Top News

Confidence signals mixed as risks rise, shaping policy outlook

Consumer sentiment in the Philippines improved at the start of 2026, but both households and businesses are growing more cautious about the months ahead, according to surveys by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The shifting outlook highlights the delicate balance policymakers face as they weigh inflation risks against slowing economic momentum.

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Context Dispatch

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Visayas roots, Singapore routes: Top Line redraws its map

Singapore is no longer just a distant dot on Top Line Business Development Corp.’s growth chart. It has become a very literal marker of how far the company has travelled in 12 years, from a Visayas-based real estate developer to an emerging energy player now thinking in global supply routes.

Agriculture

DA prepares for possible strong El Niño in late 2026

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is preparing for a possible moderate to strong El Niño later in 2026, warning it could reduce farm output, cut farmers’ incomes, and slow economic growth.

Corporate

Ortigas Malls opens IP help desk at Greenhills to support fair trade

Ortigas Malls has partnered with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines to open a new help desk focused on intellectual property (IP) rights at VMall in San Juan City.

Banking & Insurance

BDO earnings rise to P20.1B despite higher provisions

BDO Unibank, Inc. on Friday reported a net income of ₱20.1 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 2 percent from ₱19.7 billion a year earlier, driven by steady performance across its core businesses.
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Markets

Women entrepreneurs drive economy but need more support to scale

Filipina entrepreneurs—many of them mothers—play a major role in the Philippine economy, owning 66 percent of existing businesses and 62 percent of newly registered enterprises. Despite this strong presence, many women-led micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) struggle to grow due to limited access to funding, low digital adoption, and the challenge of balancing business and family responsibilities.

Travel

Community-based tourism program highlights deeper Bohol experience

A community-based tourism (CBT) program in Bohol is showcasing a more immersive way to experience the province beyond its well-known attractions.
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Energy

Oil prices surge amid Hormuz power struggle

Oil markets jolted higher Thursday as geopolitical tensions in the Strait of Hormuz escalated, with Iran and the US both asserting control over one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints.

Transport & Communications

ACMobility bets big on rapid EV shift

ACMobility expects electric vehicle (EV) adoption in the Philippines to accelerate far beyond earlier projections, with industry penetration potentially reaching 50 percent by 2030, according to chief executive officer Jaime Alfonso Zobel.
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Property

Wave 4 portfolio bolster MREIT profit momentum

MREIT Inc., the real estate investment trust arm of Megaworld Corp., posted its strongest quarterly performance to date in the first quarter, as a recently completed acquisition and improved operating efficiency combined to drive broad based growth in earnings, revenues, and margins.

Environment

LG Philippines collects 1.2 tons of e-waste for Earth Day 2026

LG Electronics Philippines (LGEPH) marked Earth Day 2026 with an employee-led e-waste collection drive, gathering about 1,200 kilograms of discarded electronic items from March 31 to April 21.
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Technology

New Clark AI hub touted as investment magnet 

A planned 4,000-acre artificial intelligence (AI)-driven industrial hub in New Clark City is being positioned as a major draw for foreign investments and a catalyst for reviving key Philippine industries, government officials said on Friday.

Health & Science

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Opinion

A house divided: Lopez family rift tests corporate governance

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every house divided against itself will not stand.” In the Lopez corporate universe, the verse now reads less like scripture and more like a live governance case file—complete with injunctions, contested boardrooms, and competing versions of who nearly switched off the lights.

The Days Ahead

Several things have changed over the past month. The global economy is now poised to face another severe slowdown and rising inflation as a result of the Middle East conflict. While the impact on countries may differ in magnitude, the oil supply shock will squeeze economic activity and raise prices significantly.

Fuel crisis or policy gap?

Airline executives were caught off guard when President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. warned that Philippine carriers may be forced to cut flights—or even ground planes—due to a possible jet fuel shortage tied to the escalating U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran.

Choked Hormuz puts global food supply at risk

Food, not fuel, may prove the first and most immediate casualty of the Middle East conflict as disruption grips the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow sea lane with an outsized role in feeding the world.