Good morning. It’s Monday, Oct 27.

A new week, a fresh round of headlines and a reminder that pressure can shape both mountains and people. This week, we’re tracking everything from Taal Volcano’s rumbling return to the growing clamor for real government accountability. Plus, the business moves shaking up energy and housing, and a few bright sparks of innovation across the country. Grab your coffee, let’s make sense of the noise together.

Got ideas or feedback? Email us anytime at [email protected].

Stay sharp,
Team PesoWeekly

Join nearly 20,000 smart, curious Filipinos who stay sharp with the news that matters.
📩 Sign up here.

Zoom Out
Major business and labor organizations, including the Employers Confederation of the Philippines and the Trade Union Congress, have issued a rare joint statement criticizing President Marcos for his slow response to corruption. They said that despite his strong promises in July’s SONA, there have been no criminal charges, hold departure orders, or public hearings. Their letter warned that “people’s patience is running out,” citing the billions lost to graft and the need for transparency in investigations.

Public Frustration Builds
Their warning mirrors public sentiment. A recent Octa Research survey shows that corruption has surged to become Filipinos’ second top national concern, rising from 13 percent in July to 31 percent in September, the highest level ever recorded. Analysts say Filipinos are shifting their focus from inflation to integrity in government as frustration grows over the lack of visible action.

What They Want

The message is clear: without accountability and reform, public trust in the government may soon collapse.

PSEi: ₱5,988.02
BSP Rates: 4.75% (borrowing) | 4.25% (deposit) | 5.25% (lending)
🌐 Global Markets
Bitcoin: $113,396
Gold:(USD per Ounce) $4,069.65-$4,104.40

💱 Exchange Rates (PHP per 1 unit)

🇺🇸 USD: ₱58.625
🇬🇧 GBP: ₱78.22
🇸🇦 SAR: ₱15.63
🇯🇵 JPY: ₱0.392
🇪🇺 EUR: ₱68.07
Note: Exchange rates may vary slightly depending on provider.

Tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. is tightening his grip on the Philippine energy sector after regulators approved his P50-billion takeover of Lopez-led First Gen Corp.’s gas assets. The deal gives Razon’s Prime Infrastructure Capital control of major Batangas power plants that power much of Luzon. It also adds to his growing utilities portfolio, which already includes Manila Water and the Malampaya gas field, solidifying his rise as the country’s most powerful energy player.

The Philippine Stock Exchange has approved the voluntary delisting of 8990 Holdings Inc., marking the affordable housing developer’s exit from the market on October 31, 2025. The move ends its 15-year run as a publicly listed firm. Once a data services company, 8990 shifted to housing development in 2012 and rebranded the following year. It’s the second firm to delist in 2025, following Keppel Philippines Holdings’ departure earlier in July.

The Marcos administration is closing in on its ₱2.6-trillion borrowing limit, with total loans hitting ₱2.4 trillion from January to September, already 92% of the full-year plan. Treasury data show domestic debt climbed 9.2% to ₱1.96 trillion, making up over 80% of total borrowings. The surge was driven by retail and fixed-rate treasury bond issuances, while foreign loans fell nearly 14%. Despite rising spending and a wider deficit, officials expect borrowing to stay within target by year-end.

Boutique carrier Sunlight Air is setting its sights abroad, with plans to launch international flights by 2027. CEO Ryna Brito-Garcia said the airline aims to attract more foreign tourists to the Philippines’ island destinations, including Coron, Siargao, and Boracay. The carrier, which currently operates ATR turboprop planes, plans to lease or acquire regional jets for short international routes. Talks with Airbus are underway as Sunlight Air positions itself to become a key tourism player connecting island getaways to the world.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has rolled out expanded relief measures for banks and borrowers in disaster-stricken areas. The policy allows a six-month grace period with no penalties or extra interest, plus relaxed loan classification rules to ease recovery. Banks may also extend payment terms for agricultural loans and temporarily waive ID requirements so residents can access funds of up to ₱50,000 per day. The move aims to help communities rebuild faster after calamities.

It’s easy to feel small when everyone around you seems ahead, friends buying condos, colleagues launching businesses, classmates posting #careerwins. But here’s what psychology says: confidence doesn’t come after success, it’s built through small actions that create proof of progress.

According to research from Harvard psychologist Amy Cuddy, confidence grows when we focus on “power poses”, simple body language shifts that signal self-assurance even when we feel unsure. But deeper confidence comes from consistency, not comparison.

Here’s how to build it:

Confidence is not about pretending to be ahead. It’s about knowing that growth takes time and that being “behind” doesn’t mean being lost. As long as you’re moving, you’re not behind; you’re just in the part of the story where the hero is still training.

Big Picture
After more than a decade of waiting, East Timor has officially joined ASEAN, becoming the bloc’s 11th member and its first new addition since Cambodia in 1999. Prime Minister Xanana Gusmao called it “a dream realized” as the nation’s flag was raised in Kuala Lumpur during ASEAN’s annual summit. The move comes as regional leaders, including US President Donald Trump, also oversaw a “pathway to peace” deal between Thailand and Cambodia to end deadly border clashes.

Why It Matters
Membership opens the door for East Timor to join a market of 680 million people with a combined GDP of $3.8 trillion. The country, still battling high unemployment and poverty, hopes ASEAN will bring investment, trade, and regional cooperation. Analysts say the move also strengthens ASEAN’s unity and credibility amid rising global protectionism and shifting power in Asia.

