The Metro Manila Film Festival is now 50 years old, and my memories rush in. When I was a young movie fan in grade school, I considered its precursor, the Manila Film Festival (MFF), a grand fiesta of Filipino films. I anticipated the event, reading about it in the weekly Manila publications Philippines Free Press,...
Tag: business
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Family’s organic farm learns to expand business to Europe
When Leonor Pantua, co-owner of a family business in Tupi, South Cotabato, gives cautionary advice to aspiring exporters, she is not trying to discourage them from pursuing their dream. “You must know who your buyers are. You can get caught as everything comes at a cost,” she says. Her company, Kablon Farms, has gained export success...
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Boracay feels economic pinch despite 1.8M tourist arrivals
BORACAY ISLAND—John Neil Gregorio, 22, had just completed a four-year computer science course when an uncle prodded him to take on the job of a service crew member in an Indian restaurant in Boracay last August. Despite the meager starting daily wage of P300, with free meals and board, he bit the bullet, seeing a...
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The PICC at 47: An enduring witness to history
For close to five decades, the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) has been a witness to history, as well as to the personal stories of the generations of Filipinos, local and foreign dignitaries, and guests that have walked through its halls and venues. Listening to individuals that have witnessed the PICC’s evolution, one comes to...
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Macquarie to invest $1.2B in Asia’s largest floating solar plant in Laguna Lake
Singapore-based Macquarie Capital has committed to invest at least $1.2 billion in the Philippines to build a 1,300- megawatt (MW) floating solar plant on Laguna Lake, touted to be the biggest of its kind in Asia. The investment firm signed a letter of intent during the state visit of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in...