The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

“Not a season for me, summer in Manila and almost everywhere in the Philippines—with its relentless heat—has turned into a reason to whine instead,” I would say unguarded among friends here in Vancouver.  While no one has barked a response yet at my insensitivity, silence would swarm around me like burst balloons. It’s unimaginable, you see, for them, who have …

In our column last March 30, we wrote that the Philippine National Railways (PNR) appears to be on the road to perdition due to the public railway’s low standards of safety in securing the protection of its passengers. Just last week, this dire warning came to pass. A southbound train derailed from the tracks near the Magallanes Skyway exit and …

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.

London—The newborn royal baby girl made her first appearance to the public with the Duke of Cambridge and the Duchess outside St. Mary’s Hospital on Saturday evening. The baby, born at 8:34 a.m. (local time) was presented by her parents to the world at around 6:10 p.m.

Kathmandu—Despite unrelenting efforts by rescuers to dig the rubble at various sites in Nepal, chances of finding survivors are getting small since a week has passed after the powerful magnitude-7.9 earthquake. At least 7,000 people have been confirmed dead in the disaster, with the number of injured exceeding 14,000. Over 600,000 buildings have collapsed nationwide and several heritage sites damaged …

The Philippine national men’s basketball team composed mostly of cadet players from collegiate basketball thrashed host Singapore, 82-56, to complete its dominant run that gave it the 2015 Seaba Championship gold medal at OCBC Arena. It was the seventh Seaba title for the Philippines, which stamped its class anew as the the top basketball team in the region.