The Philippines must fix long-standing structural weaknesses in its tourism industry now or risk falling even further behind its Southeast Asian neighbors and missing its 2028 growth targets.
The Philippines' recognition as the world's top retirement destination for 2026 is more than a feel-good accolade. It could become a powerful boost for the country's long-stay tourism ambitions and a source of sustained economic activity that extends far beyond traditional vacation spending.
Strong gains from China and North America helped propel international visitor arrivals to the Philippines in the first five months of 2026, offsetting a decline from South Korea and keeping the country's tourism recovery on track.
Tourism and aviation leaders in Northern Mindanao are stepping up collaboration to protect the region's tourism growth from mounting global headwinds, underscoring the growing importance of local coordination in an increasingly uncertain travel environment.
The Philippines’ tourism sector posted a more nuanced performance in 2025: employment continued to rise, but its overall economic footprint softened, pointing to a recovery that is steady in participation but uneven in value generation.
The government is rolling out P3 billion in fuel subsidies this month for about 300,000 farmers, fisherfolk and agricultural truckers as elevated oil prices and El Niño squeeze production and distribution costs.
More than 90 employees from the Jollibee Group and its brands—Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, and Greenwich—joined the global International Coastal Cleanup here on September 19, 2026, collecting over 400 kilograms of waste from shorelines.
Setting the initial public offering price of Mynt Inc., the operator of GCash, at P6.60 per share—near the lower end of its indicative range—does not signal trouble, according to market watchers. The figure lands close to the mid-point of the original P10-per-share indicative price band.