As artificial intelligence, automation, and mass production reshape consumer markets, demand for handmade and distinctive products is creating fresh opportunities for Philippine crafts and design exporters.
Artificial intelligence is spreading rapidly across Philippine workplaces, but the country faces a widening gap between AI adoption and the skills needed to develop and harness the technology.
The Philippine Retailers Association (PRA) on Thursday urged businesses to accelerate their adoption of artificial intelligence while ensuring that technology complements, rather than replaces, the human connections that underpin customer loyalty.
Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) Director General Teodoro C. Pascua said artificial intelligence could become a powerful engine for transforming Filipino ideas into globally competitive products, provided innovation is matched with stronger protection of intellectual property rights.
The Philippines' growing role in the global artificial intelligence supply chain is expected to provide an important buffer against slowing growth, higher oil prices and lingering trade uncertainties, according to the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office (AMRO).
Business sentiment stayed pessimistic in September 2026, according to the latest Business Expectations Survey released by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, although confidence readings for the near‑term and year‑ahead outlook remained positive. The current‑month confidence index improved slightly to ‑8.4 percent from ‑10.9 percent in August, still signaling more firms were downbeat about present conditions.
East West Banking Corporation (EastWest) turned in a ₱5.0‑billion net income for the first nine months of 2026, delivering solid profitability even as broader economic conditions grew more challenging, a performance that signals resilient core operations for investors and market watchers.
The Mary Mediatrix Medical Center (MMMC) has forged a partnership with Inspire Healthcare Singapore and the Singapore Nurses Association (SNA) to advance its Geriatric Unit, as the hospital moves to address the rising healthcare demand from older adults across Southern Luzon.
The Philippines has plenty of bamboo-growing land. What it lacks is enough businesses turning the fast-growing grass into products worth considerably more than garden stakes and handicrafts.