The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

There are many ways to share gifts, material or immaterial, on Christmas. Two of them are music and other allied arts. Take for instance, the pre-Christmas recital of the music students of Nika Music School founded by Shey Placer held at the Entertainment Plaza of the Makati Circuit. One of its teachers, musician and fashion designer Erick Valena, thought of …

As early as July 2025 in time for the announcement of the first four official entries to the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), the box-office projection of the potential moneymakers were already getting ahead of its story. As one of the selected entries, Star Cinema, IdeaFirst Company and Viva Films’ “Call Me Mother” is a favorite winner not only …

What made 2025 Christmas the most beautiful season in Lovi Poe’s life? It’s her first Christmas spent with her first-born and the third holiday celebration with husband Montgomery Blencowe, a film producer. In her social media posts, Lovi described her feelings of motherhood and wifehood with excitement and amazement. “Our first Christmas as a family,” Poe wrote with a heart …

by Boy Villasanta Charo Santos’ new-found freedom makes her hands more full with creative responsibilities particularly her being a thespian unlike when she was stepping up the ladder in the corporate hierarchy of ABS-CBN management where she was into policy-making and implementing managerial powers. This time, Charo sees to it that she’s not only wearing many hats (read: screen roles) …

The uneven treatment of whistleblowers in the unfolding budget manipulation controversy reveals less about the credibility of evidence and more about the power structures that decide what is worth believing. When fugitive, resigned congressman Zaldy Co released a series of videos naming alleged beneficiaries of commissions tied to budget distortions, his claims were swiftly dismissed. The reason: the statements were …

By: VIRGINIA RODRIGUEZ  The true measure of leadership is often revealed not in grand speeches or political slogans, but in quiet moments of service—especially when leaders choose to stand beside the most vulnerable. This spirit was clearly felt during a recent Christmas outreach in Occidental Mindoro, where Governor Ed Gadiano joined hands with community partners to bring hope, dignity, and …

SENATE, Pasay City — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson didn’t mince words as he expressed his disappointment over the Marcos Jr. administration’s failure to fulfill its promise of catching the “big fish” in the flood control corruption scandal before Christmas day. According to Senator Lacson, “who else will believe in the government if promises were not kept and …

MALATE, Manila — With teacher promotion backlogs having persisted for years—slowed by structural and administrative constraints that were often acknowledged but rarely resolved—the promotion of more than 16,000 public school teachers by the Department of Education reflects a clear outcome of coordinated leadership across the executive branch under President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. But this did not happen overnight, as Dr. …

The Manila International Container Terminal (MICT), the flagship facility of International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) and the Philippines’ leading international trade gateway, handled a record three million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2025—the first time the terminal has reached that level in a single year. The record container was handled on December 22, when the terminal serviced the container …

The Purple Hearts Foundation successfully conducted its year-end outreach, “Purple Hearts Foundation Gives Back,” at Kryzl Farmland, where 150 households from nearby barangays were blessed with assistance, joy, and meaningful fellowship. Each household was represented by the entire family—parents and children—reflecting the Foundation’s belief that the true spirit of giving is best felt when families are together. The initiative was …