BY now, most of the publicly listed companies have been accustomed to doing and submitting to the government their sustainability reports. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said listed firms were in “peak compliance” for the submission of the separate report on sustainability—as much as 98 percent compliant for the 2019 and 2020 financial reporting years that the agency monitored so far.
THE House of Representatives has a full plate of must-pass pieces of legislation to help the Marcos administration create job opportunities and a better life for Filipinos while sustaining the momentum of the country’s economic recovery.
EVEN with the resumption of face-to-face classes and the revival of the local tourism industry in recent months, allowing more businesses to resume their operations, thousands of workers continue to lose their jobs and become financially vulnerable.
THE Philippine tourism industry is bouncing back this year, but it may take a while for international arrivals to return to prepandemic levels.
DAVAO CITY—The fabled oil and gas in the Liguasan Marsh in south central Mindanao has sparked renewed interest in its exploration, with some quarters saying that the untapped black gold in its waters is the economic savior of poor Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
IT was sheer serendipity that on the day BusinessMirror released its anniversary folio marking its 17th anniversary, a 108-year-old maritime icon from Norway would sail into Manila’s port as part of a global navigation. The men and women behind BusinessMirror had decided, early on, to use a sailboat—fittingly floating in an ocean of face masks—to illustrate the rough waters in which it had navigated through the pandemic.
October 3, 2022 – SM Foundation, Inc. (SMFI), the social good arm of the SM group, was recognized by the Board of Investments (BOI) with the Pandemic Heroes Award for its contribution in making a significant difference in the lives of Filipinos during the COVID 19 pandemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed our lives in so many ways. It has brought to the forefront the importance of our health, not only physically but mentally as well. The real estate industry has taken this to heart and is now creating green and sustainable living spaces that Filipinos can call their own.
DURING the yearly Kick-off Activity back in January 2022, Asian Hospital and Medical Center President and CEO President Andres M. Licaros Jr. said the hospital would be focusing on its digital transformation as part of the institution’s continued growth and sustainability.
While the country has been experiencing interest and inflation rate hikes over the past few months, demand for real estate is expected to increase during the remaining months of 2022.
“Location, location, location.” This oft-repeated real estate mantra stresses how important a property’s location can be. Seasoned investors and even average homebuyers know that a house’s location is viewed as equally important—or even more so—than the actual home itself.
Globally, around 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic wastes enter the oceans every year according to an article published by the World Bank 2021. The same article revealed that 40 to 50 percent of these marine plastic wastes are single-use consumer packaging and 80% of the global plastic wastes leaking into the ocean comes from Asia. In fact, the Philippines is the third largest contributor of marine plastic waste with over 750,000 tons of plastics entering the ocean annually.
Cebu is undoubtedly a fantastic place to live in. It is vibrant, dynamic, and full of exciting activities and destinations. It is no surprise then that many are looking for the perfect home in Cebu, especially one that best fits their family. One of the crucial considerations for homebuyers is the neighborhood’s suitability for raising and nurturing a household. Fortunately, there are many choices for families to thrive and grow, including Camella communities in Cebu.
EVEN before the Covid-19 pandemic dealt a big blow to the health-care industry, some of the big hospitals in Metro Manila had already started their journey towards digital transformation. For these hospitals, the ultimate goal of going digital is to provide the best quality of care to their patients.
THE imminent threat of climate change and the mass labor displacement caused by business disruptions from the pandemic have reinvigorated the government efforts to push for the creation of more “green jobs.”
STILL reeling from the economic setbacks brought by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the Philippines was again struck by one of the worst impacts of climate change—extreme weather events.
WITH markets still down, it is quite hard to talk about economic recovery.
AS Filipinos shift from the “new normal” to the “now normal,” telecommunications services have become more and more indispensable to consumers, with digital services helping them navigate their daily lives—from work and school to gaining access to basic necessities and even luxuries.
A STABLE and sufficient power supply is crucial to economic growth, especially when the country is gearing up for a post-pandemic boom.
TWO years ago, the silence of the streets was almost deafening. Only a few cars and people were moving about and the skylines of Metro Manila were nearly crystal clear.
THE number 8 is believed to be a lucky number. This is especially the case when the number is flipped because it becomes the symbol for infinity or forever.
THE information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) industry has proven to be “indispensable” to the Philippine economy—not succumbing to uncertainty such as the pandemic and the global economic headwinds.
THE Covid-19 global pandemic has seen the increased use of telemedicine to provide medical care to patients.
WHILE the Covid-19 pandemic was a wake-up call for hospitals to drum up their digitalization efforts, two IT (information technology) experts believe that health institutions still have a long way to go in their digital transformation.
NO one was ready for the Covid-19 pandemic last year. So when Medical Center Manila, popularly known as ManilaMed, faced this invisible enemy, the management team counted on 54 years of experience to deal with it.
