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The Philippine government said it will act on recommendations from the World Bank’s latest Public Finance Review, putting a sharper focus on broadening the tax base, improving revenue collection and ensuring that public spending translates into measurable gains for Filipinos.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) recognized six distinguished institutional partners across Mindanao during the Outstanding BSP Stakeholders Appreciation Ceremony held on September 28, 2026, wrapping up the central bank’s 2026 nationwide appreciation series. This recognition follows earlier ceremonies held for North Luzon in July, Head Office and South Luzon in August, and the Visayas in September.

The Jollibee Group is bringing its inclusive employment initiative for qualified senior citizens and persons with disabilities to the Visayas region for the first time, through a new partnership with the Cebu City Government. Under this collaboration, eligible seniors and PWDs will take on customer relations roles across 36 participating branches of Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, and Burger King, marking a key milestone in the program’s national reach.

The various sugar groups are urging Congress to revise the ProGRESS tax reform bill, warning its current design will further shrink local cane sugar use as cheaper alternatives dominate. The Department of Finance-backed measure would raise the sweetened beverage tax tiers to P20 and P40 per liter without reclassifying sweeteners, a change producers say will push manufacturers to replace cane sugar entirely.

The Philippines could unlock fiscal gains equivalent to as much as 7.1 percent of gross domestic product each year without raising statutory tax rates, as reforms to tax collection, procurement and government spending offer a potentially significant source of new fiscal space.