Manila Times

Jollibee Opens First Compose Coffee Branch in the Philippines

Jollibee Foods Corporation has opened its first Compose Coffee outlet in the Philippines as the restaurant group expands into the country’s growing coffee retail market following its majority acquisition of the South Korean beverage brand.

Manila Electric Scrambles to Restore Power to 98,000 Customers After Monsoon Storms

Manila Electric Company deployed emergency crews after flooding and strong winds damaged power infrastructure across Metro Manila and nearby provinces, leaving about 98,000 residential and commercial customers without electricity.

Philippine Agricultural Trade Deficit Widens Beyond $1 Billion as Food Imports Outpace Exports

The Philippines recorded an agricultural trade deficit of more than $1.06 billion, highlighting the continuing gap between domestic food production and national demand despite government efforts to modernize agriculture and expand precis...

Sand Shortages Threaten Construction Timeline for New Manila International Airport

Construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan is facing logistical and environmental challenges as large land reclamation requirements contribute to local sand shortages, potentially affecting the timetable for the San ...

Philippines Repays 1.23 Trillion Pesos in Sovereign Debt During First Half of 2026

The Philippine government paid 1.23 trillion pesos to service national debt in the first six months of 2026, highlighting the continuing fiscal burden of pandemic-era borrowing and elevated global interest rates.

Philippine Semiconductor Industry Maintains Positive Export Outlook Despite Economic Weakness

The Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines foundation expects technology exports to strengthen in the second half of 2026, offering a potential boost to the trade balance as other manufacturing sectors continue to fa...

Philippine Technology Leaders Warn of Artificial Intelligence Disruption to Business Process Outsourcing

Technology executives and policymakers at a national information and communications technology summit warned that the Philippines could face significant economic displacement without faster artificial intelligence adoption and urgent ret...

Marcos Calls for Greater ASEAN Cooperation Against Geopolitical and Artificial Intelligence Shocks

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Southeast Asian countries to deepen regional integration to help protect their economies from geopolitical conflict, climate volatility and labor-market disruption linked to generative arti...

Philippines Seeks $1.5 Billion in Multilateral Financing to Modernize Capital Markets

The Philippine government is negotiating a $1.5 billion financing package with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank to modernize domestic capital markets, expand corporate access to funding and strengthen safeguards against money la...

United States Rejects China’s Scarborough Shoal Nature Reserve Declaration

The United States State Department condemned China’s unilateral declaration of an environmental and legal regime around Scarborough Shoal, saying Beijing was using environmental measures to reinforce its maritime claims and restrict Fili...

Typhoon Dolphin and Monsoon Rains Suspend Government Work and Classes Across Metro Manila

The Philippine government suspended government operations and face-to-face classes across Metro Manila and 15 provinces after torrential southwest monsoon rains intensified by Typhoon Dolphin caused severe flooding, displaced hundreds of...

Philippine Economy Grows 2.3 Percent in Second Quarter as Full-Year Forecasts Are Cut

The Philippine economy expanded just 2.3 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2026, weaker than expected, prompting Nomura and Capital Economics to lower their full-year growth forecasts to as little as 3 percent as household co...

Success: Nvidia Turned Gaming Chips Into the Engine of the AI Boom

The company founded by Jensen Huang built machines that can do many small calculations at once—exactly what modern artificial intelligence needs.

AI’s Next Bottleneck Is Power, Not Just Nvidia Chips

As data centres multiply, technology companies are competing for electricity, grid connections and round-the-clock generation.

Meta Raises AI Spending Target to as Much as $145bn Despite Pressure Over Returns

The company’s capital spending is consuming most of its free cash flow as it races to turn new AI models and products into a commercially durable business.

Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says

Joe Biden’s Cancer Has Spread Beyond His Bones, Hunter Biden Says

The former president’s son described the advanced prostate cancer as painful and debilitating, while public details of his current condition remain limited.

Why 2027 Could Be a Strong Year for Stocks—and Why the Forecast Is Fragile

A bullish case rests on continued profit growth, easing policy uncertainty and a broader payoff from AI investment; high valuations leave little room for disappointment.

Why Markets May Look Quiet in August After Big Tech Earnings

A lighter calendar can suppress expected stock swings temporarily, while AI spending remains the deeper question for investors.

ABS-CBN Keeps Board Largely Unchanged as Digital and Streaming Strategy Continues

ABS-CBN Corporation is retaining most of its board ahead of its annual stockholders meeting as the company maintains its transition from traditional broadcasting toward digital content and streaming.

Social Security System Net Income Falls Twenty-Eight Percent as Member Benefit Payments Rise

The Philippine Social Security System reported a twenty-eight percent decline in first-half net income as higher benefit payments to members increased financial outflows amid continued cost-of-living pressures.

Calbayog Airport Tightens Safety Rules During Major Terminal and Runway Upgrade

Authorities in Samar have strengthened operational safety measures at Calbayog City airport while terminal and runway modernization work proceeds to accommodate rising passenger traffic and support regional tourism and trade.

Philippine Government Opens Bohol Food Terminal Project to Strengthen Visayas Supply Chains

Agricultural officials have begun construction of a sixty-one million peso food terminal in Bohol designed to improve farm-to-market logistics, reduce post-harvest losses and help stabilize food prices across the central Philippines.

Cybersecurity Firms in Philippines Deploy OpenAI Models Against Sophisticated Digital Attacks

Cybersecurity providers are integrating advanced language models to detect and respond to complex network breaches as targeted attacks against Philippine corporate data infrastructure intensify.

Philippine Technology Entrepreneur Warns Businesses to Prepare for Advanced Artificial Intelligence Disruption

Software entrepreneur Joey Gurango said Philippine companies could face major operational changes within two years as increasingly advanced artificial intelligence systems become capable of automating complex forms of human reasoning.

