Business & Economics Perspective Blogger

Some time ago, I remember writing about Jollibee's acquisition of Shabu All Day  and Compose Coffee . It might be easy to scream to the top of one's lungs, "Pinoy pride! The Philippines is taking over the world ! However, when news like t he recent plan of the Barito Group from Indonesia to purchase the Energy Development Corporation of the Lopezes  for $5 Billion (which might be in USD) arrived, I'm getting comments like: "This should be blocked by the Philippine Competition Commission!" "Foreign ownership of such a big percentage of our electrical generating capacity might have national security implications." "What does this mean for the Philippines' energy future? Maybe a higher price increase? The Philippines is selling everything! "The Philippines has its own but keeps selling everything." I wonder if the same people who are writing their comments danced, thinking that the Philippines was "conquering the world" th...

Last July 7, 2026, I read an article from ABS-CBN called " A tale of two economies: Why the Philippines now lags Vietnam ". I found this art above on Facebook; perhaps this is an AI art, which demonstrates the Philippines' lagging behind Vietnam. The Philippines used ot be ahead, but what happened? Speaking of ABS-CBN, I'm still reminded of how the network has the tendency to be hostile to constitutional reform. Now, putting that aside, I'd like to share an excerpt from the article, for a start: The Philippine Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) admitted that the Philippines has been on a slow growth pace for the past decades. Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said many ASEAN neighbors have outgrown the country, including Vietnam. “If you’re asking why we are poor, the big part of the story is the country has not grown as fast as our neighbors,” Balisacan said. Comparing the Philippines to other ASEAN neighbors, Singapore’s GNI per capita is $81,76...

Bilyonaryo News Channel It's time for me to address IBON Foundation yet again. I often receive comments that I'm not an economist like the IBON Foundation writers. I can cite authoritative sources to support my criticism. It's easy to accuse me of ad hominem. However, I'm focusing on the argument of IBON because how can an economic think-tank even keep suggesting proven,  outdated economic plans? Recently, the Bilyonaryo News Channel has featured Jose Enrique "Sonny" Africa. Here's something that Africa said that Lee Kuan Yew would've called third-world  mentality : “ We have to get over this thinking that foreign capital will save us ,” he said. “We also have to get over this thinking that we can’t produce enough food and therefore have to import everything. More household purchasing power means more aggregate demand. More aggregate demand means a bigger market for Filipino agriculture and Filipino industry. If Filipino agriculture and Filipino indus...

Bongbong Marcos' Facebook Page It's June 12, and it's time for Philippine Independence Day. Given that today is a Friday , it's an Independence Day long weekend . I was thinking about not writing anything today, but the IBON Foundation wrote an entry called "Still Dreaming of Freedom" , which is built on the Filipino First Policy . I would be writing this Philippine Independence Day post to talk about economic interdependence . In 2024, I wrote a post where I discussed that Philippine Independence Day doesn't mean rejecting FDI altogether .  Wait, isn't FDI a form of neocolonialism? For a start, FDI isn't neocolonialism. To understand, Britannica defines neocolonialism as: neocolonialism , the control of less-developed countries by developed countries through indirect means . The term neocolonialism was first used after World War II to refer to t he continuing dependence of former colonies on foreign countries, but its meaning soon broadened to ap...

Foreign Trade University Some time ago, I remember writing two posts addressed to Kabataan Partylist. The first was where I addressed that  Kabataan Partylist needs to learn economics from Doan Thanh Nien aka the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union . Doan Thanh Nien literally means Youth Union, which makes it nearly synonymous to Kabataan Partylist . It was followed up by a post where KPL should also learn economics from the HCYU . KPL was established on June 19, 2001, while the HCYU was founded on March 30, 1931 . Both the KPL and the HCYU wear blue shirts or use the color blue. Both groups are engaged in community services, with their recruits like disaster outreach programs, cleaning services, and tree planting. However, one group updated its ideology while the other was left in the dust with outdated ideology . The KPL ideology examined  KPL's ideology can be found written in this KPL Laguna   WordPress blog: It believes that the Philippines, as a semi-colonial and...

Jollibee Group Is it me, or am I getting reactive? Regardless, I'm probably obsessed with Jollibee right now. The first Jollibee article I wrote discussed how Jollibee is proof that the Philippines is more than ready to face off against FDI in the Philippines . My most recent Jollibee article is about how the company ranks as the  top quick service in Communist Vietnam . Right now, I just want to feel pride in Jollibee's latest achievement in New York City . This is another lesson in adaptation in international marketing . From an  Insider PH   article by Princess Daisy C. Ominga, and edited by Corrie S. Narisma, here's a lesson on business evolution in the world market: Why it matters The strong turnout highlights Jollibee’s efforts to move beyond its traditional Filipino customer base and build wider appeal among American consumers, particularly in dense metropolitan markets . The company said customer traffic remained steady after opening day, driven mainly by demand f...

Bongbong Marcos' Facebook Page The ASEAN Philippines 2026 was taking place in Cebu City. It's the 48th Asian summit. Last time, I wrote an article in 2023 where I talked about the great ASEAN opportunity . That post was a critique last 2023. I was writing how the Philippines has potential but it's held back by Pinoy Pride Economics . What has Pinoy Pride Economics done anyway? As I read the late Lee Kuan Yew's book From Third World to First , there was a stinging rebuke not just about the Marcoses but also about the sad state of OFWs: Mrs. Aquino's successor, Fidel Ramos, whom she backed, was more practical and established greater stability . In November 1992, I visited him. In a speech at the 18th Philippine Business Conference, I said,  "I do not believe that democracy necessarily leads to development. I believe what a country needs to develop is discipline more than democracy."  In private, President Ramos said he agreed with me that  a British parliame...