Context Dispatch

Major business and education groups have thrown their full support behind Education Secretary Sonny Angara, endorsing the proposed P1.38-trillion allocation for the education sector in the 2026 national budget. 

Governance and transparency dominated Day 2 of the Pilipinas Conference 2025 as Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla declared that economic stability begins with honest and accountable leadership. Remulla told leaders from government, business, and the diplomatic community that investors look beyond numbers and examine whether rules are followed and public funds are protected. He warned that trust is “fragile” and that corruption remains an economic threat.

The Marcos administration placed its anti-corruption drive at the forefront on the second day of the Pilipinas Conference 2025, with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon telling national leaders and stakeholders that “something is really going to change” as the government pursues officials involved in wrongdoing, recover public funds, and fix systems long prone to abuse. 

More than 200 representatives from government, industry, and academia in Japan and the Philippines convened for the Space Economy Co-Creation Symposium, jointly hosted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA).

Building activity sharply contracted in September as the number of approved construction permits plunged 25 percent to 11,746, Philippine Statistics Authority data showed, signaling mounting investor unease amid the ongoing flood-control controversy affecting several growth corridors.