Economy

A woman and a child walk on debris after flooding from Typhoon Vamco in Rodriguez in November 2020: much of the toll can be prevented.
Opinion

The next Philippines natural disaster is coming

What can be done to reduce the human and economic toll

23 January 2021
A boy carries a bag of onions at a food distribution center at a Rohingya refugee camp near Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh: The WFP's efforts have been hit by COVID-19. (Photo by Yuji Kuronuma)
Coronavirus

Food insecure Asians doubled to 265m in 2020: UN report

World Food Program faces budget pinch as governments face 'harsh reality'

21 January 2021
A Toyota Motor factory in Laguna, close to the capital city of Manila. The Philippines subsidizes automakers that assemble vehicles in the country. (Photo by Neal Oshima)
Automobiles

Philippine auto tariffs send chill through pandemic-hit industry

Foreign automakers expect greater disruption from new safeguards

16 January 2021
Rodrigo Duterte is betting his hopes on China and Russia,
Opinion

Duterte's COVID blunders will set the Philippines back generations

Failure to secure reliable vaccine supply an unprecedented act of incompetence

11 January 2021
The family of mother and son who were killed by an off-duty police officer mourn over their caskets in Paniqui on Dec. 27: what would have been those victims' fate, had they been more prosperous?
Opinion

Why Filipino voters turn their lonely eyes to strongman leaders

Strong belief that only a populist can change the course of the country

4 January 2021
A doctor collects a swab sample from a man in Shah Alam, Malaysia on Dec. 10: building the capacity to test, trace and isolate cases will remain critical.
Opinion

How Asia Pacific can turn COVID crisis into an opportunity

Bold policies needed to boost economic recovery and improve social stability

30 December 2020
A bedding factory in Hanoi: Vietnam has succeeded in curbing both the health and economic impact of COVID-19.
Economy

Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia seen fully recovering in 2021

IMF unveils mixed economic forecasts for Southeast Asia

29 December 2020
Biden, Olympic logo, Suga, and Wuhan (Source photos by Reuters, Ken Kobayashi, Karina Nooka)
Your Week in Asia

Japan's elections, 100th anniversary of CCP: Asia's 2021 calendar

One year after Wuhan lockdown, will there be a Tokyo Olympics?

27 December 2020
An aerial shot over Catanduanes shows the damage caused by Super Typhoon Goni (known locally as Rolly) six weeks after it struck on Nov. 1. Catanduanes is located in the Bicol region of Luzon in the Philippines.
Life

In pictures: Recovering from Typhoon Goni in Catanduanes

Families hardest hit are trying to beat hunger and rebuild lives

26 December 2020
Manila plans to add its first subway as well as a commuter line to ease transit congestion in the capital region.
Transportation

Philippines orders 240 Japanese train cars for first Manila subway

Sumitomo and JR East's $556m contract follows 2019 commuter rail deal

22 December 2020
The Asian Development Bank has launched a $9-billion coronavirus vaccine fund for member economies in a bid to rejuvenate growth devastated by the pandemic. (Souce photos by AP/AFP/Jiji) 
Coronavirus

ADB sets up $9bn coronavirus vaccine fund

Asia Pacific Vaccine Access Facility extends lifeline to COVID-hit economies

11 December 2020
A faster-than-expected recovery from the pandemic in China has helped to pull up the economic projection for the whole Asian region. 
Economy

ADB forecasts rapid growth for China and India in 2021

Expansions in the two large economies improve outlook for developing Asia

10 December 2020
Stream article image
Asia Insight

Cities after COVID: How Manila and others can 'build back better'

For Asian metropolises, crisis offers chance to emerge cleaner, greener and safer

8 December 2020
At every turn, Duterte has been proven to be out of his depth.
Opinion

How COVID-19 undid Duterte's poser government in the Philippines

Incompetent president has proved out of his depth at every turn

7 December 2020
A man fixes his mask as he walks past a mural dedicated to health care workers fighting the coronavirus in Manila.
Economy

Philippines warns of worst postwar GDP contraction due to COVID

Forecast flags deeper-than-expected decline of up to 9.5% before rebound in 2021

3 December 2020
Internet giants are the target of efforts to tighten the tax net for digital services.
Economy

From Thailand to Indonesia, taxes tighten for digital businesses

E-commerce has boomed in Asia during pandemic but new levies challenge profits

27 November 2020
The Philippines' call center agents are threatened by automation and the rise of artificial intelligence, trends expected to accelerate amid the pandemic.
Economy

Philippine outsourcing cuts targets as virus spurs automation

Vital industry that reeled from Trump and Duterte has yet to weigh Biden impact

20 November 2020
Both Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Bank Indonesia cut rates on Thursday. (Source photos by Takaki Kashiwabara and Reuters) 
Economy

Indonesia and Philippines cut rates as recessions bite

Both Southeast Asian economies have been battered by the coronavirus

19 November 2020
Filipinos queue for cash subsidies from the government amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in Quezon City, Metro Manila in August.
Economy

Philippines' GDP slump eases to 11.5% in Q3

Worse than expected performance makes annual target 'no longer feasible'

10 November 2020
Philippine conglomerate San Miguel withdrew a bid to purchase a rival cement company over after concerns over antitrust laws were raised. Those laws have now been loosened.
Business trends

Philippines eases corporate buyout rules to suppress bankruptcies

Move raises concerns over monopolies and rise of megaconglomerates

24 October 2020
The planned Philippine ID system could accelerate adoption of electronic payments in the Southeast Asian country. 
Politics

Philippines starts registering millions for national ID cards

Manila hopes system will spur consumer adoption of electronic payments

13 October 2020
Room service robots at a hotel in Singapore: The city-state leads Southeast Asia in AI adoption, and hospitality is a key sector for the technology.
Technology

ASEAN faces wide AI gap as Vietnam and Philippines lag behind

Study says tech can add $1tn to bloc's economy but investments are lacking

9 October 2020
Stacks of containers are seen at Tanjung Priok port amid the coronavirus outbreak in Jakarta, Indonesia, Aug. 3.
Economy

India and ASEAN set to return to growth in early 2021: JCER

Survey shows curbing COVID and income support keys to economic recovery

6 October 2020
Duterte lashed out at Facebook's latest crackdown for supposedly "promoting the cause of the rebellion." 
Opinion

Philippines versus Facebook brawl exposes China's sharp power

President Duterte has openly accused the social media giant of censorship

2 October 2020
Today, Asia is in the same position as the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century: an economic giant, but a political dwarf.
The Big Story

This is the Asian Century: Seven reasons to be optimistic about it

From dominance in the US-China tech war to the end of coronavirus, experts weigh in

30 September 2020