Top News

Fashion show marks Japan–Philippines friendship year

Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya and his wife, Akiko, attended the fashion show “Thread of Dreams,” co-hosted by BENCH/ and the Japan Foundation, Manila.

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Context Dispatch

Exclusive

Sunlight Air chooses precision over size aloft

In an aviation industry often driven by scale and speed, Sunlight Air is taking a more measured route. The boutique carrier is building its business around efficiency, discipline, and destination depth, convinced that smarter operations can deliver both commercial returns and environmental gains.

Agriculture

Deadly bee virus found in Philippine hives

Bees have long been the quiet workforce behind farms and forests alike. They pollinate crops, keep ecosystems humming, and produce everything from honey to beeswax.

Corporate

Banking & Insurance

Mastercard expands AI-powered payments in Southeast Asia

Mastercard has launched its first authenticated AI-driven (agentic) payment transactions across parts of Southeast Asia, marking a step toward more secure and transparent digital commerce in the region.
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Markets

Peso stalls, stocks drift amid global uncertainty

The Philippine peso edged weaker last week, pausing after two consecutive weeks of gains as the dollar-peso pair settled into a narrow trading band.

Travel

Hotel101 taps $300M to fuel global expansion

DoubleDragon Corporation’s hospitality arm is ramping up its global expansion drive, with subsidiary Hotel101 Global Holdings Corp. advancing a planned US$300 million (about P18 billion) Series A perpetual preferred share offering in the United States.
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Energy

Pangasinan 25-MW solar project begins testing phase

A 25-megawatt solar power plant in Bugallon, Pangasinan has started its testing and commissioning phase, according to Yuchengco-led power company Petro Green Energy Corp. (PGEC).

Transport & Communications

BPI EV  loans hit P12B on demand surge

The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is accelerating its push into electric vehicle (EV) financing, with its loan portfolio climbing 18% to about P12 billion as of end–first quarter, buoyed by stronger demand and improving affordability.
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Property

Hotel101 taps $300M to fuel global expansion

DoubleDragon Corporation’s hospitality arm is ramping up its global expansion drive, with subsidiary Hotel101 Global Holdings Corp. advancing a planned US$300 million (about P18 billion) Series A perpetual preferred share offering in the United States.

Environment

Manila Water holds Earth Day 2026 nature activity in Quezon City

Manila Water led a community environmental event called Lakbay Kalikasan 2026: Let’s Move for Nature on Saturday at the La Mesa Nature Reserve in Novaliches, Quezon City, in celebration of Earth Day 2026.
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Technology

onsemi plans Philippines expansion via brownfield investment

Power semiconductor firm onsemi is looking to deepen its footprint in the Philippines, signaling fresh investment through a brownfield expansion strategy that prioritizes scaling operations in existing facilities.

Health & Science

Deadly bee virus found in Philippine hives

Bees have long been the quiet workforce behind farms and forests alike. They pollinate crops, keep ecosystems humming, and produce everything from honey to beeswax.
spot_img

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.