Category: Business

Business

PH Inflation Falls to 6.1% for the Fourth Straight Slowdown — But Rice Prices Are Moving in the Opposite Direction

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine inflation eased for a fourth consecutive month in August, offering another sign that the country's severe price pressures may be losing some momentum. But underneath the encouraging headline figure lies a more complicated—and potentially more painful—story for Filipino households. The Philippine Statistics Authority said headline inflation slowed to 6.1% in August from 6.2% in July, primarily because food, electricity and other household costs rose more slowly.

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Business

The Philippines Just Put Its Investment Permits Into One Digital Guide — But Investors Still Have to Survive the Actual Approval Process

MANILA, Philippines — For years, one of the frustrations facing investors in the Philippines has not necessarily been a lack of opportunity. It has been figuring out which permit comes first, which government office issues it, which document another agency requires—and whether the rules changed while the project was still being processed. The Board of Investments is now trying to make that maze easier to navigate. The BOI has formally received a Digital Investor’s Guidebook that consolidates

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Business

Diesel Could Jump ₱5.50 a Liter Tuesday — But the Philippines’ Fuel Problem Is Getting Bigger Than One Price Hike

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino motorists who thought this week's pump-price rollback offered some breathing room may have to give much of that relief back almost immediately. Fuel prices are expected to surge again on Tuesday, September 8, with the latest full-week industry calculations pointing to an increase of approximately ₱4.50 to ₱5.50 per liter for diesel and ₱4.00 to ₱4.50 for gasoline. Some estimates reported by ABS-CBN put the possible diesel increase as high as roughly ₱6 per liter,

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Business

Trump Wants the Fed to Cut Rates — But His Own Fed Chairman May Be Days Away From Raising Them

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump spent years demanding lower interest rates from Jerome Powell. Now the president faces a potentially more uncomfortable confrontation. The Federal Reserve chairman standing between Trump and cheaper money is Kevin Warsh — the man Trump personally nominated for the job only six months ago. And instead of preparing to cut interest rates, Warsh is overseeing a Federal Reserve that may be preparing to raise them. Financial markets increased their bets on a September rat

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Business

Beer Was Declared as ‘Food’ and ‘Machinery’ in Singapore Tax Scheme — Then Customs Opened the Warehouse

SINGAPORE — Thousands of bottles of beer entered Singapore on paperwork that allegedly made them look like something entirely different. Food. Industrial machinery. Anything, investigators said, except the dutiable alcohol actually sitting inside the shipments. The scheme eventually led Singapore Customs to more than 35,000 bottles of duty-unpaid beer, a Singapore company used to store and distribute them, two men prosecuted in court—and a S$560,000 fine for the man authorities described as

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Business

Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala Meets Davao Leaders—Is a Major Ayala Partnership Next?

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — What could the Ayala Group be planning next in Mindanao? Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala, the chief executive officer of ACMobility and one of the younger-generation leaders of the Ayala Group, recently met with local officials in Davao City to explore potential partnerships that could support the city's long-term development priorities. But while the meeting has sparked interest over the possibility of a larger Ayala presence or new initiatives in Davao, officials have

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Business

Razon’s Primelectric Eyes PEZA Ecozones—Could Dedicated Power Networks Finally Solve Investors’ Biggest Worry?

MANILA, Philippines — Enrique Razon-led Primelectric Holdings Inc. is moving to explore a potentially major expansion into Philippine economic zones, partnering with the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) to study the development of dedicated electricity distribution systems for selected industrial and business hubs. The initiative could reshape how future PEZA ecozones prepare for investors, with reliable power infrastructure being considered even before companies commit to setting up f

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Business

Will the Peso Really Hit ₱65? PCCI’s Bryan Ang Says Christmas Dollars Could Change Everything

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine peso may be under intense pressure, but the currency is unlikely to plunge all the way to ₱65 against the US dollar, according to Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) official Bryan Ang, who believes a seasonal surge in overseas Filipino remittances and steady dollar earnings from the country's business process outsourcing industry could provide crucial support. Ang, PCCI vice president for trade and industry, said the approaching Christmas sea

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Business

Japan Airlines Buys Into Korean Air’s Parent as Alliance Deepens — But the Timing Could Reshape a Brewing Hanjin KAL Power Contest

Japan Airlines Buys Into Korean Air’s Parent as Alliance Deepens — But the Timing Could Reshape a Brewing Hanjin KAL Power Contest SEO Meta Description: Japan Airlines has reportedly acquired an undisclosed stake in Korean Air parent Hanjin KAL while expanding its strategic alliance with Korean Air ahead of the December Asiana merger, raising questions about Hanjin Group’s shareholder balance. SEO Keywords: Japan Airlines Korean Air partnership, JAL Hanjin KAL stake, Korean Air Asiana merger,

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Business

America’s Mighty USS Abraham Lincoln Finally Reached Port After 264 Days at Sea — But the Rust Is Hiding a Much Bigger Problem

LAEM CHABANG, Thailand — For decades, few objects have projected American military power as dramatically as a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. A nuclear-powered supercarrier arriving offshore — packed with combat aircraft, surrounded by escorts and carrying thousands of sailors — has traditionally sent an unmistakable geopolitical message. But when the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived in Thailand this week after one of the most demanding deployments in recent U.S. naval history, a different image began

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