Monthly Archives: February 2020

IT’S HARD to find a country more intriguing than the so-called “land of fire and ice” -- a place born out of volcanic eruptions over millions of years, formed somewhere in the North Atlantic Ocean and just barely skipping the Arctic Circle region.

Here’s a quick glance at how PSEi stocks fared on Friday, January 31, 2020.  

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it will resume labor inspections this month, covering company compliance with labor law and workplace safety standards.

A MEASURE proposing a 30% tax rate on the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) industry has been filed at the Senate.

SHANGHAI -- China’s central bank said it will inject 1.2 trillion yuan ($173.8 billion) worth of liquidity into the markets via reverse repo operations on Monday, as the country prepares to reopen its stock markets amid a new coronavirus outbreak.

THE HOUSE Committee on Labor and Employment has ordered the creation of a technical working group (TWG) to draft the final version of House Bill 2479, which seeks to make insurance coverage mandatory for all construction workers.’

A LEGISLATOR has filed a bill seeking to promote agri-tourism by providing technical and marketing assistance to farmers and local governments.

THE LIFE insurance industry is projecting double-digit growth this year amid moves to reach untapped markets via digitization and a push for greater financial literacy.

Government investment promotion agencies offer tax incentives to attract investors. Many companies, especially those in priority and emerging sectors, benefit from such incentives in the course of doing business. In some cases, companies engage in related-party transactions, such as transactions between a parent company and a subsidiary, or between affiliates. However, according to a Department of Finance (DoF) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) analysis, such practices may give rise to abusive transfer pricing schemes, deemed to cost the Government billions in lost revenue each year.

FILIPINO teen tennis sensation Alexandra Eala boosted her stock in the juniors circuit after a productive and successful outing in the 2020 Australian Open, capped by winning the girls doubles title with Indonesian partner Priska Nugroho on Friday.

MELBOURNE -- Sofia Kenin shed a few tears and needed to find a way to keep her emotions in check during an epic final against Garbine Muguruza, but soon after lifting her first Grand Slam title the American had to rush to calm someone else down -- her mother.

ONE Championship world strawweight champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio of the Philippines made it a successful title defense by beating Brazilian Alex “Little Rock” Silva at “ONE: Fire & Fury” by split decision on Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

MIGHTY Sports Philippines completed a dominant showing in the 2020 Dubai International Basketball Tournament, defeating defending champion Al Riyadi of Lebanon, 92-81, in the finals on Sunday morning at the Shabab al Ahli Sports Club.

LeBron James had the shot. He was wide open, having executed a deft crossover dribble that had defender Trevor Ariza literally skidding on the hardwood. The purple-and-gold faithful at Staples Center let out a collective gasp, anticipating a basket that would keep the rally going and firmly shift momentum on their side. They needed a hero, needed a fitting end to a game prefaced by a moving tribute to the passing of one of their own. And he was ready, and willing -- and as he launched from beyond the arc, he very clearly wanted to be able as well. He backpedaled, believing his aim to be true, only to be greeted by a brick and a long bounce to the sideline.

A 44-YEAR-OLD Chinese man who died of severe pneumonia in the Philippines had tested positive for the new coronavirus strain, the first coronavirus-related death outside China, the Department of Health said on Sunday.

BLOOD samples taken from pigs in a southern province in the Philippines, the world’s 10^th-largest pork consumer, tested positive for the African swine fever virus, the Department of Agriculture said on Sunday.

A CABINET group has recommended a review instead of the immediate termination of an agreement with the US on the deployment of troops and equipment for war games.

HITCHING YOUR wagon to China’s star just isn’t what it used to be.

My wife is Batangueño; some of her relatives are evacuees. So I have a personal interest in the human drama around the Taal volcano eruptions.

On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global public health emergency due to the rapid spread of the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) that originated in a seafood and live animal market in Wuhan City (population: 11 million), in the province of Hubei (population: 50 million), in China. As of Saturday, varying television news reports said there are now close to 10,000 infected persons worldwide, with 200+ dead from the virus, for which a vaccine is still being developed. Novel Coronavirus -- nCoV -- has spread to 22 countries and regions, according to the WHO.

After decades of lethargic growth, the Philippine tourism industry is finally riding on strong tailwinds. From January to November last year, foreign tourist arrivals topped 7.46 million, which translates to 15.58% year-on-year growth. This is nearly four times the average global growth rate and 2.5 times more than the Asian average. Although whole year statistics have not yet been consolidated, it is almost certain that the country surpassed its 8.2 million foreign visitor target.

ON JAN. 31, the United Kingdom left the European Union. We lost a member of our family. It was a sad moment for us, for European citizens -- and, indeed, for many British citizens.

I HAD lunch with Gina. She was diagnosed 10 years ago at age 40. Breast cancer. Stage 3c, meaning advanced. Nineteen of the 25 lymph nodes the doctors found were malignant. She underwent surgery, six sessions of chemo, and 33 radiation sessions. Each chemo session left her sick and nauseous for a week. It left a metallic taste in her mouth, and she could not eat anything.

  When Aldo Carrascoso founded InterVenn Biosciences, his San Francisco-based healthtech company innovating around early cancer detection, he did it with one mission in mind:...