DBM Bringing Laptops Back to Gov’t E-Marketplace—With Major Catch
The Philippines’ Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will re‑introduce laptops to its government e‑marketplace in June, after suspending them following a pricing scandal at the Department of Education. DBM’s Procurement Service is overhauling the platform with a 12‑point agenda that tightens specifications, pricing metrics, and procurement flexibility for common‑use supplies. The marketplace is also expanding to include fire trucks, ambulances, and alternative‑fuel vehicles such as electric and hybrid models. These changes aim to restore confidence, broaden vendor participation, and align procurement with modern standards.
BIR Defers Tax Deadlines for GenSan, South Cotabato Businesses
The Philippines' Bureau of Internal Revenue has pushed back tax filing and payment deadlines for businesses and individuals in the quake‑stricken areas of General Santos City, Sarangani and South Cotabato to June 30. The extension covers all statutory deadlines originally set...
AFP Chief Confirms Monitoring of Mysterious Manned Platform Inside Bajo De Masinloc
The Armed Forces of the Philippines confirmed a six‑by‑six‑meter platform with an antenna and six people inside the lagoon of Scarborough (Bajo de Masinloc) Shoal. AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner said aerial patrols are determining whether the structure is floating or...
PLDT Plans Data Center REIT IPO to Pay Down Debt
Philippines telecom giant PLDT will spin off its VITRO data‑center portfolio into a Real Estate Investment Trust, targeting a Q4 2026 listing. The first tranche will include eight of the 11 facilities, delivering about 27 MW of capacity and aiming to raise...
DOTr Targets One-Week Recovery for GenSan Airport After Earthquake
The General Santos Airport resumed limited military, humanitarian and cargo flights on June 9 after a 7.8‑magnitude quake devastated the region. Transportation Secretary Banoy Lopez pledged to restore full commercial operations within a week, focusing repairs on collapsed ceilings, cracked walls...
Oil Prices Surge as Iran Conflict Flares, While Global Stocks Skid on Selling of Tech Shares
Oil prices jumped more than $4 per barrel on Monday as Israel launched airstrikes against Iran, pushing Brent to $97.69 and U.S. crude to $94.67. Global equities fell sharply, led by an 8.3% plunge in South Korea’s Kospi after heavy...
Insurers Bracing for ‘Unquantifiable’ Losses After Mindanao Quake
The Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (PIRA) said it is ready to process claims after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake devastated Mindanao, but losses remain unquantified. The quake caused extensive structural damage and power outages across the southern grid. Meanwhile, the IMF...
Xbox Games Showcase 2026: Gears of War: E-Day Goes Exclusive, Persona 6 Announced, and a Jam-Packed Lineup
The Xbox Games Showcase 2026 unveiled a slate of high‑profile announcements, highlighted by the exclusive Gears of War: E‑Day prequel launching on October 6. Fantasy RPG Fable is set for a February 23 2027 release, while Atlus confirmed Persona 6 with a dark‑toned teaser....
Philippines and Vietnam: Partners for a Changing Asia
Vietnamese President Tô Lâm’s state visit to the Philippines culminated in the two nations elevating their relationship to an Enhanced Strategic Partnership, the first such pact the Philippines has signed with a Southeast Asian neighbor. The agreement broadens cooperation across...
25 Years on, EPIRA Has Worked
The Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) celebrates 25 years, having transformed a grid once riddled with 8‑12‑hour blackouts into a reliable system with over 95% household electrification. By establishing an independent regulator, a wholesale market, and a sequenced sale...
Insurance for All: Closing the Protection Gap
The Insurance 4 ALL forum in Paris gathered 180 leaders to confront the 3.5 billion‑person global protection gap. Speakers highlighted that while banking and payments have expanded, billions remain exposed to illness, disaster and loss. Community‑based insurers, especially in the Philippines, are proving...
Before Building Oil Stockpile, DOE Must Show Who Pays
The Philippines is moving forward with a Philippine Strategic Petroleum Reserve (PSPR) that would initially hold a 30‑day oil stockpile, expanding to 60 days and potentially 200 days over time. The plan carries a price tag of roughly ₱30 billion ($540 million),...
Bank Lending Surges to 9-Month High as Business Demand Rebounds
Bank lending in the Philippines surged 11.4% in April, the quickest expansion in nine months, driven by a sharp rebound in corporate credit demand and steady household spending. Loans to residents rose to 11.8% while business‑related lending jumped 10.7%, outpacing...
ADB Prepares $10-Million Grant for Pan-Asia Power Grid Initiative
The Asian Development Bank is preparing a $10 million technical assistance grant to launch its Pan‑Asia Power Grid Initiative, which seeks to boost cross‑border electricity trade and renewable‑energy integration across Asia and the Pacific. The grant will fund feasibility studies, capacity‑building...
PAL Set to Join Oneworld Alliance as 16th Global Member
Philippine Airlines (PAL) received an invitation to join the Oneworld Alliance, making it the alliance’s 16th member and the second full‑member carrier from Southeast Asia. The move, announced at the IATA Annual General Meeting in Rio, adds 31 Philippine destinations...