December 25, 2024
PHL growth may fall below 6% in ’25
A general view of the rush-hour traffic at a market in Manila, Philippines, Dec. 20, 2024. — REUTERS By Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocson, Reporter PHILIPPINE ECONOMIC GROWTH could fall below 6% in 2025 amid a “gentle” recovery in domestic demand and expectations of a widening trade deficit, Bank of America (BofA) said. BofA Securities […]
December 25, 2024
Bill on 99-year land lease for foreigners seen to boost PHL investments
The House of Representatives and the Senate last week approved separate bills allowing foreigners to lease land up to 99 years from the current 75 years. — PHILIPPINE STAR/NOEL PABALATE By John Victor D. Ordoñez, Reporter A MEASURE seeking to extend the maximum term for land leases entered by foreigners to 99 years is likely […]
December 25, 2024
VAT refund limit for tourists ‘just right,’ to benefit MSMEs — analysts
Tourists shop at Boracay Island, Aklan province, Philippines, Nov. 30, 2021. — REUTERS By Aubrey Rose A. Inosante, Reporter THE P3,000 ($51) minimum purchase requirement for nonresident tourists to qualify for a value-added tax (VAT) refund is “just right” to ensure small businesses benefit, analysts said. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. recently signed into law […]
December 25, 2024
Happiness is on the way this December for Toyota customers
Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) continues to spread the holiday cheer with deals on its popular vehicles. Spend the Christmas break with the family in a brand-new Corolla Cross! Get the 1.8 V HEV variant for a down payment of PHP 264,450 under the Pay Low option. This option offers customers down payments as low as […]
December 25, 2024
Rate cuts may reduce energy dev’t costs and boost capacity
PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN By Sheldeen Joy Talavera, Reporter A SERIES of rate cuts totaling 75 basis points (bps) by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) this year could reduce the funding costs of energy companies and boost renewable energy capacity, analysts said. “The recent string of rate cuts certainly lends a bit more breathing room […]
December 25, 2024
Metro Manila Film Festival 2024: Heartfelt drama of hope and redemption
STILL FROM Green Bones By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter Movie ReviewGreen BonesDirected by Zig Dulay EACH person has the capacity for good and evil within them, shaped by circumstance and the influence of others. In this heartfelt drama, a corrections officer and a soon-to-be-released criminal grapple with this notion as they cross paths in a […]
December 25, 2024
Barcode technology to boost healthcare sector’s efficiency
REUTERS THE ADOPTION of barcode technology could help streamline Philippine health professionals’ workflows and address inefficiencies in the medical supply chain, according to GS1 Philippines, Inc. “Technologies like tools for data storage and exchange, remote data capture, and virtual care are proven to enhance health outcomes by improving medical diagnoses, treatment decisions, digital therapeutics, clinical […]
December 25, 2024
ERC caps reserve market price at P25/kilowatt-hour
PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has set the ceiling price for the power reserve market at P25 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), subject to review every five years. The agency adopted a reserve offer price floor of P0 per megawatt-hour (MWh) and a cap of P25,000 per MWh, according to a document posted on […]
December 25, 2024
Metro Manila Film Festival 2024: What if….
By Edg Adrian A. Eva, Reporter Movie ReviewThe KingdomDirected by Mike TuvieraProduced by MQuest Ventures, Inc., M-ZET TV Productions, and APT Entertainment, Inc. (This review includes marked spoilers.) WHAT IF the Philippines was never colonized? This question has lingered in the minds of many Filipinos fascinated by history, myself included. The film The Kingdom takes […]
December 25, 2024
Digitalization to drive PHL rural banks’ growth
THE PHILIPPINE rural banking industry’s growth will be driven by its digitalization as more players embrace the neobank model, an industry head said. “Growth will be driven mainly by neobanks — rural banks that operate like digital banks but are not actually digital banks. [They have] very similar business models. They have very strong growths,” […]
December 25, 2024
Asia-Pacific countries to beef up biometric tech as use of deepfakes grows
VECSTOCK-FREEPIK ASIA-PACIFIC countries are expected to strengthen their biometric verification tools next year amid the increase in deepfake technologies, according to identity authentication solutions provider iProov. “As deepfake technology becomes increasingly weaponized by hostile state actors and criminals in 2025, a wave of account takeovers and fraudulent transactions will force banking regulators worldwide to take […]
December 25, 2024
DOON to launch motorbike rentals next year
FACEBOOK.COM/DOONPHILIPPINES By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter DOON PH, a local car-sharing startup, plans to launch its motorbike rental service in the first quarter of 2025 in key tourist destinations, according to its chief executive officer (CEO). “It will be an airbnb for motorbikes,” Enrique Hormillo, cofounder and CEO at DOON, told BusinessWorld in a […]
