Shows
BusinessWorld B-SideTransforming business through digitalization and innovationDigital transformation is a long, complex process. It’s like a marriage: you have to find the right partner because there’s no easy way back once you start and, as you’ll hear, you have to make it work.
This sponsored B-Side episode, a collaboration between BusinessWorld and information technology company Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), features Ulysses Naguit, chief information officer of telco service provider Converge ICT Solutions and Rajat Garg, partner at TCS HOBS, the digital business platform of TCS, in conversation with Santiago J. Arnaiz, multimedia journalist, tech startup founder, and former digital platform editor...
2022-11-0621 min
BusinessWorld B-SideFederalism, parliamentarism, and regional autonomyIn this B-Side episode, former presidential candidate Norberto B. Gonzales talks to Businessworld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about charter change, federalism, and social democracy.
“Every region [must be able to] economically survive ... Let’s go with regional autonomy first, and then, later on, let the people decide if they want to become a state,” said Mr. Gonzales, a former defense secretary and national security adviser who co-founded and chairs the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas.
He also floated the idea of making the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) a federal state in order to withst...
2022-09-0419 min
BusinessWorld B-SideLet's talk about sex: rallying for reproductive healthTeenage pregnancy, abortion, birth control, and HIV/AIDs testing are topics considered taboo by Filipino society. For the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), providing better access to sexual and reproductive services is an uphill battle because the country is predominantly Catholic.
“Our conservatives, they bend towards pro-life policies, which are, most of the time, at odds with pro-choice advocacies,” said Mona S. Diones, FPOP Iloilo Chapter Manager. “The stigma and discrimination is still there. But advocacies like ours are getting louder.”
In this B-Side episode, Ms. Diones tells BusinessWorld reporter Luisa Maria Jacinta C. Jocso...
2022-03-0643 min
BusinessWorld B-SideQuaranTunes: the local music industry during the pandemicThe local music industry has had to say goodbye to significant gig spots that just couldn’t survive the pandemic, no matter how well-loved they were.
As the country prepares to ease restrictions, B-Side takes stock of what it’s been like for local and independent musicians to collaborate and perform in a socially distanced world.
“Collaborating online has taught us how to streamline our music creation process which we believe is a lesson we can take with us after the pandemic,” said Renzo R. Lumanog, vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the local alternative pop band Any...
2022-02-2739 min
BusinessWorld B-SideVotes for saleIn this B-Side episode, Froilan C. Calilung, a political science professor at the University of Santo Tomas, talks about the legalities and loopholes that have allowed vote buying to become part of the Philippine political system, with structures built by those with power and money.
“We could simply say that poverty is one of the contentious issues why we have vote buying, and why it is still very much prevalent in our society nowadays,” he tells BusinessWorld reporter Alyssa Nicole O. Tan. “Many Filipinos actually see election time as a frivolous event, more like a carnival of sorts...
2022-02-2014 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe lighter side of politicsIt’s campaign season and election fever is on the rise. Comedian Red Ollero has been interviewing political candidates of all stripes on his show Bago Matulog with Red Ollero, a casual conversation that’s more approachable than the debates aired on television. While platforms are still discussed, Mr. Ollero also grills his guests and gently roasts them.
In this B-Side episode, Mr. Ollero tells BusinessWorld reporter Joseph L. Garcia what he finds funny about politics. They talk about the role of entertainers and influencers in the elections and why it’s good to poke fun at yourse...
2022-02-1312 min
BusinessWorld B-SideStrengthening the healthcare system (Part 2)While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has dominated the headlines, other issues such as mental health concerns, tuberculosis, and cancer still need to be addressed.
“There are a lot of patients who are not able to get treatment because of COVID-19, and access to treatment is an issue,” said Dr. Erwin G. Benedicto, head of medical affairs at Johnson & Johnson Philippines.
In this B-Side episode, the second on strengthening the country’s health system, he tells BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsamana how the public and private sector can work together to provide better healthcare and protect...
2022-02-0611 min
BusinessWorld B-SideStrengthening the healthcare system (Part 1)The days of zero-COVID policies are long past, and learning to live with the coronavirus will require major adjustments to how things were done in the first year of the pandemic. “Coping with it, living with it, adjusting our policies and the way we live with the COVID threat (is) a matter of reducing risk,” said Dr. Regina P. Berba, head of infection control at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH).
In this B-Side episode — the first of two parts on the future of healthcare — Dr. Berba speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsamana about a wide range of topics...
2022-01-3014 min
BusinessWorld B-SideBroadband for a better futureDigital infrastructure may not be a campaign talking point but it will be important for the next administration and the Philippines’ post-pandemic future.
“Whether you’re talking about agriculture or housing, all these will ultimately be driven by a broadband connection,” said Mario R. Domingo, founder of deep learning solutions company Neural Mechanics, Inc. and director of the Ateneo Institute for the Digital Enterprise. “In no uncertain terms, I want to make it clear that a national broadband network is the project of the national government because the moment you privatize it, it becomes a profitability play.”
In this...
2022-01-2320 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePHL digital economy: $40 billion by 2025, despite OmicronThe Omicron surge doesn’t dampen expectations that the Philippine internet economy will hit $40 billion in terms of value by 2025.
“We don’t look at our estimates from an event point of view because we can’t forecast individual events like Omicron and who knows what’s going to happen next,” says Willy Chang, associate partner at Bain & Company. “It’s based on foundational views.
In this B-Side episode, Mr. Chang explains the e-Conomy SEA Report released in November 2021 by Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company to BusinessWorld reporter Revin Mikhael D. Ochave.
He identifies “pock...
2022-01-1617 min
BusinessWorld B-SideFintech and the pandemic: how COVID-19 is normalizing digital walletsIt’s 2022 and as we head into year three of this pandemic, Omicron, the latest coronavirus variant of concern, continues to surge.
Due to pandemic-related restrictions, digital wallets have become the primary mode of sending and receiving money.
Because of the large number of overseas Filipino workers, fintech or financial technology plays a key role in financial inclusion in the Philippines.
“You can see that the market is shifting towards digital receive methods,” said Earl Allan E. Melivo, country director of cross-border digital payments service WorldRemit. “We’re already seeing that as evidence of ... a mor...
2022-01-0214 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSpotting online fraud, stopping it in its tracksWith the holiday season in full swing, there’s going to be a lot of opportunity for online fraud during e-commerce transactions.
“Merchants are so focused on growing as quickly as possible, that they forget to put the right fraud tool,” said James L. Melon, country manager of fraud prevention services company Vesta. “The need is [only] realized when they get exposed from fraud attacks. Merchants make up for this by selling more volume, but it’s like pouring more water into a leaky bucket.”
In this B-Side episode, Mr. Melon tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol ab...
2021-12-1914 min
BusinessWorld B-SideLong COVID: the lingering symptoms of a medical chameleonA percentage of those who recover from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) still suffer from long COVID, a condition characterized by symptoms such as chronic fatigue, shortness of breath, and cognitive dysfunction.
Initiatives such as the global AFTERCOR study, a two-year research program on the long-term outcomes of COVID-19 ICU (intensive care unit) survivors, are gathering data from its partner institutions to gain a better understanding of the medical condition’s mechanism.
