Manila Times

Aboitiz Economic Estates Commits Seven Billion Pesos to Expand Batangas Industrial Park

Aboitiz Economic Estates plans to invest seven billion pesos in the LIMA Estate in Batangas, expanding industrial infrastructure to accommodate manufacturing, logistics and renewable energy companies seeking sites south of Metro Manila.

GSIS Opens Four Billion Peso Emergency Loan Program for Cyclone-Hit Members

The Government Service Insurance System has activated emergency loans for more than one hundred sixty thousand government workers and pensioners across nine disaster-hit regions in Luzon, providing financial support after severe weather ...

Philippines Warns Travelers of Tighter Entry and Visa Checks in China

The Department of Foreign Affairs advised Filipinos traveling to mainland China to expect greater scrutiny and stricter visa enforcement as administrative friction between Manila and Beijing increases.

Philippine Environment Department Rejects Tree-Cutting Plan for Marikina Bridge Project

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to revise plans for a major Marikina bridge after rejecting an application to cut trees, underscoring stricter environmental requ...

Tax Court Rejects Taguig Petition in Long-Running Corporate Refund Dispute

The Court of Tax Appeals ruled against Taguig City in a decade-long dispute over a corporate tax refund involving a major condominium company, establishing a significant ruling on municipal tax collection amid territorial changes in Metr...

Marcos Sets Record Nineteen Billion Peso Budget for Technical Education and Skills Training

The Philippine government is directing unprecedented funding toward technical education, training and scholarships to prepare workers for growing needs in semiconductors, renewable energy and digital technology.

Pag-IBIG Housing Portfolio Surpasses One Trillion Pesos as Residential Borrowing Holds Up

The state-owned Pag-IBIG Fund said its housing and residential assets have exceeded one trillion pesos, pointing to continued demand for home financing despite elevated borrowing costs.

Philippine Ombudsman Conducts Lifestyle Checks on More Than One Hundred Senior Officials

The Office of the Ombudsman is reviewing the finances and assets of more than one hundred high-ranking government officials and local leaders as part of an intensified enforcement drive under the country’s anti-corruption laws.

Lifting of Metro Manila IT Park Moratorium Revives Commercial Property Development

The removal of restrictions on new information technology parks in the National Capital Region is encouraging fresh commercial real estate investment, supporting Manila’s efforts to attract business process outsourcing companies.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport Earns Level Two Global Carbon Accreditation

Mactan-Cebu International Airport has become the only Philippine airport to receive Level Two accreditation from Airports Council International, reflecting efforts to reduce operational emissions as the country expands sustainable touris...

Metro Manila Hospitals Activate Emergency Measures as Leptospirosis Cases Surge After Flooding

Major public hospitals including San Lazaro Hospital are facing increased pressure as flood-related leptospirosis infections rise, prompting emergency interventions and renewed warnings over sanitation and contaminated water.

Philippines Writes Off Fifty-Seven Billion Pesos in Historic Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Debt

Agricultural agencies said thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries have received debt condonation under the New Agrarian Emancipation Act, providing financial relief intended to support domestic agricultural production.

Vietjet to Launch Direct Clark-Ho Chi Minh City Flights in November

Vietnamese low-cost carrier Vietjet will begin direct services between Clark International Airport and Ho Chi Minh City, expanding air links between Central Luzon and Vietnam while supporting trade and tourism around the Clark economic c...

Philippines Seeks Emergency Funds as More Tropical Cyclones Threaten

The Department of Social Welfare and Development is seeking additional quick-response funding as the national weather bureau warns that as many as seven more tropical cyclones could affect the Philippines before the end of the year.

Stratbase Warns of Alleged Foreign Pressure Over Chinese-Linked Steel Plants Under Investigation

The Philippine think tank said diplomatic and corporate pressure was allegedly being used to weaken law enforcement actions involving Chinese-operated steel facilities facing investigations over environmental and operational violations.

