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Philippines: Country Pulse

Country Pulse | 22 Sep 2014

Hot topics in September 2014: Festival encourages consumers to choose local products,
Call for minimum wage rule to be relaxed and Food poverty still a problem for some.
Festival encourages consumers to choose local products (September 2014)

Held in late August, the aim of the Global Pinoy Bazaar, which was organised by civic
organisation Yabang Pinoy (Filipino Pride), was to convince Filipino consumers that the
Made in the Philippines label was no longer synonymous with inferior quality. Among the
250 bazaar participants was IT specialist Philo Chua, who left his job in the USA in 2007
to found Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates. Meanwhile, for mens footwear and accessories
company Erb and Chet, buying Filipino is about bringing back the glory days when
Marikina City (part of Metro Manila) was once the countrys shoe capital. The Filipino
consumer is becoming conscious of the contribution of their buying habits to the local
economy, says Mark Tan, spokesman for Yabang Pinoy.
Call for minimum wage rule to be relaxed (September 2014)

Government think tank The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) has urged
policymakers to allow small and medium-sized businesses to pay salaries below the
minimum wage. PIDS argued that this policy change would help to reduce poverty by
making it easier for unskilled workers to find jobs, as it maintains that the imposition of
a minimum wage has led to higher unemployment. The countrys unemployment rate
stood at 7.2% in 2013, according to Euromonitor International data. Dr. Aniceto Orbeta
Jr., PIDS senior research fellow, said most employers ended up hiring older workers,
rather than younger ones, blaming this on the minimum wage.
Food poverty still a problem for some (September 2014)

One in every ten Filipinos is struggling to put food on the table, the National Economic
and Development Authority claims. The Philippines will meet its targets on food poverty
but needs to double or triple its efforts to meet targets on income poverty, said Arsenio
M. Balisacan, director-general of the Authority. He told newspaper Manila Standard Today
that a third of the countrys labour force was employed in agriculture, forestry and fishery,
which tended to pay relatively low wages. According to Euromonitor International data,
almost a quarter of Filipinos were living below the national poverty line in 2013.
Population milestone reached, but government seeks to slow growth (August 2014)

According to the government, the Philippines welcomed its 100 millionth citizen on July
the 27th. A baby girl named Chonalyn was born shortly after midnight at Jose Fabella
hospital in Manila, according to Juan Antonio Perez III, executive director of the
Commission on Population. We are faced with the challenge of providing for all 100
million Filipinos, he added. In less affluent rural areas, many women bear more children
than they desire because of a lack of access to reproductive health services, according to
the UN. In 2012, President Benigno Aquino III signed a law to provide free access to
contraception, but strong opposition has delayed its implementation.
Internet speeds remain sluggish (August 2014)

The Philippines has the slowest average internet speed in the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations (Asean), according to internet company Ookla. For example, 24-year-old
Rosemarie Pendon, who lives in Quezon City, has mobile broadband dongles from three
different telecoms networks but is unhappy with the performance of all of them. Oaklas
Francisco Fernando Claravall IV said that the main problem was congestion in the

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national network. He added that the proliferation of smartphones and tablets had
exacerbated the problem. Now a typical household can have three tablets and two
smartphones, he claimed.
Government sees a golden future for goats milk (August 2014)

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) thinks goats milk could become a hot
product during the next five years, even though local consumption is currently negligible.
DOST secretary Mario Go Montejo wants to position the Philippines as a land of milk
and claims that goats milk is a healthier alternative to cows milk, as fewer children are
allergic to it. Consumption of cows milk continues to steadily increase in the Philippines,
from 25.2 litres per capita in 2009 to 27.9 litres per capita during 2013.
Freshmen to become an endangered species in higher education (July 2014)

When a programme called K-to-12 is fully implemented during 2016, it will result in a
profound change in the local education system. Under this programme, students who are
supposed to graduate from high school after completing Grade Ten will now have to
complete an additional two years (Grades 11 and 12) before proceeding to higher
education.
As a result, there will be almost no freshmen enrolees in higher education institutions
(HEIs) during 2016, and teachers and other staff in HEIs could find their jobs under
threat. HEIs are confronted with the scary possibility of zero enrolment of first year
students, poet Dr. Rebecca Aonuevo told website Tempo.
More struggling to put food on table (July 2014)

The number of Filipino households experiencing financial hardship grew during the first
quarter of 2014, a survey conducted during April by research group Ibon Foundation has
found. 59.3% of respondents said they had found it difficult to buy sufficient food for
their families during the previous three months. This represented an increase of 4.5
percentage points over a similar survey conducted three months earlier. 46.6% said they
found it difficult to pay for their childrens schooling, up from 46.4% three months earlier.
High level of awareness of technology brands among local consumers (July 2014)

The familiarity of Filipinos with global brands makes them global citizens, according to a
study conducted by brand consultancy Millward Brown during early 2014. Google, Apple,
Samsung, Microsoft, McDonalds, Coca Cola, Facebook and Twitter were found to be among
the brands most familiar to them.
Goutam Mitra of Millard Brown commented that Filipino consumers look for a whole set of
attributes and benefits at a price that is affordable for them. There is a kind of
fascination with regard to technology brands, he added.
Low-income consumers wary of banking (June 2014)

A study conducted during April by credit card company MasterCard found that many local
consumers remained uninterested in banking services. This was found to be particulalry
true among those on low incomes. Many of these individuals were concerned that banking
would involve extra financial expenses and commitments that they could not afford.
Euromonitor International data states that 57.8% of Filipinos aged 15 years or older were
banked in 2013, up from 51.6% during 2008.
Streaming music to consumers ears (June 2014)

According to Boston-based Jana, which describes itself as a mobile technology platform

that connects emerging market consumers with global brands, a survey it conducted
during May found that 18% of Filipinos used music streaming apps. In contrast, just 14%
listened to music on the radio.
SPINNR has emerged as the most-used streaming app, with 32% of respondents saying
they used it to listen to music on their smartphones. Other streaming services used by

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local consumers included Spotify (14%) and Soundcloud (12%). "Just a few years ago,
music streaming was an unfamiliar concept among Filipino music lovers," Mellissa
Limcaoco of Jana told the Manila Bulletin newspaper.
Obsessed with all things faulty (June 2014)

According to Time magazine, the Philippines is the country that is most obsessed with
American author John Greens bestselling novel The Fault in our Stars. This young-adult
story is narrated by Hazel, a teenager receiving cancer treatment who is forced by her
parents to attend a support group, where she falls in love.
Data from Google shows that the Philippines's search volume index (100) for this title is
more than double that of the USA (44). The film adaption of the book took in PHP52
million (US$1.2 million) during its first four days, with some local fans reportedly
watching it up to four times. An American colony between 1898 and 1946, Filipino
literature has been heavily influenced by the USA, according to the National Commission
for Culture and the Arts.
Local travellers favour green hotels (May 2014)

Filipinos care about the environment when they travel, according to hotel booking website
Agoda.coms survey, which was conducted during early 2014. 75% of Filipino respondents
said they were more likely to stay in hotels that claimed to be environmentally friendly.
However, many of them are only willing to go so far in their efforts to be green - around a
third of respondents said they would be willing to pay no more than US$5 to stay in an
environmentally friendly hotel.
Bringing Europe to The Philippines (May 2014)

High costs, the difficulty of getting a visa and cultural differences dissuade many Filipinos
from travelling to Europe. In an effort to change this, a number of European embassies in
the Philippines organised Viva Europa 2014, a month-long celebration held in Makati City
during May 2014 to celebrate all things European. There were culinary events, musical
performances, exhibitions and family activities. An exhibition called The Road to
Recovery: Rebuilding with Communities after Typhoon Haiyan displayed photos taken
during the reconstruction efforts that followed that natural disaster, with some showing
how EU aid was being used.
Over half consider themselves to be poor (May 2014)

A majority of Filipinos still consider themselves to be living in poverty, according to a

survey conducted by polling company Social Weather Stations (SWS) during March 2014.
53% of respondents claimed that they were poor, while 39% claimed to be poor in terms
of struggling to afford an adequate diet. The self-rated poverty threshold was defined as
"less than the minimum income required," given such work-related expenses as
transportation, according to SWS.
Filipinos are good tippers (April 2014)

Filipino consumers are among the most consistent tippers in Asia Pacific, according to a
MasterCard survey that was conducted between October and November 2013 across 16
markets in the region. 73% of 400 respondents in the Philippines said they left tips after
dining in a restaurant. Georgette Tan of MasterCard told website Business World Online:
In some countries, such as the Philippines, tipping appears to be common practice, while
in others, such as Japan and Korea, its not common at all.
Many are nave when it comes to online security (April 2014)

According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), nine out of ten Filipino internet users
who fall victim to cybercrime do so due to a lack of awareness of the risks they are
running. 2,778 cybercrime-related offenses were recorded by the PNP between 2003 and
2012. Between 2010 and 2013, the leading cybercrime was online fraud, followed by
harassment, threats and libel. Filipinos are known to be heavy users of such social

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media as Facebook and Twitter. They need to be more informed, senior superintendent
Gilbert Sosa told newspaper Philstar.
The selfie capital of the world (April 2014)

Time magazine claims that Makati City and Pasig City in Manila are the selfie capitals of
the world, with a ratio of 258 selfie-takers per 100,000 people. The popularity of selfies
(self-portraits taken with smartphone cameras) in the Philippines has even prompted
Chinese smartphone maker Gionee to launch a high-end smartphone with special features
for taking selfies. Another Filipino city, Cebu, ranked ninth in the world, with 99 selfie
takers per 100,000 people, while several others (Baguio, Quezon City and Iloilo) made it
into the top 100.
Government seeks to make remittances mandatory (March 2014)

Filipino expatriates in the UAE and elsewhere are unhappy about a draft law under
consideration in Manila that would make it mandatory for them to regularly send money
home to their families. Under the proposal, failure to do so could make it difficult for
them to get their passports renewed.
In a statement, Filipino overseas workers rights group Migrante-UAE claimed that The
proposed measure is a form of harassment. The UAE is a major source of remittance
inflows to the Philippines. Euromonitor International data states that per capita
remittance inflows to the Philippines stood at US$265 in 2013, up 3.9% on the previous
year.
Iron-fortified rice withdrawn after sales flop (March 2014)

The National Food Authority (NFA) has announced that iron-fortified rice (IFR) will no
longer be sold in the Philippines, as it has proven to be unpopular with consumers.
However, it could be relaunched at some future date.
The NFA launched IFR during 2013 as part of the Philippines Food Fortification
Programme, which aims to increase protein consumption among local consumers. Danilo
Bonabon of the NFA said: The dark colour the rice gets from iron turns consumers off.
He added that there was a need to address misconceptions about IFR and raise
awareness of its health benefits.
New anti-smoking legislation under consideration (March 2014)

Graphic health warnings will be placed on cigarette packaging as part of efforts to

discourage smoking if a bill currently under consideration by the countrys parliament
becomes law. According to Senate President Franklin Drilon, 87,000 Filipinos succumb
annually to diseases caused by cigarette smoking. Cigarettes cost our society an
estimated PHP188 billion (US$76 million) in healthcare expenses and lost productivity
annually, he added. According to Euromonitor International data, 27.7% of adults in the
Philippines were smokers in 2013.
Filipinos seek their fortune in Canadas Yukon (February 2014)

Attracted by high wage rates in the service sector and not deterred by its Artic climate, a
growing number of Filipinos are migrating to the Yukon Territory, which is located to the
east of Alaska in the extreme northwest of Canada, for service-sector jobs. There were
630 Philippines-born residents out of a total population of just 35,000 in the Yukon
during 2011, according to Statistics Canada data.
Moreover, some reckon that the number of Filipinos in the region has trebled since then.
Whitehorse, the regions only city (with a population of around 28,000) now sports a
Filipino restaurant and shop, in addition to a Filipino newspaper. One Filipino residing
locally told the Globe and Mail newspaper: I think Ive found my home here. Its a land
where theres equal opportunity.
Typhoon-hit city recovering slowly, but steadily (February 2014)

In the wake of the devastating impact of typhoon Haiyan, the residents of Tacloban

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continue to rebuild their lives. Post-disaster essentials for many include pillows, radios,
headlamps and mobile phones. A whiteboard in Tacloban's city hall charts the recovery:
To date, 26 hardware stores, six grocery retailers and 15 bank branches have reopened.
On the streets, vendors can be seen selling everything from pork to pizza cutters and Tshirts that read "Tacloban survivor" from makeshift stalls.
Foreign retailers proliferating (February 2014)

Filipino shoppers can expect more foreign players to enter the local retail arena this year,
according to CBRE Global Research & Consultancy. Jan Custodio of CBRE told website
ABSCBN News: Mall developers have been expanding to accommodate international
brands coming in and increased consumer spending. He added that most (59%) of the
new brands entering the local market during the fourth quarter of 2013 were Japanese,
while 17% were American and 12% Australian. Japanese convenience store chain Family
Mart and Hong Kong supermarket chain Wellcome both entered the local market last year,
for example. Custodio noted that smaller retail formats, such as district malls,
supermarkets and convenience stores, were also proliferating.
Connectivity the key (January 2014)

According to Paulo Tibig, entrepreneur and president of shipping company Vcargo

Worldwide, a growing number of Filipino consumers will embrace the concepts of
convenience and mobility during 2014. Everything will now be mobile and in our pockets,
he told website ABS-CBN, adding that an average of 85 minutes a day is being devoted
to social media using mobile devices. Tibig also noted that the food truck concept is
booming in the Philippines and that this growth is likely to continue during 2014.
Currency weakness good news for those in receipt of remittances (January 2014)

The Philippine peso fell to a three-year low during mid-January, as remittances from
overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) surged to an all-time high in November 2013. Many
OFWs sent more money to help fund reconstruction efforts in the wake of super-typhoon
Haiyan. There are currently more than ten million Filipinos working in foreign countries,
particularly in the Middle East. Between 2007 and 2012, annual per household remittance
inflows to the Philippines grew by almost a third (32.2%), to US$1,159.
Push for a law to protect car buyers (January 2014)

Mark A. Villar, a congressman representing Las Pias City, a suburb of Manila, is pushing
for the passage of a lemon law that would protect consumers from defective vehicles.
If a defective vehicle cannot be repaired within a reasonable number of attempts, the
manufacturer must either promptly replace it or refund the purchase, he told the ABSCBN website.
Owning a motor vehicle is a big investment, often taking a substantial chunk of ones
savings. However, some unfortunate buyers acquire a lemon, (slang for a defective car)
he added. Euromonitor International data states that there were 860,300 passenger cars
in circulation in the Philippines during 2013.
Huge challenges in the wake of deadly typhoon (December 2013)

More than a month after a severe typhoon hit the Philippines, about 500,000 families are
living amid the rubble, with experts saying that full reconstruction may take years. "A lot
of people have received emergency assistance, but this is just the beginning," Matthew
Cochrane, a spokesman for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs in the worst-hit city of Tacloban, told news agency AFP.
As the rice crop must be planted this month, urgent work is underway to clear farms of
debris, fix irrigation channels and get seeds to remote areas. "This is a huge issue for
food security. It's going to be an enormous challenge to meet the deadline," Ian Bray, a
spokesman for charity Oxfam, said.
Almost two-thirds think their family is poor (December 2013)

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A survey conducted by the IBON Foundation during October found that many Filipinos
struggle to afford daily necessities. 55.4% of respondents said they had difficulty paying
for medicines and medical treatment during the three months prior to the survey, while
58.5% said they found it difficult to afford food, 41.4% to pay for schooling, 42.9%
transportation and 64% utilities. Asked to define their economic situation, 65% said their
family was poor.
Most children uninterested in education (December 2013)

While the high cost of education is usually cited as the main reason why many Filipino
children do not attend school, it ranked only third in a survey on this issue that was
conducted by the National Statistics Office during mid-2013. The leading reason was
found to be a lack of interest, with 51.3% of Filipino children aged between 6 years and
11 years saying they were not interested in going to school. 15.2% cited illness or
disability as the main factor keeping them out of school.
Remittances key to helping typhoon survivors (November 2013)

In the wake of the devastation wrought during early November by Typhoon Haiyan, which
led to more than 1,800 deaths and left some 580,000 people displaced in the Philippines,
many are relying on remittances sent by family members working abroad to rebuild their
lives. In times of natural disaster, remittances are one of the first forms of help, said
Dilip Ratha, manager of migration and remittances at the World Banks development
prospects group.
NBC News reported that Filipinos working overseas were desperately trying to get money
to relatives, particularly those living in Tacloban City on the island of Leyte, which was
especially hard hit. Remittance inflows to the Philippines stood at US$24.6 billion in
2012, Euromonitor International data states.
Photo fuels dissatisfaction with government efficiency (November 2013)

A photo that shows two staff members at Manilas Ninoy Aquino International Airport
(Naia) playing video games behind a counter while a long line of passengers snakes in
front of them has gone viral on Facebook. One Facebook poster wrote: The photo may
explain why Naia had been named the worlds worst air terminal for three successive
years by a travel blog. Many took the opportunity to share horror stories about their
dealings with government employees. One wrote: In my experience, almost all
government employees are rude and lazy.
Having fun while remembering the dead (November 2013)

Millions of Catholic Filipinos visited cemeteries on November the 1st to honour their dead
on All Saints Day, ignoring appeals from the church authorities to keep the day solemn. A
warning not to bring alcoholic beverages and loud stereos was largely ignored. Some even
brought weapons, such as knives.
To mark All Saints Day, Filipinos usually plan family gatherings at the tombs of loved
ones, with drinking and even open-air karaoke singing sessions commonplace. Its like
an annual family reunion to remember our departed ones, said 34-year-old housewife
Mary Jane Mendoza, who went to the packed Barangka public cemetery in Manila with a
picnic basket.
Younger consumers dining out more often (October 2013)

Eating out used to be limited to special occasions for most Filipinos, but for some
younger ones, checking out the latest and hippest restaurants is becoming a habit.
"They're just willing to try more new things now in terms of flavours, as well as
ambience," Zomato Philippines CEO Katrina Clasara told website GMA News Online.
Zomato is a smartphone app that acts as a restaurant guide. Its Metro Manila section
features some 9,000 restaurants.
According to the company, Filipino diners tend to leave looking for a place to have lunch

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or dinner until the last minute. It also noted that while they remain extremely partial to
sweets, "local consumers are generally becoming more aware of what they put in their
mouths," Clasara said. She added that healthier dishes and organic food were growing in
popularity.
Government ranks restaurants on the basis of the taxes they pay (October 2013)

The government is attempting to rank restaurants in terms of their tax compliance. The
Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Finance Department have started running weekly ads
in major newspapers and online that compare top restaurants in terms of their reviews on
website TripAdvisor and the amount of tax they pay.
This is part of a "Tax Watch" campaign targeting businesses like restaurants and
retailers, as well as service providers like doctors and lawyers, in an effort to curb
rampant tax evasion. We want to raise awareness and ask the public if the numbers we
are given make sense," finance secretary Cesar Purisima said.
A move to boost access to sanitation facilities (October 2013)

According to environment secretary Ramon Paje, Over 20 million Filipinos still lack access
to proper sanitation, and less than 10% of the population is actually connected to piped
sewerage. The governments National Sewerage Management Programme, which was
launched in June 2013, is seeking to improve water quality and public health in the
Philippines by 2020 through the creation of more effective wastewater treatment
systems.
A study conducted by the Asian Development Bank in 2009 found that 58% of the
countrys groundwater was contaminated by infectious waste. Much of this comes from
unsanitary septic tanks and industrial wastewater discharge. As a result, many rivers are
now incapable of sustaining aquatic life, many beaches are unsuitable for swimming, and
the incidence of waterborne disease is rising.
Households save more (September 2013)
On average, Filipino households increased their rate of savings during the third quarter of
2013, a survey conducted by the Central Bank of the Philippines (BSP) during September
2013 has found. The number of households with savings increased from 22.4% during the
second quarter to 24.5% in the third.
Euromonitor International data states that consumers in the Philippines saved 2.5% of
their disposable income in 2012 US$224 per household in absolute terms. Per
household remittance inflows (a crucial source of income for many families) stood at
US$1,151 during the same year.
Food deprivation on the rise (September 2013)
The number of Filipino families who could not afford to put food on the table on at least
one occasion rose by one million during the second quarter of the year, according to a
survey conducted during late June 2013 by think tank Social Weather Stations. Hunger
incidence in the country worsened from 19.2% of households (a total of 3.9 million) in
March to 22.7% (4.9 million) in June.
NGO tells consumers to get active (September 2013)
American NGO Exercise in Medicine (EIM) is urging Filipinos to exercise for at least twoand-a-half hours every week in order to improve their physical fitness. According to EIM, a
growing number of Filipinos are developing such non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as
cancer and diabetes. Euromonitor International data states that 7.8% of Filipinos aged
between 20 years and 79 years had diabetes in 2012. Most of these NCDs are linked by
common preventable risk factors, which include tobacco use, an unhealthy diet, alcohol
use, and physical inactivity, EIM told the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.
Living for the moment (August 2013)

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Most Filipinos are spenders, rather than savers. Speaking to 24-hour news channel ANC,
Benedicto Cid of consultancy Mansmith and Fielders commented that "Some cultures
value sacrifice, frugality and delayed gratification. Ours is not one of these we like to
enjoy life. He added: We have a young population that is in love with brands.
However, he predicted that As these consumers grow older, they will learn the value of
money.
The Filipino economy has expanded steadily over recent years, with remittances from
Filipino expats and young Filipinos employed by foreign companies driving growth in
consumer expenditure. Euromonitor International data states that real per capita annual
consumer expenditure in the Philippines grew by 10.1%, to US$1,940, between 2007 and
2012, with the countrys savings ratio declining from 2.7% to 2.5% over the same period.
Reliable electricity supply still a dream for many (August 2013)

Power outages remain a major problem for many Filipino households. For example, in
July, 1.2 million people in southeastern Luzon lost power for 39 hours because the local
electricity provider, Albay Electric Cooperative, failed to settle a debt with the national
power-grid operator.
For as long as she can remember, electricity has been a luxury for 39-year-old Manila
resident Candace Evangelista. When she was a child, her parents would struggle to
prepare food and get household chores done with a sporadic power supply. More than 20
years later, she faces the same issue. My kids are learning to cope with the lack of
stable electricity, just as I did, she told Time magazine. Its going to be part of their
daily lives as they grow up, she added.
Anti-smoking campaigners want graphic warnings on cigarette packs (August 2013)

Anti-smoking advocates are calling on President Benigno Aquino III to prioritise

legislation that would require tobacco companies to put graphic health warnings on
cigarette packs. Health campaigner Diana Trivio claimed that the Philippines was one of
only two ASEAN countries yet to implement this measure. Speaking to ABS-CBN News,
she said: We only have text warnings, which are not effective when it comes to curbing
smoking. Euromonitor International data states that 28% of Filipino adults were smokers
in 2012.
Government seeking to boost employment in call centres (July 2013)

The Filipino government wants the country to remain an attractive location for
international call centres, and it has allotted almost US$12 million to help train aspiring
call centre agents. Jay Santisteban of the Contact Centre Association of the Philippines
told Channel News Asia: The government wants to produce at least a million additional
call centre agents by 2016. Last year, employment in this sector grew by 40,000. The
fact that many Filipinos speak good English gives the country a major advantage in this
area. The government is also hoping to attract more non-English-speaking call centres to
the Philippines.
Consumers like to try new things, but loyalty is often elusive (July 2013)