“What’s quite peculiar with COVID-19 is that it’s such a chameleon,” says Dr. Karin Wildi, an Australia-based ICU specialist and principal investigator of the AFTERCOR...
2021-12-1210 min
BusinessWorld B-SideMoney Talks: Graduating to investing from savingMoney Talks is a series on personal finance sponsored by Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank).
Money is on the mind of many people, particularly amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Debt is a top concern, with 70% of Filipinos citing it as a challenge in financial management, according to a recent study titled “State of Banking and Financial Wellness” by US-headquartered research firm Forrester commissioned by fintech company Backbase.
In this B-Side episode, Chorie R. Chan, vice president and head of the trust retail products division at Metrobank, explains how the pandemic changed how we think about...
2021-12-0527 min
BusinessWorld B-SideDesigning todayAt the beginning of the pandemic, the design community used digital fabrication laboratories to 3D-print face shields for emergency health workers. “The urgency to providing solutions created this kind of a design sprint to create new systems of logistics as well as new products that were not being done before,” said Maria Rita “Rhea” O. Matute, executive director of the Design Center of the Philippines (DCP).
Designers are now thinking about big problems like climate change and plastic pollution. “What we wanted them [designers] to really take into account is, our future is made by the actions that are don...
2021-11-2814 min
BusinessWorld B-SideMoney Talks: Know yourself, know your pathMoney Talks is a series on personal finance sponsored by Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank).
Before investing, neophytes should first know why they’re getting into it. “You have to take a step back before you dive into the investing world,” said Sharon W. Zulueta, vice president and division head of trust retail products at Metrobank. “You have to know yourself and know what type of investor you are.”
In this B-Side episode, she elaborates on how Metrobank guides first-time investors based on their purpose, their appetite for risk, their time horizon, and their hurdles.
She a...
2021-11-2115 min
BusinessWorld B-SideMoving to the cloud, towards sustainability and resiliencyThe pandemic has pushed businesses into investing in cloud software and services as evidenced by a study released early this year by Alibaba Cloud, which found that 74% of local businesses see hybrid cloud solutions as key to their disaster recovery and business continuity efforts.
In this B-Side episode, Shiju Varghese, president and country head of Tata Consultancy Services Philippines, explains what separates a successful cloud migration from a failed one.
“There’s a common mistake that enterprises make: that is wanting to take the journey with their existing skillset and existing team that are not poss...
2021-11-1428 min
BusinessWorld B-SideMoney Talks: Making your money work for youMoney Talks is a series on personal finance sponsored by Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank).
The pandemic has brought with it a newfound interest among Filipinos to participate in the stock market. Data from the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) showed that the average daily number of trades in 2020 soared by 33.7%, while retail participation surged by 47.8%. This follows an increase in online accounts by 19.7% to 936,000, while non-online accounts grew by 3.3% to 460,553.
In this B-Side episode, Ruben L. Zamora, Metrobank first vice president and head of the institutional investors coverage division, discusses with Santiago J. Arnaiz, BusinessWorld c...
2021-11-0724 min
BusinessWorld B-SideBarya lang po sa umaga: coins in a cash-lite societyWhy do we need coins, which can hardly buy anything, when experts say that digitalization is pushing us toward a cash-lite society?
In this B-Side episode, Eloisa T. Glindro, Director at the Currency Policy and Integrity Department of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, explains to BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy T. Noble the role of small change in our financial system and why we should stop hoarding coins.
“The journey towards a cash-lite society will be governed by broadening the payment choices available to Filipinos and that is by maintaining a healthy mix of safe and wi...
2021-10-3113 min
BusinessWorld B-SideTeamwork makes the dream work: a coach and his winning waysThrice-a-week Zoom meetings birthed Winning Still: Essays from the Philippine Sports Landscape during the Pandemic, an anthology of essays written by accomplished Filipino sports stakeholders and personalities.
In this B-Side episode, Ateneo de Davao University athletics director and Winning Still project coordinator Emmanuel Rene "Noli" S. Ayo tells BusinessWorld senior reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo the lessons he learned from wrangling a group of alpha individuals — including Olympic gold medalist and weightlifter Hidilyn F. Diaz — into achieving a "compelling common goal."
"We like gathering people but sometimes we operate in silos. We have to work togeth...
2021-10-2417 min
BusinessWorld B-SideA room with a whiteboard: the fate of the office in a post-pandemic worldHybrid working arrangements won't kill the traditional office, said Balder Tol, general manager for Australia and Southeast Asia of WeWork, a co-working spaces firm. "There is an absolute need for a physical space to inspire and engage employees and to drive collaboration as well," said Mr. Tol. "There is nothing more powerful than a meeting room and a whiteboard when you want to think about innovation."
To transform the office into a place that people want to go to, organizations should focus on design, health, and flexibility.
In this B-Side episode, Mr. Tol and BusinessWorld s...
2021-10-1715 min
BusinessWorld B-SideGoing bananas (and pineapples): the future of foodThe pandemic changed the way we eat, said Christian Wiegele, president of the Fresh Produce Group of Dole Sunshine Company.
In this B-Side episode, he tells BusinessWorld reporter Revin Mikhael D. Ochave about the future of food and how Dole is meeting the increased demand for fruits despite the logistical challenges caused by the pandemic.
Mr. Wiegele, who spent 18 years with Coca-Cola, also talks about moving to an industry where the product is highly dependent on the whims of the weather. "Agriculture is exposed to natural disasters... You need long-term thinking and the ability to adjust your commercial strategy depending o...
2021-10-1011 min
BusinessWorld B-SideOffline to online: winning the battle for brand loyalty in the digital spaceThe entire consumer journey now happens online, according to the third iteration of SYNC Southeast Asia, an annual report by Facebook and management consulting firm Bain & Company.
“Before, for example, you’d be walking in the mall and maybe you’d hit a makeup stand and you’d say ‘yeah, I like that’ and try it out,” said Facebook Philippines country director John Rubio. “What’s happened is a massive shift where that now happens online.”
In this B-Side episode, Mr. Rubio tells BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsamana how brands can build an offline-to-online strategy with the help of six Rs...
2021-10-0315 min
BusinessWorld B-SideMoney where your mouth is: the proposed national budget and the government's prioritiesDespite saying that the pandemic response is a priority, the executive department of the Duterte administration slashed the P50.4 billion allotted for healthcare workers’ allowances and other benefits from the proposed 2022 budget.
"It's so important for us to know exactly what the government wants to do — and what it really wants to do is reflected in the national budget. It's not really in the public statements that officials make day in and day out during their press conferences," said Zy-za Nadine Suzara, executive director of think tank Institute for Leadership, Empowerment, and Democracy (iLead).
In this...
2021-09-2620 min
BusinessWorld B-Side'Privacy by design': data protection and the upcoming electionsPersonal data can be misused and repurposed in the lead-up to the national elections next year. The National Privacy Commission earlier flagged an election-related survey website that was collecting excessive data.
Companies and government institutions should be accountable, compliant, and ethical in using personal data, in accordance with the Data Privacy Law.
