National rice stocks at the start of May were estimated at 2.37 million metric tons, marking a 14 percent increase compared to the same period last year. This growth was primarily driven by the aggressive palay procurement efforts of the National Food Authority (NFA).
Rice prices continued to ease in early May, indicating a potential further slowdown in inflation after headline inflation decelerated in April to its slowest pace since November 2019.
Inflation in the Philippines could ease further in April, following a drop to 1.8 percent in March—the slowest pace since May 2020—if rice prices continue to decline in the latter half of the month.
The country's rice stocks inventory was estimated at 1.61 million metric tons at the start of March, an 18 percent increase from the 1.37 million metric tons recorded in the same period last year.
Philippine inflation decelerated to 1.8 percent in March, its slowest pace since the 1.6 percent registered in May 2020 when the economic activities was challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic-related lockdowns. This decline, down from 2.1 percent in February, was largely driven by lower food prices, particularly rice, which saw a significant annual decrease.
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. contributed P9.05 billion to customs collections at the Port of Batangas in the first seven months of 2026, ranking among the port’s top three importers and accounting for more than 6.3 percent of its total collections.
UNIQLO is expanding its Philippine retail network with three new stores and three larger locations for Fall/Winter 2026, extending its reach into Mindanao, major transport hubs, and fast-growing residential markets.
The Department of Tourism is facing a P6.02-billion funding gap for 28 infrastructure projects after the Department of Public Works and Highways shifted responsibility for financing new and continuing tourism projects to the DOT, but the proposed funding was not included in the 2027 national budget.
Green Lane investments worth a total P5.52 trillion remain stuck in pre-development, exposing the gap between faster government approvals and actual project execution, while 10 renewable energy projects worth P137.47 billion have already been dropped after their service contracts were surrendered.