While the average Filipino consumer is open to new products and ideas, they can be
fickle, according to Bernadette Lee of casual dining chain Pancake House Inc. As long as
you have a concept that gives them value for money and a great experience, Filipino
consumers will be with you, Lee told Rappler.com. However, Filipinos hop from one
concept to another. It's easy to introduce them to something, but it is much more difficult
to maintain their interest, she said.
The country's growing middle class is increasingly attracted to higher-end brand
concepts, she added. According to Lee, Filipino consumers are also receptive to
promotions, particularly deals from Groupon-like group discount websites.
Many are ill prepared for retirement (July 2013)

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Many Filipinos worry about their retirement but have no idea of how to prepare for it,
according to Sun Life Financial Philippines, which conducted a survey on this topic during
April 2013. Rizalina C. Mantaring, president of Sun Life, told ABS CBN that the typical
Filipino's idea of financial security was having a savings account. "But with an inflation
rate of 3% and a savings account interest rate of just 1%, by the time they retire, in real
terms, their money will be worth a tenth of what they put in when they started saving,"
she said.
The survey found that that the top financial concerns of Filipinos were the education of
their children (33% of respondents), followed by food (20%), and the health of their
family (17%). It also found that 37% of a typical monthly budget was spent on food,
13% on housing and 11% on education.
Some older migrants return home, but over 100,000 still left last year (June 2013)

More and more Filipino migrants are returning home, a sign of growing confidence in the
domestic economy. One of them is 41-year-old Mateo Ragonjan. Formerly a sous-chef in a
hotel in Abu Dhabi, he now works in Manila's newest casino resort. The Philippines is
booming at the moment, so I thought it was the right time to come back," he told Asia
One News. I'm one of 400 returned migrants working in this hotel, he added.
Nonetheless, Filipinos remain one of the world's largest migrant groups, with almost ten
million of them living abroad, according to government data. Euromonitor International
data states that the country's net migration rate increased to -1.1 per 1,000 persons in
2012, with net migration reaching -104,000.
Environmental degradation and energy security among top concerns of consumers (June
2013)

A survey commisioned by energy company Royal Dutch Shell and conducted by polling
company Ipsos in Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao during April 2013 found that the biggest
issues facing the country were employment, education, environmental degradation and
energy security. People in the Philippines are increasingly aware of the inter-dependence
of energy, water and food resources, said Roberto S. Kanapi of Royal Dutch Shell. A large
majority of respondents were strongly in favour of harnessing renewable energy sources,
particularly solar power, as well as hydro power and wind power, in order to meet the
country's growing energy needs. Among non-renewable energy sources, natural gas was
favoured.
In spite of official tensions, Taiwan remains attractive for Filipino workers (June 2013)

Although diplomatic relations between the two countries are currently frosty (following an
incident on May the 9th that ended in a Taiwanese fisherman being fatally shot by
Filipino coast guards), many Filipinos migrants still consider Taiwan to be an attractive
destination due to relatively high rates of pay, its proximity to home, a comfortable living
environment and the hospitality of the locals.
38-year-old Meliza Lopez, who worked in Taiwan for two years as a domestic caregiver,
told Channel News Asia that the wages she earned there were much higher than in
Malaysia, where she had previously worked. Meanwhile, a December 2012 report in the
Straits Times newspaper claimed that the declining quality of Filipino maids in
Singapore was due to higher rates of pay in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Cafs entice young workers with Wi-Fi (May 2013)

Cafs are gaining popularity as a work space for young people. Speaking to website
Rappler.com, Michael Lacy of Digital Paradise Inc., the Philippine distributor for Vietnambased Highlands Coffee, said: It's about value. When people do their work in cafs, the
cost can add up. In addition to expensive coffee, some places even charge for access to
the in-house Wi-Fi. With the rate of consumer price inflation accelerating, Filipino
consumers are increasingly seeking value for money, and a growing number of cafs are
offering complimentary Wi-Fi in an effort to tap into this.

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Political pressure for free public toilets grows (May 2013)

Some politicians want businesses in urban areas to make their public toilets free. At the
moment, most charge a fee to users. For example, almost all public transport terminals
demand fees in the range of PHP5 (US$0.12) to PHP10 to use their toilets. Bernadette
Herrera-Dy said: Public toilet fees are a common complaint aired by commuters and
shoppers alike. Sherwin Tugna has proposed that the Consumer Act be updated to
provide for free access to restrooms.
Consumers urged to avoid excess and live within their means (May 2013)

Personal finance advisor Suze Orman is urging consumers to live within their means. She
maintains that the excessive use of credit cards is one big financial lie. Credit cards,
which are starting to become popular, allow people to appear wealthy - driving fancy cars,
living in a house full of nice furniture and wearing expensive jewellery, she told website
BusinessMirror.com.ph. Euromonitor International data states that the number of personal
credit cards in the Philippines grew from 6.0 million to 7.3 million between 2007 and
2012.
Orman also disapproves of the tradition for Filipinos working overseas to spend lavishly
on pasalubong home-coming treats and parties. She cited the case of a Filipino
woman working in the USA who spent US$3,000 on a homecoming party for 200 people.
Online banking now mainstream (April 2013)

Around three quarters of Filipino consumers are comfortable using online banking
services, according to an online survey conducted by Citigroup over the course of 2012. It
found that local consumers who had either a deposit or a credit card account were doing
almost all of their banking transactions via their computers, tablet computers or
smartphones. Only around a quarter of respondents continued to regularly visit bank
branches. According to Euromonitor International data, the number of internet users in
the Philippines increased nearly five-fold between 2007 and 2012, to almost 30 million.
Make smokers pay (April 2013)

A politician wants to introduce a sin tax on tobacco products in order to contribute to

the cost of treating smoking-related illnesses. Catalina Bagasina said: It is estimated
that one-in-five Filipinos may be suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
which entails long-term, or even life-long, treatment. Governments around the world
have spent millions of dollars in the fight against diseases caused by smoking, which are
otherwise preventable, she added. Euromonitor International data states that almost
30% of adult Filipinos were smokers in 2012.
Elections spur spending (April 2013)

According to a study conducted by market research firm Kantar Worldpanel, Filipino

shoppers spend an average of 15% more per shopping trip in election years. During 2007
and 2010 (the two most recent years in which general elections were held), significant
increases in sales of some food and beverage items, particularly soft drinks, instant
noodles and dried pasta, were recorded. With a general election due later this year, We
can expect locals to once again spend more, according to Luz Barra of Kantar
Worldpanel.
Premium Japanese beer targets affluent locals (March 2013)

Japanese company Asahi Breweries' Asahi Super Dry premium beer was officially launched
in the Philippines during early March 2013. Although it has been on sale since late last
year, local distributor Asia Brewery is only now launching a marketing drive.
Hubert Tan of Asia Brewery said that premium products currently accounted for just 0.1%
of the Filipino beer market, compared with an average of 7% in the rest of the region.
The company is targeting consumers in the A and B segments, which it said represented
between 2% and 3% of local beer drinkers. Our targets are hotels and high-end bars,

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Tan said.
The product will also be sold in supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide, priced
at PHP60 (US$1.47) for a 330ml bottle. Euromonitor International data states that percapita consumption of beer (among those aged 15 years or older) in the Philippines rose
from 24.4 litres to 25.3 litres between 2006 and 2011.
Town mourns the passing of record-breaking reptile (March 2013)

In February, residents of the town of Bunawan in Agusan del Sur province in the south of
the country went into mourning after the death of Lolong, a saltwater crocodile thought
to be the largest in captivity. Lolong measured 6.17 metres, weighed just under a tonne
and was thought to be around 50 years of age. The giant reptile was a major tourist
attraction and had come to symbolise the biodiversity of Agusan Marsh, a large area of
swampy forests, lakes and wetlands.
"The whole town, in fact the whole province, is mourning," said Cox Elorde, mayor of
Bunawan. "My phones kept ringing because people wanted to say how affected they
were," he added. Some locals butchered chickens and pigs as funeral offerings to thank
forest spirits for the blessings the crocodile had brought to them in the form of fame and
increased tourism revenue, in spite of the fact that Lolong is suspected of responsibility
for the deaths of several locals over the years.
Chef hits the sweet spot with traditional dishes (March 2013)

According to The Inquirer newspaper, Quezon City-based chef Myke Tatung Sarthou
presides over a restaurant that has proved popular with the local elite. His specialities
include slow-roasted lechon pork belly and balbacua (a soup that takes over eight hours
to cook). He also serves several different types of adobo (marinated pork), a Filipino
favourite.
The newspaper notes that The benchmark by which we judge Filipino food is based on
how our own grandmother, mother or aunt made it. It adds that Chef Sarthou's adobo is
how we know it to be, no matter the nuanced differences from our own heirloom recipes.
The mild sourness kicks in immediately, just as the sweet-salty flavours provide a bold
taste. It concludes that he has succeeded in recreating a classic dish without
compromising its soul.
The return of the serenade (February 2013)

A huge number of Filipinos work abroad, and many of those in long-distance relationships
did what they could to create a romantic atmosphere for Valentine's Day this year. For
example, Angelica Nino, a 22-year-old restaurant manager in Manila, got a big surprise
when her boyfriend, who is currently living in Italy, sent a singer and a guitar player to
serenade her and read her his love letter.
This romantic gesture was modelled on the traditional practice of harana, a courtship
tradition that is akin to serenading. This had been dying out, but it was reinvented by
entrepreneur Jason de la Rosa in 2010. His serenading service is growing in popularity
and now taps a nationwide network of around 140 singers and guitar players.
Locals becoming more financially savvy (February 2013)

A growing number of Filipinos are becoming aware of the importance of saving, a survey
conducted by bank Citi during early 2013 has found. More than 90% of those surveyed (all
of whom had either a bank account or a credit card) said they had a monthly budget. 65%
agreed with the contention that sticking to a budget was important. I was never a
planner, so saving wasn't in my vocabulary until last year. But having worked in Dubai for
ten years with nothing to show for it, I feel really embarrassed, said Janelle Policarpio.
Drivers lose patience with shady car dealers and garages (February 2013)

In the wake of a recent flurry of media reports of car buyers and owners being ripped off
by unscrupulous dealers and garages, the Bureau of Trade Regulation and Consumer

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Protection (BTRCP) has promised a crackdown on rogue traders. According to the BTRCP,
it received 49 complaints relating to this issue between November 2012 and January
2013. These related to defective products, inadequate warranties and deceptive sales
practices. I feel I am being robbed every time I get my car serviced, said Manila
resident Ian Endangan.
Save the whale shark (January 2013)

Two models, Hannah Fraser and Roberta Mancino, have done an underwater photo shoot
with nine-meter-long whale sharks off the southeast coast of the island of Cebu near the
town of Oslob. According to a report in the London-based Metro newspaper, Wearing
designer attire, they struck graceful underwater poses with the world's largest fish. The
aim of the shoot was to raise awareness of the plight of the whale shark, the population
of which has been hit by poaching.
In 1998, the Philippines became one of the first countries in the world to introduce a law
protecting whale sharks. This prohibits the killing or harming of whale sharks, in addition
to their sale. Local fishermen run whale sharks tours, but these are controversial, with
Joey Salceda, the governor of another Philippine province (Albay on the island of Luzon),
referring to such tours as eco-terrorism, rather than eco-tourism.
A direct link home for Filipinos in Dubai (January 2013)

Airline Cebu Pacific (CEB) has announced that it is to operate direct daily flights between
Manila and Dubai from October 2013. This will be the 17-year-old airline's first long-haul
route. Dubai is the largest long-haul market to and from the Philippines. CEB is proud to
be the only Filipino carrier to fly direct to Dubai. We are glad to be of service to over
700,000 Filipinos who are in the UAE, said Alex Reyes of Cebu Pacific.
In the longer term, the company is planning direct flights from Manila to and from
Western Europe, North America and Australia. However, it has yet to meet the safety
requirements of civil aviation regulators in either the USA or the EU.
Christmas is the most dangerous time of the year (January 2013)

Hundreds of people were injured by firecrackers or celebratory gunfire between Christmas

and the New Year, despite government warnings and a ban on some fireworks. During the
New Year celebra-tions, a seven-year-old girl who was watching fireworks with her family
in the municipality of Caloocan City in Manila was killed by a stray bullet. A four-year-old
boy was accidentally shot in the back with a homemade gun in Mandaluyong City, which
is also in Manila.
Meanwhile, health secretary Enrique Ona said 404 people nationwide had been either
burned or maimed by firecrackers, around half of them young children. "Some of the
injuries were serious and could lead to lifelong disabilities," he added. Influenced by
Chinese traditions, many Filipinos believe that noisy New Year's celebrations drive away
evil and misfortune, and they largely ignore warnings and health-and-safety regulations.
Southern island devastated by Typhoon Bopha (December 2012)

More than 1,000 people were killed after Typhoon Bopha triggered landslides in the
southern Philippines on December the 4th. Severe flooding caused by the storm displaced
hundreds of thousands of people and caused severe damage to property and
infrastructure. The southern island of Mindanao was particularly badly affected.
According to New Bataan resident Remy Camarling, who had to abandon his home, Large
tree trunks hit our house, destroying my motorcycle and all our belongings. Many
fishermen who put out to sea before the storm hit are also missing.
Tobacco industry bemoans prospect of higher taxes (December 2012)

Local tobacco companies could be forced to shut down and lay off hundreds of workers
due to a law imposing much higher taxes on low-priced cigarettes, the tobacco industry
claims. According to Blake Dy, vice-president of the Associated Anglo American Tobacco

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Corporation, They have just signed our death warrant. Local tobacco companies will not
be able to survive under this system. In 2011, 27.9% of adults in the Philippines (47%
of men and 9% women) were smokers, up from 27.6% (45.5% of men and 9.8% of
women) during 2006, according to Euromonitor International data.
From Santa's villa to Manila (December 2012)

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has deployed Santa traffic
constables in its newly opened Christmas lanes. Yves Gonzalez, head of MMDA traffic
discipline, even posted a photo showing MMDA traffic constables wearing Santa hats
while on duty. These lanes are alternate routes to help motorists avoid getting stuck in
heavy traffic in the busy weeks prior to Christmas. They lead to and from shopping
centres in Makati City, Pasay, Quezon City, San Juan, Manila and Marikina. MMDA
Chairman Francis Tolentino said: We're hoping that these Christmas lanes will help
motorists to plan their trips and avoid traffic congestion.
Consumers demand smarter TVs (November 2012)

A small, but growing, number of Filipinos are purchasing flat-screen TVs that are capable
of accessing the internet (sometimes called smart TVs), as they seek go online not just
from their PC and smartphone but also from their TV. While the overall level of consumer
awareness of internet-enabled TVs remains relatively low due to issues of affordability,
declining prices have encouraged some affluent buyers to give them a try. According to
Euromonitor International data, value sales of digital TVs (almost all of which are LCD) in
the Philippines grew by 310.3% between 2006 and 2011, to US$302 million.
Transport set for an electric revolution? (November 2012)

Sales of electric vehicles in the Philippines have been relatively low since their launch five
years ago, with high prices making them unaffordable to most locals. However, Yvonne
Castro of the Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines thinks this is about to change
as a result of government policies and increased consumer interest in such issues as
energy efficiency and climate change.
The country's first e-bus was launched a few months ago, and earlier this month, traffic
police in Manila began to use e-scooters. E-jeepneys (a type of minibus) and e-tricycles
(three-wheeled vehicles similar to tuk-tuks) are gradually becoming a more common sight
on the streets of Manila and other cities. I really enjoy the fume- and noise-free ride,
said 27-year-old Rex Rejano, whose e-tricycle cost him around US$4,000.
Consumers called on to buy local this Christmas (November 2012)

Politician Teddy Casio has urged consumers to buy Filipino-made products this Christmas
in order to boost the domestic economy. It is during Christmas that we see a lot of
imported products, from fruits to Christmas lights. I hope we do not forget our
compatriots who also produce quality products, said Casio, who declared November
Buy Pinoy, Build Pinoy Month.
He encouraged Filipino workers returning home for Christmas to shun duty-free shops and
avoid the hassle of travelling while loaded down with presents. It would be better if our
presents, although bought with money earned overseas, were made by Filipino hearts,
according to Casio.
Feeling cool in the tropics? (October 2012)

While the climate in the Philippines is for the most part tropical, many foreign clothing
brands continue to offer fall/winter collections that feature heavy and weather-resistant
fabrics that are more suited to cooler climes. One such brand is Japan-based UNIQLO.
Filipinos are not very conservative. They are dynamic and willing to try new things, said
UNIQLO's Katsumi Kubota.
However, local consumer Gio Ramon, who has bought Uniqlo clothes in the past, said that
even though he likes them, he would not wear jackets or vests from the brand's

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fall/winter collection. The wool and the 'thermal technology' are just too warm for our
climate he commented on the Facebook page of GMA News Online. When Uniqlo
launched in the Philippines in June 2012, fans began to queue as early as 4am for the
store's opening.
Mums shopping for a better tomorrow (October 2012)

Filipino mothers ranked first in terms of wanting to make a difference to the global food
system, according to a survey conducted by Oxfam during early 2012. In a study entitled
The Food Transformation: Harnessing Consumer Power to Create a Fair Food Future,
Oxfam found that 88% of Filipino mothers living in urban areas wanted to know how to
make a difference when they shopped for food. Among this group, 85% said they were
willing to give up meat while 96% wanted advice on how to use less energy while
cooking. The survey was conducted in Brazil, India, the Philippines, the UK, the USA and
Spain.
Consumers urged to eat less rice (October 2012)

In an effort to ensure a sustainable supply and a healthy population, the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice) is urging consumers to eat less rice. Only a quarter of our
regular meals should consist of rice. The bulk should consist of vegetables, fruits and
other healthy food groups, said Dr. Eufemio Rasco Jr., director of PhilRice.
Despite rising incomes, rice remains a staple for many Filipinos. PhilRice reported that in
2009-2010, Filipinos ate an average of 119 kg of rice per capita annually. According to
Euromonitor International data, value sales of rice in the Philippines were worth US$101
million in 2011.
Sin tax to curb enthusiasm for smoking? (September 2012)

Almost half of regular smokers in the Philippines said they would try to quit the habit if a
proposed increase in excise duty on tobacco products was pushed through, a survey
conducted by consulting company Laylo Research Strategies during August 2012 has
found. 31% said they would try to gradually stop smoking, while 17% said they would
stop immediately.
If the Sin Tax Reform Bill becomes law, cigarettes (especially cheaper brands) will
become significantly more expensive. 8% of respondents said they would continue to
smoke the same brand, while 19% said they would continue to smoke but switch to a
cheaper brand. According to Euromonitor International data, 28% of adults in the
Philippines were smokers during 2011.
Personal finances now in better shape (September 2012)

The financial quotient (FQ) of Filipinos rose to 52.6 points during 2011, according to the
latest Fin-Q Survey by bank Citi, which was conducted during late 2011. This was the
first time Filipinos exceeded the passing score of 50 points (out of 100) since the survey's
inception in 2007. FQ is a measure of financial wellbeing, determined by respondents'
spending, saving, credit and investment habits. The survey also found that the average
retirement savings of Filipinos amounted to PHP1.6 million (US$38,700), up by 11% on
the previous year. 42% said they saved money every time they received their salary or
another form of income.
Filipinos post their own versions of horse dance (September 2012)

Gangnam Style, a music video by South Korean rapper Psy, has become hugely popular
in the Philippines (as in much of the rest of the world) for its catchy beats and hilarious
dance moves. Psy's horse dance has proven particularly popular, with a number of Filipino
fans posting their own versions on YouTube. The first to do this was comedian Vice
Ganda. Others soon followed suit, ranging from children to office workers. This is a wellestablished trend in the Philippines, dating back to at least 2007, when a group of prison
inmates posted a recreation of Michael Jackson's Thriller video online.

