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PCC imposes record ₱1.76-B fine on onion cartel

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has imposed a record P1.76-billion fine on six onion trading businesses and their responsible officers for alleged anti-competitive conduct, with possible criminal prosecution to follow subject to evaluation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

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iPeople targets 200,000 students with global expansion push

iPeople, the listed Yuchengco-Ayala education joint venture, is pursuing an expansion strategy built around international partnerships, new campuses and facilities, sustainability-focused programs, and deeper artificial intelligence integration as it aims to nearly triple its student population to 200,000.

Agriculture

PCC imposes record ₱1.76-B fine on onion cartel

The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) has imposed a record P1.76-billion fine on six onion trading businesses and their responsible officers for alleged anti-competitive conduct, with possible criminal prosecution to follow subject to evaluation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Corporate

Banking & Insurance

Cash still accounts for a fourth of PH e-commerce sales 

Cash remains a major force in Philippine online shopping, with about 23 percent of all e-commerce transactions still paid through cash on delivery (COD), according to the Xendit Ecommerce Payments Momentum Report 2026. This figure is the highest in Southeast Asia—far above Vietnam’s 16 percent—even as COD shares drop sharply across much of the region.
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Markets

Stocks face cautious trading as inflation, rate risks mount

Philippine equities are likely to remain volatile this week as accelerating inflation, peso weakness and mounting expectations of monetary tightening weigh on sentiment, tempering optimism over corporate earnings and potential new stock market listings.

Travel

BCDA taps idle properties for tourism, commercial growth

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) is stepping up efforts to unlock the economic potential of government-owned land, signing four agreements to introduce tourism, commercial and community facilities in New Clark City and Camp John Hay.
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Energy

DMCI Power’s ₱3-B Palawan coal plant set for November public review

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has scheduled a public scoping hearing on November 9, 2026, for DMCI Power Corporation’s proposed 15-megawatt coal-biomass power plant in Narra, Palawan, valued at P3 billion.

Transport & Communications

Port congestion drives shift to flexible logistics

Persistent delays at Manila’s ports are pushing Philippine businesses toward on-demand delivery solutions to keep their operations running smoothly.
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Property

Ayala’s P15-B mall reinvestment lifts rents, hotel rates

Ayala Land Inc.’s P15-billion investment in mall upgrades, alongside a broader push to refresh its hospitality portfolio, is beginning to deliver stronger returns as the property developer adapts to changing consumer behavior in the post-pandemic market.

Environment

DENR pushes bamboo plantations as shield vs El Niño

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is scaling up bamboo plantation development nationwide, positioning the fast-growing plant as a cost-effective, nature-based solution to help communities withstand the harsh effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
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Technology

Smart scores zero dropped calls in latest NTC Metro Manila checks

Smart Communications has achieved a perfect zero percent call drop rate in the National Telecommunications Commission’s most recent service quality tests across Metro Manila, marking a major milestone in reliable voice service for subscribers. The result easily clears the regulator’s required standard of less than 2 percent call drop ratio, meaning calls connect and stay connected consistently for users. For customers, this translates to clearer, uninterrupted conversations whether for personal calls, work updates, or emergency communications—no more frustrating cut-offs that waste time and cause inconvenience.

Health & Science

Doctors urge personalized care, digital heart monitoring

Philippine healthcare experts are advocating earlier detection, individualized treatment and digital monitoring to help reduce cardiovascular complications, including heart attacks and stroke, as the country confronts persistent hypertension risks.
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Opinion

The coding exemption that comes with a catch

Filipino motorists appreciate the freedom to leave the house on a given morning without checking the last digit of the license plate. In Metro Manila, this can be worth a surprising amount of money. A day without number coding means another day of using the car, another day without arranging a ride, another day without pondering why a perfectly serviceable vehicle has to stay in the garage. So when a salesperson mentions that a particular electrified vehicle can be driven even on its coding day, a prospective buyer has incentive to sit up a little straighter.

The trouble with counting medals

Filipinos have a curious relationship with the medal table. We like to see our flag climbing it, preferably past countries with larger populations, bigger budgets, and considerably more athletes. We count golds, compare totals, calculate rankings, and wonder whether we could have done better. A silver medal is celebrated, of course, but not before someone observes that it could have been a gold.

Forensic accounting connects the dots

Forensic accounting is where spreadsheets lose their innocence, receipts acquire personalities, and money is asked to explain where it has been hiding.

Pompano, inflation and the art of voting

Where I live, Thursday mornings are dedicated to the ritualistic pilgrimage to the local talipapa, a humble expedition to secure a week’s worth of sustenance for the household. Our modest needs are dictated less by appetite and more by the pragmatic demands of advancing age. Reaching for a favorite, I inquired about the price of a kilo of pompano—a fish that, not so long ago, went for a respectable ₱440.