The number of so-called basic deposit accounts (BDA) rose 170 percent in the first three months this year to 21.9 million from only 8.1 million a year ago, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Friday.
The Bank of the Philippines Islands (BPI), which counts itself a strong supporter of sustainable financing, has brought down its exposure to coal loans from a high 45 percent of portfolio in 2020 to only 29 percent thus far this year.
The Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) has cautioned regional wage boards against automatically following Metro Manila's latest minimum wage increase, arguing that wage adjustments should reflect local economic realities rather than establish a nationwide template.
The Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are taking steps to save a key tool used against illegal fishing after a recent Supreme Court ruling. The high court recently declared Fisheries Administrative Order No. 266 unconstitutional, effectively striking down the requirement for commercial fishing vessels to install tracking devices and submit electronic catch reports.
Vietnamese electric vehicle maker VinFast is accelerating its push into the Philippine market by rolling out 21 motorcycle showrooms alongside a nationwide battery-swapping network, betting that convenience, rather than vehicle technology alone, will determine how quickly Filipinos embrace electric two-wheelers.