VETERAN tour operator Fe Abling-Yu was anxious.
SUBIC BAY FREEPORT—Good things sometimes come in unexpected ways. Take the case of the Subic Bay International Airport (SBIA).
WHILE local financial consumers have historically been relatively aloof from the traditional banking system, it looks like financial technology (fintech) is winning them over on convenience and increased reliance on digital means due to the pandemic.
DESPITE uncertainties that caused dwindling revenues, aviation industry stakeholders are still optimistic, albeit very cautious at the same time.
THINK tanks, government officials and business groups have stressed the need to bring in more foreign direct investments (FDI), especially at a time when a country is battling an enemy strong enough to send it to an economic recession. FDIs are expected to generate more employment and revenues—both of which are on the top of the must-have list of the country.
IT’S the beginning of October, just the start of what the retail world simply calls “peak.” But the industry is already in various forms of panic that usually don’t take hold until the weeks before Christmas.
LOOK northwest. That’s where the future of the world’s and the country’s logistics and supply chain lies post-pandemic.
IN January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the public health emergency of international concern for the Covid-19 virus outbreak. Two months later the world was already facing a pandemic, Dr. Vergel P. Binay, medical director of Ospital ng Makati, recalled.
WHILE hospitals are equipped to deal with emergency situations that involve multiple casualties, they were not prepared to deal with an invisible enemy known as the Covid-19 virus.
At the start of the community quarantine, the real estate and property market has slowed down, but now it’s picking up with renewed interest from buyers. Industry experts also cite indications that the sector will definitely bounce back and that makes investing in real estate in perfect timing.
The 2020 contagion resulting from the novel coronavirus 2019 is real taking significant toll on economies and people of all nations across the globe.
In an effort to jump start the economy from the ravages of the COVID-19 pandemic, various members of both the public and private sectors have joined hands to form #PinasMunaTayo. Described as both “a campaign and a movement”, #PinasMunaTayo is spearheaded by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alliance Global Group Inc., and Resorts World Manila. It aims to advocate Bayanihan through the patronization of local products and destinations in order to stimulate the growth of domestic consumption. The campaign has three main objectives, namely, TriPinas, to revive local tourism, ShoPinas, to encourage the patronization of local retail brands and LasaPinas,which stirs local interest in different local delicacies.
QUIET rooms, empty halls, serene school grounds… For Kindergarten Head Lanie Bautista of Fortress College in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, that meant no more playful and happy pupils running around to hug and kiss her a good morning every day.
KAMPALA, Uganda—The women grappled with each other inside the vehicle. The driver jerked to ease the grip around her neck, then turned to elbow her attacker in the back seat. She flung the door open to make her escape, ending the simulated attack.
THE Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore what is shaping up to be a bigger challenge for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), even as the 150,000-strong organization has to contend with internal and external security threats.
TOKYO—Suicides are on the rise among Japanese teens and that worries 21-year-old Koki Ozora, who grew up depressed and lonely.
AN optimistic mindset, a positive outlook, a never-say-die attitude and perseverance will take us through this crisis: that’s the bold prediction of Inderjit Singh, International Civil Aviation Organization (Icao) airport consultant and former CEO of Indira Gandhi International Airport.
WHEN the Covid-19 pandemic reached the country in March, the government placed almost the entire country either on a total lockdown or under varying levels of quarantine to prevent more infections and deaths due to the virus.
THE decision of Waynesville Learning Center, a private school in Bacoor, Cavite, that caters to elementary and high-school students, to adopt online distance learning was not made overnight.
IT was an event that appeared “normal” enough, so to speak. Playing on loop in the backdrop was jazz instrumentals, while a set of speakers were tasked to deliver welcome remarks. There was even a fashionable delay.
ON October 11 the Bureau of Customs intercepted a live reticulated python from an outbound parcel in the warehouse of DHL, a German courier, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia).
When the initial lockdown dubbed as Enhanced Community Quarantine was first declared in the National Capital Region and other parts of the country as a result of COVID-19, classes in all levels were suspended indefinitely as everyone was asked to simply stay home.
As part of their COVID-19 initiatives under the new normal, Republic Cement, Globe and various other companies stepped up and helped the country through their donations and many CSR initiated projects.
In a would-be whirl of opulent haute couture presentations for Fashion Week’s spring 2021 season—with global fashion houses attempting to showcase collections to top the last—the runways are relatively empty, replaced instead by a cluster of virtual shows and theatrical live broadcasts.
The coronavirus pandemic has given rise to an ongoing surge in media consumption, and in a country where audiences remain largely reliant on television as their primary source of news and entertainment, broadcast networks have begun venturing back to producing shows.
JERMYN PRADO, in full combat uniform, mans a desk at the Philippine Navy Command in Taguig City. She’s tasked to do six hours of desk job almost every day.
