PHL trims export revenue goals By Andrea E. San Juan
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HIGH-SPEED INTERNET REACHES LAST-MILE LEARNERS Data Lake Inc., the country’s authorized Starlink integrator, has completed its 100 Schools Project with Melco Resorts (Philippines) Foundation Corporation and the Department of Education, bringing highspeed satellite internet to 100 remote public schools across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Using enterprise-grade Starlink High-Performance kits, gigabit routers, Omada access points, and structured cabling, the team executed one of the Philippines’ most technically demanding education-connectivity deployments, including activating 39 PISA-assessment schools in just 17 days. Early results show major gains: 93.4 percent of teachers report improved connectivity, 88.7 percent now access online learning platforms seamlessly, and overall satisfaction jumped 66.2 percent, enabling virtual classes, DepEd resource access, and digital assessments for previously offline campuses. The project has also transformed many rural schools into community digital hubs—reinforcing Data Lake’s role as the nation’s leading provider of high-performance satellite connectivity and setting a new standard for large-scale, last-mile digital inclusion. DATA LAKE INC.
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WO years’ worth of supply chain disruptions alongside the Washington-imposed tariffs have prompted the Philippine government and trade and industry groups to trim the targets for export revenues from 2025 to 2028 to “more realistic” targets. In her presentation of the updated Philippine Exports Development Plan (PEDP) 2023-2028 targets, Executive Director Bianca Pearl R. Sykimte of the DTI-Export Marketing Bureau and Export Development Council (EDC) underscored: “Our frontliners have been navigating a global economy that is volatile in its pace of change, uncertain in its direction, and complex in its interdependence and ambiguous in outcomes. With these, we had to recalibrate our export targets un-
der the [Philippine Export Development Plan] PEDP to align with [Philippine Development Plan] PDP benchmarks.” Given the recent performance of key export sectors and “persistent weakness” of global demand, Sykimte said the government, alongside trade groups, had to adjust the trade figures. Under the revised targets, Sykimte explained that there is now an upper-band and lower-band target per year. “The Philippine Development Plan (targets) would be the upper band target and then we have a lower band target so that we have some flexibility,” the Trade official said. “Because the rate of growth in the last two years is decelerating. So we have to adjust. And it’s too early because our services and exports are only half. So it’s hard for us to really know what will hap-
pen,” she also noted. For 2025, the Philippines expects its outbound shipments to hit $110.8 billion to $113.4 billion. Under the PEDP 2023-2028 which was crafted in 2023, the Export Development Council (EDC), with supervision from the DTI with key government agencies and the Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (Philexport), pegged the country’s exports at $163.6 billion for 2025; $186.7 billion for 2026; $212.1 billion for 2027 and $240.5 billion for 2028. The revised targets noted that for 2026, the country may earn around $116.1 billion to $120.2 billion in exports revenues. For 2027, Philippine exports may hit around $123.3 billion to $127.4 billion and for 2028, around $132.8 billion to $135.1 billion. Sykimte explained the factors See “Revenue,” A2
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PESO BREACHES ₱59:US$1 AMID RATE CUT TRACKING www.businessmirror.com.ph
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Friday, December 5, 2025 Vol. 21 No. 58
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
By Reine Juvierre S. Alberto @reine_alberto
HE Philippine peso once again touched the P59-level per US dollar on Thursday, hitting a two-week low on market expectations of a monetary easing by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and domestic pressures. The peso closed at P59.02 to the US dollar, trading from a low of
P58.92 to a high of P59.17, after See “Peso,” A2
MOST PINOYS WORRY WEALTH WON’T OUTLAST THEIR CHILDREN
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OST Filipino families worry that the wealth they have worked hard to build will not survive beyond their children, according to a study by Sun Life Asia. In its research titled “Passing the torch: Building lasting legacies in Asia,” four in five of Filipino respondents fear their wealth may not be preserved beyond their children’s generation. About 64 percent are concerned that their heirs will not be able to manage assets wisely. Another 49 percent fear that family conflicts over assets could occur, while 41 percent
