PLDT eyes higher Q3 revenue, boosted by Maya, home, enterprise units

November 6, 2025 | 12:05 am

PLDT INC. expects to report higher third-quarter revenue, driven by its digital bank Maya and its home and enterprise businesses, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Manuel V. Pangilinan said on Wednesday.

“Our third quarter is slightly better than the previous two quarters,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event. “Maya helps, although [it was] slightly affected by the linking from the gaming sites. Profits for the third quarter were up.”

The Pangilinan-led telecommunication company will release its third-quarter results next week.

In the first half, PLDT’s attributable net income fell 1.47% to P18.14 billion from a year earlier, as higher expenses outpaced revenue growth.

Despite this, its second-quarter attributable net income rose 6.05% to P9.11 billion, supported by steady performance in its core segments. Total revenues for January to June inched up 1.85% to P109.57 billion.

Mr. Pangilinan said the company is still searching for a replacement for Anastacio R. Martirez, who stepped down as Smart Communications, Inc. chief operating officer (COO) last month to pursue entrepreneurial ventures.

He said the next Smart COO could come from outside the company and might be from a younger generation.

“I wish [he] were a Gen Z, or a younger fellow or even a Millennial. The future belongs to them,” Mr. Pangilinan said.

Mr. Martirez, who had served as COO since September last year, cited plans to explore business opportunities after his resignation.

At the local bourse, PLDT shares rose 0.71% or P8 to close at P1,137 each.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of the PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., holds a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Abacus Global Technovisions, Inc. to hold its Annual Stockholders’ Meeting on Nov. 27 via Zoom

November 6, 2025 | 12:05 am

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Matsusaka: This P23k/kilo beef literally melts in your mouth

November 6, 2025 | 12:04 am

A-premium-selection-of-Ito-Ranch-Matsusaka-Beef-showcased-during-the-launch-event — A PREMIUM SELECTION of Ito Ranch Matsusaka Beef showcased during the launch.

“WAGYU” has been thrown about as a buzzword to connote a certain quality of beef, due to the popularity of Kobe beef and its sisters, which includes Matsusaka beef, cows for which are bred in the Matsusaka region. While one should know that there’s a grading system for wagyu (which basically just means “Japanese cattle”), one of its premier examples, the aforementioned Matsusaka, just arrived in the Philippines.

Lorenzo Vega, chief executive officer of Doubleday Enterprises, unveiled its partnership with Ito Ranch, Japan’s most awarded Matsusaka producer, during an event on Oct. 16 at the Shangri-La Plaza mall. The ranch, founded in 1953, has over 35 competition wins, including a historic three-year Grand Champion streak (2017-2019) at the prestigious Matsusaka Beef Carcass Competition. Ferran Adrià of El Bulli, one of the world’s best restaurants before closing in 2011, singled out the beef from Ito Ranch for its quality.

On Prime Cuts by Doubleday’s website, which will sell the beef, Ito Ranch’s Matsusaka A5 Japanese Wagyu Tenderloin can go up to P22,990 per kilogram. This is due to its intricate marbling and low melting point (12°C, which means it really does melt in your mouth).

There are several factors for the price, one of which is its rarity: “Matsusaka beef is quite controlled by distributors in Japan,” said Mr. Vega during the launch in a Q&A session. He notes that with other sellers in the Philippines claiming to have Matsusaka beef, they offer it in small quantities, which implies unofficial importation status. “Distributors in Japan, frankly, they keep to themselves, and to other first-world countries.”

He also talked about how to serve it: “However you want.”

While he said some people might prefer it as an entire steak, served thinly, torched above sushi, or swirled in a sukiyaki broth, he prefers his sliced and grilled thinly Teppanyaki-style. “Only salt and pepper, none of the other stuff.”

“Because it’s a very fatty cut of beef, I would say medium is very good,” he said about the beef’s ideal doneness. “The fat melts, and it becomes a very luxurious taste.”

Ito Ranch’s Overseas Sales Manager Kunio Kosaka, meanwhile, discussed what made their beef win so many awards. It stands on four pillars: pedigree (he compared breeding their cows to raising racehorses), a stress-free environment for the cows, a long fattening period (around 13 months longer than their competitors), and a feeding program that includes rice and beer: “Each farm’s family secret,” he told BusinessWorld.

Ito Ranch Matsusaka Beef will be available at partner restaurants including Teppanya and Sicilian Roast (of which Mr. Vega is a partner), with more establishments to be announced soon.

