PHL on track to become upper middle-income country by 2026
The World Bank expects the Philippines to become an upper middle-income country (UMIC) by 2026 even as growth fell below 6% last year.

Pre-CREATE firms to enjoy longer sunset provision
Companies that had been granted tax breaks even before the enactment of the Duterte-era corporate tax law have until 2034 to enjoy such fiscal perks, giving these firms more time to transition to the revamped incentives system.

New incentives for carmakers eyed
The Philippine government is finalizing an incentive program that seeks to encourage car companies to boost manufacturing operations in the country, according to the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA).

Inflation still top risk to PHL growth
A reacceleration of inflation is still the biggest headwind to the Philippines’ economic outlook this year, which may pose a risk to the central bank’s easing cycle, a Moody’s Analytics economist said.

Marcos cuts taxes for energy players engaged in build-operate-transfer deals with gov't
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the reduction of real property taxes of independent power producers (IPP) who entered a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement with the government.

Agri dep’t finalizing MAV allocation for pork
The Department of Agriculture (DA) is finalizing the minimum access volume (MAV) quota for pork imports this month amid pressure from meat importers and traders.

DOTr overhaul looms
An overhaul is looming among the ranking officials of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), as the appointment of a new secretary means old heads will be gone and new names are coming in.

Car sales speed up by 10% in January
Starting the year strong with a 10-percent increase in vehicle sales in January, the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) is aiming for record-high sales of 500,000 units this year.

March airfares may go up following fuel surcharge hike
Airfares are likely to increase after the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) raised the passenger fuel surcharge level for March.

Marcos seeks ‘unified’ strategy to stabilize prices
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants a “unified” strategy to stabilize food prices, as well as policy development to shield consumers against market volatility, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said late Tuesday.

Apeco in talks with Czech firms for defense industry hub
The Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO) on Thursday said it is working with Czech firms to explore areas of cooperation in its push to become the country’s first national defense hub.

BSP launches cyber defense council
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has formed a public-private sector council to strengthen the cyber defense of the country’s financial sector.

January BoP gap widest in 11 years
The Philippines in January posted its biggest balance of payments (BoP) deficit in over a decade, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

PhilHealth now covers outpatient emergency services
The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) is now covering all outpatient emergency services in accredited Level 1, 2, and 3 hospitals.

CEB to launch Ho Chi Minh flights from Cebu by April
Cebu Pacific (CEB) is set to introduce direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Cebu by the second quarter, the budget carrier announced on Thursday.

Direct PH-India flights may take off soon
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) is working to have direct flights between the Philippines and India—a popular Asian destination—amid the sustained demand for international air travel.

Self-powered industrial parks eyed in Mindanao — Peza
The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) said several areas in Mindanao have already been identified as potential areas to build self-generating industrial parks (SGIPs).

PHL unlikely to see big impact from Trump tariffs
The Philippines is unlikely to be impacted by US President Donald J. Trump’s tariff plans, S&P Global Ratings said, but warned this could change if service exports are also targeted.

Recto expects PHL-US investment ties to stay strong amid tariff threats
Economic managers expect ties between the Philippines and US to remain strong amid the Trump administration’s tariffs threats.

DA halts poultry importation from 4 US states
The Department of Agriculture (DA) has halted the importation of poultry from four American states to prevent the spread of bird flu in the Philippines.

Chinese EV brand to open 24 dealerships in PH in 2025
More global automotive vehicle brands are seeing the big potential of the Philippines as an electric vehicle (EV) market, especially after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Executive Order (EO) 12 eliminating duty on completely built-up units of certain EVs.

NLEX spending P1.4 billion ahead of full RFID shift
The private operator of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) is spending P1.4 billion to upgrade radio frequency identification (RFID) readers in time for the cashless shift on March 15.

General Santos port up for privatization
One of the largest ports south of Mindanao will be handed over to a private operator by the second half of the year, and the biggest logistics players are gearing up to bid for it. The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) will bid out the operations and maintenance for the Port of General Santos this year as part of its strategy to team up with the private sector in managing its big-ticket infrastructure.

Group of private telcos warns vs digital connectivity bill
A group of local private telecommunications companies has raised concerns over a measure aimed at providing fast and affordable internet connection to Filipinos.

Developers struggle to adjust condo prices as costs remain high — Cushman
Property developers in Metro Manila are unable to adjust condominium prices as inflation and supply chain issues keep costs high, according to real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

Term deposit yields mixed on BSP easing pause
Yields on the term deposit facility (TDF) ended mixed on Wednesday after the central bank’s surprise decision to keep interest rates steady last week and as the two-week tenor was undersubscribed.

550 jobs for students, out-of-school youth open in Ilocos Norte
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and several private companies have teamed up to boost the special employment of students and out-of-school youth (OSY) in the province.

Philippines reports foreign cyber intrusions targeting intelligence data but no breaches
The Philippines has detected foreign attempts to access intelligence data, but its cyber minister said on Tuesday no breaches have been recorded so far.

Viber plans to launch digital payment service in the Philippines next quarter
Messaging platform Rakuten Viber plans to launch its digital wallet and payments feature Viber Pay in the Philippines by next quarter.

Tonik targets Filipinos with no bank accounts
Tonik Digital Bank, Inc., the Philippines’ first licensed digital-only bank, seeks to broaden its presence in the country by targeting the unbanked population through strategic branding, according to its chief executive officer (CEO).

Nomura sees BSP cutting RRR in April
Nomura expects the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to further lower the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) as early as April, ahead of anticipated policy rate reductions later in the year.

‘Smart’ port system coming to Boracay in April
The technology arm of Cebu-based Top Line Business Development Corp. has partnered with the provincial government of Aklan to establish an automated ticketing system in Boracay, thus hastening the overall travel process in one of the country’s top tourist destinations in time for the busy summer season.

BSP likely to cut rates in April – Moody’s unit
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is likely to resume its easing cycle by cutting borrowing costs at its April meeting, after opting to keep its policy rate unchanged last week, according to Moody’s Analytics.

Below-target growth to support further rate cuts
Expectations of below-target growth and manageable inflation should support further rate cuts by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) this year, DBS Bank said in a report.