The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

To many uninsured Filipinos, perhaps no other incident drives home the importance of a health card or medical insurance than a sudden, and possibly life-threatening, medical emergency. The agony starts at the hospital admission section where they are asked to produce evidence of the capability to pay like government IDs or credit cards. Then, they might not even have cash …

TEAM ENERGY CORPORATION, in partnership with stakeholders in government, has contributed to the growth of the country’s agriculture sector by implementing corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that help push agriculture forward. This is being done through its corporate social responsibility arm, TeaM Energy Foundation Inc. (TEFI). “We realize that the growth of Philippine agriculture is closely tied to the country’s …

The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading a measure seeking to grant Filipino citizenship to Barangay Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee. With 274 affirmative votes, no negative vote, and one abstention, the chamber passed House Bill 6224 to allow Brownlee as a naturalized player of Gilas Pilipinas to the FIBA Basketball World Cup next year …

Six aerobic gymnasts led by Southeast Asian (SEA) Games bronze medalist Charmaine Dolar are set to join the Suzuki World Cup 2022 in Japan on December 12-14. The Filipinos will be up against the best athletes from Australia, Hungary, Japan, India, Indonesia, Italy, Mongolia, Thailand, and Chinese Taipei in the tournament scheduled to be held at the Ota City General …

President R. Marcos Jr. has issued a challenge to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) for better performance among Filipino athletes come the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.  POC president Bambol Tolentino said recently that Marcos wants the Philippine team to exceed its historic four-medal haul in Tokyo in 2021 highlighted by Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo’s gold medal in weightlifting.  “The President wants …

The Philippines ended its campaign at the Thailand Open Track and Field Championships with five gold medals, including two from the women’s heptathlon and men’s 4x400m relay events recently.  Sarah Dequinan tallied 5,280 points in the women’s heptathlon while the 4x400m relay team of Edgardo Alejan Jr., Michael Carlo del Prado, Joyme Sequita, and Francis Medina prevailed after clocking 3:11.83 …

May I be personal about the 14th Pandayang Lino Brocka Political Film and New Media Festival? Although it’s over, its relevance is very pressing in the light of disinformation, trolls and fake news prevalent in media especially in socmed. Pandayang Lino Brocka, abbreviated as PLB, is one film festival which reeks with progressive films on reel truth telling and documentation …

People who love Queen of All Media Kris Aquino would always find time to pay her a visit no matter the distance during these trying times of her battle with the worst disease she has ever known in her life. Friend, colleague and ex-co-host on TV—as Kris’ sidekick in the defunct “Kris TV”—Darla Sauler recently came and saw Kris in …

The Metropolitan Theatre, the newly renovated art house in Manila, was fully lighted in front and its glass-stained deco was colourfully glowing and beckoning film artists and guests to get to the hall to green light the 5th Eddys Awards of the Society of Philippine Entertainment Editors (Speed). At the lobby, ABS-CBN Entertainment Bureau consultant Mario V. Dumaual was running …

The baby of Jennylyn Mercado and Dennis Trillo—the couple now showed once more the kid’s picture, this time in a mermaid costume. Jennylyn was happy and proud to have shared the rare photo material of their child. It is the mother’s instinct that prodded Jen to show her baby’s photo anew because she is so excited for the child.  Baby …