THIS roasted chicken slogan says you don’t need sauce to spike its flavor. In less than half a decade, Chooks-to-Go doesn’t need any introduction anymore.
EVERY TIME Jeremy Randell Go walks into a crowded room, he takes the path less traveled, so to speak. He wants to come in unnoticed, little or no grand entrance at all.
ERNESTO “JUDES” ECHAUZ, the Group Chairman of Standard Insurance, has sailing flowing in his veins. But from the calm-to-ferocious seas where he steered his yacht Centennial III and most recently Centennial V, the tender-natured Echauz ventured into three other sports that has one common denominator—a bicycle.
ANYONE in Philippine sports who doesn’t know Manuel V. Pangilinan, or MVP, is not from this country. He or she could be from another planet even.
EVERYONE is now a food tourist or food traveler. We go to the provinces for work or vacation, or go on holidays abroad, and take photos not just of the beach or iconic landmarks of the places we are visiting, but the food we eat as well. Social media, especially Facebook and Instagram, are filled with posts upon posts of dishes here and around the world, with hashtags like #instafood, #foodporn, #foodie and the like.
SHIFTING from a set of “landline-era policies” to digitally enabling regulations and practices may help improve the Philippines’s ranking in competitiveness reports, all while creating a huge impact on both the macroeconomy and individuals.
AL AMANAH Islamic Investment Bank of the Philippines (AIB), a subsidiary of the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), will play a vital role in the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City and the development of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), the Philippine economy expanded by about 6.2 per cent in 2018. It was lower than the average annual growth rate of 6.6 percent from 2012 to 2017 but still places the country as among the fastest-growing economies in Emerging Asia. During Q4 2018, industry had the fastest growth, with 6.9 percent, followed by services (6.3 percent) and agriculture (1.7 percent).
TRAFFIC congestion has become the new normal for the people living and working in Metro Manila.
FOR many years, millions of Filipinos were practically on the fringes of policy-making and nation-building simply because government statisticians could not reach them. The real plight of Filipinos was lost in a sea of estimates and projections as the government lacked the required resources and means to include them in official surveys.
FROM its early beginnings of traditional brick-and-mortar transactions to the rise in automation as seen in the proliferation of automated teller machines (ATMs), the global banking industry is facing yet another new wave of innovations to make financial management faster and more efficient.
THE Philippines continues to be confronted with energy supply challenges. But one that has to be dealt with immediately is the urgency to find and develop new energy sources to fill the void that will be left in the wake of the Malampaya gas field depletion.
THE “Road to A,” a campaign launched by the Duterte administration this year, has given the House of Representatives more impetus to immediately pass measures under the Comprehensive Tax Reform Program (CTRP). The government declared that it will shoot for an “A” credit rating in May, right after debt watcher Standard & Poor’s (S&P) upgraded the Philippines’s credit rating to “BBB+.”
IN between the usual shots of single-malt whiskey and chatter with longtime business friends, Tito hit rock bottom: What’s the future going to be like?
THE husband-and-wife tandem behind Chen Yi Agventures just wanted to help the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan), which struck the province of Leyte in November 2013.
WHEN Boracay Island was reopened to the public on October 26, 2018, the Department of Tourism (DOT) promoted it as a model of sustainable tourism. Just six months before, it underwent a massive cleanup and rehabilitation, including the implementation of much-needed infrastructure projects, like the widening of the main beach road, improvement of the drainage system, as well as enforcing the no-build zone on the beach.
DEALING with bureaucratic red tape was a major stumbling block that aspiring Filipino entrepreneurs had to hurdle the past many decades before they could set up shop.
LISTED companies normally give out annual reports printed on paper to their shareholders, as regulators require them to do so.
By Stephanie Joy Ching
AT a recent forum, a science high-school student commented that for ordinary people, space is unreachable and very distant, considering it is high above the Earth, and that having a space program seems to be difficult.
THE P800-million Philippines Scientific Earth Observation Microsatellite (PHL-Microsat) Program that aimed at launching Filipino-made satellites in space had already launched its microsatellites in space: Diwata-1, a microsatellite that fits a balikbayan box, and Maya-1, a cube satellite that fits the palm of a hand.
THE whole world is now undergoing the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, with data being the new gold. And while the rest of the world has long been thriving in mining this new commodity, the Philippines is still in the search for tools to capitalize on this product, albeit at a much faster pace.
A MAJOR change in the landscape of court proceedings in the country is in the offing with the impending approval by the Court of a new method of obtaining court testimonies from parties in criminal cases dubbed “tele-hearing.”
BUSINESSES in the Philippines are encouraged to ramp up their innovative efforts in order to confront global emerging challenges, most especially changes brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
EDUARDO MA. SANTOS is familiar with the experience of facing storms at sea. Having served in the Philippine Navy for 33 years, he knows the subtle signs of approaching danger.
