Intelligence
The Feed
A new piece every Thursday on Philippine residency, tax, visas, banking, and what daily life in Davao City is actually like. Written on the ground, not from a desk in Europe.
BI Annual Report Fee: ₱500 Proposed
The Bureau of Immigration proposes raising the Annual Report fee from ₱300 to ₱500, plus express lane fees of ₱1,000 and ₱1,500. What changes and what stays.
DC Bus Davao: How the City's Buses Work
Davao's city-run DC Bus has a live tracker and 20 electric buses on order, while the ADB-funded Davao Bus Project is still being built. What it means for you.
Davao Investment Offers: Check Before You Pay
Davao City's Anti-Scam Unit says a business permit is not a licence to take investors' money. What the law requires, and the checks to run before you pay.
ProGRESS Tax Bill: What Changes for Foreigners
The DOF wants the income tax threshold raised from ₱250,000 to ₱350,000. Which foreign residents would gain, which would not, and what else the bill brings.
El Niño Until 2027: What It Means for Davao
PAGASA expects El Niño to last into the first half of 2027 and lists Davao City for dry conditions by January. What that means for water, power, heat and haze.
Davao City: Largest Economy Outside Luzon
PSA's 2025 provincial accounts put Davao City 10th of 115 economies and the only top-10 one outside Luzon: ₱601.68 billion, 4.8% growth. What it means for you.
Davao Earthquake June 2026: What It Means
The M7.8 offshore Sarangani quake of 8 June 2026 reached Intensity V in Davao City. What PHIVOLCS and the city recorded, and what it means for where you live.
Davao ₱540 Minimum Wage: Who It Covers at Home
Davao's daily minimum wage rose to ₱540 on 1 September 2026. Your helper is on a separate ₱6,500 monthly rate, and your family driver fits neither order.
Davao Light 2026: ₱9.71 to ₱13.09 per kWh
Davao Light's residential rate rose from ₱9.71 to ₱13.09 per kWh between December 2025 and July 2026. Where the extra pesos come from and what to budget.
