Manila Times

Philippines Searches for Missing Citizen After Himalayan Flash Floods

Philippine consular officials are coordinating with the Nepal Tourism Board to locate a Filipino national reported missing after devastating flash floods and landslides struck trekking areas along the Nepal-Tibet border.

Philippines Deploys Anti-Vote-Buying Teams Ahead of Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections

The Commission on Elections has activated specialized enforcement teams across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to monitor vote buying and potential violence ahead of parliamentary elections viewed as an important mile...

Philippine Airlines to Operate Daily Nonstop Melbourne Flights From November

Philippine Airlines will increase its Melbourne service to daily nonstop flights beginning in November, responding to stronger tourist and expatriate travel demand while expanding Manila’s regional aviation connections.

Sumitomo Mitsui Takes Thirty Percent Stake in RCBC Leasing

Japanese financial group Sumitomo Mitsui has acquired a thirty percent strategic stake in the leasing arm of Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, expanding its presence in Philippine corporate finance and equipment lending.

Philippine AI Startups Clouted and OneLot Named to Forbes Asia Watch List

Manila-based marketing automation platform Clouted and used-car financing fintech OneLot have been recognized by Forbes Asia after securing combined seed funding of more than ten million US dollars, highlighting continued investor intere...

Ayala and Philippine Tax Authority Develop Artificial Intelligence Tool for Revenue Collection

Ayala Corporation is partnering with the Bureau of Internal Revenue to develop an artificial intelligence-powered tax assistant intended to modernize revenue collection processes and make tax compliance easier for domestic businesses.

United States Extradition Request for Apollo Quiboloy Undergoes Philippine Legal Review

The Philippine Department of Justice is conducting a formal legal review of a United States extradition request for religious leader Apollo Quiboloy, with authorities assessing the request under bilateral treaty obligations amid domestic...

Philippines Grants Converge Green Lane Status for Hyperscale Data Center Projects

The Board of Investments has granted expedited processing to upcoming Converge Information and Communications Technology data center projects, helping reduce administrative delays as the Philippines expands digital infrastructure for reg...

Philippines Accelerates Solar Investment as Philippine National Bank Funds Levanta Projects

Philippine National Bank has approved six point two billion pesos in financing for Levanta Renewables, supporting the construction of utility-scale solar facilities as the country seeks to strengthen electricity supply and expand renewab...

Maynilad Approves Fifteen Billion Peso Water and Wastewater Project in New Clark City

Maynilad Water Services has approved a fifteen billion peso investment to build water and wastewater infrastructure in New Clark City, supporting continued industrial and residential development along the Central Luzon economic corridor.

House Panel Revises Strategy for Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial

The House of Representatives prosecution team is adjusting its legal and communications strategy to comply with Senate impeachment court rules, as Vice President Sara Duterte presses for the public disclosure of Malacañang travel expense...

Japan and Philippines Advance Defense Cooperation as BrahMos Deployment Nears Completion

The Philippines is completing the integration of its final BrahMos coastal missile battery from India while continuing to strengthen maritime defense capabilities amid tensions in the West Philippine Sea and a broader expansion of securi...

Philippines Allocates One Billion Pesos for Metro Manila Flood Detention Basins

The national government has allocated one billion pesos to the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute for Project NOAH to develop large flood detention basins beneath major expressways after monsoon rains killed twenty-seven ...

Visayas Power Grid Faces Red Alert After Major Coal Plants Shut Down Unexpectedly

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines issued Red and Yellow alerts across the Visayas after several large coal-fired plants unexpectedly shut down, raising the risk of rotational blackouts and higher electricity costs amid per...

Philippines Submits Seven Point Two Trillion Peso National Budget for 2027

The proposed two thousand twenty-seven national expenditure program prioritizes defense modernization, digital transformation and the Build Better More infrastructure program while placing tighter limits on administrative subsidies for l...

Philippine Budget Deficit Widens Sharply as Spending Outpaces Government Revenue

The Bureau of the Treasury reported that the national budget deficit widened four hundred sixty-two percent to one hundred six billion pesos in July, as infrastructure spending and debt servicing costs outpaced sluggish revenue collection.

Philippines Nears Full Deployment of Third BrahMos Coastal Missile Battery

The Armed Forces of the Philippines is completing delivery and integration of its third and final BrahMos anti-ship missile battery from India, expanding the country’s mobile coastal defense network across the contested West Philippine Sea.

Philippines Faces Lower 2026 Growth Forecast as Inflation and Weather Disruptions Weigh on Economy

The ASEAN Macroeconomic Research Office has lowered its Philippine growth forecast for two thousand twenty-six, citing severe weather, persistent inflation and constrained government spending as continuing obstacles to the post-pandemic ...

Marcos Says Philippine Bases Will Not Be Used for Offensive Attacks in a Taiwan Conflict

President Ferdinand Marcos Junior said Philippine military bases would not be used to launch offensive attacks against another country if China invades Taiwan, as Manila seeks to balance its defense alliances with vital energy cooperatio...

Philippine Peso Falls Toward Sixty-Two to the Dollar Despite Five Percent Rate Hike

The Philippine peso has weakened to nearly sixty-two per US dollar, its worst performance in Asia, shortly after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas raised its benchmark interest rate to five percent to contain inflation and stabilize volati...

Philippines Offers Nepal Humanitarian Support After Catastrophic Glacial Floods

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration has expressed condolences to Nepal and offered humanitarian assistance following devastating glacial flash floods, extending Philippine support to the Himalayan country after the disaster.

