In a recent online conference in Bangkok hosted by the World Spa & Wellness where I represented the Philippines, spa and wellness stakeholders from the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam shared one grim observation: the industry has been . In preparation for the country update that I had to do, I conducted a quick survey among…
After the disruptions caused by the pandemic in 2020, restaurant chain operator Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures Inc. has resumed its store expansion program this year, with the goal of opening 30 new stores. The new store openings will consist of 15 new restaurants under the flagship Shakey’s brand and 15 under the Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken…
More corporations across Asia-Pacific are embracing the environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, showing that sustainability is gaining traction in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, based on a new report from global banking giant Citi. According to a survey conducted by Citi, stated they already have ESG policies and practices integrated in their corporate…
The exodus Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (Pogo) companies that characterized the woes of the Metro Manila office sector in 2020 has ended and demand for new space is returning, property veteran David Leechiu said on Tuesday. This reversal was partly due to new legislation addressing tax compliance by Pogos, whose operations mainly target gamblers in…
The inflow of long-term investments into the country continued its momentum in April 2021 as foreign fund managers allocated more funds to Philippine-issued debt from both the public and private sectors, according to the central bank. In a statement, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said that foreign direct investment net inflows more than doubled at…
Megawide is no stranger to crises. Since we started operations more than two decades ago, we have developed key insights that have helped us navigate through the different cycles and thrive amid the most difficult times in our company’s—and country’s—unfolding history. We were born during the 1997 Asian financial crisis and started out as a…
The business process outsourcing (BPO) sector has regained ground amid the disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic since 2020, fueling what appears to be the start of the office property segment’s rebound. Thanks to these BPOs, the Philippine office property market now “appears ready to take off and resume its prepandemic growth trajectory,” based…
We asked three CEOs from different industries what they expect from their marketers during (and eventually after) the COVID-19 crisis. These three CEOs — Aleli Arcilla, President and General Manager of Reckitt Benckiser Philippines (better known as the maker of Lysol, and Strepsils); Johnlu Koa, Founder and CEO of French Baker; and Jet Parma, President…
The recovery of the Philippine economy from its worst postwar contraction last year is starting to gain traction as evidenced by the strength of the latest key indicators, the head of the central bank told foreign businessmen and diplomats recently. Speaking before the Joint Foreign Chambers, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Benjamin Diokno said economic…
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has cleared the real estate investment trust (REIT) offering of as much as P14.92 billion planned by Gotianun-led Filinvest Land Inc. Filinvest-sponsored Cyberzone Properties, which will change its name to Filinvest REIT Corp., was authorized to offer to the public up to for up to P8.30 per share, with…