Two home‑grown Filipino breakthroughs focused on healthcare access and sustainable sanitation have been recognized at this year’s Alfredo M. Yao (AMY) Innovation Awards, held at the Manila Hotel during the 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo. Organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the annual awards highlight socially relevant inventions from student and professional innovators that can drive national economic development.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. has entered an agreement with state‑run Development Bank of the Philippines to acquire the latter’s shareholding in Philippine Dealing System Holdings Corp.

BDO Foundation has reached its 250‑milestone for restored rural health facilities since launching the program in 2012, with Compostela Rural Health Unit in Cebu as the landmark site. The turnover coincides with BDO’s 50th anniversary, following 22 completed facility upgrades across the country so far in 2026.

In professional services, relationships are currency, trust is the product, and talent is the engine. Michael C. Sabado will now be responsible for keeping all three working in SGV & Co.’s favor.

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.

The Philippines’ investment approvals surged to P900.06 billion in the first nine months of 2026, driven overwhelmingly by energy projects and bringing the Board of Investments (BOI) closer to its P1-trillion full-year target.

Listed renewable energy developer Alternergy Holdings Corp. has completed the Philippines’ first overhead sea-crossing transmission link built specifically for a wind power project, a key milestone that connects clean energy generated on Alabat Island directly to the Luzon mainland grid.

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.

Major property developers are poised to expand Metro Manila’s Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA)-accredited office supply, with about 280,000 square meters of potential additions projected for 2026–2027, according to property consultancy Colliers.

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.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has partnered with Mastercard to help Filipino micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) strengthen their digital capabilities, as smaller businesses face growing pressure to adapt to online commerce and electronic payments.

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.