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The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) forecasts a favorable 2026 for the mining sector, driven by strong global demand for energy transition minerals and steady commodity prices.

Discovery Capital Finance Corp. has secured a credit facility with Union Bank of the Philippines, part of the Aboitiz group, to speed up its expansion across the country.

East West Banking Corp. is set to grow its priority banking network and services, following a 40 percent rise in assets under management to P120 billion last year. CEO Jerry G. Ngo announced the bank will increase priority banking branches nationwide from 13 to 20 in the coming years.

The Senate has been regarded as the last bastion of democratic dissent—a chamber where statesmen stood their ground, challenged power, and refused to let their voices be drowned out by political pressure or executive overreach. It was where difficult questions were asked, unpopular truths were spoken, and silence was treated not as a virtue but as a surrender.

The Senate minority bloc on Tuesday called on Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to resign, him of abandoning his responsibilities, neglecting his duties, and disregarding Senate rules by halting the chamber’s proceedings. In a sharply worded statement, minority senators argued that the Senate “cannot be made to stop working because its presiding officer refuses to lead,” stressing that legislative work must continue regardless of political disputes. The bloc also maintained that Senate rules require the Senate President to consult both majority and minority leaders before postponing a session, alleging that such consultation did not take place.