The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

The Fiesta Folkloriada of the Philippines, a project of the Bayanihan Folk Arts Founda­tion held in partnership with the Amb. Alfonso T. Yucheng­co Foundation, is gathering a select group of five dance companies from different parts of the globe to present cultural exchanges in various parts of the Philippines, teach and learn from each other, and perform in a grand …

Last Tuesday, celebrat­ed Peruvian author Mario Vargas Llosa wrapped up his trip to the Philippines by receiving an honorary doctorate in liter­ature from De La Salle Uni­versity (DLSU) in a short, but solemn ceremony attended by officials, teachers and stu­dents of the school; diplomats, members of the Spanish and Spanish-speaking community in Manila; and writers, including myself.

Mister Potato, Malaysia’s top potato-snack brand, launched in the Philippines last Friday a breakthrough product that dares to be different from the usual munchies available in the market today.

Cakes are the best sweet treats that satisfy not just your cravings, but also your family’s. Their eye-catching colors and exquisite flavors can make family bondings and simple gatherings with friends special, especially those confections come from Red Ribbon, one of the most loved bakeshop chains in the Philippines.

The Gillette digital battles with funny YouTuber Wil Dasovich came to life and gave guys a chance to put their precision moves to the test in an event hosted by Joyce Pring and held at the Eastwood Mall Atrium on November 6.

By Luis Leoncio The administration’s planned infrastructure spending would be the biggest in terms of its share to total economic output since the term of former President Ferdi­nand E. Marcos in 1969, the Depart­ment of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said.

The country’s growth will weather the weakening of the Philippines peso against the US dollar, which was al­legedly triggered by President Duterte’s outbursts against the United States, Rep. Joey Salceda of Albay’s second district, said.

The administration’s economic man­agers have formally guaranteed “so­cial-protection initiatives” to shield the poor and low-income households from the impact of the proposed ad­justments in excise fuel taxes under the initial comprehensive tax-reform program that the government submit­ted last September to Congress for its approval.

The Department of Finance (DOF) will expand the val­ue-added tax (VAT) base and raise the excise tax on diesel to recoup losses from the pro­posed reforms on corporate and income taxes that would result in the reduced tariff payments of wage earners and business firms.

Of 149 countries in the world, the Philippines is the 60th most prosperous, based on the criteria of Brit­ish think tank Legatum In­stitute in its yearly ranking called the Prosperity Index.