Rare plant rediscovered in Mount Apo park

Rare plant rediscovered in Mount Apo park

Josiah Antonio

Philstar Global

02 July 2026

MANILA, Philippines —  A rare plant has been rediscovered in Mount Apo Natural Park after 122 years, according to field reports by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region yesterday.

The discovery was made by the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO) team during routine wildlife monitoring activities.

While retrieving camera traps along a forest trail, the team spotted a tiny flowering plant that caught their attention despite its minute size.

After careful examination, the specimen was identified as Ophiorrhiza biflora, a Philippine endemic species first collected in Mount Apo in October 1904 by American botanist Edwin Bingham Copeland.

Belonging to the Rubiaceae family, which includes coffee, gardenia, mussaenda and santan, O. biflora has also been recorded in Benguet and Negros.

However, the Mount Apo specimen represents the first successful photographic documentation of the species, marking a significant milestone in Philippine botanical research.

The DENR-Davao Region said the rediscovery is highly significant as it confirms the continued survival of a Philippine endemic species that had not been documented in Mount Apo for over a century.

This also reinforces Mount Apo Natural Park’s status as one of the country’s important biodiversity hotspots and further strengthens its bid for UNESCO Global Geopark recognition, the regional office said.

Philippines hits upper-middle income status - World Bank

Philippines achieves upper-middle-income ambition

Ben Arnold de Vera
Manila Bulletin
July 1, 2026

The Philippines achieved its long-standing goal of attaining upper-middle-income-country (UMIC) status with a record-high gross national income (GNI) per capita in 2025, even as neighboring Vietnam made a bigger stride toward the same World Bank classification.

The World Bank announced on Wednesday night, July 1 (Manila time), that the Philippines, Jordan, Micronesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam had joined the ranks of UMICs, with their respective GNI per capita ranging from $4,636 to $14,375 in 2025. This is the income range for UMICs for fiscal year (FY) 2027, covering the period from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027.

Manila Bulletin reported earlier that the Philippines’ GNI per capita rose to a record $4,850 in 2025 from $4,470 in 2024, based on World Bank documents published earlier this week.

GNI measures the total income earned by a country’s residents, both domestically and abroad, making it a broader measure of economic performance than gross domestic product (GDP), which accounts only for domestic output.

Based on separate World Bank Group (WBG) DataBank figures seen by Manila Bulletin, the Philippines’ GNI, using the Atlas method, rose to $566.8 billion in 2025 from over $518 billion in 2024.

The country had been stuck in lower-middle-income-country (LMIC) status since at least FY 1989.

“The Philippines achieved its reclassification through broad-based expansion. GDP grew at an average of 5.8 percent per year over five years, reflecting gains across all major industries, not a single sector boom, but an economy-wide shift,” the World Bank said in a blog post.

However, the Philippines’ 2025 GNI per capita remained below Vietnam’s, which climbed to $4,970 from $4,490 a year ago. As a result, the income gap between the two countries widened sixfold—from just $20 in 2024 to $120 in 2025.

“Vietnam tells a story of growth. Powered by an export-led model, the country saw exports surge by more than 15 percent in both 2024 and 2025, with its GDP growing at seven percent and eight percent, respectively. GNI expanded at an average of 10 percent annually between 2021 and 2025—one of the strongest sustained runs in the region,” the World Bank said.

Based on the June 18 World Bank board report seen by Manila Bulletin, Vietnam’s GDP per capita grew by a faster 7.4 percent in 2025, compared with the Philippines’ 3.6 percent.

To recall, Philippine economic growth slowed to a post-pandemic low of 4.4 percent last year in the aftermath of the multibillion-peso flood-control infrastructure corruption scandal, which tempered investor appetite as well as public and private consumption.

Among the other new UMICs, documents showed that Jordan posted a 2025 GNI per capita of $5,260, Micronesia recorded $4,760, and Sri Lanka reached $4,670.

Meanwhile, Togo moved up from low-income to LMIC status, with a 2025 GNI per capita of $1,350, documents showed.

For FY 2027, the LMIC income range covers economies with a 2025 GNI per capita of $1,176 to $4,635.

With its newly attained UMIC status, the Philippines will eventually lose access to the most concessional official development assistance (ODA), or low-interest loans, extended by bilateral development partners as well as multilateral lenders such as the World Bank, the Manila-based Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

In his inaugural State of the Nation Address (SONA) in 2022, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said the Philippines aspired to attain UMIC status by 2024—a target that was postponed multiple times as economic growth fell short of expectations in recent years.

During the previous Duterte administration, its economic team had targeted UMIC status by 2020, a goal that was derailed by the socioeconomic crises inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Alex Eala made history as the first Filipino tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles match in the "Open Era"

Eala becomes first Filipino to win Wimbledon singles match in Open Era, downs Zarazua

Niel Victor C. Masoy

The manila Times 

01 July 2026

MANILA, Philippines — In front of a loud de facto home crowd, Alex Eala made history as the first Filipino tennis player to win a Wimbledon singles match in the "Open Era" as she dominated Mexican Renata Zarazua, 6-1, 6-2, at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club Court 12 early Wednesday in Manila.

The Open Era began in 1968 when professional players were finally allowed to compete in Grand Slams.

The late Felicisimo Ampon and Raymundo Dero were the lone Filipino netters to win Wimbledon singles matches before the Open Era.

Treat Huey won multiple Wimbledon matches in the Open Era albeit he did it in men's doubles.

With the win, Eala also avenged her 6-3, 4-6, 3-6 loss to Zarazua in the 2024 W100 Cary Tennis Classic quarterfinals.

