The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines has urged clergy nationwide to offer special prayers for peace in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions in the region. In a statement, Socrates Mesiona, chair of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, called on diocesan migrant offices and parishes to include prayers for peace in Sunday …

Senator Francis Pangilinan on Thursday urged fellow lawmakers to pass his twin agricultural reform bills to strengthen food security as disruptions in the Middle East continue to threaten global supply chains. The proposed Agricultural and Fisheries Cooperatives Act and Agriculture and Fisheries Extension Act build on Pangilinan’s 2019 Sagip Saka Act, which enables government agencies and local units to buy …

The latest swirl of controversy in the Senate exposes a familiar Philippine problem: too many leaders are insulated from the daily hardships of ordinary people, and too few are willing to confront the structural causes of poverty, inflation and transport chaos. When public debate is reduced to personalities and procedural loopholes, the public loses twice. First, it loses trust in institutions …

Its inaugural bridal showcase sets the stage for the Philippines’ most distinguished wedding planners, designers and visionaries to bring dream weddings to life. Every wedding is a new beginning. For some, it marks the start of life together. For others, it becomes a celebration of a love story that has already stood the test of time — a vow renewal, …

Once upon a time, couple of decades ago, with me and politicians  in a merienda setting with a prominent political family, the conversation drifted to the question — when is the best time to start campaigning for the next elections?  To put matters in context, it was just the first few days since one of them won the governorship in a …

The President’s surprise suspension of fare hikes—earlier approved by transport regulators—initially gave commuters a sense of relief. But this relief is largely illusory. For transport operators and drivers, the move came as a shock, particularly as they were allowed only a one-peso increase despite local fuel prices having surged by more than 100 percent.  The gap between the cost of operating …

REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro In my radio program WALANG ATRASAN at DWAR Abante Radyo, 1494 Khz, I spoke with Prof. Clarita Carlos, former National Security Adviser and one of the country’s most incisive political thinkers. Our discussion centered on a provocative question: should the Philippines explore closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)? Prof. Carlos has long advanced the principle of multi-alignment and strategic autonomy. For her, …

LOVE FOR ALL​By: Virginia Rodriguez Plain work, no politics—that was the guiding tone as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Naga City  to inspect ongoing flood control efforts under the national government’s Oplan Kontra Baha program. The visit emphasized a straightforward message: public service over politics. “Trabaho lang,” the President said, stressing that governance should prioritize immediate needs rather than partisan …

Inventories of oil and refined petroleum products which are categorized as “reserves” have never been given priority by the government, as the private sector takes care of oil reserves to last from 15 to 30 days as demanded by the law. That was the case in the local oil industry, with Petron, Caltex, Shell and other oil companies only reporting …

SM Prime Holdings Inc. will open its 90th mall in the country on March 20, boosting further its retail presence in Mindanao. SM City Zamboanga, SM’s eight mall in Mindanao, is a four-level development that will add more than 42,000 square meters of gross leasable space to Zamboanga City’s retail landscape. “Zamboanga is a strong and growing market. This expansion …