By Waya Araos-Wijangco IN THE sweltering metropolis, one of the best ways to cool down is to indulge in an icy traditional summer treat — the halo-halo. Halo-halo (Filipino for “mixed”) is, well, a mix of crushed or shaved ice, local sweets, and milk. Sometimes it is made “special” with […]

THE SY family’s SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) has allocated up to P115 billion for its capital expenditure (capex) budget this year to support the conglomerate’s expansion plans. “Our spent capex in 2023 was about P80 billion. The projection this year for the group, that excludes the banks, it’s around P110 […]

MASSAMUN NUEA (BRAISED BEEF IN MASSAMUN CURRY) THERE’S NO going around it: it’s hot. We’re experiencing summer temperatures into the high thirties, and it feels like 40+, and it feels like punishment. Luckily, the Waldorf Astoria in Bangkok lent out its Thai chef, Akkawin “Pun” Pitrachart to its Hilton sister […]

ACENRENEWABLES.COM AYALA-LED ACEN Corp. said it is earmarking about P72 billion for its capital expenditure (capex) budget for the year. This amount covers international operations and energy projects in the Philippines, ACEN President and Chief Executive Officer Eric T. Francia said during a briefing on Wednesday. Currently, ACEN holds around […]

VENON TIAN, Chief Operations Officer of ZUS Coffee, looks like he doesn’t have time for joking around. After ZUS Coffee’s founding in 2019, they’ve managed to open 420 stores — while being interrupted by the lockdowns of 2020, mind you. At year’s end, he told BusinessWorld during the opening of […]

JAPAN-BASED company Taisei Corp. is set to acquire a 25% stake in a subsidiary of PetroGreen Energy Corp., its parent company PetroEnergy Resources Corp. said on Wednesday. “We are honored that Taisei has chosen the Philippines to make its first overseas equity investment in renewable energy. Following on the 2022 […]

YUMMIE DINGDING/ PPA POOL By Don McLain Gill THE past few weeks have witnessed considerable developments in France’s strategic relations with Southeast Asian countries. On April 8, it was reported that Indonesia had ordered two Scorpene-class attack submarines from France’s Naval Group. Additionally, the deal will also include technology transfers […]

AYALA-LED AREIT, Inc. said it remains optimistic about the country’s office market despite ongoing challenges. “The office market is still challenged as vacancy remains high at 18 to 20%. But fortunately for AREIT, our occupancy was strong at 97% last year because of our diversified asset base, with office spaces […]

unplash THE GOVERNMENT is looking to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies to advance digitalization in key areas like healthcare and education, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) told the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). “We will harness the power of […]

White asparagus season at Old Manila EMPERORS and kings put a high premium on white asparagus, which is why it has always been referred to as the “Food of Kings.” King Louis XIV of France, the Sun King, was so enamored of the tender young spears of white as-paragus, harvested […]