BIR cracks down on unregistered sabong betting systems; 297 machines, devices flagged
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) conducted simultaneous enforcement operations on 11 cockpit arenas on August 8, 2026, and found 297 betting machines, computerized betting units, servers, and other devices without the required Permit to Use (PTU) and not appearing in BIR records. These were sealed or confiscated, as warranted under existing rules.
APECO eyes defense hub on Pacific seaboard
The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority is positioning its sprawling economic zone in Casiguran, Aurora as a potential defense-industrial hub as the Philippines strengthens strategic infrastructure along its Pacific seaboard.
DTI targets P1B sales from trade fairs
The Department of Trade and Industry is targeting more than P1 billion in sales from national trade fairs this year as it expands government-led marketplaces designed to connect Filipino micro, small, and medium enterprises with domestic and international buyers.
GSIS allocates ₱4.4 billion in emergency loans for typhoon-hit areas
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has set aside nearly ₱4.4 billion in emergency loan assistance for 166,789 active members as well as old-age and disability pensioners across nine areas in Luzon reeling from recent typhoons and the southwest monsoon.
Maynilad completes Las Piñas septage facility upgrade
West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. has completed upgrades to its South Septage Treatment Facility in Pamplona, Las Piñas City, bringing the site into full compliance with updated Department of Environment and Natural Resources effluent rules. Announced Wednesday, the project began in 2023 and aligns operations with DENR Administrative Order 2016-08 as amended by DAO 2021-19. It is the first of Maynilad’s three septage treatment facilities to be fully upgraded under the latest regulatory standards, with no project cost disclosed.
