GOVERNANCE MATTERS Former Vice President Jejomar Binay A devastating super-typhoon ravaged the country last week, narrowly sparing Metro Manila but leaving a wake of destruction in large parts of Bicol. Not only did it displace thousands of families, it also battered the region’s agricultural...
The Philippine delegation is targeting to attract over 1,300 buyers and generate a modest $31 million worth export deals at the upcoming China International Import Expo (CIIE), significantly lower than the $300 million the Philippines realized during last year’s China International...
The Villar group continues to move into the changing consumer landscape with the launch of its new Get All online delivery service app which offers on-demand delivery, vehicle rentals, shuttle, and shopper services to key cities inside and outside Metro Manila. In a statement, the Villar group...
SM Investments Corporation (SMIC) reported a 54 percent drop in consolidated net income to P15.2 billion in the first nine months of 2020 from the P33.1 billion earned in the same period last year. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the firm said consolidated revenues for the...
Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) reported a 38 percent drop in consolidated core net income to P7.7 billion in the first nine months of 2020 from P12.5 billion in the same period last year. In a press briefing, MPIC President Jose Ma. K. Lim said the lower profit is largely...
Wilcon Depot Inc. reported a dip in net income for the third quarter, its first fully operational quarter in 2020, to P533 million from the P549 million earned in the same period last year. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the firm said net income fell 42.6 percent to P886...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar The US presidential election is scheduled to take place on November 3, 2020, right about the time this column goes to print. American voters will choose between the incumbent Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger...
GOVERNANCE MATTERS Former Vice President Jejomar Binay The National Security Adviser, who is also the head of the government task force against communism, attempted last week to contain the self-inflicted damage wrought by his overzealous spokesperson’s red-tagging of several celebrities by...
Internet speed in the Philippines has improved by more than 80 percent in the past two and a half years, while the cost of prepaid mobile Internet in the country is now one of the most affordable in Southeast Asia, according to a telecom executive. Globe Telecom Inc. presented the data to refute a...
Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. reported a 13.9 percent drop in attributable net income to P2.4 billion in the first nine months of 2020 due to the impact of quarantine restrictions imposed to stem the spread of COVID-19. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, RRHI noted though...
OF TREES AND FOREST Former Senate President Manny Villar Fatigue, of course, is one of the possible symptoms of COVID-19. But I would like to write about the so-called “pandemic fatigue” – a feeling of exhaustion, impatience, even resignation among people sick and tired of lockdowns and...
GOVERNANCE MATTERS Former Vice President Jejomar Binay In the 1950s, the United States Senate was the venue for anti-communist witch hunts conducted by Senator Joseph McCarthy. The senator whipped up public hysteria and fed on Cold War paranoia by alleging the existence of a massive communist...