Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. opened December with a clear reminder to Department of Agriculture (DA) personnel: stay grounded, stay principled, and keep public service at the center of the agency’s work, even as the holiday season brings distractions and pressures.
The Philippines and Canada have reaffirmed their strong agricultural partnership following a high-level meeting between Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Canada’s Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai on November 13 in Makati City.
Negros Power has fully restored electricity in Central Negros after back-to-back Typhoons Tino and Uwan damaged the power network earlier this month. The company said that as of November 27, all lateral lines were re-energized, bringing power back to nearly 250,000 customers.
Globe and the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) are testing a new security technology called Silent Network Authentication (SNA), which aims to make digital banking safer and easier. The Proof of Concept (POC) is part of Globe’s G Verify platform, which uses real-time network data and secure APIs to verify users without requiring one-time passwords (OTPs) or SMS codes.
ATPI Philippines is investing in new AI and data-driven technologies and expanding its end-to-end crew-change services to strengthen its position in global marine travel and logistics.
EastWest Bank cardholders are now turning to contactless payments through Google Pay, which has recently become available in the Philippines for compatible Android and Wear OS devices. EastWest is among the first local banks to support the service, allowing customers to add their Visa or Mastercard credit cards to Google Wallet and pay with a simple tap of their phone.
Digital telco brand GOMO has launched a new set of services designed to make staying connected simpler, more flexible, and more worry-free for Filipinos, especially during the holiday season. The announcements were made at the “GOMO! New Rules” event, where the brand highlighted its belief that people should be able to live, travel, and connect on their own terms.
Residential property prices in the Philippines rose at a much slower pace in the third quarter, pointing to easing demand and more cautious activity in the housing market, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Diosdado “Dado” Banatao, the Filipino visionary whose intellect and determination left an indelible mark on Silicon Valley, passed away peacefully on December 25, 2025, at the age of 79, on the campus of his alma mater, Stanford University, surrounded by family and friends.