For more information, visit dprimecuts.com or contact Prime Cuts by Doubleday at sales@dprimecuts.com. — JL Garcia

Steaming ahead: Din Tai Fung Philippines celebrates 10 years, eyes store expansion

November 6, 2025 | 12:04 am

Din Tai Fung SM Megamall — DIN TAI FUNG SM MEGAMALL

1 of 3

DIN TAI FUNG PHILIPPINES is marking a decade of operations in the country with further expansion outside of Metro Manila, as Filipino consumers continue to embrace its famous soupy dumplings called xiaolongbao.

Eliza Antonino, founder and managing partner of The Moment Group, said the company is opening new branches of Din Tai Fung in response to strong demand beyond Metro Manila.

“It’s about responding to demand, so we open where the market is… Din Tai Fung Cebu opened last July, and we aim to open our second one in Cebu next year. We’re looking forward to opening in even more new neighborhoods next year,” she said in an interview with BusinessWorld.

Din Tai Fung opened in SM City Cebu, its first branch in the Visayas and its ninth in the country. Its tenth branch, marking the brand’s 10^th anniversary, is set to open at SM City Clark in Clark, Pampanga in the fourth quarter.

The Moment Group, which is known for homegrown brands Manam and 8Cuts, owns, manages and operates the Philippine franchise of Din Tai Fung.

The Moment Group Founder for Creative Development Abba Napa said Din Tai Fung has mostly opened stores within Metro Manila for the most part of the decade, so they were initially nervous about opening in Cebu.

“Being that Cebu was our first shop in the region; we were genuinely surprised and very happy to see the lines that formed on the first day. Seeing Filipinos from all over appreciate dining at Din Tai Fung gives us the confidence to explore other parts of the country that we never thought possible,” Ms. Napa said in the same interview.

Din Tai Fung first opened in the Philippines with a branch in SM Megamall in 2015.

Since then, it has built a loyal customer base by maintaining its Taiwanese authenticity rather than adapting recipes to local tastes.

“Everything is really true to both the Taiwanese culture and brand from which Din Tai Fung originated,” Ms. Antonino said. “Our own dishes, created by our local team, still draw inspiration from Taiwanese cuisine, including the crispy beef strips and the chocolate lava xiaolongbao.”

Ms. Napa proudly noted that the chocolate lava xiaolongbao was first developed at the first Philippine store in SM Megamall. The dessert dumpling is filled with molten chocolate in a mochi-like wrapper often paired with rock salt and cheese.

“Today, the chocolate lava xiaolongbao is not just in our Philippine shops, but all over the world. It’s a moment in our story that we continue to share, as it gives our team a sense of pride to be part of Din Tai Fung Philippines and Team Moment,” Ms. Napa added.”

The Moment Group co-founders recalled how they earned the trust of Din Tai Fung’s Taiwanese principals to bring the much-loved restaurant brand to the Philippines. Din Tai Fung, which was founded in Taiwan in 1958, is considered the world’s most recognized xiaolongbao brand.

Ms. Antonino said they first met Din Tai Fung founder Yang Bing-yi in Taipei in early 2013. Six months later, his team traveled to Manila to meet with groups that were interested in franchising Din Tai Fung.

“For their last dinner in Manila, we decided we would host them at our Filipino restaurant, Manam. After the dinner, Mr. Yang asked for a meeting with the three of us. He asked, ‘Are you really sure you want to do this?’ It was almost discouraging, but he also said that he was quite impressed with the restaurants that we had,” Ms. Antonino said.

She said that Mr. Yang told them he appreciated the service and hospitality extended to his team.

“In fact, he said, if Din Tai Fung Philippines would have the same service as Manam, he would be very happy. This was music to our ears. But there was still no indication of a yes,” Ms. Antonino said.

At that time, she felt that The Moment Group was at a disadvantage since they were the “smallest and youngest” group since they were only in business for three years.

Ms. Antonino said around four months later, they were invited to Din Tai Fung’s annual get-together, thinking this would be the moment they were waiting for.

“But at the end of the event, we just said our goodbyes. In the taxi to the airport, I got a phone call from Mr. Yang’s team: he wanted to see us for lunch… After dessert, we finally got what we’d been waiting for. ‘Go home and find a space,’ he said. ‘Let’s do this together,’” she said.

Ms. Antonino said she will never forget Mr. Yang’s parting words after that meeting: “Don’t make me regret giving it to you kids.”

Before securing the franchise, The Moment Group sent 15 staff members from the Philippines to undergo an immersive training program in Taipei for six months. This included learning how to make pork xiaolongbao.

