A Chinese developer behind one of Sri Lanka’s biggest projects has reason to celebrate as a luxury property boom lifts sentiment in the South Asian nation and fuels optimism about the market’s prospects. Analysts, however, cautioned that a string of disappointing Chinese overseas property investments over the past decade underlined the risks of speculative excess that could lead to a boom-to-bust scenario, particularly in a country where regulation remained uneven. “Chinese developers, having...

Thailand’s slide down the global rankings in the Rule of Law Index poses a significant risk to the country’s economic ambitions, particularly its pursuit of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and its target to join the OECD by 2028.

Pork prices have dipped in some Metro Manila markets, narrowing the price gap with chicken as supermarkets and government agencies prepare for the holiday shopping season.

TOKYO -- On a table lined with cups at Tokyo Big Sight, the sprawling convention center on the waterfront of Tokyo Bay, Philippine coffee was being asked to do something it rarely gets the chance to do in Japan: introduce itself.

HSBC, the biggest lender in Hong Kong and Europe, will open a new wealth management centre in Abu Dhabi in December, as the lender has not found the conflicts in the Middle East have dampened demand for its wealth business in the region, according to a senior executive. Mohamed Al Marzooqi, CEO of HSBC in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said the new project formed part of the lender’s largest investment in the Middle East in two decades, after the opening of a wealth management centre in Dubai...

Written by Ruben “John” Basa, Program Director of Sustainable Health Care at Unilab Foundation Universal health care will depend heavily on how local leaders utilize the resources and responsibilities entrusted to them. Transforming health plans into funded priorities, connecting facilities, leveraging data to identify gaps, and ensuring public spending directly improves care are all vital

The Tourism Authority of Thailand leads 14 operators at ITB Asia 2026, promoting wellness and sustainable tourism to attract high-value travelers. TAT targets over 1.12 million arrivals from Singapore by year-end 2026. Key Points The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is leading 14 Thai tourism operators to ITB Asia 2026 in Singapore to expand international […]

A price hike for diesel and a rollback in gasoline prices may be expected next week, an industry source said Saturday.

MANILA, Philippines — Union Bank of the Philippines grew its nine-month net income by 53 percent to P9.9 billion as wider lending margins and higher fee earnings lifted revenues. On Friday, the Aboitiz-led bank also disclosed plans to integrate its digital banking subsidiary, UnionDigital Bank, and fintech arm, UBX, into the parent company, subject to regulatory

MANILA, Philippines — State-run LandBank of the Philippines returned to profit growth in the third quarter, as stronger interest earnings and foreign exchange gains helped offset the impact of waived digital transfer fees. According to its latest financial statement, LandBank said its net income rose 7.6 percent to P37.5 billion at the end of September from

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Finance (DOF) and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) have signed a cooperation deal to support infrastructure development programs across various sectors. In a statement, the DOF said the cooperation will be valid for three years from its execution and will cover supply chain resilience, clean energy transition, financial

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Nestlé Philippines will work together to bolster coffee farming in Northern Mindanao, targeting yields of 1 metric ton per hectare. On Friday, both parties signed an agreement to unveil the Mindanao Integrated Coffee Development and Genetic Resource Program (MICDGRP), which aims to enhance coffee productivity in

MANILA, Philippines — Puerto Princesa is courting private investors to develop an integrated meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) district, anchored by a convention center that could accommodate up to 20,000 people. Mayor Lucilo Bayron said the city was positioning the more than 500-hectare Santa Lucia Environmental Estate as a major investment destination that would combine

MANILA, Philippines — Citicore Renewable Energy Corp. (CREC) secured its largest syndicated financing to date, amounting to P35.014 billion, to help the group roll out five solar projects in Batangas. On Friday, the company said that it sealed the syndicated project financing with the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Land Bank of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines — AboitizPower-led Subic EnerZone Corporation has renewed its power distribution partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, extending its management of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone’s power distribution system for another 25 years. Subic EnerZone has served the special economic zone since October 2003. As of Feb. 28, 2026, it served more than