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Flood-stricken Filipinos tap social networks (August 2012)

The monsoon rains that caused widespread flooding in Metro Manila and surrounding
provinces during late July and early August 2012 did not dampen the enthusiasm of locals
for updating their status on social networking websites. Although there were power cuts
in some areas, a large part of the capital enjoyed uninterrupted electricity supplies and
internet access, making it possible for them to post on Twitter or Facebook, even during
the worst of the floods.
Some of these posts were used to solicit donations and prayers, while others gave
warnings of dangerous locations. Generally, they showed the resilience of Filipinos during
difficult times, and many proved useful to rescuers seeking to evacuate vulnerable
people. Many posted photos, including some of men playing basketball on flooded street
courts, children using flooded underpasses as swimming pools and even a
photoshopped picture of Olympian Michael Phelps swimming in the floodwaters.
Eat all you want! (August 2012)

Filipinos can't seem to get enough of all-you-can-eat food in restaurants. In May 2012,
C2 Classic Cuisine began offering crispy pata (fried pork knuckles) in unlimited portions
at its branch in Greenhills Shopping Centre in Manila. However, some were wary of the
prospect of an inexhaustible supply of such a calorie-laden dish. "Save money with this
offer. You will need it for your heart bypass operation," posted Facebook user Allan
Palomares.
From late July 2012, patrons of The Old Spaghetti House in Quezon City have been able
to gorge themselves on unlimited amounts of pasta and pizza for PHP149 (US$4).
Filipinos have long been fans of the all-you-can-eat concept, with buffets usually
preferred to set menus at weddings and other celebrations.
Shoppers visit supermarkets more frequently, but overall spending unchanged (August
2012)

Filipino shoppers are now going to the supermarket more frequently but spending less on
each visit, according to a survey conducted by research company Nielsen during October
and November 2011. The survey found that the average number of monthly supermarket
visits had increased from 2.2 to 2.6 between 2010 and 2011. 30% of respondents said
they actively searched for promotions when grocery shopping, while 40% said they only
purchased an item on promotion if it was a brand they liked. 90% said they prepared
shopping lists, but 70% said they made impulse purchases. According to Nielsen,
consumers have been decreasing their per-trip spending in order to better manage their
cash flow, shopping only when it is necessary.
High school students can now study Chinese (July 2012)

From this coming school year, public high school students in the Philippines will be able
to learn Mandarin Chinese as part of the Department of Education's Special Programme in
Foreign Languages. Many third-year high-school students have signed up to learn the
language, hoping that it will open up more opportunities after they finish school. Student
Sherwin Esponga says: "I plan to work in China after graduation so that I can earn more
and help my family." According to another, Isabelita Odono, "I want to be a stewardess,
but I need to be able to communicate in Chinese to do this."
Apart from Mandarin and English, public high school students can choose to learn
Japanese, French, German or Spanish. The Department of Education is also planning to
add Arabic in its foreign language programme, as a significant number of Filipinos migrate
to the Middle East.
Youngsters put career before marriage (July 2012)

Filipino children would chose a fat pay check over living happily ever after, a survey that
asked what they want to achieve by the age of 30 years has found. Cartoon Network's
New Generations 2012 survey found that a high-paying job was the top priority for 63%

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of children aged between seven and 14 years. Just 12% said that their main goal was
marriage.
Other priorities included being physically fit (45%), getting rich (42%), being happy
(40%), having lots of friends (26%), being well-travelled (22%), having a fast car (11%)
and having children (10%). The survey was based on face-to-face, in-home interviews
with 1,000 randomly selected children from Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao that were
conducted during late February and March 2012.
Most opt for trusted brands, rather than cheap alternatives (July 2012)

A nationwide study conducted by market research firm Kantar Worldpanel during early
2012 has found that Filipino consumers are willing to pay more for brands that they
believe to be reliable, durable and of better quality. This preference was found to hold
across all income groups. The study found that 62% of the respondents equated higher
prices with better quality.
Brands are adjusting to this by making it easier for consumers to purchase their products
in smaller packages, even sachets, in order to make them more affordable to those on
lower incomes. This is particularly the case for such personal care products as shampoo,
toothpaste and sunscreen.
Road goes car free on Sundays (June 2012)

Pasig City, one of the city-municipalities of Metro Manila, has followed in the footsteps of
cities like Bogot in Colombia and Jakarta in Indonesia to declare Sunday car free. On its
first Car-Free Sunday on June the 3rd, 2012, the usually busy F. Ortigas Jr. road in
downtown Pasig was completely free of cars, allowing people to enjoy the wide-open
space. The Car-free Day is part of Pasig's e-Road Sharing Program, which aims to shift
the predominant mall culture to one that embraces open space and nature.
Cyclists in particular welcomed the event: "This is a good start and I hope one day
Manila will have bike lanes like Amsterdam," said one. Many shoppers, joggers and pet
owners also expressed their appreciation of the event. "I really wish we could have more
green spaces within cities. Anything like this is welcome," said archaeologist Vito
Hernandez. It is intended that Car-Free Day will take place every Sunday from 6am until
noon.
Coworking spaces attract independent professionals (June 2012)

The proliferation of people working independently has fuelled the growth of coworking
spaces all over the world. A coworking space is basically a shared office for
entrepreneurs, independent professionals, freelancers and creative people. In 2011, one
such space, co.lab, opened in Makati in the heart of Manila's central business district.
co.lab is not the only coworking space in the city: Another popular place is A Space
Manila.
Coworking spaces serve as an alternative for those who are tired of the isolation of
working at home or who are forced to work in noisy cafs. According to their proponents,
they offer a more productive environment with fewer distractions. Anna Oposa, a
freelance writer and marine conservationist, prefers working at co.lab instead of in a caf
because of the opportunity to meet people from different fields that she would not
normally come in contact with. Another coworker, Chely Esguerra, an advocacy
communications specialist, said she goes to co.lab to get real work done. To be a fulltime co-worker in co.lab costs upwards of PHP4,500 (US$106) a month.
Pinoy consumers favour local products to boost economy (June 2012)

68%, of Filipinos are inclined to buy a domestically made product, rather than a foreign
one, according to an annual survey conducted by Reader's Digest among affluent,
university educated consumers during October 2011, with the results published in June
2012. 94% of respondents agreed that supporting local brands boosted the country's
economic growth. 75% said they were likely to purchase an eco-friendly product or

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service. 91% of respondents chose nutritional information as the most relevant

information on food product labels.
Most lack bank accounts (May 2012)

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' (Central Bank of the Philippines or BSP) first Consumer
Finance Survey found that 79% of Filipino households did not have deposit accounts.
Most said they preferred to keep their money in "shadow banking" entities, such as
savings and loan associations or paluwagans, which relate to the Filipino tradition of
pooling funds with neighbours or work colleagues, with members taking turns to receive
the money. Of those who had bank accounts, six out of ten had interest-earning deposit
accounts. The survey was conducted between November 2009 and January 2010 but its
results were only published in May 2012.
Bubble tea makes a comeback (May 2012)

Over recent months, milk tea and bubble tea have made a comeback in Manila. Tracing its
roots to Taiwan in the 1980s, bubble tea is tea that is flavoured with fruit syrup or milk
and then mixed with tapioca pearls. Popular venues serving these drinks in the city
include Chatime, Serenitea and Gong Cha, with the number growing all the time.
Consumers are always on the lookout for halfway houses where they can while away
time, meet with friends, organise their activities or finish some paperwork, said Johnlu,
who holds the Chatime master franchise for the Philippines. For many, the tea lounge
concept offers an affordable alternative to pricey coffee shops. Some tea houses also
offer health tea mixes, such as tea with Yakult and fruit. Meanwhile, Chatime has plans
to sell baked goods and sandwiches that are made in store.
Private schools take learning to another dimension (May 2012)

Private schools in the Philippines have started incorporating 3D technology into their
teaching. Eton International School in Manila is among the first in the Philippines to offer
a 3D learning programme, believing it can make complicated and abstract topics easier
for students to grasp. Many teachers and students extol the benefits of 3D learning. "It
was amazing and fun and it made my learning experience three times better," said 12year-old Omar Hassan.
In the Philippines, where it is common for public schools to have no more than a single
computer, attempts are being made by private schools and the government to extend 3D
learning to more students. Private institutions, such as Eton, are working with the
Education Department to help share the benefits of 3D technology with public schools and
underprivileged children. For example, there are plans for mobile 3D classrooms to bring
the technology to remote areas.
Sachet sales spread beyond FCMG to consumer finance (April 2012)

A growing number of fast moving consumer goods (FCMG) are being sold in sachets in the
Philippines in an effort to make them more affordable to those on low incomes. According
to Nestl Philippines, 40% of its products are now sold in sachets that are available in
more than 90% of shopping outlets. When toothpaste manufacturer Lamoiyan Corp
started selling Hapee toothpaste in sachets, Colgate quickly followed suit.
Even the consumer finance sector is now selling its products in "sachets" of a sort. Some
life assurance companies are selling cover at rates of PHP1 (US$0.02) a day. BanKo, the
micro-finance arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands, is now accepting deposits as low
as PHP50 in its rapidly expanding branch network. Meanwhile, Planters Bank is using
intermediaries to lend as little as PHP5,000 to borrowers.
Finding cash in the trash (April 2012)

In Mauban, a municipality in Quezon City, part of Metro Manila, discarded confectionary

wrappers, juice packs, plastic straws and other items are being turned into useful items
like curtains, comforters, throws, pillows and bags. For example, empty juice packs are

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sewn together to make a comforter that may serve as a protective mat for baby baths or
bedridden adults.
This recycling effort is led by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office. All
the raw materials used in producing these items come from the daily rubbish collection. It
is then put through shredders, pulverisers and other equipment to produce materials
suitable for recycling.
Noynoying the new protest craze (April 2012)

Young Filipinos have taken to an unusual form of protest to express their dissatisfaction
with rising energy prices. Once popular, planking (an activity consisting of lying face down
in an unusual or incongruous location) has now been eclipsed by noynoying. This word is
derived from Noynoy, the nickname of Philippine President Benigno Aquino III. It is
described as doing nothing when you have something to do. College students in Quezon
City popularised it by lounging on the steps of their university during a protest. It has
since gone viral online, with a Facebook fan page gaining over 800 likes in a day.
Tourism tagline goes viral and mutates (March 2012)

The tagline It's More Fun in the Philippines was unveiled in January 2012 by the
Department of Tourism. Creative Filipinos have run with it since then. In their Facebook
postings, BlackBerry messages and blogs, Filipinos have been augmenting the phrase
with own images and words.
Jail Time. It's more fun in the Philippines, says one with a photo of the jumpsuit-clad
dancers of Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center. Angry birds. More fun in
the Philippines, says another, somewhat more controversial one, which was accompanied
by a photo of a cock fight. Many of these home-brew advertisements are not shy about
tackling problems the country does not like to be associated with, such as corruption and
poverty. How the phrase will do against Amazing Thailand and Incredible India
remains to be seen, but it is fair to say that this new tagline has sparked much more
local interest than previous efforts like Wow Philippines.
A beauty contest for plus-size women: insulting or encouraging? (March 2012)

An unusual beauty and talent contest is held every February in Mandaluyong City in Metro
Manila. The 2012 winner, 29-year-old mother Gerribenzi Pangilinan-Tubil, known as Benzi
to her family and friends, beat 20 other finalists. The unusual thing about the contest is
that it for women who weigh more than 200lb (90.7kg). She said that she wanted to send
a message to other plus-size women that the true measure of beauty was not one's
waistline.
However, it what could be perceived as a mixed message, Benzi received a PHP100,000
(US$2,330) cash prize and a one-year membership of a fitness club. Moreover, the finalist
who loses the most weight in a year wins a separate cash prize of PHP 50,000. This is
actually a fight against obesity. But at the same time, we make these women feel good
about themselves, said Leo Urmeneta, the pageant coordinator. Now in its fourth year,
the contest has attracted women between the ages of 18 and 50 years. It is organised by
the city government and sponsored by a fitness club.
Scientists migrate to greener pastures (March 2012)

The lure of higher salaries has led an increasing number of professionals with science and
technology qualifications to leave the Philippines, according to a study on migrants
conducted during 2011 by the Science Education Institute, an agency of the Department
of Science and Technology. The number of temporary migrants rose from 9,877 in 1998 to
24,502 in 2009, an increase of about 148%.
Physicists, chemists and other physical scientists can expect the highest salaries abroad
according to the study. Others being lured abroad by the prospect of higher pay include
mathematicians, actuaries, medical doctors, bacteriologists, pharmacologists, ship
engineers, systems analysts, dieticians and nutritionists. The top destinations for these

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migrants were found to be Middle Eastern countries, followed by the USA, Singapore and
the UK.
Cheap wines flowing freely (February 2012)

Filipinos are developing a taste for wine as incomes rise. According to Euromonitor
International data, volume sales of wine in the Philippines grew from 11.8 million litres to
12.6 million litres between 2010 and 2011.
However, according to James Du Vivier, president of Forth & Tay, a local wine distributor,
over 80% of wine sold locally costs less than PHP250 (US$6). Expensive wines are rarely
consumed in the Philippines, with fewer than 200 cases sold a year, he said. Filipinos
often prefer sweeter, fruitier wines, which go well with local food, such as chicken adobo
(chicken cooked with soy sauce) and kare kare (a stew made with a thick peanut sauce),
he added.
Increased awareness of the perceived health benefits of wine is also playing a role.
Filipinos are shifting from beer to wine because of the message about how good red
wine is for one's heart, according to Bill Hardy of Hardy's Wines.
Chinese New Year celebrations widen (February 2012)

More Filipinos are joining the local Chinese community in celebrating the Chinese New
Year, which took place at the end of January this year. Manila's local government
sponsored a two-day, non-stop entertainment extravaganza in a local park, and, perhaps
more importantly, the national government made one day of the festival a public holiday.
"The holiday allowed Filipinos to join in the street fiesta on Ongpin Street in Binondo
(Manila's Chinatown). It was a new experience for many Filipinos," said Minerva Tan, a
local store owner. Chinese rice cakes (known locally as tikoy) were also selling briskly.
Manila's five-star hotels were fully booked on New Year's Eve, as many affluent ChineseFilipino families made reservations for the night.
The indulgences of lower-income consumers (February 2012)

Lower-income Filipino women are very fond of such indulgences as in-home hair and nail
treatments, according to a study conducted by marketing communications company JWT.
The findings were gathered through surveys and focus groups conducted in 2011 and early
2012.
The study also found that many men from the same socio-economic group derived the
most pleasure from cigarettes and alcohol. Meanwhile, their children prefer sweet treats,
such as a scoop of ice cream or a slice of cake. Other little indulgences favoured by these
consumers were found to include weekend DVD rentals and home-cooked snacks.
A green Christmas (January 2012)

The Philippines saw a number of efforts to promote greater environmental awareness by

universities and religious groups last Christmas. Ateneo de Manila University mounted its
first ever University Christmas Parks display. Eight displays made out of recycled
materials, including angels fashioned out of recycled wire and scrap metal and life-size
mannequins built from empty soda cans, bottles and soccer balls, dotted the main roads
of the campus in Quezon City. Each display depicted Filipino traditions, ranging from
midnight mass to the partaking of traditional desserts like rice cakes.
De La Salle University in Manila also opted for a green Christmas, with lanterns fashioned
out of such items as recycled CDs, bottle caps, water bottles, magazines, newspapers,
motor oil containers and plastic cups and bags. Meanwhile, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias
Iiguez Jr., head of the public affairs unit of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the
Philippines, urged the public to minimise the rubbish they produced during the holidays.
Western caf experience begins to percolate through smaller cities (January 2012)

Western-style cafs are becoming more popular in smaller cities outside Metro Manila. In
Tagum City in the Southern Philippines region, the number of cafs is expanding rapidly.

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Among them is the Yuyu Caf and Dessert Shop, which offers Western-style cakes and
Italian coffee at affordable prices. We are offering the average Tagum resident a chance
to taste the American and other Western cakes they only used to see in Davao City
cafs. So we have to make our prices affordable, says Emerald Uy, the owner of Yuyu.
Yuyu also offers limited editions of such Filipino favourites as buko pandan cakes.
According to Emerald, Tagum was not yet ready for a full-on caf, So we decided to
innovate. Aside from cakes and coffee, we also serve things like soups, salads and main
dishes. We want Yuyu to be the complete package. A coffee shop and fast-food joint
rolled into one.
Interest in yoga spreads (January 2012)

With fitness centres and gyms in Metro Manila now offering a wide variety of classes,
including dance and yoga, interest in these disciplines is spreading to the suburbs.
Bikram yoga is fast gaining popularity in Alabang, an outer suburb of Metro Manila.
Founded by Bikram Choudhury in the early 1970s, Bikram yoga consists of 26 separate
postures and two breathing exercises.
Bikram Yoga Alabang opened in early 2011 and attracted more than 1,500 yoga
practitioners during its first seven months. Most of these practitioners are stay-at-homemothers, young professionals and athletes. In a room heated to 40 degrees Celsius, they
spend 90 minutes performing a series of postures and breathing exercises designed to
engage both mind and body. Many of the practitioners claim that Bikram yoga has helped
them lose weight and improved their flexibility, among other things.
Farmers benefit from popularity of civet coffee (December 2011)

Until recently, Filipino farmers hunted the civets that ate their coffee beans, but they
have now realised the value of their droppings. Civets are small, mostly nocturnal
mammals that are native to tropical Asia and Africa. They eat the outer fruit of the coffee
bean but pass the rest through their stomachs. The enzymes and acids in the animal's
digestive system remove the normally bitter aftertaste of the coffee bean and give it a
distinctive fruity aroma. Montenegro, a farmer from Lipa, a town south of Manila, says he
and his wife collected up to 8kg of beans a day during the peak season between March
and May. At PH1,200/kg (US$28/kg), they fetch five times the price of ordinary coffee
beans. As a result, they can earn PH9,600 a day in the peak season.
Civet coffee is gaining popularity among a niche group of coffee fans. It has no acidity
whatsoever, is very full-bodied, and the taste is very complex. There is a little bit of
spice, a little bit of fruitiness, said chef Jude Mancuya, as he sipped on a cup in a caf in
Manila. Mancuya paid PH295 for his cup, which is about double the price of a regular brew
in Manila.
More men join danced-based workout (December 2011)

A growing number of Filipino men are taking part in dance-based gym classes. Men have
started to see the value of stretching and toning, and some gyms in Manila now offer
exercise routines that claim to help sculpt the body into an elongated physique like that
of a dancer. For example, Plana Forma Studio, a gym in Manila, offers intense workout
sessions that combine yoga, dance and Pilates.
The workout has been well received by both gym goers and professional athletes. The
Azkals (the national football team) have been taking the workout for cross-training, while
sales manager Pacholo Garcia Morera said that the workout had improved both his
posture and stamina. According to the gym, some patrons like the workout so much that
they are going four times a week.
Meatless Monday takes off (December 2011)

The concept of Meatless Monday has come to the Philippines. On October the 17th, Dr
Custer Deocaris, a neuroscience and biogerontology expert with the Department of
Science and Technology, helped Tarlac State University (TSU), a university in central

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Luzon, to jumpstart its participation in Meatless Mondays. Meatless Mondays began in

the USA at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, with the twin goals of reducing the
incidence of cardiovascular diseases and curbing greenhouse gas emissions.
At TSU, Dr Deocaris hopes to use the university's Meatless Mondays as a starting point to
improvement a national diet that is heavy on meat, particularly among young people. Dr
Deocaris used the event to encourage both students and staff to try indigenous
vegetables, and the local government is said to be considering expanding the campaign
beyond the campus. While TSU student Roosevelt T. Tabag, Jr. admitted his love for fried
chicken, he said that Meatless Mondays had encouraged him to reconsider his attitude
towards eating vegetables.
Filipinos urged to reduce dependence on rice (November 2011)

Filipinos can help the government to reach its goal of becoming self-sufficient in rice by
cooking the right amount and leaving no leftovers, as well as diversifying their
carbohydrate sources, according to government officials. Many Filipinos depend on rice
because it is a cheap source of carbohydrates, with lower-income households consuming
more than their middle- and upper-income counterparts, whose diets tend to be more
varied.
According to the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice), poor families spend as
much as 40% of their incomes on rice. White corn, cassava, sweet potato, corn and
banana can be used as alternatives to rice, said PhilRice socio-economist Flordeliza
Bordey, who also noted that many Filipinos do not know how to cook rice properly, which
leads to waste.
All hail the Cosplay Queen! (November 2011)

Alodia's Fantasy, the first-ever online cosplay show in the Philippines, was launched by
Alodia Gosiengfiao, a 23-year-old model and who has been dubbed the Cosplay Queen of
the Philippines, on October the 22nd. Cosplay, short for costume play, is a kind of art
where fictional characters are brought to life by dressing up. Alodia said she wanted
people to get to know more about cosplay.
A cosplay competition was held during the show, which can be viewed online at
Flippish.com. It has been claimed that around 10,000 people watched the online show.
Wearing your favourite characters is really fun and fulfilling, especially if there are
people who appreciate your efforts, and Alodia's Fantasy highlights these efforts, said
Czarina Bisda, one of the participants.
An innovative approach to teaching children about money (November 2011)

The Rockwell Club, a sports and health club in Manila, has joined with journalist Maiki E.
Oreta to organise the Kiddo-preneur Bazaar, the first event of its kind in the country. It
will take place on December the 4th. Oreta, a journalist with ANC, a 24-hour news
channel, got the idea when she was looking for ways to teach her six-year-old daughter
about money in a way that school textbooks could not. This soon turned into the wider
goal of helping children to gain practical experience of money matters.
Children between the ages of four and 16 years will be eligible to get a booth and start
their own businesses at the bazaar. Simple items like macaroni necklaces, homemade
sweets and art projects are envisaged. There will also be opportunities to learn how to
save, invest and donate to charity. Banks, the Philippine Stock Exchange and charitable
organisations have also been invited to set up booths.
Unsafe tap water forces poor to pay more (October 2011)

A growing number of Metro Manila households are resorting to getting water from refilling
stations amid concerns over the safety of tap water. The demand for safe drinking water
has fuelled a water filling station industry that generated PHP1.6 billion (US$36 million)
in Metro Manila during May 2011 alone, a year-on-year increase of 34%, according to a
study conducted by Kantar Worldpanel Philippines.

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Although this trend is not unique to Metro Manila, it is more developed here than
elsewhere in the country. Edralin Cartel, a convenience store owner from Manila, says she
would not dare let her family drink water from the tap. Since her seven-year-old daughter
contracted a disease in 2010, supposedly from contaminated water in school, Cartel has
resorted to buying jugs of purified water from a nearby filling station at PHP35 per jug.
She says it is a small price to pay for health.
Fish ice cream without the fishy aftertaste (October 2011)

Tilapia, a type of fish that is one of the most common foods on Filipino dinner tables, is
now a dessert. Using tilapia flakes as the main ingredient, Dana Vera Cruz, a professor at
the College of Home Science and Industry of Central Luzon State University (CLSU),
produced an ice cream without a fishy aftertaste. Vera Cruz said she got rid of the fishy
taste by using such ingredients as walnuts, cream and cheese. The tilapia ice cream went
down a storm when it was offered for tasting at the Tilapia Food Festival at the CLSU on
September the 23rd.
According to Vera Cruz, tilapia ice cream can be easily made at home. Judging from the
initial public response, it appears set to become a regular menu item in Chives Caf and
Patisserie, an eatery run by her department.
Will foreign investment in buko juice be a blessing or a curse? (October 2011)

Coconut water vendors in Lucena City (a city in the province of Quezon that is known as
the "Cocopalm City of the South") expect brisk business after President Aquino
encouraged foreign investors to get into coconut water businesses in the Philippines
during a visit to the USA during September 2011. Coconut water, more commonly known
as buko juice in the Philippines, has become a popular sports drink in the USA and other
countries as an alternative to carbonated beverages.
We hope the news will bring us more customers, said Roberto Belen, a vendor of
coconuts and buko juice. Roberto and his wife have been running a coconut stall in
Lucena City for 20 years. Regular buko juice drinkers attest to its health benefits: Buko
juice after morning exercise is best for the body, said jogger Rod Ravina. It is a natural
and safe diuretic. Urinating is easy and refreshing if one is a regular drinker, said office
worker Alfredo Manalo, who regularly buys three glasses of the stuff from his favourite
vendor. However, some coconut vendors have expressed concerns that greater export
demand could result in a shortage of coconuts on the local market.
Urban farming project launched in schools (September 2011)

Public school students in Quezon City (one of the municipalities of Metro Manila) will
soon discover the joy of urban farming as teachers and parents join in a project to create
more green spaces in schools. Launched by the Department of Education in September
2011, the Urban Farming Project aims to establish urban farms in schools in order to
promote healthy eating habits and proper nutrition among students.
The project will be implemented in all elementary and high schools in Metro Manila.
Education Secretary Armin Luistro has challenged school principals to be creative in
growing plants, despite limited space. For Payatas Annex-B Elementary School principal
Cesar Vires, the project will hone students' skills in applying what they learn in school to
their own homes. Not many children see the practical side of gardening anymore. It will
help them to save money when they can harvest their own vegetables, he said.
Restaurants switch from plastic to paper (September 2011)

It's time to say goodbye to plastic containers in Pasig, one of the municipalities of Metro
Manila. Since July 2011, 320 quickservice restaurants in Pasig, including fast food chains
like Jollibee and KFC, have been using paper bags for takeaway food.
In Jollibee restaurants, the shift from plastic to paper bags got a mixed reaction. A
branch manager claimed that most customers were in favour of the change. He said:

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Some even bring their own used plastic bags. However, others complain, especially when
it's raining heavily. Some customers also noted that it was a little inconvenient, since
paper bags have no handles. Apart from ditching plastic bags, Jollibee and other fast-food
chains have designated Fridays as strawless days. On Fridays, customers no longer get
a disposable plastic straw with their drinks.
Free, healthy snacks for Quezon City school kids (September 2011)

Over a thousand primary school kids in Quezon City can look forward to free, healthy
snacks in class. In August 2011, the Quezon City government launched a feeding
programme in schools that have registered the highest levels of malnutrition. Mayor
Herbert Bautista is leading the Healthy and Bibo Kids Feeding Program, which aims to
distribute vitamin-fortified snacks to schoolchildren for four months.
The programme, which will benefit 1,380 kids from Grades 1 to Grade 3 in five public
primary schools, aims to address the correlation between substandard mental
performance and poor physical health in pupils. Julie's Bakeshop will provide vitaminenriched nutribread and milk, chocolate or green tea fortified with L-theanine, fluoride,
antioxidants and calcium.
Government and police target online crime and internet addiction (August 2011)

