PH Business News & Market Updates

Recent business headlines and trade shifts across the Philippines.

Launched May 9, 2026. Updates every 6 hours.

Sources include BusinessWorld and Philippine Star, plus other Philippine business news outlets.

PHL seen on track to enter top tier of WB’s B-Ready ranking by 2028

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said the Philippines is poised to enter the top 20% of countries assessed by the World Bank’s (WB) Business Ready (B-Ready...

Raising tax exemption threshold to create revenue hole — DEPDev

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said the proposed increase in the income tax exemption threshold will require Congress to find ...

BoI seeking UAE tech tie-ups for RE integration projects

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Board of Investments (BoI) said it is looking to partner with tech firms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to integrate renewable energy (RE) and data ce...

Six ASF vaccine makers apply for commercial-use approval

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) said six vaccine makers with treatments for African Swine Fever (ASF) are currently seeking approval for commercial use o...

DEPDev backs coco trust fund budget flexibility

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said it supported proposed amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act that w...

Lucena port terminal completion expected by 3rd quarter

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Transportation (DoTr) said the new passenger terminal building at the Port of Lucena is nearing completion and is expected to be finished b...

Upgraded DA labs to expand food safety monitoring role

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it invested P55 million to expand the food safety monitoring capabilities of DA laboratories, to include testing for ...

Gov’t urged to accelerate infra spending reforms after weak first-quarter growth

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE government must accelerate reforms to improve infrastructure spending and ease cost pressures to help improve consumer confidence, following the weak per...

Auto industry backpedals on 500,000-unit sales goal

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE CHAMBER of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) said its vehicle sales target of 500,000 units for 2026 is no longer its main focus,...

PHL progress noted in diversifying exports

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) said the Philippines has been successful in diversifying its exports while also increasing the share of domestic value-added...

Businesses under pressure to absorb costs to maintain competitive position

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

MARGIN compression is looming for Philippine companies as costs rise, along with the pressure to hold the line on pricing to remain competitive, industry ass...

Price caps under study for pork, carrots, cooking oil

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is evaluating proposals to impose price caps on pork belly (liempo), carrots, and palm-based cooking oil, with ret...

Policy balancing act seen needed to avert stagflation

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE PHILIPPINES risks slipping deeper into a “stagflationary” environment if monetary, fiscal, and structural policies fail to work in sync, an analyst said.

PHL, Japan hope to expand agriculture cooperation deal ahead of Marcos visit

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE PHILIPPINES and Japan are preparing to expand their agricultural cooperation, with talks underway to amend a bilateral agreement to include fisheries and...

ASEAN urged to keep trade barriers low

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it called on fellow members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to maintain open trade flow...

Factory output growth hits over 2-year high in March

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

MANUFACTURING output growth accelerated to a more than two-year high in March, as manufacturers began bracing for the economic fallout of the Middle East cri...

Mining tax reform: What you need to know

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

Our tax system has long been complex, and since 2018, the government has introduced several reforms to simplify the framework, address inequities and improve...

Agricultural production falls 0.3% in Q1 on weaker crop, fisheries output

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

Agricultural production declined 0.3% year-on-year in the first quarter, driven by lower crop and fisheries output, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)...

DBM clawing back unused 2025 funds to support relief program

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said it ordered all government agencies to identify and surrender unused funds from their 2025 budgets to suppo...

Property valuation system overhaul expected by 2028

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is preparing to overhaul the property valuation system in 2028, citing the need to align property values with market rat...

SJDM in due diligence for new water partner after ending JV

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

SAN JOSE DEL MONTE, Bulacan — The city government said it is seeking a new water service provider after assuming control of a joint venture (JV) with PrimeWa...

Agri trade deficit widens nearly 22% in March as imports surge

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE deficit in the agricultural goods trade widened 21.9% year on year in March to $1.17 billion, according to preliminary data from the Philippine Statistic...

Hog repopulation effort targets return to pre-ASF levels in 2028

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Agriculture (DA) said it is procuring swine this year to kick hog industry revival efforts into high gear, with a target of restoring the h...

Technical plan adjustments for MRT-7 approved by Economy, Dev’t Council

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Economy and Development (ED) Council has approved amendments to the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) project, government economic planners said. In a st...

