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.
Vivant Energy Corp. (VEC) has fully acquired Samar Philippines Renewable Corp. (SPRC) from Envision Energy Philippines Corp. through its renewable energy arm, Vivant Renewable Energy Corp. While the financial terms were not disclosed, SPRC is the developer of a 200-megawatt wind farm located across four municipalities in Northern Samar.
Early coordination between the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) is expected to significantly improve trade efficiency as the South Luzon Container Terminal (SLCT) moves closer to completion, signaling a more integrated approach to port development and customs operations in the Philippines.
Vietnamese companies VinFast, V-Green, VinEnergo, and Green GSM have committed more than P50 million in emergency assistance for communities affected by the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, 2026, signaling both humanitarian support and deepening regional investment ties with the Philippines.
Filipino food brands are steadily carving out space in Singapore’s highly competitive premium consumer market, as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) ramps up efforts to position Philippine exports beyond traditional commodity offerings and into higher-value branding and innovation-driven segments.