The Philippines’ gross international reserves (GIR) fell to USD103.3 billion at the end of July from USD104.7 billion a month earlier, while the country posted a USD1.5-billion balance of payments (BOP) deficit, reflecting continued pressure from external transactions.
Digital payments accounted for nearly two-thirds of retail transactions in the Philippines last year, putting the country within its national target range and underscoring how quickly electronic payments are replacing cash in everyday commerce.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) is among the first banks to join Direct Debit PH, a new automated recurring payment facility championed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to modernize the country’s payments system and accelerate the shift toward a cash-lite economy.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas expects inflation to remain elevated in 2027, with the government adopting a 4 percent to 5 percent inflation assumption in crafting the proposed national budget amid continued global and domestic price risks.
Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. is strengthening its digital banking defenses with new security features designed to give customers greater control over their money as fraudsters become more adept at exploiting stolen credentials and human error.
The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) and its power generation arm Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) are moving forward in their pursuit of nuclear energy, launching a comprehensive feasibility study for small modular reactors (SMRs) that could reshape the country’s power supply for both the industry and consumers.
Metro Pacific Water (MPW) plans to invest up to P23 billion over the next five years to upgrade and expand water services across the Philippines and Vietnam, the firm announced Tuesday.
The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) has locked in the most competitive bids for its 600-megawatt power supply requirement under the government-mandated Competitive Selection Process (CSP), marking a key milestone in securing long-term, cost-effective electricity for its customers.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources — Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) confirmed Tuesday that fine particulate matter (PM2.5) reached unhealthy levels at every monitoring station in Metro Manila, driven by smoke and haze from ongoing forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia carried here by prevailing winds.