While language barriers initially posed challenges, Ms. Antonino noted that the franchise has consistently met Din Tai Fung’s global standards for quality and service.

“What it really boils down to are the people that you work with. You need to have synergy. When you have that kind of synergy and work towards one common goal, it becomes a little bit easier,” she said.

“Making sure the guest is delighted during service is part of the job — an innate quality that needs to be embodied by every member of Team Moment. We always want to make sure that the guests have a good time.” — Cathy Rose A. Garcia and Alexandria Grace C. Magno

Companies must use AI solutions to help reduce data breach costs

November 6, 2025 | 12:04 am

By Beatriz Marie D. Cruz, Reporter

PHILIPPINE COMPANIES should use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions to strengthen their cybersecurity guardrails and lessen the cost of data breaches, according to IBM Verify Technology, a business unit of the International Business Machines Corp. (IBM).

Christopher Hockings, global outbound product manager at IBM Verify Technology, said companies must integrate AI in their cybersecurity frameworks as cybercriminals increasingly use these technologies to set up more sophisticated attacks.

“If attackers are using AI to move faster, we need to use AI to defend more quickly, too,” he told BusinessWorld in a virtual interview.

“For example, if AI can look at more vulnerabilities at scale more quickly, then we need ways to identify those vulnerabilities more quickly and to patch and remediate them prior to an attacker exploiting them.”

In the Association of Southeast Asian Nations region, the average cost of a data breach rose by 13.6% to $3.67 million from $3.23 million last year, IBM said in its 2025 Cost of a Data Breach report.

Globally, data breach costs averaged $4.44 million, but organizations that used AI and automation extensively across their security operations saved $1.9 million in breach costs, it said.

According to Mr. Hockings, the best use cases of AI in cybersecurity include streamlining repetitive tasks, summarizing information on threats, and optimizing humans’ response time.

With the right investments, AI can also speed up detection and response to cyberthreats, he added.

“We’re already seeing that security standards that have existed are being modified to support AI scenarios.”

To effectively use AI for cybersecurity, companies must ensure full visibility and control of their identity infrastructure, he said. They must also integrate measures on data governance and compliance in their AI models.

For companies using AI robots or agents, stringent data protection and lineage measures must be implemented against cyberattacks, Mr. Hockings said.

“It’s very important that your robots or agents are well-known in terms of the models they’re using and the data they’re accessing.”

He also emphasized the importance of having a “zero trust” mindset, or that a user, device, or network can’t be granted access by default.

Companies should also implement a “human-in-the-loop” system to supervise the accuracy, safety, and accountability of AI models.

Increasing demand for AI-driven cybersecurity solutions has pushed tech vendors to integrate their products to deliver customers a more holistic view of cyber protection, he said.

He noted IBM’s recent acquisition of Hashi Corp., a software company focused on non-human and machine identity management.

This comes as non-human identity systems, such as desktop, mobile, and IoT (internet of things) devices, pose more threats than traditional or human identity domains, he said.

“Together, they deliver end-to-end security for human and non-human identities,” Mr. Hockings said. “We’re the same company now, so active collaboration and development initiatives are underway to fulfill the ambition of the acquisition.”

The Philippines ranked 16^th out of 250 countries on the most number data breaches in the third quarter with a total of 437,922 breached accounts in the period, according to cybersecurity provider Surfshark.

Among its peers in the East and Southeast Asian region, the Philippines was the second most breached country or territory.

LANDBANK net income climbs to P35.64 billion

November 6, 2025 | 12:04 am

LAND BANK of the Philippines’ (LANDBANK) net income surged by 41.79% in the first nine months of 2025 on the strength of its core businesses.

The state-run bank’s net profit climbed to P35.64 billion in the nine months ended September from P25.14 billion in the same period last year, its financial statement showed.

“LANDBANK’s strong performance as of the third quarter underscores our prudent management, operational efficiency, and continued investments in digital innovation. We remain steadfast in our mission to drive inclusive growth, empower the agriculture sector, and deliver innovative financial solutions for all Filipinos,” LANDBANK President and Chief Executive Officer Lynette V. Ortiz said in a statement on Wednesday.

The bank’s net interest income rose by 14.71% year on year to P81.41 billion in the period from P70.97 billion. This came as its interest income went up by 10.03% to P113.22 billion, while interest expenses inched down by 0.38% to P31.81 billion.