Eala advanced to the second round (round of 64) where she faces either the returning women's tennis GOAT Serena Williams or Aussie Maya Joint.

Billy Crawford wins 'Mask Singer France' Season 9

Billy Crawford wins 'Mask Singer France' Season 9

GMA News
30 June 2026

Billy Crawford is the winner of "Mask Singer France" Season 9!

The Filipino entertainer portrayed The Donkey or L'Ane throughout the show. Billy performed "Beat It" by Michael Jackson in the finale.

"This was an absolutely amazing experience!" Billy said on Instagram.

He thanked "The Masked Singer" family for keeping him a secret for a whole month, as well as the costume designers for their patience and the adjustments they made.

Billy also thanked everyone who voted for him.

"L'Ane was a very special character to me because I chose it with my son Amari in mind. I figured if he loved it, everyone else would too!" Billy said.

"Most of all, thank You, Lord God, for giving me the courage, strength, and opportunity to compete—and on top of that, to win!" he added.

"Mask Singer" is a competition show in which celebrities sing in costume and hide their identities.

Billy previously won "Dancing With The Stars France" in 2022.

He was previously a judge on "The Voice Kids Philippines."

PH's first engineer analog astronaut takes part in Poland research mission

PH's first engineer analog astronaut takes part in Poland research mission

Lyjah Tiffany Bonzo
GMA News
29 June 2026

Dr. Mark Angelo Purio represented the Philippines in a space research mission in Poland, making him the country’s first engineer analog astronaut and fourth analog astronaut.

In Adamson University’s (AdU) post, it recognized Purio’s participation in the LunAres Analog Astronaut Mission M4.26, where he joined an international crew in advancing research that “supports future lunar and Martian exploration.”

Purio is an associate professor at AdU’s Electronics Engineering Department and the head of its very own Space Technologies and Applications Research Laboratory (STARLab).

“This remarkable milestone reflects Adamson University's commitment to research, innovation, and global engagement, inspiring the next generation of scientists, engineers, and space explorers,” the university said Monday.

"During the mission, he also contributes to Adobo4Space, a collaborative initiative with the Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI), and UPD Department of Food Science and Nutrition, bringing Filipino innovation—and even Filipino flavors—to space research."

An Analog Mission is a research method focused on investigating one or several aspects of crewed space missions using earthly real-life situations as an analogue to an off-world scenario, the LunAres Research Station Director said.

According to the research station, joining the research program as an analog astronaut is open to individuals from all fields — whether they are an artist, researcher, journalist, engineer, student, or even a person with disabilities.

The Philippines’ first and second analog astronauts are Kristine Jane Atienza and Dr. Marvic Alcantara, who joined the Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) in 2024.

Meanwhile, the third analog astronaut is Florence Pauline Basubas, according to the Philippine Space Agency. — BAP, GMA News

Philippines emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing markets for rooftop solar insallations

Philippines leads in solar panel use

Alimat Aliyeva
Azernews (Azebaijan news outlet)
 29 June 2026

Residents of the Philippines are increasingly turning to rooftop solar panels as electricity prices continue to soar, making solar energy one of the fastest-growing alternatives in the country, AzerNEWS reports.

According to reports, the Philippines' largest electricity distributor, Meralco, recently raised power tariffs by 10% following the escalation of tensions in the Middle East, which pushed global energy prices higher. As a result, demand for residential solar systems has surged, with the Philippines emerging as one of the world's fastest-growing markets for rooftop solar installations.

The average Filipino household now spends around 12% of its monthly income on electricity bills. Unlike many other Southeast Asian nations, the Philippines provides limited government subsidies for electricity, leaving consumers to pay some of the highest power prices in the region.

Homeowners say the falling cost of solar panels, combined with steadily rising electricity rates, has made investing in rooftop solar systems more financially attractive than ever. Many families expect to recover their installation costs within just a few years through lower monthly utility bills.

The Philippines receives abundant sunshine throughout the year, averaging 4.5 to 5.5 peak sun hours per day. This makes rooftop solar one of the country's most effective renewable energy solutions, allowing many households to significantly reduce their dependence on the national power grid while lowering long-term energy costs.

Swedish firms choose Philippines as preferred investment market

Philippines among top investment markets for Swedish firms

Louella Desiderio
Philstar Global
28 June 2026

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is among the top investment markets for Swedish firms with over 60 percent of companies planning to increase their investments in the country, according to a survey.

The Global Business Climate Survey 2026, produced by Business Sweden and Sweden’s embassies and consulates, showed that the Philippines ranked as the second preferred investment market, with 63 percent of Swedish firms expecting to expand in the country in the next 12 months. This is up from 55 percent that planned to increase their investments last year.

Topping the list was South Africa where 66 percent of Swedish companies plan to invest more in the coming 12 months.

The survey covered over 2,250 respondents in 41 markets. In the Philippines, the survey covered 38 respondents.

For Swedish companies, the Philippines is an attractive growth market because of its long-term macroeconomic fundamentals and large and young consumer base.

Most Swedish firms in the Philippines are also optimistic on their performance this year, with 82 percent expecting increased turnover, higher than 58 percent last year.

Despite the optimistic outlook, Swedish firms are concerned about corruption in the country.

While most firms report limited direct exposure to bribery or fraud, there are concerns on how the flood control corruption scandal last year may affect investor and consumer confidence and weigh on overall market growth.

To improve the country’s competitiveness and business environment, Swedish firms cited digitalization, infrastructure improvement and ease of doing business reforms as key priorities.

To succeed and grow in the Philippines, Swedish firms are focusing on sales, marketing, after-sales services and customer support.

Other factors seen vital to Swedish firms’ success are cost efficiency and finding the right partners.