The authorities are working on measures to address internet-related crimes. Police

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) director Chief Superintendent Samuel
Pagdilao noted more criminals were using Facebook and other popular social networking
sites to target their victims.
The crimes range from fraud, identity theft and libel to murder. There were 72 such cases
during the whole of 2010, but 56 were recorded during the first half of 2011 alone. The
issue came to a head on June the 18th, 2011, when call centre employee Maria Luisa
Dominguez-Laquindanum was robbed and murdered in Mandaluyong City (part of Metro
Manila) by four male visitors, including her supposed boyfriend, who she had met on
Facebook.
Internet addiction is also on the rise, with some children spending hours in internet cafs
playing online games. However, so far, the approach to this problem has been relatively
soft, with the government confining itself to educating parents on the signs and risks of
computer game addiction.
Fusion food grows in popularity (August 2011)

Fusion food is emerging in the Philippines, with dishes being created primarily by
adventurous cooks and chefs trained abroad. A growing number of local restaurants are
serving sour-soup corned beef, where salt-cured meat pieces replace the usual pork or
beef cubes in traditional Filipino sinigang (sour broth); fried pieces of pork tossed in
shrimp paste; and lamb adobo (lamb braised in garlic, vinegar and soy), a much strongersmelling version of an old Filipino favourite.
There are two types of Filipino restaurants today: traditional and innovative. Fusion is
not necessarily fusing one cuisine to another, it is more the mixing of techniques, said
Tracy Santiago, president of TravelTales Inc. TravelTales Inc. has been conducting food
tours of culinary hotspots, such as Pampanga in Central Luzon, for several years.
Santiago also noted that food blogs, social networks, and cheap airfares are all having an
increased impact on Filipino cuisine.
Filipinos love to share their mobile phone photos (August 2011)

Filipinos are among the most eager to take mobile phone pictures and share them
through such social networking sites as Facebook, according to a survey conducted by
Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia. The survey, which was conducted online during the
first half of 2011 in eight countries, found that 70% of respondents in the Philippines
took photos with mobile devices at least once a week, with 31% taking them daily. 50%
of Filipino respondents said they regularly uploaded these images to social media

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platforms.
Pictures of friends (59% of respondents) and children (45%) were the most popular with
Filipinos, while 49% took photos of themselves, with 44% posting these self portraits
online. 63% of Filipino respondents said camera and picture quality were among the most
important features they looked for when buying a new phone. Just 3% thought these
factors were irrelevant.
Child chefs become TV stars (July 2011)

TV cooking shows are gaining popularity in the Philippines, and some of them now feature
children. On the popular show Amazing Cooking Kids, the young contestants undergo a
series of challenges, which include tests in blind-tasting, mincing, baking and, finally,
preparing Filipino and foreign dishes. On the show's season finale, which was broadcast
on July the 16th, the little chefs faced their biggest challenge yet: Under the supervision
of chef Jill Sandique, they had to prepare a full course, world-class Filipino meal.
One of the contestants, 11-year-old Duday Reyes, said she was inspired by the dishes
cooked by her grandmother and mother. She said that instead of playing with dolls, she
had always preferred to watch international cooking shows and join her mother in the
kitchen. This trend is also spreading away from television: Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay
City is planning to hold its own Junior Chef's Cup Challenge during late July 2011.
Korean food wave hits Manila (July 2011)

Kimchi, bulgogi and bibimbap used to be the only Korean dishes that Filipinos knew, but
a new wave of Korean franchises, such as Red Mango, Bon Chon Chicken and Caffe TiAmo, is gaining momentum in Manila. Korean-style fried chicken became an instant hit
with the opening of Bon Chon Chicken, a New York-based chain, in the heart of Manila's
Makati financial district in November 2010. Filipino food bloggers raved about the fried
chicken's soy, garlic and ginseng sauce, and the online buzz translated into long queues
at the restaurant.
Another Korean franchise that is finding success in the Philippines is the frozen yogurt
chain Red Mango. Red Mango's Filipino Facebook page has more than 50,000 fans. Fans of
Korean pop music (K-pop) are flocking to Caffe Ti-Amo, a Seoul-based coffee chain. "I've
seen all those cute cafes in Seoul on Korean TV shows. They look really nice and warm. I
think Caffe Ti-Amo has that same feeling, making me want to hang out here all day," said
Melissa Cruz, a 19-year-old college student.
Residents cash in on growing demand for geckos for use in traditional medicine (July 2011)

In some towns in the province of Laguna, which is located close to Manila, residents are
cashing in on the growing but illicit demand for tokay geckos, fattening them up in cages
till they weigh to up to 200g and fetch as much as PHP1,000 (US$23) per gram. A buyer
told me that he was able to resell one for PHP250,000, said an anonymous local
middleman. He said he had helped buyers find poachers whose homes come alive at night
with the noise of captive lizards, particularly of the grey and orange-spotted variety:
They know that it's illegal, that's why they keep the cages hidden, he said.
The belief that geckos can be used to make a cure for such diseases as cancer and AIDS
has fed a thriving industry in East Asia. This is now happening throughout the country,
said Theresa Mundita Lim, director of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB),
part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Lim said local geckos were
being smuggled to China and South Korea, where they are used as a raw ingredient in
traditional medicines.
Contamination scare prompts withdrawal of Taiwanese food (June 2011)

The government, businesses and consumers in the Philippines are on alert concerning
Taiwanese food imports, after news broke that a harmful chemical was present in some
Taiwanese products. In May 2011, the illegal use of the plasticizer DEHP in clouding
agents for use in food and beverages was reported in Taiwan. Members of the Philippine

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Association of Supermarkets (PASI) have withdrawn Taiwan-made food products. Federico

Ples of the PASI said that its members agreed to voluntarily withdraw Taiwanese products
from their shelves, particularly sports drinks, soft drinks, fruit juices, and jellies. The
chemical in question is DEHP, which is used to make plastic.
During late May 2011, members of The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental group, went
around the Binondo district of Manila, more popularly known as Chinatown, persuading
shop owners to stop selling "high-risk" products from Taiwan. The Taiwanese Food and
Drug Authority has urged shoppers to read food labels carefully.
Manila residents receive sun-powered bulbs to replace kerosene lamps (June 2011)

In an effort to reduce the number of fires in Manila, the city authorities have distributed
solar-powered bulbs made out of common household materials to a number of residents
in the Tondo district of Manila. Many residents in the poorer districts of Manila still use
candles or kerosene lamps for lighting. The solar bottle bulb is made of a small sheet of
galvanised iron and a plastic bottle filled with a solution of water, salt and chlorine that
amplifies sunlight. The bulb, which works by refracting sunlight, gives off light equivalent
to a 55-watt electric bulb.
According to local resident Melinda Jose, the solar light bulb can help her family cut costs.
Her only problem with it is that it is too bright: I get dizzy just looking at it, she says.
Her mother, 64-year-old Nimfa Baylon, sees it as a way to prevent fires.
Strict enforcement of smoking ban set in Manila (June 2011)

During late May, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) launched a drive
to strictly enforce a smoking ban in public places across the city. Those caught smoking in
prohibited areas will be fined PHP500 (US$12), which is more than the daily minimum
wage. Those who cannot pay will have to do community service. As part of the
government's anti-tobacco programme, MMDA officials said it would deploy policemen and
specially trained enforcement officials to round up violators.
The ultimate aim is to transform Metro Manila into a smoke-free city. According to
Euromonitor International data, 28% of Filipino adults were smokers in 2010. However,
some locals claim that regulating the large number of heavily polluting vehicles on the
city's streets would do more to improve their health.
Going online to search for Mother's Day cards and gifts (May 2011)

As befits a society in which family remains extremely important, Mother's Day is a big
occasion for Filipinos. Findings from a Yahoo! Search Trends report released in May 2011
showed that many Filipino sought help online for Mother's Day greeting cards and quotes.
The highest spike in searches was witnessed for the term Mother's Day cards,' which saw
a 150% surge in searches during early May. Filipinos were also keen to express their
sentiments through customised cards, with many also using online stores to find gifts for
their mothers, particularly flowers.
The demise of the Apple grey market? (May 2011)

The iPad2 was met with enthusiasm by fans of Apple products in the Philippines when it
was launched on April the 29th. iPad fans swarmed Apple Premium Resellers, with many
buyers expressing relief that they would no longer be held hostage by grey market
vendors. These charge an additional PHP4,000-PHP8,000 (US$100-US$200) for the highly
coveted device.
However, some retailers felt that this "early" launch had a downside: Stocks will be
clearly limited, since the Philippines will have to share the Asian allocation with larger
markets (in terms of demand) like Singapore and Hong Kong. As a result, predictions of
the demise of grey market retailers may well be premature.
Town celebrates summer by making huge dessert (May 2011)

Residents of Barangay Tabuan in Estancia town in the province of Iloilo recently made a

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huge bowl of halo-halo to beat the summer heat. One of the country's most popular
desserts, halo-halo, which means "mix-mix," is a beloved Filipino dessert that usually
contains shaved ice, milk, beans, pieces of fruit, gelatine, ice cream, pinipig (pounded
and toasted glutinous rice flakes) and leche flan (caramel custard).
The huge bowl of halo-halo contained 20 blocks of ice, eight large cans of fruit cocktail,
six packs of corn flakes, three bags of kamote (sweet potato), 20 bags of gulaman (bars
of dried seaweed), two sacks of sugar and more than 200 cans of evaporated milk. The
village has been making giant halo-halo for the past six years as part of its Halo-Halo
Festival.
Consumer groups criticise new labelling regulation for snacks (April 2011)

In early April 2011, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the Philippines decided to
introduce Guideline Daily Amounts (GDA) labelling on snacks, saying the label would
show the percentage of recommended daily amounts per serving and the absolute amount
per serving, helping to educate both adults and children about calories, fat, sugar and
salt.
However, the proposal has come under attack from a network of consumer protection and
food safety groups. Their network, which consists of academics, public health officials and
consumer protection activists, says the new GDA rules are overly complicated. Instead, it
favours colour-coded labels, an idea the FDA has rejected. Snack makers are also
opposed to the idea of colour-coded labels, claiming they are vague, can be easily
misinterpreted and may adversely affect their industry.
Radiation fears hit sales of Japanese food (April 2011)

Sales of Japanese food products have fallen sharply in the Philippines amid fears of
radiation contamination. "Over the past two weeks, we've had the lowest number of
customers since I opened three years ago," said Japanese restaurateur Shigeyoshi
Yasumoto, who runs the Saika eatery in Manila's "Little Tokyo" area. Across the street, a
speciality Japanese mini-supermarket was almost bereft of customers: The Filipino store
manager said business had almost dried up, in spite of the fact that the store has
assured the public that its stock was all made prior to the quake. The Filipino government
has said that any imports from areas of Japan close to the stricken nuclear plant in
Fukushima are to be tested for radiation.
Manila's traffic woes worsen, but drivers still shun the bus (April 2011)

Traffic congestion is steadily getting worse in Manila, as the public transport system is
not able to meet the needs of commuters. Lawyer Meg Gutierrez gets up before dawn in
an effort to beat the worst of the city's traffic but still ends up spending almost two
hours driving to work: "I spend so much time on the road. When I get home, I just sleep,
and then wake up again the next day," she said. However, she added that she still
prefers making the 20km trip by car to using public transport, as irregular schedules,
crowded buses and a lack of trains make this an even more arduous option.
Lively mobile market abuzz with special offers and multi-SIM phones (March 2011)

The Philippines telecom market is buzzing with promotions. These range from PHP25
(US$0.57) for unlimited texting for three days, PHP500 for a full month of unlimited calls,
or small daily top-ups during weekdays that entitle users to free texts and an hour of
mobile internet surfing at the weekend.
However, the catch is that the numbers consumers call or text as part of these offers
must be on the same network. As a result, dual-SIM card mobile phones are becoming
increasingly popular. The Cherry Mobile brand has gained popularity on the back of its
affordable dual-SIM card phones, and it even released a triple-SIM phone in July 2010.
According to Euromonitor International data, the number of mobile phone subscriptions
per 1,000 people in the Philippines reached 1,065 in 2010, up from 494 in 2006.

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Social enterprise thrives on recycled bags (March 2011)

The Invisible Sisters, a group of poor grandmothers and mothers from Manila, are
making waves in the fashion industry with bags made from recycled materials. Founded in
2008 with help from American artist Ann Wizer, the group has since grown into a
sustainable social enterprise, forging partnerships with such big names as Ayala Malls
and footwear label Figlia.
The group currently consists of over 200 people. Using only a crochet hook that costs a
mere PHP26 (US$0.60), the women spin processed computer cables, plastic bags, hard
drives, motherboards, cassette and video tapes and a random assortment of other waste
products into bags.
Kindergarten now mandatory (March 2011)

Filipino children are now required to finish kindergarten before they are allowed to enrol
in the first grade of public school. In January 2011, the House of Representatives
approved a bill institutionalising kindergarten education for Filipinos five years old and
above who want to study in public schools. The Kindergarten Education Act also assures
free tuition for public kindergarten school students. According to Thelma Almario, a
representative from the province of Davao Oriental, studies have shown that 40% of
children who enter public schools are not sufficiently prepared for the first grade.
However, Teachers Dignity Coalition, a group of Filipino educators, has expressed concern
regarding a shortage of kindergarten teachers.
Manila gets its first anime-inspired "maid cafe" (February 2011)

MeiDolls Caf, which claims to be the very first maid caf in the Philippines" opened in
Manila during January 2011. The caf hopes to cash in on the growing popularity of
costume play or "cosplay" among Filipinos. Cosplay involves participants dressing up as
characters from anime or manga comics to indulge in a little escapist fantasy. The trend
originated in Japan, where maid cafes have been around for over a decade.
In MeiDolls, the waitresses dress as anime-inspired French maids, complete with wigs
with long tresses, dresses and pinafores. Some wear cat or rabbit ears with their outfits,
while others sport pink hair. The waitresses treat their patrons as masters and
mistresses, acting like servants in a private home. Occasionally, carrying the anime
theme still further, the waitresses entertain patrons by singing Japanese songs and
dancing with them.
The number of cosplay enthusiasts has been growing in the Philippines, with over 10,000
people now taking part in cosplay conventions around the country annually. Maid cafes
are often set up during these events on a temporary basis.
Filipinos among Asia's most passionate cooks (February 2011)

Filipinos are the fourth most passionate cooks in Asia, according to the Electrolux Asian
Food Survey 2010, which covered 4,000 respondents in eight Asian countries. The survey
was conducted in late 2010. More than half (69%) of Filipinos said they had a great love
for cooking, tying with Malaysians. Filipino respondents said their top three dishes were
sinigang (pork, beef or seafood in sour broth), adobo (meat or seafood marinated in a
sauce of vinegar and garlic, browned in oil and then simmered) and fried or roast chicken.
The survey also found that more than a quarter of Filipinos (26%) cook Western-style
food at least once a week. More than half of them (52%) said they preferred using
shortcuts, such as ready-made sauces, when preparing meals. Almost all of them (99%)
believed that it is possible to cook and eat oneself to better health.
Masses favour mobile phones for internet use (February 2011)

Local telecoms company Smart Communications expects that most Filipino consumers will
soon use their mobile phones to access the internet. Although the prices of laptops and
netbooks have fallen in recent years, it predicts that web-enabled mobile phones will be
the most popular way of accessing the internet, especially for lower-income consumers.

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"Mobile Internet usage has been growing steadily in the Philippines and is now poised to
take off, according to Orlando B. Vea, Smart's chief wireless adviser. Social networking, e
-mail and browsing are among the country's most popular mobile Internet applications.
Smart plans to offer Smartphones ranging in price from PHP5,000 (US$114) to PHP6,000,
bundled with PHP500 monthly usage plans. According to Euromonitor International data,
there were 9.5 million internet users and 100 million mobile phone subscriptions in the
Philippines during 2010.
Mobile users prefer social networking to SMS for holiday greetings (January 2011)

Text messaging is no longer the most popular means of sending holiday greetings in the
Philippines, as it has been undermined by social networking websites, at least for the 71
million cumulative subscriber base of Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. Instead
of sending their Christmas and New Year greetings via SMS, many cellular subscribers
preferred to call and/or post their greetings on social networking sites.
Data provided by Globe, the country's second-largest mobile phone operator, with about
26 million subscribers, show that SMS traffic declined by 6% year-on-year on December
the 24th, 2010, by 12% on December the 25th and by 9% on December the 31st and
January the 1st. Smart claimed that SMS traffic went up on the same days, albeit not by
as much as during previous years, when most handsets lacked the capability to connect
to the Internet.
Green schools promote healthy eating (January 2011)

The Education Department of the Philippines is transforming primary school yards into
vegetable gardens in a bid to reduce the consumption of so-called junk food. At
Paraaque Central Elementary School in Manila, one of the showcases for the project,
teachers and students are joined by parents in tending lush plots where an assortment of
vegetables are growing. The vegetables are harvested as free food for the school's mostly
poor students or sold as part of a livelihood project for their families.
The Philippines has a popular home-grown fast food culture that has seen outlets spring
up even in remote towns, while international brands are also widespread. Rice remains a
staple for most meals, but accompanying dishes are typically fried in oil. As a result,
lifestyle diseases, such as hypertension and diabetes, are becoming increasingly
commonplace, especially among those aged 20-40. According to Euromonitor International
data, almost 31% of the population aged 15 years and older was overweight or obese in
2010.
Love trumps material gifts (January 2011)

For Filipinos, love is the most valuable gift they could give anyone this Christmas. In a
survey conducted by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) during late 2010, more than
half (57%) of 1,200 Filipino respondents placed a premium on non-material gifts this
holiday season. 29% of all respondents considered love and affection as the most
important Christmas present, followed by family togetherness and family relations (17%).
Meanwhile, 30% of Filipino respondents said they prefer material gifts.
Quantity of online information overwhelms users (December 2010)

Filipinos spend more than an hour each day on social networks, talking to "friends" they
are not even close to and reading updates that they consider neither important nor
relevant. This was one of the major findings of a Microsoft Windows Live Survey into email and social media habits of consumers across Asia, which covered 2,800 respondents
in 11 countries, including 211 in the Philippines. It was conducted during autumn 2010
The survey also found that more than half of Filipinos felt overwhelmed by the amount of
information they read and receive online: "For the most part, Filipino users appear to
struggle with organising the information that they receive online, with over 50% of
respondents maintaining at least three personal e-mail accounts and having more than 20
unread e-mails in their inboxes," it stated. According to Euromonitor International data,

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there were 6.7 million internet users (7.3% of the population) in the Philippines during
2009.
Filipino comics make a comeback (December 2010)

From the early 1970s until the late 1980s, reading Filipino comics (or komiks) was a
popular pastime. Then the arrival of American comic books pushed local comic books to
the fringes. However, local comic books have slowly made a comeback, driven by a new
group of artists and catering to a much wider audience.
At Komikon 2010, an annual comic book convention held in Manila during November,
nearly 40 independent comic book artists launched new material in categories ranging
from comedy, action and science-fiction to superheroes. There were even a number of
revivals of comic books characters of old, such as Tinay Pinay and the monkeys from
Planet of the Apes.
Many of these comic book artists found popularity via DeviantArt.com, a favourite site for
local graphic artists. Many of them are first time publishers or hobbyists. Most of them
use the internet, especially social networks, to spread the word about their work.
With prices rising, retailers advise consumers to shop early for Christmas Eve feast
(December 2010)

With just a few weeks left before Christmas, the prices of items traditionally used for the
Christmas Eve feast are rising. Supermarket owners are advising consumers to buy what
they can now to avoid further price increases or to opt for less popular brands, which can
cost around 40% less. Babes Morales bought two packs of ham and put them in the
freezer. Planning to make a spaghetti dish for Christmas, Letty Bedilla bought the
cheapest brand of pasta she could find and opted for a spaghetti sauce sold in an
economy pack. She also bought a bottle of ketchup to thicken the sauce.
Consumers warned to steer clear of used cooking oil (November 2010)

Quezon City authorities have warned local consumers against buying used vegetable oil
as it exposes them to health risks due to the carcinogens and pathogenic bacteria it may
contain. Waste cooking oil, also known as used cooking oil, is recovered from food
manufacturers, restaurants and caterers. Unscrupulous traders then filter and bleach it,
before reselling it as new in public markets or to chicharon (pork cracklings) and hopia
(bean filled pastries) makers. Some market vendors even sell it directly to consumers in
small plastic containers at a low price.
Bakers create budget loaf to drive sales (November 2010)

In an attempt to boost sales, bakers in the Philippines have launched a cheaper sliced
loaf. Five manufacturers are behind the 450g "Pinoy Tasty" loaf, which costs around
PHP36.5 (US$0.84). This is at least 20% cheaper than other branded sliced loaves.
Several stand-alone bakeshops will also be selling the budget loaf, which uses washed
brown sugar instead of white sugar, together with less milk and butter and fewer eggs.
However, the continuing production of these budget loaves will depend on input prices
staying low. According to Euromonitor International data, sales of packaged bread in the
Philippines were worth almost US$144 million during 2009.
Free breakfast cereals to improve school attendance (November 2010)

Three entities have joined together to provide free breakfast cereals to elementary school
students in selected schools in Pampanga in an effort to reduce the number of children
dropping out due to malnutrition. The private sector-led 57-75 Movement and
manufacturer Nestl, together with the iamninoy- iamcory Runners Group (a group of
professional and amateur athletes who want to help address what they perceive as the
deterioration of the country's educational system), have begun distributing boxes of Koko
Krunch cereal at 19 schools in Angeles City. This 120-day project is called "The Koko
Krunch Breakfast Campaign." According to some in the city, the poor academic

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performance of poorer children was often related to the fact that their parents were
unemployed, with many of them unable to provide their children with adequate nutrition.
Philippines to revive coffee industry (October 2010)

After watching its neighbours become global coffee heavyweights, the Philippines is
taking tentative steps towards regaining its status as a grower of the bean. The
Philippine Coffee Board, an industry group spearheading the revival effort, is aiming for
niche markets and targeting the rapidly growing number of young Filipinos who crowd
cafes across the country. We have a lot of exotic coffees and that is the way to present
our products, said Josefina Reyes, director of the board.
Coffee Board co-chairwoman Pacita Juan said the Philippines has long had a coffeedrinking culture, with a population that favoured coffee over tea and that this was
becoming stronger as society modernised. The Coffee Board is promoting Kape
Isla (Island Coffee) as a trademark to distinguish specialty coffees grown in the
Philippines. It is also helping entrepreneurs set up small coffee shops across the country
where they can offer their own regional blends. In this way, it hopes that they can
compete with the global giants such as Starbucks, whose local outlets sell generally only
sell specialty coffees from Africa and South America.
Church asks shoppers to try charity stores (October 2010)

