Category: Philippine Star

Asialink Finance Corp. is aiming to release P28 billion in loans under a new financing program by the end of 2026 as it expands lending to medium enterprises with larger funding needs.

The company’s GrowBiz Loan offers qualified businesses up to P100 million each, payable over as long as seven years, to finance expansion, equipment purchases and day-to-day operations.

Asialink is also targeting P2 billion in net income this year as it broadens its business-lending operations.

The new program increases the maximum financing available to borrowers fivefold from the P20-million ceiling under the company’s existing real estate mortgage loan, which uses property as collateral. It also extends the maximum repayment period from five years to seven years.

Asialink said the offering targets established businesses whose capital requirements have outgrown its existing loan products, including those with expansion plans that encounter strict requirements and lengthy credit processes when seeking bank financing.

‘Medium enterprises are at a pivotal stage in their growth journey. They have the ambition, track record and opportunities to scale, but realizing that potential often requires financing that can move at the pace of their business,’ Asialink president and CEO Anna Katrina Bañez said.

The expansion comes as Asialink’s total loan portfolio, or outstanding loans to borrowers, reached approximately P26 billion as of July, up 23 percent from the same period last year.

Business loans and loans to micro, small and medium enterprises accounted for 54 percent of the portfolio, equivalent to about P14 billion.

GrowBiz financing is exclusively for business purposes. Borrowers may use the funds to open branches, acquire additional vehicles or equipment, increase inventory and strengthen working capital, or the funds needed to cover daily operating expenses.

Loans can be secured by real estate or a fleet of cars and trucks, allowing borrowers to use available assets as collateral.

Final loan amounts, interest rates and repayment terms will depend on the borrower’s funding requirements, business capacity and credit profile. Applications will undergo a comprehensive credit evaluation and approval process, the company said.

Asialink said it would work with business owners to assess their operations, capital needs and longer-term plans as it takes on larger financing requirements.

‘We see tremendous potential in the next generation of Philippine businesses. As companies look toward expansion and new opportunities, AFC wants to make sure that access to financing does not stand in the way of their ambitions,’ Bañez said.

For the second consecutive year, Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) has been recognized among the Best Airports in Asia-Pacific in the 5-15 million passengers category under the Airports Council International (ACI) Airport Service Quality (ASQ) program.

The recognition comes as the airport operator, Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corporation (ACAC), continues to invest in infrastructure, technology, connectivity, sustainability, and customer experience since taking over operations in 2024.

The ACI ASQ recognition is based on standardized passenger feedback covering more than 50 airport touchpoints, providing an independent measure of travelers’ experiences at the airport.

MCIA also advanced from Level 2 to Level 3 of ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation, reflecting its shift from customer experience planning to active implementation across airport operations and service delivery.

Level 3 recognizes an advanced customer experience strategy involving passengers, airport team members, and customer experience professionals.

‘Our focus has been on making investments and improvements that create a better airport experience-from infrastructure and technology to operations and connectivity,’ said Rafael M. Aboitiz, Aboitiz InfraCapital vice president and head of Airports in a statement.

‘The goal is to translate these efforts into a safer, more efficient, and more connected journey for every passenger who passes through MCIA,’ he added.

ACAC General Manager Ricia Montejo said the recognitions show that the improvements made at the airport are being experienced by passengers and measured against global standards.

‘These recognitions affirm that the improvements ACAC has made are being felt by our passengers and recognized against global standards. They also reinforce our responsibility to keep improving,’ Montejo said.

She credited the continued support of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA), Department of Transportation (DOTr), Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), and the airport community in the continuing development of MCIA.

Among the major improvements at MCIA is CEB Connects, which began operations in April 2025 to streamline air-to-air transfers and improve passenger flow.

The initiative introduced dedicated transfer facilities and streamlined processes, reducing the minimum connection time for domestic-to-domestic transfers from 60 minutes to 35 minutes.

Domestic-to-international, international-to-domestic, and international-to-international connections were reduced to 60 minutes.

MCIA was subsequently named Airport of the Year – Asia at the 2025 TDM Travel Trade Excellence Awards, with the recognition highlighting its transfer improvements.

