The unemployment rate in the Philippines declined in April to 4 percent from 4.5 percent in the year-ago period, with the economy creating more jobs in industry and services to take up the slack in agriculture because of the adverse impact of El Nino on the farm sector.
Inflation nudged higher in May to 3.9 percent, lower than most analysts' forecasts averaging 4 percent, versus only 3.8 percent in April, the Philippine Statistics Authority said on Wednesday.
The NEDA Board, chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has approved the reduction of tariff on rice to 15 percent from 35 percent to substantially lower the cost of the staple and ease its impact on inflation, whose elevated level has kept the central bank from cutting interest rates to help spur greater economic activity.
The total outstanding debt of the national government in April reached P15.02 trillion, marking a rise of P91.50 billion or 0.61 percent from March 2024.
The various ports across the country posted revenue collection averaging 2.5 percent more in 2023 than in previous year, based on preliminary data generated by the Bureau of Customs in April this year.
The business process outsourcing firm Foundever has expanded its disability inclusion program, launching a voluntary Self-ID system that allows employees to confidentially share disability and other identity information, alongside nationwide learning sessions marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The initiatives aim to better address workplace barriers and support employees with disabilities.
Enterprises across Asia Pacific are rapidly shifting from AI experimentation to production, with 96 percent planning to increase AI investment by an average of 15 percent in 2026, according to the Lenovo CIO Playbook 2026, commissioned by Lenovo with insights from IDC.
Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), a role he assumed in April 2021. He leads one of the country’s oldest and largest banks, chairs key management and credit committees, and oversees BPI’s banking, asset management, insurance, and international subsidiaries. Beyond BPI, he serves as Chairman of the Bankers Association of the Philippines and Philippine Payments Management Inc., making him one of the most influential figures in Philippine banking today.
Century Properties Group Inc. said it has received a pre-effective letter from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) favorably considering the company’s shelf registration of debt securities worth up to P12 billion, a key step toward tapping the domestic bond market.