Asia Pacific’s real estate markets are holding firm despite global economic turbulence triggered by aggressive policy shifts from Washington. The region, including the Philippines, is proving resilient, as Cushman & Wakefield’s latest report outlines, buoyed by structural strengths, digital infrastructure…
Philippine banks are betting big on hyper-personalization—using artificial intelligence (AI) and real-time data to create highly tailored content, services, and offers for individual customers. The goal: greater relevance, deeper engagement, and lasting loyalty. But as they push deeper into people’s…
The country’s 2025 midterm elections smashed records for speed and scale, with the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) proclaiming all 12 winning senators on Saturday, just five days after polls closed — the fastest canvassing in the country’s electoral history. Voter…
Gold from the Philippines is mostly mined by hand—but rarely traded above board. With about 500,000 artisanal and small-scale gold miners (ASGM) producing 70% of the country’s gold, formalizing this fragmented sector remains a political, legal, and environmental quagmire. Research…
In the stifling heat of a Manila afternoon, where giant fans stirred the incense-laced air, parishioners packed into the Sacred Heart Parish Shrine to bid farewell not just to a pope, but to “Lolo Kiko.” The screens above the altar…
In a country where the Lenten season signals fasting and the sizzle of meat falls silent, Bantayan Island in Cebu quietly breaks the rule — a tradition rooted not in rebellion, but in a rare Vatican exemption granted more than…
Come Sunday, the glass-and-steel austerity of Hong Kong loosens its collar. Along the city’s sidewalks and plazas, a quiet transformation takes place: folding chairs appear where bankers stood; the scent of adobo and pancit mingles with the sea breeze; and…
Hong Kong’s century-old tram system remains a beloved, affordable way to traverse the city, while Manila’s once-thriving tranvía exists only in history books. More than 160 double-decker trams operate along a 13-kilometer (8-mile) track on Hong Kong Island, stretching from…
Global central banks recorded net gold purchases of 60 tons in October, the highest monthly total in 2024, according to the latest data from the World Gold Council (WGC). The surge in buying was led by India, Turkey, and Poland.…
