By Rose de la Cruz Not even the best scenario of 1 to 2 percent growth for the agriculture sector can be achieved this year because of the damage from crops from El Nino during the first half of the year and the threats of further losses from the coming La Nina, either this month until October. At least this …

A collaborative effort between SM Foundation, Phoenix Publishing House, and the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) is rewriting the narrative for Senate President Neptali A. Gonzales Integrated School (SPNAGIS), Mandaluyong’s youngest public school. The collaboration for social good helps address the book shortages that have long hampered both students and teachers, promising to enhance the quality of education …

Makati City, July 31, 2024, Marks a historic day for the country’s Financial Inclusion Imperative.  FedCenter, a leading social enterprise is dedicated to improving Financial Acumen through training and development, is launching the first ever app-based Financial Literacy platform that’s free and easy to use.  This marks a significant milestone in democratizing financial literacy across the Philippines, leveraging mobile technology …

Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), the Philippines’ premiere gateway for foreign trade, has completed the commissioning of its three new quay cranes. This latest development underscores MICT’s commitment to providing the highest levels of port services and boosts the terminal’s capacity to handle the increasing demands of modern container shipping. “The acquisition of these new quay cranes represents a significant …

There are many ways we can take care of our septic tanks at home. One of which is availing of the desludging services offered by Manila Water at no additional cost. Manila Water underscores the importance of regular desludging to maintain the efficiency of the waste management system at home. As a septic tank’s primary function is to collect household …

​The Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has approved amended guidelines on the “Settlement of Electronic Payments under the National Retail Payment System (NRPS) Framework” as part of ongoing efforts to ensure integrity and efficiency of the payment system. Issued under Circular No. 1196 on 27 June 2024, the revised guidelines provide operational flexibility to Automated Clearing …

Angel’s Pizza, the fastest-growing pizza chain of the Figaro Coffee Group, is excited to announce a remarkable achievement in its mid-year business review. The company has achieved 1.2 Billion Pesos in sales on GrabFood during the first half of 2024, with over 925 thousand transactions. This impressive figure represents a year-to-year growth of 63%, showcasing the brand’s strong post-pandemic recovery …

by Boy Villasanta After the conclusion of the 28th Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) last month in Bucheon City, the incoming 20th Jecheon International Music and Film Festival (JIMFF) in September in Jecheon City, South Korea is the next best thing to look forward to. From out of the 2,674 films submitted to the feature and short film categories …

It’s Cinemalaya once more. An array of new and not-so-new films “that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity” will be screened from August 2 to 11, 2024 in various venues primarily at Ayala Malls in Manila Bay. This year’s theme of the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival is “Loob, Lalim, Lakas” which …

By Rose de la Cruz Not too long ago– considering a few decades back– the Philippines was a top exporter of sugar, pineapple, rice (yes, rice), bananas, mangoes, logs, coffee. cacao, fiber and textiles and garments and even steel bars. But now, yes, we still are the leader in importing these same items from the world, esp. from our neighbors …