Author: Business News Asia

Filipino Homes, the largest real estate network in the Philippines, gathered 30 top developers in the country and more than 600 agents for a collaborative event aimed at creating new products that truly cater to customer needs. The event, organized as a “celebration of success,” brought together the key stakeholders in the industry with the goal of addressing a longstanding challenge – the disconnect between what developers produce and what the market actually demands. “The problem is that a lot of developers create products for themselves, not for the market,” said Anthony Gerard Leuterio, founder and CEO of Filipino Homes.…

Filipino Homes, a leading real estate group, is set to launch Bayanihan.com, a global online portal dedicated to connecting Filipinos worldwide with cultural festivals and events. The platform will serve as a comprehensive directory, offering event organizers a space to promote their festivals and celebrations on both local and international stages. Scheduled for launch in October 2024, Bayanihan.com is designed to be a user-friendly, free-to-use site. It aims to unite the Filipino diaspora by providing a platform where cultural events can be promoted, helping Filipinos around the world stay in touch with their heritage. “Our goal is to bridge Filipinos…

Banyan Tree, a global leader in luxury and sustainable development, is set to broaden its footprint in the Philippines with the introduction of Banyan Tree Manila Bay, marking a significant expansion into Cebu City. This move comes as part of Nest Seekers International’s strategic efforts to penetrate new high-end markets. On September 12, 2024, Banyan Tree Manila Bay and Nest Seekers International held an exclusive event at Seda Ayala Center Cebu, attracting top brokers and real estate professionals from across the region. The event highlighted the burgeoning luxury market in Cebu, underscoring the city’s potential as a prime location for…

Filipino Homes, the largest real estate network in the Philippines, is set to host its highly anticipated National Real Estate Convention 2024, bringing together over 600 delegates, together with top 30 developers from across the country. The event, to be held on Oct. 20-21, 2024 at Nustar Resort & Casino, will celebrate the success of real estate professionals and partner property developers and at the same time highlight key developments in the real estate industry. The convention will feature a day of fellowship, networking and knowledge-sharing, aimed at strengthening the bonds within the Filipino Homes community. Top-performing real estate agents…

Hotel101-Fort, the largest hotel in Taguig City with 606 HappyRooms, proudly serves as the Official Residence of Miss Asia Pacific International 2024. The pageant candidates will stay from September 28 to October 8, with the coronation taking place on October 7, 2024, at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Through this partnership, Hotel101-Fort aims to provide world-class hospitality and accommodations to all Miss Asia Pacific contestants and staff. The hotel’s HappyRooms, equipped with Emma Sleep beds, and its modern facilities offer unparalleled comfort and convenience to all guests. “We are thrilled to partner once again with Miss Asia Pacific International,” says…

SM Supermalls has officially launched its first Food Hall outside Luzon, bringing a curated culinary experience to the Visayas region with the opening of the SM City Cebu Food Hall on August 22, 2024. Situated on the third level of the mall, this new dining destination offers a diverse selection of cuisines in a stylish and comfortable setting. During the grand opening, Steven Tan, President of SM Supermalls, shared insights into the evolution of the Food Hall concept, which first debuted at SM Aura in Bonifacio Global City (BGC). “We tried it there. We experimented, and it was very successful.…

SM Supermalls in Cebu and the University of Cebu have officially renewed their academic partnership, extending a collaboration aimed at supporting students through internship programs, job placements, and shared learning opportunities. The renewal ceremony, held on Monday, August 19, at SM City Cebu, underscores SM’s ongoing commitment to community engagement and educational enrichment. This extended partnership, set to last over the next three years, will see SM Supermalls actively participating in job fairs and offering scholarship grants, further strengthening its role in community development in Cebu. The collaboration is designed not only to provide practical experiences and employment opportunities for…

Globe Business, the enterprise arm of Globe Telecom, held its annual flagship event, GSummit Cebu 2024, marking the first time the event has been hosted outside the National Capital Region (NCR). The summit, held at the Seda Ayala Hotel Sampaguita Ballroom, gathered key industry leaders to discuss the role of strategic connections in driving business growth under the theme “CONNECTED.” KD Dizon, Vice President and Head of Globe Business, led the lineup of speakers with a presentation on “Collaborative Ecosystems: Globe Business Partnerships for Digital Success.” Dizon highlighted how Globe’s collaborative ecosystem, bolstered by advanced digital tools, has enhanced workplace…

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Hawker Chan, the internationally acclaimed Singaporean street-food chain, has officially opened its 20th branch in the Philippines at SM Seaside Cebu, marking its first-ever location in the Visayas region. Located on the Ground Level, Mountain Wing of SM Seaside City Cebu, this new branch brings the globally recognized flavors of Hawker Chan to the Queen City of the South. Responding to high demand from local consumers, the brand is thrilled to expand its presence in Cebu. The new branch features Hawker Chan’s contemporary design concept, showcasing organic forms, bright tones, and hanging plants, creating a refreshing…

Fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. registered remarkable growth in the first half of the year, with net income surging 23.6% year-on-year to P5.3 billion and consolidated revenues growing 12.4% to P19.5 billion on the back of strong uptake of its residential broadband and sustained double-digit growth in its enterprise business. Net additional residential subscribers of Converge more than doubled to 223,751 during the six-month period, a whopping 142% jump from 92,302 during the same period last year. This resulted in an 11.8% yoy growth in residential revenues to P16.6 billion in the first half of the year. On…