Its other operating income also edged up by 0.15% to P8.53 billion in the nine-month period from P8.51 billion a year prior on higher trading and foreign currency gains.

Meanwhile, LANDBANK’s operating expenses increased by 15.596% to P45.65 billion from P39.49 billion a year ago as it spent more on compensation and taxes and licenses, among others.

The bank’s loan loss provisions decreased by 46.17% year on year to P7.56 billion.

LANDBANK’s net loans stood at P1.22 trillion, up by 4.87% from P1.16 trillion the previous year.

Meanwhile, gross loans reached P1.7 trillion at end-September, it said.

Its outstanding loans for agriculture, fisheries, and rural development reached over P812 billion, accounting for over 47% of its total loan portfolio.

The bank has also extended P1.95 billion in loans under its flagship AGRISENSO Plus Lending Program as of September to over 12,300 borrowers, mostly small farmers and fishers, since the initiative was launched last year.

LANDBANK said 25,296 small farmers and fishers have been trained through the program’s capacity-building component.

On the funding side, total deposits went up by 1.45% year on year to a record high of P3.07 trillion at end-September from P3.02 trillion.

The bank’s assets climbed by 1.32% to P3.45 trillion at end-September from P3.41 trillion last year, backed by the growth of its loan and investment portfolios.

Meanwhile, total capital funds inched down by 0.78% to P269.31 billion from P271.43 billion.

LANDBANK added that it saw a 51% increase in the volume of digital transactions to 550.73 million as of September valued at P3.14 trillion. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

Top secrets to real estate success in the Philippines

November 6, 2025 | 12:04 am

RJ-Ledesma-Podcast---Anthony-“Tonton”-Leuterio-02 — ANTHONY “TONTON” LEUTERIO at The RJ Ledesma Podcast. — SCREENGRAB FROM THE RJ LEDESMA PODCAST

So you want to be in real estate. Countless entrepreneurs have ventured — and many have succeeded — as part-time or full-time brokers or even as real estate developers. Oftentimes, real estate can be lucrative; many of the country’s top billionaires have built their fortunes from real estate. It’s no wonder then that one of the most common questions I’m asked is, “How do I succeed in Philippine real estate?” or “What is the secret to being a real estate broker or salesperson?”

Recently, I had the good fortune of speaking with one of the people best suited to answer these questions on the RJ Ledesma Podcast: Anthony “Tonton” Leuterio — or Boss Ton as I like to call him — the founder of Filipino Homes, a leading real estate sales and marketing group here in the country. His real estate network is so successful, it has made him the top taxpayer in Cebu, where the company is based. And his success has also catapulted the company into markets across the region and the world.

I interviewed Boss Ton at the National Real Estate Convention of Filipino Homes, a free event for the company’s network of real estate brokers. To give you some idea of the scale of Filipino Homes, over 700 brokers and salespersons attended the event, with each broker responsible for at least P43 million in sales. At times, this number can be as high as P500 million in sales for one individual broker. Boss Ton shares that the individual sales record is around P700 million, a number he personally beat by achieving a billion pesos in sales on his own.

As my own family and my wife Vanessa are involved in the real estate industry, I found the lessons from my talk with Tonton Leuterio invaluable for entrepreneurs who want to get into the industry as brokers or even developers. At the very top of the real estate world, he has a unique perspective on how it’s all about collaboration, not competition, and how, at times, letting profit take a backseat can drive the entire industry forward.

FOCUS ON PEOPLE, FOCUS ON QUALITY
The most critical element of Filipino Homes is its people, its brokers. Filipino Homes is composed of 52 teams with a total of 123 franchises. Put another way, it has 700 brokers with multiple salespeople in each brokerage. Clearly, this is a business that runs on the ingenuity of its people.

“A lot of brokers and realty companies, they just keep on hiring,” Mr. Leuterio said, “which is wrong. You have to focus more on getting quality agents.”

To do this, he spends much of his time training brokers and creating systems that help develop the skills of these brokers through a Filipino Homes program called “Real Fire.”

“The ‘Fire’ is the first step of training,” Boss Ton explains. Through this online training program, aspiring brokers are taught the required skills, and only after passing an exam do they undergo certification.

The training doesn’t stop there. Brokers continuously train through seminars such as the National Real Estate Convention or the Asian Real Estate Summit in Bangkok.

“The beauty of [the Asian Real Estate Summit],” Boss Ton explained, “this creates more collaboration…. We bring the developers to do bonding [with them]. We also bring the agents so they can talk to each other, [share] best practices. And we develop a program for training during that event.”