Philippines Allocates One Billion Pesos for Artificial Intelligence Flood Forecasting System

The government is funding an upgrade of Project NOAH with advanced modeling designed to forecast severe urban flooding and coastal storm surges at least a day ahead, giving authorities more time to prepare evacuations.

United States and Philippines Consider Northern Mindanao for 2027 Balikatan Exercises

Military planners are evaluating Northern Mindanao as a potential location for the next iteration of the large-scale bilateral exercises, which would expand alliance training beyond the Philippines’ traditional northern and western areas.

Philippines Releases Forty-Six Billion Pesos to Restart Delayed Infrastructure Projects

The government is accelerating the release of infrastructure funds for more than one thousand seven hundred delayed projects, seeking to revive construction activity and support domestic demand after disappointing second-quarter economic...

Philippine Business Leaders Call for National Artificial Intelligence Task Force

The Private Sector Advisory Council urged the Marcos administration to establish a dedicated artificial intelligence body to prepare workers, strengthen digital infrastructure and help protect the business process outsourcing industry fr...

Philippine House Prosecution Prepares Witnesses for Sara Duterte Impeachment Trial

The House prosecution panel plans to call Vice President Sara Duterte’s former chief of staff and senior statistics officials as witnesses, intensifying a politically divisive impeachment proceeding involving the country’s top leadership...

Marcos Orders Philippine Agencies to Expand Domestic Processing of Critical Minerals

President Ferdinand Marcos Junior directed trade and environmental agencies to develop local processing for nickel, copper and other strategic minerals, with the government seeking a larger role in electric vehicle and renewable energy s...

Fitch Warns Philippine Fiscal Consolidation Could Slow as Economic Growth Moderates

Fitch Ratings said the Marcos administration’s revised twenty twenty-seven budget places greater emphasis on near-term economic growth, making medium-term deficit reduction more difficult after weaker second-quarter performance.

Philippine Ecozone Investment Commitments Surpass Two Hundred Sixteen Billion Pesos as August Approvals Surge

Foreign and domestic investment approvals in Philippine economic zones rose more than three hundred percent in August, with Dutch, South Korean and Taiwanese capital targeting advanced manufacturing, electronics and digital infrastructure.

Philippines Nears Full Deployment of India-Made BrahMos Coastal Missile Batteries

The Philippine Marine Corps is completing delivery and integration of its third and final BrahMos battery from India, giving the country a distributed mobile system of supersonic coastal missiles for operations in the South China Sea.

Chinese Warships Shadow Philippine, United States and Australian Forces During West Philippine Sea Exercises

Chinese naval and coast guard vessels monitored a five-day joint maritime activity near Sabina Shoal, issuing radio challenges and asserting sovereignty claims as the participating forces conducted exercises in contested waters.

Gilas Pilipinas Veterans Vow to Step Up as Team Adjusts to Key Absences

Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao have pledged to help strengthen Gilas Pilipinas as the national basketball team adjusts to the absence of key players ahead of upcoming international tournaments.

Philippines Attracts More Green Technology Investment as Startup Funding Shifts Toward Sustainability

Venture capital investment in Philippine startups is increasingly moving toward waste management, renewable energy and circular-economy technologies as regional investors expand their focus on sustainability.

Philippine Authorities Rescue Seven Protected Birds in Leyte Wildlife Sting

Environment officials recovered seven protected birds during an operation in Leyte targeting illegal wildlife trafficking, underscoring continuing threats to Philippine species from the exotic pet trade.

Ateneo de Zamboanga Tightens Campus Security After Fatal Shooting

Ateneo de Zamboanga University has introduced mandatory vehicle inspections and expanded closed-circuit television coverage following a fatal shooting, as the campus community responds to the incident.

Angat Dam Rises 40 Meters After Heavy Rains as Bulacan Communities Prepare for Releases

Water levels at Angat Dam rose sharply by forty meters after days of heavy monsoon rain, easing near-term concerns over Metro Manila’s water supply while prompting downstream communities in Bulacan to prepare for possible reservoir disch...

