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San Miguel Corp. has grown its Backyard Bukid initiative to nine sites nationwide, marking its first presence in the Visayas as the project shifts from urban farming to boost community food security and livelihoods.

Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC) has notified the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) of a redundancy program, following a decision to slash its annual coal production target by over one-third compared to last year.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Dr. Edwin Mercado as the country’s new health secretary, replacing Dr. Jose Brittanio Pujalte Jr., who resigned for health reasons, Palace spokesperson Claire Castro said. Mercado, who has served as acting president and chief executive officer of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. since February 2025, is a University of the Philippines medical graduate with master’s degrees from Harvard Medical School and the University of North Carolina. Pujalte, appointed health chief on July 13, now faces an anonymous ethics and graft complaint before the Ombudsman. Dr. Beverly Lorraine Ho, former health undersecretary, assistant secretary, and spokesperson, will replace Mercado at PhilHealth.

Borromeo Motoring Group is taking greater control of its electricity costs, tapping COREnergy as its retail electricity supplier for 20 facilities across Luzon as the automotive group seeks to make energy management a more strategic part of its operations.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. is aiming to match last year’s profit as resilient malls, offices, hotels, and other recurring businesses help cushion continued caution in the residential property market.