Economy

Philippine exports surged to a record USD8.17 billion in March, the highest monthly level since the Philippine Statistics Authority began tracking merchandise trade in 1991. The milestone was powered largely by sustained global demand for electronics, reinforcing the sector’s dominance in the country’s export basket.

Southeast Asian economic ministers are accelerating regional energy cooperation, fast-tracking the ASEAN Power Grid and the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA) to cushion the bloc against mounting fuel and power risks.

A coalition of labor and business groups is urging the government to review—and potentially suspend—value-added tax (VAT) on essential goods, warning that sustained price increases are straining both households and enterprises.

Metro Pacific Water (MPW) has earmarked P3.81 billion in capital expenditures for 2026 to fund key infrastructure upgrades in Iloilo City and Dumaguete City, as it moves to strengthen water supply reliability ahead of expected El Niño conditions.

A new partnership between the Lapu-Lapu City Government and the Board of Investments is expected to strengthen Cebu’s investment climate, with private sector participation—particularly from Aboitiz InfraCapital—seen as a key catalyst for long-term growth.