The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) announced that it is getting ready to award critical construction segments for the $3.91-billion Bataan-Cavite Interlink Bridge. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said that key contracts for sections over Manila Bay will be finalized soon, building on earlier progress like last year's award for a 1.3-kilometer land approach road in Cavite. The massive infrastructure project is funded through a partnership between the Philippine government and the Asian Development Bank, which provided a $2.11-billion loan.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has signed a deal with Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) to develop AI-powered digital solutions for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). This partnership supports the ASEAN Priority Economic Deliverable on AI-Powered MSME Growth, as the Philippines chairs this year’s ASEAN Summit. The two agencies will build on the DICT’s mobile-first AI Tech Stack, which helps businesses prepare business plans, meet requirements, and find funding, with support in Filipino, English, and other local languages. Officials said the initiative will make AI accessible to more small firms, improve their credit standing, and boost their competitiveness across the country and the region.
The Bureau of the Treasury raised P80 billion after fully awarding Treasury bills and cash management bills at the auction on Monday, with strong investor demand allowing the government to secure fresh funding despite mixed movements in short-term interest rates.
Port users are urging regulators to tighten proposed reforms on cargo handling and container yard operations, arguing that stronger safeguards are needed to ensure lower logistics costs as the government pushes to modernize Philippine ports.
The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) are positioning the Port of Subic Bay as a strategic logistics hub for the country's growing artificial intelligence and semiconductor ambitions, a move aimed at strengthening the Philippines' role in high-value global supply chains.
The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, on Monday ordered banks to produce the peso account records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Reyes Carpio, from 2007 to 2021, as House prosecutors seek to use these documents to prove whether she amassed alleged ill-gotten wealth. The court also subpoenaed the financial records of 19 corporations and one partnership linked to the couple, along with relevant documents from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, all to be submitted by July 30. It likewise allowed the production of the couple's income tax returns for the same period to establish their financial baseline, a key issue in one of the Articles of Impeachment. The ruling, issued by presiding officer Senator Francis Escudero, appeared to stem from an earlier caucus. But no vote tally was disclosed, and it remained unclear whether the senator-judges formally voted on the subpoenas.
Philippine employers may be managing one of Asia-Pacific's happiest workforces, but younger employees are sending a clear message that salary alone is no longer enough.