The Philippines’ agricultural trade deficit widened sharply in March as import growth continued to outpace exports, highlighting persistent supply constraints despite rising overall trade, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority.
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), through the Board of Investments (BOI), has unveiled a roadmap to raise the Philippines’ semiconductor and electronics exports to USD110 billion annually by 2030, as it seeks to strengthen the country’s position in the global supply chain.
The Philippines’ electronics sector is keeping a steady hand despite simmering Middle East tensions, signaling resilience as export revenues near a record-breaking milestone.
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority is projecting a stronger export run in 2026, riding on record-breaking trade performance last year and a fresh wave of investments flowing into economic zones nationwide.
Nearly 1 million Filipinos benefited from the Marcos administration’s Benteng Bigas, Meron Na! program in September, the highest monthly turnout since the affordable rice initiative was launched in May last year, as the government seeks to ease food costs for households struggling to make ends meet.
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.