“Practice privacy by design. We do that by taking full cognizance of the potential risks that processing involves, and try to mitigate and address these risks,” said National Privacy Commissioner Raymund E. Liboro, in a conversation on data privacy with BusinessWorld reporter Jenina P. Ib...
2021-09-1912 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe science of sound: using music in marketingYou are what you listen to. By analyzing the songs that are on heavy rotation on your playlist, music solutions agency Homonym can give brands a picture of who you are: from the shampoo that you use on your head to the shoes that you wear on your feet.
“To us, sonic branding, or the sound part of your branding, is very important because that’s the only way you can make [people] feel. ... Audio makes you feel,” said Mike L. Constantino, founder of Homonym.
In this B-Side episode, he explains to BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsa...
2021-09-1216 min
BusinessWorld B-SideBuilding resilience among childrenChildren are getting ready for another round of virtual classes as the Department of Education (DepEd) announced Sept. 13 as the opening date for School Year 2021–2022.
The mental health of children has been discussed by experts, who are worried about the long-term effects of lockdowns.
In this B-Side episode, Jean L. Goulbourn, founder of the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation (NGF Mindstrong), talks to BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about resilience among kids and Ang Katatagan, the foundation’s program with DepEd aimed at giving teachers the tools to help their students cope with the stress of remote learn...
2021-09-0512 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePublic health before political gamesCoronavirus cases are surging. Our nurses are not getting paid and hospitals are filling up. We’ve been locked down since the beginning of August. And our economy probably won’t recover until the end of 2022 or 2023.
In this episode of B-Side, Joey Francis Hernandez, treasurer of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians, speaks with BusinessWorld’s Russell Louis C. Ku about the Philippine pandemic response and holding our leaders accountable.
This episode was recorded remotely on Aug. 14. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.
2021-08-2919 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe Siracusa Principles and protecting the unvaccinated from discriminationWealthy countries have cornered the world’s vaccine supplies. As a result, the Philippines has, as of this writing, vaccinated only 10% to 12% of its population. To punish the unvaccinated by barring them from leaving their homes — when vaccine inequity has yet to be addressed — aggravates an already inequitable public health crisis.
In this B-Side episode, Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Jose Luis Martin “Chito” C. Gascon explains the Siracusa Principles — guidelines on the legitimacy, ethics, necessity, and proportionality of a state’s restrictions on human rights during an emergency — to BusinessWorld reporter Alyssa Nicole O. Tan. “We cannot create a tw...
2021-08-2216 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePersonal finance 101: where to put your money during the pandemicWhere should you put your money? NFTs (non-fungible tokens)? REITs (real estate investment trusts)? VUL (variable universal life insurance)? Mutual funds? Stocks?
In this episode of B-Side, Rex A. Mendoza, president and chief executive officer of Rampver Financials, a distributor of investment funds in the Philippines, shares financial advice and his picks for winning investment vehicles with BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol.
“A lot of people think that getting into a millionaire status means needing to earn more and save more. No. The real issue here is consistency,” he said. “It’s always a balancing act ... That’s why we recommend a...
2021-08-1518 min
BusinessWorld B-SideNon-fungible tokens (NFTs) 101: the creator economy and beyondNon-fungible tokens (NFTs) have applications beyond crypto art and blockchain games. They can also be used in business-to-business transactions such as licensing, supply chain management, and invoicing.
Marissa Trew, marketing manager of TZ APAC, a Singapore-based blockchain consultancy firm speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman about the potential for NFTs as a tool for conducting business, an investment instrument, or a revenue stream.
"NFTs have utility far beyond being a digital asset. There's a large enterprise use case that's being developed," said Ms. Trew. "There's a lot of actual B2B use cases th...
2021-08-0817 min
BusinessWorld B-SideOlympic dreams deferred: Mary Joy R. TabalFor every athlete whose Olympic dreams came true in Tokyo — like weightlifter Hidilyn F. Diaz and boxer Nesthy A. Petecio — there are so many others whose dreams were either dashed or delayed because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Tokyo 2020 was supposed to be part of the redemption arc of Mary Joy R. Tabal, who was looking to make up for Rio 2016, where she crossed the finish line well off her personal best. But canceled race after canceled race forced her to adjust her goals. She shares the lessons she learned with BusinessWorld senior reporter Michael Angelo S. M...
2021-08-0113 min
BusinessWorld B-SideOlympic dreams: Hidilyn F. DiazWeightlifter Hidilyn F. Diaz, 30, is one of 19 Filipinos competing in this year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo after the event was canceled last year amid a coronavirus pandemic. In this episode of B-Side, Ms. Diaz speaks with BusinessWorld senior reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo about going for gold, and training through a pandemic away from home, away from friends, and away from family.
By the time you listen to this, she might be a two-time Olympic medalist, giving the Philippines its first-ever gold medal, adding to the silver that she won in Rio 2016. But as of this rec...
2021-07-2507 min
BusinessWorld B-SideData protection while working from anywhereWith the Delta variant of the coronavirus spreading, remote work looks like it will continue throughout 2021. Data privacy and data protection are big concerns since hackers have become more aggressive, prompting stricter regulations around the world. "A lot of companies are still in infancy stages of implementing their data protection management programs. They still have to come up with a lot of policies, processes, and standard operating procedures to govern their management of personal information," said Edwin A. Concepcion, Straits Interactive country manager for the Philippines.
In this B-Side episode, Mr. Concepcion tells BusinessWorld reporter Bianca Angelica D...
2021-07-1812 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThree, two, one, blast off: the Philippines in spaceJeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Musk are in the news for competing with each other in a space tourism race. Like these billionaires, the Philippines also has ambitions of exploring the final frontier — but for much more practical reasons, such as detecting illegal mining activities and measuring environmental parameters like air quality and soil moisture.
The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA), an attached agency of the Office of the President, is in charge of handling national issues and activities related to space science and technology applications.
In this episode of B-Side, PhilSA Director General Joel Jose...
2021-07-1119 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePlay-to-earn: the rise of NFT gamingThe “play-to-earn” movement is an emerging phenomenon in gaming, wherein players collect rewards in the form of NFTs (non-fungible tokens) within a game and later convert them to real cash. Guilds have also cropped up to invest in in-game assets, loan these out to a player community, and educate others who may want to join in.
“We do not only serve players themselves but it could actually be those who think like investors, who would like to own these gaming assets,” said Beryl C. Li, co-founder of Yield Guild Games (YGG), which has more than 2,000 scholars all over the...
2021-07-0414 min
BusinessWorld B-SideTurning the page: Big Bad Wolf book fair goes digitalMore than 60,000 book titles will be available at steep discounts in the online edition of Big Bad Wolf, a book fair that has, in the past, attracted half a million visitors over a single run.
In this episode of B-Side, Big Bad Wolf (BBW) founders Jacqueline Ng and Andrew Yap tell BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how two years of planning went out the window because of the pandemic.
The rising cost of logistics will leave a mark on the book industry, they said, and traditional booksellers will have to go beyond the printed page an...
