Manila Times

China’s Kimi Launches AI-Focused Credit Card With Agricultural Bank of China and American Express

The July launch links credit-card spending and rewards to Kimi memberships and AI computing benefits, although some claims about conversational banking functions go beyond what the companies’ official materials currently confirm.

Meralco Cuts August Electricity Rates by Four Centavos per Kilowatt-Hour

Manila Electric Company has reduced electricity rates by zero point zero four pesos per kilowatt-hour for August billing, citing lower generation charges and providing modest savings for households and businesses in Metro Manila.

Philippine Aviation Regulator Cuts Fuel Surcharge to Level Twelve for Late August

The Civil Aeronautics Board has reduced the mandatory airline fuel surcharge to Level Twelve for the second half of August as global crude prices stabilize, offering modest relief to domestic and international air travelers.

First Gen Second-Quarter Profit Rises Seven Point Five Percent on Renewable Energy Output

First Gen Corporation reported second-quarter net income of four point seven nine billion pesos, up seven point five percent, supported by stronger electricity dispatch from its geothermal and hydropower facilities.

Cebu Landmasters Plans Twenty-Five Billion Pesos in New Residential Projects

Cebu Landmasters plans to launch twenty-five billion pesos worth of residential projects this year as strong demand outside Metro Manila pushes sell-through rates to ninety-five percent and leaves the developer with limited existing inve...

JG Summit Profit Falls Twenty-Nine Percent as Cebu Pacific Faces Fuel and Currency Pressure

JG Summit Holdings reported a twenty-nine percent decline in first-half net income as higher aviation fuel costs and a weaker Philippine peso weighed heavily on the profitability of its airline business, Cebu Pacific.

SM Investments Reports Eight Percent Profit Growth and Plans to Exit Mining by 2027

SM Investments Corporation reported an eight percent increase in first-half profit, supported by its retail and banking businesses, and said it plans to exit its mining operations completely by next year.

ABS-CBN Plans Six Billion Peso Equity Raise to Expand Digital and Film Operations

ABS-CBN Corporation plans to raise six billion pesos in new equity, including a two point two billion peso commitment from the Lopez family, to strengthen its digital content distribution and film production operations following the loss...

Metro Manila Construction Material Prices Reach Nearly Three-Year High

Wholesale construction material prices in Metro Manila accelerated in July to their highest level in nearly three years, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, increasing cost pressures for property developers and government i...

Philippine Labor Groups Ask Supreme Court to Lift Orders Blocking Regional Wage Hikes

Major labor organizations have petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn temporary restraining orders that halted regional wage increases, arguing that the court interventions are preventing workers from receiving financial relief amid pe...

Mindanao Investment Summit Highlights Agribusiness, Renewable Energy and Logistics

Government and business leaders have gathered in Cagayan de Oro for Mindanao's largest annual investment summit, promoting opportunities in agribusiness, renewable energy and logistics to foreign investors looking beyond Metro Manila.

Philippine IT-BPM Industry Targets Higher-Value Global Capability Centers

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines has launched an initiative to attract global capability centers focused on artificial intelligence, engineering and financial technology, seeking to move the ...

BCDA and Asian Development Bank Discuss Major Taguig Urban Development Project

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority is in advanced talks with the Asian Development Bank on financing and structuring a large sustainable urban development project in Taguig that would redevelop former military properties into...

Philippines Targets Eight Hundred Sixty Billion Pesos in VAT and Sales Tax Revenue for 2027

The Department of Finance is targeting eight hundred sixty billion pesos in value-added and sales tax collections next year through expanded digital tax administration and tighter compliance as the government seeks revenue for infrastruc...

Philippine Public Works Chief Claims Senators Received at Least Five Hundred Million Pesos in Leadership Funds

Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan has claimed that every senator received at least five hundred million pesos in leadership funds for infrastructure projects, prompting renewed scrutiny of discretionary spending and political influenc...

Philippines Suspends Seafarer Deployments to Northern Black Sea Over Security Risks

The Department of Migrant Workers has temporarily barred the deployment of Filipino seafarers to vessels operating in the Northern Black Sea, citing security risks linked to the ongoing regional conflict.

