Cristina Roque

Mexico's women's Sub-23 team debuted with a scoreless draw against Puerto Rico.

President Marcos pitches the Philippines as a responsible mining partner to Canada.

Israel seeks to partner with the Philippines under the US-led Pax Silica Initiative, combining Israel's AI and cybersecurity expertise with Philippine critical mineral resources like nickel to secure semiconductor and technology supply chains.

ASEAN leaders called for Middle East ceasefire and Strait of Hormuz reopening at their summit, citing serious regional stability concerns and pledging to ratify a joint oil-sharing agreement to address energy security threats from supply disruptions.

Philippines and UAE formalized a strategic technology partnership under the Pax Silica framework to develop a 4,000-acre AI hub in Luzon, leveraging complementary strengths in minerals, semiconductor manufacturing, and capital-intensive infrastructure for global digital economy leadership.

Asean leaders seek to bring a regional trade pact into force this year amid Middle East pressures.

ASEAN is ratifying a petroleum security agreement enabling coordinated emergency fuel sharing and collective responses to supply disruptions, strengthening regional energy resilience while prioritizing an ASEAN-wide power grid and maintaining open trade.

The Department of Trade and Industry stated that basic consumer goods prices have remained steady. Prices might rise in the second half of April due to the Middle East crisis. A price hike is expected after April 16.

President Marcos promoted the Philippines as a responsible mineral processing hub during his Canada visit, with mining firms including OceanaGold pledging $1.9 billion investment and B2Gold committing $14 million for expansion projects.

Parents and students rush to buy school supplies and uniforms before classes resume on June 8.

The Philippines and Israel initiated free trade agreement negotiations while exploring partnerships in critical mineral processing and artificial intelligence to strengthen economic and technological cooperation, supporting the broader Luzon Economic Corridor industrial hub development.

Canada aims to sign a free trade agreement with Asean this year to diversify trade.

Paraguayan President Santiago Peña Palacios arrived in Manila for the first presidential visit between Paraguay and the Philippines, seeking to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, and agriculture while strengthening economic partnerships.

ASEAN pursues petroleum security agreement to enable coordinated fuel sharing as Southeast Asian nations face severe oil shortages from Middle East conflict disrupting twenty percent of global energy supply.

ASEAN economic ministers agreed to strengthen multiple free trade agreements and ratify a petroleum security deal to enhance regional trade predictability and energy resilience amid Middle East tensions.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian urged the DOE and DTI to consider a price cap on LPG. This is due to fuel price shocks from the Middle East crisis.

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry explored a partnership with Canadian firm AtkinsRéalis on civil nuclear energy, aiming to deploy 1,200 megawatts by 2032 and 4,800 megawatts by 2050 to support the country's clean energy transition.

President Marcos welcomed Vietnamese leader Tô Lâm to Malacañang Palace on Monday to strengthen bilateral relations, with discussions covering trade, defense, maritime affairs, and people-to-people exchanges during the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The Philippines is exploring a free trade agreement with Paraguay to expand South American economic ties, while simultaneously negotiating agreements with Chile, the EU, and Canada to strengthen its competitive position regionally and globally.

The Philippines and UAE formalized a strategic technology partnership under the Pax Silica framework to develop a 4,000-acre AI hub in Luzon, leveraging complementary strengths in minerals, semiconductors, workforce, and capital-intensive infrastructure.

Indonesia and the Philippines formalized a May 2026 nickel cooperation agreement covering information exchange, downstream processing technology development, and workforce training, strategically addressing specific ore composition requirements for regional smelting operations.

ASEAN ministers agreed on a coordinated regional response to Middle East crisis impacts, prioritizing energy grid connectivity, maintaining open trade, and strengthening food security and supply chains across Southeast Asia.

Ube, a purple yam, gains global attention as a new cafe trend, emerging as a potential successor to matcha.

The Philippines urged Asean to be a safe haven for investment. Philippine Trade Secretary Cristina Roque emphasized certainty and cooperation. Asean economic ministers met in Manila.