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine peso fell to another record low on Friday, capping a bruising week for the currency as concerns over rising inflation at home threatened to prolong its slide ahead of the US Federal Reserve’s (Fed) next policy meeting. The local currency weakened by 9.5 centavos to close at 63.615 against the dollar,

MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) may have more interest rate increases in store as it battles stubbornly high inflation, analysts said, a move that could change how Filipinos spend, save and invest. In a note to clients. Jojo Gonzales, research analyst at Bank of America, said the Monetary Board may deliver

MANILA, Philippines — The Social Security System (SSS) has made its first foreign investment after putting $200,000 in US government Treasuries, with newly appointed President and CEO Victor Limlingan planning to raise the pension fund’s offshore allocation to as much as 5 percent of its investment reserve fund (IRF) by 2027. Limlingan, who spoke to

MANILA, Philippines — JG Summit Holdings Inc. plans to acquire 37.05 billion shares in Oriental Petroleum and Minerals Corp. from its wholly owned subsidiary, placing the investment directly with the parent company. The conglomerate’s board said on Friday that it approved the proposed acquisition from JG Summit Capital Services Corp. on Oct. 22. READ: JG Summit

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Bank (PNB) saw its nine-month net income grow by 15 percent to P21.3 billion as lending expanded and the share of soured loans declined. On Friday, the Lucio Tan-led bank said its earnings in the January-to-September period rose from P18.5 billion a year earlier. READ: PNB first-half profit jumped 17% to

MANILA, Philippines — The US government is providing $34.1 million (about P2 billion) in funding to advance the development of the Philippine ube industry in the next few years. Lee Lipton, Washington’s Ambassador to the Philippines, said the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) had awarded the grant under its Food for Progress Program, which supports

MANILA, Philippines — International passenger traffic at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) has held up in the year so far, even posting modest growth despite flight disruptions and soaring airfares that have weighed on global travel for much of 2026. Data from New Naia Infra Corp. (NNIC), the operator of the country’s main gateway, showed that

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) president and CEO Ramon Monzon is setting his sights on a local listing for Maya, hoping GCash parent Mynt Inc.’s stock market debut will help persuade its rival to follow. “Let’s work on Maya, now that GCash has been listed already,” Monzon said in an interview. READ: Mynt

MANILA, Philippines — The Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) said the Philippine economy is likely to remain highly resilient to external shocks despite mounting tariff pressures, citing the country’s strong foreign exchange buffers and potential to diversify export markets. “Given its solid foreign currency liquidity position, JCR believes that the Philippines will remain highly resilient

The Bureau of Internal Revenue said more than 52,700 certificates of registration with registration seal badges have been secured by online sellers, service providers, and content creators as of October 14.

When Wang Junhong was helping Chinese brokerage Guotai Junan International establish a foothold in Vietnam, he had to knock on the door of a familiar Chinese bank. As part of the Hong Kong-based firm’s expansion into Southeast Asia, it had acquired a controlling stake of a small Vietnamese securities company in 2019, but it still needed financing to expand its operation. Wang, now chairman of Guotai Haitong Securities (Vietnam), turned to China Construction Bank’s branch in Ho Chi Minh City,...

Higher global energy prices have boosted Brunei Darussalam’s near-term economic outlook. The surge in crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices following the outbreak of the Middle East conflict this year has boosted export earnings, improved public finances, and supported activity across the oil and gas (O&G) value chain. This windfall offers Brunei a […]

Sustainability is an issue that affects us all. With climate change and pollutants shaping our natural environment, everyone feels the effects of these factors on our health. Thankfully, some widespread efforts are being made to mitigate the harm being done to nature. Many of these commendable endeavors lie in the real estate industry. In particular,

Consumers in Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines are increasingly using AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity for product and service research.

MANILA, Philippines — Local stocks retreated on Friday as investors weighed the impact of higher borrowing costs on economic growth, while a weakening peso added to market jitters. The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) dropped 0.88 percent, or 51.10 points, to close at 5,728.63. READ: BSP unleashes jumbo rate hike vs inflation Philstocks Financial Inc.