Manila Times

Philippines Advances Safe Shelter Bill for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence

The House of Representatives has introduced the Bahay Kanlungan Act of 2026, which would require provinces and highly urbanised cities to establish funded shelters for survivors of domestic abuse and human trafficking. Supporters say the...

Philippine Economic Zone Authority Continues Dividend Contributions as Export Hubs Remain Active

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority has delivered significant dividend payments to the national government, reflecting continued activity across manufacturing and export-processing zones. The agency's contribution highlights the ongoi...

Sandiganbayan Blocks Senator Jinggoy Estrada Request to Attend Vice President Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial

The Sandiganbayan denied Senator Jinggoy Estrada's request to attend the impeachment proceedings involving Vice President Sara Duterte. The court ruled that the constitutional significance of the trial did not justify allowing him to lea...

House Prosecutors Reject Vice President Sara Duterte's Claims of Political Harassment as Impeachment Process Continues

Members of the House of Representatives prosecution panel rejected Vice President Sara Duterte's accusations that the impeachment proceedings are politically motivated. Lawmakers said the process is focused on accountability while the go...

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Calls for Stronger Climate Resilience in Philippine Infrastructure

A new OECD report praised the Philippines' increased infrastructure spending under the Build Better More programme but urged stronger climate risk assessments for major projects. The organisation said improved planning would help protect...

Philippine Coast Guard Suspends Maritime Travel as Severe Weather Disrupts Inter-Island Transport

The Philippine Coast Guard halted operations at 58 ports, leaving nearly 800 passengers stranded as dangerous sea conditions affected ferry and shipping services. The suspension disrupted regional movement of people and goods as authorit...

Teleperformance Philippines Warns Business Process Outsourcing Sector Must Accelerate Artificial Intelligence Adoption

Executives from Teleperformance Philippines said the country's business process outsourcing industry must move beyond basic technology adoption and develop more advanced artificial intelligence capabilities. The company warned that faste...

Philippine Technology Industry Focuses on Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity Challenges

Technology leaders and regulators are preparing for the BusinessWorld Cybersecurity Summit in Pasay City, where industry participants will discuss stronger protections against ransomware, artificial intelligence-driven fraud and digital ...

Philippines Updates Fiscal Strategy as Slower Growth Affects Revenue Expectations

Economic managers have revised 2026 revenue targets for the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs following lower growth expectations. The adjustment reflects efforts to manage fiscal pressures, including the budget deficit an...

Maharlika Investment Corporation and National Oil Company Plan Strategic Fuel Storage Facilities

The Philippine sovereign wealth fund has signed a development agreement with the Philippine National Oil Company to build fuel storage infrastructure. The project aims to strengthen energy reserves and provide greater protection against ...

Japanese Companies Explore Metro Manila Rail Modernisation Partnership as Infrastructure Push Continues

Japanese transportation companies are evaluating a public-private partnership opportunity to modernise Metro Rail Transit Line 3 in Manila. The project reflects continued efforts under the government's infrastructure programme to improve...

Philippines Launches New Investment Plan Targeting Artificial Intelligence and Green Technology Industries

The Board of Investments has introduced its 2026 to 2028 Strategic Investment Priority Plan, offering incentives aimed at attracting capital into sectors including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, sustainable aviation fuel and...

Philippines Positions Luzon Artificial Intelligence Hub as Future Source of High-Value Jobs

Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the Philippines expects major employment opportunities from a proposed artificial intelligence and semiconductor industrial hub under the Pax Silica strategic coalition. The project is planned within t...

Typhoon Inday and Heavy Monsoon Rains Leave Deaths and Mass Displacement Across the Philippines

Severe flooding and landslides linked to Typhoon Inday and the enhanced southwest monsoon have killed at least 17 people and displaced nearly 50,000 residents across parts of Mindanao. The weather emergency also triggered class suspensio...

Asian Development Bank Cuts Philippine Growth Forecast as Energy Prices and Investment Weakness Weigh on Outlook

The Asian Development Bank has lowered its 2026 Philippine gross domestic product growth forecast to 3.8 percent and raised its inflation projection to 5.9 percent. The lender cited delayed domestic investment, weaker household consumpti...

