The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

It was both a Valentine victory and a birthday celebration. The two-in-one affair was the special day for Queen of All Media Kris Aquino whose birthday fell on February 14. It was midnight before the clock struck twelve that Kris held her 55th red-letter-day. She was surrounded by her sons Josh and Bimby and some close friends including a member of …

The mother-daughter team of Gina Pareno and Raquel Pareno is an independent duo although the latter shares a namesake. Gina is very much a senior actress while Raquel has been a Jane come lately. The scion definitely works on her own. “Meron akong sariling diskarte sa buhay (I have my way of doing things),” chuckled Raquel who is carving her own …

Come to think of it, show business is equally distributed with representations from the many diverse regions in the country—from north to south, from east to west, from Aparri to Jolo, from Babuyan Islands to Basilan to probably West Philippine Sea  (because Dennis Roldan and Isabel Rivas and the Gumabaos—Paolo, Matco or even Michelle are Zambales Province) overlooking Masinloc Island. …

by Boy Villasanta On social media, it was filmmaker Jose Javier Reyes, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) who broke the news of the demise of character actress Vangie Labalan. Later, it was confirmed by her son Carlo Labalan. Here’s Carlo’s account on the death of her mom: “With heavy hearts, …

A coalition of legal practitioners has asked the Supreme Court to hold Senate President Vicente Sotto III in indirect contempt, citing his public criticism of the tribunal’s decision voiding the impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte. In their formal submission, the petitioners argued: “Viewing all his interviews as a whole, all told, Senator Sotto, in his public scorn …

Public intellectual and political journalist Adolfo “Ka Ado” Paglinawan has challenged retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio over his position that satellite-based global positioning system (GPS) data are enough to define the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea. Speaking at a forum organized by the Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute, Paglinawan said Carpio’s long-held view …

Consumers may see higher electricity bills beginning August after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) authorized the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to start collecting roughly ₱63.45 billion as part of its approved revenues. In a statement, the ERC said it granted NGCP an annual revenue requirement of ₱374.98 billion for the fifth regulatory period covering 2023 to 2027—lower …

The government’s temporary freeze on rice imports has begun to push farmgate palay prices upward, according to the Department of Agriculture. Latest figures showed dry palay fetching ₱21.52 per kilogram as of Jan. 30, while fresh palay rose to ₱18.42 per kilo, signaling a turnaround from the slump that followed heavy import arrivals last year. Records from the Philippine Statistics …

Right-of-way acquisition for the Metro Manila Subway Project (MMSP) is nearing completion, with authorities targeting full acquisition by June as construction advances across key stations. At the groundbreaking of the Shaw Boulevard Station on Friday, Acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez reported that overall right-of-way (ROW) acquisition has reached 90.92 percent. Pre-construction activities for the Shaw Boulevard Station, he added, are …

A South Korean national wanted in Seoul for alleged fraud and money laundering was refused entry into the Philippines, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) said. BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado identified the passenger as 26-year-old Hwang Hyeonjun, who was intercepted at Mactan-Cebu International Airport on Feb. 5 after arriving from Vietnam aboard a Philippine Airlines flight. Immigration officers flagged Hwang …