Philippines

The USS Wasp participates in amphibious landing exercises during U.S.-Philippines war games in 2019.
Interview

Philippines may allow U.S. military access during Taiwan crisis

American forces could use bases only 'if it is important for us,' ambassador says

5 September 2022
A group of Japanese shopping and tourism workers greet a group of tourists from Hong Kong upon their arrival at Tokyo's Haneda airport, as Japan gradually opens to tourists after two years of COVID-19 restrictions.
Your Week in Asia

Marcos Southeast Asia trip, Apple fall event, Japan further reopens

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

4 September 2022
Mactan Cebu International Airport on the central island of Cebu is one of the Philippines' busiest airports. (Photo courtesy of GMR Megawide Cebu Airport Corp.)
Transportation

Marcos adviser strikes deal to take over Philippines' Cebu airport

Contractor Megawide and Indian partner GMR to sell asset to Aboitiz Group

3 September 2022
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has vowed to "stand firm in our independent foreign policy," siding with neither the U.S. or China. (Source photos by AP and Reuters) 
International relations

Marcos's ASEAN trip sets tone for 'independent' foreign policy

Philippine president to make first official trips to Indonesia and Singapore

2 September 2022
ABS-CBN said on Sept. 1 it has "mutually agreed" to terminate an agreement that would have enabled it to air more content on TV5's free-to-air channel.
Media & Entertainment

Philippine TV network scraps deal with rival amid political heat

Shuttered by Duterte, ABS-CBN struggles to make a comeback

1 September 2022
Anthony Albanese is in a unique position to launch a new era of personal diplomacy in Southeast Asia.
Opinion

Australia must seize chance to reset relations with ASEAN states

Country can leave behind image as 'America's deputy sheriff' with better outreach

1 September 2022
The Philippines outsourcing industry aims to add over a million jobs during the six years that President Ferdinand Marcos is in office. (Source photos by Yumi Kotani and Reuters) 
Companies

Philippine BPO lobby eyes 1m new jobs and work-at-home framework

Call center industry seeks to charm Marcos with ambitious employment goal

31 August 2022
Singaporean human resources startup Glints sees strong opportunities in the remote hiring of tech talent. (Photo courtesy of Glints)
Startups

Singapore's Glints gets $50m funding, to expand in Philippines

Japan's Persol-backed HR startup sees opportunities in remote hiring

30 August 2022
Dito Telecommunity of the Philippines has accused its rivals of "anticompetitive behavior" for allegedly flouting interconnection agreements. (Source photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Telecommunication

Philippine antitrust watchdog probes China Telecom unit's rivals

Dito Telecommunity scores initial win in ongoing interconnection feud

26 August 2022
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has been critical of sugar imports that hurt local farmers, but recently conceded that shortages are pushing him to ship in more sugar from overseas.
Economy

Philippine sugar 'crisis' tests Marcos' pro-farms push

Coca-Cola cuts production, bakers hike prices amid shortage

26 August 2022
Grab said it will focus more on "high quality" customers to achieve its profitability goals. 
Technology

Grab aims to break even sooner for delivery despite softer demand

Nasdaq-listed superapp continues to taper incentives after Q2 loss narrows to $572m

26 August 2022
Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte admitted in June that he used his "presidential powers" to block the license renewal of ABS-CBN. 
Media & Entertainment

Philippine TV networks 'pause' deal amid pressure from politicians

Alliance of shuttered ABS-CBN and TV5 faces congressional probe

24 August 2022
Former actor Robin Padilla speaks at a campaign rally for Ferdinand "BongBong" Marcos Jr. ahead of May's presidential election in the Philippines. The former film star is pushing for legalization of medical marijuana. (Source photos by Ken Kobayashi and Reuters)
Society

Philippine senator seeks to legalize medical marijuana

Rookie lawmaker files bill that would make country 2nd in Asia to permit cannabis use

24 August 2022
The hike comes as the Indonesian economy has yet to fully recover from the effects of COVID-19. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Indonesia raises policy rate to 3.75% as inflation speeds up

Central bank's first hike since 2018 follows tightening by U.S., ASEAN neighbors

23 August 2022
A logo of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is seen at their headquarters in Manila. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Philippine central bank raises key rate by 50 basis points

Latest increase comes as inflation soars, threatening growth

18 August 2022
Filipinos take selfies at a cinema screening of "Maid in Malacanang" in Manila. (Photo by Ella Hermonio)
Politics

Marcos movie generates crowds and controversy in the Philippines

Film accused of distorting history becomes a blockbuster hit

17 August 2022
Globe said the bulk of the proceeds from the tower sale will be used to fund network expansion, while a quarter will be used to service debts. (Source photos by Reuters) 
Telecommunication

Philippines' mobile leader Globe to sell 5,709 towers for $1.28bn

Company, rival PLDT building war chests to expand as competition heats up

12 August 2022
Billionaire Manuel Villar at the AMBS Media Center in Mandaluyong on July 30 in a photo from his Facebook page. His rise to become the Philippines' new media mogul took shape only at the beginning of this year. 
Business Spotlight

For profit or power? Philippines' richest man ventures into media

Marcos backer and billionaire Manuel Villar set to launch TV network

12 August 2022
Super app provider Grab celebrated its 10th anniversary on Aug. 11 with the opening of a new headquarters in Singapore. (Photo by Tsubasa Suruga)
Technology

Singapore's Grab vows 'inclusive growth' for ASEAN's gig economy

Superapp to upskill small merchants, provide scholarships for students

11 August 2022
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Quezon City on Aug. 8: His popularity and political capital can be leveraged.
Opinion

Marcos should revive Chinese-backed rail projects on new terms

New Philippine administration can create better system to develop infrastructure

11 August 2022
Leading Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN lost its broadcast license in 2020 after then-President Rodrigo Duterte slammed it for failing to air some of his campaign ads. 
Media & Entertainment

Philippine TV network shuttered by Duterte buys into rival channel

ABS-CBN gets platform to air shows with 35% stake purchase in TV5

11 August 2022
Singapore's Changi Airport is pushing ahead with a fifth passenger terminal, after the pandemic delayed its expansion plans.
Transportation

From Singapore to South Korea, airport ambitions face headwinds

Asia home to most expansion projects yet lags in traffic recovery after COVID-19

11 August 2022
Dito Telecommunity accused its much-bigger competitors PLDT and Globe Telecom of allegedly not abiding by a compulsory agreement that allows its mobile subscribers to call users on those networks. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Telecommunication

Philippine telcos tussle over network interconnection issues

China-backed challenger slams 'anticompetitive' rivals, Globe hits 'fraudulent' calls

9 August 2022
People at a sidewalk vendor in Manila on Aug. 5.
Economy

Philippines girds for bigger inflation hit as economy slows in Q2

Expansion eased to 7.4% as higher prices squeezed consumption

9 August 2022
Fitch Ratings said in a report last month that Singapore banks are poised to benefit from the rise in global interest rates as economic recovery continues across the lenders' key markets.
Finance

DBS, other ASEAN banks ride U.S. rate hikes to stronger earnings

Southeast Asia's largest banks expect higher returns from lending

5 August 2022