Since its launch, CEB Connects has facilitated more than 500,000 passenger transfers.

MCIA was also ranked the seventh Most Improved Airport in the World by Skytrax in 2025, based on improvements in passenger services and airport experience.

In 2026, MCIA became the first Philippine airport to join ACI’s Regional Operational Safety Committee, expanding its participation in regional discussions on aviation safety and operational standards.

The airport also achieved Level 2 Airport Carbon Accreditation in August 2026, recognizing its established carbon management approach and efforts to reduce emissions.

These include a 1.64-megawatt-peak rooftop solar installation, energy-efficiency measures, smart sensors, LED lighting, and improved monitoring of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems and vehicle fuel consumption.

The airport’s development is being pursued through the public-private partnership between MCIAA and ACAC, with the support and oversight of DOTr, CAAP, and other government and industry stakeholders.

The partnership combines government stewardship with private-sector investment and operational expertise to develop MCIA as a safe, efficient, competitive, and passenger-focused gateway for Cebu and the Philippines.

Philippine banks’ total assets expanded by 10.7 percent to P30.72 trillion in July from a year earlier, supported by sustained lending and deposit growth, preliminary data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed.

Total assets, which include banks’ loans, investments, cash and other holdings, increased from P27.74 trillion in July last year. The annual expansion reflected a larger stock of loans and investments held by banks, alongside growth in the deposits that help fund their operations.

Banks’ total loan portfolio, including lending to other banks and short-term placements backed by securities, grew by 10.8 percent to P16.91 trillion in July from P15.26 trillion a year earlier.

RCBC chief economist Michael Ricafort said the annual asset expansion was consistent with bank loan growth of around 10 percent, with consumer borrowing rising faster as some buyers brought purchases forward.

He attributed this partly to efforts to buy goods ‘before prices and interest rates go up further’ amid the war involving Iran and the broader Middle East conflict.

Ricafort said higher inflation linked to the conflict had also reduced purchasing power and the income available for spending, increasing demand for loans.

Meanwhile, banks’ investments stood at P8.91 trillion in July, up by eight percent from P8.24 trillion a year earlier. On the funding side, deposits grew by 7.9 percent to P22.06 trillion from P20.44 trillion a year earlier.

Ricafort linked recent deposit growth partly to greater public confidence after the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. doubled insurance coverage to P1 million per depositor per bank.

He said reductions in banks’ reserve requirement ratio since the latter part of 2024 had also increased funds available for lending. The ratio determines the share of deposits banks must keep in reserve.

Banks’ total capital reached P3.65 trillion, up by 3.8 percent from P3.52 trillion a year earlier. Ricafort said continued profitability had helped build banks’ capital and assets.

Looking ahead, he said higher global and domestic interest rates associated with geopolitical tensions could weigh on banks’ earnings and asset growth.

Ricafort also flagged higher nonperforming loans, or loans borrowers are failing to repay as agreed, as another potential drag.

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) is expected to play an important role in protecting first-time Filipino investors from cyber scams.

This comes amid the Philippine Stock Exchange-approved initial public offering of Mynt, the parent company of GCash, which will potentially bring millions of Filipinos into the Philippine capital market.

CICC Executive Director Atty. Renato ‘Aboy’ Paraiso said the growing use of digital financial platforms requires stronger government-industry cooperation to ensure that Filipinos entering the digital economy are also protected from cybercriminals.

‘Cybersecurity is not the responsibility of the government alone – it requires strong collaboration with industry leaders like GCash,’ Paraiso said in an earlier CICC-GCash partnership, underscoring the need for coordinated efforts to protect users of digital financial services.

The Mynt IPO could become a significant retail-investor event as millions of Filipinos familiar with GCash gain an opportunity to participate in the stock market through digital channels.

But greater accessibility also creates another risk, according to the CICC chief. ‘Scammers could exploit first-time investors who are unfamiliar with stock-market transactions by impersonating GCash, Mynt, brokers, regulators or other legitimate institutions.’

The CICC’s role is not to conduct securities KYC or determine who may buy shares – functions handled by financial institutions and securities regulators – but to help detect, prevent and pursue cybercriminal activity targeting investors.

