With economic headwinds creating uncertainties in the short term, people are looking for safe and sustainable investments. Today’s Philippine property developers are bringing master-planned and well-thought of living spaces that offer this viable option. In the area of safe and sustainable spaces, SM Development Corporation (SMDC), the country’s leading residential property developer, looks at this holistic approach across its residential …

The corporate social responsibility arm of BDO Unibank recently mounted relief operations in Northern Luzon, providing aid to thousands of Filipinos affected by Typhoon Neneng and a 6.4-magnitude earthquake. In line with its disaster response advocacy, BDO Foundation immediately mobilized volunteers for the distribution of relief packs containing food, rice and drinking water in underserved communities. The disaster response efforts …

Over 70 biodiversity finance experts from Europe and Asia shared various approaches to reduce the global funding gap for biodiversity management at the United Nations Development Programme Biodiversity Finance Initiative’s (UNDP-BIOFIN) Regional Dialogue, held from 8 to 10 November 2022 at the Conrad Hotel in Manila. “Biodiversity finance finds ways to raise and manage funds to sustainable manage biodiversity. The wealth of …

It’s a Very Merry MOA Gingerbread Christmas as the SM Mall of Asia celebrates the season with a magical Gingerbread Village filled with larger-than-life gingerbread houses, peppermint candy canes, and giant frosted sugar cookies of MOA’s Magical Friends. Taking center stage is a dazzling 65-foot Christmas tree with 1,600 color-changing LED lights, shiny red balls and berries, topped with a …

The Filipino community was set to solemnly celebrate the Undas when Severe Tropical Storm Nalgae, locally called Severe Tropical Storm Paeng, hammered the Philippines and caused widespread damage.  According to the Philippines’ disaster agency, over two million people were affected by widespread flooding and landslides triggered by the heavy rains. It left thousands of houses damaged and many still in …

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) garnered three Merit Awards during the 45th Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and the Pacific (ADFIAP) Annual Meeting on 26 October 2022 at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City. “These recognitions from the ADFIAP highlight LANDBANK’s expanded coverage as a development institution. We will continue our efforts to help address climate …

Members of the Social Security System (SSS) will soon receive their SSS benefits and loan proceeds through their digital-enabled Unified Multi-purpose Identification (UMID) debit ATM cards powered by Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC). The digital collaboration was sealed during the signing of the memorandum of agreement between the SSS and RCBC on October 20 at the SSS main building in …

Since it began operating the water and wastewater system of eastern Metro Manila and Rizal Province, East Zone concessionaire Manila Water has endeavored to provide 24/7 water supply to its current 7.4 million residents. Even during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, Manila Water has been reliably supplying uninterrupted supply not only to residences but also …

The Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) gathered small farmers and fishers, agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs), and their organizations to discuss the National Government’s development plan towards building sustainable and resilient agrarian reform communities. Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Bureau of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development (BARBD) Director Dr. Ronald M. Gareza, CESO IV and LANDBANK Program Management Department I Head, …

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has standardized the micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) business loan application form of BSP-supervised financial institutions (BSFIs) as part of its broader efforts to enhance the availability of financial products and services and foster greater financial inclusion. BSP Circular No. 1156 issued on 30 September 2022 provides a borrower-centric Standard Business Loan Application …