2021-06-2717 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSweet dreams, Philippines: how to deal with 'coronasomnia' and sleep better at nightThe Philippines isn't sleeping well. The anxiety-inducing pandemic has done no favors to a country that has a robust business process outsourcing industry that operates in a different time zone. "We have a lot of shift workers that usually go against their internal clock," said Dr. Jimmy V. Chang, head of the Comprehensive Sleep Disorders Center of St. Luke’s Medical Center, Quezon City, and chair of the Philippine Academy of Sleep Surgery. In this B-Side episode, Dr. Chang speaks to BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about "coronasomnia," sleep issues and their corresponding remedies, as well as the restorative na...
2021-06-2017 min
BusinessWorld B-SideHelping SMEs survive and thrive through digital tools: an APEC perspectiveMicro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) — which are among the most vulnerable to economic disruptions brought about by the pandemic — have had to accept digitalization or lose business entirely.
"There are a lot of benefits for MSMEs to adopt digital solutions, including increasing productivity, reducing costs, and improving profit margins," said Dr. Denis Hew, director of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Policy Support Unit, in a fireside chat that was part of the special edition of the BusinessWorld Virtual Economic Forum, a two-day event held on May 26 and May 27 tackling the digital economy and its role in the c...
2021-06-1312 min
BusinessWorld B-SideCreativity and COVID-19Recreate, a new TV show hosted by UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Daphne Oseña-Paez, documents the ways artists, local businesses, and cultural institutions are persevering despite the pandemic.
"There's a lot of innovation in technology, there's a lot of new businesses coming out … but it's still a creative thought process that is driving all of these changes," said Ms. Oseña-Paez. "People have the power to dig deep into themselves and use expression as a way to move forward." In this B-Side episode she talks to BusinessWorld reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman about the creative process and the impor...
2021-06-0614 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePinoy Pride — diversity and inclusion in the PhilippinesThe Philippines, often hailed as one the most gender-equal countries in the world, placed 17th out of 156 countries in the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2021. In the Asia-Pacific region, the Philippines came in second only to New Zealand, which ranked fourth globally.
The report doesn't paint the whole picture, said Nathalie Africa-Verceles, director of the Center for Women and Gender Studies at the University of the Philippines. "There are still many laws that need to be enacted and still many provisions of existing laws that need to be revised because there are provisions in existing l...
2021-05-3017 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe pandemic and Philippine debtThe Philippine government went on a borrowing spree to support its pandemic response and make up for the plummeting revenues at the height of the coronavirus crisis. For 2020 alone, its gross borrowings — which does not include all the payments made during the period — hit P2.74 trillion, matching the P2.757 trillion debt incurred from 2017 to 2019.
In this B-Side episode, Alvin P. Ang, a professor at the economics department of the Ateneo de Manila University, speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Beatrice M. Laforga about the government’s rising debt and its impact on the economy.
"I think the next gov...
2021-05-2315 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePharma, agri, and defense: investing in the PhilippinesInvestment pledges approved by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) dropped by nearly a fifth last year after lockdown restrictions dented investor confidence.
In this B-Side episode, PEZA Director General Charito B. Plaza tells BusinessWorld reporter Jenina P. Ibañez how the investment promotion agency is planning a comeback over the next few years. PEZA is eyeing pharmaceutical companies, agro-industrial firms, and manufacturers of military equipment.
Recorded remotely on May 4. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.
2021-05-1615 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe private sector's role in public healthCompanies might be spending on the wrong things when it comes to employee health. "We found that businesses were losing P100 billion annually due to poor employee health. That's in spite of companies already spending roughly P150 billion taking care of their employees," said Santiago J. Arnaiz, co-founder and chief operating officer of Project Fort, a health data consultancy.
In this B-Side episode, Mr. Arnaiz (formerly of BusinessWorld) and Project Fort co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Erika M. Modina tell BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how the private sector can contribute to public health with the help...
2021-05-0923 min
BusinessWorld B-SideArt Fair Philippines: out of the car park and into the world of NFTsArt Fair Philippines is moving out of The Link car park in Makati City for its 2021 edition: it's going online and entering the world of crypto art and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
An NFT is a digital asset (a drawing, an image, a meme, an animated GIF, a video, even a tweet) and it uses the blockchain, the same technology behind bitcoin, to keep track of who owns the file. In March, a digital collage by an artist named Beeple fetched almost $70 million at a Christie's auction, making the JPG file the most expensive NFT thus far.
2021-05-0224 min
BusinessWorld B-SideIntentional communication, career progressionAlorica, a provider of customer management outsourcing solutions, has a young workforce: 30% are from Gen Z, and around 61% are millennials. "Freedom of thought is very important for them," said Irene L. Tan, vice-president for learning and development at Alorica Philippines, Inc., who added that the company has benefited from the "brilliant ideas" originating from these generational cohorts. In this episode of B-Side, she tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how intentional communication and creating a culture of care are keys to retaining young talent when most of them are working from home because of the pandemic.
This...
2021-04-2519 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSaving and craving tawilis: the economics of conservationThe endemic tawilis—loved as deep fried, salted, smoked, or bottled in oil—is facing the possibility of extinction. The scientific community hatched an emergency plan to save the freshwater sardine to protect the livelihood of fishermen and to ensure that future generations will get to savor the fish.
In this B-Side episode, Dr. Ma. Vivian DC. Camacho, station manager of the University of the Philippines–Los Banos (UPLB) Limnological Station, discusses the tawilis and the economics of conservation with BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy T. Noble.
Recorded remotely on April 8. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam...
2021-04-1812 min
BusinessWorld B-SideREITs 101: Understanding real estate investment trustsReal estate investment trusts (REITs) have been called democratizers of wealth, allowing small investors to invest in big real estate projects.
The Philippines has two REIT listings on the market, with the second listing holding the record for the most number of small investors. Officials from the exchange have expressed hope that more real estate developers will consider offering REITs.
In this B-Side episode, Christopher John J. Mangun, research head of AAA Southeast Equities, Inc., introduces BusinessWorld reporter Keren Concepcion G. Valmonte to REITs and their advantages.
This B-Side was recorded remotely on M...
2021-04-1113 min
BusinessWorld B-SideA digital economy for everyone, everywhereEconomic growth can and should be inclusive, and the way to get there is to connect small businesses and individuals with the networks that drive the modern economy. In this B-Side episode, Alison L. Eskesen, vice-president at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how helping people gain access to these essential networks "can set in motion a virtuous cycle of equitable growth and sustained poverty reduction."
Recorded remotely on March 18. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L. Marcelo.
2021-04-0420 min
BusinessWorld B-Side'Life after live': PETA Theater and the drama of going digitalLive theater is a collective experience: the audience is as much a part of the performance as the actors on stage. "Social distancing is the antithesis of what we do," said Maribel A. Legarda, artistic director of the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), which has been closed since March 2020. In this episode of B-Side, Ms. Legarda and Leloi T. Arcete, PETA head of public relations, tell BusinessWorld reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman, how theater is surviving by migrating digitally and what "life after live" looks like.
Recorded remotely on March 5. Produced by Paolo L. Lopez and Sam L...
