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Philippine lawmakers are considering reforms to the excise tax structure for vapor products to offset revenue losses from proposed income tax cuts. Industry stakeholders are advocating for risk-based taxation and a unified rate, warning that excessively high taxes could fuel illicit trade.
Despite P1.939 trillion allocated for flood control from 2011 to 2025, widespread flooding continues to plague the Philippines following heavy monsoon rains. A senator has questioned the efficacy of these extensive government expenditures, highlighting persistent issues.
Philippine media giant ABS-CBN reported a first-half net loss of P1.83 billion, doubling from the previous year. Revenue declined 17%, and despite a P6 billion capital infusion from new investors, the path to profitability appears more challenging.
Chinese new energy vehicle maker BYD plans to expand its electric vehicle offerings in the Philippines, driven by increasing local demand. The company aims to enhance accessibility to electrified mobility for more Filipinos through strengthened partnerships.
The Philippine economy faces concerns of slowing growth in the second half due to tighter bank lending conditions. Both household and business credit are showing signs of deceleration, adding to downward pressure alongside weak investment and elevated inflation. Standard Chartered has lowered its full-year GDP growth forecast.
The Philippines' rice self-sufficiency ratio rose to 78.1% in 2025, primarily due to reduced imports. Experts caution that this does not signify significant productivity gains, making import reliance and inflation control persistent challenges. The 2026 self-sufficiency target faces headwinds from El Niño and rising costs.
The Philippine stock market opened the week in negative territory as investors remained on the sidelines due to a lack of fresh catalysts. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) fell 35.5 points to close at 6,261.80, with low trading volumes indicating a lack of investor conviction.
Remittances from Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) reached a year-high in June, supporting household spending. However, the growth rate of cash transfers has moderated, influenced by factors like uncertainties from the Middle East conflict.
Stakeholders in the Philippine ube (purple yam) industry have formed a national organization, United Ube PH Association Inc., to leverage the product's global popularity. The federation aims to enhance representation, expand exports, and increase farmer value capture.
As the Philippines considers raising the income tax-exempt threshold to P350,000, experts warn of inflation eroding the tax relief and urge safeguards for fiscal sustainability, emphasizing the need for automatic inflation adjustments and revenue-generating measures.
The Philippine government has proposed raising the annual personal income tax exemption threshold from P250,000 to P350,000. Touted as relief against rising living costs, the proposal is being debated whether it truly offers new benefits or merely adjusts for inflation's erosion of purchasing power.
A former special disbursing officer (SDO) of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in the Philippines stated that Physical and Financial Plans for confidential funds do not require specific targets and activities, directly contradicting state auditors who testified in the Vice President's impeachment trial.
During the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over alleged misuse of confidential funds, Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo sharply criticized a witness for appearing to struggle with questions, calling it "deception." He demanded the questioning be conducted in a single language.
A former special disbursing officer of the Philippines' Office of the Vice President (OVP) testified that P125 million in confidential funds was handed over to a security officer. The disbursing officer stated she released the funds to the security officer, not the designated disbursing officer, under the Vice President's orders, raising questions about potential violations of regulations for confidential fund disbursement.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano was again marked absent from both the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte and the Senate plenary session. His office provided no explanation, and the Senate Secretary confirmed no reason was submitted.
Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) is among the first banks to go live on Direct Debit PH, a new direct debit system backed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). This allows businesses to automatically collect recurring payments from customers, even if their accounts are held with different financial institutions.
The Visayas power grid in the Philippines was placed under red alert for consecutive days, with tight power supply conditions expected to persist into next week due to the outage of several coal-fired power plants and limited power imports.
The Philippine government confirmed that the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will proceed as scheduled on September 14, despite an ambush on the region's interim chief minister. The Commission on Elections deems the incident isolated and not a threat to the electoral process.
First Philippine Holdings Corp. (FPH) of the Lopez Group has rejected a non-binding proposal from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) to acquire a portion of its stake in First Gen Corp., stating the offer does not reflect the power firm's true value. This decision leaves First Gen's future strategy and market position open to further developments.
Philippine consumer groups are urging Congress to unify the excise tax on vape products, citing a significant loophole between nicotine salt and freebase nicotine that incentivizes illicit trade and deprives the government of much-needed revenue.
Philippine dairy imports grew by two percent to 1.76 million metric tons in liquid milk equivalent (MT-LME) in the first half of 2026. Local production remained at a low 1.42% of total supply, highlighting the persistent challenge of import dependence.
Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) reported a 48% surge in its first-half core net income to P54.2 billion, highlighting the resilience of its businesses amidst global market volatility and rising costs.
President Marcos visited Negros Oriental, distributing P20,000 financial aid to 250 scholars and 10 kilos of rice to 2,230 beneficiaries. He also met with military personnel involved in maintaining security.
The Philippine Senate unanimously passed a bill penalizing hospitals that detain patients or their remains over unpaid medical bills. The legislation also outlines provisions for financially incapable patients.
The Department of Education is exploring ways to channel surplus vegetables into its school feeding program, aiming to support farmers facing oversupply and waste while ensuring nutritious meals for students.
Following the death of a senior citizen from a heart attack in Taguig City, the Philippine government has launched a review of the Unified 911 emergency response system, focusing on potential delays in dispatching ambulances.
Baguio City is set to declare Guisad Surong, the site of a deadly landslide last week that claimed 10 lives, a no-build zone. The city disaster risk reduction and management office noted the area is "fully saturated and very highly susceptible to landslide."
Shell Pilipinas Corp. recorded a net loss of P2.7 billion in the first half, significantly impacted by oil price volatility from the Middle East crisis, a stark contrast to the previous year's profit.
DoubleDragon Corp. reported a robust first half of the year, with core net income soaring 162% to P2.41 billion. This growth reflects the company's strategic shift towards recurring operational revenues, with further expansion anticipated in the second half.
Manila City will implement the third tranche of salary increases for 9,364 permanent employees, allocating P99.08 million. This measure aims to recognize the workforce's contributions despite the city's tight fiscal situation.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) in the Philippines is strengthening its partnership with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to intensify joint operations against smuggling. Both agencies emphasize the importance of information sharing and investigative cooperation to combat illicit trade and economic sabotage.
With the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections weeks away, the Armed Forces of the Philippines installed Maj. Gen. Jose Vlademir Cagara as the new commander of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom). The move aims to bolster security against terrorist and insurgent groups and ensure election safety in the region.
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte filed another perjury complaint against Ramil Madriaga, her alleged former aide, on Monday. She personally appeared at the prosecutor's office with her legal counsel.
The Philippine House of Representatives has formally commenced its scrutiny of the proposed ₱7.2-trillion National Expenditure Program for 2027. Following a briefing by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC), lawmakers will review budget allocations and their direct benefits to the populace.
The Philippine Senate impeachment court granted a request from one of the prosecution's witnesses to be excused from attending proceedings this week. This marks a new development in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
The Philippine Department of Science and Technology (DoST) welcomed a proposal to make Palawan an alternative site for the PAX Silica industrial hub. However, the DoST Secretary stressed that any technology or industry must be accompanied by necessary support and robust safeguards against environmental, social, and economic impacts.