It comes as a bit of a surprise that Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba—China’s largest private company—names Southeast Asia, rather than China, as the world’s next global economic juggernaut. Ma recently returned to Alibaba following years of Chinese government crackdowns on major tech firms that...
There is likely a whole encyclopedia and countless books written about business. However, as a quick guide and reminder, simply think of the ABCs: Awareness, Buffer, and Continuity. Awareness means knowing the environment in which you operate. This includes your customers, competitors, the...
We carefully plan our vacations, business trips, and even weekend getaways. Yet, who knows when we will take that “inevitable journey” of no return? If we don’t know when it will happen, how do we plan for it? A recent experience shared by my good friend Veronica “Onnie” Lorenzana (of...
When the phrase “digital assets” appears in the news today, it is usually associated with cryptocurrencies or blockchain technologies. That is not the subject of this article. For most organizations, the most valuable digital assets are far more ordinary: payroll records, customer databases,...
In times of war, leadership is measured not in speeches but in presence and coherent action. War is never distant; it comes crashing into markets, highways, and kitchens. When missiles fly in one part of the world, every nation feels the ripple – oil prices spike, supply chains strain, and...
Tourism has always been one of the Philippines’ greatest levers for economic growth. Few countries are as naturally blessed; we boast world-ranking beaches, pristine mountains, a profound cultural heritage, and a people who welcome visitors with genuine warmth. Yet, when I compare our tourism...
When leaders in politics and business get away with whatever they please, the damage is not confined to a single scandal, administration, or balance sheet. The deeper injury is institutional. Impunity—the absence of credible consequences for wrongdoing—reshapes incentives across society. It...
Dan Buettner, founder of Blue Zones research, identified five places in the world where people live the healthiest and longest lives. His work shows that while diet and exercise matter, a vital factor is social connection—strong relationships with family, friends, and community. When former SEC...
I’ve sat in enough boardrooms, classrooms, and breakout rooms to notice a pattern: the moment the word “coaching” comes up, people tense up. Leaders assume it requires certifications, thick manuals, and expert-only jargon that sounds impressive but feels detached from real work. Employees...
The cost of electric power in the Philippines remains among the highest in Asia. This is driven by a combination of high imported fuel costs, ongoing grid work-in-progress, significant system losses (five percent in Singapore versus 10 percent in the Philippines), and an oligopolistic market...
Owning an asset on paper is not quite the same as having physical possession of it. At one point, currency was primarily in the form of coins where the value was straightforward, derived from the gold or silver content itself. As recently as a century ago, most coins were minted from precious...
Once the crown jewel of the Philippines’ blue economy, our marine sector is now gasping for air. A policy report by the US-based Oceana titled “Net Loss: How Governance Gaps are Sinking Philippine Fisheries” paints a grim picture of a resource in freefall—a systemic collapse that should...