2021-03-2820 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSlow fashion and social enterpriseNot a Daydream, a women-led social enterprise, creates bags made out of native fabric. More important, it gives women in vulnerable communities in Tondo, Manila, a sustainable means of earning a living. In this episode of B-Side, BusinessWorld reporter Joseph L. Garcia speaks with Martine de Leeuw, co-owner of Not a Daydream, about running a social enterprise during the pandemic and the impact of female labor force participation on development. "Our daily business is driven by our mission, which is 'empowered women empower women.'" said Ms. de Leeuw. "If you learn a skill, you can work on it. A...
2021-03-2115 min
BusinessWorld B-SideHow to talk to anti-vaxxers and the 'vaccine-hesitant'Vaccine hesitancy threatens the rollout of coronavirus vaccines in the Philippines. In a Pulse Asia survey released in January, 47% of the 2,400 Filipinos polled said they were not willing to be vaccinated while 21% were undecided. BusinessWorld reporter Vann Marlo M. Villegas spoke with Dr. Lulu C. Bravo, executive director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, about addressing vaccine hesitancy.
2021-03-1411 min
BusinessWorld B-SideASEAN's 'troubled little sibling' and the fragility of democracyMyanmar is in the middle of a bloody coup, where, as of this episode's recording, at least 50 people have been killed since it began in February. Pro-democracy activists are taking to the streets, protesting the military’s attempt to reverse the victory of Aung San Suu Kyi and the National League of Democracy.
In this episode of B-Side, Atty. Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco, a senior research fellow at the Ateneo Policy Center, speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza talks about the fragility of democracy and draws parallels between the mass demonstrations in Myanmar and the 1986 Peo...
2021-03-0724 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePreventing professional isolation: how the outsourcing industry is dealing with a divided workforceThe outsourcing industry was one of the few sectors that continued to operate throughout the entirety of the lockdown designed to contain coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Much of the industry moved their operations to work from home, creating new challenges when it comes to mental health. Professional isolation is the bane of telecommuters, while those who have to show up on-site—to address cybersecurity needs that aren’t supported by home-based work—have to deal with the anxiety of possibly getting infected with the COVID-19 virus.
Mirei G. Magallona, country vice-president of Telus International Philippines, tells Busine...
2021-02-2812 min
BusinessWorld B-SideNo vaccine, will travel?The tourism and hospitality industry is focusing on the domestic market since pandemic-related restrictions have hamstrung international travel. While the Philippines waits for vaccines, hotel operators—and other stakeholders—are finding ways to assure people that it's safe to venture out. "We're still hopeful that we can rely on local travel but it will take time. We need to get people back on their feet," Cinty R. Yniguez, director of sales and marketing at Seda Vertis North, tells former BusinessWorld senior reporter Zsarlene B. Chua. "A lot of destinations have been successful at reeling in travelers and [helping them] surp...
2021-02-2112 min
BusinessWorld B-SideGood design is good for businessThe pandemic is changing the way we design our world and the way we move around in it.
"If you're creating a journey from home to destination, then obviously everything you touch and interact with is design," said Paul D. Priestman, founder and chair of PriestmanGoode, a design consultancy out of the United Kingdom that counts Airbus SE, Hong Kong's Mass Transit Railway, and Transport for London as its clients.
"Good design is not an add-on but a crucial part of what makes a business successful," he tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol. "When used e...
2021-02-1413 min
BusinessWorld B-SideGameStop, short selling, and social mediaBecause of GameStop Corp.'s wild roller coaster ride on the New York Stock Exchange, people have been talking about retail investing and how social media is changing the game.
The video game retailer's stock price hit a high of $483 in what has been framed as a battle between "the little guys" of Reddit against the suits of Wall Street who had heavily shorted GameStop shares.
"Whatever it is you are doing, you have to know the rules of the game—how it should really be done," said Edward K. Lee, chairman and founder of COL...
2021-02-0720 min
BusinessWorld B-SideHow thinking small can lead to something bigCarvey Ehren R. Maigue, an electrical engineering student at Mapua University, invented a plastic-like material that makes renewable energy from rotting fruits and vegetables. His invention won the first James Dyson Award for Sustainability in 2020, beating a record 1,800 entries from around the world. And now he’s fielding inquiries from electric car manufacturers who are interested in his technology. Mr. Maigue’s story is about persistence. He first joined the James Dyson Award in 2018 and didn’t even make it past the national level. In this episode B-Side, he talks to BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about his company, AuREUS...
2021-01-3113 min
BusinessWorld B-SideCharter change, explainedCharter change (cha-cha) is once again alive in Congress. Although business groups support the initiative to liberalize the economy, they say that amending the Constitution 15 months before the national elections will only be “divisive.”
Lawmakers, they added, should instead focus on passing pending measures reforming the country’s existing economic policies while the country is in the middle of a pandemic.
In this episode of B-Side, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr.,—chairman of the committee on constitutional amendments—speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza about the resolution filed by House Speaker Lo...
2021-01-2417 min
BusinessWorld B-SideHow female founders can get the funding they needOnly 3% of invested dollars went to female-only founders in 2019. That percentage hasn’t changed since 2010, according to a Crunchbase report on gender disparity in startup funding.
In 2010, female-only founded companies raised a billion dollars; their male-only counterparts raised $31 billion. In 2019, female-only founded companies raised $6 billion dollars; their male counterparts, $195 billion.
In this episode of B-Side, Nicole Denholder, founder and CEO of Next Chapter Raise, tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol why gender disparity in funding exists and what women entrepreneurs—and the business community at large—can do about it.
Next Chapter Raise is a f...
2021-01-1717 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe sports industry: down but not outEverybody loves a comeback story, where the underdog—beaten and bruised—wins it all despite the odds. The sports industry has to recover from a year that saw tournaments canceled and stadiums silent and empty. In this B-Side episode, Rely San Agustin, a sports marketing professional who has been in the industry for more than 20 years, tells BusinessWorld reporter Michael Angelo S. Murillo how sports stakeholders are dealing with the harsh reality that getting fans back into the stands will take time. “A bubble setup makes sense,” said Mr. San Agustin. “Seclusion is needed. You really have to control movement i...
2021-01-1016 min
BusinessWorld B-SideBang for your buck: how businesses can change the world a dollar at a timeJeremy Meltzer, founder of cause marketing platform i=Change, tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how brands and consumers can make a difference, a dollar a time.
"Cause marketing" is a term coined in 1983 by American Express to describe its campaign to raise money for the restoration of the Statue of Liberty. American Express donated one cent toward restoring the statue every time someone used its charge card. As a result, the Restoration Fund raised over $1.7 million.
Businesses on i=Change give back a dollar to a specific cause with every sale they make. "Customers...
2020-12-2724 min
BusinessWorld B-SideShipping news: lessons from UPSThe disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic to global supply chains were unexpected.
“This has really been one of the most challenging times … in all walks of life,” said Chris Buono, managing director of UPS Philippines, who has been in the industry for 18 years.
UPS is one of several logistics groups tasked with delivering billions of coronavirus vaccine doses to the world. On top of that, it’s the holiday season and packages have to be delivered.
