Asia Economy

Having enjoyed prolonged and positive relations, the dominant international powers in the South Pacific region – traditional allies like Australia, the US, the UK and France – influenced PNG’s policy throughout the 20th century. However, recent years have also seen an increasing recognition of the importance of Asian and South-east Asian states...

Sandwiched between the South China Sea and the Sulu Sea, the island province of Palawan offers a wonderful respite from the busier industrial and commercial centres of the Philippines. The roughly 1780 islands and islets that comprise Palawan are revered for their unmatched biodiversity, while the pristine coastline – measuring about 2000 km –...

Offering little to no experience or expertise prior to 2003, the meteoric growth of the Philippines’ business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has largely been due to the availability of good infrastructure alongside a large and trainable talent pool with a unique cultural affinity with the US and other Western markets. Recognising the catalyst for national development...

In 2003 the Philippines’ potential as a business process outsourcing (BPO) centre was fully realised after a five-year trial phase. The industry had a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 30% from 2006-10, surpassing the 15% global average, according to the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP).

With mounting evidence that global economic activity is tipping towards a further slowdown, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is actively deploying monetary policy to spur domestic demand while at the same time maintaining price stability.

Integral for companies doing business in the Philippines, corporate social responsibility (CSR) and engaging with local governments and communities are key for large investors operating in the country. Owing to the geographical make-up of the Philippines, legal and regulatory systems are largely decentralised, with local groups wielding substantial...