Lifestyle

Philippine ube is making a deeper mark in Japan, where its vivid purple color and distinctive flavor are turning the humble root crop into an increasingly versatile ingredient for chefs, cafés, and food makers.

South Korean fashion platform Musinsa is making the Philippines a springboard for its Southeast Asian ambitions, betting that the country’s young consumers can help turn Korean fashion’s popularity into a bigger retail business.

The Philippines is emerging as one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing beauty and personal care markets, with consumers increasingly trading old-school whitening formulas for science-backed skincare tailored to the country’s tropical climate.

The combined wealth of the Philippines' 50 richest individuals fell 8 percent to USD79 billion this year as slowing economic growth, persistent inflation, and a weaker peso eroded corporate valuations, although ports tycoon Enrique Razon Jr. bucked the trend to become the country's richest person for the first time.

Nearly half of Filipino households now own a dog or cat, creating an estimated 14 million pet-owning homes in 2025, up from around 12 million in 2021, according to Euromonitor. Riding that trend, the Philippine dog food market expanded by 10 percent in retail value in 2026 as consumers increasingly traded up to premium, functional and veterinarian-formulated diets, turning pet nutrition into one of the fastest-growing niches in the local consumer market.