WTO Strikes Deal to Curb Harmful Fishing Subsidies; What’s Next?
After more than two decades of talks, the World Trade Organization finalized the Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies, a historic pact that bans the most harmful subsidies linked to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The deal, now signed by 119 members including the Philippines, aims to protect over 260 million people who depend on marine livelihoods. It targets $35 billion in global fishing subsidies, of which roughly $22 million are classified as damaging, and sets a four‑year timeline for comprehensive discipline. While governments tout the pact as a step toward rebuilding depleted stocks, critics say it may leave small‑scale fishers without needed support.
Anthropic Says Google to Pump $40B Into AI Startup
Google announced it will invest up to $40 billion in AI startup Anthropic, starting with an initial $10 billion tranche. The remaining $30 billion will be released as Anthropic meets defined performance milestones, deepening its reliance on Google’s custom chips and cloud services....
Next Diesel Price Rollback Seen at P8 to P10
Diesel prices in the Philippines are set to drop another P8‑P10 per liter (about $0.15‑$0.18) on April 28, potentially bringing the average to roughly P100/L ($1.79). The decline follows recent rollbacks of P24.94 and P20.90 earlier in the month, driven...
PhilCare, Comm&Sense Launch Art Workshops for Mental Health
PhilCare and strategic communications firm Comm&Sense have launched RESTArt, a series of creative‑arts workshops aimed at improving mental health in the Philippines. The program draws on World Health Organization research that links artistic engagement to better health outcomes. PhilCare will...
DICT Seeks More Funds to Bolster eGovPH
The Philippine Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is requesting additional funding to upgrade eGovPH, the government’s mobile services platform, after a multi‑hour outage that spanned two days. The outage was traced to heavy system load from new features...
Stocks Mostly Fall as US-Iran Peace Talks Stall and Oil Prices Rise
Global equities slipped on Thursday as Brent crude breached $100 a barrel, reigniting inflation concerns. The United States and Iran failed to advance peace talks, leaving the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed and tightening oil supplies. Despite solid first‑quarter earnings...
Sari-Sari Store Sales Surge as Filipinos Stock up Amid Middle East Crisis
Sari‑sari stores in the Philippines saw a dramatic sales surge in March as consumers stocked up amid a Middle East‑driven oil price shock. Packworks reported GMV jumping from about $36 million in February to $68 million in March, an 89 percent increase. Average...
ALI to Proceed with Record Mall Portfolio Expansion This Year
Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) announced its largest retail expansion ever, adding over 200,000 sq m of new mall space and more than 70,000 sq m of office space in 2026. The move comes despite geopolitical headwinds, with the company pivoting toward a leasing‑led strategy...
ADB President Masato Kanda Seeks 5-Year Reelection
Asian Development Bank President Masato Kanda announced his bid for a second five‑year term, which will be decided by the Board of Governors after his current mandate ends in November 2026. Under his leadership, ADB committed $29.3 billion of its own...
PSEi Falls Below 6,000 Ahead of BSP Policy Setting
The Philippine Stock Exchange Index slipped below the 6,000 mark, closing at 5,989.56 after a 0.48% decline. Trading volume dropped to roughly $95 million, well under the year‑to‑date average of $116 million, as investors stayed on the sidelines. Geopolitical tension from the...
Oil Prices Rise Despite US-Iran Ceasefire Extension
Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday as Brent crude approached $100 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate rose above $90, despite the United States extending a cease‑fire with Iran. The extension has done little to ease market nerves, with...
Nearing Highest Level: Jet Fuel Surcharge Soars in Mid-April
The Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) lifted the passenger fuel surcharge to Level 19 on April 16, pushing domestic fees to ₱627‑₱1,834 (≈$11‑$33) and international fees to ₱2,071‑₱15,397 (≈$37‑$275). This marks a 148% jump from the early‑April Level 8 rates and approaches the...
