The total volume of rice the Philippines will import in the first quarter is likely to be significantly lower compared to the same period in 2024, as local farmers begin the harvest season and traders hold off on imports, awaiting further softening of global prices.
Lower food prices in February contributed to a drop in inflation to 2.1 percent for the month. This was slower than both central bank and market forecasts, and marked a significant decline from 2.9 percent in January.
Palay production in the first quarter of 2025 is expected to reach 4.72 million metric tons, with higher yields offsetting a decrease in rice planting area, according to the latest estimate of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
First Gen Corp. chairman and CEO Federico R. Lopez (second from left) shares a light moment with four other members of the company’s board after their re-election during the company’s annual stockholders’ meeting on 29 May 2025. With him are (from left) director Manolo Michael T. De Guzman, president and COO Francis Giles B. Puno, and independent directors Alicia Rita L. Morales and Edgar O. Chua. Not in photo are re-elected directors Richard Raymond B. Tantoco, Manuel L. Lopez Jr., Elvira L. Bautista and Maria Presentation L. Abello, as well as new independent director Manuel I. Ayala. First Gen is a leading independent power producer in the Philippines. It operates a diverse portfolio of 32 power plants with a total installed capacity of 3,639 megawatts at the end of 2024. These facilities generate power across the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids, supporting the country’s energy needs.
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is intensifying efforts to modernize and safeguard the country's livestock, feed mill, and gamefowl industries, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. said Thursday, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s goal of achieving food security and rural development.
Bank lending growth continued to moderate in April, mirroring a deceleration in domestic liquidity, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining monetary conditions aligned with price and financial stability objectives.
Mapúa Malayan Colleges Laguna (Mapúa MCL) has fully shifted its entire Cabuyao, Laguna campus to renewable energy through a partnership with ACEN Renewable Energy Solutions (ACEN RES), reinforcing its commitment to sustainability and climate action.