The Philippines is steering the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN–BAC) toward an action-first agenda, vowing to turn long-standing regional ambitions into measurable outcomes as it assumes the council’s chairship in 2026.
The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), under newly installed president Donald Lim, is repositioning itself as a more outward-looking, action-oriented organization—one that aims to play a deeper role in nation-building while asserting a stronger private sector voice in ASEAN that ultimately benefits Filipinos.
The Philippines is setting a clear tone for its 2026 chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), positioning unity, continuity, and people-centered growth at the heart of its regional agenda.
BDO Unibank Inc., the country’s largest lender, will open on Wednesday a nearly two-week public offer of P5 billion in fixed-rate ASEAN Sustainability Bonds, with room to upsize should investor demand prove strong.
The Philippines’ reaffirmed Baa2 credit rating from Moody’s Investors Service is expected to strengthen investor confidence, lower borrowing costs, and support the government’s push for sustained, reform-driven economic growth.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has introduced new rules to make residential land titling faster, fairer, and more accessible to millions of Filipinos. Under DENR Administrative Order No. 2025-35, the agency overhauls the residential free patent system, aiming to reduce delays that have long affected family inheritance, infrastructure projects, and land dispute resolution.
State-run Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with local firm BERGS Energy Solutions and Technology Corp. (BESTC) to study the feasibility of a large natural gas power project in Bataan.