The charitable arm of the Archdiocese of Manila, Caritas Manila, is trying to get a piece of
the city's Christmas shopping action. Pitching for its charity store, it is urging the public
to ditch swanky malls and do their shopping for Christmas gifts in its three Segunda Mana
stores instead. These sell inexpensive items, which include new and second-hand clothes,
shoes, bags, furniture and books. Shoppers can also buy canned food, such as sardines,
cheaper than in most grocery stores, as these outlets buy them directly from
manufacturers. Segunda Mana stores were opened earlier this year as part of Caritas
Manila's efforts to raise funds for poverty alleviation through donations in kind from
patrons.
Entrepreneur finds niche in towel cakes (October 2010)

Cebu resident Maria Cristina Roble has found a niche market for her towel cakes. Her
small, colourful towels are folded into small packs that have the appearance of cakes,
and they are popular as souvenir and gift items. Roble said she has seen similar products
sold in mall stores but that her edge over her competitors lies in her ability to customise
designs at affordable prices.
Roble has taken advantage of new media to generate publicity for her business. For
example, she received her first bulk order from marketing her products online on
Sulit.com. She is now planning to set up her own website, where she can post all her
creations: I think that my own dedicated website will bring in more customers, even from
outside Cebu, she says.
Tourism industry hit by fallout from hostage drama (September 2010)

The Manila hostage crisis has taken its toll on the country's tourist industry. On August
the 23rd, 2010, a dismissed Philippine National Police officer, Rolando Mendoza, hijacked
a tour bus carrying 25 tourists from Hong Kong. After a ten-hour siege that ending in a
botched rescue attempt, eight of the hostages and their captor were dead, while nine
others were injured. The Hong Kong authorities immediately issued a black alert,
warning against all travel to the Philippines. Governments in Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal,
Iran, Pakistan and Russia also issued alert orders against trips to the Philippines.
By the end August, Boracay, the country's leading tourist destination, has lost at least
P15 million (US$342,000) in cancelled bookings by tourists from Hong Kong and China,
according to the Department of Tourism. Regional tourism director Edwin Trompeta said
500 visitors from China and Hong Kong had called off trips. The timing of the incident was
particularly unfortunate, as it came just before the start of the country's peak season for

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tourism.
Cheap mobile phones aren't the whole story in emerging markets (September 2010)

A study conducted by research and consulting firm Strategy Analytics, which consisted of
in-depth interviews with low-income, first-time mobile phone owners in Manila, found that
while basic no-frills phones will meet the needs of some emerging market consumers,
others want more features, and they are prepared to pay for them. The consumers
interviewed had household incomes of US$200 a month or less, well below the median for
metropolitan Manila.
The research found that despite their low income levels, if these consumers want a
particular brand or a phone with a camera to take pictures, they will find a way to get
one. Buying secondhand phones or using informal installment payment plans were found
to be two ways to bring phone costs down to an acceptable level. "Low income consumers
in developing countries may not be good candidates for smartphones, but it would be a
mistake to think that they are not prospects for 'affordable luxury' features like MP3
players and megapixel cameras," said Kevin Nolan, Vice President of the Strategy
Analytics User Experience Practice.
Lactation stations aim to encourage breastfeeding (September 2010)

Exclusive breast-feeding, where the baby will only drink its mother's milk during its first
six months, is relatively uncommon in the Philippines. According to data from the United
Nations Children Fund, while 88% of Filipino women breastfeed their babies, only 34%
practice exclusive breastfeeding. Moreover, around 47.8% of Filipino mothers choose
bottle feeding as an alternative to breast-feeding. The reasons for this include the
pressure of work, breastfeeding myths and misconceptions, the active marketing of milk
formula and the lack of a breastfeeding-friendly environment.
However, efforts are underway to change this: Earlier this year, former President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo signed the Expanded Breast-feeding Act of 2009 into law. This
legislation provides tax incentives to all government offices and private establishments
to create lactation stations. These are designated areas where mothers can nurse their
children or put their breast milk into bottles.
Severe water shortage hits Manila (August 2010)

The Metro Manila region recently experienced a water crisis, with millions forced to endure
water rationing. Households supplied by Maynilad Water Services Inc (MWSI) were
particularly badly affected. Metro Manila residents have been repeatedly warned to
conserve water as the water level in the Angat Dam, its main source of fresh water, is
unusually low.
According to data from the Asian Development Bank, the Philippines ranks among the
lowest countries in Southeast Asia in terms of freshwater availability per capita. Metro
Manila, home to more than 12 million people and one of Southeast Asia's largest urban
areas, is one of nine major cities in the country identified as water critical. In the long
term, technology may hold the key to solving Manila's water problems: MWSI says that it
has joined forces with state-run Metropolitan Water Services and Sewerage System to
build a desalination plant.
Adhesive technology creates an endless variety of car colour schemes (August 2010)

The idea of wrapping a car with a sticker to create an endless array of designs has arrived
in the Philippines and is growing in popularity. It allows consumers to personalise their
vehicles, giving them a sense of uniqueness without the permanence of a custom paint
job.
Foilacar, which opened in February, sells adhesive films that are specifically made for
marine, aeronautical and automotive applications. It wraps these films over the cars'
body to create new colour schemes and designs. They can cover the whole car or just
portions of it. While the practice of putting stickers over cars is not exactly new in the

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Philippines, Foilacar's work is reckoned by many to be superior in terms of quality and

craftsmanship. However, their products do not come cheap: A complete wrap of a compact
car can cost upwards of PHP150,000 (US$3,300), depending on the type of film used and
the design.
Young entrepreneur launches low-cost business listings site (August 2010)

In the Philippines, most online and offline business listings cost between US$60
(PHP2,700) and US$300, but 25-year old entrepreneur Russel Gabiola is undercutting the
incumbents with his website www.Businessforsale-list.com. Through this website, owners
can list their businesses for sale for just US$4.99. He says "I have been jobless for the
past three years and my only source of income is the Internet. I thought that a business
listing would be something easy to do, yet it has the potential to become profitable. The
theme of the web site was inspired by Facebook, and I thought it looked nice and could
draw attention."
Students banished from malls during school hours (July 2010)

The Department of Education in the Philippines is now prohibiting all students of public
and private elementary and secondary schools from going to computer shops, malls,
theatres and similar establishments during class hours. A directive may also be sent to
the owners of these establishments not to allow the entry of students during class hours.
For Maribeth Cortes, parent of a first-year high school student, this is very important
since parents like her cannot monitor the activities of their children while they are in
school. I think computer shops should not even be located near school premises because
they only tempt the students to go there instead of attending their classes, she
explained.
Shopping direct from the States (July 2010)

Manna Freight Systems has announced a new, inexpensive way of getting products
delivered from the USA to consumers in the Philippines. USA 2 Pilipinas.com claims to
allow consumers in the Philippines to enjoy significantly reduced shipping costs from
some of the most popular internet retailers, including Amazon, Buy.com and Zappos.com.
It claims that this new method of shipping US products to the Philippines could save
consumers 60% or more on the shipping cost of a typical order. "Consumers the world
over want fast delivery at the lowest cost possible. This is especially true on routine
consumer items that do not require installation, such as clothing and fashion
accessories," said Allen Alan Meehan, CEO of Manna Freight Systems.
Public web phone goes online (July 2010)

The country's first internet phone resembles a public phone booth, but it offers many
more services. Called E-Stop, the facility brings together the payphone and internet
services in a touch screen device, allowing users to call, surf the internet and send emails. We are excited to introduce the new all-in-one web phone service that consumers
can conveniently access if they need to call or connect to the internet," said telco Globe
president and CEO Ernest Cu.
Bringing culture back (July 2010)

Calling themselves 'PAVO' or Philippine Artistic Ventures Organisation, five 20-somethings

in the Philippines have banded together to cook up ideas on how to bring back the lost
artistic glory of their country. The Philippines used to be a cultural paradise and we want
to re-create that paradise, so we established this arts foundation, says 27-year old
Nate. In June, they organised a piano recital by Oliver Salonga at the PhilAm Life
Auditorium. PAVO is not limited to classical music. It is also attempting to tap into pop
culture to encourage the public to support art and music in the country.
Google doodle builds brand loyalty among local consumers (June 2010)

Google latest doodle has given it significant cache in the Philippines, helping it to

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maintain the loyalty of local consumers. The Philippines celebrates its Independence Day
on June the 12th, and this year Google came up with its first ever Filipino-specific doodle
(the Google logo on the front page of its search engine) to reflect the country's spirit of
Independence. In the logo, Google designers used the sun with its eight rays, which
represents the eight Philippine provinces that pledged to support the revolution 111 years
ago, using it as the first 'O' in the Google logo. Some Filipino blogs have even adopted
the new image as a form of online patriotism.
Two new franchises go down well (June 2010)

Two franchises are proving particularly popular with consumers in the Philippines. The
first is Crave Burger: Although it has been around for three years, it has just opened its
first store in Metro Manila. As a result, Manilenos can now eat burgers in a fun, casualdining atmosphere. This is part of the latest franchise trends towards fun food,
according to Franchise Philippines.
The second franchise gaining in popularity is Gamot Pubilko, which offers consumers
affordable generic medicines. According to Franchise Philippines, its franchises enjoy a
success rate of 90% and are prospering during difficult economic times. Gamot Publiko
was created after the Philippines government passed The Universally Accessible Cheaper
and Quality Medicines Act (Cheaper Medicines Act) of 2008. It currently has 23 stores
around the country.
Inspiring SMEs, but finance remains a concern (June 2010)

The Philippine's largest telecommunications company, PLDT, is reaching out to small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) by hosting a huge rock concert as part of its Bossing Ako
campaign. In much of the rest of the world, SME support traditionally comes from
governments, but in the Philippines and much of East and Southeast Asia, it often comes
from big business. However, many SMEs still have difficulty getting bank loans, as
Philippine banks of all sizes remain sceptical of the sector: They argue that the small
scale of these loans and a lack of collateral leave them with wafer-thin profit margins.
Youth fashion trends a cornucopia (May 2010)

Many young Filipinos are self-confessed fashionistas, looking to be at the cutting edge.
The affluent among them tend to purchase branded imported or even locally made items,
with the rest buying a combination of low-cost local items and cheap imports. The
country's youth is a hodgepodge of fashion. The most affluent girls buy designer jeans,
shirts, bags and shoes, while their middle class peers tend go for an ensemble of
designer and imitation, with the less affluent creating a fashion all of their own.
Skinny jeans, t-shirts, shorts, tube tops, strapless blouses and accessories are all still
very popular among teens and young girls. Boys gravitate towards dark coloured shirts
paired with denim, while such brands as Chucks, Zanuck, Crocs and Havaianas are popular
with both sexes. For those who cannot afford the originals, there are always a multitude
of imitations on offer.
Entrepreneurs utilise social networking for e-commerce (May 2010)

In an innovative approach, two entrepreneurs, Lexi Gancayco and her boyfriend Jason
Santos, are using the social networking site Multiply as a virtual shop to sell second-hand
clothes. Their first collection was launched on March 20, 2010, and every two weeks a
new collection is released at 8pm on a Monday. After the launch night, only four to five
pieces are left unreserved, Gancayco says.
The process of selecting the clothes on the site and ordering them is very simple and
clear, although payment is a bit more complicated: This is due to the fact that the virtual
shop uses a social networking site that does not accept PayPal or credit card payments.
All communication over payments is via text messaging. It is very much caveat emptor as
there are no refunds, no returns and what you see is what you get. It is a very simple
approach to online shopping, but with no fees from online payment service providers, the

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clothing can be sold as cheaply as possible.

First computerised election runs smoothly (May 2010)

Filipinos have been getting accustomed to a novel experience: finding out the results of
an election just two days after the vote (May 10th). This unprecedented speed was due
to the introduction of a computerised vote-counting system, the effectiveness of which
came as a surprise to many. It replaced a pen-and-paper system that often took weeks to
deliver results, providing ample time for cheating the bane of many a Filipino election in
the past.
This election was uncommonly tense, as sceptics were convinced that the new system
would malfunction. Some opposition figures even claimed that it was designed to fail in
order to allow the outgoing president, Gloria Arroyo, to remain in power. However, in
spite of some glitches, both the vote itself and the subsequent count ran remarkably
smoothly.
What's hot in home design this summer?(April 2010)

Three top Filipino designers - Val Padilla, Vito Selma, Gigi Chung have offered their
opinions as to what's hot this summer in the Philippines. Earthy tones are still in, and
colours that reflect personal expression and individualism. White, black, brown, and green
are deemed classic, with blue, terracotta, red orange, yellow, violet and neutrals making
a comeback. There is a strong theme for locally made products, with production involving
fewer fossil fuels in mind.
Other trends are earth-friendly and even 'nationalistic' choices. Locally made furniture
made from reclaimed or recycled materials; towels and fabrics made from bamboo fibre
and organic cotton and solar-powered fans and calculators, rainwater collection systems
and multi-directional blinds are part of the environmental trends.
Goat's milk, anyone? (April 2010)

In what seems to be a new food trend, Filipino farmers have been researching and
breeding Saanen goats in a collaborative effort between the Alaminos Goat Farm, the
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources and the National Dairy
Authority. Recently, the breeding and milking programme has been able to produce
enough milk where it is now being sold through two well-known supermarkets in Metro
Manila.
Even the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's aides are switching to goat's milk as a way
to promote the new, healthier alternative. Studies from the Central Luzon State
University (CLSU) showed that goat's milk is next to breast milk in terms of nutrition.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said that although goat's milk was
initially more expensive compared to cow's milk, once the industry developed, goat's milk
could become cheaper than cow's milk.
Nationalism surfaces through new food venues (April 2010)

Caf Filipino is a reinvention of an old restaurant chain, Aristocrat Restaurant, but the
idea is clear; to deliver a message as to what to expect when patrons walk into a branch.
The Reyes clan has been operating the chain for 70 years and it is about to go through a
few changes as management moves from one generation to the next. Alvin Lim, president
of Culinary Central, the chain's operator, sums up the new restaurant as a celebration of
Filipino coffee, cuisine and culture. We're not anti-foreigners, we're pro-Filipino. We're
not here to revolutionize society, we just want to show the good things that we have, he
explains. We tried to come up with new things which we hope will eventually be
mainstream, nothing too radical, continues the great grandson of Engracia Cruz Reyes,
founder of the legendary Aristocrat Restaurant. This is a reflection of a new nationalistic
trend that appears to becoming stronger, at least in the urban areas of the country.
Building rural web communities (March 2010)

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Some of the big names in the IT industry, the education sector and the Philippines
government are joining together to reach out to the rural population across the
Philippines. The companies involved are Google, Ayala Technology Business Incubation,
University Philippines Cebu, Department of Sciences & Technology Business Incubator,
GTUG Cebu, Developers Connect (DevCon), Philippine Emerging Start-ups Open, and the
Brain Gain Network. Christine Songco, Google developer relation's technical programme
manager says There is a lot of raw talent in the Philippines. It's just a matter of
developing the ideas and creating something from those ideas.
As of January 1st 2010, Euromonitor International figures show a population of 92.1
million people, with an urban rural divide of 65.4% and 34.6% respectively. Yet only 11.1
million personal computers (PCs) are in use, 12% of households have an internet-enabled
computer, 6.7 million people use the internet and three million people are internet
subscribers. The Philippines has taken to technology in a way that is disproportionate to
these figures. First in mobile phone and text message usage, now the internet is about
to begin making inroads across the country.
Running, the next big thing (March 2010)

Running is turning into a craze in the Philippines, with the province of Cebu (one of the
most developed provinces consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands) seeing
exponential growth in comparison to other sports or cities. Most fun runs on a Sunday in
the city attract at least 1,000 runners from all age groups. The Cebu leg of the Milo
marathon attracts close to 20,000 runners. Regular events pay out Ps5,000 (US$110)
income tax-free, making running a lucrative hobby for some people.
With so many people taking up running, it's also turning into big business for companies
like the Dutch firm that manufactures the 'Champion Chip' device. Until recently all foot
races were conducted under primitive conditions when it came to recording runners' times.
Now runners are given lightweight plastic chips they can attach to their running shoes.
Sensors at the start, finish and strategic points along the route can record runners' times
as they progress along the course.
The Philippines encouraging more medical tourism (March 2010)

Across the Asia-Pacific region, countries are now competing for the medical tourism
dollar. It is gearing up to be one of the most competitive sectors in the industry and the
country has decided to join the fray. Euromonitor International statistics show that in
2009, there were 2.6 million leisure tourists and 0.6 million business arrivals into the
Philippines. The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) wants to continue
building the medical tourism sector regardless of who wins the next election.
The Director of NEDA, Dennis Arroyo, says that around 200,000 foreign patients are
expected to come to the Philippines every year, creating a US$3 billion industry by 2015.
The Philippines is not only trying to boost the number of medical tourists but also to
position itself as a retirement haven for the world's aging population.
Extreme sport enters the mainstream (February 2010)

These days many things that were once popular with a niche group of people or a counter
-culture sub-group now become mainstream very quickly. The latest fad to hit the
Philippines is wakeboarding. Wakeboarding is a surface sport water sport equivalent to
snowboarding, in which participants are towed behind a boat or cable. A novel, once
extreme sport, wakeboarding is becoming increasingly popular with a range of age
groups, although predominately with Filipino youth and the foreign community.
Carnival time!(February 2010)

This year the Philippines will hold their presidential elections, with some members of the
Filipino media dubbing it 'Carnival time'. Although the outcome is unsure, what is sure is
the role of social media and citizen journalism - Twitter, Facebook and Friendster being
the top three social networks where the electorate will report on voting, the counting of

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votes, and the announcement of winners. Besides the social media networks, the
bloggers are also gearing up to offer round-the-clock commentary on politicians and the
election in general. The amount of time spent by many Filipino's on the upcoming
elections, both in a professional capacity and as citizen commentators is quite
astounding. One has to wonder if there will be life after the elections!
Senior citizen consumer influence set to grow (February 2010)

In a new development, it is estimated that six million seniors aged 60+ will receive a
boost to their incomes. A new law, the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, has entitled
senior citizens over 60 years of age to VAT-free purchases of consumer goods & services
such as food, medicine, transportation and doctor's fees. The tax privilege also applies to
services in hotels and restaurants, cinema and theatre admission fees and to a range of
other places of culture, leisure & amusement as well as funeral and burial services.
As populations age around the world, grey power is increasing and governments are
beginning to create income packages to maintain consumer spending for this
demographic. Euromonitor statistics show that the average gross income of the
population age 60+ is Ps87,381 (US$1,894) per annum.
Trend forecasts for 2010 (January 2010)

Here are some of the key consumer trends for 2010 in the Philippines:
Health is wealth: As the cost of healthcare rises in an aging society, health preventative services
and products grow;
De-stressing activities: Stress is increasingly linked to heart disease, stroke and cancer, destressing activities offer relief. Consumer interest in activities such as dance, low-impact fitness,
spas, salons and positive-mood enhancing ingredients, food and products that stimulate
consumers to be positive and happy is likely;
Destination stores: These offer differentiated products at affordable prices and consumers are
willing to travel a distance to shop in them. '3 Stars and a Sun' offers Filipino national pride in its
apparel designs and is a favourite with young male consumers;
Brands with a cause: The end of shallow and outrageously expensive brands is in sight. Brands
that contribute favourably to climate change, poverty eradication, sustainable livelihood, shelter,
education, biodiversity and animal preservation are all popular with consumers;
Rise of technopreneurs: There is an obvious race on entrepreneurs using technology and the
internet. The challenge is how to persuade 6.7 Filipino internet users away from merely being
consumers of online gaming and social networks, to active buyers of online commodities and
services;
The popularity of brands: The Philippines is largely a branded society. Even generic medicines need
to be branded before engaging the Filipino consumer;
Time is gold: Family and work-life balance is becoming a challenging juggle for many Filipinos.
Products and services that provide convenience, speed and efficiency are set to become more
popular.
2010 Election trends (January 2010)

Yes, 2010 is an election year in the Philippines and those of you who have been reading
these pages on a regular basis will know that this year's election will be decided through
social network sites and bloggers. Welcome to the 21st century. Ms Malou Tiquia, a
political consultant, said of the 45 million registered voters, that nine million belong to
the 18-35 age group. She adds that there are 400,000 blogs in the Philippines, including
a sharp increase in internet users. Besides all the technology, Filipinos are forming
groups to monitor the election to ensure honesty and credibility. They are using Twitter
to connect with one another. The election will be held on May the 10, 2010 and will
dominate the airwaves and internet for the next few months. It's people power at its
best.
Facebook grows the fastest in the Philippines (December 2009)

During the month of October 2009, Facebook grew by 9.6 million users across Asia, with
the third largest growth seen in the Philippines. Filipino Facebook users grew by 1.42

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million users to reach a total of 7,461,320 million monthly active users. This is a growth
of 31.25% according to Inside Facebook, an independent blog focusing on Facebook and
the Facebook Platform for developers. Traditionally the Philippines has been dominated
by Friendster, however it seems that Facebook's inadvertent gaming strategy is disrupting
Friendster. The most popular game on Facebook is FarmVille, which already has 70 million
users since launching in June 2009. This is being supported by anecdotal reports about
users loving social games with Facebook seeing more and more regional developers
building popular games.
Graphic novels (December 2009)

A new type of publication, Underpass, has been launched recently in the Philippines. It's
a graphic novel, a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using the
comics form. Launched in full colour, Underpass features dark fantasy stories from some
of the greatest comic creators in the Philippines. Bloggers have been quite excited by this
new venture especially as it brings graphic novels, formally an underground trend, into
the mainstream. The price is not cheap at 250 pesos (US$5.40).
Partying underwater (December 2009)

Most people are always on the lookout for some kind of new zany activity, especially at
this time of the year. An infamous Japanese painter, Kichiya Ishii, who moved to the
Philippines some years ago, has developed a new device to make snorkelling and diving
easier. Kichiya introduced pearl farming to the Philippine island of Cebu and is also known
for making jewellery. His latest venture is to bring the beauty of underwater life to more
people. One tank can be shared by up to four divers for a maximum of 30 minutes and
there is already a crowd ready to party underwater.
E-Tricycles make their debut (November 2009)

The Mayor of Quezon City (one of the cities that make up Metropolitan Manila) has
ordered 38 electric tricycles, invented by a local engineer, to be used in the different
wards of the city's fourth district. Tricycles are popular forms of public transport in the
Philippines and informal estimates suggest there are 2.8 million tricycles around the
Philippines. Unfortunately for their small size, the current generation of tricycles emit the
most poisonous gases into the environment. The engineer who invented the E-Trike, Allan
Aguilar, says that a single full charge of the battery will cost 48 pesos (US$1.03), lasting
12 hours of continuous use or 60 to 80 kilometres. E-Trikes are starting to pop up all over
the Philippines, and are being used as free public transport in Bonifacio Global City and
La Mesa Eco-Park.
Social media update (November 2009)