Echelon Philippines Brings Thousands of Technology Leaders Together to Focus on Practical Artificial Intelligence

More than three thousand founders, corporate executives and venture capitalists attended Echelon Philippines as the country’s technology sector shifted attention from artificial intelligence hype toward practical business applications.

Supreme Court Launches Nationwide Digital Notarization System in Philippine Legal Modernization Drive

The Supreme Court has introduced the eNotary system to move notarization services online, with the system intended to improve judicial efficiency, reduce document fraud and simplify legal procedures for businesses and citizens.

Philippines Faces Deadly Flooding and Landslides as Southwest Monsoon Intensifies

Heavy rain from the southwest monsoon and offshore weather disturbances triggered fatal landslides in Benguet and severe flooding in Olongapo City, displacing thousands and prompting emergency responses across affected areas.

Cebu Office Demand Falls Sixty-Eight Percent as Outsourcing Firms Shift Toward Artificial Intelligence

Office space demand in Cebu dropped sixty-eight percent in the first half of the year as business process outsourcing companies reduced large leasing requirements while adopting smaller operations and artificial intelligence systems.

Davao City Property Market Gains Momentum as Infrastructure and Outsourcing Expand

Property values and rental demand in Davao City are rising alongside the arrival of more than one hundred thousand business process outsourcing employees, domestic tourism and major transport projects including the coastal road and airpo...

Nickel Asia Profit Jumps Ninety-Three Percent on Strong Battery Metal Demand

Nickel Asia reported a ninety-three percent increase in first-half profit as higher export volumes and favorable international nickel prices supported earnings amid continued global demand from electric vehicle manufacturing.

Philippines Considers Expanding Sixty Billion Peso Incentives for Electric Vehicle Manufacturing

The Board of Investments is studying an expansion of fiscal incentives for electric vehicle assembly and production as major automakers expand hybrid offerings and the government seeks to build a regional green mobility manufacturing base.

Aboitiz Power and South Korean Partner Study Nuclear Energy Deployment in the Philippines

Aboitiz Power has begun working with a major South Korean energy company to assess the feasibility of nuclear power in the Philippines as the government seeks to address chronic electricity shortages and expand zero-carbon generation.

Visayas Power Grid Faces Repeated Yellow Alerts After Multiple Plant Outages

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines issued consecutive yellow alerts across the Visayas after unexpected shutdowns at several power plants raised the risk of rotational brownouts and disruptions for businesses and manufactur...

Philippine Transport Department Accelerates Metro Manila Subway Construction at Key Bonifacio Global City Stations

Construction has advanced at the Kalayaan Avenue and Bonifacio Global City stations as the Department of Transportation seeks to keep partial Metro Manila Subway operations on schedule and ease severe traffic congestion in the capital.

Philippine Legal Expert Warns Ayungin Shoal Agreement Could Create Impeachment Risk for Marcos

Former Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said a provisional understanding with China covering resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal could amount to betrayal of public trust if it undermines the two thousand and sixteen arbitral...

Philippines Accelerates Canada Free Trade Talks as Exporters Face Higher North American Tariffs

The Department of Trade and Industry expects to conclude a comprehensive free trade agreement with Canada by September as the Philippines seeks wider market access amid rising protectionist pressure in North America.

Philippine Trade Deficit Widens as United States Imposes Twelve Point Five Percent Tariff on Exports

The Philippines’ trade gap increased twelve point three percent in June as manufacturers prepared for the impact of a twelve point five percent United States tariff on Philippine exports, increasing pressure on industries dependent on Am...

Philippines Proposes Nearly Two Hundred Billion Pesos for Transport Infrastructure in Next Budget

The Department of Budget and Management has proposed a one hundred and ninety-six billion peso transport allocation, nearly doubling funding to accelerate projects including the Metro Manila Subway, North-South Commuter Railway and regio...

Philippines Plans Four Point Five Trillion Pesos in Technology and Renewable Energy Investment

The Department of Trade and Industry and investment agencies have launched a national roadshow to attract four point five trillion pesos under the Strategic Investment Priority Plan, with incentives targeting artificial intelligence, def...

Philippine Central Bank Faces Pressure for Further Rate Hikes as Inflation Stays Above Target

International financial institutions expect the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to raise its policy rate twice by twenty-five basis points to five percent as inflation reaches six point four percent amid higher energy costs and domestic food...

Philippine Economic Growth Slows to Two Point Three Percent in Second Quarter Amid Energy and Spending Pressures

The Philippine economy expanded two point three percent in the second quarter as higher global oil prices linked to Middle East conflicts weighed on consumer spending and public construction contracted thirty-one percent.

Philippine Supreme Court Clears Way for Senate Impeachment Trial of Vice President Sara Duterte

The Supreme Court has dismissed petitions by Vice President Sara Duterte seeking to block House proceedings, removing a judicial obstacle as senator-judges examine allegations involving the misuse of confidential government funds.

Alex Eala Reaches Historic Fourth Round at Toronto Tennis Tournament

Filipina tennis player Alex Eala defeated American Caty McNally in three sets at the National Bank Open in Canada, becoming the first Philippine representative to reach the fourth round of a premier singles tournament despite an ankle in...

Philippines Confirms Nationals Safe After Deadly Thailand School Shooting

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Filipino educators and other registered nationals at Debsirin School in Nonthaburi, Thailand, were safe and accounted for after a shooting that killed seven people.

Bases Conversion Authority Pushes Central Luzon Infrastructure and Investment Projects

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority is working with Zambales officials to advance infrastructure, logistics and economic-zone projects across Central Luzon as part of efforts to attract foreign investment and spread industrial...