This distinction is reportedly important as KYC establishes the identity of legitimate investors, while cybersecurity measures help protect them from being deceived by impostors.

Paraiso said that potential scams could include fake GCash or Mynt IPO websites, fraudulent social-media pages, bogus ‘IPO agents,’ phishing messages, malicious QR codes and offers promising guaranteed allocations or exclusive access to shares.

He emphasized that the risk could be greater for Filipinos who are familiar with GCash as a digital wallet but are buying stocks for the first time.

The concern is reportedly not merely hypothetical. Mynt has previously warned the public about unauthorized and fraudulent offers involving its shares, highlighting the need for investors to distinguish official IPO channels from scams.

Paraiso has also urged public vigilance against digital fraud. The CICC operates its 24/7 Action Center 1326 for complaints and incident reports, while CICC data showed that consumer fraud accounted for 35% of complaints received by its Cybercrime Complaint Center in 2025, making it the most reported cybercrime category.

For the GCash IPO, this cyber-protection framework could become particularly relevant as stock investing reaches Filipinos who may be entering the capital market for the first time.

CICC-GCash cooperation could include monitoring fraudulent websites and social-media accounts, facilitating the reporting and takedown of impersonation schemes, and giving the public simple guidance on how to verify legitimate IPO channels.

Existing cooperation between the two organizations provides a foundation for such preventive measures, including information sharing, incident response and efforts to identify and block unauthorized actors involved in fraudulent digital activity.

The continuing evolution of phishing and ‘quishing’ scams – using fake QR codes and imitation websites – also underscores the need for vigilance.

For prospective IPO investors, the basic protection message is straightforward: use only officially identified channels, never disclose an OTP, MPIN or password, and be wary of anyone promising guaranteed shares, guaranteed returns or special IPO access.

The CICC’s role would therefore complement, rather than replace, the regulatory and KYC safeguards surrounding the IPO

The Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) expects to attain its $42-billion revenue target this year, driven by growing interest among companies in establishing global capability centers (GCCs) in the country.

‘I’m confident that we will meet our $42 billion target this year,’ IBPAP president and CEO Jack Madrid told reporters.

Last year, the country’s information technology-business process management (IT-BPM) industry generated $40.3 billion in revenue.

Madrid said that revenue growth for this year would be driven by GCCs. ‘Every week, every month, we get inquiries and expressions of interest from GCCs,’ he said.

GCCs are units set up by multinational companies in another country to provide business services including finance, human resources and information technology support. Unlike traditional outsourcing, where a company hires an outside vendor to do tasks, a GCC is under the ownership and control of the parent company.

At present, Madrid said the Philippines has over 200 GCCs, placing it a distant second to India, which has around 2,200.

‘We’re number two…but we should accelerate our growth rate,’ he said.

To achieve growth, he said the country’s IT-BPM industry needs to focus on developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled workforce.

‘I think the growth will come when that happens because there’s no shortage of demand. It will be the availability of employable talent. That will be very important,’ he said.

Apart from AI fluency, he said the workforce should have deep domain knowledge, critical thinking, problem-solving, communication and leadership skills.

As the industry prepares for the holiday season, he said that firms are expected to ramp up hiring in the fourth quarter for Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Christmas when demand for outsourced services typically picks up. This is expected to benefit business process outsourcing firms.

IBPAP also expects the lifting of the moratorium on IT ecozone applications in Metro Manila to support the industry.

Last July, the Office of the President lifted the ban on applications for IT centers and IT parks in Metro Manila to strengthen the area’s position as a hub for information and communications technology investments.

Philippine Economic Zone Authority director general Tereso Panga said that the agency has received about three to five IT park applications in Metro Manila.

Madrid said that the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) initiative is also expected to benefit the industry.

The LEC aims to accelerate infrastructure investments and strengthen connectivity and supply chains across Luzon’s growth centers such as Subic, Clark, Manila and Batangas.

‘Anything that improves the infrastructure of the country, whether it’s digital infrastructure or physical infrastructure, is very important. And I include human capital. I think Luzon’s economic health is very important for the industry because if it improves the quality of available talent and makes specific regions hubs, then that is good for IT-BPM,’ Madrid said.

