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The growing illicit tobacco corridor between the Philippines and Malaysia is highlighting enforcement gaps across Southeast Asia, as criminal networks increasingly exploit differences between national tax, customs, and regulatory systems.

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is expanding its crackdown on poor mobile broadband service nationwide, putting greater pressure on network operators to address coverage and performance gaps as the regulator prepares additional show-cause orders and daily penalties.

Poro Point is reinforcing its role as a strategic fuel logistics hub for Northern Luzon after Chevron, Shell and Petron renewed their leases at the San Fernando International Seaport in La Union.

The Philippine government is moving to translate the World Bank’s Public Finance Review into concrete fiscal reforms, with economic officials stressing that better tax collection and spending will matter only if recommendations result in measurable improvements for citizens.