Stocks tumble as investors cash in
Stocks tumble as investors cash inThe bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index slipped by 0.35 percent or 22.86 points to close the week at 6,464.67. MANILA, Philippines — Local stocks tumbled as investors pocketed gains following a sharp increase the previous day. The bellwether Philippine Stock Exchange index slipped by 0.35 percent or 22.86 points to close the week at 6,464.67. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported on Thursday that cash remittances posted a 3.6-percent increase to $2.91 billion in November from $2.81 billion in the same month in 2024. Trading stayed active as total value turnover reached P7.25 billion, almost unchanged from the previous day’s P7.30 billion.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:32 UTC
RFM eyes sustained sales, profit growth this year
RFM eyes sustained sales, profit growth this year“We remain optimistic about sustaining sales and income growth in 2026, driven by new products, resilient consumer demand, easing inflation and stable commodity prices,” RFM president and CEO Joey Concepcion said. MANILA, Philippines — Food and beverage company RFM Corp. anticipates sustained sales and income growth this year, with its brands and institutional segments, including ice cream, expected to continue performing strongly. “We remain optimistic about sustaining sales and income growth in 2026, driven by new products, resilient consumer demand, easing inflation and stable commodity prices,” RFM president and CEO Joey Concepcion said. He said that aside from new investments in ice cream, RFM is also allocating funds for production upgrades in Selecta Milk to enhance efficiency and yield. It also operates a joint venture in the country’s leading ice cream business selling Selecta, Magnum and Cornetto ice cream.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:32 UTC
Del Monte Foods selects bidders for asset sale transactions
Del Monte Foods selects bidders for asset sale transactionsDel Monte Foods said it has negotiated asset purchase agreements with three parties for substantially all of its assets and business operations as going-concern businesses. MANILA, Philippines — Del Monte Foods Inc., an indirect subsidiary of Singapore and Philippine-listed Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL), has chosen three bidders for the sale of business assets in its court-supervised auction process. Del Monte Foods said it has negotiated asset purchase agreements with three parties for substantially all of its assets and business operations as going-concern businesses. “This outcome represents a successful result in our sale process and demonstrates the enduring value of Del Monte Foods’ brands and operations. The sale transactions are subject to the approval of the US Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey and customary closing conditions.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:32 UTC
Cargo traffic up 7% in 2025
Cargo traffic up 7% in 2025Records from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) showed that the country’s cargo traffic climbed to 308.5 million metric tons (MT) last year, overcoming earlier risks from global instability. Records from the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) showed that the country’s cargo traffic climbed to 308.5 million metric tons (MT) last year, overcoming earlier risks from global instability. Domestic cargo throughput jumped by nine percent to 114.09 million MT last year from 104.83 million MT in 2024, as industries bought more raw materials that required shipping services. Foreign cargo traffic went up by five percent to 194.41 million MT from 184.58 million MT, weathering the storm that is higher US tariffs. Further, roll-on, roll-off (Roro) traffic ballooned by 13 percent to 12.81 million vehicles in 2025, as travelers depended on Roro ships to transfer goods around the archipelago.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:32 UTC
DOF highlights CARS funding fix, reforms
DOF highlights CARS funding fix, reformsFinance Secretary Frederick Go (center) is flanked by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez during the press briefing for ‘Big Bold Reforms: The Philippines 2026’ held at Shangri-La The Fort in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig yesterday. “After the much chatter on the vetoed funding of the CARS program, the government finalized a funding solution for the CARS program, and therefore, car manufacturers enrolled in the program can now be assured that the government will fulfill its commitment to investors,” Go said. “All the private sector stakeholders always stress three things: the ease of doing business, the cost of doing business and predictability of doing business,” he said. The CARS program was introduced in 2015 to provide time-limited, performance-based fiscal incentives aimed at drawing strategic investments into the local production of motor vehicles and automotive components. Beyond the CARS program, Go outlined several reforms aimed at cutting red tape and lowering compliance costs.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:32 UTC
AppleOne bolsters governance with key appointments
AppleOne bolsters governance with key appointmentsMANILA, Philippines — The AppleOne Group, a Cebu-based property developer and diversified business group, is strengthening its governance, accountability and financial discipline as the company enters its next phase of expansion. “Our vision is to build an institution that will last for generations,” AppleOne chairman Ray Go Manigsaca said. To support AppleOne’s next phase of growth, the company has strengthened its corporate governance with the appointment of three independent directors to its board who are bringing deep expertise in banking, capital markets and corporate governance. “An empowered and independent board allows us to uphold strong governance, maintain a disciplined balance sheet and support sustainable growth that stands on its own,” Manigsaca said. “I am glad to have been invited to be an independent director of the AppleOne Group, which I readily accepted.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:32 UTC
Globe taps Starlink for nationwide coverage
Globe taps Starlink for nationwide coverageGlobe yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with Starlink for the deployment of the trailblazing direct-to-cell (DTC) service in the Philippines. MANILA, Philippines — Globe Telecom Inc. has partnered with Elon Musk’s Starlink to become the country’s first telco to reach 100-percent coverage by subscribing to a satellite service that can beam internet to any capable phone. Globe yesterday signed a memorandum of agreement with Starlink for the deployment of the trailblazing direct-to-cell (DTC) service in the Philippines. With its subscription to Starlink’s DTC, Globe will become capable of providing internet access to the remaining three percent of the population where cell signals are limited. Globe turned the Philippines into Southeast Asia’s first country and only the second in Asia with access to Starlink’s DTC.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:32 UTC
