The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

After spending sometime in the US and trying his luck in foreign art, actor Jericho Rosales is back to grind in the local show business. Jericho is slated to appear in an important stage musical billed “Contra Mundum, Ang Larawan The Concert” collaborated by three National Artists, namely posthumous participation by Nick Joaquin, for Literature, whose literary play, “Portrait of …

The 1000-Piso polymer banknote of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) won the International Banknote Society’s (IBNS) “Banknote of the Year Award” for 2022. The 1000-Piso polymer is the first Philippine banknote to win the award. It won over banknote finalists from Algeria, Barbados, Egypt, Northern Ireland, and Scotland. In announcing the award, the IBNS said: “The Philippines’ successful design …

Manila Water is on par with water utilities in developed countries when it comes to the level of water losses, or non-revenue water (NRW). In 2022, Manila Water averaged 12.69% NRW, which is one of the lowest in Asia. Non-revenue water is defined as water that is not billed and is lost through leaks or illegal connections. This means that …

After a year-long leadership transition period, Lucio Tan III has officially taken over as president of the Lucio Tan Group (LTG). During the transition, he shared decision making responsibilities for business and operational matters with his uncle, Michael Tan, who had been president of LTG since 2010. The group ended 2022 with a PhP25.1 billion attributable net income, which is …

Contecon Guayaquil (CGSA), International Container Terminal Services, Inc.’s (ICTSI) Ecuadorian business unit operating at the Port of Guayaquil, achieved a milestone in April by handling the largest vessel to call the terminal. On 4 April, CGSA received the maiden call of the Maersk Camden – a Liberian-flagged vessel with a capacity of 15,413 TEUs. The 365.9-meter-long ship operates Maersk’s AC2 …

I am deeply honored to accept the appointment as President and Chief Operating Officer. I thank the board of directors for entrusting me with this responsibility, and I am grateful to all of you for your support. In exercising the functions of my new role, rest assured that I will be guided by the values of integrity, diligence, excellence, and …

Leading insurtech advocate Etiqa Philippines has recently launched an always-on virtual assistant for its new and existing customers.  Etiqa’s latest venture into insurtech is named Eriqa, a chatbot which acts as a virtual assistant to help respond to questions and a multitude of requests including processing a Letter of Guarantee (LOG) for outpatient availments.     “The success of an insurance company …

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) led the groundbreaking of a basketball court-type multi-purpose evacuation center (MPEC) in a calamity-prone town here. The groundbreaking activity, held on April 28, 2023, formally marked the construction of the P12.7 million emergency structure in Barangay Cabubuhan, which has long been suffering from the aftermath of natural calamities. The town lacks temporary shelters …

Throughout the years, Manila Water has put premium in developing systems and technologies to better serve their customers and lessen its environmental impact in its operations. At the National Economic Development Authority’s Innovation Day exhibit (April 28) held at the Philippine International Convention Center, the water concessionaire had the chance to showcase six cutting-edge technologies used in its operations to …

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Trade and Industry Secretary Fred Pascual, together with other members of the Philippine delegation, welcomed on Monday, 1 May 2023, the cooperation agreement signed between Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) and Zero Motorcycles, a global leader in electric motorcycles and powertrains. As one of the proponents of the country’s transition to electric vehicles and the use …