President Marcos Reaffirms South China Sea Must Remain a Zone of Peace on Tenth Anniversary of Arbitration Ruling

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marked the tenth anniversary of the 2016 Hague tribunal ruling by telling diplomats in Manila that international law remains essential and the South China Sea should serve as a space for cooperation rather ...

The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More

The AI Invoice Shock: Layoffs Didn't Save Managers Money — They Cost Them More

THEY THOUGHT Al WAS FREE LABOR. THEN THE BILL CAME: A new global survey suggests many corporate executives who expected artificial intelligence to reduce costs are instead facing soaring computing bills and unpredictable usage-based pric...

Concern: Sexually Transmitted Bacterium Among Men Develops Antibiotic Resistance

A new UK study found that sexually transmitted strains of Shigella spread more than twice as fast as other strains and show substantially higher antibiotic resistance, prompting calls for updated clinical guidance and targeted prevention...

Following Massive Investor Demand: SK Hynix Raises 26.5 Billion Dollars on Nasdaq

The South Korean semiconductor giant completed the second-largest public offering in history after overwhelming investor demand, strengthening its position as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the global artificial intelligence boom.

Passenger Partially Pulled Out of Ryanair Jet After Cabin Window Fails Mid-Flight

A Ryanair Boeing 737-800 returned safely to Thessaloniki after a cabin window became dislodged during climb, causing rapid decompression and injuring a passenger seated beside the damaged window.

Sandiganbayan Rejects Senator Jinggoy Estrada's Request to Attend Vice President Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial

The Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division denied Senator Jinggoy Estrada's request to attend the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, ruling that the proceedings did not justify leave from his ongoing plunder and graft case.

Disaster Agencies Expand Relief Operations as Flood Risks Persist Across Mindanao

The Office of Civil Defense has pre-positioned relief supplies, deployed search and rescue teams, and urged local governments to carry out preemptive evacuations in high-risk communities, while health authorities monitor evacuation centr...

International Monetary Fund Lowers Philippine Growth Forecast Amid Infrastructure Spending Concerns

The International Monetary Fund trimmed its economic growth outlook for the Philippines through 2027, citing delays in public infrastructure spending and external economic headwinds despite resilient domestic consumption.

Government Accelerates Climate-Resilient Infrastructure Under Build Better More Program

The Department of Public Works and Highways is advancing priority projects under the Build Better More program, including the Dalton Pass East Alignment Road, Metro Manila flood management works, and nature-based water impounding systems...

Philippine Inflation Slows in June, Raising Expectations of a Monetary Policy Pause

The Philippine Statistics Authority reported that headline inflation eased to six point four percent in June as fuel and food price pressures moderated, bringing first-half average inflation to four point eight percent and strengthening ...

President Marcos Reaffirms Philippine Maritime Rights Ahead of South China Sea Arbitral Award Anniversary

Ahead of the tenth anniversary of the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the ruling remains a victory for Filipino fisherfolk and reaffirmed that the Philippines' rights and maritime laws in the West...

Typhoon Inday Leaves At Least Ten Dead and Displaces Thousands Across Southern Philippines

Typhoon Inday, internationally known as Bavi, combined with the enhanced southwest monsoon to trigger severe flooding and landslides across Mindanao and the Western Visayas, killing at least ten people in Sarangani province, displacing n...

SM Prime Opens Major Arena in Cebu to Expand Regional Tourism and Events

SM Prime Holdings inaugurated a new arena in Cebu, giving the Visayas a venue capable of hosting international entertainment and large-scale events that previously centered on Metro Manila, strengthening the region's tourism and hospital...

Ayala Corporation Expands Education and Social Infrastructure Programs

Ayala Corporation said it will continue investing in public-private initiatives that support teachers and education, describing stronger learning outcomes as an essential foundation for the country's long-term economic development.

