The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has approved an upward adjustment in the feed-in-tariff allowance (FIT-All) rate, effective March 2025. This, the ERC said, ensures the sustainability of renewable energy (RE) incentives, with the new rate increasing by P0.0351 per kilowatt hour (kWh) for consumers in on-grid areas.
Customs chief Bienvenido Y. Rubio said over the weekend that significant personnel changes will occur if investigations confirm that Bureau of Customs (BOC) staff members were involved in the attempted resale of P270 million worth of seized contraband cigarettes from Capas, Tarlac.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has celebrated the country's removal from the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list, a significant milestone in the country’s financial reforms in combating money laundering and terrorism financing. The FATF’s recent statement confirms that the Philippines has addressed critical deficiencies in its anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CFT) framework.
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has determined that the inflation and liquidity dynamics is such that the monetary board reduced the banks' reserve requirement ratios (RRRs) by 200 basis points (bps) beginning 28 March 2025.
The country’s overall balance of payments (BOP) posted a higher deficit of USD4.1 billion in January, compared to the USD740 million deficit recorded in the same period last year. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) attributed this development primarily to its net foreign exchange operations and the national government’s drawdowns from foreign currency deposits to meet external debt obligations.
Chinese scholars' assertions over Batanes are fueling fresh concerns that Beijing may be laying the groundwork for future territorial claims, even without making an official declaration. SeaLight director Ray Powell said the narrative coincides with China Coast Guard patrols that have pushed east of Taiwan and into the Philippine Sea since June 1, expanding operations beyond the disputed West Philippine Sea and the first island chain. He warned that Batanes and the Bashi Channel hold strategic value in any Taiwan contingency. Former Surigao del Norte representative Robert “Ace” Barbers described the development as a “creeping invasion” and urged Filipinos not to amplify Beijing’s messaging.
Japanese Ambassador Endo Kazuya joined diplomats, government officials, and maritime experts yesterday to mark a decade since a landmark legal ruling on the South China Sea.
Ambassador Endo attended the special symposium on July 10, which was hosted by the Stratbase ADR Institute for Strategic and International Studies. The event allowed leaders and analysts to discuss the current state of regional waters exactly ten years after an international tribunal issued its decision in the case between the Philippines and China.
When Hidilyn Diaz won the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2021, most of the country's newest weightlifting sensations were still in grade school, some not even teenagers. Five years later, they are no longer just watching their hero. They are following her footsteps, one lift at a time.