Hotel101 Pushes on with $300-M US Offering
Hotel101 Global, a DoubleDragon subsidiary, announced a $300 million perpetual preferred share offering in the United States, equivalent to roughly P18 billion. The capital will finance the brand’s aggressive global rollout and accelerate its asset‑light, prop‑tech hospitality platform. Management aims to operate one...
Zobel Steps Down as Globe Chair; Consing Takes Over
Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala resigned as chair of Globe Telecom after almost three decades, ending a tenure that began in 1996. The board elected Ayala group veteran Cezar Consing as his successor during the April 21 organizational meeting, held...
April Inflation to Breach 5%, Erode Recovery Gains, Says UA&P
University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) projects Philippine inflation to exceed 5% in April, driven by an oil‑price shock linked to the Middle East conflict, matching the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) outlook. The breach would push full‑year inflation...
PH Dollar Deficit Swells to over One-Year High on Middle East Crisis
In March 2026 the Philippines recorded a $2.6 billion balance‑of‑payments deficit, the widest since January 2025, as soaring energy prices tied to the Middle‑East crisis forced higher dollar outflows. The first‑quarter gap widened to $5.3 billion, 79% higher than a year earlier,...
Twin First Gen ‘Poison Pills’ Could Mean P24-B Loss, Says Lopez Majority
Lopez Inc.’s majority bloc warned that two “poison pill” clauses tied to First Gen Corp. could force Prime Infrastructure Capital to acquire the group’s gas and hydropower assets at a 25% discount, erasing roughly ₱24 billion ($432 million) in shareholder value. The provisions would...
Winter, Waves and the Return of the Unresolved
The Philippines is entering the "winter" phase of a multidecade Kondratieff cycle, marked by slowing growth and heightened risk aversion. The PSEi has been consolidating despite post‑pandemic earnings recovery, while corporate leverage relative to market value has risen to levels...
Big Businesses Step up CSR Programs Amid Mideast Crisis
Big Philippine corporations are reshaping their corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in response to the Middle East war’s ripple effects on fuel prices. Metro Pacific Investments Foundation plans to deliver roughly 500,000 food packs to fisherfolk in Batangas and transport...
Oil Plunges, Stocks Jump as Iran Declares Hormuz Open
Iran announced the Strait of Hormuz is fully open, ending a blockade that had disrupted one‑fifth of global oil flows. The news sent Brent and WTI crude prices below $90 a barrel, a 9 percent drop from their recent highs near...
Airlines Fear Jet-Fuel Rationing Due to Middle East War
IATA head Willie Walsh warned that the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz could force jet‑fuel rationing in Europe within weeks. An International Energy Agency study suggests fuel inventories may run dry in six weeks, potentially triggering flight cancellations by...
Regulatory Relief May Dent Philippine Bank Profits–S&P
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas announced temporary relief measures—including six‑month loan payment grace periods and up to a year’s deferment for agricultural loans—to cushion borrowers from the oil‑price shock caused by the Middle East war. The regulator also urged banks...
BDO Conditions P25-B Funding on Lopez Leadership Continuity
BDO Unibank issued standby letters of credit worth roughly $445 million to back First Gen Corp.'s purchase of a 33% stake in Prime Hydropower Energy. The credit support, split into about $178 million and $267 million tranches, will fund the development of the...
Cavite Hosts Uniqlo’s Largest Logistics Facility in Southeast Asia
Federal Land NRE Global and Fast Retailing Philippines opened Uniqlo's new logistics hub in Riverpark North, General Trias, Cavite. The 6.9‑hectare facility is the brand's largest logistics center in Southeast Asia, designed to raise logistics standards and support Uniqlo's regional...
PSEi Flat as Caution Persists Amid Middle East Risks
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) closed at 6,063.69 on April 16, up a marginal 0.01% (0.34 point), indicating a flat market. Total turnover was roughly $122 million, while foreign investors recorded net outflows of about $18 million. Industrials led gains with...