In a recent report released by Comm215 titled Digital Media Across Asia, the social media
landscape in the Philippines is revealed as vibrant. Basic values are centred around the
family, with Filipinos valuing their relatives more than anything else. Filipinos working
overseas use social media to stay in touch with relatives using Facebook, Friendster and
Blogs. As the Philippines is the third largest Catholic nation in the world, the Catholic
Church regularly runs petitions against inappropriate behaviour due to offensive posts in
blogs. The growth in mobiles is now coming from outside the large cities as big
operators, Globe and Smart, are vigorously competing for lower income segments of the
population.
However there is a digital divide. Phones (both fixed and cellular) and computer
ownership is concentrated in Manila and nearby regions. Personal computer ownership is
non-existent for the poorest half of all households in the country. Friendster's biggest
stronghold is in the Philippines with more than 12 million active users, but Facebook
overtook Friendster in 2009 due to Facebook's rollout of language-specific sites across
Asia including the Philippines.
Christmas season already well underway (November 2009)

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The Christmas season begins on September the 1st when every radio disc jockey tries to
be the first to play a Christmas carol. It also means that hardworking Filipinos take that
as a signal to start making a list and preparing a budget for the Christmas season. This
season is colloquially known as the ber months. There are lots of people who avoid the
Christmas rush by shopping now while items are still cheap. Christmas is felt more and
more until late October when shoppers take a short break for All Saints Day and All Souls
Day on the 1st and 2nd of November. After that, Christmas shoppers begin shopping in
earnest, looking for sale items. As the Philippines is a Christian country, the Philippine
tradition of the Simbang Gabi (night mass) for the nine days until Christmas is usually
followed by most Filipinos.
Call centre + Dreams = Fashion (October 2009)

In an innovative move to reinvent the recruitment process, the Philippines top call centre
Convergys teamed up with retail giant Bench to encourage young Filipino achievers to
take a leap towards realising their dreams in style with an integrated and trendier
approach enticing the senses of the young. Bench is using the campaign to tap into a
new and significant segment of the market, the career-orientated youth with bold
dreams.
The Dream Ambassador is actor, dancer, host and athlete Enchong Dee, who puts value
on education, determination and hard work in reaching life goals. To fully inspire this new
demographic, Dee will present at Convergys selected job caravans and recruitment
centres around the country. Bench has developed a core collection of stylish pieces to
embody the smart, casual look required in call centres, with keys items such as
comfortable cotton cardigans, graphic T-shirts and traditional khaki pants. All applicants
who are hired by Convergys during the recruitment campaign will receive a free graphic Tshirt.
When marketing meets nationalism (October 2009)

In 2007, Reader's Digest conducted a global courtesy test with Manila ranking number 22
amongst the least courteous cities in the world. Toblerone, sensing an opportunity,
decided to respond by launching National Thank You Day. October 20th was this year's
National Thank You Day and Toblerone put together a petition to make it a national
holiday. Yet the interesting element to this very subtle marketing exercise is how it is
tapping into the nationalistic spirit of the country. Filipinos have been invited to
nominate someone to win the National Thank You Day award, and the list of nominees
include the proud Filipino Cristeta P. Comerford, first Asian and only woman to become
executive chef in the White House, the boxer Manny Pacquiao, overseas Filipino workers
who save the economy with their financial repatriations, Alexis Tioseco for championing
Philippine Independent Cinema to actor and comedian Rodolfo Vera Quizon.
The official Thank You Day website states: It's a plague on the civilized world - etiquette
and proper conduct have been thrown out the window. And you wonder why our lot's
going to the dogs. Well, then, what can we do about it? It's simple, really. Start by
saying "thank you". Say it with a smile; say it like you mean it and it will come naturally.
Equal opportunity (October 2009)

The Washington based International Food Policy Research Institute released the 2009
Global Hunger Index. It ranked the Philippines 34th among 84 developing countries in
reducing hunger but ranked it number one in the world in providing equal opportunities to
men and women. Women's educational level and status or power relative to men's in
households and communities significantly affect children's nutrition, said Agnes
Quisumbing, the report's co-author. Countries with the most severe hunger problems also
have high levels of gender inequality.
Yet there is still a huge discrepancy in disposal income between males and females in
the Philippines. According to Euromonitor International's statistics, in 2008, the annual

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disposal per capita income of males was 75,810 pesos (US$1,705) and for females 41,624
(US$936).
The Korean wave comes to the Philippines (September 2009)

In recent years, Korea has been influencing the region disproportionately to its size
through investments, immigrants and culture. Dubbed the 'Korean wave', its growth in the
Philippines cannot be ignored. In fact, some Filipinos are calling it the 'Korean invasion'
due to the impact on Filipino culture. What cannot be ignored is the growing trend of the
more developed Asian nations such as Korea influencing the less developed countries in
South East Asia, and how this influence is playing out in both traditional and popular
culture through food, dress, TV and films. The role of the United States and Western
culture is slowly diminishing in these emerging markets.
Text capital of the world under threat (September 2009)

The Philippines is considered the text capital of the world by many industry groups, with
an approximate 300 million messages sent across phone networks every day. The power
of text messaging in the Philippines was evident in 2001, when it was used to gather
tens of thousands of people to topple the corruption-riddled presidency of Joseph
Estrada. Now all of that is under threat due to the new tax proposed by the government.
The five-centavo (US$0.01) surcharge could raise more than half a billion US dollars per
year. In 2008, there were 68 million mobile telephone subscriptions, a sum forecast to
grow by 48% to reach 100 million mobile subscriptions by 2013.
Grandparents Day (September 2009)

September 13th marked Grandparents Day in the Philippines. These senior family
members continue to play a crucial role in holding together the modern Filipino family. As
the modern local family evolves into one where both parents work to make ends meet,
grandparents take on the task of raising young children. They shuttle them to school,
mind the house, and some are even becoming tutors for school assignments. Although
the Philippines have been celebrating Grandparents Day since 1978 and it is not a public
holiday, it is growing in importance and significance plus there is the growing commercial
aspect that companies are increasingly heeding.
There is no escaping the mall (August 2009)

Malls in the Philippines have come to define the Filipino consumer culture and the airconditioned environment has become a substitute for public parks. According to the
Philippine Retailers Association, 80% of Filipinos go to malls at least twice per month,
with the retail industry employing roughly two out of every 10 workers. Forbes magazine
lists three of the world's largest malls which are located in the Philippines. Remittances
by overseas Filipino workers help prop up the economy and continue to encourage
consumer spending. It therefore comes as no surprise that a new Lifestyle Mall' has just
opened this month. Occupying 2.6 hectares of reclaimed land, it offers views of the
Mayon Volcano, Albay Gulf and spectacular sunrises and sunsets.
With a leasable area of only 1.2 hectares, mall goers will have plenty of space to walk,
even bike, around. The reason for this is that when you say lifestyle mall, you should
have the space for landscaping, good architecture and dining, Harry V. Roscom, the mall
manager, explains.
Mobile touch screens the next big thing (August 2009)

Mobile phones with touch screens are fast becoming the next big thing for Filipinos.
Especially now they are emerging in the low to mid-market range instead of the
traditional high-end segment. Touch screen phones are becoming an A-list item for most
Filipino consumers who love their innovative alphanumeric pads that are bursting with
fashion appeal. Euromonitor International data shows that 62% of Filipino households
currently have a mobile phone.

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Smoking boom (August 2009)

Despite the many health warnings, smoking is set to grow in the Philippines. Euromonitor
International forecasts point to an increase in the number of smokers in both male and
female populations. In 2008, smoking prevalence among the male population was 45.3%,
with projections for 2009 of 45.5%. This is a growth of 0.4% in 2009. The most
staggering statistics are amongst female smokers. In 2008, 12.2% of females smoked,
but this is predicted to jump to 14.6% of the female population by 2013.
In response to this growth, US tobacco giant, Philip Morris, has just re-signed a lease
contract with the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Not only has a new lease been signed
but a substantial increase in land and warehousing from the current 9,600 square metre
to 49,279 square metres has been secured. This allows Philip Morris to hold
approximately 24,000 metric tons of tobacco from the current 6,100 metric tons.
Bloggers and elections (July 2009)

In a recent development, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has invited bloggers to

cover the 2010 elections, from the preparations up to the proclamation of winners.
Comelec is formulating a framework of cooperation with the blogging community to
cover key points in the elections such as voter education and field-testing of counting
machines, the commission's spokesman, James Jimenez said. Blogger and freelance
journalist Tonyo Cruz said bloggers would play a crucial role in the upcoming elections by
offering a more democratic coverage. According to Universal McCann, the Philippines is
considered the social networking capital of the world and this recent invitation further
validates the importance of social networking.
Fast food trends + entrepreneurship (July 2009)

Companies that originate in a garage are not a new phenomenon but a recent food trend
that offers Filipinos "lugaw" (porridge in meat broth), for a cheap price which tastes good
and is hygienically prepared, has meant that this dish has become the new 'comfort food'
of choice. A local Filipino couple opened a restaurant serving this Filipino favourite with
only Ps1,100 (US$23.00) in start-up capital, which provided them with enough investment
to buy three chairs and all the ingredients needed for cooking this dish. They were so
busy within two weeks that they opened another restaurant. Now they own nine
restaurants and more are planned. Yet the moral of the story is that this is not just
another rags-to-richness tale, but an increasing trend reflecting the fact that locals prefer
the comfort of their own food while enjoying a modern fast food environment.
Filipinos spend more time outdoors (July 2009)

If you have a message to send, you won't reach them (market to them) through
traditional media channels because they are outside their homes, Nielsen executive
director Jay Bautista stated at the launch of a recent survey. The survey interviewed
1,000 train commuters 500 from the MRT (Metro Rail Transit) and 500 from the LRT
(Light Rail Transit). Bing Kimpo, vice president for communications and special projects of
Trackworks, the marketing arm of MRT, said the phenomenon of more Filipinos spending
most of their time outside their homes paved the way for the development of out-ofhome advertisements. The study revealed that trains influenced the lifestyle of
passengers. Since some of these train stations are connected to shopping malls, they are
more likely to go to these malls, with most of them visiting twice a month.
Blogging for a cause (June 2009)

Filipino's are taking blogging to a whole new level and changing the world as they know
it. Recent events have brought to light the amount of influence and power that new
media which includes blogs can wield in pushing forward social issues. Just a few months
ago, it was also bloggers who pushed forth the agenda of lifting the taxes on imported
books. In Mindanao, for example, a dedicated group of bloggers have organised
themselves into the Mindanao Bloggers, a group that aims to promote the "deeper

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understanding of the different cultures and beliefs" of the people of Mindanao. The group
has spearheaded blogging workshops and two successful blogging summits.
Fashion designers of the future (June 2009)

During the month of June, the Philippines celebrates Independence Day, and this year
showed how far the celebrations have come from their traditional roots. Nowadays, young
people are taking part in the celebrations, and making a mark. One young fashion
designer, Rian Fernandez launched the first Kasuotan: Viva Filipiniana!, a celebration of
Filipino women by taking the traditional terno (a matched blouse and skirt, joined at the
waist to form a one-piece creation, with both bodice and skirt made of the same
material) and giving it a 21st century makeover. His endeavour accompanies an ambition:
I want to make it big someday. I want to dress up influential people. I want to be an
advocate of the environment as reflected through my creations. I want to inspire people
and other young designers to use their talents not only for themselves but also for
society.
No sign of recession here (June 2009)

A new shopping mall, Robinsons Place, opened in Tacloban, a port city 360 miles (580
km) southeast of Manila, which was recently classified as a Highly Urbanised City. It is
the first major mall to open in the whole region. We're very optimistic about retail
spending... Everyday people have to eat, everyday people have to shop. And shopping
malls cater to that segment. We're not selling cars inside the mall. It's an everyday
lifestyle and we think people will carry on with this lifestyle and our malls cater to all
classes of society. We hope we'll be able to serve all the residents of Tacloban City, the
province of Leyte and the province of Samar. We hope this will be the favourite family
destination in Eastern Visayas, says a confident Frederick Go, President and CEO of
parent company Robinsons Land.
Philippine remittances: defying gravity? (May 2009)

The money sent home from Philippines workers abroad has boosted the economy and the
way consumers spend. Yet despite the economic woes seen around the world,
remittances are at an all-time high. The Philippine central bank, Bangko Sentral, recently
released figures showing March 2009 remittances reached US$1.47 billion, a 3.1%
increase on March 2008 and 11% higher than in February 2009. According to Philippine
government sources, nine million workers representing 10% of the population live and
work abroad in 140 countries.
Trending on Twitter (May 2009)

In the fast moving, short attention span world of Twitter, the Philippines became one of
the top 10 trending topics sometime around the middle of May 2009. It started the day
after Mother's Day (11th May). Star Trek discussions had not quite ended, when the
Philippines entered the Top Ten Trending Topics.
Yet Filipino's were delighted and suddenly all around the Twittersphere, people started
joining in to find out why Philippines is trending. Then came tweets about fun facts,
Filipinos aboard started tweeting on how they miss the food, people and beaches. Other
nationalities tweeted on good experiences visiting the Philippines. All in all it was a
Tweetfest centred on the Philippines. And then like all good tweetsit ended just as
quickly as it started.
iBlog5 (May 2009)

There are some countries in Asia that blog more than others, and the Philippines is one
country that loves to blog. So it was only natural to host the 5th Annual Blogging Summit
on 9th May 2009. The schedule offered such topics as 'Blogging 101', 'Photo Blogging',
'Video Blogging', 'Mobile Blogging', 'Dos & Don'ts of Blogging 101', 'Blog Promotion &
Traffic Generation Strategies 101', 'Legal issues in Blogging', 'Preparing Bloggers for the
2010 Election', and the all important 'Blogging to the Next Level'.

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And if that wasn't enough there was the After Blogging Party. The Philippines has a
population of over 90 million people, of which 21% of households have a personal
computer, 10% of households have an internet enabled computer and 62% of the
population have a mobile phone.
Asia's first online fashion store targeting 'high maintenance' fashionistas (April 2009)

Asia's first online multi-brand fashion and lifestyle retail outlet has just been launched
and it's in the Philippines. IM-HM.com (I Am High Maintenance) aims to sell to consumers
in countries like Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.
The owner of the website is Bianca Cristina Zobel who states Reports show there is a
slight deceleration in the growth rate of yearly Internet sales in the USA and Europe.
Growth, however, is poised to accelerate in the Asia Pacific region. E-commerce sales in
countries like Japan, China and Korea are booming and other countries in the region are
following suit. Where fashion and retail are concerned, Asian countries account for around
10 percent of worldwide online sales, and these three countries are consistently in the
top five countries that shop for fashion online.
Changing trends and flowers (April 2009)

New technologies are changing consumer trends in the Philippine flower industry.
Although the market for quality flowers is still low, it is growing significantly due to a
range of factors. First, the cost of indoor flowers is decreasing with the growth in
greenhouses that use fewer chemicals, water, fertilisers and are free from pests and
discolouration. This suits the green consumer.
Secondly the internet is giving Filipinos more informed choices as more florists go online.
Together with their online research, Filipino consumers can compare what consumers are
buying in more advanced economies. As a result they are demanding the same from their
local Philippine florist.
Finally, the ability of the greenhouse grower to deliver flowers direct from the farm to the
consumer is forcing Philippine flower retailers to provide value added services, such as
better floral arrangements, better prices and more creative approaches within the market.
Internet habits (April 2009)

Yahoo! Has just released the first ever study on internet habits for the Philippines.
Twelve hundred people, male and female aged ten and over were sampled in 22 major
cities including Manila. The key findings are that 28% of urban Filipinos have accessed
the internet in the past month, 5% every day.
Filipino internet users are generally 29 years old, single, better educated, opinion
leaders, individualistic, trend conscious, willing to pay for quality products and early
adopters compared to traditional media consumers.
The hacker's challenge (April 2009)

The Philippines is gearing up for a general election in 2010 and one story that is doing
the rounds in Filipino blogspheres is the Hack & Win 100M. Filipino's love to blog and
many websites have a blog where young and old can share their views on just about
everything. And they do.
Recently the Commission on Elections stated that the automated poll system set to run
next year is hack-proof. This prompted Philippine Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to offer
Ps100M (approximately US$2 million) to anyone who can hack the system.
Let the games begin!
A survival guide for 2009 (March 2009)

Media company, Juice Water Therapy, has recently created a top ten list of trends
effecting consumption in the Philippines with accompanying tips for brands. The top five
are as follows:

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1. Recessionary Living: Value for money, critical proof of value at every purchase.
2. Simple Pleasures: Brands need to work out the price/pleasure ratio for consumers
3. The Energy Race: Aligning one's brand to resource-saving ideas.
4. The Small Movement: Look for ideas that can demonstrate small = powerful.
5. The Mobile Device as Everything: Connecting to diverse consumer markets.
The rest of the top ten includes themes like career reinvention, authenticity matters and
the collective consciousness which sees Gen X & Y consumers participating in small
causes and caring about corporate social responsibility.
The skies open up creating change (March 2009)

Although the Philippine Department of Tourism is targeting five million tourists by 2010,
the main winners seem to be locals. The Philippines is set to expand agreements with
neighbouring countries liberalising skies and develop new airports. Competition is
lowering airfares, providing more airline choices and increasing local economic
development. But the biggest winner seems to be the overseas Filipino workers and their
families who are now able to hold reunions more often due to affordable airfares.
Philippine entrepreneur combines trends (March 2009)

When Darlyn Ty couldn't find the kind of diary that suited her, she decided to design her
own. The result is a multicoloured, design-oriented planner for the fashionista. But how
does a 24-year old with a great idea make it work? Instead of showing dates it expands
into a two-in-one planner, includes discount coupons, a menstrual tracker and a host of
interesting ways to manage and record a busy life. Instead of mere profit orientation, it
supports women advocacy groups. Instead of just being a commodity, it created an online
community and supports various online activities. Instead of focusing on sales and
marketing Darlyn decided on two strategic elements: (1) a great product that seems to
sell itself; (2) an even better website that is completely up-to-date on the latest news
creating an online community of Filipino women encouraged to live their dreams.
Depression chic (February 2009)

The fastest growing fashion trend in the Philippines right now is Depression Chic. It's the
fashion industry's tongue-in-cheek retort to the world's problems so while it's still hot,
here are some local ways to look cool:
1. Keyword: Loose. Think sack dresses and baggy trousers. It's the I-can't-afford-to-buyretail-so-I'm-getting-this-thing-on-the-discount-rack-that's-a-tad-too-big-for-me;
2. Head gear is a must and pick styles from the early 20th century, like newsboy cap,
cloche hat or the conductor cap;
3. The knee's the limit. Amidst the many different ways of dep-dressing, one important
factor and that is keeping the garments short.
And don't forget to get ready for the post-depression look: The casual hourglass. This
time it's the exact opposite of the shapeless dress. All you need are a neatly tailored
button-down shirt, a slim pencil skirt and all your might and determination to cinch your
waist.
Samsung unveils new TV in the Philippines

Samsung chose the Philippines to launch their new Series 8 Slim LCD TV due to growth
potential they see developing. The Philippines has a vibrant broadcasting environment
with 10 national broadcasters, a host of regional broadcasters and a large number of local
and international players in user-pays TV broadcasting so it was only natural for Samsung
to unveil their latest TV technology with the aim of increasing market share.
The Philippines has one of the lowest annual cinema attendances in the region, with in
2008, only one trip per person annually, equal to South Korea but behind China (1.2),
India (1.1), Indonesia (1.3), Japan (1.3) and Singapore (3.3). This provides great
opportunities for in-house entertainment as the rural urban divide is quite significant

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65% live in urban areas with 35% rural in an expected population for 2009 of 92 million.
A growing preference for health (February 2009)

There is a growing and significant trend in the Philippines towards a more a health
conscious society despite an increasing number of fast food outlets being erected. This
flies in the face of the global economic crisis, as the hospitality industry and convenience
stores currently remain resilient.
Meanwhile a hair salon, David's Salon, has taken the unusual initiative of sponsoring four
tri-athletes that are not only fit but gorgeous to boot. More than winning medals,
trophies and hearts, Team David's Salon is winning over women to a healthier lifestyle
and is an advocate of cervical cancer awareness, anti-violence against women and
support the UN Children's Fund and the Pinays in Action campaign for women to adopt a
more proactive lifestyle. They champion and exemplify the 21st century Filipina one who
is competitive and still as feminine as they care to be.
The Philippines has a growing obesity problem, in 2008 6.4% of the population was obese
and this is expected to rise to 7.4% by 2013.
Consumers redefining their shopping experience (January 2009)

More value and innovation is the key word in 2009 for many Filipinos according to the
Philippine Star Newspaper. In addition 'luxury' will be redefined with 'feedback' playing a
much bigger role due to the economic downturn. Luxury will not be defined by the market
for many people but by personal perceptions and preferences. Many people will have new
definitions for luxury directly linked to their incomes and lifestyles.
Meanwhile, consumers will be more demonstrative in their feedback which will
immediately show with their wallet if they are unsatisfied with a product or service. The
growing number of blogs, chatrooms and forums will add tremendously to shaping
opinions and preferences.
IT going from strength to strength (January 2009)

Although consumer confidence remains weak in the Philippines, some sectors are forecast
to grow, according to publicly listed IPVG Corporation CEO Enrique Gonzalez speaking in
an online video interview. Internet user growth in the Philippines is among the highest in
the world, with Filipino youth driving video and online gaming, with expected growth of as
much as 30% in 2009.
Philippine companies breaking down creative borders (January 2009)

Talking to consumers can be a never ending battle, but several Filipino companies have
joined together in a creative collaboration to do just that. Burnwater, a Philippines-based
design firm, has teamed up with a lifestyle magazine (Rogue), a literary publication
(Story), a recording studio (Wombworks) and a bookstore chain (Fully Booked) to produce
a streaming HD video site called Pelicola.tv (pelikula is Tagalog for movie). The site
aims to be the insider's guide to the country's cultural hotspots, influential tastemakers
and local music scene. The site's adfilm revenue model notably follows the growing trend
of quality content as advertising, admittedly inspired by BMW's The Hire series and the
Cartier Love campaign. Pelicola.tv officially goes live in February 2009.
Local call centres thriving (December 2008)

India, a favourite destination for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, is
outsourcing many of its operations to the Philippines. Local press report that some of
India's largest companies are operating call centres where Filipinos are fielding questions
for major American firms including an airline. This is attributed to the fact that Filipinos
speak the kind of English that Americans understand, and because Filipinos have more
patience and empathy in dealing with people by commentators including India's
ambassador to Manila, Rajeet Mitter. Fielding calls from, say, harried airline passengers
who have lost their luggage requires special people skills something that Indians

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often lack but which most Filipinos have, according to Mitter. He believes that those
natural people skills have given Filipino nurses, nannies, cooks and other workers in the
service sector a competitive edge in the global job market.
More shop at eBay (December 2008)

Onine auction and shopping site eBay Inc. has revealed that more Filipinos shopped on
eBay.ph a month before Christmas and New Year celebrations. In an e-mail exchange
with the BusinessMirror, the company said that gross merchandise volume (GMV) of its
local site grew by 40% year-on-year as of November. The figure is based on the number
of Filipinos buying from Filipinos. This does not yet include the statistics of Filipinos
buying on foreign sites. PSPs, iPods and Havaianas (rubber flip-flop sandals) are the
most popular products among Filipinos, the company noted.
To compete, students need English (December 2008)