Philippine Banks Reduce Digital Transfer Costs Following Central Bank Fee Reforms

Chinabank and at least nine other major lenders have waived InstaPay and PESONet transfer fees following regulatory changes by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, while digital bank Maya reduced its InstaPay fee from 15 pesos to 10 pesos to...

Topline Equity and Aesen Form Offshore Venture to Support Renewable Energy Projects

Topline Offshore Incorporated and Singapore-based Aesen Pte. Limited established Aesen Topline Offshore Corporation to provide marine logistics, vessel leasing and offshore support services for renewable energy and infrastructure project...

Visayas Power Grid Remains on Yellow Alert as Supply Reserves Stay Tight

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines kept the Visayas grid under Yellow Alert on July 10, signaling continued pressure on electricity reserves and the need for close monitoring of regional power supply.

Philippines Earns High Debt Transparency Rating Despite Lower Economic Growth Outlook

The Institute of International Finance awarded the Philippines a near-perfect score of 49.3 out of 50 for debt transparency, even as the government lowered its 2026 economic growth forecast to between 3.5 percent and 4.5 percent in respo...

Philippines Strengthens Infrastructure Partnership With United States Through Luzon Economic Corridor

The United States Trade and Development Agency confirmed expanded support for major Philippine infrastructure projects, including the Luzon Economic Corridor and the Subic-Clark-Batangas Railway, as the two countries deepen economic coop...

Typhoon Bavi and Monsoon Rains Leave Dead and Trigger Widespread Flooding Across the Philippines

Heavy rainfall intensified by Typhoon Bavi and the seasonal southwest monsoon caused at least five deaths and left several people missing after a landslide in Mindanao, while flooding across parts of Metro Manila disrupted transport and ...

Philippines Marks Tenth Anniversary of Landmark South China Sea Arbitration Ruling

The Philippine government and its international partners commemorated the tenth anniversary of the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling that rejected China's sweeping South China Sea claims, reaffirming Manila's commitment to the d...

Severe Heatwave Drives Dangerous Ground-Level Ozone Pollution Across Two Thirds of European Union

Record-breaking June temperatures catalyzed chemical reactions that exposed nearly three hundred million people to toxic smog levels, intensifying public health strains.

Philippine Government Promotes Renewable Energy and Infrastructure Growth as Economic Priorities

The Philippines continues to focus on expanding infrastructure connectivity, improving energy access, and supporting regional development as key drivers of long-term economic growth.

Health Researchers Warn Filipino Youth Face Rising Risks From Sedentary Lifestyles

The Food and Nutrition Research Institute warned that increasing sedentary behavior among young Filipinos is raising risks linked to obesity and high blood pressure, prompting calls for stronger health awareness efforts.

Bureau of Corrections Urges New Officers to Maintain Integrity in Public Service

Bureau of Corrections Director General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. advised three hundred thirty-eight newly appointed prison officers to maintain high ethical standards and avoid illegal activities.

Philippine Police Hospital Keeps Senator Rodante Marcoleta Under Medical Care

Officials from the Philippine National Police General Hospital confirmed that Senator Rodante Marcoleta remains under custody at the facility while receiving treatment because his medical condition remains unstable.

Government Says State Dividends Could Fund Nearly Forty Thousand Classrooms or One Hundred Sixty-Five Thousand Housing Units

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said dividend payments from government-owned corporations could support large-scale public investments, including nearly forty thousand classrooms or one hundred sixty-five thousand housing units.

Metrobank Removes InstaPay and PESONet Transfer Fees Through Mobile Banking App

Metrobank has waived transfer fees for InstaPay and PESONet transactions through its mobile application, aiming to improve digital payment access for customers.

Wellness Businesses Expand Commercial Demand Outside Metro Manila

Real estate consultants reported growing demand from fitness studios, medical clinics, and other wellness-focused tenants as Filipino consumers increasingly prioritize health and lifestyle services.

President Marcos Approval Ratings Decline Amid Public Concerns Over Economy and Corruption

A PUBLiCUS Asia survey showed lower approval and trust ratings for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in June, with economic concerns, inflation, and calls for stronger accountability influencing public sentiment.