Marcos opens P3.93 billion sewage treatment plant
Marcos opens P3.93 billion sewage treatment plantPresident Marcos leads the inauguration of the Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant in Mandaluyong City yesterday. MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos led yesterday the inauguration of a P3.93-billion mega sewage treatment plant in Mandaluyong City that has an initial capacity to treat 60 million liters of wastewater daily. The Aglipay Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) will treat domestic wastewater from a catchment area of approximately 2,115 hectares, covering portions of Mandaluyong, San Juan and Quezon City. Wastewater collected through a 53-kilometer combined sewer-drainage system will undergo full treatment before being discharged into the Pasig River. As part of his administration’s push to strengthen water and sanitation infrastructure in Metro Manila and nearby areas, Marcos said five more wastewater treatment plants are currently under construction.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:18 UTC
Outgoing US envoy says ‘Kumukutikutitap’ stays in her heart
Outgoing US envoy says ‘Kumukutikutitap’ stays in her heartMANILA, Philippines — Outgoing United States Ambassador MaryKay Carlson is leaving her post in Manila with “Kumukutikutitap,” written by a national artist, as the song that will stay in her heart along with all the memories she has of the Filipino people. “So, what’s my song? Carlson noted that serving as the US ambassador to the Philippines “has been an honor – the highlight of my 40-year career. Thankfully, I quickly learned that renowned Filipino hospitality extends to being very forgiving of one’s vocal range,” Carlson said. “It’s not about how well you sing; it’s about the shared experience that helps build meaningful relationships.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:01 UTC
ICC urges PNP members to testify on drug war
ICC urges PNP members to testify on drug warIn separate Facebook posts written in English, Tagalog and Bisaya, the ICC on Thursday re-shared the link to its witness appeals microsite. The platform was opened in late 2024, months before the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte. In separate Facebook posts written in English, Tagalog and Bisaya, the ICC on Thursday re-shared the link to its witness appeals microsite. The platform was opened in late 2024, months before the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte. The platform, which has English and Filipino language options, has a dropdown menu that classifies possible witnesses into six.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:01 UTC
Marcos: ICI coming toward the end
Marcos: ICI coming toward the endFile photo shows the Independent Commission for Infrastructure office at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. MANILA, Philippines — Four months after its creation to probe the multibillion-peso flood control scandal and other public works projects, the work of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is “coming toward the end,” according to President Marcos. Marcos spoke yesterday on the fate of the ICI, now left with only one commissioner, retired Supreme Court associate justice Andres Reyes Jr. Asked in a chance interview in Mandaluyong about his plans for the ICI, Marcos replied: “It depends on how much work they still have left. On Friday, President Marcos gave mixed signals about what’s to become of the commission he himself conceived.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:01 UTC
NUP: Impeach bid vs Marcos baseless
NUP: Impeach bid vs Marcos baselessMANILA, Philippines — The National Unity Party (NUP) has rejected any move to impeach President Marcos, with party leaders saying they see no constitutional or factual grounds to support such a complaint. In a press conference yesterday, NUP chairman and House Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno said the issue was raised to him directly and his answer was unequivocal. Puno said that even at a preliminary level, the party could not find any basis for impeachment under the Constitution. “Actually, I don’t see any grounds for filing an impeachment case against the President,” Puno said. For the NUP, Puno said the absence of credible allegations makes the issue a non-starter.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:01 UTC
Building a leadership pipeline
Building a leadership pipelineI have been in the leadership training and development longer than I care to remember. How then do we build leaders who can thrive in such an environment? The answer is in creating a leadership factory — an intentional system that consistently develops leaders across every level of an organization. McKinsey identifies three types of resilience organizations must build:• Financial resilience – The capital and liquidity to withstand shocks. But if we invest in building leadership factories, meaning organizations that intentionally grow people from the ground up, then we will create not just better companies, but better futures.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:01 UTC
Stuck, contentedly
Stuck, contentedlyWhen severe weather conditions caused the cancellation of over 1,500 flights to and from New York’s airports, we were one of those affected. We got stuck at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport. Circular cushioned seats, seats with expansive legroom and backrest, open spaces by the cafes where passengers bunked in and more. As soon as we had settled in the lounge where we would be spending the next 12 hours, I went to the noodle soup bar to have my fill of herbed vermicelli soup, then a second helping of beef noodle soup. I imagined our future airport to be like this, where a marooned visitor like me wouldn’t mind getting stuck, contentedly.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:01 UTC
Binaliw
The work at the Binaliw landfill is slow, tedious and dirty. The tragedy at Binaliw landfill calls up a similar collapse a few years ago at the Payatas dumpsite. Binaliw is a fairly young dumpsite. The city has been using the Binaliw landfill since July of 2017. Despite this, landfill operations at Binaliw continued in the most antiquated manner.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 16:01 UTC