Kanlaon Volcano Activity Prompts Class Suspensions in Negros Oriental

Local authorities in Negros Oriental have suspended in-person classes and activated emergency measures after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded increased volcanic earthquakes and sulfur dioxide emissions at K...

Philippine Prosecutors Charge Police Officer Over Tacloban School Shooting

The Department of Justice has filed criminal charges against a police officer accused of gross negligence after the officer’s service firearm was used by a relative in a fatal school shooting in Tacloban City.

Philippine Forces Kill Suspected Mamasapano Massacre Figure in Maguindanao Operation

Philippine security forces killed a militant linked to the 2015 Mamasapano clash during an operation in Maguindanao del Sur, bringing the case involving one of the country’s deadliest security incidents back into focus.

Philippine Authorities Seize More Than 36 Million Pesos of Smuggled Narcotics in Pasay

Customs officials and anti-narcotics agents have seized illegal drugs worth more than thirty-six million pesos from inbound parcels at a logistics facility in Pasay City, highlighting the use of commercial courier networks by trafficking...

Philippine Vehicle Sales Fall 2.5 Percent in July as Inflation Pressures Consumers

Automotive sales in the Philippines declined two point five percent in July as high borrowing costs, fuel prices and broader inflationary pressures weighed on household spending.

Philippine Coast Guard Responds to Oil Spill Risk After Tugboat Sinks Off Zambales

The Philippine Coast Guard and environmental authorities have deployed response vessels and containment booms after a commercial tugboat sank off Zambales, seeking to prevent fuel and oil from reaching local fishing grounds.

Visayas Power Grid Placed on Red Alert as Reserve Capacity Tightens

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines has issued fresh red alerts for the Visayas grid, with officials warning communities in Leyte and surrounding areas to prepare for possible rotational brownouts as available power reserves...

Pag-IBIG Housing Assets Surpass One Trillion Pesos as Mortgage Demand Holds Up

Pag-IBIG Fund’s housing assets exceeded one trillion pesos at the end of July, supported by mortgage growth and continued residential property investment in the Philippines.

Workato Opens Philippine Hub to Tap Southeast Asia’s Growing AI Automation Demand

Enterprise automation company Workato has opened an operations center in the Philippines, using the country’s digital workforce to pursue growing regional demand for artificial intelligence and workflow automation.

Philippines Pushes Regional AI Governance Ahead of ASEAN Chairmanship

The Department of Information and Communications Technology has launched a regional initiative to coordinate artificial intelligence governance as the Philippines prepares to take on the ASEAN chairmanship and host the regional summit.

Philippines Pushes Domestic Electric Tricycle Manufacturing to Expand EV Industry

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has backed domestic electric vehicle production, with the government prioritizing mass manufacturing of electric tricycles for public transport as part of efforts to support industrial development and reduc...

San Miguel and Metro Pacific Advance Merger of Tollway Operations

San Miguel Corporation and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation are advancing a merger of their tollway operations, with Ramon Ang expected to lead the combined business as the deal reshapes expressway operations across Luzon and Metro Man...

Philippine Justice Department Reviews Immigration Failures After Alice Guo Escape

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla has ordered a review of immigration records and maritime tracking data after dismissed Bamban Mayor Alice Guo told the Senate she escaped the Philippines aboard a private yacht before reaching Indo...

Philippines Deploys BrahMos Supersonic Missiles to Strengthen Coastal Defense

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has integrated India-made BrahMos supersonic anti-ship missiles into its coastal defense system, strengthening the country’s ability to respond to maritime incursions within its exclusive economic zone.

US, Japan and Philippines Expand South China Sea Maritime Drills Amid Tensions With China

Philippine forces have expanded maritime exercises with the United States and Japan following a series of confrontations involving Chinese Coast Guard vessels near the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, including collisions and water-cannon i...