Metro Cebu’s air quality deteriorated anew yesterday, September 19, with the Air Quality Index (AQI) reaching 264, classified as ‘acutely unhealthy,’ amid continuing transboundary haze from wildfires in Indonesia.

The Environmental Management Bureau Region VII (EMB-7) recorded an AQI of 264 at its Metro Cebu monitoring station as of 11 a.m. on Sept. 19.

The latest reading marked a sharp reversal from the improvement recorded earlier this week, when Metro Cebu’s AQI was classified as fair.

On Sept. 16, the Metro Cebu station recorded an AQI of 57, classified as fair, while the Barangay Cabitoonan station in Toledo City registered 17, classified as good.

By September 18, however, Metro Cebu’s air quality began deteriorating, with the AQI reaching 146 at 11 p.m., classified as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups.’ The reading rose further to 264 by 11 a.m. on September 19, placing Metro Cebu in the ‘acutely unhealthy’ category.

In Toledo City, the AQI was recorded at 33 at 11 p.m. on Sept. 18, classified as good. However, the reading later increased to 103, classified as ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups.’

The September 19 Metro Cebu reading was 207 points higher than the September 16 reading, or an increase of about 363 percent.

The latest reading also surpassed the previous peak of 251 recorded on September 3, making September 19 the highest AQI recorded in the monitoring data provided since the haze episode began.

Earlier monitoring showed how rapidly air quality had fluctuated this month. Metro Cebu’s AQI was 173, or very unhealthy, on September 1 before worsening to 251, or acutely unhealthy, on September 3.

Air quality subsequently improved, reaching the fair category by September 10 and remaining fair through September 16.

The improvement was interrupted on September 12, when the AQI climbed to 154, classified as very unhealthy, before dropping again to 57 on September 16.

EMB-7 said it is actively monitoring local ambient air quality as transboundary haze from Indonesian wildfires affects the region. The renewed deterioration also comes as Indonesia continues to deal with severe wildfires and transboundary haze.

The haze has been associated with wildfire activity in Kalimantan, Indonesia.

EMB-7 earlier identified elevated fine particulate matter, or PM2.5, as a concern during the haze episode.

With Metro Cebu now under the acutely unhealthy classification, EMB-7 advised the public to limit outdoor exertion.

People with heart or respiratory diseases, including those with asthma, were advised to stay indoors and rest as much as possible.

The bureau also advised residents to postpone unnecessary trips. Depending on the severity and persistence of the pollution, motor vehicle use may be restricted and industrial activities may be curtailed.

The public is urged to continue monitoring official air quality advisories and updates from EMB-7, as conditions may change depending on haze movement and prevailing weather conditions.

Eryk Omandam and Natasha Doromal-Lim return to Samal Island today chasing back-to-back titles, but the defending champions will have to navigate a deeper and more competitive field as the Damosa Land 5150 brings the inaugural 5150 Triathlon Islands of the Philippines Series to its climactic finish.

The Davao del Norte staging marks the fourth and final stop of the seven-month circuit, which has taken Olympic-distance triathlon to four of the country’s premier island destinations, showcasing it as a compelling stage for world-class multisport competition.

The 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run event caps a series put together by the PSC to bring elite-level competition and high-caliber sporting events to spectacular natural destinations across the country.

The country’s overall water use efficiency (WUE) declined in 2025, representing a 4.3-percent drop, according to data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The PSA reported that the country’s WUE in 2025 fell to P221.48 per cubic meter of water used, down from P231.42 the previous year.

The WUE measures how effectively an industry utilizes water resources by dividing its value-added with the volume of water it consumes.

The services sector accounted for the highest WUE in 2025 at P1,553.61 per cubic meter of water used.

This was followed by the industry sector with a WUE amounting to P261.47, a decrease of 33.4 percent from P392.86 in 2024.

‘This decline contributed to the decrease in the overall WUE,’ the PSA said.

On the other hand, the agriculture sector remained with the lowest WUE at P16.48 in 2025.

The PSA also reported that total freshwater withdrawals rose to 101.61 billion cubic meters (bcm) in 2025 from 93.08 bcm in 2024, while the level of water stress reached 31.1 percent.

