Philippines Business News

Shares hit four-month high on sustained buying

PHILIPPINE SHARES rallied for a sixth straight session on Wednesday, posting their best close in over four months on sustained buying momentum despite renewed tensions between the United States and Iran. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose by 0.45% or 28.66 points to close at 6,275.77, while the broader all shares index increased by […]

Clark Freeport chip, electronics exports hit $3.8 billion in 2025

SEMICONDUCTOR and electronics exports produced in the Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ) totaled $3.8 billion in 2025, according to the Clark Development Corp. (CDC). According to the CDC’s Trade Facilitation Division, semiconductors remained the CFZ’s top export in 2025, generating $2.86 billion, or 75.01% of total exports. The freeport’s top export markets were the US, Hong […]

Rice imports up 20.1% in June as El Niño fears boost shipments

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said rice imports in June rose 20.1% year on year to a record 2.75 million metric tons, with worries about the impact of El Niño prompting a buildup of inventories. Citing Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) estimates, Arnel V. De Mesa, DA spokesman and assistant secretary for Special Concerns and […]

BAI licensing power over veterinary meds formalized

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it issued a department circular on Wednesday outlining procedural matters regarding the Bureau of Animal Industry’s (BAI) assumption of licensing authority over veterinary drugs, a power formerly held by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The circular included transitory guidelines for the issuance of licenses to operate and Certificates […]

Geothermal developers call de-risking facility a ‘milestone’ event en route to energy security

GEOTHERMAL POWER producers said a P10-billion program aimed at reducing geothermal development risks will aid the Philippines in achieving energy security by easing the way for the use of indigenous power sources. In a statement on Wednesday, the National Geothermal Association of the Philippines (NGAP) welcomed the approval of the Department of Energy’s (DoE) Philippine […]

Apexford registered as PEZA logistics enterprise

THE Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) said it signed a registration agreement (RA) with Apexford International Corp. as a new ecozone logistics service enterprise (ELSE). In a social media post on Wednesday, PEZA said the RA clears the development of Apexford’s warehousing facility inside First Cavite Industrial Estate Special Economic Zone in Dasmariñas City, Cavite. […]

US agricultural exports to PHL drop in 2025

THE US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said farm exports to the Philippines fell 2% in 2025 due to lower wheat prices. Despite the drop, the Philippines remains among the leading markets for US produce, and was ranked the 11th largest destination for US produce. Soybean meal was the top US agricultural export to the Philippines […]

Canadian companies pledge P8 billion for PHL digital economy investments — DTI

THE PHILIPPINES tallied about P8 billion in investment pledges from Canadian information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) companies, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said. In a statement on Wednesday, the DTI said the total includes new and expansion investments and financing commitments to the country’s IT-BPM and digital-services industries. Companies that participated in the […]

US Dev’t Finance Corp. weighing PHL grid, transport infra projects

THE US International Development Finance Corp. (DFC) said it is exploring financing opportunities in the Philippines involving transportation infrastructure and grid modernization. “We heard about the government’s priorities from various stakeholders, including the Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC), the National Security Council, and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, with a focus on major infrastructure and […]

Business name registrations down 48% in June

BUSINESS NAME registrations fell 48% to 37,041 in June, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The DTI’s business name registry had tallied 71,578 registrations in a year earlier. Of the June 2026 total, 32,848 were new registrations, while 4,193 represented renewals. In the first half, business name registrations rose 4.82% to 659,747. […]

PHL intangible investments up 4.6% in 2025 — WIPO

INTANGIBLE INVESTMENTS in the Philippines grew 4.6% to $49.1 billion in 2025, according to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). According to the WIPO’s World Intangible Investment Highlights 2026 report, the Philippines posted the third-strongest growth rate in intangible investments out of 15 economies in 2025, behind India (7.9% growth) and Japan (4.8%). “These figures […]

PPP project pipeline valued at P3.1 trillion

THE PIPELINE of public-private partnership (PPP) projects stood at P3.1 trillion, according to the PPP Center. The PPP Center said that as of July 7, the 249 projects in the pipeline were in various stages of preparation. Projects being implemented numbered 303 valued at P3.56 trillion. Of the projects in the pipeline, 167, valued at […]

RMC No. 59-2026: Who gets caught in the net?