November Takeoff: PAL Adds Chicago to US Network
Philippine Airlines (PAL) will launch nonstop Manila‑Chicago service on Nov. 9, operating three times weekly with Airbus A350‑900 aircraft. The route marks PAL’s eighth US destination, expanding its trans‑Pacific footprint and adding direct access to the Midwest. Introductory economy fares start at...
Luzon, Visayas Electricity Grids Placed Under ‘Yellow’ Alert
The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) placed both the Luzon and Visayas electricity grids under a yellow alert on Thursday, marking the second such alert this year. The Luzon grid reported an available capacity of 12,223 MW against a...
UK Economic Output Jumps Ahead of Mideast War
Britain’s economy posted a surprise 0.5% GDP gain in February, far outpacing the 0.1% consensus forecast. The jump follows a modest 0.1% rise in January and comes just before the Middle‑East conflict is expected to pressure energy costs. Meanwhile, the...
Bloomberry to Tighten Costs in 2026 Amid Weak VIP Demand
Bloomberry Resorts Corp., operator of Solaire Resorts, announced a tighter cost‑cutting stance for 2026 as VIP gaming demand in Metro Manila stays soft. The company slashed its capital‑expenditure budget after posting a ₱2.6 billion (~$47 million) net loss in 2025, a reversal...
ABS-CBN Confirms Shutdown Proposal Amid Lopez Family Feud
ABS‑CBN Corp. disclosed that a board director, Federico “Piki” Lopez, proposed liquidating the network, but the majority of directors rejected the shutdown. The board voted 5‑2 to remove Piki as president of Lopez Inc., emphasizing continuity for employees, retirees and...
NGCP: Middle East War Won’t Affect Electricity Grid Charges
The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) said the Middle East war will not affect its electricity transmission charges because the company is revenue‑capped and its rates are not fuel‑dependent. NGCP’s transmission rate rose 4.26% in March to P1.7526...
Cebu Pacific Posts 8.4% Traffic Growth in Volatile Q1
Cebu Pacific reported an 8.4% rise in passenger traffic to 7.54 million in Q1, with domestic volumes up 7.9% to 5.59 million and international traffic climbing 9.8% to 1.95 million. The carrier logged an 11.5% surge in March alone, despite jet‑fuel price spikes...
SEC Wants to Cede Lending App Oversight to BSP
The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has filed a position paper to transfer full oversight of financing and lending firms to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). The central bank has signaled openness to a joint‑regulation model, pending legislation...
Moody’s Keeps ‘Baa2’ Rating on 3 Philippine Banks
Moody’s Investors Service kept its Baa2 investment‑grade rating on Security Bank, Philippine National Bank (PNB) and China Banking Corp., while upgrading Security Bank’s outlook from negative to stable. The agency highlighted strong liquidity and robust capitalization as buffers against modest...
Maharlika Eyes Oil Storage Venture with PNOC to Boost Energy Resilience
Maharlika Investment Corp (MIC) is exploring a partnership with the state‑owned Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) and private firms to build an oil‑storage tank farm that would expand the Philippines’ strategic stockpiling capacity. The sovereign wealth fund could commit up...
Citicore Activates 125-MW Solar Farm in Pangasinan
Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) has commissioned a 125‑MW solar farm in Pangasinan, Philippines, capable of supplying roughly 100,000 households. The facility uses an elevated panel design to guard against flooding, reflecting the company’s focus on resilient renewable infrastructure. The...
Amro: Philippines’ Debt Burden to Ease in 2026
Amro projects the Philippines’ debt‑to‑GDP ratio to fall to 62.8% in 2026, down from 63.2% in 2025, but it will stay above the 60% benchmark. Outstanding debt reached a record P18.16 trillion (about $325 billion) in February, highlighting the fiscal strain. Revenue...