According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the main proponent of a bill espousing
English as the medium of instruction in schools has said there was no escaping the
pressing need for Filipinos to master the language in this highly competitive world: We
now live and compete in the fast-moving information technology age, and English is the
language of technology. So we have to embrace English, he said. Cebu Rep. Eduardo
Gullas also said he was ready to defend his bill against its critics when the House of
Representatives resumes sessions next month. With 202 out of 238 representatives
backing his bill, support for it was overwhelming and formidable, Gullas said.
Gullas' bill would make English the medium of instruction from Grade four until the end of
high school, except in Filipino taught as a subject. English would also be promoted as the
language of interaction in schools. The bill would also make English the language of all
government exams as well as entrance tests for public schools, including state colleges
and universities.
Filipino texters underestimate their spending (November 2008)

According to Integrated Marketing Solutions (IMS), on average, Filipino texters estimated

their spending to be an average of Ps544 (7.23) on texting per month. However, IMS
found that their actual spending adds up to an average of more than double that sum at
Ps1,110 a month. 74% of respondents to an IMS poll also indicated that they would
rather send a text message than call as this is a cheaper option. However, 60% of
participants said that they usually failed to understand messages due to unclear text
phrases. Meanwhile, 95% responded that it would be easier to understand one another if
they were to call but that the costs of calling are prohibitive.
Sales aren't picking up as Christmas approaches (November 2008)

According to the interviews of the Sun Star Pampanga newspaper with retailers in the
Philippines, sales are not picking up even though Christmas is approaching fast. Retailers
indicated that sales are within the range of poor to average compared to the 2007
Christmas season as consumers are more cautious regarding their spending and
purchasing power weakens. Jelly Lampa who owns a store in downtown Angeles City said,
Some of our customers are actually thinking twice before buying Christmas dcor.
Lampa also pointed out that sales of canned goods and meat products have dropped
compared to last year. Some of our usual clients are telling us that they are cutting
down on their expenses, buying mostly what they need so far, explained Lampa.
Similarly, Leonardo Salazar, a consignment distributor observed that those who have
money to spare are buying but far less - a hundred bucks could only buy a few things
nowadays. In San Fernando city, Sales are good but compared with last year, we are
way down by 20% in the equivalent two-week period recalls Joyce Velasquez who runs a
general store.
DTI officials warn consumers of substandard products (November 2008)

"They (consumers) must be cautious with the products that they buy," said Marizon

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Loreto, DTI-Southern Mindanao regional director during the opening of the Mindanao
Investment Conference. Loreto explained that the public needs to be especially careful
during the current holiday season, especially with the proliferation of substandard goods
on the market. Loreto added that his department are closely monitoring the
implementation of government-imposed standards on all products and urged consumers
to look for the ICC (Philippine Import Commodity Clearance mark) on imported products
and the PS (Philippine Product Safety) mark on local products.
Fighting fraud (October 2008)

Recently, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) as well as the Western Union Company launched a new programme to
protect consumers from scams. SAFE aims to provide consumers with the necessary
knowledge and tools to detect fraud and unmask those behind it. The Trade Secretary,
Peter Favila said: Any Filipino can fall victim to fraud - regardless of their education
level, economic status or social background. Perpetrators of fraud are constantly coming
up with ways to entice people into new scams. If we can educate consumers about the
types of fraud they will be better prepared to protect themselves. That's a goal we hope
to achieve with the SAFE programme." NBI Director, Nestor M. Mantaring also explained:
We want to educate and inform the public about how they can protect themselves from
various scams before the fraudsters contact them either through e-mail or SMS. We
appreciate Western Union's initiative in supporting both the DTI and our current antifraud and consumer education efforts. He also warned consumers not to transfer funds
into a stranger's account. Filipino consumers can now consult the DTI or NBI through
hotlines or their websites.
Filipinos tighten their belts by cutting down on unnecessary expenses (October 2008)

The Cebuanos (who make up about 25% of Filipinos), known for their thrift, have started
showing signs of cutting back on unnecessary expenses (like high-end mobile phones and
beauty enhancement services). Pablo Yap of Junrex Cell phones and Accessories Inc.
observed that the middle-income market segment consumers who used to buy newly
introduced high-end phones are not changing their phones because there is no more
extra money in their pockets. They are shifting (their attention) to more basic needs.
Similarly, Cheong Alonso, a hairstylist at Cheng Hair Professional said many (customers)
are scheduled to come back for hair care treatments, but they tell me they'll wait for
December. Maybe it's the (financial) crisis that is making them focus on more important
stuff. In order to meet current consumer demands for less costly products, computer and
notebook manufacturers have also started introducing cheaper models to the market said
Melanie Ng, the PRA Cebu president and executive vice president of the NGenius IT Hub.
Yap also believes that this situation brings out the best in us (retailers). It challenges
us to be creative and to improve our customer services.
Local consumers opting for chemically-grown vegetables (October 2008)

As prices for organic vegetables continue to climb, many Filipino consumers are returning
to chemically-grown vegetables. A Southern Mindanao Vegetables Industry Council
(SMVIC) official, Val Turtur said Consumers don't really mind whether or not vegetables
were grown with chemicals as long as they are cheap. We can't really blame them for
ignoring organic vegetables." Turtur added that it is more important to most cash-starved
Filipinos to pay less than to worry about the presence of harmful pesticides and other
chemicals in vegetables. As a result, the SMVIC has started pushing natural farming
among city-based vegetable farmers. Paciencio Cobillas of the Department of Trade and
Industry (DTI) said that "It's rather sad to hear that consumers would rather buy
vegetables grown using chemicals and pesticides instead of buying organically-grown
vegetables. We understand how the cost of vegetables can swing our efforts to stay
healthy, however." DTI acting regional director, Marizon Loreto believes that growing
organic vegetables greater quantities is the best route to cheaper prices. More and more

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consumers will look for organic vegetables if they are reasonably priced. If there are lots
of organic vegetables available in the market, these vegetables will be within the reach
of our consumers, said Loreto.
Filipinos: the most sociable people on the net (September 2008)

The third edition of Universal McCann's study on social media shows that the Philippines
has the highest social network penetration among internet users, with a record of 83.1%
(compared to a global average of only 57.5%). Filipinos have also been shown to have
the second highest incidence of blog-reading, at 90.3% among internet users.
Furthermore, the study shows that approximately 65.8% of Filipino internet users write
blogs. The study also indicated that blogs and social networks are becoming
mainstream media which are now commonly used as another platform for the
dissemination of news and information.
Generic drugs are the better choice (September 2008)

According to Francisco DuqueI, the Health Secretary, there may be many different
medicine brands and medicine price brackets but all of them are actually of the same
quality. The Department of Health is now urging consumers to buy generic medicines as
they are cheaper in price and yet of the same quality as the branded ones. The Health
Department outlines that generic medicines and drugs are just quality replicas of what
are called original or innovator medicines. A recent Social Weather Station survey
revealed that there has been a steady increase in the number of people using generic
medicines. The study shows that the figure has increased from 49% (2003) to 55%
(2006). The same survey also indicated that five out of six Filipinos look for generic
medicines when they buy drugs.
Public transport is sardine-packed as petrol costs soar in Manila (September 2008)

With petrol price increases of over 35%, many Filipinos have no choice but to start using
public transport. Nestor Del Rosario, an executive at a call centre said travelling to the
capital's Makati business district by suburban train is a terrible journey. He added that
The line to get on starts from the back of the train, I have never got a seat. The
administrator for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Authority, Mel Robles, says that "The LRT
used to be seen as transport for the masses but now you can see more and more people
wearing ties and barongs clothing of people of a higher social status people. It's no
longer a matter of choice but necessity. Like many commuters, Nancy Eleria, a professor
of engineering at the University of Santa Tomas said that It's crowded but that is
compensated for by the short travel time and the costwith the MRT it will take me 20
minutes but by car it could take two hours. In response to this scenario, Roberto
Lastimoso, a senior MRT official said the problem is that we can only take so many
passengers and explained that We have told the economic managers that our situation
is becoming critical. It is an issue of national concern. Lastimoso explains further: At
peak times it's so uncomfortable, passengers are jostling one another; passengers
overflow at street level. You have to deal with jostling from fellow passengers and the
smell of other people."
Filipinos need more milk (August 2008)

Leah, mother to a thin seven-year-old and concerned about her daughter Andrea's
struggle to focus at school, decided to consult her teacher and a pediatrician. To Leah's
surprise, milk is the answer to Andrea's problem. Leah said, I never thought milk would
still be so important for a seven-year-old kid. The Food and Nutrition Research
Institute's (FNRI) recent research shows that Filipinos only get 57.1% of their necessary
calcium per day.
Filipino children, like Andrea, turn away from milk as they have been exposed to other
options like soft drinks and chocolate drinks. The FNRI's 1997 Formative Research on Milk
and Milk products indicated that people only bought milk when they have spare cash and

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Filipino parents often think that their kids already get enough nutrition from eating rice.
Corazon Cerdena, an FNRI researcher pointed out, Milk isn't traditionally a part of the
Filipino diet. FNRI's 2003 study also recorded that 26 out of every 100 (2.49 million)
primary school-aged children were underweight and 37 out of every 100 of them (3.41
million) were shorter than average.
Book renaissance (August 2008)

According to Bezalie Uc-Kung, executive director of New Day Publishers I, "There is a

growing patronage of locally published books, an increasing number of Filipinos who write
and of publishers who publish them." The National Book Development Board (NBDB)
reported a surprising 51% increase in the number of publishers from just 86 publishers in
2003 on its website recently. Additionally, the number of imported books increased by
18% to 51,577 in 2007 from 43,569 in 2006. However, Iren Lloren, the president of
Primetrade Aisa Inc. said: The number of books published in the country is equivalent
only to the number of books published for teens and children in the USA where 6,000
books are printed daily. Research conducted by UP Center for Policy and Administrative
Development recorded that 43% of its respondents say that lack of time has prevented
them from reading while 15% state money as an impediment. The research also shows
that 24% of Filipinos read three or more books within a six-month period and another
24% read two books during the same period.
Lirio Sandoval, president of the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP)
believes that "The books coming out now are not only better in content but also in
production and design quality. Uc-Kung then explained: "What is helping the industry
now is the fact that local authors are standing out. The Filipino perspective - the Filipino
way of looking at things, of telling stories, of appreciating history and Filipino creativity
and ingenuity - these get local authors noticed."
More locals embrace cyberculture (August 2008)

Managing director of Synovate, Carole Anne Sarthou revealed that Filipinos have been
quick to adapt to the internet. Synovate's research, which started in 2007 and involved
5,000 local respondents, found that 8 to 10% of respondents have started to buy things
online. Sarthou added that more Filipino internet users are selling goods that they bought
overseas via their own websites or blogs. The research also shows that most upscale and
older users often have internet access at home while younger and lower-income users
typically patronise internet cafes. Downloading music, video and other online materials
were recorded as the favoured online activities among Filipinos. Following closely behind,
online gaming has also been named as one of the top 10 online activities. Sarthou added
that clicking online ads or purchasing goods and services online, however, remain at the
bottom of the list of online activities. As for the type of information that Filipinos seek
online, Synovate's study shows that music, news, current events, cars and even places to
eat out were the most common searches.
Young Filipinos are puffing away

According to a WHO (World Health Organisation) Global Youth Tobacco Survey, despite
the nationwide smoking ban, 27% of teenagers aged 13-15 still smoke. The report also
revealed a shocking 30% increase of young smokers in the country over the past two
years. It also stressed that approximately 20% of young Filipinos start smoking before
reaching the age of ten. The drivers of this appalling phenomenon were listed as media
advertising, exposure to smokers in public places and having one or more parents who
smoke. The survey also shows that 62.8% of Filipino youths had no problem in purchasing
tobacco products in a store, making easy access to the product another major
contributing factor. In response to these issues, a smoking ban restricting sales of
cigarettes and alcohol to minors aged 18 and under in public places was imposed in 2007.
The ban restricts leaflet distribution, posters and other outdoor advertising with the
exception of promotion inside retail premises at the point-of-sale. However, some have

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not complied with the ban as evidenced in the cigarette ads and posters on electric posts
and in sari-sari kiosks (provisions stores typically located in shopkeepers' homes). The
nation's Picture-based Health Warning Act is set to be implemented by September in
order to enhance the effect of the anti-smoking message. The research also reveals that
the country ranks 15th in a league of the biggest consumers of cigarettes in the world
and top among ASEAN countries.
Time for a green switch in Metro Manila (July 2008)

On the 16th of July 2008, sixteen cities and one town in Metro Manila switched to CFLs
(compact fluorescent lamps) which are more energy efficient than the old incandescent
bulbs. Angelo Reyes, the Energy Secretary, said that these times of soaring oil prices
necessitate the conscientious use of energy. According to the study conducted by the
Philippine National Standards body, CFLs last five times longer and use 80% less energy
than incandescent bulbs. Reyes believes that the simple switch to these energy- efficient
light bulbs will go a long way in cutting the country's electricity consumption. He added
that the Asian Development Bank's study estimated that replacing a million 60-watt
incandescent bulbs with equivalent 13-watt CFLs would equal savings of at least 50
megawatts in equivalent generation. Reyes then explained that This means that for
US$1.5 million worth of CFLs, we can forego the installation of a power station worth at
least US$50 million. This cost-benefit analysis does not even include the substantial
savings that homes, offices, factories, schools, hospitals and malls will realise and the
significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions we can collectively achieve. The
Department of Electricity has also announced its aim to phase out incandescent bulbs in
the country by 2010.
Celebrating Market Recycling Day (July 2008)

As Philippine consumers are becoming more aware of the need to conserve energy and
manage their waste more effectively, increasing number have adopted the habit of
recycling and reusing various materials. As a result, SM Supermalls have taken the
initiative of working with the National Solid Waste Management Committee, Philippine
Business for the Environment and various local government units to initiate the Recycling
Market Day. The Recycling Market Day takes place on every first Saturday of the month,
during which Filipino consumers can bring along waste paper, plastics and electronic
waste to any SM Mall in the country and turn their trash into cash. Consumers can trade
in their items which will be made into useful goods to be traded during the next Recycling
Market Day. For instance, tetra pack and coloured magazine sheets will be transformed
into fashion items like bags and necklaces by a multi-purpose environment cooperative
called Kilus Foundations. It produces 40,000 bag pieces monthly that are very popular
with foreigners and are exported to the USA, Denmark, Sweden, Japan, South Korea and
France.
Trusted brand wins consumer approval (June 2008)

In the recent Reader's Digest Trusted Brand survey for Asia, HP once again succeeded in
impressing consumers with the quality and reliability of its products. HP took gold in the
personal computer and multi-function copier categories. In addition, HP was also crowned
the platinum winner in the printer/scanner category for the first time ever. David Tan,
Managing Director of HP Philippines said "HP is committed to investing in technology
areas we believe will have the power to improve customers' lives and businesses. Our
ranking in the latest Trusted Brand survey is a testament to this commitment. Rest
assured that HP will continue to improve its services to better benefit the local market".
HP has since 2005 been consistently awarded in similar categories such as credible
image, value, understanding of customer needs, and innovation.
Filipinos tune out during ads (June 2008)

In the recent 2008 World Marketing Conference, Emily Abrera, regional chair of the
McCann Worldgroup Asia, announced that the Philippines has the highest number of ads

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per hour in Asia. This is due to the fact that the local advertising industry's prescribed
limit is 18 minutes of ads per hour compared to the 12 to 14 of ads elsewhere in Asia.
Consequently, viewers have developed anti-ad behaviours: So people are continuously
watching several channels simultaneously. And people are very good and have evolved
this wonderful sense of timing so that they know that as soon as commercial come on,
they go to the channel where they're watching something else. So in other words, they're
tracking several programmes at the same time. And they come back, almost as soon as
that last spot is ending. They're very good at that already, Abrera said. Additionally, she
added that When we overload consumers with commercials, we are actually teaching
people how to avoid them. We're giving them the greatest reason to avoid watching our
work. And that is what worries me the most, that we're losing our audience. Abrera
believes advertisers have to be aware that it is no longer just buy and pay for the space
and you can intrude on anyone at any given time. Today, they (the viewers) have to give
us permission to deliver our message.
Consumer complaints about telcos up (June 2008)

According to the NTC (National Telecommunications Commission), consumers' complaints

about telecommunication companies have increased by 75% to 1,069 last year from 610
in 2006, with 98% complaints resolved. NTC also recorded that complaints against
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLCT) topped those levelled against other
companies at 562. They were followed by Digital Telecommunication Philippines Inc.
(Digitel) and unit Sun Cellular with a sum of 325 complaints lodged while Globe Telecom
Inc. subscribers lodged a total of 182 complaints. 34% of the complaints related to poor
internet connections, 16% were about disputed bills, 11% on unsolicited text messages
and 10% concerned poor service. Consequently, NTC has recently approved a circular on
consumer protection aimed at addressing widespread complaints and appointed
regulators to monitor and eliminate spam text messages.
Young generation values being connected via mobile phones (May 2008)

According to recent online research entitled Anytime, Anyplace: Understanding the

Connected Generation by Universal McCann, text messaging remains the most popular
mobile phone application in the Philippines and globally. The research also reveals that
connected Filipino mobile phone owners have also moved into enjoying new function
features like internet browsing, email facilities, camera/video and music player
capabilities. Now, they are using their mobile phones for multiple purposes that extend
beyond connectivity functions. The latest trends among local mobile phone users strongly
feature downloading and creating and sharing content using cell phones. The research
reveals that 62% of them have experience in using their mobile's camera, while 56%
have sent photos and another 35% have posted photos taken by their cell phones onto a
website. Furthermore, 49% have recorded videos, 37% are experienced in downloading
video clips, 49% have downloaded games and 48% of participants use Bluetooth
functions for file sharing. The most important content which the Filipino mobile phone
user desires is music. Internet function (51%), gaming (55%) and live TV (34%) have
also prevailed as functions that participants desire in a mobile phone.
More Filipino families rating themselves as food-poor (May 2008)

The recently released report from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey for the first
quarter of 2008 has indicated a drastic one million increase in the sum of Filipino families
considering themselves food poor. The survey identifies an increase from 6.1 million
recorded in 2007 to 7.1 million in the first quarter of 2008, SWS however reports that it
"has been on a general downward trend since June 2006".The research shows that 40% of
participants rated themselves as food-poor, 32% said they were not and 29% believe
that they are on the 'food borderline'. In Mindanao, self-rated food poverty increased from
39% (December 2007) to 50%. The capital city, Metro Manila, faced a growth of 7% on
last year's record (28%) while Luzon recorded a growth of 4% and Visayas remained

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stagnant. SWS said that "This is a sign that the poor are actually lowering their real
living standards. In addition, the study also reported that 26.3% of households
considering themselves to be food-poor have experienced hunger between January and
March 2008. Furthermore, 50% of Filipino families also signified that they were generally
poor as oppose to 26% that believed that they were not, while 24% placed themselves
on the borderline.
Strong growth in broadband predicted (May 2008)

Following its recent study, International Data Corp (IDC) speculates that usage of
residential internet Broadband will take flight in the near future even though the
technology is still relatively young in the Philippine market. IDC revealed that
subscriptions to broadband connections are growing steadily and more Filipinos are opting
out of narrowband internet connection services. IDC also forecasts that the total number
of broadband subscribers will have increased from 165,000 in 2005 to 475,000 by
2010 .Through cluster analysis, IDC has successfully identified four segments of local
urban consumer broadband users; laggard users, entertainment and social fanatics,
information and community junkies and early adopters. The study defines laggard users
to be conservative users who only focus on basic internet activities like online searches
and checking emails. On the other hand, entertainment and social fanatics rely on the
internet to maintain and expand their social network systems. As for information and
community junkies, the internet serves as a pool of useful knowledge, data, etc. Early
adopters are the heavy users who are always first in line to try new services. Among
urban broadband consumers, 41% were categorised as entertainment and social fanatics.
25% as information and communication junkies, 17% were laggard users and 16% were
early adopters.
Consumers reacting differently to food shortage rumours (April 2008)

Food shortage rumours are leading to mixed reactions from Filipino shoppers. Davao
City's residents are not overly concerned about the possibility of food shortages, while
some Manila residents are very worried indeed. Robert Barlis of the Consumer Welfare
and Trade Regulation Department said "There are no long queues that we can see in the
supermarkets and smaller shops, nor in the outdoor markets. However, as rumours of
rice and broader food shortages circulate in major cities in the Philippines, some
consumers are panic buying to obtain food that they can store. In Cogon market,
hundreds of consumers rushed to buy cheap rice from the NFA (National Food Authority).
Police officer, Allan Galito, said two women fainted while they were waiting for the NFA
authorized outlets to open. He also estimated that between 1,500 to 2,000 people had
been queuing since early in the morning. The crowd was upset and started a commotion
after a long wait; some shouting "When will you start selling rice? Don't let us suffer
anymore. Officials have promised to make new adjustments ensuring that food
allocations are more readily available to consumers.
Radio remains a favourite and suits mobile consumers (April 2008)

According to Jay G. Bautista, Nielsen's executive director, "Traditional media like TV may
not be able to reach certain groups anymore since students are out most of the time,
people are commuting, people live further from where they study or work, and traffic is
getting worse. All of these factors are changing the landscape of the consumer. Radio is a
very mobile medium. We feel there is potential for radio. A recent company Radio
Measurement Update 2008 indicated that 98.5% of Filipinos listen to radio every week,
making them the most avid radio listeners in the region. However, the study also
revealed that people are spending less time listening to the radio; with hours decreasing
from 19.24 hours in 2006 to 17.17 hours per week today. Bautista added "New media is
competing with traditional media for the attention of consumers - media such as the
internet, mobile phones, and even lifestyles are changing the landscape of how people
watch TV and listen to radio". Bautista also highlighted a surprising finding: "We asked

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people if their loyalty to radio increased or decreased with the ownership of MP3
[players]. It actually increased because they want to know which new song is out in the
market so they can download it. New electronic products are actually boosting radio
listening, as more people are spending less time at home.
Retailers in the Philippines provide green alternatives that work! (April 2008)

As consumers become more aware of the need to fight global warming and are more in
tune with organisations that have a sense of corporate responsibility, more businesses
are hopping onto the eco-friendly bandwagon and adopting green ideas. Supermarket
chains too, such as the Rustan and SM groups, have become prominent crusaders by
issuing and encouraging the use of recyclable bags. Both SM Greenbag and Rustan's earth
-friendly shopping bags are made of fabric and shoppers' interest in them has been
encouraging. Millie Dizon, SM vice president revealed that the chain has sold 87,140 SM
Greenbags within five months, while, customers have redeemed another 150,954 during
their promotional period. Dizon also revealed that over 300,000 shoppers used the
Greenbags for food shopping between June 2007 and March 2008.
Meanwhile, Rustan's partnership with the World Wide Fund for Nature brought in not only
over half a million pesos of donation generated from its sales of earth-friendly products,
but also sold 63,000 earth-friendly shopping bags. According to Rustan's marketing
manager, Frances Yu: As a supermarket, we have access to a huge consuming public and
a certain amount of influence over consuming habits. We want to influence our shoppers
to lead healthier lifestyles, be more concerned about the environment and to be more
educated and responsible consumers in general.
Filipinos texted up to one billion times per day in 2007 (March 2008)