The digital economy continues to challenge traditional tax concepts. Companies today can supply goods and services across jurisdictions without a physical presence, prompting tax authorities worldwide to adapt their rules. Last month, the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 59-2026 to clarify Revenue Regulations (RR) No. 3-2025, more commonly known […]

Fed minutes show high uncertainty and evenly divided debate over rate outlook

Some Fed officials made case for rate hike amid inflation concerns, minutes show

ILO: GenAI sees ‘significant exposure’ in ASEAN labor markets despite uneven preparedness

The International Labour Organization says that 'while GenAI has immense potential to transform the world of work, it must be approached as a tool to be mastered rather than a solution to all'

Amber Group's Accelerator Amber.ac Launches OPC Hackathon in Singapore

SINGAPORE, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Amber Global Limited ("Amber Group"), a global leader in digital asset innovation, today announced the launch of OPC Hackathon, organized by amber.ac and co-hosted with Amber Group. The one-day hackathon on July 12 will bring together 300 builders in Singapore to explore the rise of the One Person Company (OPC) and the future of agentic services. Top-performing teams will compete for an awards package that includes US$140,500 in AWS credits and Claude memb

HSG Laser Unveils TL3 PRO: One Tube Cutter For All Tube Sizes

FOSHAN, China, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- HSG Laser announced the launch of the TL3 PRO, its next-generation heavy-duty laser tube cutting machine. Building on the proven success of more than 1,000 heavy-duty tube cutting machine installations, the TL3 PRO combines the industry's first 4+1 Full-Floating Twin-Chuck architecture with intelligent automation to deliver greater processing flexibility, higher productivity, and lower operating costs for heavy-duty tube fabrication. "Heavy tube cuttin

AMSilk and Ajinomoto Foods Europe Expand Partnership to Enable Industrial-Scale Production of Silk Proteins

NEURIED, Germany and NESLE, France, July 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMSilk, a global leader in biotech produced silk materials, today announced a significant expansion of its partnership with Ajinomoto Foods Europe (AFE), marking a key step in scaling the industrial production of its silk proteins. Building on the collaboration first established in 2023, the two companies have now entered into a long-term manufacturing and supply agreement, enabling the transition from industrial validation to

Bisera battles injury, weather to wrest 3-shot lead

MANILA, Philippines – Battling through a lingering left-hand injury and enduring an hour-long weather delay, Yvon Bisera continued to showcase remarkable grit and composure, shooting a second straight 69 to pull ahead by three after two rounds of the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship at the Arayat course in Lubao, Pampanga on Wednesday. Bisera barely put a foot wrong in another steady display, shaking off an early challenge from first-round co-leader Harmie Constantino before methodically t

SM Book Nook activities empower young learners for the new school year

THE community reading and learning space of SM Cares, SM Book Nook, aims to enrich learning for Filipino school children in time for the resumption of classes this June. Students, young readers, and curious minds are invited explore its welcoming reading spaces at SM North EDSA and SM Podium. As a community hub where stories, creativity, and connection come together, Book Nook expands the learning experiences of children through simple yet meaningful activities on top of the learning resources m

WuXi Biologics Achieves MSCI ESG AAA Rating and MSCI Selection Indexes Inclusion for Fourth Consecutive Year

Maintained the highest MSCI AAA ESG Rating for the fourth consecutive year under the new ESG Model 5.0 (2026)Included in the MSCI ESG Selection Indexes for the fourth consecutive yearLeader in Green CRDMO solutions for a healthier futureSHANGHAI, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi Biologics (2269.HK), a leading global Contract Research, Development, and Manufacturing Organization (CRDMO), today announced that it has achieved MSCI's highest AAA ESG rating and been included in the MSCI 2026 Selecti

Xinhua Silk Road: Int'l beer festival kicks off in ice and snow world of Harbin, NE China

BEIJING, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When the 24th Harbin International Beer Festival opened recently at Harbin Ice-Snow World, the "ice city" in northeast China welcomed visitors with not only a feast on the tip of the tongue, but also delightful festive experiences, reported Harbin Daily. Photo shows a scene of the 24th Harbin International Beer Festival. (Photo by Liu Yang) For the city, capital of Heilongjiang Province, the event that has been held for 24 consecutive years is a core compone

Kinetics, a Karpowership Initiative, Begins Construction of Its First High-Capacity FSRU

LONDON, July 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Kinetics has reached a major milestone in the expansion of its floating LNG infrastructure portfolio with the start of construction of LNGT Karadeniz, its first high-capacity Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU). Officially launched with a steel-cutting ceremony at Seatrium's Tuas Boulevard Yard in Singapore, the vessel will deliver up to 600 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of regasification capacity, marking a significant step in Kine