P2.67-B Gold Mining Project in Camarines Norte up for Review
Golden River Mining Corp., led by politician Ricardo Silverio Jr., has filed a proposal to develop a PHP2.67 billion (≈$48 million) gold mine in Paracale, Camarines Norte. The 321‑hectare project promises local job creation, infrastructure upgrades, and higher tax revenues for municipal...
First Gen Deal ‘Poison Pill’ Under Scrutiny
The majority shareholders of Lopez Inc. are challenging a "poison pill" clause embedded in First Gen Corp.'s P62‑billion (~$1.1 billion) hydropower transaction with Prime Infrastructure Capital. The provision would let Prime Infra buy First Gen's 33% stake at a 25% discount, potentially imposing a...
Fuel Price Rolled Back by as Much as P23/L
The Philippines' Department of Energy ordered a one‑time fuel price rollback that took effect on April 14, slashing diesel by up to P23 per liter (about $0.42) and trimming gasoline and kerosene by P4.43 ($0.08) and P8.50 ($0.15) respectively. Shell...
Nomura Sees 60% Chance of BSP Rate Hikes
Nomura estimates a 60% chance that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will raise its benchmark rate this year, potentially adding 0.5 percentage points. The first quarter‑point hike could be announced at the April 23 Monetary Board meeting, with a second increase...
IEA Chief Warns of Tougher Month for Energy Markets
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol warned that April will be tougher for global energy markets as the Middle East war continues to choke supply. No oil cargoes have been loaded from the region this month, and more than 80 energy facilities...
Supply Chain Problems Require Supply Chain Solutions
The conflict entering its 45th day has turned a short‑term shock into a structural supply‑chain crisis, with the Strait of Hormuz disrupting oil flows and triggering cascading effects across ASEAN. Delayed shipments, higher costs and material shortages are already reshaping...
PH Banks’ Loan Quality at Risk From Oil Shock
Fitch Ratings warns that prolonged Middle East conflict could keep oil prices high and disrupt Gulf remittances, pressuring Philippine borrowers. Loan growth accelerated to 9.5% year‑on‑year, reaching ₱14.3 trillion (≈$257 bn) in February, while non‑performing loans rose to 3.33% of total portfolios....
Psalm Enters Talks for Agus-Pulangi Rehabilitation
Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp (PSALM) is negotiating with one of four bidders to rehabilitate the aging Agus‑Pulangi hydropower complex. The project, initially budgeted at about $350 million, aims to restore the facility’s full 1,000 MW capacity, up from the...
Gov’t Borrowings Jumped 41% in February to P 478.8B
The Philippines’ Treasury reported a 41% jump in total government borrowings in February, reaching P 478.8 billion (≈ $8.7 billion). Domestic financing accounted for 98% of the amount, with a fresh 10‑year Treasury bond raising P 235 billion (≈ $4.3 billion) and Treasury bills climbing to P 55.3 billion (≈ $1.0 billion). External...
GCash, Visa, Mastercard Eye PH Fare System Concession
The Philippine Department of Transportation is preparing a concession for a nationwide Automated Fare Collection System (PAFCS) and has received interest from 24 firms, including GCash, Visa and Mastercard. The concession will cover development, operation and maintenance of a fully...
Lower Capital Charge Eyed for Green Home Lending
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is seeking feedback on a draft circular that would assign a 20 percent credit risk weight to sustainable housing loans, down from the current 50 percent weight for standard home mortgages. By lowering the risk weight,...
How to Make Your Business Antifragile
The article argues that resilience alone is no longer enough; CEOs must build antifragile firms that improve when stressed. Over‑optimizing for efficiency creates hidden single‑point dependencies that become liabilities during disruptions. Antifragility requires diversifying suppliers, customers, talent, and constantly questioning...
Oil Prices Rise After the US Says It Would Block Iranian Ports
The United States announced a blockade of Iranian ports starting Monday, sending U.S. crude up 8% to $104.24 per barrel and Brent 7% to $102.29. The move follows Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for roughly 20%...