Manila Times

Naga City Declares Special Holiday for Peñafrancia Fluvial Procession

Naga City has declared September eighteenth a special non-working holiday as large crowds prepare for the Peñafrancia fluvial procession, one of the Bicol region’s most prominent religious and cultural events.

Magnitude 4.4 Earthquake Shakes Leyte and Samar Without Expected Major Damage

A magnitude four point four tectonic earthquake struck the Eastern Visayas region, prompting concern among residents in Leyte and Samar but with authorities expecting no significant infrastructure damage.

Philippine House Approves ₱27 Billion Legislative Budget Amid Calls for Spending Scrutiny

The House of Representatives approved a roughly twenty-seven billion peso operating budget for the next fiscal year, drawing attention from transparency advocates seeking stronger scrutiny of public expenditure.

Tourism Investments Under Philippine Corporate Recovery Incentives Reach ₱14.5 Billion

The Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority has registered fourteen point five billion pesos of investment across thirty-four projects since 2021 under the country’s corporate recovery incentive framework, supporting new tou...

Domestic Travel Helps Sustain Philippine Tourism as Foreign Visitor Growth Softens

The Philippines recorded more than four million international arrivals during the first eight months of the year, while more than one hundred million annual domestic trips continue to provide a major source of demand for hotels, transpor...

Philippine Property Developers Shift Toward Lifestyle Projects as High Rates Weigh on Real Estate

Major developers are adapting projects toward leisure and lifestyle uses as expensive borrowing, inflation and changing demand for commercial space complicate the Philippine property market’s recovery.

Philippines Reviews Extension of Zero Tariffs on Electric Vehicles and Components

Economic policymakers are considering extending duty-free treatment for imported electric vehicles and selected components as the government seeks to encourage consumer adoption and attract more automotive manufacturing investment.

Philippines Halts Planned Coal Block Auction as Energy Policy Shifts Toward Renewables

The Department of Energy has cancelled a planned auction of coal blocks as policymakers place greater emphasis on renewable generation and grid modernisation across the archipelago.

Philippine Central Bank Says Capital Markets Need Stronger Foundations Before Wider Artificial Intelligence Adoption

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas has identified investor caution, regulatory challenges and dependence on third-party technology as obstacles to broader use of Artificial Intelligence in domestic trading and financial advisory services.

Philippines Joins Disaster Resilient Infrastructure Coalition as 71st Member

The Philippines has formally joined the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, gaining access to international expertise and cooperation aimed at making roads, bridges, ports and other critical infrastructure more resilient to ...

Taiwan Expo Targets More Than $100 Million in Philippine Technology Deals

Taiwanese companies participating in a three-day technology exhibition in Pasay City are targeting more than one hundred million United States dollars in business agreements as electronics and technology groups explore greater Philippine...

Canada Advances Trade and Investment Talks With Philippines and ASEAN

Canadian International Trade Minister Maninder Sidhu is pursuing deeper economic engagement with the Philippines and Southeast Asia, with negotiations spanning trade, Artificial Intelligence, clean energy, aerospace and critical minerals.

Philippine Banking Assets Rise 10 Percent to ₱30.7 Trillion

Total assets across the Philippine banking system reached thirty point seven trillion pesos in July, rising more than ten percent from a year earlier despite market volatility and a gradual increase in bad loans.

Middle East Conflict Puts Philippine Remittance Flows and Overseas Employment at Risk

A wider Middle East conflict could disrupt jobs held by hundreds of thousands of Filipino workers across the region, threatening remittance income that remains an important source of household spending and foreign currency for the Philip...

Marcos Explores Indian Support for Mindanao Railway, Cebu Transit and Philippine National Railways Expansion

President Ferdinand Marcos Junior met Indian transport specialists to explore cooperation on the Mindanao Railway, a mass-transit system in Cebu and an extension of Philippine National Railways services from Tutuban.

Philippine Treasury Cancels Planned Five-Year Bond Auction as Financing Conditions Tighten

The Bureau of the Treasury cancelled its scheduled September twenty-second auction of a new five-year government bond as elevated borrowing costs and peso weakness complicate debt-management decisions.

GCash Parent Mynt Cleared for Potential $1.48 Billion Philippine IPO

Philippine regulators have cleared Mynt, the parent company of GCash, for an initial public offering that could raise as much as ninety-two point three billion pesos, or about one point four eight billion United States dollars, under a r...

Marcos Administration Intensifies Scrutiny of Public Works Spending Amid Ghost-Project Concerns

The Philippine government is tightening reviews of infrastructure spending and project documentation as authorities seek to prevent duplicate, fictitious or improperly implemented public works projects and strengthen accountability over ...

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez Remains Under Travel Restrictions in ₱7.4 Billion Plunder Case

A court-issued hold-departure order remains in force against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez and co-accused individuals in a seven point four billion peso plunder case involving alleged kickbacks from government infrastructure and ...

Philippine Economic Growth Slows to 2.3 Percent in Second Quarter

The Philippine economy expanded by two point three percent from a year earlier in the second quarter of 2026, its weakest growth since 2021, as household consumption slowed and gross capital formation declined amid pressure on investment...

Philippines Rebukes China Over South China Sea Arbitration Stance and Flare Incidents

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro rejected Beijing’s characterization of the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award as invalid, while Philippine authorities prepared diplomatic action after Chinese forces fired flares toward an unarmed Phi...

