Manila Times

Tropical Storm Saudel Could Strengthen Southwest Monsoon Over the Philippines

The Philippine weather bureau is monitoring Tropical Storm Saudel about 3,000 kilometers east of Mindanao, warning that its peripheral bands could add moisture to the southwest monsoon affecting the country.

Foreign Investors Continue Strong Gross Buying Despite Net Outflow From Philippine Stocks

Foreign investors recorded a net outflow of 232 million pesos in the latest Philippine Stock Exchange session, although gross foreign purchases remained in line with the 30-day median.

Metro Pacific Water Restores Full Service in San Jose del Monte After Disruptions

Metro Pacific Water has restored normal operations in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan, after prolonged service interruptions affected residential and commercial customers.

Marikina River Reaches First Alarm Level as La Mesa Dam Nears Critical Threshold

Disaster authorities placed communities in eastern Metro Manila on alert after the Marikina River reached 15 meters and La Mesa Dam rose to 80 meters, prompting preparations for possible evacuations.

Philippine Labor Department Reminds Employers of Worker Protections During Severe Weather

The Department of Labor and Employment said workers should not face disciplinary action for refusing to travel during dangerous typhoons or flooding, while noting that employers are generally not required to pay for hours not worked.

Philippines Cancels and Diverts Domestic Flights as Severe Monsoon Weather Disrupts Aviation

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines cancelled or diverted multiple flights serving airports including Bacolod, Cauayan and Tuguegarao as heavy rain and poor visibility affected runway safety.

Echelon Philippines Technology Summit Urges Startups to Focus on Practical Artificial Intelligence

The Echelon Philippines technology conference urged startups to move beyond artificial intelligence hype and develop practical business applications while confronting rising infrastructure costs.

Quezon City Court Sets Oral Arguments in Grave Threats Case Against Sara Duterte

A Quezon City court has scheduled oral arguments on a motion to quash a grave threats complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, adding to the legal challenges facing the country’s second-highest official.

Bank of the Philippine Islands Partners With Gogolook to Strengthen Fraud Protection

Bank of the Philippine Islands is integrating digital security technology from Gogolook to protect customers against mobile scams and unauthorized transactions as financial fraud becomes more sophisticated.

ABS-CBN Seeks More Partnerships as It Expands Digital Content Business

ABS-CBN executives said the company remains open to partnerships with rival media networks as it continues shifting toward digital storytelling and independent content production.

Metro Pacific Tollways Reports Six Percent First-Half Profit Growth as Toll Adjustments Offset Lower Traffic

Metro Pacific Tollways reported attributable net income of 3.7 billion pesos for the first half, up six percent, as recently approved toll increases offset a slight decline in average daily vehicle volumes.

Enrique Razon Commits 2.1 Billion Pesos to Upgrade Negros Island Power Infrastructure

Philippine infrastructure and port magnate Enrique Razon plans to invest 2.1 billion pesos in power grid upgrades across the Visayas, targeting reliability problems that have constrained local economic and industrial activity.

Jollibee Takes Full Ownership of Tim Ho Wan North American Operations

Jollibee Foods Corporation has acquired complete ownership of the Michelin-starred dim sum chain Tim Ho Wan’s North American franchise operations, expanding the Philippine restaurant group’s international portfolio.

Philippine Securities Regulator Defends 12 Percent Monthly Lending Cap and Revokes Hundreds of Licences

The Securities and Exchange Commission is maintaining a 12 percent monthly interest ceiling for small unsecured loans and has revoked the licences of more than 400 lending companies as it tightens oversight of the digital credit market.

US and European Business Groups Urge Philippines to Turn Investment Pledges Into Projects Faster

The United States-ASEAN Business Council and HSBC executives called for faster execution of foreign investment commitments, saying global capital remains selective as competition for investment across the region intensifies.

Philippines and Iceland Finalize Air Services Agreement With Seven Weekly Flights

The Philippines and Iceland have finalized an agreement allowing seven weekly passenger and cargo flights between Manila and Reykjavik, with the arrangement aimed at expanding trade, tourism and bilateral connections.

