Uniform cash grant for transport workers nixed By Justine Xyrah Garcia
F
UTURE fuel assistance for transport workers should be tailored to different transport modes and operating costs instead of providing a uniform cash grant, according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). In a new policy note, the state think tank said the government may need to rethink its one-sizefits-all P5,000 cash assistance for transport workers after survey results showed that the amount was not equally adequate across different transport subsectors.
LEARNING TOGETHER Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong takes a group
selfie with students, joined by Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (left) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Secretary Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez, at the launch of the Philippines-Australia EQUIP partnership at Mariano Marcos Memorial High School on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. The initiative aims to equip Filipino secondary school students with the skills, practical experience, and opportunities needed to succeed in the workforce and contribute to their communities and the country’s economic growth. NONIE REYES
ROTARY CLUB OF MANILA JOURNALISM AWARDS
2006 National Newspaper of the Year 2011 National Newspaper of the Year 2013 Business Newspaper of the Year 2017 Business Newspaper of the Year 2019 Business Newspaper of the Year 2021 Pro Patria Award PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY 2018 Data Champion
“The results also suggest that a uniform benefit may not be equally appropriate across transport groups. Reported adequacy was considerably lower among [transport network vehicle service] drivers than among motorcycle-based operators, reflecting differences in operating expenses,” the report stated. Based on a rapid phone survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS), nearly all respondents, or 96.3 percent, said the cash assistance helped them remain in or return to work. However, only 35.7 percent said the P5,000 grant was sufficient to
cover transport-related expenses. Adequacy rates were lowest among TNVS drivers, while motorcycle-based transport workers were more likely to consider the assistance enough. About seven in 10 respondents also said at least P8,000 would have been sufficient to offset higher fuel costs. The survey also showed that beneficiaries stretched the assistance beyond transport expenses. Around 80.6 percent used part of the grant to buy food, while 73.6 percent spent it on fuel, indicating that the assistance also helped households cope with broader financial pressures amid
the fuel price shock. Given these findings, PIDS said future fuel assistance could provide differentiated benefit levels depending on transport mode or geographic area, particularly if the objective is to offset fuel-related operating costs. The policy note also urged the government to use future assistance programs to expand social protection coverage among transport workers, noting that many beneficiaries remain outside contributory insurance programs. Survey data showed that PhilHealth covered just over half, or See “Cash,” A2
BusinessMirror A broader look at today’s business
EJAP JOURNALISM AWARDS
BUSINESS NEWS SOURCE OF THE YEAR
(2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021) DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
2018 BANTOG MEDIA AWARDS
$3.4-B BOP JUNE SURPLUS COMES AMID NEW JITTERS www.businessmirror.com.ph
ASEAN CHARTS BROADER GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, chair of the 59th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM), is seen at the plenary session at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Tuesday. During the meeting, Asean foreign ministers approved key decisions to deepen the regional bloc’s engagement with the international community, including granting Germany and Qatar Sectoral Dialogue Partner status and admitting Türkiye as Asean’s 12th Dialogue Partner (Story below, right). The ministers also adopted key outcome documents, including a statement on the evolving situation in the Middle East and new guidelines to strengthen cooperation under the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia. PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE
T
By Andrea E. San Juan
HE stronger external position of the Philippines in June comes at a crucial time as tensions in the Middle East continue to create risks to oil prices, inflation and global financial markets, according to local experts. In separate commentaries, some analysts highlighted the importance of the country’s balance of payments (BOP) surplus hitting the highest in 21 months after a six-month shortfall, as this would help cushion the economy against external shocks, especially amid a still-uncertain global environment. This came after data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed the country’s balance of payments (BOP), which captures the country’s transactions with the rest of the world, posted a surplus of $3.4 billion in June 2026, the highest monthly surplus in 21 months or since September 2024. Data from the central bank
