The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) are moving to streamline government payment processes, aiming to ease long-standing cash flow problems that have delayed infrastructure projects and strained contractors doing business with the state.
The Philippines’ rise to 47th out of 70 economies in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook marks a notable step forward, but sustaining the momentum will depend on deeper structural reforms, stronger institutions, and accelerated digitalization of government services, according to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA).
The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) has extended to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) the Silver Award representing the highest rating of 92.8 percent or “Very Satisfactory”, among 50 government agencies in the agency’s Report Card Survey (RCS) 2.0.
The Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) fined Pilipinas Enterprise Management Holdings Inc. (PEMHI) and Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGen) P5.8 million for repeatedly missing reporting deadlines tied to their merger clearance, underscoring the regulator’s tougher stance on compliance with post-merger commitments.
A community‑led nature‑based restoration project is helping protect over 1,000 Ata‑Manobo residents in Sitio Patil, Barangay Gupitan, Kapalong from worsening riverbank erosion and climate‑driven hazards. Ten major flood and landslide events hit the area between 2020 and 2023, as strong currents at the Kapalong‑Maguimon river confluence wore away soil and threatened homes, farms and ancestral lands.
PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications on Friday say businesses should focus on pairing artificial intelligence with human empathy and judgment rather than rushing full‑scale automation, as generative AI reshapes customer service across industries.
Planters Products Inc. (PPI) welcomed the indictment of former agriculture secretary Leonardo Montemayor and pledged full cooperation with government prosecutors pursuing the cyber libel case over false and damaging statements against the company.