Philippines and United States Complete Tenth Anniversary of Joint Disaster Response Exercises

Military officials from the Philippines and the United States concluded the latest iteration of their decade-long humanitarian and disaster response training at Camp Emilio Aguinaldo, reinforcing cooperation between the two allies.

Philippine Forces Begin Territorial Defense Exercises Across Zamboanga and Sulu

Army units, armored vehicles and artillery are conducting territorial defense drills across the Zamboanga Peninsula and Sulu in coordination with the coast guard and police to strengthen maritime and border security.

Marcos Orders Flood Control Coordination With Quezon City After Severe Urban Inundation

President Ferdinand Marcos Junior directed the public works department to coordinate with Quezon City on a flood control master plan after severe flooding affected major roads including Araneta Avenue.

Philippine Infrastructure and Agriculture Damage From Storms Nears 5 Billion Pesos

The Office of Civil Defense reported more than 3.5 billion pesos in infrastructure damage and 1.4 billion pesos in agricultural losses from the southwest monsoon and successive tropical cyclones, with northern and central Luzon among the...

Monsoon Rains and Tropical Depression Neneng Trigger Flooding and Class Suspensions Across the Philippines

The Office of the President suspended in-person classes and ordered alternative work arrangements across Metro Manila and 17 provinces as torrential southwest monsoon rains flooded urban areas and pushed river levels higher.

House Prosecutors Allege Illegal Transfer of Sara Duterte Confidential Funds During Impeachment Trial

House prosecutors presented testimony from a former special disbursement officer alleging that Vice President Sara Duterte authorized the transfer of 125 million pesos in confidential funds to an unauthorized official during the Senate i...

Philippines Declares Chinese Military Drills Near Scarborough Shoal Do Not Alter Maritime Rights

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said recent Chinese naval and air exercises near Scarborough Shoal have no effect on Manila’s maritime entitlements or exclusive economic zone rights under international law.

Philippines Cuts National Infrastructure Spending Target to 1.34 Trillion Pesos

The Marcos administration has reduced its infrastructure spending target, marking a fiscal adjustment that could affect the timing of major projects under the Build Better More modernization program.

Philippine Peso Nears 62 to the Dollar as Stocks Slide on Inflation and Borrowing Cost Concerns

The Philippine peso approached the 62-per-dollar level while the benchmark stock index fell to 6,158, as investor caution and accelerating foreign net selling weighed on financial markets.

ABS-CBN Narrows Losses as International Content and Digital Business Expand

ABS-CBN Corporation reported a smaller operating deficit, citing international content partnerships, digital platform growth and a reduced reliance on traditional broadcasting as the media group shifts toward new revenue streams.

SM Prime Reports Strong Corporate Demand for Premium Commercial Suites in Metro Manila

SM Prime Holdings said corporate leasing demand for its newly launched Premier Suites has exceeded expectations, pointing to continued interest from multinational companies in high-end integrated commercial space in major urban centres.

Philippines Dismantles Illegal Online Cockfighting Operation in Cavite

Police arrested seven people and shut down an illegal online cockfighting operation in Cavite as authorities continue enforcing the national ban on digital sabong platforms.

Philippine Authorities Seize 14 Million Pesos Worth of Smuggled Cigarettes in Bangsamoro

Police and other enforcement agencies in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao seized an estimated 14 million pesos worth of illicit tobacco products in an operation targeting smuggling networks using southern maritime routes.

Smart Agriculture Project Launched in Bukidnon With 10 Million Pesos in Government Funding

The Department of Science and Technology and local governments in Bukidnon are deploying sensors and data analytics under a 10 million peso smart-farming initiative aimed at improving agricultural yields and climate resilience.

Philippines Provides 717 Million Pesos in Aid to Communities Hit by Typhoons and Monsoon Floods

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has distributed 717 million pesos in financial assistance and relief goods to communities affected by recent tropical cyclones and southwest monsoon flooding across Luzon and the Visayas.

ACEN Sells 49% Stake in Indian Wind Project to Reallocate Renewable Energy Capital

Ayala-led ACEN Corporation has sold a 49% stake in an Indian wind power project as part of a portfolio adjustment intended to free capital for clean-energy investments in the Philippines and other regional markets.

