AI boom poses fresh risks for small enterprises

MANILA, Philippines — Asian economies that run wide current-account deficits and have yet to benefit significantly from the artificial intelligence (AI) boom, such as the Philippines, could be more sensitive to expectations of higher US interest rates, the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group (ANZ) said. In a note on Friday, Khoon Goh, head of

Another round of big-time increase in pump prices are expected to be implemented in the coming week.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) expects the blockbuster listing of GCash operator Mynt Inc. to spur market activity and bring more retail investors into local stocks as it cleared what could become the largest initial public offering (IPO) in its history. On Friday, PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon said, “We welcome this

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines could soon begin granting copyright to works produced with the help of artificial intelligence (AI) under draft rules that would extend intellectual property (IP) protection only to portions attributable to human creativity. Proposed guidelines by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) open the door for works created in part

MANILA, Philippines — Aznar Shipping Corp. plans to keep its expansion within the Visayas even as the Cebu-based shipping company prepares to raise fresh capital from an initial public offering (IPO), betting there are still enough opportunities in its home market. On Friday, company president and CEO Kyle Alexander Aznar said they have no immediate plans

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) is seeking market feedback on proposed rules that would allow qualified listed companies to carry a Green Equity Label, as the bourse moves to strengthen transparency around environmentally aligned investments. Under the draft rules, which are open for comments until Oct. 2, the label may be granted

MANILA, Philippines — The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is looking at further slashing the retail choice threshold to 50 kilowatts (kW) in 2027 to allow more Filipino consumers to pick their own electricity supplier. ERC Chair and CEO Francis Saturnino Juan said the commission is currently assessing the traction in the competitive retail electricity market

MANILA, Philippines — The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) is set to lay down common rules on how artificial intelligence (AI) should be used and governed across its member states, particularly as concerns over the technology grow. According to Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty, the planned Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement (Defa) would not only tackle

The Philippines' gross international reserves (GIR) increased in August due to the rise in gold prices and the central bank's higher earnings from its overseas investments.

Yatsen Group, the Chinese beauty company behind Perfect Diary cosmetics, plans to deepen its push into skincare and new product research to sustain its growth, after a years-long overhaul of its business that has seen the firm acquire a string of overseas brands. The Guangzhou-based company will slow its acquisition spree for now and instead focus on expanding its existing portfolio of skincare offerings, while maintaining – and potentially raising – its research and development spending, which...

Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul will visit Japan, the U.S., and the U.K. from September 20-27 for diplomatic and investment tasks, including attending the UNGA81 and meeting tech executives. Key Points Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul is set to visit Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom from September 20 to 27 for diplomatic and economic […]

Some places we visit, and some we carry with us. For me, Bacolod City is one of those places. I found myself thinking about it again when I saw the MassKara masks appearing in anticipation of another October celebration. MassKara 2026 will run from October 1 to 18, filling the City of Smiles with color,