Business News
Former Bayan Muna lawmaker Carlos Isagani Zarate has sounded the alarm over what he described as a rushed and questionable attempt to place South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative Inc. (SOCOTECO II) under greater private corporate control, warning that the proposed joint venture could have long-term consequences for electricity consumers and member-consumer-owners. Zarate, Bayan Muna’s national…
Photo by Markus Winkler on Pexels.com The number of economic zones (ecozones) in the country has increased to 46 with the signing of four proclamations by President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. that expanded two economic zones in Southern Tagalog and established two more in Negros Oriental and Batangas. According to executive secretary Ralph Recto, the…
Manila Electric Company (Meralco) crews continued working around the clock to restore electricity in communities affected by heavy rains and flooding brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon or Habagat. As of 4 p.m. on August 30, around 49,000 customers were experiencing power interruptions across Meralco’s franchise area, with nearly half of them located in flooded…
The next big SM development may not be decided by foot traffic, population growth or commercial potential alone. Flood risk, earthquake exposure and other natural hazards could increasingly influence where the conglomerate puts its money. SM Investments Corporation has partnered with the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology to integrate GeoRiskPH…
Globe is pouring more money into its network as competition for the Philippines’ increasingly data-hungry consumers intensifies. The telecommunications giant invested ₱26.3 billion in capital expenditures during the first half of 2026, up 39 percent from a year earlier, as it accelerated spending on network capacity, digital infrastructure and 5G expansion. About 91 percent of…
Security Bank Corporation is placing wealth management, entrepreneur banking and corporate and institutional banking at the center of its next growth chapter as it seeks to deepen relationships with higher-value clients and capture expanding business opportunities in the Philippine economy. Unveiled during Security Bank Investor Day 2026, the three-year strategy reflects a more focused approach…
Concentrix Philippines is putting artificial intelligence at the center of a major performance overhaul after early pilot programs showed gains of up to 30 percent in capacity for higher-value work, signaling how the customer experience industry is moving beyond conventional outsourcing toward AI-enabled business transformation. The company has launched its Performance Engineering Team (PET), a…
Big Ben Group is strengthening the backbone of its manufacturing operations in Bulacan through a new electricity supply partnership with MPower, the retail electricity arm of Manuel V. Pangilinan-led Manila Electric Company (Meralco). Under the agreement, MPower will provide reliable and cost-competitive electricity to Big Ben Group’s manufacturing facilities in Pulilan, helping support continuous production…
Businesses today are awash in data. But as economic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions, technological disruption and operational risks intensify, access to more information is no longer enough to guarantee better decisions. The bigger challenge is determining which information is credible, understanding it in the right context and acting on it with sound judgment. That message emerged…
Globe leaders at the latest The Blueprint by Globe, where the company unveiled new ways to make connectivity more convenient, rewarding and personal for customers. The battle for Filipino telecom customers is moving beyond signal strength, data allocations and price. Globe is raising the stakes by building a wider ecosystem of rewards, artificial intelligence, entertainment,…