point to market volatility as an increasing threat to preserving value. “As families evolve, legacy planning must now go beyond financial structures to include education, communication and shared values,” the study said. The most crucial element of legacy planning, according to 77 percent of Filipino respondents, is ensuring their family’s financial security. Others focused on educating future generations about financial responsibility (53 percent) and prioritizing building enough wealth to pass See “Wealth,” A2
WILMA ON THE RADAR PAGASA hydro forecaster Edgar dela Cruz points to the low-pressure area east of Eastern Visayas that intensified into Tropical Depression “Wilma,” according to the state weather bureau on Thursday, December 4, 2025. The system is expected to bring rain over parts of Visayas and Mindanao as authorities monitor its potential to strengthen, following a series of weather disturbances earlier this month. Story in A9 News. NONOY LACZA
PHL trails Asean-6 in merchandise exports
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NEW CHINA-FUNDED BRIDGE RISES IN DAVAO President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday inaugurated the P3.1-billion China-funded Bucana Bridge in Davao City, a 1.3-kilometer, four-lane span that forms a key segment of the 18.8-kilometer coastal road linking the eastern and western corridors of the city. The bridge, approved in 2022 and built starting late 2023, is set to open to the public on December 15, easing connectivity while complementing ongoing multibillion-peso flood control and coastal infrastructure works along the Davao River system. Story in A3 Economy. PNA/RMN
HE Philippines ranks as the 49th biggest merchandise exporter out of 200 exporting nations in the world while it is still positioned at the bottom of the Asean-6 pack, according to the Department of Trade and IndustryExport Marketing Bureau (DTIEMB). At the National Exporters’ Week 2025, DTI-EMB Director Bianca Pearl R. Sykimte said that given the size of the Philippines’ competitors in the region and globally, “It’s hard for the Philippines to be seen amidst larger exporting nations, more so our individual exporters.” “Within the Asean region, we rank a far sixth in terms of export sales and even if we triple our exports, it’s not enough to catch up with our nearest competitor Indo-
nesia,” added Sykimte. Data presented by Sykimte showed the Philippines’s merchandise or goods exports amounted to $73 billion last year. This is not even a third of the merchandise exports of Indonesia, the Philippines’s closest competitor among the six exporting countries in Asean. The largest exporting country in Asean last year was Singapore with $504.9 billion, followed by Vietnam with $403.2 billion; Malaysia, $330 billion; Thailand, $299.2 billion; Indonesia, $264.7 billion and the Philippines, $73 billion. “In all markets, we’re always sixth. I don’t think I’ve seen a market where we’re number 2,3,4, or 5,” Sykimte told reporters in an interview.
Sykimte underscored that the Philippines is not yet “widely” recognized as a major supplier in global value chains, with the exception of a few products. With this, she said the country’s exporters, particularly the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), struggle to gain visibility and access in competitive international markets. Given this reality, the head of DTI’s export marketing arm said it’s important for the government to play a proactive role in facilitating linkages between Philippine exporters and global buyers, distributors, and supply chain integrators. “Strategic government intervention can help overcome market access barriers and build trust
in Philippine capabilities,” added Sykimte. Among the initiatives she proposed is for the government to invest in digital tools. “We’ll also launch the PHX Source. It’s an export directory. Basically, we want to reduce the time and cost of finding suppliers because when buyers come our way, actually all the requests for opportunity referrals it funnels out to our office,” Sykimte explained. The PHX Source is a digital platform for Philippine exporters developed by the DTI, QSweep Tech Services, and with partners like PEZA. “It connects Filipino businesses with global buyers through exporter profiles, product listings, and a See “Asean-6,” A2
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 58.7500 n JAPAN 0.3785 n UK 78.4489 n HK 7.5479 n CHINA 8.3168 n SINGAPORE 45.4194 n AUSTRALIA 38.7750 n EU 68.5789 n KOREA 0.0401 n SAUDI ARABIA 15.6562 Source: BSP (December 4, 2025)