showed that the $3.4-billion surplus in June 2026 helped narrow the cumulative deficit from $7.3 billion in the period January to May 2026 to $3.9 billion in the period January to June 2026. The data showed the BOP surplus in June was 2,497 percent higher than the $131-million surplus in May 2026 and 1,404 percent higher than the $226 million surplus in June 2025. Moreover, the $3.9-billion deficit posted in the first half of 2026 was 30 percent narrower than the $5.59-billion deficit posted in the six-month period in 2025. The BOP posted a surplus for the See “BOP,” A2
n
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 Vol. 21 No. 281
NO LEGAL BASIS TO HALT NCR WAGE HIKE, DOLE TELLS FEF By Mary Jade Jadormio
T
HE Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said there is no legal basis to suspend the second tranche of Metro Manila’s daily wage increase after the Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF) urged the government to defer its implementation. The group argued that postponing the remaining P25 increase would help temper inflationary pressures and ease the burden on businesses, particularly micro, small and medium enterprises. Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, however, said wage orders issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards take effect in accordance with the Wage Rationalization Act once the required legal process has been completed. “We respect the views of all stakeholders,” Tolentino said in a text message. “However, under the Wage Rationalization Act, wage orders issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Boards take effect in accordance
with the law, and there is no legal basis for their suspension or postponement once the prescribed process has been complied with,” he added. The labor chief said the country’s tripartite wage-fixing mechanism already provides employers, workers and government representatives the opportunity to weigh economic conditions before wage orders are approved. “We remain committed to balancing the welfare of workers, the sustainability of businesses, and the country’s overall economic competitiveness through the established tripartite wagefixing mechanism,” Tolentino said. Metro Manila’s wage order grants an P85 daily increase to minimum wage earners, with the adjustment split into two tranches. The first P60 increase will take effect on July 25, while the remaining P25 is scheduled for implementation on January 1, 2027. Republic Act No. 6727, or the Wage Rationalization Act, authorizes regional wage boards See “Wage hike,” A2
P25.00 nationwide | 2 sections 20 pages | 7 DAYS A WEEK
Türkiye joins heavyweight Asean Dialogue partners By Malou Talosig-Bartolome
T
ÜRKIYE has been given a seat at Asean’s many tables—joining heavyweight dialogue partners that already include the United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and South Korea—a move that expands the bloc’s reach and underscores its growing ties with Euro-Atlantic allies. With Turkiye accepted as the bloc’s newest dialogue partner, Asean foreign ministers decided to lift the moratorium in accepting new dialogue partners. Foreign Affairs Secretary and Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) Chairperson Ma. Theresa Lazaro also announced Tuesday that Asean granted Germany and Qatar Sectoral Dialogue Partner status, reflecting the bloc’s widening external network. “These developments demonstrate the continued confidence of our partners in Asean. We also view this as a positive step in realizing the aspirations laid down in the Asean Community Vision 2045,” Lazaro said.
Türkiye’s fast track
TÜRKIYE’S upgrade is notable for its speed. After acceding to the Treaty
of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) in 2010, it was conferred Sectoral Dialogue Partner status in 2017. Less than a decade later, Asean approved its request to become a full Dialogue Partner in 2026—one of the fastest progressions in Asean’s partnership history. According to Malaysia’s Bernama news agency, Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Turkiye has already accepted the dialogue partner status last year. But Asean leaders forwarded the decision to the Asean secretariat and foreign minister to decide because the bloc still has moratorium in accepted new dialogue partners. Türkiye’s admission adds to the roster of Nato states already embedded in Asean’s framework. The United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom are longstanding Dialogue Partners. France and Italy hold Development Partner status, a status conferred in 2020. Their cooperation focuses on practical projects—energy efficiency, maritime waste management, mine action, gender equality, and MSME access—but does not yet extend to full participation in Asean’s political-security mechanisms. See “Asean,” A6
PESO EXCHANGE RATES n US 61.6920 n JAPAN 0.3797 n UK 82.8585 n HK 7.8680 n CHINA 9.1139 n SINGAPORE 47.7973 n AUSTRALIA 43.1536 n EU 70.4091 n KOREA 0.0418 n SAUDI ARABIA 16.4298 Source: BSP (July 21, 2026)