The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

To date, Cinemalaya has nurtured over 200 Filipino filmmakers and showcased over 1,000 of their works, including full-feature films, shorts, documentaries, Filipino film classics, and art films. The country’s biggest and pioneering independent film festival has been relentless in developing and supporting the production of independent Filipino films since it was founded in 2005, bringing new narratives that embody the …

By Jinkuy Jorgio Senators expressed concerns about the government’s continued payments to transportation contractors for projects that are still under review. During the budget hearing of the Department of Transportation at the Senate, Sen. Nancy Binay pointed to the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System as one problematic project. ‘The government should decide if  it (Cebu Bus Rapid Transit System) will …

The  University of the Philippines and the Human Rights Violation Victims’ Memorial Commission (HRVVMC) have agreed to expedite the construction of the Freedom Memorial Museum (FMM) honoring the victims of human rights abuses during the martial law period, The groundbreaking for the project is set in December. In a joint press statement, UP and the HRVVMC said both parties have …

Get ready for the premier event in the Philippine transport and logistics sector. Returning bigger and better on September 18 – 20, 2024 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, Transport and Logistics Philippines will showcase the latest top-of-the-line commercial vehicles, supply chain equipment, security instruments, warehouse and inventory solutions, and new technologies driving the industry forward.  Featuring over 450 …

Queen of All Media Kris Aquino is back in the Philippines after almost three years of medical treatment in the US. Fashion designer Michael Leyva and Kris’ friend-politician Len Alonte confirmed Aquino’s arrival in the Philippines recently. It must be remembered that Kris said in her online appearance that she’d be back home in September to do her immunosuppressant infusion …

Hundreds of the world’s thought-leaders  –  urban planners, architects, engineers, property developers, academics –  arrive in New Clark City (NCC) Tarlac this week, as the Philippines hosts a historic global congress from Sept. 10-13. Planners, architects, and enthusiasts join this pivotal moment in urban, regional, and environmental planning. The 60th World Planning Congress (Diamond Edition) or WPC60@NCC, alongside the 1st …

The University of Santo Tomas (UST), aside from being a pontifical university, is an inclusive school–apart from its coed enrollment–for all social stations of students. Being a bastion of education, what matters most is an equal opportunity in learning that also transcends gender, age, occupation, spiritual beliefs etc. In my college days at the Faculty of Arts and Letters (Artlets), …

Martin Nievera remains grounded after 42 years in showbiz. The Concert King declared in a recent media conference: “If you really go with the stages that you go through, there’s only one thing in showbiz that is constant and true. And that’s there’s someone who will always replace you. Someone will always be better than you. Always.” Martin admits being …

Look at their scenes in the movie “Maple Leaf Dreams,” especially the light romantic ones, and see for yourself the right chemistry these two people exudes. Lead actors LA Santos and Kira Balinger are students who eventually become lovers after they had an altercation solved by a light settlement of “batu-bato pik” in front of an eatery in a nearby …

Anticipation reached its peak when key officials of DOTr, MIAA, SMC and NNIC gathered at Terminal 3 for a simple but moving turn over ceremony of NAIA to its new private operators, culminating three decades of attempts to privatize the airport. Faced with a tall order of modernizing the airport’s facade, capacity, operations, and maintenance, NNIC will now take on …