Philippines

THE COMPANY: Aboitiz Equity Ventures (AEV) is a Philippine conglomerate that is involved in power, banking, food manufacturing and real estate. It is one of the largest conglomerates in the country with total assets of P293.7bn ($6.5bn), placing it among the top-25 largest companies on the...

The banking sector is in the midst of a strong growth phase as economic development and use of banking services has been extended to traditionally under-banked areas in the Philippines. Tight fiscal policy has led to lower inflation and growing willingness to hold savings in bank deposits, while the number of people with enough income to use...

Of all the decisions that will be made by the new president and Congress to be elected in May 2016 elections, none will be more important than whether to pursue membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the 12-member free trade bloc being formed by the US, Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim countries.

The Philippines’ trade and investment sectors are at a crossroads. The new president and Congress elected in May 2016 elections face crucial decisions related to the country’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the “deep” free trade bloc being created by the US, Japan and other Pacific Rim countries. If the new Philippines...

Due to almost half a century of armed conflict between the national government and separatist Muslim groups, peace and order have remained a key roadblock for Mindanao’s development. Being the second-largest and southern-most major island in the Philippine archipelago, Mindanao has always offered great promise as the agricultural basket of the...

Investor attention in the Visayas has been traditionally focused on the Central Visayas region, particularly the island province of Cebu and Cebu City, the latter also known as the Queen City of the South. Both the city and the region have mirrored Metro Manila closely in stature, infrastructure development, progressiveness and economic growth...