Category: Philippines

Business

2GO Just Put Bus, Van and Ferry Trips Into One Booking — And It Could Change How Filipinos Travel Across the Islands

MANILA — For millions of Filipinos, getting from one island to another has often meant stitching together separate bus tickets, ferry bookings, van transfers and terminal schedules. 2GO Travel now wants to turn that fragmented journey into one itinerary. The shipping company has launched TraveLink, a multimodal travel service that combines 2GO sea fares with connecting bus and van transportation, allowing passengers to arrange multiple legs of a domestic trip under a single booking. Instead of

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Philippines

Davao Jails See Big Drop in Overcrowding—But One Facility Still Has a Shocking 529% Congestion Rate

DAVAO CITY — Jail overcrowding in the Davao Region has eased significantly this year, with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Region XI (BJMP-XI) reporting a 162 percent average congestion rate from January to August 2026, down sharply from 208 percent during the same period in 2025. The decline represents a 46-percentage-point reduction, or roughly a 22 percent decrease relative to last year’s rate. Despite the improvement, BJMP officials stressed that the region’s jails remain seri

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Business

Samsung’s ₱50.7-Billion Philippine Expansion Is Bringing 30 Korean Suppliers to Scout Sites — But the Bigger Prize Is the Supply Chain

MANILA — Samsung Electro-Mechanics’ massive expansion in the Philippines may be about to trigger something potentially more important than one big investment: an entire ecosystem of suppliers following it into the country. Around 30 Tier 1 suppliers of Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co. Ltd. are expected to visit the Philippines in October to conduct due diligence and evaluate possible investment sites, according to the Philippine Economic Zone Authority. The companies are being courted as the gove

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Philippines

Cebu Army Unit Takes the Fight Online—What Its New “Katipanan Digital” Strategy Means for Filipinos

CEBU CITY — The Philippine Army is taking its information campaign deeper into the digital space as a Cebu-based civil-military operations unit launches a new social media strategy aimed at reaching more Filipinos and countering misinformation, disinformation and malinformation. The 14th Civil-Military Operations (CMO) Katipanan Battalion has launched “Katipanan Digital,” a social media initiative covering Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Threads. According to the Philippine Informatio

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Philippines

Baguio Bullying Case Ends in P800,000 Settlement—But the Bigger Question Is What Happens to the Students Next

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — A highly publicized bullying incident involving minors in Baguio City has reached an amicable settlement, with the families of the student involved agreeing on financial penalties, public apologies and commitments aimed at preventing another incident. The agreement was reached on Friday, September 4, roughly a week after a video of the incident circulated widely on social media. Under the settlement, the families of the minors involved will collectively pay P800,000

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Business

Proterial Is Building LIMA Estate’s First Ground-Mounted Solar Plant — But the Bigger Story Could Start After 2027

BATANGAS, Philippines — One of Southern Luzon’s biggest industrial hubs is taking another step toward cleaner manufacturing, and this time the solar panels are going on the ground. Advent Upgrade Solar Inc. (AUSI) and Proterial Philippines Inc. have signed a 20-year power purchase agreement for a 1,587.20-kilowatt-peak, or roughly 1.59-megawatt-peak, ground-mounted solar photovoltaic system at Proterial’s manufacturing facility inside LIMA Estate in Batangas. The project is targeted to begin c

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Business

Philippine Peso Crashes to Record ₱62.59 per Dollar — And Rising Oil Prices Could Make the Pain Worse

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine peso has fallen to another historic low, closing at ₱62.59 against the US dollar on Friday, September 4, as surging global oil prices, a stronger greenback and rising US Treasury yields pile fresh pressure on the Philippine economy. The currency weakened by seven centavos from Thursday’s ₱62.52 close, eclipsing the previous record of ₱62.565 set just two days earlier. It marked the peso’s fifth record-low finish in six trading sessions, underscoring how quic

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Business

PH Businesses Turn More Pessimistic Than During Key COVID Periods—Here’s What’s Driving the Sudden Gloom

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine businesses have turned sharply pessimistic, with confidence plunging to levels that were weaker than those recorded in published business surveys during major periods of the COVID-19 crisis. The latest Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Business Expectations Survey showed the overall business confidence index collapsing to -20.3% in July 2026, from a neutral 0% in June. A negative reading means pessimistic firms outnumbered optimistic ones. The deterioration co

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Philippines

MOTORCYCLIST HIT BY FALLING TREE BRANCH IN PAMPANGA — THEN AUTHORITIES HAD TO SHUT DOWN POWER

SAN FERNANDO CITY, PAMPANGA — What began as an ordinary motorcycle trip along one of Pampanga's busiest roads suddenly turned into a roadside emergency when a large tree branch fell onto a passing rider Friday morning, Sept. 4. The motorcycle rider was traveling along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Telabastagan, City of San Fernando, when the branch fell and struck him, according to the City Public Order and Safety Coordinating Office (CPOSCO). The impact left the rider with a broken arm, and h

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Philippines

Sara Duterte Arrest Warrant Issued—But De Lima Says the Court’s Finding Could Change Everything

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte is facing a major legal setback after a Quezon City court issued a warrant for her arrest over three counts of grave threats, with the court finding probable cause to hold her for trial. The development prompted former senator and now Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima to say that the warrant demonstrates that the court found sufficient basis to move the case forward. But the legal significance goes beyond the political statements

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