CREATE VALUE
Opposite the real estate brokers and agents, on the other side of the real estate industry, are the real estate developers. Together, sales teams and developers work together to create value for buyers.

Mr. Leuterio says, “Most of the developers give good products. That’s not an issue. But the question is, will you give value to the agents who become loyal to them? So the developers now create a program where they can entice the agent.”

Through industry-building efforts such as these incentives, developers and agents create a partnership to better serve customers.

“I love these developers because they’re not greedy,” Tonton continues. “And they focus more on helping the country. Because our goal now is giving value to the agents in the Philippines. Creating a system.

“Value is not only one-sided. Value has to be both.”

COLLABORATION, CONSTANT LEARNING
For Tonton Leuterio, there is no competition with other brokers in the industry. He welcomes them to copy his business model and his operations.

“Any broker can join us, that’s not a problem and that’s our goal,” he said. “It’s not a competition. It’s a collaboration that we created.”

He continued, saying, “I’m not looking at my competition. I’m looking at myself. So the competition is within the company.”

Instead of competition, he encourages looking inward at how the company can improve. His focus instead of competition is learning.

One learning initiative that he makes his brokers go through is to take an online certificate course from Harvard. It was this very same course which he himself took during the pandemic.

“This program changed me,” he recounted. “Our company grew maybe 30, 40% after my Harvard course.”

This success has repeated itself with his brokers, in both small and large ways.

“So all of [the brokers] took the program and believe it or not now, I don’t have a headache. The company keeps on expanding, and in fact we are now growing all over the world,” he said with pride.

ADVICE FOR ENTREPRENEURS
At the end of the day, Tonton Leuterio believes that being a real estate broker is about people.

“To all the salespeople,” he says, “all you have to do is be a people-oriented business. It’s very important. If you’re with people, if people love you, then they’ll love your product. That’s the most important.”

This dedication to people takes a concrete form in the Filipino Homes brand. He explains, “We develop a brand that we’re a trusted company and we give value. And now when they see that, then they will love you.”

His second piece of advice for entrepreneurs is to never lose sight of their mission, their dream.

“You must keep on dreaming,” he said. “I saw so many big companies, they stopped growing because they stopped dreaming.”

Tonton Leuterio’s own dream and mission is a personal one:

“Beyond money, how many people can you help?” he asked. “How many families can you touch? Imagine, if a developer builds one house, you can feed 60 families. That is the after effect. And that’s the reason why real estate is so exciting because every house I sell, 60 families can be fed. How beautiful is that? No other industry can do that.”

RJ Ledesma (www.rjledesma.com) is a Hall of Fame Awardee for Best Male Host at the Aliw Awards, a multi-awarded serial entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and business mentor, podcaster, an Honorary Consul, and editor-in-chief of The Business Manual. Mr. Ledesma can be found on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram. The RJ Ledesma Podcast is available on Facebook, Spotify, Google and Apple Podcasts. Are there entrepreneurs you want Mr. Ledesma to interview? Let him know at ledesma.rj@gmail.com.

Wicked star Jonathan Bailey named ‘sexiest man alive’ by People magazine

November 6, 2025 | 12:03 am

LOS ANGELES — English actor Jonathan Bailey, who returns to movie theaters this month in the musical film Wicked: For Good, was named this year’s “sexiest man alive” by People magazine on Monday.

The 37-year-old Mr. Bailey said it was a “huge honor” to receive the pop culture accolade previously awarded to stars including Chris Hemsworth and George Clooney.

“Obviously, I’m incredibly flattered. And it’s completely absurd,” Mr. Bailey told People with a laugh. He joked that he had only shared the news with his dog, Benson.

The selection of Mr. Bailey, also known for his role as Lord Anthony in the steamy period drama Bridgerton, was announced on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

Mr. Bailey played Prince Fiyero in last year’s blockbuster Wicked, a prequel to The Wizard of Oz and will reprise the role in the coming sequel Wicked: For Good. The actor also starred in the dinosaur flick Jurassic World: Rebirth this summer.

The Office actor John Krasinski was named “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2024.

Other actors and singers who have been given the title by People magazine’s editors include Blake Shelton, Adam Levine, Idris Elba, and Channing Tatum. — Reuters

Lazada sees surge in holiday shopping during 11.11 sale

November 6, 2025 | 12:03 am

By Justine Irish D. Tabile, Reporter

LAZADA PHILIPPINES expects online spending to surge in the next two months as more Filipinos turn to e-commerce for holiday shopping, bolstered by the platform’s biggest campaign of the year.