Philippines Tracks Eighteen Chinese Military and Coast Guard Vessels in West Philippine Sea

The Armed Forces of the Philippines says eighteen Chinese naval and coast guard vessels have remained around strategic features in the West Philippine Sea over the past week, highlighting continued Chinese maritime activity within the Ph...

Philippine House Passes Cybersecurity Bill for Critical Infrastructure and Services

The House of Representatives has approved legislation requiring stronger cybersecurity protections for critical public services and private infrastructure as sophisticated attacks and data breaches increasingly threaten government and es...

Philippines Risks Prolonged Below-Target Growth Without Structural Reforms, Analysts Warn

GlobalSource Partners says the Philippine economy risks continuing to miss growth targets unless the government addresses barriers to productivity, arguing that short-term fiscal measures alone will not be enough to attract sustained ind...

Philippine Supreme Court Rejects Bid to Force Senate Release of Flood Control Report

The Supreme Court has ruled that the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee is not required to publish its draft partial report on a flood control corruption investigation, rejecting a petition from transparency advocates and affirming the legisla...

Risa Hontiveros Seeks Senate Inquiry Into Philippine-China Resupply Agreement

Senator Risa Hontiveros has called for a congressional investigation into the Marcos administration's provisional understanding with China covering resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal, demanding disclosure of the agreement and warning tha...

Philippines Death Toll Reaches Twenty-One as Monsoon and Typhoons Trigger Widespread Flooding

The Office of Civil Defense says twenty-one people have died and infrastructure damage has exceeded two billion pesos after the southwest monsoon and successive tropical cyclones caused flooding and landslides across northern and central...

China Confirms Deaths of Two Coast Guard Personnel After South China Sea Collision

Chinese authorities have confirmed that two China Coast Guard personnel died during a confrontation and subsequent collision involving a Philippine Coast Guard vessel near Scarborough Shoal last year, underscoring the risks surrounding t...

COA Auditor Confirms Irregularities in Sara Duterte’s Confidential Funds

A Commission on Audit supervising auditor told the Senate impeachment court that irregularities were found in the Office of Vice President Sara Duterte's use of confidential funds, adding pressure to a political crisis that could further...

Philippine Foreign Direct Investment Falls to Eleven-Year Low Amid Global and Domestic Uncertainty

Net foreign direct investment inflows to the Philippines fell nearly sixty-five percent to two hundred ten million US dollars in May, the lowest monthly level since 2015, as geopolitical tensions and domestic infrastructure concerns prom...

Marcos Orders Philippine Army to Accelerate Shift Toward External Defense

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Philippine Army to move more quickly from internal security operations toward territorial and external defense, as Manila strengthens military readiness amid continuing tensions in the South...

HMPI Expands Corporate Property Services as Multinational Investment in Metro Manila Grows

Property services company HMPI is expanding facility management, accommodation and operational support for multinational companies establishing or enlarging their presence in Metro Manila.

Government Provides Emergency Livelihood Aid to Vendors Displaced by Batac Market Fire

The Department of Social Welfare and Development has released emergency financial assistance to market vendors in Batac, Ilocos Norte, after a major commercial fire disrupted local businesses and trade.

Philippine Customs Seizes More Than 8 Million Pesos of Suspected Ketamine at Clark Airport

Customs officials at Clark International Airport have intercepted a shipment of suspected ketamine worth more than eight million pesos that was concealed inside a resin figurine arriving from France.

Philippine Government Expands Agricultural Skills Program in Ilocos Norte

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has overseen new agricultural skills and healthcare initiatives in northern provinces as his administration seeks to strengthen food supply chains and rural human capital amid climate and economic pressures.

AirAsia Philippines Cuts Domestic Fares to Support Tourism Recovery

AirAsia Philippines has launched discounted base fares to destinations including Boracay and Cebu as the airline seeks to sustain domestic travel ahead of national holidays despite elevated aviation fuel costs.

Philippine Financial Leaders Address Banking Resilience Amid Global Economic Uncertainty

Banking executives, economists and policymakers meeting in Makati are examining ways to manage persistent global inflation pressures while maintaining credit flows needed for domestic corporate expansion.

