China’s digital yuan to become interest-bearing in 2026BEIJING – Holdings of China’s digital yuan, or e-CNY, will start generating interest income next year under a new framework, state broadcaster CCTV said on Monday, as China steps up efforts to promote the use of its central bank digital currency. “This will help increase users’ willingness to adopt the digital yuan, expand its usage scenarios, and further solidify China’s leading position in the global exploration of central bank digital currencies,” the state broadcaster said. The use of China’s digital yuan is currently limited to some government agencies and state companies. Earlier on Monday, Financial News, a publication run by the PBOC, said the central bank will issue an action plan on digital yuan management. A new framework for digital yuan measurement, management, operation and ecosystem will take effect on Jan. 1, the newspaper said.

Teen Turns Walks to Watts, Wins Top Spot at EPIC Junior 2025EPIC Junior brings the elevator-pitch format of HKSTP’s flagship start-up competition to Hong Kong’s next generation of innovators.

Drive out ignoranceOne superstitious belief that was used as an excuse by Filipinos to light up firecrackers on New Year’s Eve is that the explosion would drive out evil spirits as well as bad luck. I venture that the consequence comes from ignorance or forgetting the spirit behind a cultural value or practice. Circling back to firecrackers, superstition and ignorance, it is interesting to note that firecracker bans have gotten tougher and tougher, but superstition and ignorance persist. We do need to blast away ignorance that feeds superstition, but more importantly, we need to actively work against ignorance in our lives. Many platforms and sources are capitalizing on people’s “selective ignorance” to peddle their political narrative, disinformation or bias.

The added bonus was that all the pieces were later exhibited at the National Museum, the better to peruse the artisanal details. What the gowns lacked in flamboyance, however, they made up for with impeccable cuts and draping like DOJ Undersecretary Margarita Gutierrez’s terno by Jay Cerezo. Come yearend, the pop-ups Bench x Katutubo at Bench Tower and the ArteFino fair at Rockwell were the places to shop for all the new takes on Filipiniana. At the former, Bench Fashion Week designers were represented, like Daryl Maat with his controversial Pad Paper embroidered barongs and Jo Ann Bitagcol’s easy pieces incorporating her heritage photographs. At the latter, Jor-El Espina, in collaboration with Patis Tesoro, brings her artisanship to the present generation with novel cuts and silhouettes.

My lola Marina Reyes Antonio, wife of National Artist for Architecture Pablo Antonio, was a woman who lived her 96 years with passion and purpose. When my lola Marina was a child, their family was abandoned by her father, and she went to live with her paternal grandparents for many years. This is the most important lesson I got from my lola Marina, and not something she taught me outright. My lola taught not by explaining, but by example. “When we do our work well,” said Hannah, “Lola Marina lives on in us.” Love Marina is available at Vicky Veloso-Barrera’s Tiny Kitchen, the FEU bookshop at the university and online, and at Tesoro’s Pasay Road.

Arsenal make it six out of six with easy win over Club Brugge

Marcos: Uphold truth, patriotismMANILA, Philippines — As the Philippines continues to be beset by widespread corruption, President Marcos yesterday urged Filipinos to draw inspiration from national hero Jose Rizal by upholding patriotism, truth and responsible citizenship. Marcos led the flag-raising and wreath-laying rites at the Rizal Monument in Manila as the nation commemorated the 129th anniversary of Rizal’s heroism and martyrdom. First Lady Liza Marcos and their children, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, Joseph Simon and William Vincent, joined the President. The Marcoses hosted a year-end celebration for some 2,000 supporters from the Friends of Imelda Romualdez Marcos or FIRM, led by founding president Artemio Lachica. Marcos and Duterte’s political alliance in the 2022 general elections, dubbed the UniTeam, collapsed in 2024.

Yulo, extending his glorious reign, and Eala, breaking barriers, serve as powerful symbols of the new golden era characterized, not just by more breakthroughs, but successes that would be inspiration for the next generation. Moreover, Eala became only the second wildcard to slay three or more Grand Slam champions in a single tour-level event after Elina Svitolina at Wimbledon 2023. 75 of the WTA rankings to qualify in all Grand Slam main draws. Then came her homecoming in New York, three years after being the first Filipina junior Grand Slam champion, where she blazed another trail by becoming the first Filipina to play and win a match in any Grand Slam main draw. SEA Games: Philippines cops golds that matterTeam Philippines scooped up 50 gold medals in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand and finished sixth in the medal race.

The Righteous CityMay he produce in you . Nestled inside the copper box were hopeful predictions from some city leaders who expressed visions of prosperity. We’ll often stumble on the journey, yet still we look forward to “the city that is to come” where God’s righteousness will reign (v. 14). How can you encourage others to seek God’s righteousness? Dear God, please work in me what’s pleasing to You.