Regulator to continue toll freeze on last portion of C5-Cavitex link

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said it deferred the launch of toll collection for the final segment of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Cavitex) C5 Link. ...

Batanes fisherfolk receives new vessel, fuel subsidies

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said it supplied a high-capacity fishing vessel to Batanes fisherfolk, and aided in the distribution of ...

ADB, Japan to fund programs to prop up SMEs during energy crises

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) said it and Japan launched a joint initiative that will support countries and businesses in Asia and the Pacific grappling w...

Uncertified steel products valued at P22 million seized in Pampanga

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said it seized P21.9 million worth of uncertified steel products from unidentified locations in Pampanga. In a sta...

PHL wholesale price growth hits six-month high in March

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

WHOLESALE PRICE GROWTH for general goods picked up in March, propelled by rising mineral fuel prices following the start of the Iran conflict, the Philippine...

Business-name registrations up 10% at end of April

Source: BusinessWorld May 8, 2026

BUSINESS NAME registrations jumped 33.27% to 79,099 in April, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said. According to the DTI’s business name registrat...

Transformative leadership for MSMEs

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

I recently spoke at a conference for MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises).

Hidden danger

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Tech giant Meta is now facing a lawsuit in the United States regarding its Meta AI smart glasses for violating privacy laws and engaging in false advertising.

PEZA-approved investments hit P109 billion

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Investments approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) jumped by 72 percent from a year ago despite heightened global uncertainty from geopoli...

Oil prices, inflation weigh on Philippine growth outlook

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

The Philippine economy may remain under pressure in the coming quarters as elevated oil prices, surging inflation and weak consumer and investment spending t...

SEC to probe Piki’s complaint vs ABS-CBN execs

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said it would look into the complaint filed by tycoon Federico “Piki” Lopez against ABS-CBN Corp. ex...

Manila Water income up 24 percent in Q1

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Razon-led Manila Water Co. Inc. posted a 24 percent increase in net income from January to March, driven by stronger revenues from its business operations th...

SM Group’s mother is ‘mothering’

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Tycoon Teresita “Tessie” Sy-Coson is “mothering.”

Stocks plunge as market succumbs to profit taking

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Share prices failed to keep their winning momentum alive as market succumbed to profit taking to end the week in the negative territory.

Dollar reserves dip to $104 billion in April

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

The country’s foreign exchange buffer fell to its lowest level in 15 months in April, as the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) likely tapped reserves t...

Philippines, Vietnam agree on fixed-price rice deal till April 2027

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

The agreement gives the Philippines uninterrupted deliveries of 1.5 million metric tons of Dai Thom 8 rice.

RCBC Wealth named Best Private Bank for NextGen Clients at Euromoney Private Banking Awards 2026

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. has solidified its leadership in the shifting landscape of Philippine wealth

Diesel, kerosene rollback likely next week, says DOE

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

DOE's Rino Abad says diesel may fall by around P9 per liter and kerosene by P12 per liter next week.

Group warns against blanket ban on social media

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

A consumer advocacy group warned lawmakers that the proposed blanket ban on minors’ access to social media could expose young users to greater online r...

Palawan Group strengthens nationwide payments network through BDO partnership

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

The collaboration leverages Palawan Group’s extensive physical network alongside its digital wallet, PalawanPay.

Price Tracker: Oil, fuel monitor for May 8

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Here are the reported benchmark prices and range for May 8.

Weaker peso pushes up Philippines debt to P18.5 trillion in March

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

The country’s outstanding debt rose to P18.49 trillion as of end-March, a new record high amid a weaker peso and net issuance of domestic securities, t...

D&L delivers higher profit as Middle East crisis boosted sales

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

D&L Industries Inc., the country’s largest producer of oleochemicals, specialty plastics and food products, managed to book a five percent increase...

Metro Pacific core income expands 5% in Q1

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Conglomerate Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) demonstrated resilience amid high energy prices and a volatile global environment, sustaining growth in i...

‘Mideast war, El Niño may weigh on coconut industry’

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

 Coconut farmers may face multiple challenges this year as surging shipping costs due to the war in the Middle East and the incoming El Niño weat...

Monde off to strong start in Q1

Source: PhilStar May 8, 2026

Snack food giant Monde Nissin Corp. started the year strong, with core net income attributable to shareholders climbing by 11.3 percent to P3.3 billion in th...

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