For years, global trade was the default engine of growth. But as we pass the midpoint of 2025, it’s sputtering badly—and not because of any natural cooling. This slowdown is man-made, self-inflicted, and increasingly perilous. According to the World Bank, global trade growth is forecast to decelerate from 3.4% in 2024 to just 1.8% in […]

While South Korea turned long-term cultural investment into global soft power, the Philippines failed to match vision with infrastructure. In the late 1980s, as French cinema sparked late-night conversations among young artists in Seoul, a similar scene was unfolding in Manila. The Goethe-Institut was hosting film workshops that captured the social and political turbulence of […]

Every June 12, the Philippines marks its Independence Day—but let’s be honest, for many, it’s less about history and more about holiday plans. It’s a day off, a beach trip, or a quick post with a waving flag emoji, a catchy caption, and the obligatory hashtag: #HappyIndependenceDay. And just like that, a moment once defined […]

The Philippine economy started 2025 with a robust 5.4% year-on-year growth in the first quarter, a clear sign of resilience despite ongoing global uncertainties. While this marks a solid performance, it fell short of the 5.7% forecasted by analysts. Nonetheless, the result reflects a broad-based recovery that continues to gain traction across key sectors, from […]

When the white smoke rose over the Vatican on May 8, few in the Philippines knew much about Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. But when he stepped onto the balcony and was introduced as Pope Leo XIV—the first pope from North America—something stirred across this island nation of more than 80 million Catholics. Not just curiosity, […]

For half a millennium, the Philippines has carried the torch of Roman Catholicism in Asia—burning bright through colonization, dictatorship, and diaspora. It is one of the Church’s last true strongholds, home to more than 80 million Catholics and a culture steeped in devotion, processions, novenas, and public faith. Yet even here, the flame flickers. Young […]

A single snapshot can sometimes trigger a storm of questions. Such was the case when an image of the Philippine Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, began circulating online — prominently featuring the U.S. flag beside it. In a follow-up to our earlier commentary on the matter, a concerned reader reached out […]

A curious detail caught our eye in a recent press release from the Philippine Tourism Promotions Board: a rendering of the Philippine Pavilion for World Expo 2025 in Osaka prominently features the American flag. Not the Philippine flag, whose pavilion it ostensibly is. If it were Japan’s flag, that might make more sense—the host nation, […]

The murder of Anson Que, owner of Elison Steel, is not an isolated tragedy—it follows a disturbing pattern of brazen kidnappings plaguing Metro Manila’s affluent communities. Just weeks before Que’s abduction, armed men ambushed a 14-year-old Chinese student outside the British School Manila in Taguig City, executing his driver in cold blood before spiriting the […]

In the age of social media, where outrage spreads faster than facts, it is all too easy to misinterpret statements and vilify individuals without fully understanding their context or intent. Such is the case with the recent uproar surrounding the president of the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII), Dr. […]