Grandsun Advanced Electronics (Philippines) Co. Inc. plans to hire about 5,000 workers as it expands production and begins making a new product at its LIMA Estate facility in Batangas, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said.
Philippine chief executives remain confident about business prospects, but many companies are struggling to turn growing investments in innovation and artificial intelligence into programs that can scale across their organizations.
The Philippines is seeking to regain its position as Japan’s top banana supplier as Manila pushes for lower tariffs in the ongoing review of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA).
Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez was arrested Monday in connection with a P7.44-billion flood control case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against him and other officials, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said. Remulla told reporters that authorities served the arrest warrant on Romualdez at Cardinal Santos Medical Center, where he was receiving medical care. The case involves allegations of irregularities in controversial flood control projects that have triggered a wider government investigation into public infrastructure spending. Romualdez’s arrest marks a dramatic escalation in the probe, with the Ombudsman pursuing charges against several officials over projects worth billions of pesos.
The country’s foreign currency reserves stood strong at $104.8 billion as of the end of August 2026, driven by higher global gold prices and earnings from foreign investments, according to preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Although government withdrawals to pay off foreign debt offset some gains, the overall buffer remains well above global safety standards.
Thailand’s Gunkul Engineering has partnered with local developer SunAsia Energy for a $1-billion floating solar project at Laguna Lake, set to deliver 1,000 MW capacity as Southeast Asia’s biggest of its kind.
The Department of Energy (DOE) is moving forward with plans to bring electricity to more than 100,000 currently unenergized households across the Philippines, through an upcoming competitive bidding process for microgrid services.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is leading a major drive to expand the palm oil industry, aiming to cut the country’s heavy reliance on imports and build a local supply base that can also serve as feedstock for cleaner fuels.
The National Dairy Authority (NDA) and Central Philippines State University (CPSU) have partnered to develop a 50-hectare dairy stock farm in Barangay Camingawan here, aiming to strengthen production, breeding, research and training across the Negros Island Region.