The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) opened 2026 with solid investment momentum, approving 18 new projects worth P12.86 billion during its first Board meeting of the year.
Higher US tariffs and stubbornly high production costs are tightening the vise on Philippine garment exporters, even as shipments are estimated to have topped USD1 billion in 2025.
Philippine export sales at the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE) cooled to USD269 million, reflecting softer headline numbers but steady underlying demand from Chinese buyers for Filipino food and agricultural products.
Philippine exports to the US—supercharged for months by aggressive front-loading—are expected to return to more typical levels soon as tariff pressures ease and the trade environment settles, according to Export Marketing Bureau Director Bianca Sykimte.
The Philippines will use its ASEAN chairmanship to push for stronger regional safeguards against energy supply disruptions and faster cross-border power connectivity as Southeast Asian energy ministers meet in Manila this week.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) announced that around 300,000 farmers, fisherfolk, and agricultural haulers will receive ₱3 billion in fuel subsidies starting this month, aiding the sector amid El Niño impacts and persistently high fuel costs.
Therma Visayas told lawmakers that it sources coal from Indonesia and uses the Indonesian Coal Index in its power supply agreements, as a House inquiry into electricity reliability in the Visayas turned attention to both supply security and pricing transparency.
The Department of Agriculture is bolstering full-scale preparations for an intense El Niño, applying hard-won experience to safeguard farm output, secure food supplies, and protect farmers and fisherfolk from harm.