For the logistics industry, the new normal means operating in a peak-like environment for the entire year.
...
2020-12-2013 min
BusinessWorld B-SideWeathering the storm: how to protect the farming sector from typhoonsTyphoon season isn’t over. Before 2020 finally says goodbye, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) says that two to three more storms could make landfall and wreak havoc on a country that’s already been battered by storm after storm after storm.
According to the latest damage estimate from the Department of Agriculture (DA), the farming sector incurred losses worth P6.72 billion from Typhoon Ulysses alone.
Raul Q. Montemayor, national manager of the Federation of Free Farmers, talks about the impact of these natural calamities on Filipino farmers and how to protect them...
2020-12-0632 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe future of consumption (a fireside chat from the BusinessWorld Virtual Economic Forum)On November 25 and 26, BusinessWorld held a two-day virtual economic forum with the forward-looking theme “Forecast 2021: ReBoot. ReThink. ReShape.”
The event gathered over 40 local and international speakers who discussed the great economic reset as well as the future in a post-COVID era.
B-Side is sharing excerpts from the forum, beginning with this fireside chat between Satish Shankar, regional managing partner for Bain and Company, Asia-Pacific, and Sam L. Marcelo, BusinessWorld multimedia editor.
Over the course of this public health crisis, we’ve witnessed changes in consumption, specifically further shifts to essential goods and digital service...
2020-11-2917 min
BusinessWorld B-SideIf it's too good to be true, it probably is: debunking fake factsFake COVID-19 cures and preventive measures are proliferating online, in chat groups and social media. Bananas, saltwater, and onions have all made the rounds as coronavirus remedies (which they aren't).
As the world waits for an effective vaccine against the virus, netizens may fall prey to these fake stories and forward them.
Fortunately, there are groups stepping up in the fight against these untruths. One of these is FlipScience, a Filipino science news and features website that has made headway in contributing to the "COVID-19 fake fact debunking" movement in the country.
FlipScience...
2020-11-2213 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSelling it: lessons in cross-border e-commerceAnchanto, a Singapore-based automation and logistics platform, projects that cross-border e-commerce in the Asia-Pacific region will grow to US$ 1.5 trillion by 2023. The Southeast Asian market—which has the highest number of young people with Internet access—is expected to account for 40% of this trajectory.
Vaibhav Dabhade, founder and CEO of Anchanto, tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how local micro, small, and medium enterprises or (MSMEs) can compete against established brands in the online marketplace.
“You are one product out of millions,” Mr. Dabhade said. “Unless and until you optimize your catalog, unless and until you create...
2020-11-1529 min
BusinessWorld B-SideAre you okay? Treating the workforce as human beings, not just human resourcesThe eight-month lockdown, one of the longest in the world, has kept much of the country’s workforce at home. Separation from colleagues, coupled with fears of the virus, has raised the level of anxiety among the working population.
Nikki Vergara, co-founder and chief well-being officer of Positive Workplaces, a training and consultancy organization, tells BusinessWorld reporter Jenina P. Ibañez what individuals and companies can do to promote psychological well-being in the workplace (whether that means the office or the home).
Recorded remotely on October 22. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L...
2020-11-0817 min
BusinessWorld B-SideDuterte's 'dual-track approach' to China, and why it won't workIt is a mistake for the Duterte administration to think that it can separate its sea dispute with China from issues like trade, investment, and official development assistance, said International Studies Professor Renato Cruz De Castro, a trustee and convenor of the National Security and East Asian Affairs Program of the Stratbase ADR Institute.
After delivering his most forceful defense of the 2016 ruling on the South China Sea at the United Nations General Assembly in September, President Rodrigo R. Duterte reiterated in October that the Philippines wants to strike a government-to-government deal with China for COVID-19 vaccines.
2020-11-0119 min
BusinessWorld B-SideBend, don’t break: business lessons from bambooThe COVID-19 pandemic wiped out 80% of the revenue of Bambike, a socio-ecological enterprise that handcrafts bamboo bicycles. Prior to the lockdowns, Bambike was renting out thousands of bikes a month for its ecobike tours, which won the company a Tripadvisor award in March. Bambike founder Bryan Benitez McClelland tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia Mirasol how the company is bouncing back. "Be resilient like the bamboo," he said.
Recorded remotely on October 1. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-10-2522 min
BusinessWorld B-SideAt home yet unsafe: lockdowns are worsening online sexual exploitation of childrenOnline sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) is a crime that often happens at home, at the hands of family, the very people who are trusted the most by the victims of this horrible crime. Cases have increased because of the lockdowns. Reynaldo Bicol of the International Justice Mission tells BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy T. Noble why the Philippines is a global hotspot for this crime, how the pandemic is making it worse, and what we can do about it.
Recorded remotely on October 2. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-10-1820 min
BusinessWorld B-SideResparking your business: tips from seven entrepeneursPatrick "Patch" Dulay, co-founder of local crowdfunding platform The Spark Project, is turning a series of webinars into a book titled Respark, which collects tips on restarting a business amid uncertain times.
Mr. Dulay gives BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol a summary of the lessons he's learned from seven entrepreneurs: ECHOstore founder Pacita "Chit" Juan, life coach Kitty Ferreria, SM Supermalls vice-president of strategy and development Gino Borromeo, ATBP Co. partners Pinky Poe and Vini Salonga, Limitless Lab Chief Executive Officer Joie Cruz, and Shirt.ly co-founder James Fernando.
Recorded remotely on September 25. Produced by Nin...
2020-10-1114 min
BusinessWorld B-SideLove in the time of corona(virus): pandemic bridesThe COVID-19 pandemic has stripped away a lot of what we expect from weddings: the pageantry, the ceremony, the large number of guests. Bridal designer Patricia "Patty" Pascual talks about love in the time of corona.
There are two kinds of brides, she said: the practical ones who get married via Zoom and take advantage of all the discounts offered by suppliers; and the optimistic ones, who believe in their hearts that they’ll have the wedding of their dreams in 2021.
In this episode, Ms. Pascual gives BusinessWorld reporter Joseph L. Garcia tips on how to ce...
2020-10-0413 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe Seven Commandments for public transportFormer Health Secretary Manuel M. Dayrit explains to BusinessWorld reporter Vann M. Villegas how the Department of Transportation (DOTr) came up with the Seven Commandments for public transportation and how these health measures are supposed to work together to make up for reducing the one-meter-apart rule.
DOTr suspended reduced physical distancing after President Rodrigo R. Duterte, on September 19, decided to stick to conventional wisdom, which says that people need to keep a distance of at least one meter from each other to limit the potential spread of coronavirus.
Recorded remotely on September 18. Produced by Nina M...
2020-09-2716 min
BusinessWorld B-SideWarehousing and logistics: a bright spot in an otherwise battered economyThanks to e-commerce and changing consumer habits, the logistics and warehousing sector expects to grow by 8% in the next three years. This is a bright spot in an otherwise battered economy that dropped by 16.5% in the second quarter.
