Our economy has been brought to its knees by COVID-19 since March 2020. It contracted last year by 9.6%. The country’s GDP shrank by 4.2% in the first quarter this year; Q2 results may turn out better, but with the Delta variant surging the world over and gaining momentum here, we can’t predict how things will turn out for us between now and December, and beyond

On the 41st day of President Benigno Aquino III’s passing, as our grief slowly recedes into tender reminiscence, we find a trail of leadership and management lessons from the boss who insisted on calling us his “bosses.”

There are interesting development in the energy sector as shown in these three recent BusinessWorld reports: “Gov’t return to power generation should not be ruled out, former official says” (July 25); “‘More equitable’ net metering needed for solar” (July 26); and, “Hike in net metering rates to raise power cost — Meralco” (Aug. 2).

A Pulse Asia survey conducted in June 2021 showed that the top issues Filipinos wanted President Rodrigo Duterte to discuss during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) were creating jobs (38%), improving the economy (35%), controlling inflation (33%), and expediting COVID-19 vaccination (31%).

If you ask agricultural economists what’s wrong with Philippine agriculture, they will cite the following causes: a.) overconcentration of the agriculture budget toward a low-value commodity, rice; b.) failure to integrate with international supply chains and to enjoy the benefits of international trade, again due to protectionism and obsession with self-sufficiency in all agricultural commodities; c.) a meagre agricultural budget; d.) lack of public goods, from farm to market roads to research and development, in the agricultural sector; and, e.) historical policy bias against agriculture, from overvalued exchange rates to protectionism for strategic industries, such as shipping and ports, which raises the cost of transporting rural produce to the market.

The old adage, “put your money where your mouth is,” is as true today as it was when it was first written in 1930. One can make promises and profess support for all sorts of causes until they are blue in the face. None of it matters until they put money behind their words. The areas and causes where one spends their money are the definitive reflection of their true priorities.

THE WORLD was shocked when Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s Olympic gymnastics team finals on Tuesday.

It took only one kilo for Hidilyn Diaz to edge out Chinese champion Liao Quiyun to establish a new world weightlifting record of 224 kg in the 55-kg class and win the gold medal. That single feat was enough for the Philippine flag to be hoisted higher than China’s, and the Philippine National Anthem to be played on the podium during the awarding ceremonies — the first time in 97 years since the Philippines participated in the 1924 Paris Olympics.

The Washington DC, USA-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) is concerned over the sale to the Duterte regime of $2.5 billion worth of US fighter jets and precision guided missiles.

“The Eight Bravo Awards recognize incredible women who have excelled in their different professions yet share a common thread of going beyond their comfort zones and reaching out to the less fortunate — the least, lost, and last. It is their generosity of spirit that is inspiring. They are beacons of light amidst the darkness,” remarked Ada Ledesma Mabilangan, chair of the Bravo Awards Committee.

How can economic actors, who care about increasing shareholder value, truly engage in sustainable practices without oversimplifying it into numbers? In this article, I share results of a qualitative longitudinal study that my co-authors and I conducted on a sustainability reporting and assessment framework of a group of asset management companies that had signed to the United Nations’ Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

With the National Capital Region experiencing another surge in COVID-19 cases, probably due to the more contagious Delta variant, it remains uncertain whether Metro Manila and nearby provinces will again be locked down for 15 days or longer. I am already anticipating localized lockdowns, at the very least, starting this week.