Philippines

HSBC shareholders will vote on Friday on whether or not they support the breakup of the London-headquartered bank, as advocated by its largest shareholder, Chinese insurer Ping An.
Your Week in Asia

Marcos visits U.S., HSBC investors vote on spinoff, SEA Games begin

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

30 April 2023
Sen. Maria Imelda "Imee" Marcos, center, distributes free drinks to children in Malabon, Philippines, in November 2022. (Sipa via AP)
Opinion

Marcos is gaining fans, but the president's sister is not one

Philippine Senate foreign affairs chair a top critic of brother's foreign policy

28 April 2023
The Philippine online gambling industry in 2022 furnished at least 47,488 jobs, nearly half to Filipinos.  (Photo by Cliff Venzon)
Business Spotlight

Philippine online casinos: Continue playing or game over?

Marcos set to weigh fate of controversial sector opposed by China

28 April 2023
A passengers arrives at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in the Philippines.
Transportation

Philippine conglomerates pitch $1.8bn upgrade for Manila airport

Backed by a U.S. fund, companies revive bid to take over busy hub

27 April 2023
Mitsui & Co. has formed a consortium with two principal shareholders of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. to take the company private. (Source photos by Reuters and screenshot from Metro Pacific Investments Corp.'s website) 
Business deals

Japan's Mitsui joins bid to buy out Philippine infrastructure group

Metro Pacific Investments seeks to go private, pledges $600m in new projects

27 April 2023
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., center, attends joint military drills by the Philippines and U.S. in San Antonio, Philippines on April 26. (Photo by Cliff Venzon) 
South China Sea

U.S., Philippines sink ship in war drills near China-claimed sea

Allies hold largest-ever military exercises as tensions with Beijing simmer

26 April 2023
Failing to register a SIM card with a provider by the deadline could lead to deactivation. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Telecommunication

Half of Philippine SIM cards face deactivation Wednesday

Government refuses telecom companies' request for delay to registration mandate

25 April 2023
Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang held bilateral talks in Manila on April 22. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
International relations

China and Philippines discuss ties as Manila opens bases to U.S.

Foreign ministers meet as U.S. base access deal stokes Taiwan tensions

22 April 2023
True became Thailand's largest wireless carrier after a merger with DTAC.
Telecommunication

5G sparks wave of mergers by Southeast Asian telecoms

Consumer advocates say oligopolies could undermine quality of service

19 April 2023
Stream article image
Most read in 2023

Philippine telecom PLDT execs quit in wake of $862m capex overrun

Chairman Manuel Pangilinan says company must 'move on' from issue

17 April 2023
Moderna is looking into making COVID-19 vaccines tailored to specific countries or regions. (Source photos by Reuters) 
COVID vaccines

Moderna eyes local COVID vaccines for Japan, other countries

Chief Medical Officer Paul Burton highlights room for region-specific shots

12 April 2023
A Filipino and U.S. soldier fire their rifles during a joint military drill in the northern Philippines on March 31. (File photo by AP) 
South China Sea

Philippines, U.S. hold biggest-ever drills to counter China

War games follow plan to allow U.S. to access strategic Philippine bases

11 April 2023
Philippine and U.S. troops at the opening ceremony of the Salaknib exercises on March 13:  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has doubled down on defense cooperation with Washington.
Opinion

Marcos is bringing in more friends to help deter China

New multilateral security groupings link Philippines with Japan, Australia, U.S.

10 April 2023
A Philippine Black Hawk unloads Philippine marines as they take part in a joint amphibious assault exercise as part of the annual "Balikatan" U.S.-Philippines joint drills, off the waters of South China Sea on March 31, 2022 in Claveria, Cagayan province, Philippines.
Your Week in Asia

Philippine-U.S. drills, Harita Nickel IPO, G-7 ministerial meetings

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

9 April 2023
The Philippines' popular jeepneys face an uncertain future over environmental concerns. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Transportation

Philippine Jeepney modernization creates political headache

Congestion and pollution put pressure for change, but vehicles popular with citizens

6 April 2023
Workers scale bars at a construction site in Manila on March 22, 2021. 
Economy

Philippine workers seek hike in minimum wage amid inflation

Growth has been strong, but workers say rising prices are eroding earnings

5 April 2023
Viu announced new titles to be released in 2023, including the Korean hit “Taxi Driver 2”, during the Filmart trade show in March. (Photo by Takeshi Kihara)
Media & Entertainment

Hong Kong's Viu streaming app eyes Thai, Philippine rural users

Locally geared content key for growth in unit controlled by billionaire Richard Li

3 April 2023
Analysts point that out that the commercial real estate sector is particularly sensitive to rising rates, weighing on hopes for a revival in the market. (Source photo by AP)
Market Spotlight

From Hong Kong to Japan, commercial property sector faces chill in Asia

REITs could lose out as China reopening hopes fade and interest rates bite

3 April 2023
A truck transports a container at a port in Shandong province, China. Economists expect exports of goods and services to China to support ASEAN economies.
Economy

Thai, Malaysian outlooks improve on tourism, China recovery: JCER

Economists say U.S. bank fallouts emerge as new concern for Asia

2 April 2023
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has agreed to merge the country's two state lenders amid turmoil overseas. (File photo by Reuters) 
Finance

Philippines President Marcos aims to merge two state banks

Move would create country's biggest lender by assets amid global turmoil

28 March 2023
A TDCX outsourcing site in Vietnam: The company is setting up new bases in Vietnam and Indonesia to handle growing demand. (Photo courtesy of TDCX)
Companies

ASEAN outsourcing players keep talent with AI and remote work

Labor-intensive industry invents proprietary online tools, moves into microsites

28 March 2023
American NBA star Carmelo Anthony is a global ambassador for the 2023 men's basketball World Cup. (Photo by Yuichi Shiga)
Sports

Slam dunk: Basketball gets World Cup bounce in the Philippines

Ticket sales are hot ahead of summer tournament

26 March 2023
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech at the 126th founding anniversary of the Philippine Army at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, Philippines on March 22. 
International relations

China's diplomatic faux pas pushes Manila back into U.S. arms

Beijing has only itself to blame if it loses out to Washington strategically

26 March 2023
Theresa Lazaro, the Philippines' undersecretary for bilateral relations and ASEAN affairs, speaks while China's Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong listens during a meeting on the South China Sea in Manila on March 24.
South China Sea

China touts 'good neighborliness' as Philippines tensions rise

Meeting between diplomats follows series of flare-ups in South China Sea

24 March 2023
PLDT of the Philippines says competition from newcomer Dito and other pressures led to overspending on telecommunication equipment. 
Telecommunication

Philippine telecom PLDT claims 'no fraud' in $880m capex 'overrun'

Company says talks with network suppliers have yielded smaller bills

23 March 2023