Struggling Boracay business operators hope for better times ahead

ILOILO CITY—Boracay Island’s tourism industry players are struggling to survive and are now pinning their hope on the government’s promised support under a “new normal” era that will focus on an eco-friendly strategy that combines “work and leisure” for tourists going to the island. “The current situation in Boracay is dire with most of the…

shopping mall, store, retail

SM Prime gave P23-B rent waivers, discounts to mall tenants in 2020

Property giant SM Prime Holdings provided about P23 billion worth of rental concessions last year to help shopping mall tenants across the country stay afloat amid lockdown restrictions imposed by the government to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are continuously assisting our business partners, most especially our mall tenants, who are badly affected by community…

green, cord, music

Converge to tap undersea cable system via $100-M deal with Keppel, Facebook

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is securing crucial internet capacity via an upcoming international submarine cable system that is being built by global technology giants. In a stock exchange filing on Wednesday, Converge announced plans to invest over in the project known as the Bifrost Cable System, a 15,000-kilometer undersea cable project from Singapore to the…

Asean enterprises set sights on postpandemic success

The COVID-19 pandemic still has the Philippines and other parts of Southeast Asia firmly in its grip. But even then, enterprises in the region have begun preparing themselves for postcrisis growth. According to SAP’s regional study “Digital, resilient, and experience-driven: How enterprises in Southeast Asia can prepare for the new economy”, Southeast Asian firms are…

conference room, table, office

Demand for office, residential property in PH heating up

Demand for local office and residential property continued to rebound from the bottom levels seen in 2020 despite the lull seen within the Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) industry that used to invigorate the sector. This is according to Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC), which estimated that Pogos vacated a total of from the second quarter…

The Caster Project

Small PH enterprises win a lifeline

It may take not just a village but collective institutional action to help local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) overcome unprecedented challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. One silver lining is the growing digital connectivity that is helping more of these small players adapt to the “next” normal.This is according…