The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

The Philippine entertainment industry was plunged into mourning after beloved comedian and television host German “Kuya Germs” Moreno died of cardiac arrest at 3:20 a.m. on Friday. He was 82. 

Holidays are best spent away from the crowded streets of the city, and for people who want to get away, Palawan province is often the place they think of. Not surprising, since top US travel magazine Condé Nast Traveler named it the world’s best island last year.

This year, resolve to meet new people, visit new places and immerse in other cultures and ideas. Let Emirates, the connector of people, places, economies and ideas, help you in this as it releases new fares for 2016, so you can plan your trips accordingly. 

By Rowena C. Ocfemia After more than six months of vacillation, the government has officially signed an agreement to join the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB).

The proven faith and resilience of Filipinos, not the claimed achievements of the Aquino administration, prompted the optimism for the new year expressed by about 90 percent of Filipinos in a Pulse Asia survey, according to former National Treasurer Leonor Magtolis Briones, lead convenor of the budget watchdog Social Watch Philippines (SWP).

By Riza Lozada  The stock index is expected to hit the 8,000-point mark anew this year amid the continued upbeat sentiment in the local market and in spite of the overall gloom abroad.

Hanoi—Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has hailed the formation of the Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Community as a historic milestone in the regional connectivity process in Southeast Asia.

By Luis Leoncio Government collections from the excise tax on “sin” products, such as cigarettes and alcohol, in November 2015 increased by 39.58 percent to P16.298 billion, compared to those in the same period in 2014, according to the latest data of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). 

By Jerry Maglunog Beginning Monday, Jan. 4, banks will no longer accept checks with erasures and alterations, in compliance with an agreement between the Philippine Clearing House Corp. (PCHC) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

By Riza Lozada The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the extension of the effectivity of financial statements from 135 to 180 days to align with regional standards as part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) market integration.