THE government of President Rodrigo R. Duterte has given out more than 120,000 hectares of land for agrarian purposes, according to the presidential palace.

THE GOVERNMENT will likely offer Premyo bonds again as it sold nearly P5 billion worth of the one-year papers, National Treasurer Rosalia V. de Leon said last weekend.

THE MEASURE increasing excise tax imposed on alcohol products, electronic cigarettes and other vapor products may hurdle the Senate this week, a Senate leader said.

MAYNILAD WATER Services, Inc. risks financial difficulty should its creditors simultaneously demand payment of loans totaling some P42 billion due to a “material change” in its contract with the government, which has revoked extension of the water concession beyond 2022.

THE Philippines and Indonesia have signed a partnership to upgrade the skills of Filipino coffee farmers in order to boost their productivity, industry officials said.

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp.’s social investment arm Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI) has partnered with an oil and fats manufacturer to provide coconut farmers in Quezon province more possible income streams from their harvest’s byproduct.

LAST WEEK saw yields on government securities (GS) move south almost across-the-board, with investors taking their cue from a statement by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Benjamin E. Diokno saying the central bank may consider cutting rates by about 50 basis points (bps) next year.

THE PESO is expected to further strengthen this week as more remittances come in, with the Christmas season coming closer.

OUT OF THE depths of a global credit crisis that showcased an outsized role for the US dollar, Chinese policy makers forged a plan to raise the profile and influence of their own currency. That hasn’t panned out so well, and the coming decade may see yet new headwinds.

HONG KONG/BEIJING -- For SoftBank Group, Inc., financial technology firm OneConnect’s initial public offering (IPO) should have been a vindication of an aggressive China investing strategy.

LOCAL SHARES are seen to trade sideways this week as investors wait on any developments in the US-China trade talks and the Dec. 15 deadline for imposing tariffs on Chinese goods.

THE Senate will continue reviewing the P4.1-trillion national budget for 2020 even after its ratification by both Houses, Senator Panfilo M. Lacson said, Thursday.