Energy

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled Friday that the U.S. central bank may cut interest rates at its next policy meeting in September, citing growing risks to the labor market and ongoing inflation pressures.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. has instructed the Rice Industry Development Office (RIDO), led by Undersecretary Christopher Morales, to closely examine the apparent shift in Filipino rice preferences, as demand for imported rice—particularly Vietnamese varieties—continues to grow.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), has launched the Credit Risk Database Philippines Web-based Scoring System (CRDPh System)—a major step toward improving access to finance for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).