“A lot of our sellers get 30-40% of visits for the year just between November and December,” Lazada Philippines Chief Executive Officer Carlos Barrera told reporters on Wednesday. “We expect LazMall brands, especially the big ones, to grow faster than during the 9.9 sale.”

Filipinos spent almost 40% more per order during the September sale compared with last year, Lazada said. Top brands recorded double- to triple-digit growth, while sales of the top 20 LazMall sellers jumped by as much as 110 times, outpacing other Southeast Asian markets.

Mr. Barrera said the Nov. 10-13 sale would feature “the best possible promotions and deals” from global and local partners, driving even higher spending. Discounts include as much as 90% off LazFlash deals, P2,000 worth of vouchers and free shipping.

“It’s definitely the one day of the year when everybody buys the most,” he said. “We expect baskets to go up even more now because of additional promotions and rewards.”

Alvin Ching, Lazada Philippines head of seller operations, said worsening traffic in Metro Manila during the holidays could further boost online sales. “We don’t necessarily make people spend more, but we shift their spending online because it’s more convenient,” he said.

The 11.11 campaign will feature international brands such as Gmarket Korea, MIMANI, emonster aroma and Lazada-exclusive lines from Shiseido Group, Jo Malone, Nike and Veja.

Mr. Ching added that smaller merchants also benefit from the surge in browsing during mega campaigns. “It’s a level playing field as you get access to the entire Philippines as your market,” he said.

Lazada is also investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance user experience and seller productivity. Its AI Lazzie chatbot will help shoppers navigate over 2.3 million products using a SmartStack feature that combines LazRewards and vouchers for the best deals.

“At Lazada, our story is about brand partnerships,” Mr. Ching said. “We are trusted by brands as a partner for success because we invest in them.”

Lazada said 80% of Filipino sellers view AI as a tool to raise efficiency by improving product photos, listings and real-time business insights.

Xiaomi launches REDMI Pad 2 Pro Series tablets

November 6, 2025 | 12:03 am

XIAOMI has launched its REDMI Pad 2 Pro Series of tablets in the Philippines, which will be available via the brand’s official Shopee and Lazada stores and all authorized stores nationwide starting this Friday (Nov. 7).

The REDMI Pad 2 Pro 5G variant (8GB RAM + 256GB storage) retails for P19,999 and comes with a free keyboard until Nov. 20, while the REDMI Pad 2 Pro (8GB+256GB) is priced at P17,599.

“This all-new series of tablets caters to those seeking an immersive large-screen entertainment experience, bringing movies and games to life with vivid visuals and smooth performance,” Xiaomi said.

“Built for everyday entertainment, the REDMI Pad 2 Pro Series combines an expansive display, massive battery, immersive sound, and versatile features that adapt effortlessly to everyday use.”

The REDMI Pad 2 Pro Series is powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 Mobile Platform and has a 12,000mAh battery that supports 33W fast charging as well as 27W wired reverse charging. The tablets also have expandable storage of up to 2TB.

The tablets have a 12.1-inch display with 2.5K resolution and up to 120Hz refresh rate. The screen has Dolby Vision support for more accurate color and lifelike visuals and features DC dimming and triple TÜV Rheinland certifications for Low Blue Light (Hardware Solution), Flicker-Free, and Circadian Friendly viewing to minimize eye strain.

They are equipped with a quad-speaker system with Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res Audio featuring manual volume boost of up to 300%.

The 5G variant comes with a 13-megapixel (MP) rear camera and an 8MP front camera, while the regular model has 8MP rear and front cameras.

The devices also feature integrated Xiaomi interconnectivity powered by Xiaomi HyperOS, supporting functions like Call sync, Shared clipboard, Network sync, Home screen+, and Cross-device cameras.

The REDMI Pad 2 Pro 5G model comes in the colors Graphite Gray and Silver, while the REDMI Pad 2 Pro is available in Graphite Gray, Silver, and Lavender Purple.

Users can also get accessories for their tablet, including the REDMI Smart Pen, the full-sized REDMI Pad 2 Pro Keyboard, and the REDMI Pad 2 Pro Cover.

XIAOMI 11.11 SALE
Meanwhile, Xiaomi Philippines is offering up to 68% off on Xiaomi products and up to P11,000 off on POCO models along with freebies as part of its 11.11 Mega Sale campaign. More details can be found on the brand’s official pages.