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) has recently opened a new cafe at SM Seaside City Cebu, marking the latest development in a significant expansion plan with SM Store. This new location – at the women’s section of SM Store – is part of a broader initiative to introduce 53 additional CBTL cafes across SM Store branches by 2026, bringing the total number of in-store cafes to 78 nationwide. The collaboration between SM Store and CBTL, which began with the first cafe at SM Store North Edsa in December 2022, has rapidly grown, with 26 cafes already in operation…

Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), announced it will welcome its third and fourth Embraer E190-E2 aircraft in September and October 2024. The new additions, named Jalan-Jalan and Travel Kaki, respectively, will enable Scoot to expand its flight services to new destinations in Southeast Asia, Business News Asia reported. The airline will commence twice-weekly flights to Kertajati, Indonesia, starting on September 28, 2024, and five-times weekly flights to Malacca, Malaysia, beginning on October 23, 2024. Kertajati, known for its lush forests, natural waterfalls, and captivating wildlife, offers an alternative destination for nature enthusiasts. Meanwhile, Malacca, a UNESCO World…

Singapore’s fintech market demonstrated remarkable resilience and adaptability in the first half of 2024, despite a global decline in fintech investment, according to KPMG’s Pulse of Fintech report for H1 2024 seen by Business News Asia. Deal activity in Singapore surged by 19%, reaching 117 deals across venture capital (VC), private equity (PE), and mergers & acquisitions (M&A), up from the 98 deals recorded in the second half of 2023. However, the total amount raised by Singapore fintechs fell by 34% to USD 522.89 million, down from USD 790.10 million in H2 2023. Globally, fintech investment dropped from USD 62.3…

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Toshiba has unveiled two new series of gas ranges at an exclusive event hosted by Robinsons Appliances in Robinsons Galleria Cebu. The launch featured the Toshiba Lava Series Gas Range, including the 60cm and the 90cm model, designed to offer a variety of flame settings to meet diverse cooking needs. The event marked the beginning of a partnership aimed at revolutionizing the kitchen experience for Filipino households. Yven Gerard R. Almalel, Brand Manager at Concepcion Midea Inc., highlighted the innovative features of the new series, emphasizing their enhanced efficiency and user-friendly design. “The new gas range…

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. celebrated on July 23 its 30th anniversary as a publicly listed company at the Philippine Stock Exchange underscoring three decades of transformative growth in the Philippine real estate sector. Established in 1994 by visionary Henry Sy, SM Prime has steadfastly pursued its mission to develop world-class shopping, dining, entertainment, residential, and amusement destinations across the Philippines and beyond. Beginning with just four malls, SM Prime has grown into a powerhouse in Southeast Asia’s property sector. Today, its diversified portfolio in the Philippines includes 22 lifestyle cities encompassing 91 residential developments, 86 malls, 22 office towers, 10…

SM Cinema at SM City Cebu has launched The Event Screen, a versatile new offering designed for a wide range of activities including karaoke, private movie screenings, gaming, meetings, and product launches. The Event Screen is equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual technology to ensure superior sound and picture quality, enhancing every event held in its space. The Event Screen features a screen size of 5.4 meters wide and 3.2 meters high, with a seating distance of 3.7 meters minimum viewing distance and a 68-degree viewing angle. It can accommodate 10 to 20 people, making it suitable for intimate gatherings such as…

The eighth annual Contact Islands 2024 conference, organized by the Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP), has set a new focus this year on enhancing growth and development in provincial areas. The ‘Digital Cities’ initiative aims to foster growth in provincial areas to balance the industry’s concentration in metropolitan zones like Manila and Cebu. This initiative seeks to tap into new talent pools and decentralize the economic benefits more broadly across the country. At least 33 new locations have already been identified as potential digital cities, with 23 of them already having their own roadmap. “We are particularly excited…

Philippine-based automotive battery maker Motolite is looking towards manufacturing lithium batteries in the country on the back of the rising popularity of electric vehicles here. Lithium batteries, specifically lithium-ion batteries, are a critical component in EVs due to their high energy density, long lifespan, and ability to deliver consistent power. “Motolite is definitely looking at manufacturing lithium batteries in the country because we know that there is a need, especially with the popularity of EVs in the Philippines. There might be an announcement this year or in the following years,” said Camille Fabrero, Brand Activation Supervisor at Motolite. Motolite is…

Silverlush Development Group (SLDG), a Manila-based realty, architecture, and material solutions company, has recently showcased its products and services at SM Seaside City Cebu as part of its preparation to expand its services beyond the country’s capital. SLDG said its expansion outside of Manila may still be in its early stages but stressed that it is geared to make globally quality, coveted pieces more accessible in primary business centers of the country. The firm is a subsidiary of Prosperios Pte Ltd, a company based in Singapore. Its expanding portfolio is currently strengthened by properties nestled in well-coveted locations in Pasig…

Magna CMGN Solutions Inc., a key player in the Philippine interior construction materials market, showcased its innovative products and services at PhilConstruct Visayas. The event, held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino, highlighted the company’s evolution from a trading entity to a full-fledged manufacturing and design firm. “Innovation is important. You have to embrace change,” Magna President Marylou Ngo-Ang said in an interview on the event’s opening day. Established in 2003, Magna initially focused on importing raw materials and components. Today, it offers comprehensive fit-out services and manufactures high-quality pre-finished products for building interiors, including ceilings, floor finishes,…