THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Monday that 219 business establishments in Boracay have been fined a total of P43 million for violating environmental laws after the tourist island was reopened last Friday, Oct. 26, following a six-month rehabilitation.

THE government’s accelerated move to impose rice tariffs and lift quantitative restrictions on rice imports is touted to ease inflation. It comes with a heavy price in the long term, however, as it puts in peril the livelihood of millions of Filipino rice farmers. Amid runaway inflation triggered by its regressive tax reform program, the Duterte administration, in an unprecedented and probably Constitutionally questionable move, issued Administrative Order (AO) 13 ahead of the passage of a Rice Tariffication Bill. The President himself even declared that the country can now import as much rice as it wants.

OIL COMPANIES on Monday cut the prices of petroleum products, marking the third straight week of rollback to follow the direction of prices in the international market.

THE PASSENGER shipping route linking Manila to Davao was reopened on Sunday, Oct. 27, to allow a more affordable transportation option between the country’s north and south.

THE PESO strengthened further against the dollar on Monday on the back of continued pressure on the US currency due to economic data there.

LOCAL EQUITIES climbed on Monday, bucking the downturn in most international markets over the weekend due to concerns on the global economy.

By Anna Gabriela A. Mogato Union Bank of the Philippines, Inc. (UnionBank) recorded a lower net income in the first nine months of 2018, dipping...

BAD DEBTS held by big banks kept growing in August but at a slower pace compared to the pickup in total lending, latest central bank data showed.

THE DEPARTMENT of Trade and Industry (DTI) is hoping to reach a compromise with the Department of Finance (DoF) on provisions of the Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-quality Opportunities (TRABAHO) Bill, which seeks to rationalize investment incentives.

THE FINANCE department is backing a plan to study the feasibility of tapping nuclear energy as a means of lowering electricity costs.

THE US National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) said that it hopes Washington will conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) with the Philippines, which it views as a priority market.

THREE new bills seeking to create a solar energy development agency were filed at the House of Representatives.