By Luis Leoncio The government is poised to become the third major player in the local telecommunications industry once its newly launched broadband infrastructure, which would help improve Internet speed and accessibility in the country, becomes operational by 2019.

By Riza Lozada President Duterte stressed the need to immediately complete the setting up of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) to sustain the region’s new found role as the primary global growth engine.

Member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) need to improve their collaboration to successfully deal with the profound challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, a new joint report launched today by the World Economic Forum and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) should establish macroeconomic and political stability to meet an estimated $60 billion a year to address the region’s infrastructure needs, a senior official of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.

By Luis Leoncio The targeted inclusive growth rate is now a reality for the Philippines after the 6.9 expansion in the gross domestic product in the third quarter as the Duterte administration further ramps up spending on infrastructure and human capital development to supercharge the economy and move closer to financial inclusion, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said.

Airasia Berhad CEO Anthony Francis Fernandes urged member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to create a single Asean Aviation Authority to facilitate the integration and efficient management of their respective air carriers.

Philippine Airlines (PAL) is planning to operate new non-stop, ultra-long haul routes to and from the United States maniland over the next two years while expecting a net loss by end of 2017 due to high fuel prices.

Three New Zealand government agencies signed memoranda of understanding (MOU) with two of their Philippine counterparts and with Philippine Airlines to firm up bilateral cooperation in tourism, energy resources and weather services.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates—Airbus signed a $49.5-billion deal to sell 430 airplanes to the Phoenix-based private equity firm that owns Frontier Airlines, striking the European aerospace company’s biggest deal ever at the Dubai Air Show.

The Philippines amended an air service agreement with South Korea, the top source of international visitors, raising the flight entitlements between the two countries by 13,000 seats a week.