BPI raises P15.3 billion from bond offer
BANK OF THE Philippine Islands (BPI) raised P15.3 billion in peso-denominated bonds following strong demand, marking its second largest issuance to date in the local debt market.
Banks’ lending standards mostly unchanged in the fourth quarter
MOST LENDERS maintained their overall credit standards for both enterprises and households in the fourth quarter, a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) survey found.
Moody’s affirms UnionBank’s credit rating
MOODY’S INVESTORS Service has affirmed its investment grade rating UnionBank of the Philippines, Inc., citing the bank’s robust capitalization and large pool of liquid assets.
Local shares end flat as China virus fears persist
LOCAL shares ended flat on Friday anud heightened worries across the globe over China’s coronavirus outbreak.
GDP growth falls to 8-year low in 2019
THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY grew by 6.4% in the fourth quarter, its fastest pace for 2019 on the back of robust household spending and a rebound in government spending, but was not enough to hit the full-year goal, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported yesterday.
Philippines drops in global corruption index
THE Philippines slipped 14 spots in a global corruption index released on Thursday by Transparency International, which said “a staggering number of countries are showing little to no improvement in tackling corruption.”
Duterte vetoes provision of new sin tax law
PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte on Wednesday signed into law the measure increasing the excise tax imposed on electronic cigarettes and alcohol products, but vetoed a provision seen to curtail the power of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to conduct raids as part of its efforts to clamp down on illicit trade.
Netflix membership up 20% in 2019 despite heavy competition
AMERICAN streaming service Netflix reports its membership grew by 20% in 2019 with its fourth quarter earnings growing by 31% year-on-year on the back of viewership of its original series such as The Witcher and You.
Street party, floats mark Chinese New Year in Manila
CELEBRATE Chinese New Year with a bang as the City of Manila, together with the Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc. (FCGCCI), is holding a street party in Chinatown’s San Lorenzo Ruiz Plaza on Jan. 24 which will include performances from top Original Pilipino Music (OPM) acts including Sponge Cola and Parokya ni Edgar.
MRT-3 ticket sales, rider count further fall as repairs continue
METRO RAIL Transit (MRT)-3’s number of passengers and collection from ticket sales fell further in 2019 as the railway system undergoes rehabilitation to increase its capacity by July 2021.
K-pop’s Tiffany Young has QC concert on Saturday
AMERICAN SINGER and K-pop star Tiffany Young is set to perform solo for the first time in the Philippines on Jan. 25 at the New Frontier Theater in Quezon City as part of her ongoing Open Hearts Eve Part Two tour.
Online gaming seen to lure more into real estate
THE Philippine real estate industry is projected to attract more investors this year due to the continuous rise in demand from online gaming operators, relatively cheap leasing rates compared to other countries and new catchments from regional peers.