“From phones to appliances, Xiaomi’s wide range of products — available on Shopee from Nov. 6 to 15, 2025 and Lazada from Nov. 10 (8 p.m.) to 15, 2025 — makes smart living achievable for you and your family,” the brand said.

Among the products included in the sale are the Xiaomi Pad 7, REDMI 14C, the POCO X7 Pro, and the POCO PAD, as well as wearables like the Xiaomi Smart Band 9 and the REDMI Watch 5 Active.

Some of Xiaomi’s lineup of home appliances are also part of the campaign, including the Smart Air Purifier 4 Lite, the Robot Vacuum S40C, the Xiaomi TV A 2026, the Xiaomi 2K Gaming Monitor G27Qi, and the Xiaomi Curved Gaming Monitor G34WQi. — BVR

Seven-day term deposits fetch lower yields as inflation data bolster easing bets

November 6, 2025 | 12:03 am

YIELDS on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) seven-day term deposits dropped on Wednesday as the offer drew strong demand on slower-than-expected inflation in October, which could bolster the case for further policy easing.

Total bids for the central bank’s seven-day deposits stood at P96.642 billion, above the P80-billion offer and the P74.76 billion in tenders seen for the tenor last week for the P60 billion placed on the auction block. The BSP fully awarded its offering.

Banks asked for rates ranging from 4.5% to 4.8%, wider and lower than the 4.79% to 4.825% band last week. This caused the average rate of the one-week deposits to fall by 3.13 basis points (bps) to 4.776% from 4.8073%.

The BSP did not offer 14-day papers at this week’s term deposit facility (TDF) auction. This was the first time since June 2020 that it only auctioned off the shortest tenor.

Last week, including the two-week deposits, total bids for the facility reached P142.886 billion, above the P130 billion auctioned off. However, the 14-day tenor went undersubscribed at that auction, with bids amounting to only P68.126 billion, below the P70-billion offer.

Meanwhile, the BSP has not auctioned off 28-day term deposits since October 2020 to give way to its weekly offerings of securities with the same tenor.

The TDF and BSP bills are used by the central bank to mop up excess liquidity in the financial system and better guide market rates towards the policy rate.

Earlier this week, the central bank also did not offer the longer two-month tenor at its auction of BSP securities and instead increased the volume of 28-day bills it placed on the auction block.

“The BSP TDF average auction yields were again slightly lower after the slower than expected latest inflation data,” Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

This would support further rate cuts by the central bank, he said.

Headline inflation was at 1.7% in October, steady from September but easing from 2.3% in the same month last year.

This was a tad below the 1.8% median estimate in a BusinessWorld poll of 17 analysts but was within the central bank’s 1.4-2.2% forecast for the month. It also marked the eighth consecutive month that inflation was lower than the BSP’s 2-4% annual target.

The October print brought the 10-month average to 1.7%, matching the central bank’s forecast for the year.

Last month, the BSP cut benchmark borrowing costs by 25 bps for a fourth straight meeting to bring the policy rate to 4.75%. It has now lowered rates by a total of 175 bps since August 2024.

BSP Governor Eli M. Remolona, Jr. has said that another 25-bp cut is possible at the Monetary Board’s Dec. 11 meeting, adding that they could extend their easing cycle until next year to provide some stimulus amid the expected economic fallout from the corruption scandal involving government infrastructure projects that has affected investor confidence. — K.K. Chan

Delusions of democracy, revisited

November 6, 2025 | 12:03 am

In a column about eight years ago, I argued that the Philippines lived not in a true democracy, but in a nominal one. We continue to see elections and similar democratic rituals on the surface, but elite power plays underneath still determine outcomes.

People do not truly vote for leaders they want; they perpetuate and legitimize the continued rule of a select few from the governing elite. The so-called choice is largely limited to members of political dynasties and recycled career politicians.

Not much has changed since. In Freedom House’s latest Freedom in the World report, we scored 58/100 and were rated “Partly Free.” The Philippines posted 25/40 on political rights and 33/60 on civil liberties, which are far from ideal. At best, we have a stagnant democracy that tilts toward erosion.

Freedom House notes: “The Philippines hosts a vibrant political landscape, and elections are free from overt restrictions. However, established political elites benefit from structural advantages, and problems including highly organized disinformation campaigns and widespread vote buying have undermined fair competition. Corruption is endemic, and anticorruption bodies struggle to uphold their mandates.”

