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.
For years, residents of Barangay 128 in Tondo lived with the heavy burden of Metro Manila’s waste problem. Located near the old Smokey Mountain dumpsite and along Manila Bay, the community endured foul odors from rotting garbage, plastic-choked waterways, and fast-rising floods even during light rains, as local official Wendy Cañeda recalled. Today, however, conditions have greatly improved, thanks to the Eco-Ikot Center launched in October 2024.
The Gokongwei Brothers Foundation (GBF), in partnership with food and beverage industry leader Universal Robina Corp. (URC), operates the Iskolar ni Juan scholarship program to provide young Filipinos—especially those unable to afford college education—with a clear alternative pathway toward stable employment.
Filipino banana growers could soon gain access to advanced artificial intelligence and drone technologies as Japanese agri-tech company E-SupportLink Ltd. moves to expand its operations in the Philippines, potentially accelerating efforts to modernize one of the country’s most important export industries.
Japanese health technology firm Tanita Corp. is considering the Philippines as the site of a new export-oriented manufacturing facility, a potential investment that could generate about P2 billion in export sales and create around 500 jobs within five years of operations.