‘Accountability to aid recovery’Noting that redeeming trust requires visible compliance, Philippine Institute for Development Studies senior research fellow John Paolo Rivera said key priorities for next year include spending efficiency, tighter procurement and food price stability, among others. Rivera said restoring public trust would require visible accountability, including pursuing cases and enforcing rules, clearer policy communication and consistent implementation across government agencies. And therefore, we have penciled in a gross domestic product growth forecast for 2026 of about 5.6 percent,” he said. The economist said the country could have reached six percent growth if not for inefficiencies in public infrastructure, particularly flood control projects. Former finance chief Ralph Recto also said the economy could have grown by as much as six percent without the economic losses from flood control projects that may have reached P118 billion from 2023 to 2025.

US gears up for agricultural trade mission to PhilippinesMANILA, Philippines — The US is gearing up for an agricultural trade mission to the Philippines next year, as Washington seeks to expand its share in the country’s growing food market. USDA is encouraging American exporters to join the trade mission to explore business opportunities in the Philippines’ “thriving” market and “rapidly” growing economy. “US agricultural exporters have an abundance of new opportunities in the Philippines, thanks to President Trump’s recent trade agreement,” said Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Undersecretary Luke Lindberg. “This trade mission will connect US producers with key buyers in the Philippines, expanding economic opportunities, supporting rural prosperity, and keeping American agricultural products globally competitive,” he added. USDA’s trade mission to the Philippines is part of its broader 2026 export promotion strategy that involves other agribusiness trade missions to Türkiye, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam.

‘Demonetizing high-value notes unlikely to curb financial crimes’The study argued that removing the legal tender status of high-value notes is “a blunt instrument that inflicts severe collateral damage to legitimate, cash-dependent populations,” while offering limited benefits in deterring corrupt actors who can easily shift to alternative stores of value such as real estate, precious metals, shell companies, gold and cryptocurrencies. Despite withdrawing notes that accounted for 86 percent of the total value of banknotes in circulation, the policy failed to eliminate black money or curb corruption. As of end-August, the P1,000 note accounted for 83 percent of the total value of banknotes in circulation and 41 percent in volume. Combined with the P500 note, the two highest denominations accounted for 93 percent of the total value and 51 percent of the total volume. Without these, the study warned, demonetization risks repeating costly failures seen in other jurisdictions while leaving the root causes of corruption unaddressed.

Clear sectoral policies seen as gateway for green investmentsMANILA, Philippines — Sector-specific policies in energy and transport are crucial to unlock private capital for the green transition, as investors need clearer regulatory detail, while stronger green force governance can provide certainty and confidence in government climate commitments, according to the Green Finance Institute (GFI). But from an overarching perspective, our recommendation is that green force governance piece, which I think will give some of that surety to the capital, the government,” he told The STAR. In its report, GFI said high costs and limited revenue streams are restricting private investment in the Philippines’ recycling, co-processing and waste-to-energy facilities despite growing waste volumes and the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation. “For me, as we see it, policy is the enabler, and finance is the facilitator of this transition. It’s about giving fine policy signals, specific policy signals, demand signals, demand signals, on a sector basis,” he said.

FFCCCII welcomes LOA reformsMANILA, Philippines — The Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) expressed support for Finance Secretary Frederick Go’s initiative to introduce reforms to curtail the misuse of letters of authority (LOAs) and related audit instruments of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), noting the move sends a positive signal to investors. In a statement, the FFCCCII welcomed the move, noting that it strengthens the foundations of a just and professional tax administration. Go earlier said that the government is looking at reforms, including limiting the number of BIR offices authorized to issue LOAs. For the FFCCCII, Go’s initiative directly addresses these concerns and ensures that state power is exercised with accountability and restraint. The FFCCCII said the reforms also demonstrate the Philippines’ commitment to promote a rules-based, predictable and fair business environment by protecting investors from arbitrary administrative actions.

ASEAN ChairIt is the most inauspicious time for the Philippines to take the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN. As ASEAN Chair in 2026, the Philippines faces challenges balancing our South China Sea problems with regional unity, managing internal political pressures, navigating great power competition and addressing the Myanmar crisis without clear consensus. It will also be a challenge to progress on ambitious economic integration goals, articulated in 1992 with the signing of the Framework Agreement on Enhancing ASEAN Economic Cooperation, which established the goal of an ASEAN Free Trade Area. ASEAN will have to carefully navigate the treacherous waters of Big Power rivalry in the region, preferably as a regional bloc. Our ASEAN Chair duties will be made more difficult by our lack of credibility.