The Philippines is adjudged to have emerged from the pandemic on strong economic footing based on the preliminary assessment of a four-man visiting team from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Some in the legislature have difficulty supporting the proposal to double the excise tax on sugar to P12 from the current P6, saying its anti-obesity objective is unclear and rather misleading.
Global growth this year, seen as slow and uneven, is forecast to remain well below the 20-year average of 3.8 percent, according to International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva.
Headline inflation accelerated to the upper limit of official forecast and hit 6.1 percent in September and well above market consensus of only 5.3 percent, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.
Inflation, or the rate of change in prices, is seen easing slightly in September to 5.2 percent from 5.3 percent in August in latest readings by analysts, including Moody's Analytics.
The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s largest power distributor, pushed back against claims by the Department of Energy (DOE) that its delayed power supply agreement (PSA) is contributing to high electricity prices, calling the accusations “false and misleading.”
Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. (MRSGI), the Gaisano family’s retail arm, reported a slight 1 percent decline in net income to ₱609.42 million in 2024 from ₱618.02 million a year earlier, as rising sales were tempered by tighter margins and strategic shifts in business mix.
DoubleDragon Corp. is acquiring the 35 percent stake of Injap Investments Inc. in grocery chain operator MerryMart Consumer Corp. for P1.28 billion, marking a strategic move that aligns with its ongoing transformation into a diversified investment holding company.