International Finance Corp. (IFC) has approved its planned investments in two private equity (PE) funds that are eyeing investments in the Philippines and the broader Southeast Asian region. In disclosures last May 7 and April 24, respectively, the World Bank Group’s (WBG) private-sector lending...
Crown Asia continues its expansion across North and Central Luzon at Luxe: Living in Unrivalled Elegance, an exclusive event where cultural immersion, gastronomy, and vision converged to express upscale living. Held at The Granary in Pampanga, the sensorial experience embodied Crown Asia’s...
The Philippine central bank faces an intensifying divide among private-sector economists over the trajectory of borrowing costs, with a lone dissenting voice branding recent monetary tightening as “misguided” following the sharp slowdown in economic output. While a majority of analysts maintain...
LT Group Inc., the conglomerate controlled by tycoon Lucio Tan, expects its banking division to drive earnings to another record this year, offsetting the impact of elevated commodity costs and strained consumer spending fueled by geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East. In a briefing, Lucio Tan...
Greenlight Holdings Inc. secured a ₱9.36 billion senior term loan facility to fund the ongoing construction of its 240-megawatt-peak San Isidro Leyte Solar Power Project. In a statement, Greenlight said t he joint-venture developer obtained the project finance package from China Banking Corp....
BALI, INDONESIA—Southeast Asia is taking bold steps to professionalize its sporting landscape, with regional leaders affirming the Bali Declaration on Youth and Sports and unveiling plans to elevate the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) to global standards. The initiative includes the creation of...
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is facing mounting pressure to deliver a more aggressive interest rate hike or a rare off-cycle move after inflation surged to a three-year high in April. British banking giant Barclays is now pricing in three consecutive 25-basis-point increases, which would...
Signs of stagflation are surfacing in the Philippine economy as it enters the second quarter of 2026, with private sector economists warning of a precarious mix of stalled growth and surging consumer prices. The country’s economic output likely posted only a tepid recovery from the previous...
BEIJING — China is stepping up its push to harmonize the Asia-Pacific’s two largest trade blocs, seeking to bridge the gap between competing frameworks to finally realize a long-delayed vision for a unified regional free trade zone. As the current chair of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation...
President Marcos said the Philippines is expanding opportunities for Filipino athletes as he met with Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) President Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani to strengthen cooperation in sports development and explore future hosting prospects. The President welcomed the Qatari...
EDITORS DESK At a time when the media industry is being reshaped almost faster than it can document itself, —from digital transformation to the arrival of yet another fundamental shift—Manila’s hosting of Digital Media Asia (DMA) 2026 is even more important. What is this shift? We are in the...
“You don’t need to finish the entire chocolate,” says our host during the opening of Venchi—their third branch—at SM Mall of Asia last Thursday, April 30. There was a chocolate tasting portion during the event, and I didn’t want to miss the opportunity. We tried six pieces of the best...
