The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

A recent Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight – Manila-Guam-Manila – was entered into the flag carrier’s rich history for being operated by an all-women crew.  PAL took pride at the all-female flight crew for its March 22 PR110 Manila-Guam and March 24 PR111 Guam – Manila flights.  Capt. Emmie Inciong-Ragasa took command of the flight to Guam and was assisted by …

After a two-year suspension due to the pandemic, competitive sailing returned to Taal Lake Yacht Club (TLYC) with the recent 2022 Philippine Hobie 16 National Championships, the country’s longest-running Hobie sailing event.  Situated by the lakeshores of Talisay, Batangas and a jump-off point to Taal Volcano, TLYC has been dubbed by Lonely Planet as the country’s “sailing mecca” because of …

The Philippines boasts 7,640 islands that offer untouched beauty and international-level grandiosity that are underrated and unfamiliar to many.  The most well-known Philippine beaches have been swarmed by foreign tourists and local wanderers. Some look for serene quiet time while lounging around. Now with borders opening up to greater extents, whether you’re just stopping over for a quick visit to …

If Friday’s meetup between the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) is to be used as a yardstick, then one can intelligently guess that a smooth transition of duties and functions from the former to the latter is inevitable. That meeting held at the DSWD national headquarters in Batasan Hills, Quezon …

Local food producers are proposing innovative ways to improve the overall system of transporting produce from the farm to the consumer to reduce the retail prices of agricultural goods.  Speaking at the Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. (PCAFI) press briefing Wednesday, Air21 founding chair Alberto Lina said it is possible to substantially reduce the prices of food if …

The Australian government, through the Partnerships for Infrastructure (P4I) program, will help the Philippines to attract investments in key infrastructure projects.  At the launching of the P4I in Pasay City recently, Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Hae Kyong Yu PSM said the P4I will provide infrastructure advisory support to the Philippine government especially in choosing what type of financing strategy …

Ilagan, Isabela – From being one of the poorest municipalities in Isabela over a decade ago, this first-class City now boasts of a vibrant and fast-growing economy driven by major infrastructure projects financed by the Land Bank of the Philippines (Landbank).  Under the leadership of City Mayor Josemarie Diaz, the local government unit (LGU) of Ilagan and Landbank maintain a …

With the peso now stabilizing against the United States dollar, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe Medalla said recently they can now focus on further addressing the elevated inflation rate, which is expected to return to within-target levels by October 2023.  In his speech during the Chamber of Thrift Banks (CTB) general membership meeting in Makati, Medalla said monetary authorities …

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) Board approved recently the Adapting Philippine Agriculture to Climate Change (APA) Project during its 35th Board Meeting in Incheon, South Korea. The total project cost amounts to USD 39.2 million, financed by the GCF through a grant of USD 26.3 million and Philippine government co-financing of USD 12.9 million.  The Department of Finance (DOF) serves …

By Robert Andaya The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) joined the nationwide celebration for “Women’s Month” this March by paying tribute to outstanding female achievers in the wonderful world of sports.  Fittingly, one of those honored by the PSC was Elma Muros-Posadas, who earned the moniker “Iron Woman” for being the country’s undisputed long jump queen for nearly 40 years now  …