I based my assertions regarding Philippine democracy, back then and now, on Larry Diamond’s four tests: free and fair elections, genuine participation, protection of rights, and the rule of law. Diamond is one of the world’s foremost scholars of democracy studies. For decades, he has examined democratic transitions and breakdowns across continents.

His framework, those four tests, has become a touchstone for measuring not only formal political systems but also the lived quality of democracy. Diamond has warned of a “democratic recession” since the mid-2000s, a global trend that places countries like the Philippines squarely in the struggle between institutional resilience and creeping authoritarianism.

In my view, we continue to fail the Diamond test. And one major reason our democracy is further constrained now is the shift in its medium. Opinion, information, and consent have moved from direct engagement and traditional media to online spaces, where the loudest megaphones can be faked, bought, or outsourced locally or abroad.

Gone are the days of political rallies, podium speeches, live media engagement, and public debates. Today, the battlefield is digital, especially with an estimated 91 million social media “user identities” in a country of about 120 million people.

There have been documented cases of coordinated manipulation in this digital arena by both domestic and foreign actors. Fake accounts now drive a substantial share of posts on political issues, simulating consensus rather than fostering honest debate.

These networks amplify curated narratives and exert significant digital influence during elections. This environment has produced a procedural democracy where the act of voting becomes the end-all and be-all. We obsess over process, not outcome. We focus on the election, not the choices and the result.

Deliberation and choice are shaped upstream by troll farms and micro-targeting by unscrupulous parties. Real politics now happens where the algorithms are. Gone are the days when a candidate’s track record and performance, political discourse, and actual voter engagement mattered.

Our elections still appear credible. Turnout remains relatively high. But the information environment is degraded by the risks and vulnerabilities of online discourse. Opinions are manufactured and presented as consensus long before votes are cast.

This is especially alarming as more digital natives become voters who rely primarily on online sources for information. Fake news remains rampant, and disinformation grows as traditional media loses audience share. Media and the press may “freely” express opinions, but credibility across all platforms is constantly questioned.

Democracy is not only about ballots; it is also about the distribution of voice. In a deeply unequal society, money buys amplification, especially of disinformation. If even half of online discourse around critical events is synthetic, then those who can afford manipulation enjoy a louder voice.

Fixing our democracy begins with cleaning up the information space. Otherwise, we will continue to mistake noise for voice, and spectacle for substance. The challenge now is not only disinformation, but AI-generated deepfakes and dark money in digital political operations.

We must strengthen legal mechanisms to combat disinformation and hold malicious actors accountable. But this raises the dilemma of decriminalizing libel and cyber-libel: How do we combat manipulation without infringing on fundamental freedoms?

Governments justify regulation in the name of public order and national security, but such tools can easily suppress dissent and control narratives. This is why I support decriminalizing libel, and at the same time oppose creating a government body to police “fake news,” identify troll farms, or require registration of social media accounts.

These measures risk government overreach. They can suppress dissent, shape narratives, and normalize censorship. We instead need to review libel laws carefully to strike a balanced approach. And we need to decide how else to penalize purveyors of misinformation that threaten our democracy.

Crucially, we must empower voters to distinguish between disinformation and legitimate discourse. Media literacy is essential. Citizens must learn to verify sources, analyze information, and develop habits of discernment. Critical thinking is now a democratic necessity.

This is easier said than done, but every gain protects our democracy. Government must study this issue carefully, consult stakeholders, and craft solutions that fight and severely penalize disinformation without compromising democratic values.

If we fail to rein in disinformation, we will drift further into a democracy of simulations where noise masquerades as consent, impressions replace convictions, and public opinion is engineered rather than earned. Democracy will be shaped not by citizens, but by platforms, algorithms, operators, and the funding sources behind them.

In this digital era, democracy demands a new vigilance. The threats are subtler than a coup and quieter than martial law. It is no longer about armed men, but about trends; not shutting down media, but drowning it out; not banning speech, but overwhelming truth with the speed and volume of disinformation.

The cure for disinformation cannot be to hand government the power to decide what is true. Instead, we must strengthen civic education, rebuild trust in institutions, support independent media, promote transparency in digital political advertising, and demand accountability from platforms that profit from users while disclaiming responsibility for consequences and outcomes.

The real delusion is believing democracy survives without effort. Democracy is measured not only by who wins elections, but by who shapes the truth that voters see before they vote. Today, the battle for democracy is fought not on election day, but long before it — in the unseen machinery of the mind, influenced and manipulated online.

Marvin Tort is a former managing editor of BusinessWorld, and a former chairman of the Philippine Press Council

matort@yahoo.com