Sheila G. Lobien, CEO of property consultancy firm Lobien Realty Group, speaks with BusinessWorld reporter Denise A. Valdez about the real estate industry, and its prospects for logistics and warehousing. They talk about the impact of new consumer patterns on the future of the industry, and how the Philippines compares with the rest of Southeast Asia—8% growth is good, bu...
2020-09-2027 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe 'new poor' created by the COVID-19 pandemicA million-and-a-half Filipinos could fall into poverty because of the pandemic, according to a discussion paper titled "Poverty, the Middle Class, and Income Distribution amid COVID-19," co-authored by Dr. Jose Ramon Albert, a senior research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.
In this study, a million-and-a-half Filipinos creating a new kind of poor is neither the best- nor worst-case scenario. It’s midway, where income declines by 10%.
Mr. Albert explains the simulations and scenarios he and his co-authors ran to arrive at their numbers. He tells BusinessWorld reporter Beatrice Laforga that the government’s emer...
2020-09-1312 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe government has failed us — studentsThe Duterte administration deserves a failing grade for its preparations for the upcoming academic year, says student leader Raoul Manuel. In this episode, Mr. Manuel, president of the National Union of Students of the Philippines, lists the union’s primary demands for the safe reopening of classes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. “Naging insensitive at para bang nagde-daydream ang ating gobyerno — pinagpipilitan niya through its press conference at iba-ibang mga briefings na siya ay handa. Hindi niya nire-represent ang hinaing at pangamba ng mga guro at mga estudyante at kanilang mga magulang sa pagsisimula ng school year,” Mr. Manuel tells Business...
2020-09-0622 min
BusinessWorld B-SideBiking the cityWhen public transportation was suspended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, people turned to biking as a means of getting from one place to another.
Thousands of bikes were donated to frontliners and essential workers who initially were walking to work. This June, bike lanes popped up along EDSA, the busiest highway in Metro Manila.
Bike commuters like Karen Sison hope that this is the beginning of a bike revolution. Ms. Sison is a member of Cycling Matters, a group that describes itself as “a happy collective of cyclists who have gotten tired of ju...
2020-08-3013 min
BusinessWorld B-SideChina: Duterte's Achilles' heelPolitical analyst Dr. Robin Michael Garcia talks about the issues affecting Philippine attitudes toward China, among them the coronavirus pandemic and the increasing tension in the West Philippine Sea.
Because of this maritime dispute, the Duterte administration suspended the termination of the country’s visiting forces agreement with the United States. On top of this, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the Philippine claim to disputed waters was “non-negotiable.”
The Philippine claim was rejected by China, but was reaffirmed by the United States when US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo declared most of China’s claims...
2020-08-0919 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe university of the future: Philippine tertiary education amid the pandemicThe academic year is about to start. Universities and colleges are shifting to remote learning as physical classrooms all across the world have shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During his address, President Rodrigo R. Duterte said that face-to-face classes would be allowed only when a vaccine becomes available. We don’t really know when that is.
Raymundo D. Rovillos, chancellor of the University of the Philippines (UP) Baguio, tells BusinessWorld reporter Revin Mikhail Ochave how the UP System is playing catch-up with the likes of Mapua Institute of Technology and Far Eastern University—schoo...
2020-08-0239 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSaving the Philippine startup ecosystemAccording to James Lette, executive director of Manila Angel Investors Network, much of the Philippine startup ecosystem is close to the point of bankruptcy or closure.
"A collapse in consumer demand, an inability to provide services during the Extended Community Quarantine period, and soaring corporate late payment rates as cash flows tighten have significantly affected startup revenues and compressed their runways. A generation of Filipino startups could be wiped out without further specialized liquidity support," he wrote in a column for SparkUp, BusinessWorld’s news and knowledge-sharing hub for Philippine startups.
In this episode of B-Si...
2020-07-1918 min
BusinessWorld B-SideHitting the gym: how the local fitness industry is dealing with the coronavirusThe local fitness industry was booming before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with international chains and small fitness studios popping up to satisfy the demand for health and wellness.
When the country was placed under lockdown to contain the pandemic, the industry — which relies on foot traffic — ground to a halt.
In this episode, Gab Pangalangan, marketing manager of UFC Gym Philippines, fitness coach and founder of combat sports website Dojo Drifter, talks to BusinessWorld sports reporter Mike Murillo about the impact COVID-19 has had on the industry, how gyms are dealing with it, and what lies ah...
2020-07-1216 min
BusinessWorld B-SideFlying blind: making the case for a surveillance and monitoring systemWithout a sentinel surveillance system, tech entrepreneurs Paul Rivera and Danny Castonguay believe that the country is flying blind when it comes to the coronavirus outbreak. "We're just guessing. And guessing is a dangerous game when people's lives are at stake," said Mr. Castonguay.
Those who are tasked with protecting us need reliable numbers and a way to process those numbers in order to identify trends and get ahead of the virus. According to the World Health Organization, a sentinel surveillance system is used when high-quality data are needed about a particular disease. It can be used...
2020-07-0527 min
BusinessWorld B-SidePrivate equity in light of the pandemicBain & Company, a management consulting firm based in the United States, said that the Philippines might benefit in global efforts to diversify supply chains and focus on business process outsourcing to cope with the economic decline brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year was a challenging year for private equity firms in Southeast Asia, with deal value slipping to $12 billion from $14 billion a year ago. Alessandro Cannarsi, a partner at Bain, said the pandemic may turn the tide in favor of countries like the Philippines.
In this episode, Mr. Cannarsi speaks with BusinessWorld reporter...
2020-06-2812 min
BusinessWorld B-SideArtificial intelligence: the key to a thriving post-pandemic economyArtificial intelligence (AI) may be the key to helping the Philippine economy get back on its feet. Without sufficient technology and automation in place, high-touch human operations are paralyzed. As the world recovers, it will require a re-imagination of human and business processes to future-proof against the next crisis.
In this episode, BusinessWorld reporter Jenina Ibanez speaks with Dong Shou, co-founder and chief operating officer of ADVANCE.AI, an artificial intelligence and big-data company headquartered in Singapore.
They talk about optical character recognition (OCR), facial recognition, natural language processing, along with big data analysis, and h...
2020-06-2114 min
BusinessWorld B-SideRemote medical imaging and COVID-19 detectionHealth experts are still learning how the coronavirus attacks the human body. What they do know is that COVID-19 is a serious infectious disease that hits multiple organs, most commonly the lungs — which are called “ground zero” of the disease. From there, the virus can spread to a patient's heart, kidneys, and brain.
In areas of the world where there is a lack of adequate access to testing, imaging techniques — such as a chest X-ray — can help in diagnosing the disease.
Lifetrack Medical Systems, a health-tech startup that replaces legacy software and allows radiologists to remotely v...
2020-06-1412 min
BusinessWorld B-SideLack of preparation threatens Philippine agriculture sectorCOVID-19 has exposed how fragile the agriculture sector is. Local farmers are among the hardest hit by the pandemic and the protracted crisis is putting a strain on the country's food supply chains. Magsasaka Party-List Representative Argel Joseph T. Cabatbat and BusinessWorld reporter Genshen L. Espedido talk about the consequences of the delays in modernizing our rice farms and why we should aim for food sovereignty in the long-term.
