Sunday, July 26, 2026

Marcos delivers his fifth and second-to-last State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27, riding into it with barely two years left to show for his term. He'll navigate a packed agenda: a weakening peso, fresh US tariffs, tropical weather, and West Philippine Sea tensions. A recent survey found that 70 percent of Filipinos want him to address his anti-corruption campaign, particularly the flood control scandal that has drawn graft charges against lawmakers (via Inquirer).

The House is ready to host a simple, dignified address with no red carpet or celebrity trappings. Guests are asked to wear simple but dignified clothing, a sharp break from past spectacle. Security is heavy, with 21,261 police officers deployed around the complex (via Philstar).

Counterpoint comes Tuesday. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano is set to deliver the traditional counter-SONA on July 28, giving opposition senators their platform to press sectoral grievances from wages to corruption (via Philstar).

The Ombudsman has filed 14 graft counts against a party-list lawmaker and a former representative over infrastructure project conflicts of interest, a signal the anti-corruption sweep extends beyond SONA talk (via Philstar).

Typhoon Kiyapo exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility on July 25 and is now barreling toward China after making landfall in Cagayan's Camiguin Island on July 24. The system had intensified from tropical storm to typhoon and is expected to strengthen further as it moves away from the archipelago. Wind and rainfall warnings were lifted on Saturday, July 25 at 11 a.m. as the threat to the country passed (via Rappler).

The southwest monsoon is picking up the slack. Moderate to heavy rainfall of 50 to 100 millimeters is expected to persist across parts of Occidental Mindoro, the Visayas, and the Ilocos Region through July 26, with strong to gale-force gusts possible in coastal and elevated areas. The tail end of the system will still bring scattered thunderstorms (via Philstar).

The World Bank has officially declared the Philippines an upper-middle income country, a milestone achieved after nearly four decades of chasing it. Gross national income per capita has breached the US$4,636 threshold, landing at US$4,850 and unlocking a new category of development status that brings both opportunity and expectation (via BusinessWorld).

The caveat is growth. The Development Budget Coordination Committee has slashed its 2026 GDP expansion target to 3.5 percent to 4.5 percent from 5 percent to 6 percent, citing Middle East escalation, weak consumer confidence, and El Niño. The first quarter saw just 2.8 percent growth, a slide from prior quarters (via BusinessWorld).

Foreign investment remains skittish. With geopolitical risks and governance concerns keeping capital cautious, the Philippines is forecast to struggle attracting FDI for the rest of 2026. April recorded the lowest inflow in nearly a decade at just US$250 million, a 58.8 percent year-on-year plunge (via BusinessWorld).

The peso sank to a fresh record low, closing at P61.847 against the dollar on July 24, blowing past the P61.75 mark set just a day earlier. A firm greenback, elevated Brent crude, and Middle East tensions piled on, with traders eyeing P62 as the next psychological level and watching whether the central bank steps in (via BusinessWorld).

Stocks, by contrast, stayed flat. The PSEi barely moved through the week as the new tariff regime and peso slide kept buyers cautious and trading thin, hovering in the 6,280 range (via PSE Market Report).

Brace the fuel budget. Oil firms are set to roll out another round of increases on July 28, with diesel projected to climb by P6 to P6.50 per liter and gasoline by P5.50 to P6, as elevated global crude and Middle East supply fears keep pushing pump prices up. The Department of Energy has reinstated stricter fuel-pricing rules capping weekly diesel increases at P10.68 per liter as a guardrail against runaway adjustments (via Philstar).

Alex Eala heads to Washington this week for the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where she'll reunite with former tennis champion Venus Williams in a high-profile doubles partnership. The pairing is a tune-up for her confirmed spot in the US Open main draw in New York, a milestone in the Filipina's career as she ramps up her hardcourt campaign (via Philstar).

The Philippine rugby team just locked down the Unions Cup, defending their title with a 39-18 win over Malaysia in the final in Thailand. The Volcanoes had dispatched Laos 74-0 and Singapore 33-10 to reach the championship, a dominant run that cemented their regional dominance (via GMA News).

In the PBA Governors' Cup, only NLEX and San Miguel Beer remain undefeated after four previously perfect teams fell this week. Terrafirma routed a 18-point deficit against defending champion TNT to sneak out with a 111-106 overtime victory on July 25, while the league continues toward its August break for FIBA World Cup qualifiers (via Philstar).

K-pop group AHOF is headlining SM Mall of Asia Arena for the final night of their "The First Spark" tour, wrapping up a two-day Manila stand on July 26 with an audience of thousands. The group has also launched a commercial campaign with IAM Amazing Choco Barley, blending K-pop star power with local wellness branding (via GMA Entertainment).

The film "Manila Kingpin: The Asiong Salonga Story," starring E.R. Ejercito and Carla Abellana, opened on July 26, bringing a decades-old crime saga to the big screen with a biopic lens (via GMA Entertainment).

World Cellar hosted a one-night wine dinner on July 25 at Gateway Mall 2 called Truffle Alchemy, featuring Filipino-Australian chef Oliver Buenviaje and a menu of wagyu, Japanese scallops, Norwegian salmon, caviar, and fresh truffles paired with wines from Germany, South Africa, Australia, and Hungary. A rare pairing for a rare evening (via Interaksyon).

July brought a wave of food launches as brands staked summer bets. CHAGEE introduced Apple English Breakfast Tea blending five teas from across Asia, while Bo's Coffee made ube a permanent menu fixture with its new Ube Coconut Espresso and Freeze (via Interaksyon).

Citi is stressing human accountability as the bank deploys artificial intelligence across operations. CEO Paul Favila said "a human must be accountable at all times," meaning financial institutions cannot let algorithms take the rap for decisions. The bank uses AI to streamline operations while maintaining guardrails around compliance and risk (via NewsBytes.ph).

University of the Philippines researchers have developed ROAM, a locally made optical air quality monitor that counts airborne particles with lab-grade accuracy while costing far less than imported alternatives. The device is built to survive dusty, polluted environments and keep maintenance costs low, a homegrown answer to expensive imported systems (via NewsBytes.ph).