The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has invested $7 million in fintech firm First Circle to expand digital financial services for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines. The IFC board approved the project on June 13, signed on June 28, and invested the...
The International Finance Corp. (IFC) has acquired a stake in fintech company First Circle for $7 million (about P410 million), to help boost lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the Philippines. A June 15 disclosure showed that the IFC board approved on June 13 its equity investment...
Filipino actor Joross Gamboa marked the 20th anniversary of the talent competition “Star Circle Quest” with an Instagram post, tagging Sandara Park and other “questors.” “Star Circle Quest” season 1 premiered on March 1, 2004 on ABS-CBN and ended with a finale on June 5,...
Building a creative hub for Southeast Asian filmmakers Did you know that foreign film mentors from Europe, Africa, and Asia flew to the Philippines for a week to train Southeast Asian filmmakers and producers at the 6th Full Circle Lab Philippines (FCL Ph) that ended in March at the Quest Plus...
Vice President Sara Duterte is now a certified “plantita (a play on the words plant and tita)” as she recently went plant-hunting at the Quezon Memorial Circle. (Photo from Inday Sara Duterte/Facebook) In a Facebook post on Sunday, Oct. 22, the official talked about recently developing a love...
Quezon Memorial Circle lighted up in blue—the color of the Israeli flag—to manifest the Quezon City government's solidarity with Israel. (Photo from Israel in the Philippines Facebook page) The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines shared in a Facebook post a photo of the Quezon Memorial Circle...
DOWN THE DRAIN The Prohibition Era in the US started a federal ban on the sale of alcoholic drinks Over a century ago, the US passed the Volstead Act, a law that sparked the start of the Prohibition era. During this time, the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors were banned...
ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo Critics Circle recently released the maiden issue of Iloilo Art Review, an art journal independently published by the writer-critics and Kasingkasing Press. THE Iloilo Critics Circle with the maiden issue of the art journal Iloilo Art Review. (Photo courtesy of Noel de...
The Circle Chart Music Awards 2022 ceremony was held on Feb. 18 at the KSPO Dome in Seoul. BTS won five awards, the most by any K-pop artist. They won Artist of the Year (digital music) in June 2022 for "Yet to Come (The Most Beautiful Moment)"; Artist of the Year (physical album) in the third...
FROM THE MARGINS My visit to Bacolod last week brought back memories of my days with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP). I worked with the corporate-led social development foundation from 1978 to 1987, initially tasked to manage a demonstration farm in Laguna to show that a farmer...
Filipino actor Joross Gamboa has found old photos of Sandara Park and other alumni of the TV show “Star Circle Quest” season 1. Before attaining global fame as a member of K-pop girl group 2NE1, Sandara Park, or Dara, launched her showbiz career in the Philippines after competing in the first...
International Film Industry Conference 2022 aims to bring synergy to stakeholders Hearing film experts from neighboring ASEAN countries and bridging connections for progressive co-productions are the goals of the government to help the film industry rise against the economic slump caused by the...