Recorded remotely on April 28. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-06-0731 min
BusinessWorld B-SideNavigating the ‘next normal,’ according to McKinsey and CompanyAfter two months in lockdown, Philippine cities are slowly opening up to a new reality,
Management consulting firm McKinsey and Company recently released a report titled “Beyond coronavirus: The path to the next normal” that defined this “new reality,” this “next normal” as a time when “we will witness a dramatic restructuring of the economic and social order in which business and society have traditionally operated.”
In this episode, Kristine Romano, managing partner of McKinsey Philippines elaborates on this report and applies it to the Philippine context. She tells BusinessWorld reporter Jenina Ibanez how the country’s business...
2020-05-2426 min
BusinessWorld B-SideBanking during COVID-19: the Philippine financial inclusion storyAccording to 2017 data from the World Bank, only 34% of Filipinos have bank accounts. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas wants to bring this figure up to 70% by 2023. Because of the pandemic and the resulting lockdown, the need for financial inclusion and access to banking services has become more urgent.
BusinessWorld reporter Luz Wendy Noble speaks with Pia Roman Tayag, managing director of the Center for Learning and Inclusion Advocacy of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. They talk about initiatives to bring more Filipinos into the formal financial system, how the enhanced community quarantine has driven consumer behavior—causing a s...
2020-05-1722 min
BusinessWorld B-SideInvesting 101: coronavirus and the Philippine stock marketThe Philippine stock market is trying to recover from its worst drop in eight years. Due to COVID-19, the outlook of the economy is dim and the future is uncertain. According to Philstocks Financial senior research analyst Japhet Tantiangco, there is a silver lining to this volatile situation. In this episode, Mr. Tantiangco takes BusinessWorld reporter Denise A. Valdez through the basics of the stock market and explains how the right strategy will reward neophyte investors who can stomach risk.
Recorded remotely on April 20. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
...
2020-05-0318 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSurviving COVID-19The symptoms of COVID-19 differ from patient to patient. Some people get sicker than others. Some die. Some live. PH 377 lived.
PH 377, who spoke to BusinessWorld reporter Vann Villegas on the condition of anonymity, shares his brush with death and the epiphany he had while confined in the hospital.
This episode was recorded remotely on April 17, more than two weeks after PH 377 tested negative for COVID-19 and was able to return home to his family. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-04-2623 min
BusinessWorld B-SideData privacy during a pandemicThe work-from-home era has begun. Straits Interactive Philippines Country Manager Edwin A. Concepcion tells BusinessWorld reporter Arjay L. Balinbin how an increase in telecommuting entails an even greater need to adhere to data protection regulations.
In this episode, Mr. Concepcion sheds light on emerging data privacy challenges in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and how innovators can potentially use big data to help the government tackle the crisis. To learn more about Straits Interactive and how the company delivers end-to-end data protection and governance as-a-service, visit straitsinteractive.com.
This episode was recorded remotely on A...
2020-04-1916 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSanity through a screenMental health is this generation's battle—even more so now, while the country is on lockdown, and people are either self-isolating or self-quarantining as the world tries to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Awareness of mental health issues has reduced the stigma of seeking help and treatment. However, it is still an issue that a hundred-odd million Filipinos have only 600 psychiatrists in the country to meet their needs.
The good news is that technology is making mental health treatment more accessible and acceptable.
In this episode, BusinessWorld's Joseph L. Garcia talks to Mindcare Club’...
2020-04-0522 min
BusinessWorld B-SideManila, ManilaWhile Luzon is on lockdown, let WanderManila head tour guide Benjamin Canapi tell you about his love affair with the City of Manila. This historical city has been a venue for international trade for 400 years. It bore witness to Spanish colonial rule, the Japanese regime, and the Second World War.
Mr. "B. Canapi," who has done walking tours since 2012, chats with Arts and Leisure reporter Michelle Anne P. Soliman about the city's history beyond classroom lectures and history books. He also remembers the late Intramuros tour guide, activist, performance artist Carlos Celdran; and considers the future of w...
2020-03-2825 min
BusinessWorld B-SideManufacturing and inclusive growthRecorded before Luzon was locked down, this episode picks apart data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority. BusinessWorld Research Head Leo Uy and economist Dr. Raul Fabella talk about the Monthly Integrated Survey of Selected Industries, the Labor Force Survey, and the importance of the manufacturing sector to the country’s long-term growth.
They also talk about the possible effects of COVID-19 on the labor situation and whether the country can return to the “new normal” — defined by faster growth in the manufacturing sector than in the service sector, and 6.5% GDP growth — despite the bleak and volatile situation.
2020-03-2228 min
BusinessWorld B-SideSurprise! The importance of unannounced visits in investigating price-fixing cartelsThe Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) is ready to investigate price-fixing cartels and anti-competitive behavior by inspecting company premises uninvited. Now, they want to take on these surprise visits without the required court order. PCC’s Orlando P. Polinar tells BusinessWorld reporter Jenina Ibañez about the importance of surprising companies, and defends the commission’s access to private documents.
Recorded on February 21 at the PCC office in Quezon City. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-03-1535 min
BusinessWorld B-SideThe Philippines and ChinaHas the Philippines played its cards well with China halfway into the administration of President Rodrigo R. Duterte? What's to be done in his remaining two-and-a-half years? Editor-in-chief Wilfredo G. Reyes chats with CNN's former Beijing bureau chief, Jaime A. FlorCruz, who witnessed China's dramatic changes since the closing years of Mao's tumultuous Cultural Revolution.
Recorded on February 13 at the BusinessWorld Studio in Quezon City. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-02-2629 min
BusinessWorld B-SideArt fair affairsThe emergence of the art fair as a validating institution and its effects on art-making deserve a conversation beyond how much was sold and how many people went. Artist Lyra Garcellano, whose practice spans about 20 years, remembers a time when artists had to eke out their own spaces. The “exhibition economy,” as she calls it, looked different: there were no art fairs and galleries paid scant attention to fresh graduates, favoring established masters instead.
Contemporary art in the Philippines wasn’t the sexy thing that it is today. The art fair as a prevailing form of distribution, circula...
2020-02-1840 min
BusinessWorld B-Side#NowhereToGoButUPHow a hashtag became a movement. BusinessWorld sports reporter and columnist Mike Murillo talks to Mandy Reyes of #NowhereToGoButUP. Recorded on February 7 in the BusinessWorld Studio in Quezon City. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-02-1322 min
BusinessWorld B-SideGDP growth falls to eight-year low in 2019BusinessWorld Editor-in-Chief Willy G. Reyes and Research Head Leo Uy on how and why the Philippines missed its growth targets for 2019. The country's full-year gross domestic product (GDP) of 5.9% is the lowest in eight years. Also discussed: what to watch for in the coming months and the country's economic prospects.
Recorded on January 29 at the BusinessWorld Studio in New Manila, Quezon City. Produced by Nina M. Diaz, Paolo L. Lopez, and Sam L. Marcelo.
2020-02-0618 min