The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

By Ma. Cristina C. Arayata / Philippines News Agency Do you remember My Husband’s Lover? This groundbreaking GMA-7 teleserye tackled several social issues, chief among these is gay rights. And there’s another GMA-7 teleserye being aired now—The Rich Man’s Daughter, which deals with lesbianism.

In his compilation of articles from his Wall Street Journal column, “Ask Ariely,” Dan Ariely wraps in a clever bow all the questions we’ve ever wanted answered concerning the behavioral intricacies that dictate the decisions we make.

You’ve heard of Charles Ponzi, the swindler who gave big returns to early investors using money from subsequent clients. And you’ve heard of Bernie Madoff, imprisoned for one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in history.

By Luis Leoncio As President Aquino moves toward the homestretch of his six-year term, more and more leaders of the local business sector are coming out to dispute his claimed achievements, citing “missed opportunities” that they say defined his term.

By Dean dela Paz (First of two parts) This commentary is occasioned by recent events where the financial assets and bank deposits of the Vice President and other individuals being linked to him were frozen by the courts.

By Lito U. Gagni Dr. Cezar T. Quiambao is a visionary who has accomplished many firsts in the annals of the country’s economic development.  He set up the country’s first infra Public-Private Partnership project, the $514-million Metro Manila Skyway project  and its companion $57-million Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) tollway that resulted in an unprecedented  economic boom in areas south of Metro Manila.

Excess liquidity among domestic banks has become a limiting factor for the growth of the local capital markets, making them seem small and obscure compared to the country’s neighbors, the Oxford Business Group (OBG) said in its recent report on the Philippines.

By Riza Lozada Pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) continues to be hounded by problems in selling its GSIS Family Bank (GFB) unit, as bidders wanted an assurance that the 20 branches of the bank would retain its privilege of being exempt from paying licensing fees.

By Riza Lozada The Philippine Postal Corp. (Philpost) is under criticism for featuring twice a living person—Manny Pacquiao—on its special stamp.

The British government and the civil-society organization Bantay Kita signed its third grant agreement last week, sealing their partnership in ensuring good governance in the extractive industry through the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI).