Lifestyle

State-run pension fund Social Security System (SSS) is set to roll out another round of pension increases and a new micro loan program after its reserve fund breached the P1-trillion mark for the first time in its 69-year history, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced Thursday.

Life in the Philippines is a nonstop juggling act of diapers, wedding bells, and heart monitors. Babies arrive, couples say “I do,” and hearts occasionally tap out—all in a chaotic, beautiful rhythm that keeps the nation on its toes.

Stores Specialists Inc. (SSI), the company that operates Marks & Spencer in the Philippines, announced on Wednesday that it will close all its stores in the country, with the last day of operations set for May 2.

The Filipino grocery run has evolved into something of a competitive sport. Shoppers move with tactical precision, plotting routes between wet markets, discounters, hypermarkets and online carts as if managing a diversified portfolio. In today’s fast-moving consumer goods arena, the real victory is stretching every peso without sacrificing convenience.

Rafael Fernandez de Mesa likes to open with a joke. In another life, he says, he might have been the first Rafa people talked about. Instead, that distinction belongs to Rafael Nadal. Fernandez de Mesa found his arena elsewhere, trading baseline rallies for balance sheets.