The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business

Boracay Water, a public-private partnership between the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) and Manila Water’s fully owned subsidiary, Manila Water Philippine Ventures, recently marked twelve years of providing reliable water supply and wastewater services to the country’s top tourist destination after investing more than PhP 4.32 billion in various infrastructure facilities.  Immediately after Boracay Water began its operations …

By Gem Suguitan Women are normally featured for the entire month of March, especially in celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8 to showcase the contributions and achievements of women, and to promote gender parity, to put an end to gender inequality around the world. Filipino women are not different from women in the other parts of the globe …

Ernest John “EJ” Obiena cleared 5.91 meters – his season best – to win a silver medal and resetting his own indoor national record in the Perche Elite Tour in Rouen, France. Obiena, ranked world No. 5 pole vaulter, was beaten by 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Chris Nilsen of the United States after Nilsen cleared a personal-best of 6.05 …

Alen Stajcic has renewed his contract as coach of the Philippine lady booters, committed to bring the Philippines all the way to next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. Stajcic, along with his assistant coach Nahuel Arrarte and conditioning coach Luca Tonetti, signed a new contract following the Filipinas’ historic semifinal stint in the AFC Women’s …

World champion Carlos Yulo attended the inauguration of the MVP Sports Foundation Gymnastics Center in Intramuros, capping his short visit to the country. “It’s beautiful. World-class. Can be used by teammates to train,” said the 22-year-old Yulo who was able to train for a few days. Yulo returned March 1 with Japanese coach Munehiro Kugimaya. It marked the first time …

Patrick Aquino, coach of the Gilas Pilipinas Women’s Team, is determined at defending the women’s basketball gold in the delayed 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam. Aquino flew to the United States to look for women cagers with Filipino heritage to help fill the vacancy left by the team’s top center Jack Animam. The 6’5” Animam will miss the 31st …

Athletes paraded through Beijing’s national stadium as the Winter Paralympics opened March 4 after a storm of controversy surrounding the banning of Russian and Belarusian athletes due to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The lead-up to the Games was marred by high tension in the athletes’ village, threats of competition boycotts and an eleventh-hour reversal by organizers of a previous decision …

While Russia continues its bloody invasion of Ukraine, sports has again become intertwined with world politics. History shows that Germany was banned from the Olympics after World Wars 1 and 2. South Africa was long a sporting pariah over its apartheid system. The United States boycotted the 1980 Moscow Games as retribution for the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. “It’s naïve …

By Gem Suguitan A new business venture at the height of the pandemic opened somewhere in Laguna. It rocked the social media and even the mainstream, with its use of sustainable woven pandan leaves for its tampipizza, pizza pie in a mini tampipi (a local suitcase now only seen in museums and old movies). Design had been made to suit …

Today, living an eco-friendlier life has become much more manageable. With many simple yet effective ways to make our everyday lives more sustainable, and with many groups ready to help us take that first step toward a greener future, there is every reason to start today. Living a personal sustainable lifestyle can be impactful only if we do it together …