A blessed Sunday to you. Ready to go to Church?
Here is what we are covering in today’s newsletter:
GCash’s parent company locks in a ₱6.60 per share final offer price for its upcoming historic public debut on the Philippine Stock Exchange.
The Department of Agriculture rolls out a massive relief and infrastructure package to protect local agriculture from severe El Niño conditions.
Trial Chamber III agrees to admit key witness statements regarding the Davao Death Squad ahead of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s trial.
Mynt Prices Market Debut
Coverage: Business & Finance
The financial app living rent-free on virtually every smartphone in the country is officially crossing the finish line to go public. Mynt, the parent company behind GCash, just finalized its offer price at ₱6.60 per share for its highly anticipated initial public offering. That figure comes in noticeably lower than the earlier ₱10.00 ceiling tossed around, but don’t let the discount fool you.
By pricing over eight billion common shares, plus an additional over-allotment chunk, the fintech giant is securing massive backing, with institutional allocations already virtually fully booked. The public offering runs from October 6 to 12, with a tentative ring of the bell on October 20 under the ticker symbol GCash. It is a major test of market appetite, solidifying its trajectory after doubling its valuation to $5 billion in 2024.
Bicol Braces For El Niño
Coverage: Agriculture & Environment
Mother Nature is turning up the heat, and Bicol’s agricultural sector is refusing to be the main course. The Department of Agriculture Bicol regional office is pulling out all the stops by rolling out a ₱3.3-billion assistance package to cushion farmers and fisherfolk against dry spell damage. With crop losses already ticking past ₱235.8 million, primarily hitting rice fields, the regional intervention includes ₱862 million for irrigation systems, ₱763.8 million for core farm support, and ₱408.3 million set aside for crop insurance indemnities.
They are even deploying over 100 shallow tube wells, solar pumps, and drought-tolerant crops to ensure dinner still gets made. It’s a heavy line of defense for a region that knows all too well how hard El Niño can bite.
ICC Admits Key Witness
Coverage: Legal & Politics
Over in The Hague, trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court granted a prosecution request to admit previously recorded statements from a key witness, designated as P-1100. The testimony dives straight into the alleged internal operational mechanics of the infamous Davao Death Squad.
While Duterte’s defense team pushed back against the inclusion, the tribunal ruled that the evidence provides essential contextual background, though they trimmed the prosecution’s questioning window down to a tight one-hour slot. With nearly 7,000 evidence items submitted, the international court is clearly clearing the runway for one of the most monitored legal proceedings in recent history.
And our 5-minutes with you is done. We hoped you enjoyed reading today’s updates, and let us know if you’ve bought GCash shares. We’ll see you again tomorrow.