The Philippines landed at 53rd out of 101 economies in the World Bank Group’s 2025 Business-Ready (B-READY) Report, placing the country squarely at the midpoint of an expanded global ranking and signaling steady reform momentum.
The World Bank and the Philippine government are moving forward with a landmark agreement that could reshape the country’s agriculture sector. At a recent meeting, agriculture secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and World Bank country director Zafer Mustafaoglu reviewed the progress of the Philippine Sustainable Agricultural Transformation (PSAT) loan program, with the goal of finalizing the USD1 billion loan agreement in July.
The International Finance Corp. (IFC), the private investment arm of the World Bank, has appointed Riccardo Puliti as its new Regional Vice President for Asia and the Pacific.
The Philippine Competition Commission has warned rice importers against sharing sensitive trade information as it monitors compliance with the government’s temporary rice price cap, stressing that businesses must make independent market decisions to preserve fair competition.
Upson International Corp. improved retail productivity in 2025 despite ending the year with fewer stores, as stronger same-store sales and higher margins offset a network rationalization strategy, company president and chief executive officer Arlene Louisa Sy said.
Filinvest Land, Inc. said its mall business continued to strengthen in the first quarter, with leasing revenues climbing 17 percent year-on-year to P744 million as higher tenant occupancy and stronger consumer traffic boosted recurring income.
The Philippines is drawing renewed investment interest from Chinese companies involved in electric vehicles (EVs), renewable energy, manufacturing and telecommunications infrastructure, according to Trade Secretary Cristina Roque.