Monday, 29 December 2025, 4:25 pm

    Top News

    P20 rice expansion accelerates as gov’t commits P23B for 2026

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) will expand its P20-per-kilo rice program, starting with a province-wide rollout in Pangasinan this January, as part of the government’s goal to reach 15 million households by the end of 2026.

    Just in

    Context Dispatch

    Exclusive

    Boeing deepens strategy cuts as operations take center-stage – sources

    Boeing Co has embarked on deeper-than-expected cuts in its strategy ranks, halving the number of planners working within key divisions as it refocuses energies on tackling industrial pressures, people familiar with the matter said.
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    Agriculture

    P20 rice expansion accelerates as gov’t commits P23B for 2026

    The Department of Agriculture (DA) will expand its P20-per-kilo rice program, starting with a province-wide rollout in Pangasinan this January, as part of the government’s goal to reach 15 million households by the end of 2026.

    Corporate

    ICTSI’s Tecon Suape wins Ocean Friend seal

    Tecon Suape S.A. (TSSA), the Pernambuco-based container terminal of International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), has reinforced its green credentials after earning the 2025 Ocean Friend seal, one of Brazil’s key recognitions for environmental responsibility in port operations.

    Banking & Insurance

    Lender brings Google Pay to Filipino cardholders

    EastWest Bank cardholders are now turning to contactless payments through Google Pay, which has recently become available in the Philippines for compatible Android and Wear OS devices. EastWest is among the first local banks to support the service, allowing customers to add their Visa or Mastercard credit cards to Google Wallet and pay with a simple tap of their phone.
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    Markets

    DTI extends trustmark voluntary phase deadline

    Online sellers received a boost after the Department of Trade and Industry announced it will defer mandatory registration under the Philippine Trustmark program, extending the voluntary phase until December 31, 2026, from the earlier 2025 deadline.

    Travel

    Condé Nast names Boracay’s white beach as world’s best

    There are beaches you visit, and then there are beaches you cancel plans for. Boracay’s White Beach is firmly the latter—and now it has the crown to prove it.
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    Energy

    PE2, Climate Change Commission plan joint push on energy efficiency

    The Philippine Energy Efficiency Alliance (PE2) and the Climate Change Commission (CCC) have met to discuss working together to help the Department of Energy promote energy efficiency as a key climate change strategy.

    Transport & Communications

    Bitget brings high-speed internet to remote schools in the Philippines

    Bitget has provided high-speed Starlink internet to six schools in Surigao del Norte, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental, helping improve access to online learning in remote island communities.
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    Property

    Human Settlements, BOI eye tax breaks for housing

    The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development is weighing a joint policy study with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Board of Investments to determine whether economic housing can be classified as corporate income tax-exempt mass housing under Batas Pambansa Bilang 220.

    Environment

    DENR calls for eco-friendly holiday celebrations

    The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) urged Filipinos to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in an environmentally responsible way by reducing waste and practicing simple, eco-friendly habits.
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    Technology

    Dado Banatao, 79, built Silicon Valley bridges  

    Diosdado “Dado” Banatao, the Filipino visionary whose intellect and determination left an indelible mark on Silicon Valley, passed away peacefully on December 25, 2025, at the age of 79, on the campus of his alma mater, Stanford University, surrounded by family and friends.

    Health & Science

    Scientists reverse Alzheimer’s damage—at least in mice

    For decades, Alzheimer’s disease has been treated as a one-way street. Once memory fades and brain damage sets in, the thinking goes, there is no turning back. But a new study published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine delivers a jolt of optimism—showing that advanced Alzheimer’s damage can be reversed in lab animals.
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    Opinion

    Metals mania signals rate cut, USD doubts

    Metals are having a moment. And it is loud, shiny, and unapologetically macro. 

    Slow trading is radical in fast-money times

    The trading world has turned impatience into a business model. Scroll any social feed and you’ll see promises of instant wins, luxury lifestyles, and financial freedom on demand. Charts blink, testimonials shout, urgency sells—but thought rarely does. In this culture, patience is often seen as a liability rather than a virtue.

    All revved up, nowhere to go

    There is a familiar sound in Philippine policymaking: an engine idling in neutral. It is neither progress nor collapse, just the quiet waste of momentum. This is where the government’s automotive incentive programs now stand. RACE and CARS were meant to strengthen local vehicle assembly, yet both remain stalled by delays, budget constraints, and unpaid commitments.

    Thousands lose jobs in brutal anti-graft war

    President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s anti-corruption blitz in flood-control and public-works agencies was meant to clean house. Instead, it is triggering political, economic, and social tremors that now overshadow its stated purpose. The irony is hard to ignore: a campaign launched to restore trust is increasingly viewed as deepening uncertainty.