Challenges and Hopes Ahead

For East Timor, this is not just diplomacy. It is a chance to turn decades of struggle into opportunity and growth within Southeast Asia’s expanding family.

French police have arrested two men accused of helping steal royal jewels worth €88 million from the Louvre museum last week. One suspect was caught at Charles de Gaulle Airport as he tried to board a flight to Algeria, while the other was arrested near Paris. Both men, already known to police, were linked to the crime through forensic evidence left at the scene. The dazzling seven-minute heist targeted jewels once owned by Napoleon’s family, making it one of France’s most audacious thefts in decades.

President Trump has demolished the East Wing to build a grand 90,000-square-foot ballroom at the White House nearly twice the size of the main building. How did he bypass Washington’s famous red tape? By firing Biden-era members of the National Capital Planning Commission and replacing them with loyalists who raised no objections. The $300 million project, backed by major corporate donors, moved ahead with little oversight. Supporters call it bold leadership. Critics say it’s another example of Trump bending government rules to serve his own vision.

A series of minor eruptions from Taal Volcano on Sunday sent ash and tremors across nearby towns, prompting residents to evacuate. More than 50 families in Laurel, Batangas, fled to evacuation centers after ash plumes rose over 2,000 meters high. Locals recalled the fear of the 2020 eruption as the ground shook and dark smoke filled the sky. PHIVOLCS recorded three eruptions but kept Alert Level 1, saying there is no sign yet of a major eruption.

House Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan is urging Congress to approve a bill that increases cash grants under the 4Ps program to help poor families cope with inflation. His proposal raises monthly aid for students and health needs, plus a new ₱600 food and nutrition grant. Libanan said current benefits are no longer enough to support education and nutrition. The DSWD backed keeping the 4Ps, calling it a shared responsibility between government and families.

Filipino and Australian troops are deepening defense ties through the Kasangga 2025-02 Army-to-Army Exercise in Capiz. The month-long training, running until early November, includes mortar gunnery, drone operations, coastal defense, and combat medical response. Major General Michael Samson said the drills strengthen both nations’ ability to operate together and respond to regional threats. The exercise highlights growing Philippines–Australia cooperation in maintaining stability and readiness across the Indo-Pacific region.

In Antique, a shared service facility (SSF) has transformed how farmers handle surplus produce. The Esparar Multi-Purpose Cooperative now turns excess squash and vegetables into noodles, veggie chips, and malunggay powder, boosting monthly income from ₱10,000 to ₱25,000. Manager Zenia Nacionales said the project prevents waste and provides jobs for 15 locals. Supported by the Department of Trade and Industry, the SSF includes grinders, dryers, and mixers that help farmers add value and earn more from their harvests.

The DFA said 222 Filipinos trapped in Myanmar scam hubs have asked for repatriation. Of these, 66 crossed into Thailand and 9 reached Yangon and are now under embassy care. The DFA, DMW, and Thai and Myanmar authorities are coordinating to speed up deportations and rescue others still inside compounds, including in Myawaddy after an Oct. 20 crackdown. The UN has flagged the regional scam trade as a human rights crisis. Filipinos were urged to use proper DMW procedures before working abroad.

Google says its new quantum chip, Willow, just solved a real physics problem 13,000 times faster than the world’s best supercomputer. The algorithm, called Quantum Echoes, uses a “time-reversal” trick to study how information spreads in chaotic quantum systems. If verified, this could mark one of the first true cases of quantum advantage — when a quantum computer finally beats classical ones at something useful. The future of computing may have just echoed into view.

AI Can Now Spot Colon Cancer from Your Gut Bacteria

Scientists from the University of Geneva have created an AI tool that can detect colorectal cancer just by analyzing gut bacteria in stool samples. The system identifies bacterial “subspecies” linked to cancer and correctly detected 90% of cases, nearly as accurate as a colonoscopy, but far cheaper and non-invasive. The research, published in Cell Host & Microbe, could pave the way for early cancer detection and new diagnostic tools powered by the human microbiome.

Centuries before modern science, the Maya Civilization could predict solar eclipses with striking accuracy. A new study in Science Advances decoded the Dresden Codex and found that the Mayans combined lunar cycles with their 260-day calendar to forecast eclipses. They used overlapping tables that reset every few hundred months to fix small errors. This system kept their predictions correct for over 700 years, proving the Mayans mastered astronomy long before telescopes existed.

Stanford Medicine scientists have built the first wireless eye implant that restores sight lost to macular degeneration. In a clinical trial, 27 of 32 patients regained the ability to read books and signs using a device called PRIMA. It pairs a small retinal chip with smart glasses that project infrared images. The chip converts them into electrical signals, giving patients back the ability to recognize shapes, patterns, and words after years of blindness.

A new study has challenged one of biology’s oldest assumptions: that birds sing at dawn because sound travels better then. Researchers from Cornell and Project Dhvani analyzed hours of rainforest recordings and found no link between humidity, light, or wind and birds’ early-morning songs. Instead, they discovered that birds sing more at dawn to mark territory after a night of silence and to coordinate hunting or feeding. Turns out, the early bird isn’t just loud, it’s strategic.