“And for the first time in my life, I know what it’s like to be a happy man, mmHappy ManAnd for the first time in my lifeYou’ve given me something I can understand, mmBeing a happy man”The chorus line of Happy Man, a song popularized by American rock band Chicago in 1968, comes to mind, and...
Gerry Z, my golfing buddy, messaged me about my availability to join a select group of journalists to break bread with Francis Chua, to which I readily agreed, curious about the developments at the Bank of Commerce, which he chairs. It would also be my first face-to-face interview with a news source...
Sometime in November, the Cambridge Dictionary announced that "manifest"—meaning to dream or will something into existence, a definition popularized on social media—was its 2024 word of the year.Aspiring to or visualizing your dream to make it a reality can be equated to New Year's resolutions,...
It's four days before 2024 concludes.Let's walk down memory lane and look back at some of the defining moments of the year that will soon pass. Yes, Virginia, a cartload of events came our way—improvements in basic services, particularly in disaster preparedness following a number of natural...
I fully agree that both "wish" and "want" express a yearning for something. However, there's a subtle difference that separates these two words, which are often used during this holiday season of giving.A wish often implies a strong aspiration for something that is not easily attainable, something...
My Filipino-American friend AR, who has spent most of his adult life on the West Coast and adopted the American way, raised an eyebrow as I explained the reasoning behind the Philippines' early observance of the Yuletide season.While the holiday season starts shortly after Thanksgiving Day in the...
These three names—Abet, Eric, and Edwin—represent just a few bankers who, I believe, have made their mark and left an indelible impression on the banking industry in their own distinct and charming ways.Aside from this, all three have one common denominator: they're Citibankers who reached the...
There is growing uncertainty in the market regarding the direction the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will take in its last two policy meetings of the year, scheduled for Nov. 14 and Dec. 16.Will the BSP implement another rate cut in line with the expectation that the US Federal Reserve will...
My daughter, Kristianne, lives in a house that is widely solar-powered. She is one of the many who subscribe to solar energy, which is described as the most abundant renewable energy (RE) source in the country.Wind, biomass, hydro, and geothermal energy are the other forms of RE that the country is...
Reforms in the financial markets play a pivotal role in enhancing the development of the capital market that, in turn could lead to the further strengthen the domestic economyOne such reform or enhancement is the introduction of the short-term Peso Interest Rate Swap (Peso IRS) instrument and the...
It's been a while since I last attended meetings and events of the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP). However, its executive director, Arnold Salvador, has never ceased sending me invites and reminders.The invite for Wednesday's general membership meeting, which coincides with the...
Listening to Maria Isabel “Maribel” Ongpin, the chair of HABI: the Philippine Textile Council, promoting the local fabric like Abaca as a “unique part of our identity as Filipinos” touched me with nostalgia.At the Wednesday launch of the 14th HABI Likhang Market Fair with this year’s...