Ateneo de Zamboanga Suspends Classes After Fatal Campus Shooting

The university extended class suspensions and Zamboanga City declared a day of mourning after a minor allegedly used firearms taken from his father, a Bureau of Customs official, to fatally shoot two students.

Bureau of Customs Relieves Zamboanga Official After Son’s Role in Fatal School Shooting

The Bureau of Customs removed a senior Zamboanga official from his post to facilitate an impartial investigation after authorities confirmed that the official’s service firearms were used by his minor son in a fatal shooting at Ateneo de...

Philippines Regulates Artificial Sweetener Imports to Support Domestic Sugar Producers

The Sugar Regulatory Administration has introduced tighter rules on artificial sweetener imports following pressure from agricultural groups, with the policy aimed at supporting demand for locally produced cane sugar and protecting indus...

Cebu Pacific Plans to Restore International Flights From Iloilo

Cebu Pacific is preparing to resume direct international services from Iloilo International Airport, strengthening Western Visayas’ links to overseas tourism and labour markets as regional air travel continues recovering.

Ombudsman Suspends Senior Transport Officials Over Alleged Project Irregularities

The Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of senior officials at the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Office of Transport Cooperatives while it investigates alleged irregularities in a major digitali...

Philippine Government Releases 1.85 Billion Pesos for Philippine General Hospital

The Department of Budget and Management has provided supplemental funding to Manila’s Philippine General Hospital for critical medical equipment and expanded capacity at the country’s leading state-run tertiary referral centre.

Philippines Tightens Governance Rules for Bank Directors and Senior Executives

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is strengthening its fit-and-proper requirements for financial institution leaders, seeking tighter governance standards as banks operate amid changing global economic conditions.

China Steps Up Maritime Patrols in Philippine Sea Amid Japan-Philippines Talks

China deployed an unusually large number of survey and maritime law-enforcement vessels into the Philippine Sea east of Taiwan as Tokyo and Manila deepen cooperation and pursue maritime boundary discussions.

Philippine Stock Exchange Raises 2026 Capital-Raising Target to 203 Billion Pesos

The Philippine Stock Exchange increased its annual capital-raising forecast by 20% to 203 billion pesos, citing strong corporate expansion plans and an expected pipeline of six initial public offerings in the coming year.

Philippine Senate Approves Ban on Hospitals Detaining Patients Over Unpaid Bills

The Senate unanimously approved legislation that would criminalise hospitals and clinics for refusing to discharge patients or withholding death certificates because of unpaid medical bills, marking a major change in healthcare payment p...

Philippines Targets More Than 100 Billion Pesos From Hydropower Privatisation

The government plans to raise more than 100 billion pesos through the sale of major state-owned hydropower assets, seeking additional revenue while transferring key energy facilities to private operators for modernisation.

Philippine Ombudsman Opens Probe Into Lawmakers Over Alleged Flood Control Conflicts of Interest

The Office of the Ombudsman has begun a preliminary investigation into several senior legislators over alleged conflicts of interest and mismanagement involving billions of pesos allocated to delayed national flood-control projects.

Visayas and Mindanao Power Grids Face Severe Shortages After Multiple Plant Outages

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed parts of the Visayas and Mindanao systems under red and yellow alerts after unplanned generating-plant outages raised the risk of rotational brownouts and disruptions to businesses ...

Philippine Senate Impeachment Trial of Sara Duterte Suspended by Severe Weather

Proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte were temporarily halted by monsoon conditions after a former disbursing officer testified that Duterte had authorised the release of 125 million pesos in confidential funds to a security aide.

Marcos Orders Quezon City Flood Control Master Plan as Monsoon Death Toll Reaches 27

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. directed the Department of Public Works and Highways to work with local governments on underground catchments and broader flood-control infrastructure after tropical cyclones and monsoon rains affected 1.7 ...

Philippine Peso Falls to Record Intraday Low Near 62 per US Dollar

The Philippine peso weakened to a new intraday record as higher global oil prices, Middle East tensions and broader external financial pressures weighed on investor confidence and increased pressure on the domestic currency.