Asian businesses will be challenged this year as a result of the impact of the worsening political situation in some European countries and China’s weakening economy, the outcome of the annual outlook and risk conference of a credit insurance firm indicated.

Jerry Maglunog Seventy percent of all ATMs (automated teller machines) in the country or over 7,000 ATMs are magnets for skimmers who victimize unsuspecting depositors of their cash via unauthorized withdrawals from their accounts. The reason: most of the ATMs are not equipped with pin pad shield, the most basic element to prevent skimmers from taking advantage of the ATM …

Brussels—The European Union committed 2 billion euros ($2.15 billion) to help Athens deal with what even EU leaders now call the “humanitarian crisis” hitting Greeks in the wake of the financial crisis that left the nation on the brink of bankruptcy.

Washington—The United States is escalating a food fight with Indonesia, charging that the Southeast Asian country violates world trade rules by blocking imports of fruit, produce and meat.

ADEN, Yemen—Suicide bombers attacked a pair of mosques Friday in the Yemeni capital, unleashing monstrous blasts that ripped through worshippers and killed 137 people in the deadliest assault yet targeting Shiite rebels who have taken over large parts of the rapidly fragmenting nation. At least 13 children were among the dead.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) reported its 2014 net income grew by 2.7 percent to P867.55 million from P844.77 million a year ago.

A bigger proportion of the population or about one in every four Filipinos were considered poor in the first half of 2014 due to government restrictions on rice imports and the lingering effects of a killer typhoon, state data released last Friday showed.

Riza Lozada The Philippines is being groomed as a model country for mobilizing funds to address climate risks. A World Bank (WB) report stated that the country is home to 16 provinces considered among the top 50 places in Southeast Asia that are vulnerable to sea level changes.

Riza Lozada Trade chambers led by the American Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines have sought  a  long  term  roadmap  that  will  enable  the  Philippines  to  move  up  the  global  business  and  competitiveness  ladder particularly  with  the  advent  of  ASEAN  integration  and  forthcoming  foreign trade agreements (FTAs)  such  as  the  Trans  Pacific  Partnership  (TPP).

Riza Recio Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries can emulate the Philippines initiative on credit surety fund that allows cooperatives to borrow 10 times of their minimum P100,000 contribution, Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said last Friday during the culminating event of the APEC Finance and Central Bank Deputies’ Meeting after the two-day discussion held in …