‘The annual level of water stress from 2016 to 2025 consistently fell within the low-level classification range set by the Food and Agriculture Organization, which is 25 to 50 percent,’ it added.

The camp of former Speaker Martin Romualdez insisted that he is not the so-called mastermind of the flood control corruption scheme, saying he only did his part to get the budget approved and has no control over individual projects.

Romualdez’s counsel, Atty. Jose Roy III, said the Leyte lawmaker is confounded on being tagged as a central figure in the flood control kickback scheme, considering that the corruption scandal involves individual projects, over which he has no control.

Roy explained that Romualdez was only involved in the budget process and had no control over individual projects.

‘As far as he knows, he was doing his share to get the budget approved. Now he’s being made to account for all those acts. He can’t understand why this is happening, when in fact, the same functions are performed on the Senate level,’ he said.

Roy insisted that the flood control scheme worked on a ‘per-project basis’ and it’s not possible for a mastermind behind it.

‘It’s like we pass the budget and we take a whole chunk and this is ours. I don’t think that’s possible,’ he said, explaining that after the budget is passed, it goes back to the executive, which implements the individual projects.

Moreover, Roy said it is ‘unthinkable’ to put all this all on one person and say he handled all the anomalous projects, pointing out that each district has its own favored contracts.

‘No matter how you look at it, those issues involving contracts, document tampering, questionable bids and ghost projects – those things happen at the lower level, not at the budget stage,’ he said.

The Philippines’ current account deficit widened by 51.7 percent to $15.44 billion in the first half as higher import bills outpaced growth in export earnings, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

The shortfall increased from $10.18 billion a year earlier and represented 6.4 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) compared with 4.3 percent previously.

In the second quarter alone, the deficit widened by 60.7 percent to $8.97 billion from $5.58 billion a year earlier. It was also larger than the $6.47 billion gap in the first quarter.

The current account measures the country’s trade in goods and services, income flows and transfers such as remittances. A deficit means payments abroad for these transactions exceeded receipts.

The deterioration stemmed mainly from the goods trade deficit – or the excess of merchandise imports over exports – which expanded by 15.5 percent to $37.7 billion in January to June from $32.63 billion a year ago.

Goods imports rose by 12.4 percent to $72.44 billion, while exports increased by 9.2 percent to $34.73 billion.

The BSP said import growth was largely driven by higher prices, with purchases concentrated in telecommunications equipment, electrical machinery, manufacturing inputs and fuel products.

‘Elevated global energy prices during the period, driven by supply concerns linked to geopolitical developments in the Middle East, contributed to higher import payments,’ the central bank said.

Imports of telecommunications equipment and electrical machinery reflected continued investment in digital infrastructure, while purchases of manufacturing materials supported production.

Export growth, meanwhile, came largely from higher shipment volumes. The BSP cited sustained overseas demand for electronics linked to artificial intelligence and data centers, alongside machinery and transport equipment. The peso depreciation also supported exports.

Earnings from services and remittances helped cushion the larger goods trade gap.

The services surplus, or the excess of earnings from services sold abroad over payments for foreign services, edged up by 1.6 percent to $5.22 billion. Services exports increased by 4.8 percent to $25.32 billion, while imports rose by 5.7 percent to $20.1 billion.

The BSP reported business process outsourcing revenues of $15.4 billion and travel receipts of $5.3 billion in the first half.

Cash remittances coursed through banks increased by 2.4 percent to $17.15 billion from $16.75 billion.

However, the primary income surplus, which covers cross-border earnings from work and investments, fell by 28.7 percent to $1.36 billion, providing a smaller offset to the trade deficit.

Despite the wider current account shortfall, the overall balance of payments (BOP), which summarizes the country’s economic transactions with the rest of the world, improved as stronger financial inflows helped meet external funding needs.

The BOP deficit narrowed by 30.6 percent to $3.88 billion in the first half from $5.59 billion a year earlier.

Net inflows in the financial account, which records cross-border investments, loans and other financing transactions, rose by 39 percent to $12.28 billion.

The BSP attributed the increase mainly to a reduction in domestic banks’ outstanding loans to foreign borrowers and higher foreign borrowing by local banks and other sectors.