapping travel brochures for the less glamorous but arguably more urgent business of resilience policy.

Singson urges corporations, groups to promote civic-minded leadership

Former Public Works Secretary and former Independent Committee on Infrastructure (ICI) commissioner Rogelio L. Singson said leading corporations and organizations in the country should promote civic-mindedness to help develop a new generation of leaders.

San Miguel Foods, GSIS partner to expand livelihood opportunities for members

San Miguel Foods (SMF) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) to make its livelihood and small business programs more accessible to GSIS members, pensioners, dependents, and qualified public sector cooperatives and unions.

Markets

Broker board term limits gain strong backing

Leading Philippine business groups have thrown their weight behind the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposal to impose term limits on broker directors of securities exchanges, calling it a timely governance reform aimed at bolstering investor confidence and market integrity.

Federal Reserve holds rates as risks persist

The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate at 3.5...

Meta stock rallies on layoff reports

Shares of Meta Platforms jumped about 3 percent Monday as investors bet that the reported potential job cuts could help offset the technology company's artificial intelligence spending. The stock of the company that owns Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads closed 2.3 percent higher at USD627.45.

Philippine stock to stall near resistance, peso to test lows

Philippine financial markets could face choppy trading ahead as investors weigh technical resistance levels in equities against fresh pressure on the peso from global risks, including elevated oil prices.

Travel

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Energy

PCA rejects full suspension of biodiesel blend amid Middle East conflict

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) says it does not support proposals to fully suspend the country’s biodiesel blending program, despite rising global fuel prices linked to the Middle East conflict.

MORE Power to expand AI use in power distribution system

MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) is expanding the use of artificial intelligence in its power distribution system as part of a broader push to modernize its services and meet rising demand in Iloilo City.

Mount Grace hospitals shift to renewable energy

Mount Grace Hospitals, Inc. (MGHI) has moved 13 of its partner hospitals to renewable energy after signing supply deals with First Gen.

BE Cadiz solar project enters active buildout stage

Basic Energy Cadiz 1 Corporation (BECC), a wholly owned unit of Basic Energy Corp., has locked in a critical step for its 43-megaWatt-alternating current ground-mounted solar project in Cadiz City, formalizing key engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) agreements that push the development into active buildout.

Transport & Communications

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Property

Haus Talk bonds debut, raise P1.8B strong 

Listed affordable housing developer Haus Talk, Inc. (HTI) raised P1.8 billion from its maiden bond listing on Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. (PDEx) after strong demand prompted an upsizing from the initial P1 billion offer.

MREIT secures SEC nod for  P16.2B expansion

MREIT, Inc., the real estate investment trust of Megaworld Corp., has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Commission for its Wave 4 property-for-share swap, clearing the way for a major portfolio expansion in McKinley Hill.

DM Wenceslao raises dividend to record high

D.M. Wenceslao & Associates Inc. (DMW) has approved a regular cash dividend of P0.10 per share, marking its highest payout to date and delivering more than 5 percent growth year-on-year as the listed property developer underscores financial resilience and shareholder returns.

Rockwell raises P10B in bond market comeback 

Rockwell Land Corporation has returned to the debt market with a P10 billion bond issuance—its first since 2013—drawing strong demand and signaling renewed investor confidence in the premium developer.

Environment

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Technology

PLDT vows uninterrupted connectivity as Middle East tensions rise

PLDT Inc. has assured customers that its services will remain stable and uninterrupted despite escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, emphasizing its readiness to respond to potential global disruptions.

TP Philippines powers greener shift in BPOs 

TP Philippines is emerging as a leader in greening the country’s IT-BPM sector, showing how large-scale outsourcing can pair growth with environmental responsibility.

Tarlac sees stronger mobile network as growth accelerates

Rapid development in Tarlac is driving demand for faster and more reliable mobile internet, as more residents, businesses, and tourists depend on connectivity for daily activities.

Boomi expands platform to boost trusted AI and data use 

Data activator Boomi has introduced new features to its enterprise platform designed to help businesses better manage and use data for artificial intelligence (AI), analytics, and automation.

Health & Science

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Opinion

Eala storms toward WTA’s elite circle

The desert—both in Dubai and Indian Wells—has been kind to Alex Eala.

Luzviminda’s daughters: Steel, silk, sovereignty, spotlight

If you want to understand the Philippines, resist the temptation to start with its strongmen and their statues. Begin instead with its women, the quiet architects of its revolutions, the steady hands at the tiller when storms arrive.

NAIA Terminal shakeup tests airlines nerves

At Ninoy Aquino International Airport, the runway is not the only thing shifting. Airlines are now studying a government proposal to redraw the airport map itself, clustering carriers by business model in a sweeping terminal realignment. 

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.

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.