Category: Business

Business

JOLLIBEE TAKES ITS GLOBAL EMPIRE TO HONG KONG: Why the Filipino Fast-Food Giant Just Ditched Its U.S. Listing Plan

MANILA, Philippines — Jollibee Foods Corp. is taking a major step toward transforming its overseas restaurant business into a separately listed global company, with Hong Kong now emerging as the preferred destination for the planned stock-market debut. The Philippine fast-food giant announced on September 1 that it is moving forward with plans to separate its international operations from its Philippine business and is now considering The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited as the listing venue

September 2, 2026

Business

SM Megamall Just Changed The Edsa Commute— But Is This The Future Of Metro Manila’s Malls?

For millions of Filipinos who rely on EDSA every day, a few hundred meters of walking can mean battling heat, rain, crowds and congested footbridges. That is precisely the problem SM Megamall’s new EDSA Busway Concourse is designed to address. Opened to the public in April 2026, the elevated, covered connection links SM Megamall Building A directly with the Ortigas station of the EDSA Bus Carousel. Instead of forcing commuters to navigate a lengthy and congested route across EDSA, the new walk

September 2, 2026

Business

SONNY DOMINGUEZ MAKES A MAJOR BOARDROOM RETURN: Ex-Finance Chief Named Megaworld’s Lead Independent Director — What His New Role Could Mean

Former Finance Secretary Carlos “Sonny” G. Dominguez is taking on a major new corporate role, joining the board of property giant Megaworld Corp. as its lead independent director. Megaworld confirmed the appointment effective September 1, 2026, bringing the veteran government official and corporate executive back into the spotlight at a time when the property developer is expanding its township, hospitality and recurring-income businesses. The appointment was also disclosed to the Philippine S

September 2, 2026

Business

Jollibee, UPLB Bring Agri-Tech to Filipino Farmers as ₱1-Billion Farm Program Enters Its Next Phase

MANILA, Philippines — Jollibee is making a deeper bet on where some of its food begins: the farm. Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) has joined forces with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in a new partnership designed to bring agricultural research, technology and more specialized training closer to Filipino smallholder farmers. But this is more than another corporate social responsibility agreement. The partnership could help answer one of Philippine agriculture's persistent

September 2, 2026

Business

Maynilad Cut Water Losses Below 30%—But the Bigger Payoff May Be What It Means for Investors

MANILA, Philippines — Maynilad Water Services Inc. may have just collected five Philippine Quill Awards for communication campaigns, but the numbers behind those campaigns tell a much bigger story. The West Zone water concessionaire is increasingly turning one of the utility sector’s oldest problems—water disappearing through leaks, faulty meters, illegal connections and other system losses—into a potential source of additional supply, lower operating costs and stronger returns on billions of p

September 2, 2026

Business

THE SECRET BEHIND CHICKEN McDO: Why McDonald’s Says Every Piece Must Pass Its “Gold Standard” Before It Reaches Your Table

For millions of Filipinos, Chicken McDo is a familiar fast-food staple—but the consistency behind that familiar taste involves far more than simply dropping chicken into a fryer. McDonald’s Philippines says it has established detailed “Gold Standards” governing Chicken McDo—from its appearance and crispiness to its flavor, juiciness, freshness and food-safety requirements. At the center of that system are roughly 3,200 trained “Chicken Experts” working across McDonald’s restaurants in the Phil

September 2, 2026

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