The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Double Dragon Properties Corp., a joint venture between billionaires Injap Sia and Tony Tan Caktiong, has issued the third batch of Golden Visas to unit owners at its Hotel 101-Madrid property, marking a significant milestone in the company’s expansion strategy. This follows the earlier issuance of two batches, demonstrating growing demand for Hotel101 units as a preferred investment option for …

Meralco PowerGen Corp.-led PacificLight Power Pte Ltd. (PLP) has submitted a bid to Singapore’s Energy Market Authority for the construction of a 600-megawatt (MW) combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plant, officials said. The tender, submitted on Nov. 1, is under evaluation, with a decision expected by the end of 2024 or early 2025, PLP and Meralco PowerGen officials confirmed. …

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) said that it has energized the 230-kilovolt (kV) Cebu-Bohol interconnection project (CBIP), which will address growing power demand in Bohol. In a statement last week, the grid operator said that the transmission project will play “a crucial role in improving transmission services and grid stability in the Central Visayas.” “It will also …

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed a portion of the Baguio City Bypass Road Project, aiming to significantly reduce traffic congestion along Major Mane and Kennon Road. The newly-completed segment covers 0.44-kilometer of the 4.374-kilometer bypass road. This section features widened curves, concrete retaining walls, an open canal for water drainage, sidewalks, a curb, and a …

At the Public Information Office (PIO) of Quezon City under ex-mayor Herbert Bautista’s watch where I once paid a visit to his erstwhile publicist Aries Gutierrez, I noticed a tallboy newspaper filed on the rack with a green masthead Market Monitor. The paper has a distinct layout. I simply browsed over its pages and found out what it could offer …

After a quick bite of fried chicken, spaghetti, mojos, pizza (the usual suspects in a combo platter) at Shakey’s Tomas Morato with news hen Luchie Aclan Arguelles, I headed to Grand Duchess Hotel, the former Great Eastern Hotel along Quezon Avenue. Yes, the eternal Aberdeen Court still stands beside the rechristened hotel. I powdered a little at the john of …

By. Joni Gesmundo The Market Monitor was born a decade ago in a small office along T.M. Kalaw Street in Ermita, Manila, with a handful of seasoned writers who possessed a passion for relevant and timely stories on the financial sector without the incomprehensible jargon only business leaders can understand. Back then, the challenge was competing with other daily business …

For newcomer Samantha Magistrado, one of the leads in the film “Spirit Trap” directed by Mark Arvin Agcaoili Bago, show business is a challenge. “Pag may tiyaga, may nilaga (No pain, no gain) po, magtatagumpay ang isang tao (a person will succeed),” exclaimed Samantha, a 16-year-old model and dancer. According to Mark, Magistrado is very patient with her career. (Boy Villasanta)

The operations and maintenance (O&M) of key regional airports, MRT-3 as well as EDSA Busway and Davao Public Transport Modernization Program (DPTMP) will consequently be handed over to the private sector to ensure operational efficiency, according to Transport Secretary Jaime J. Bautista. On the sidelines of BizNews Asia’s 23rd Anniversary, Sec. Bautista said the O&M transfer of the Iloilo Airport …

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) seeks to strengthen bilateral ties with Israel through collaboration in public transportation. During the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines’ 30th general membership meeting, Sec. Bautista underscored the longstanding friendship between the two countries, saying that the Philippines and Israel signed an agreement in August 1951, allowing commercial airlines to fly between Manila and …