[READOUT] What Philippine borrowing tells businesses ahead of 2027

Here are three credit insights to keep in mind, covering consumer borrowing trends, business lending, and the national debt

[Time Trowel] Can DNA tell us who Filipinos are?

Filipino identity cannot be reduced to DNA or ancestry percentages; it is shaped by complex histories of migration, contact, and culture.

INSUFFICIENT SUPPORT

It’s the corruption, stupid

It’s the economy, stupid.

The sieve of Philippine justice

THIS week, much to the consternation of the public, news emerged that former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco abruptly left the country after allegations were made of his involvement in the transfer of P100 million in…

The One-China Principle brooks no challenge

Around the time of the United Nations General Assembly in recent years, the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces seized the opportunity to clamor about so-called “Taiwan’s participation in the United Nations.” And…

Asean must speak together and work in smaller groups

SOUTHEAST Asia’s diplomacy with China cannot be left to 11 separate national calculations. Geography and commerce bind the region to China, but power is unequal. Alone, members face Chinese inducements or pressure…

Surviving the AI shock

We are seeing the dawning of the age of artificial intelligence (AI). While this holds great promise for the world economy, it also holds the possibility of seeing political crises, if not managed properly.

Stemming the digital exodus

THE paradox of emerging digital economies is simple: The more talent they develop, the faster it disappears. A software engineer trained in Lagos, a machine learning specialist from Manila, a UX designer from Nairobi…

Doldrums

A now jobless ex-security guard I interviewed last year messaged me recently to borrow P1,000.

Why Marcos and America may just get desperate

IN a press briefing last week, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the operator of the Philippines’ transmission grid and the leg of the energy infrastructure tripod that the current leadership of the…

Downturn

We are technically not in a recession. Not yet. But everyone now seems to be feeling it.

Sound points from NGCP

IN a press briefing last week, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP), the operator of the Philippines’ transmission grid and the leg of the energy infrastructure tripod that the current leadership of the…

EDITORIAL— Come back, Lord Allan

Faced with serious accusations of wrongdoing, former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco has maintained his innocence.

Beyond flood control: A systemic, self-financing tunnel strategy

Fourth and fifth of 12 parts IN my guest columns published on July 9, 2026, and Aug. 20, 2026, I presented part 1 of the Philippine Century Blueprint, envisioning the Philippines as the largest economy in Southeast Asia…

Sassy questioning in impeachment

DURING the Sept. 28 hearing on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth, San Juan Rep. Ysabel “Bel” Zamora questioned Police Maj. Joericson Sangalang of the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Firearms…

Ready for life’s ‘what ifs?’

“Unprecedented events occur regularly — be prepared.” – Seth Klarman WITH all the Philippine economic indicators going haywire — rising inflation, depreciating peso, increasing fuel prices, worsening…

AI needs trusted journalism

FRANKFURT, Germany — In her 1967 essay “Truth and Politics,” the political philosopher Hannah Arendt observed that “Freedom of opinion is a farce unless factual information is guaranteed, and the facts themselves are…