Geologists Investigate Expanding Sinkhole in Cebu City

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has launched a geological survey in Bogo City, Cebu, after an expanding sinkhole threatened nearby residential infrastructure during the rainy season.

Philippine Tech Summit Shifts From AI Hype Toward Practical Business Execution

Echelon Philippines 2026 brought startups and venture capital investors together in Manila with greater emphasis on operational efficiency, data compliance and the costs of scaling digital infrastructure rather than speculative artificia...

Philippine Interior Secretary Calls for Social Media Ban for Children Under 14

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has proposed prohibiting social media access for children aged 14 and below, citing concerns over depression, cyberbullying and online exploitation.

Philippines Promotes Regional Cooperation Against Digital Disinformation

The Presidential Communications Office presented the Philippines’ approach to combating digital disinformation and fake news networks at an ASEAN media summit in Cambodia, seeking stronger regional cooperation on online information threats.

Philippines Considers Police Home Inspections for Licensed Firearm Owners

The Department of the Interior and Local Government is proposing rules that would allow police to enter the homes of licensed firearm owners to inspect weapons and storage arrangements for compliance.

Philippine Authorities Rescue Five Vietnamese Nationals in Anti-Trafficking Operation

The National Bureau of Investigation rescued five Vietnamese citizens allegedly held by a transnational human trafficking network operating in the Philippines, as authorities deepen regional law enforcement cooperation.

LRT Line One Operator Tightens Train Maintenance After Viral Water Leak

Light Rail Manila Corporation has begun an overhaul of rolling-stock maintenance procedures after video of severe rainwater leaks inside a fourth-generation LRT Line One carriage circulated widely on social media.

Bomb Threats Disrupt Classes at 16 Schools in Eastern Visayas and Metro Manila

A series of bomb threats has forced class suspensions at 16 schools in Eastern Visayas, while some Metro Manila institutions shifted to online learning as authorities investigated the threats.

Philippine Supreme Court Abolishes Second-Placer Rule for Local Election Succession

The Supreme Court has issued a final ruling eliminating the second-placer rule, preventing defeated candidates from automatically taking office when an elected local official is later disqualified.

Two Philippine Startups Named to Forbes Asia Emerging Technology Watchlist

Manila-based startups Clouted and OneLot have been selected for Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch list after raising millions of dollars in international seed funding, highlighting the growth of the Philippine technology sector.

Philippine Government Open to Tighter Rules for Confidential and Intelligence Funds

The Presidential Communications Office said the executive branch is willing to strengthen safeguards governing confidential and intelligence funds ahead of the 2027 national budget, despite maintaining that existing rules are clear.

Marcos Pushes Direct Farm-to-Market Networks to Cut Food Costs and Raise Farmer Incomes

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the government is developing direct farm-to-market logistics networks to reduce reliance on agricultural middlemen, with the aim of lowering food prices for consumers while increasing returns for farmers.

Philippine Ombudsman Conducts Wealth Checks on 107 Senior Government Officials

The Office of the Ombudsman said 107 senior government officials are undergoing lifestyle checks aimed at identifying unexplained wealth and possible corruption as authorities intensify scrutiny of public-sector finances.

Northern Luzon Typhoons and Flooding Cause Nearly 6 Billion Pesos in Infrastructure Damage

Back-to-back typhoons and intensified southwest monsoon rains have caused nearly 6 billion pesos in damage to agricultural areas, roads and bridges across Northern Luzon, putting additional pressure on local recovery budgets.

Dengue Deaths in the Philippines Surpass 300 as Health Experts Urge Vaccination

More than 300 people have died from dengue in the Philippines, prompting public health experts and epidemiologists to call for wider vaccination as a prolonged monsoon season fuels concern over the mosquito-borne disease.

Visayas Power Grid Placed on Red Alert After Major Coal Plant Outages

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the entire Visayas grid under red alert after unexpected outages at major coal-fired power plants, highlighting limited reserve capacity in the regional electricity system.

Metro Manila Condo Vacancy Hits 25 Percent as Investors Shift Toward Provincial Property

Colliers has reported a 25 percent residential vacancy rate across Metro Manila, encouraging investors to redirect capital toward developments in Cebu and industrial projects along the Luzon Economic Corridor.

NAIA Operator Remits 78 Billion Pesos as Manila Airport Modernisation Accelerates

New NAIA Infrastructure Corporation has paid 78 billion pesos in upfront concession fees to the Philippine government while introducing biometric immigration gates and beginning a major terminal reconfiguration at Manila’s main internati...

Philippine Stocks Fall More Than 2 Percent After Moody’s Cuts Growth Outlook

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped more than 2 percent toward the 6,000 level after Moody’s warned that economic growth could remain below 6 percent over the medium term, weighing on investor sentiment.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority Approves 216 Billion Pesos in New Investments

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority has approved more than 216 billion pesos in projects by August, exceeding 72 percent of its annual target and supporting nearly 27,000 projected jobs as foreign manufacturing investment expands.

Philippines and China Advance Talks on Joint South China Sea Oil Exploration

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said negotiations with China on joint hydrocarbon exploration in the disputed South China Sea are progressing as Manila seeks additional offshore energy supplies following its declaration of a national ener...

Philippines Raises 2027 Military Modernisation Budget by 10 Billion Pesos

The Department of Budget and Management said the proposed Armed Forces modernisation budget would increase by 10 billion pesos in 2027 as the military shifts greater attention from internal counterinsurgency toward territorial defence an...