Tovic Salvador

Article (news)

Yearender: Top Business stories of 2025

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1766382394290composites 1 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/></div><p>It was a turbulent time for business in the Philippines as both external and internal developments created headwinds. After a disappointing GDP growth rate and a massive corruption mess, businesses and consumers are hoping for better times in the coming year.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>Peso weakens to new level</strong></div><p>The peso went on a roller coaster ride in 2025. it started out weak, then gradually gained strength towards the middle of the year, but then towards the end, the peso hit a historic low.  </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/9/peso-weakens-to-a-new-historic-low-1745" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peso weakens to a new historic low</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Trump’s tariffs</strong></div><p>US President Donald Trump disrupted the world economy by announcing a raft of tariffs, which he said were meant to protect US industries. China was a particular target, but even allies like Europe and Canada were not spared. The Philippines was also caught up in the tariff mess, with a 19 percent import duty on select products.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/22/trump-oks-only-1-cut-in-tariffs-on-ph-zero-tariffs-for-us-goods-in-ph-0258" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trump cuts tariffs on PH to 19%; Manila OKs zero tariffs on US-made cars</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Villars’ P1 trillion ‘income’ erased</strong></div><p>Fortune did not smile this year on billionaire Manny Villar’s empire as Villar Land’s staggering P1.37 trillion “income” was erased from its books after regulators disallowed it. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/14/villar-land-assets-valuation-falls-to-p35-7-billion-in-audited-annual-report-1630" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Villar Land assets valuation falls to P35.7 billion in audited annual report</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>PrimeWater gets sold</strong></div><p>Villar’s utility firm PrimeWater also found itself neck deep in Congressional probes as consumers complained about substandard services. The troubled company was eventually sold to fellow billionaire Lucio Co.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/17/villars-primewater-to-be-acquired-by-lucio-co-0055" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Villars&#x27; PrimeWater to be acquired by Lucio Co</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>GDP growth slows amid infra mess</strong></div><p>Economic growth started slow, quickened, and then slowed some more in the third quarter as government infrastructure spending was reduced to a trickle amid a massive flood control scandal. Business sentiment was also hit as investors became wary of governance issues.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/11/7/ph-economy-grows-4-pct-in-q3-slower-than-previous-quarter-0920" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inflation slows to 1.5 percent in November</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Inflation slows down</strong></div><p>One bright spot in the economy was the slower-than-targetted inflation throughout the year. Government efforts to bring down food prices, especially of rice, led to an average inflation rate of just 1.6 percent from January to November.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/5/inflation-slows-to-1-5-percent-in-november-0911" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Inflation slows to 1.5 percent in November</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Interest rates go down</strong></div><p>The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas also continued to reduce its benchmark rate as inflation continued to cool. From 5.75 percent at the start of the year, the key rate went down to 4.5 percent by December.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/11/bangko-sentral-cuts-benchmark-rate-by-another-25-basis-points-to-4-5-percent-1435" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bangko Sentral cuts benchmark rate by another 25 basis points to 4.5 percent</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>NAIA gets upgrades</strong></div><p>More than a year after a San Miguel-led consortium took over the country’s main air gateway, some improvements have come to the NAIA. A new food court opened in Terminal 3. New immigration e-gates have also been installed. Some groups however are protesting the higher fees at the airport. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/12/16/naia-now-using-new-immigration-e-gates-1053" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">NAIA now using new immigration e-gates</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>Subway inches forward</strong></div><p>The infrastructure project of the century inched its way nearer to completion as it cleared a major right-of-way issue. The Metro Manila Subway Project expects to partially open in 2032.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/10/2/-metro-manila-subway-to-be-completed-by-2032-after-5-year-delay-1233">&#x27;Metro Manila Subway to be completed by 2032 after 5-year delay&#x27;</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>MRT-7 opening gets delayed again</strong></div><p>The San Miguel-led MRT-7 Project was supposed to open it the last quarter of the year, but this has been pushed back again. Right of way issues as well as the delay in the construction of the Unified Grand Station were cited as factors that could push back the opening of the railway to 2027.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2025/6/25/mrt-7-nausog-ang-pagbubukas-sa-2027-1920" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">MRT 7, nausog ang pagbubukas sa 2027</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>MORE YEARENDER STORIES:</strong></div><div><strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/20/arrest-scandal-deaths-events-that-defined-the-philippines-in-2025-1606">Arrest, scandal, deaths: Events that defined the Philippines in 2025</a></strong><br/><strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/21/10-people-who-made-philippine-headlines-in-2025-1726">10 people who made PH headlines in 2025</a></strong></div>

<p>It was a turbulent time for business in the Philippines as both external and internal developments created headwinds.</p>

It was a turbulent time for business in the Philippines as both external and internal developments created headwinds.