President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), putting a firm stamp on a spending plan that prioritizes education, health care, and agriculture—while drawing clear boundaries against discretionary excess.
The Board of Investments (BOI) approved P1.56 trillion in investment pledges in 2025, surpassing the P1.5-trillion mark for the second consecutive year and posting the second-highest approvals in its 58-year history.
Major port operators began implementing the first round of approved fee increases at the Manila and Batangas ports on January 1, 2026, following approval by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
The Philippines saw fewer Filipinos take the leap into solo entrepreneurship in 2025, as new business name registrations slid 15 percent to 879,304, down from 938,681 a year earlier.
Keeping palay prices fair, expanding P20-per-kilo rice and fast-tracking farm-to-market roads will be the toughest test of the Department of Agriculture heading into 2026, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said.