Vivant Corp. has secured three Golden Arrow recognitions for the second consecutive year, extending its corporate governance awards streak to five years as the Philippine energy and water group highlights accountability and long-term business stewardship.

EastWest has been named Best Customer Centric Business Model – Philippines at the Global Retail Banking Innovation Awards. The bank’s hybrid model combines fast digital services for everyday transactions with in‑person advisory support for major financial decisions.

The Manila Electric Co., or Meralco, posted a 12‑percent jump in consolidated core net income for the first nine months of 2026, reaching P44.8 billion versus P40.02 billion recorded in the same stretch of 2025, the country’s largest power distributor announced Wednesday.

Ayala Malls is launching The Exchange at Trinoma this coming October 30, marking the next major phase of the Quezon City mall’s reinvention as a one‑stop lifestyle and mobility hub.

Subic EnerZone Corp., the AboitizPower-led electricity distributor at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, is preparing network upgrades to accommodate rising power demand as the economic hub expands, following a 25-year extension of its partnership with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA).

The country’s mining industry remains focused on raw‑ore exports with limited local processing, even as government and industry experts push to boost production and value addition through cooperation with the United States, Sweden and other international partners.

The Aboitiz Group has added 846 megawatts of renewable energy capacity over four years while broadening investments in water management, recycling and education, extending its sustainability agenda across power generation, infrastructure and community development.

The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) has expressed support for Prime Infra’s 1,400-megawatt Pakil Pumped Storage Hydroelectric Power Project in Laguna, as the developer advances a facility designed to strengthen grid reliability and support renewable energy integration.

Anflo Industrial Estate (AIE) in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, has attracted an estimated P8.5 billion in combined investments from its developer and locators, as new cold storage and manufacturing operations are set to expand its industrial footprint this year.

Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) has opened Astra Lifestyle Centre along A.S. Fortuna Street in Mandaue City, adding a retail component to its mixed-use Astra Centre development as property developers increasingly combine shopping, dining, residential and workplace offerings in a single destination.

Flexible office spaces are gaining ground in Metro Manila’s subdued property market, with net take-up rising 185 percent in the first nine months of 2026 as companies seek to contain costs and adapt workplaces to changing business needs.

Metro Manila’s condominium market continues to grapple with persistent oversupply as buyers withdraw from purchases when monthly payments jump sharply upon transitioning from developer financing to bank loans.

Globe Telecom has stepped up network preparations in line with the National Telecommunications Commission’s call for stronger readiness and coordination among telcos ahead of the Undas observance this month.

PLDT Inc. and its wireless unit Smart Communications are accelerating roll‑out of the government‑backed Bayanihan SIM program through expanded network coverage and on‑the‑ground activation efforts, strengthening the group’s role as a key private‑sector partner for national digital inclusion. The Bayanihan SIM initiative gives underserved communities access to basic mobile connectivity, with PLDT‑Smart leveraging its extensive fixed‑fiber and mobile network infrastructure to bring the program to more remote locations.

The Philippines and the European Union are advancing an artificial intelligence laboratory designed to bring research closer to market, attract investment and encourage responsible AI adoption across businesses and government.

PLDT Enterprise has expanded its footprint in the Zamboanga Peninsula by bringing tailored connectivity and digital solutions directly to local businesses and government agencies.

Christmas is coming, and with it, the annual homecoming of thousands of overseas Filipinos eager to reunite with their families, enjoy familiar food, visit favorite destinations, and celebrate the holidays in the Philippines.

There are few things more amusing than watching otherwise sensible adults become unreasonable over a basketball game played by people young enough to be their children. A missed free throw becomes a character flaw. A referee’s call becomes evidence of a conspiracy. A victory is proof that an entire institution is superior, while a defeat is something that requires immediate explanation. The players may be the ones on the court, but the people in the stands often behave as though their own futures are at stake.

Woke up this morning hoping for a reset, with my circadian rhythm hopefully back on track after weeks of near-sleeplessness, due in part to bodily changes occasioned by advancing age and to the ayuda economy, which has gone from bad to worse to overdrive. I cannot believe what has recently been printed in both legacy news outlets and portals like the one where I currently work, or the level of absurdity that has pervaded the country. When I ask any reasonable person what ails the Philippines, with its rich resources and poor economic performance, the retort and the discussion that follow quickly turn absurd. The survey firms Pulse Asia and OCTA have a four-word answer: the cost of living. Two-thirds of the country say the most urgent issue is inflation, and that “public sentiment . . . is being shaped primarily by economic strain and the rising cost of living.”

A Toyota is not a car that makes you want to write poetry. It is a car you get into, press the start button, select Drive, and take wherever you need to go. No drama, no complicated rituals, no need to call the children over to explain how to operate the touchscreen.