Category: Asia

Business

Converge Says Filipino MSMEs Don’t Need More Tech—They Need One Thing Before AI Can Take Off

MANILA, Philippines — Artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital payments and e-commerce tools are becoming easier for Filipino entrepreneurs to access. But Converge ICT Solutions Inc. says getting the technology into the hands of small businesses may actually be the easy part. The bigger challenge is convincing entrepreneurs that these tools are simple enough, affordable enough—and useful enough—to trust with their businesses. That emerging “trust gap” is becoming a crucial issue as Ph

September 2, 2026

Business

SM Hotels Wants Filipino Food to Become a Reason to Travel — But the Bigger Bet Goes Far Beyond the Dinner Table

MANILA, Philippines — For decades, Philippine tourism has sold travelers on beaches, islands, heritage towns and postcard-worthy landscapes. SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. now wants another attraction to help convince people where to travel next: what Filipinos put on the table. The hospitality arm of SM Prime Holdings is expanding its “Gateway to Gastronomy” campaign, using regional dishes, local ingredients and Filipino culinary traditions to turn hotel dining into part of the destination it

September 2, 2026

Business

ACMobility Wins Big for Its People as Business Growth Accelerates—But the Bigger Story Is What’s Happening Behind the Scenes

MANILA, Philippines — ACMobility is strengthening its position not only as one of the country’s fast-growing mobility companies but also as an employer to watch, after earning multiple international and Philippine workplace recognitions amid an aggressive expansion push. The Ayala Group’s end-to-end mobility provider received new honors at the 2026 HR Excellence Awards Philippines and the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, extending its recent streak of recognition for people management, leader

September 2, 2026

Business

Ayala Land Just Made a Major Move—And Jaime Urquijo Is at the Center of It

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Land Inc. is making a major leadership move that will bring its Metro Manila and regional estates businesses under a single organization, with Jaime Z. Urquijo set to take charge of the expanded group beginning January 1, 2027. Urquijo, who currently heads Ayala Land’s Urban Estates business, will become head of the newly integrated AyalaLand Estates Group, placing the next-generation Ayala executive at the center of the property giant’s nationwide estate development

September 2, 2026

Business

DTI Chief Cristina Roque’s Manila Golf Move Raises Eyebrows—But the Real Question Is Who Owns the Share

MANILA, Philippines — Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque is reportedly seeking access to the exclusive Manila Golf and Country Club through a corporate share held by the government’s National Development Company (NDC), a move that is now drawing attention among club members. According to an InsiderPH report published September 2, 2026, an internal notice at Manila Golf identified Roque as the NDC nominee who would use the government corporation’s corporate access to the prestigi

September 2, 2026

Business

San Miguel, Aboitiz Lead Meralco’s 600-MW Power Race at ₱5.36/kWh — But the Deal Isn’t Won Yet

MANILA, Philippines — Two San Miguel Global Power companies and an AboitizPower-controlled generator have moved to the front of the race for one of Meralco’s biggest long-term electricity supply contracts, after submitting the three lowest offers for a combined 600 megawatts of baseload power. But despite the headline-grabbing prices, the contest is not officially over. Mariveles Power Generation Corp. (MPGC) submitted the lowest total levelized cost of electricity at ₱5.3573 per kilowatt-hour

September 2, 2026

Business

SM Malls Hit Record ₱41.8B Revenue as Filipinos Keep Coming Back — But One Number Tells a Different Story

MANILA, Philippines — At a time when inflation, cautious household spending and economic uncertainty are forcing consumers to think twice before opening their wallets, SM Supermalls has delivered a striking counterpoint: Filipinos are still going to the mall — and businesses are still competing for space inside them. SM Supermalls generated a record ₱41.8 billion in mall revenue during the first half of 2026, an 8% increase from ₱38.6 billion a year earlier, according to figures reported by Ins

September 2, 2026

Business

Razon Makes a Major Move at Prime Infra—Then Brings in a Former BP Chief

MANILA, Philippines — Billionaire Enrique Razon Jr. is strengthening the leadership of Prime Infrastructure Capital Inc. (Prime Infra) with the appointment of former BP chief executive Tony Hayward to its board of directors—a move that signals the Philippine conglomerate’s increasingly global ambitions in the energy sector. Hayward joined the Prime Infra board effective August 10, 2026, while continuing to serve as executive chairman of SierraCol Energy, the Colombian oil and gas company acquir

September 2, 2026

Politics

Apple Maps Renames Lake Ontario ‘Lake America’ for U.S. Users — But Canada Isn’t the Only One Refusing to Follow Trump

Apple has officially joined Google in displaying “Lake America” instead of Lake Ontario to users in the United States, turning President Donald Trump’s controversial geographic-name change into a fresh political, technological and cross-border dispute. The change began appearing on Apple Maps after Trump signed an executive order on August 27 directing the U.S. federal government to rename Lake Ontario as “Lake America.” Apple confirmed that users in the United States will see the new designat

September 2, 2026

Business

Yishun 10 Will Close in March 2027 — But What Rises ere by 2031 Could Change Yishun Central Forever

SINGAPORE — A familiar landmark in Yishun is set for a major transformation. Yishun 10, Singapore’s first cinema multiplex, is expected to cease operations on March 2, 2027, as Frasers Property moves ahead with plans to redevelop the site into a new mixed-use development. The redevelopment will replace the existing cinema and retail complex with about 110 residential units, a street-level retail podium and a landscaped facilities deck on the second storey. The new project is targeted for comple

September 2, 2026