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Cash remittances rose 1.9 percent to US$3.03 billion in August 2026 from US$2.98 billion a year earlier, showing that money sent home by overseas Filipinos continued to grow, though at a moderate pace. The United States remained the largest recorded source, followed by Singapore and Saudi Arabia.

Tala Philippines is expanding partnerships with financial institutions, payment networks and businesses to widen credit access, as the fintech company looks beyond traditional lending channels to reach borrowers underserved by banks.

Tourism groups and industry players are positioning Cebu as a gateway to multi-island travel across the Visayas, aiming to extend visitor stays and channel more tourism spending to smaller island economies.

Nearly one in five mobile broadband tests in Metro Manila failed to meet the National Telecommunications Commission’s (NTC) 50 Mbps minimum speed standard, exposing persistent network gaps despite peak download speeds exceeding 400 Mbps.