Davao Launches Campaign to Attract East Asian and European Investment

The Davao-Borneo Economic Growth Forum is being used to promote Davao City to investors from East Asia and Europe as the city seeks to strengthen its role as a commercial gateway to the East ASEAN Growth Area.

Cebu Commercial Property Market Sees Rising Demand for Zero-Carbon Offices

International companies and business-process outsourcing firms are increasingly seeking sustainable commercial buildings in Cebu, with demand focused on zero-carbon facilities that offer energy efficiency and greater resilience to severe...

Philippine Service Contractors Call for Workforce Reskilling as Artificial Intelligence Adoption Accelerates

Industry representatives say expanded training and human decision-making will remain essential as artificial intelligence reshapes the country's large services sector and employers seek to preserve international competitiveness.

Philippine Business Leaders Focus on Energy Security and Artificial Intelligence to Strengthen ASEAN Competitiveness

Business and government leaders meeting in Metro Manila are seeking stronger partnerships on reliable electricity, secure trade corridors and responsible artificial intelligence adoption as the Philippines faces continuing global economi...

Philippine Aviation Capacity Falls as Airlines Cut Routes Amid High Operating Costs

Airlines have reduced more than 286,000 departing seats year on year in the Philippine market as carriers streamline schedules and consolidate routes in response to volatile fuel prices and changing regional travel demand.

Philippines Opens Advanced Fire Testing Laboratory in Laguna to Strengthen Construction Safety

The Department of Science and Technology has inaugurated a specialised fire-testing facility in Los Baños capable of assessing the flammability and structural integrity of construction materials as the country's property and infrastructu...

United States Seeks Extradition of Apollo Quiboloy to Face Federal Criminal Charges

Washington has formally requested the extradition of religious leader Apollo Quiboloy to the United States, where he faces federal criminal charges, increasing pressure on Philippine authorities over his case.

Philippines Cancels Foreign Work Permits at Pampanga Steel Plant Over Safety and Labor Violations

The Department of Labor and Employment has revoked work permits for foreign nationals at a Pampanga steel facility after regulators identified serious workplace safety hazards and violations of Philippine labor requirements.

Philippine Retailers Restructure as Weaker Consumer Spending Drives International Store Closures

Major Philippine retail groups are adjusting inventories and exploring new business categories as weaker foot traffic, persistent inflation and higher operating costs contribute to the departure of international discount retailers includ...

Philippines Pushes Practical Artificial Intelligence Adoption as Technology Sector Focuses on Business Use

Technology executives, investors and policymakers at the Echelon Philippines summit are shifting attention from speculative artificial intelligence enthusiasm toward practical deployment, regulatory compliance and the rising cost of digi...

Philippine Senate Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte Examines Confidential Fund Disbursements

State auditors have testified during the fifteenth day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial that the rapid nationwide distribution of millions of pesos in confidential funds by the Department of Education raised questions a...

Philippines Tightens Security in 108 Areas Ahead of Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections

The Commission on Elections and national police are increasing security deployments across 108 areas of concern in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ahead of the September 14 parliamentary elections.

Philippine Power Grids Issue Red and Yellow Alerts After Multiple Plant Failures

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has issued severe power alerts across the Visayas and Mindanao grids following the sudden loss of several major generating facilities, raising concerns about electricity reliability and in...

Philippine Army Names Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran as New Chief Amid Regional Security Pressures

Lieutenant General Donald Gumiran has taken command of the Philippine Army and pledged to accelerate modernization and readiness as the armed forces strengthen their focus on external territorial defence.

Philippine Inflation Eases to 6.2 Percent in July but Remains Above Central Bank Target

Consumer price inflation slowed to 6.2 percent in July from 6.4 percent in June as transport and education costs moderated, but food pressures and elevated core inflation kept inflation well above the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas target r...

Philippine Military Rejects Need for Foreign Approval of Ayungin Shoal Resupply Missions

The Armed Forces of the Philippines says Manila does not require permission from any foreign government to resupply its commissioned naval vessel at Ayungin Shoal, rejecting Beijing's demands for prior notification and inspection.