Occidental Mindoro Opens Province’s First Dedicated Chemotherapy Centre

Occidental Mindoro has inaugurated its first specialised oncology and chemotherapy facility, allowing more cancer patients to receive treatment locally instead of travelling to Metro Manila.

Search Continues for Eight People After Passenger Vessel Incident off Occidental Mindoro

Philippine authorities are continuing search-and-rescue operations for eight people reported missing after a passenger vessel ran aground off Occidental Mindoro during the monsoon season.

Philippine Education Department Reviews School Safety After Bukidnon Student Death

Education authorities are examining physical safety and emergency-response standards across public schools following the death of a senior high school student in Bukidnon.

Philippines Launches Real-Time Tourism Dashboard to Track Arrivals and Revenue

The Department of Tourism has introduced a digital analytics platform providing real-time visitor and revenue data as the Philippines seeks to respond more quickly to changes in international travel demand.

Philippine Transport Groups Challenge Motorcycle Exclusion From ₱60 Billion EV Incentive Scheme

Industry and commuter groups are questioning why two- and three-wheeled vehicles are excluded from a major electric-vehicle incentive programme despite motorcycles’ widespread use in Philippine urban transport.

Ayala Land Commits ₱1 Billion to Upgrade Philippine Commercial and Technology Hubs

Ayala Land plans to invest ₱1 billion in modernising major retail and technology-focused properties as the company positions its portfolio for continued urban consumer and business activity.

Philippine Energy Regulator Seeks More Funding for Digitalisation and Retail Market Reform

The Energy Regulatory Commission is seeking additional funding from its own collections to upgrade digital systems, accelerate rate reviews and expand competitive electricity access to smaller consumers.

Philippines Redirects Agrarian Reform Spending Toward Farm Productivity After Debt Relief

The Department of Agrarian Reform is proposing a ₱16.9 billion budget focused on making redistributed farmland more productive and commercially viable after large-scale agricultural debt condonation.

Philippine Lawmakers Press Gaming Platforms on Child Safety During Technology Budget Review

Congress suspended deliberations on the information and communications technology budget while lawmakers sought stronger child-protection and local accountability measures from international gaming platforms including Roblox.

Philippines Tightens Eligibility for Extended Conditional Cash Transfers

The Department of Social Welfare and Development says extensions beyond the standard limit under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program will be reserved for households classified at survival or subsistence level.

Metro Manila Police Prepare Full Alert for September 21 Anti-Corruption Rallies

Police in the Philippine capital region are preparing to deploy more than 15,000 personnel for demonstrations planned on September 21, with authorities saying security officers assigned to crowd-control operations will not carry firearms.

Philippine House Ends Deliberations on ₱27.9 Billion Congressional Budget Without Questions

The House of Representatives concluded deliberations on Congress’ proposed ₱27.89 billion budget for 2027 without interpellation after no lawmakers present sought to question the spending plan.

Kanlaon Mudflows Force Evacuations in Negros Communities

Heavy rain triggered muddy flows from the upper slopes of Mount Kanlaon, prompting the evacuation of families in parts of La Castellana and Canlaon City as authorities monitor the continuing risk of volcanic debris flows.

Philippine Defence Chief Publicly Challenges China at Seoul Security Forum

Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. read aloud and disputed a note from a Chinese military representative at the Seoul Defense Dialogue concerning Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling, prompting a fresh e...

Philippines Raises Alarm Over Israeli Settlement Expansion in West Bank

The Department of Foreign Affairs expressed deep concern over Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, saying unilateral actions could undermine prospects for peace and a future Palestinian state.

Philippines Cancels 2026 Coal Development Auction for Regulatory Review

The Department of Energy has terminated the current coal production and development bidding round, including areas on Semirara Island, after stakeholders raised legal, technical, environmental and financial concerns.

Central Luzon Flooding Renews Scrutiny of Philippine Flood-Control Spending

Severe monsoon rains and tropical cyclones have displaced millions of Filipinos and damaged infrastructure across Central Luzon, intensifying public attention on flood-control projects, urban planning and the use of infrastructure funds.

Philippines Advances U.S.-Backed Pax Silica Technology Hub in Luzon Economic Corridor

The Philippines is developing a proposed advanced manufacturing hub under the U.S.-led Pax Silica initiative, targeting semiconductor, artificial-intelligence and critical-mineral supply chains within the Luzon Economic Corridor.

Philippines Expands Pag-asa Island Infrastructure in the South China Sea

The Philippines is extending aviation and maritime infrastructure on Pag-asa, or Thitu Island, strengthening the remote outpost’s capacity to support operations and resupply in the disputed Spratly Islands.

Philippine Peso Trades Near ₱63 Per Dollar as Inflation and Oil Prices Pressure Markets

The peso has weakened close to the ₱63-per-dollar level amid elevated inflation and wider market volatility, adding to scrutiny of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ monetary-policy response.

Philippine Economy Slows to 2.3% Growth as Unemployment Rises Above Three Million

Philippine gross domestic product expanded 2.3% year on year in the second quarter while unemployment reached more than three million people by July, increasing pressure on policymakers as inflation and weaker industrial activity weigh o...

Philippine Supreme Court Overturns Imelda Marcos Graft Convictions

The Supreme Court acquitted former first lady Imelda Marcos in a case involving Swiss foundations, ruling that prosecutors failed to properly authenticate key records or prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez Pleads Not Guilty in ₱7.4 Billion Plunder Case

Martin Romualdez entered a not-guilty plea to plunder charges alleging billions of pesos in kickbacks from flood-control and other government projects, allowing the case before the Sandiganbayan to proceed to its next stages.