Business

By Jerry Maglunog Gold holdings are important as it is one of the components of gross international reserves (GIR), the money spent by a country’s central bank to sustain importation expenses and pay maturing debts.

By Jerry Maglunog There are plenty of big-ticket projects in the Philippines that cost billions of pesos, and only the giant conglomerates can complete them. These projects are those classified as public-private partnerships (PPP), the battlecry of the Aquino administration seemed to decrease severe lack in public infrastructure ranging from expressways, ports, roads, bridges and airports.

Exclusive By Riza Lozada The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) set a minimum bid price of P267.15 million for the 7,633.1-square-meter Metropolitan Theater (the Met), a price which barely matched what the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) said was needed just for the rehabilitation of the heritage structure.

International Container Terminal Services Inc.’s (ICTSI) Subic Bay Freeport unit, Subic Bay International Terminal Corp. (SBITC), in partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC), recently opened a one-stop shop (OSS) to fast-track documentary transactions in Subic Bay’s container terminals. Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras led the launch of the OSS, together with SBMA Chairman and Administrator …

The National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) stressed the need for better land governance and increased infrastructure investments in agriculture and rural areas, as these remain critical for productivity, job generation, and poverty reduction in many parts of the Philippines.

Megaworld, the country’s leader and pioneer in developing integrated urban townships, is opening two new hotels this year in its two townships in Metro Manila and Iloilo. Richmonde Hotel Iloilo, which will occupy eight levels of the 12-storey Richmonde Tower in the 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, is set to open in June this year.

GT Capital Holdings Inc.’s (GTCAP) property development arm, Federal Land Inc., has entered into a joint venture agreement with Alveo Land Corp., a fully owned subsidiary of Ayala Land Inc., for the development of a 45-hectare property along Laguna Boulevard in Biñan, Laguna province.

By Jerry Maglunog As the market for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) remains so big at about 92 percent, more banks have pledged to increase their exposure to MSMEs as an admission that the sector is too huge to ignore.

Seoul—South Korea’s industrial activity weakened in March after growing the previous month on the back of reductions in production, investment and consumption, boosting concerns about economic slump, a government report showed.

Taipei—Taiwan’s nominal gross domestic product expanded year-on-year in the first quarter of 2015 by 3.46 percent, slightly lower than the official projection made in February, the island’s statistics agency said.