The quantity of SMSs sent last year doubled in the Philippines to an average of one
billion per day. The country is one of the most prolific text messaging centres of the
world, where even the central bank governor sends monetary policy statements via
mobile phone texts, and there are also an increasing number of consumers relying on
their mobile phone for banking and bill payments. With approximately eight million
Filipinos working overseas, SMSs became the best method of keeping in touch with family
back home. According to the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), messages on
its network hit an average of 700 to 750 million per day in 2007, while Rival Globe
Telecom reported that there were approximately 300 to 400 million messages sent daily
in 2007 via its network. Cheap offers and promotions are said to be the main contributing
factor motivating Filipinos to text message more. Costing as little as one peso (US$.025)
and due to the fact that one mobile user can pass credits to another user, SMSs have
become a cheaper communication option enabling instant mobile access.
NTC stickers a sign of quality assurance (March 2008)

The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC)-Southern Mindanao warned

consumers to be more careful and to avoid buying non-NTC accredited cellular phones.
Josue de Villa-Go, NTC-Southern Mindanao director said "We have not ascertained the
quality of these products and added that "A cell phone may be from China, but if it
passed through quality control, then there is nothing wrong with it. He clarified that the
origin of the phone is not the basis on which NTC will decide whether the phone passes
their standards. Go explained that phones without NTC accreditation may possibly be
smuggled mobile phone or pirated phones which may either cause fire or emit heavy
radiation. Such low quality phones are dangerous as the electrical circuit of the phone
has not been checked, said Go. The NTC stickers will serve as evidence of quality control
checks aiming to protect consumers' rights and safety.
DTI steps up monitoring on behalf of consumers (March 2008)

According to Flora Gabunales, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial director,
the DTI has stepped up its monitoring of the mushrooming repair shops and service

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centres for various electronic gadgets and other household items in South Cotabato. The
DTI has also announced its move to renew its law enforcement activities. DTI aims to
protect local consumers against unscrupulous practices through tightening its
accreditation and evaluation of the competencies of these consumer service providers:
"There are even technicians that simply set up a shop inside a retail establishment and
offer their services to the public. When the owners of these retail establishments were
asked about the existence of a certain shop within their premises, they just claimed not
to supervise their activities," said Concepcion Oreta, chairperson of the city's Consumer
Council. Local consumers have voiced their concerns as to whether several repair centres
in the city have DTI certification, as they have found them unprofessional. Gabunales
reassured the public that DTI would penalise law-breaking operators.
Money transfer via mobile phones (February 2008)

Globe Telecom and Western Union recently announced plans for a joint new service
enabling subscribers to conduct money transfers through their mobile phones. This GCASH
service features an electronic wallet which allows users to transfer and receive cash,
make payments, donations and conduct online purchases through SMS. According to Mr.
Ferdinand M. Dela Cruz, head of consumer wireless business at Globe Telecom We
envision that this relationship with Western Union will increase the accessibility and
lower the cost of micro-remittances, which will greatly benefit Filipino overseas workers
and their families here in the Philippines. This agreement will further expand our crossborder mobile commerce hub that allows multi-currency money transfers to mobile
operators around the world, linking our GCASH service to a global network of send and
receive locations through Western Union.
Retailers going green in the Philippines (February 2008)

Greg Gasataya, who chairs the Environmental Committee of Bacolod Council, has
proposed that retailers of all kinds (malls outlets, supermarkets, grocery stores) go green
by providing a green lane counter to facilitate and prioritize consumers using
biodegradable/environmentally-friendly containers. The concept of the green lane aims to
encourage Filipinos to use environmentally-friendly materials such as bags, containers,
etc. as well as to complement the city's solid waste management programme. Gasataya
believes that usage of plastic containers should be regulated while alternative options
like biodegradable bags, carton boxes, non-plastic sacks or bags as well as reusable
shopping bags should be promoted in the community. He added that the city of Bacolod
supports the institutionalisation of green containers and bags as part of the promotion of
the green movement's efforts to conserve the environment.
Piracy lets down local artists (February 2008)

According to president of the Cordillera Producers and Artists Association (CPAA), Jun
Garcia, local producers and artists have been discouraged from producing their own
original compositions as consumers are turning to pirate sources for music and video.
Currently, local producers are only adapting foreign songs, translating lyrics into the local
language. Garcia added "We choose not to bring out our original compositions because
we are disappointed by the piracy problem as today's consumers prefer to buy cheaper
counterfeit efforts instead of original albums. He explained that We can't recover the
costs if we focus on producing original compositions. The problem is compounded
because those pirating our products are people from our locality said Garcia. Therefore,
the problem will continue to affect our music and entertainment industry unless
consumers stop patronising pirated products of any kind. he added.
Christmas shopping sheds light on consumer shopping behaviour (January 2008)

According to GE Money's recent research, Filipinos pre-plan their purchases and are able
to shop for presents on a budget. The research indicated that 76% of Filipinos do not
impulse buy but plan their purchases, while half believe that they stick to their shopping
budget. Another research finding shows that the Filipinos take Christmas more seriously

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than consumers in other Asian countries. They celebrate Christmas like most traditional
western Christian families; involving themselves in church going, gifting and celebrating
the festive season with friends and family. In addition, the research also shows that
approximately 80% of them buy gifts for everyone but spend less than $200 on each gift.
Fashion rights? (January 2008)

Recently, a salon and cosmetology school owner, Tony Galvez, pointed out that there is
no legislation in place to protect both consumers and cosmetologists in the Philippines.
He believes that there is a need for a system regulating cosmetology practice and for
guidelines ensuring service quality in the field. Malpractice, like the burning of scalps
and hair by unqualified practitioners has created public awareness. But presently, the
only action open to the government is the closure of the salon that committed the
malpractice. There is no guarantee that the consumer will be protected said Galvez. As
there are no rules monitoring the safety and the hygiene of instruments used in salons,
both clients and owners are exposed to potential infections from customers. Galvez has
proposed An Act Regulating the Practice of Cosmetology in the Philippines in the past
but failed in his bid. Galvez also stressed that Those who open businesses without a
background in cosmetology end up as failures. Anyone who wants to engage in this
business should consider education to learn the basics of the profession.
Lifestyle store opening inspired by keenness for unique, imported home interiors (January
2008)

Melanie Ng, the owner of the Sandee and Premium Concepts stores, has been inspired to
participate in the growing lifestyle industry in Cebu as its middle and high-end markets
continue to grow. The recently launched Sandee has positioned itself as a lifestyle store
offering unique and imported home furnishing to Cebeuanos. She has identified a
growing interest among Filipinos in unique homeware and dcor in recent years. Sandee
has been positioned as a lifestyle store and product presentations have been designed to
make it look like a real home. She added that Cebuanos like one-of-a-kind, good
quality goods which consequently push local entrepreneurs to be more creative and
innovative. She also said that as consumers have become wiser, retailers too are
constantly developing young and fresh entrepreneurial concepts to meet consumers'
constantly changing preferences.
Online training to be offered in cafs (December 2007)

Microsoft Philippines has recently announced that internet cafs will provide training
services to its clients, making them the new mini-training centres offering basic IT
education skills to consumers. The programme will initially start in Cebu, to stimulate
consumer traffic in the internet cafes of the Southern region of the country. Rafael Rollan,
MD of Microsoft Philippines said that the company will set up online network access
dedicated to authorising internet cafes to accept consumers interested in participating in
the online training session. He also sees this as another revenue channel for the cafes,
over and above their provision of net browsing and games services. In this way, people of
any age and from any background will be able to access Microsoft's training programmes.
Selling 'Be U Cebu' to foreign and local markets (December 2007)

'Be U Cebu' is the latest night market in Cebu, aiming to become the next shopping and
tourist destination attracting local as well as foreign consumers. Donna Belle Pongase, its
operations manager, said that the new night bazaar hopes to be Cebu's new tourist
destination where both local and foreign shoppers can view affordable goods at a very
convenient location right in the heart of town. According to Pongase, 'Be U Cebu' is a
concept to remind Cebuanos to be proud of their rich cultural heritage and history. The
bazaar is focusing on appealing to younger consumers both local and foreign. Thus, in
addition to the night market and bazaars, 'Be U Cebu' will be equipped with lounge areas
with WiFi internet access, a videoke bar and other amenities, and aims to offer an

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inviting ambience to consumers leaving the malls when they close for the night.
Optimistic outlook on Philippines broadband service market (December 2007)

Following the recent merger of the top two communication service providers, Nokia and
Siemens, the new corporation took the opportunity to conduct a research studying the
country's broadband services. According to Joe Deoring, Nokia Siemens Network's chief for
Asia south, While the fixed-line broadband base is still small, the potential of wireless
broadband is huge, when we look at the 53 million cellular phone subscribers that the
country has". In addition the company also recorded that there are 600,000 fixed
broadband subscribers in the Philippines, while internet user density is sitting at 10% of
the population, while the growth rate of fixed broadband is also recorded at 10%. "We
predict wireless broadband to eventually surpass fixed broadband in this country," said
Doering, as he believes that the high interest in 3G phones among Filipino consumers will
be the main contributing factor to this growth. However, pricing remains an issue because
wireless broadband is more expensive locally, in comparison to other Asian countries.
Markus Lius, Nokia Siemens's head of business and marketing in the Asia-Pacific region,
concluded that as an archipelago country, the country has no choice but to go wireless.
Cheap rice for the holiday season (November 2007)

The Philippine President, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, had demanded from the National Food
Authority (NFA) that it release PHP100 million (US$2.3 million) to ensure the availability
of cheap government rice during the holiday season, delivering her commitment to share
the benefits of the country's improving economy. In order to discourage price
manipulation and other forms of illegal rice trading, the NFA has narrowed the price
difference between NFA rice and commercial rice by pricing government rice at PHP0.25
per kilogram. According to Rex C. Estoperez, the public affairs director of the NFA, Good
quality is among the primary reasons why unscrupulous traders are tempted to divert
government rice and sell it as commercial rice in the market.
Christmas buying buoyant despite gloomy economic conditions (November 2007)

As the festive season approaches, consumers around the world are bracing themselves for
a big annual shopping routine, including in the Philippines. Even though oil prices are still
rising, political bickering and currency depreciation does not stop people shopping for
Christmas. Ironically, some retailers have forecast that this year will be the best
Christmas season in 20 years due to the high level of income from overseas Filipino
workers (OFWs) earning in countries with buoyant economies. Festival Supermall's
marketing director, Marivic Arugay, said that the mall is predicting growth in sales and
traffic volume this year. In addition, Wilson Lim Jr., the business development manager
of Waltermart, believes that Filipino consumers seem to be doing their shopping earlier
this year to avoid the Christmas rush. In generally, most OFWs are enjoying the benefits
of good conversion rates against foreign currencies, and more are expected to visit for
Christmas in December, which will swell sales.
Filipinos the 2nd happiest people in Asia! (November 2007)

Filipinos are the second happiest and most optimistic people in Asia, with a positive
overall outlook on life, Axa Asia Life and research company Taylor Nelson Sofres revealed
in a joint study published at the end of this month. In the Axa Life Outlook Index,
Filipinos ranked 2nd out of a total of eight countries in the region, with a score of 85%,
just beaten by Indians scoring 87.2%.
The study attempted to measure how satisfied people are at present, and how optimistic
they are regarding the future with respect to their career, family, health and retirement
planning. The respondents polled were largely middle class consumers, comprising around
25-35% of the population, and were aged 25-50. The study showed that Filipinos are
relatively happy about their careers and their families but are most optimistic about their
health, despite having one of the lowest levels of self-purchased and company medical

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insurance.
Consumers warned about faulty products (October 2007)

Consumers in the Philippines have been warned by the government to be vigilant about
sub-standard products, particularly in the run up to Christmas. To drive home the point, a
quantity of sub-standard electrical switches, break fluids, lighters, Christmas lights and
car batteries, among other goods, were destroyed in mid-October. The Department of
Trade and Industry said that this activity aimed to spotlight goods that evade mandatory
safety and quality control checks. This publicity stunt has coincided with the current
National Consumer Welfare Month, subtitled 'Consumer Education and Information: Key
to Consumer Empowerment'.
Congress member pushes for rebates for renewable energy consumers (October 2007)

Roger Mercado, a Congress member from the Southern Philippines, has filed a bill urging
tax rebates for consumers who shift from fossil fuels too renewable energy use. According
to him, the local cost of alternative fuels and renewable energy sources often puts
consumers off adopting them. He is insisting on a need for the government to shoulder a
part of the cost of the much-needed shift to renewable energy. Mercado also noted the
devastation that fossil fuels have brought to the climate such as floods and typhoons
that cost lives and damage millions of homes.
Rethink agricultural policy on 'safe foods' say green groups (October 2007)

Philippines environmental activists have renewed calls on the government to align its
agricultural policy with the goal of providing safe and truly healthy foods to consumers.
The call was made to coincide with the recent local observance of 'Green Consumers'
Day'. Salvador Feranil of the Philippine Network of Rural Development Institutes said they
had long urged for governmental policies favouring safe food production, but feared that
this important call had been drowned by the frenzy for bioengineered crops. He insisted
that the government has been promoting the cultivation of genetically-modified variants
and chemical-intensive farming in a dogged pursuit of the self-sufficiency goal. Feranil
believes that this is the primary obstacle to initiatives aimed at broadening the base of
green producers to support an expected expansion of the number of [local] green
consumers.
5.5 million Filipinos use electronic wallets (Sept 2007)

More than 5.5 million Filipinos now use their cell phones as virtual wallets, making the
Philippines a leader among developing nations in providing financial transactions over
mobile networks. Mobile banking services, which are also catching on in Kenya and South
Africa, enable consumers who do not have bank accounts to transfer money easily, quickly
and safely. The practice is growing in the developing world because mobile phones are
much more common than bank accounts. The system is particularly useful for the 8
million Filipinos - 10%of the country's citizens - who work overseas and send money
home. Many Filipinos use their phones to send airtime values called "loads" to prepaid
subscribers. A parent, for example, can send a $1.20 load to replenish a child's cell
phone, charged to the parent's account. While Japanese and South Korean consumers
have been using cell phones as virtual wallets for years, their systems use a computer
chip implanted in the handset which enables the consumer to buy products by waving the
phone in front of a sensor. The Philippine system relies on simple text messages, which
cost only 2 cents to send. There is a security advantage also: if a cell phone loaded with
cash values is lost or stolen, the money cannot be stolen as long as the personal
identification number is not revealed.
World Bank asks Philippines to speed up reforms (Sept 2007)

The World Bank recently urged the Philippines to speed up reforms meant to ease
business transactions in the country to attract more investment. The Philippines slipped
to 133rd in the World Bank's annual "Doing Business" survey which examines business

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regulations and reforms in 178 economies. Last year, the Philippines ranked 130.
Low-priced Filipino food is the biggest segment of the eating out sector (Aug 2007)

According to the fast food company, Jollibee (JFC), low-priced Filipino food is the biggest
segment in the Philippine 'eating-outside-of home' market. This includes dishes that are
typically cooked and served in Filipino homes. This is also a highly fragmented, inefficient
market operating mainly in the informal sector of the economy. Jolibee has tested a new
restaurant concept or a 'carinderia' type that serves Filipino food at low prices and targets
the urban workforce. The pilot restaurant is located at Edsa Central in Metro Manila's
Mandaluyong City. JFC's objective is to raise the sector to a higher level of quality and
efficiency with better hygiene, sanitation, nutrition, food safety and better restaurant
conditions at food prices the ordinary Filipino worker can afford. The Jollibee group of
companies operates the country's biggest food service network with 1,385 stores in the
Philippines as of June 30. These included 583 Jollibee stores, 367 Chowking stores, 237
Greenwich stores, 163 Red Ribbon stores and 35 Delifrance stores.
Four Chinese food products banned (Aug 2007)

The Philippines' food and drugs agency has banned the distribution and sale of four
Chinese food products, including candies and biscuits, due to concerns over food safety.
According to the Bureau of Foods and Drugs of the health department, samples of the
sweets were tested and found to contain harmful substances, such as formaldehyde. The
public were asked to 'refrain' from buying and consuming four Chinese-made products,
including White Rabbit Creamy Candy, Milk Candy, Balron Grape Biscuits and Yong Kang
Foods Grape Biscuits. Importers and retailers were also asked to withdraw the items from
the market until further notice.
Filipinos don't believe economy is improving (July 2007)

According to the latest IBON Survey, most Filipinos do not believe that the economy is
getting better despite assertions by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that the economy
was on the upswing in her State of the Nation Address (SoNA),. Some 80% believe there
is no truth in government pronouncement that the economy has improved with only 11%
believing the economy is getting better.
High price gasoline despite Biofuels Law (July 2007)

The Philippines will still has to depend on traditional fuel products for some time despite
the passage of the Biofuels Law. According to Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp it will be
some time before the full benefit of the Biofuels Law can be felt. Although the
government has already passed the law mandating a blend of locally sourced biofuels on
all engine fuels, the full implementation has been staggered to give time for local
industries to adjust. The law is expected to help the country save on expensive imported
fuel, which will be displaced by alternative fuels from such sources as coconut, sugarcane
and jathropa.
Hunger still a problem (July 2007)

According to the State of the Nation Address quoting an SWS report, the hunger rate has
fallen sharply, the decline in the June survey was by more than 4 points from the recordhigh 19.0% of households in the previous two surveys according to the poll group Social
Weather Stations (SWS). Given 17.7 million households in the Philippines, June's 14.7%
amounts to 2.6 million suffering households. Metro Manila's 22.0% consists of 17.7% in
moderate hunger and 4.3% in severe hunger.
Young Filipinos among biggest pop fans (June 2007)

According to a study by MTV to find the region's most avid pop music fans, 71% of young
Indians, 70% of young Indonesians and 64% of young Filipinos describe themselves as
passionate about music. However, only 38% of Singaporean youngsters were passionate
about music while Hong Kong finished bottom with a score of 27%. The survey also found

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that, across the region, 56% of consumers had played music on a computer in the past
month while 53% had played music on an MP3 player in the past month.
Low opinion of globalisation benefits among Filipinos (June 2007)

Despite their country's longstanding membership of the World Trade Organization,

Filipinos' perception of the benefits of globalization ranked second to lowest in an 18nation survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS). The SWS survey also found
that Filipinos were one of the least ready to accept sanctions or comply with an adverse
ruling from the WTO. According to the survey, 49% of Filipinos believed that globalization
was 'mostly good' while 32% said it was 'mostly bad'. This compared poorly with the high
levels of support for globalization found in export-oriented economies like China (87%),
South Korea (86%), Israel (82%) and Thailand (75%).The SWS survey found that Filipino
support for globalization was highest among Metro Manila-based respondents from the
higher income brackets and with higher educational attainments. The Philippines joined
the WTO in 1995.
Smoke signals (June 2007)

In the Philippines, about 36% of Filipino adults smoke, according to a health survey
conducted in 2003-2004 for the National Nutritional and Health Survey. A WHO survey in
Metro Manila confirmed this level of prevalence. According to the WHO (World Health
Organization), the number of smokers around the world is still increasing despite effort
taken to curb tobacco use. Data from the WHO showed there were an estimated 1.3
billion smokers around the world. This number is expected to expand to 1.7 billion by
2025.
Strong Peso impacts 8 Million overseas Filipinos (May 2007)

The U.S. dollar has fallen about 18% in less than two years against the Philippine peso
causing major falls in repatriated peso income for Filipinos being paid in dollars. The
Philippines relies heavily on remittances from overseas workers , which last year totalled
almost $13 billion, or 11% of gross domestic product.
Over 10% of population work abroad (April 2007

More than 10% of Philippine population of 89.5 million are in Diaspora. Remittances were
estimated at $15 billion in 2005 by the Economist, equivalent to 15.2% of Philippine
Domestic Product.
Hospitals invest in medical tourism (April 2007)

Philippine hospitals are investing to improve facilities, equipment and services in order to
attract a larger share of the medical tourism market. These hospitals have also sought
accreditation from global regulatory authorities such as the Joint Commission
International (JCI) in order to reassure foreign travellers. Driven by the rising costs of
medical treatment in developed countries, medical tourism is an increasing source of
tourism revenue and an important contributor to economic growth.
Filipino IT workers lowest-paid in Asia (April 2007)

IT professionals in the Philippines receive the lowest salaries in Asia Pacific, according to
a study by ZDNet Asia. The average annual IT salary in the Philippines was slightly above
$10,000, compared with Hong Kong where the average was $52,000. The Philippines also
has the lowest proportion of IT workers holding at least one professional certification,
even lower than Indonesia.
Higher growth forecast for 2007 (April 2007)

The Philippines could see economic growth of between 6.1% and 6.7% for 2007,
according to the Government. The growth projections were made on the assumption that
inflation will stabilise at 3.3-3.8% in 2007. The International Monetary Fund has
predicted that the Philippine economy will grow by 5.8% in 2007 slightly higher than the
5.6% forecast by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank's 5.4%.

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Retail sales forecast to grow by 6.5% (March 2007)

The Philippines' retail sales growth for the first half of 2007 is forecast to be 9.6%,
second only to China's, according to Mastercard, ahead of Thailand 7% and Singapore
5.2%. However, growth is mainly attributable to rising overseas workers' remittances.
'Most corrupt' country for business (March 2007)

According to a recent survey of expatriate businessmen in Asia, the Philippines is the

most corrupt country in the region. The survey was conducted by the Political and
Economic Risk Consultancy, based in Hong Kong.
Economy still mostly unfree (Jan 2007)

According to the Heritage Foundation's latest survey in its 2007 Index of Economic
Freedom, the Philippines economy remains 'mostly unfree' owing to weak business,
investment and monetary freedoms, and to corruption. The country scored 57.4%, placing
it at 97th place out of 161 countries, up from 98th place in 2005 and was judged less free
than neighbours Malaysia, which ranked 48th, and Thailand 50th. Indonesia and Vietnam,
however, were less free than the Philippines, as the two countries ranked 110th and
138th. The Philippines scored well in terms of fiscal freedom at 84 %; trade freedom
74.8% and freedom from government 91.4%. Income and corporate tax rates, however,
were judged burdensome, and overall tax revenue was low as a proportion of economic
output. The think-tank regarded the Philippines as relatively weak in terms of business
freedom, investment freedom, monetary freedom and property rights protection.
Poor but mobile (Jan 2007)

Poor Filipinos living off a shoestring budget still spend about $2 a month on mobile
telecommunications, according to a recent study in five developing countries in Asia.
According to 'Teleuse on a Shoestring 2: A study of telecom use at the bottom of the
pyramid in Asia', telecommunications access is prevalent even among poor Filipinos.
According to the report, a 'culture of cost-cutting' means high demand for second-hand
mobile handsets, pre-paid services, and text messaging, which is perceived as a cheaper
way to communicate. The poorest Filipinos use text messaging at least once a day.
Call centres thrive in the Philippines (Jan 2007)

Philippines is increasing its share of the customer service call centre business because of
lower costs, employee loyalty, and cultural similarities with the United States. Another
factor is India moving up-market in outsourcing. Currently there are some 200,000 call
centre workers in Manila. The Philippines is always referred to as an English-speaking
country, with more than 95% of the population able to speak or understand it. According
to analyst comments, the long history of contact with the United States, including several
decades of American colonial rule, has made Filipinos more attuned to Western culture
than most Asians. The call centre business is the fastest growing industry in the
Philippines, growing in 2006 by 90%, as revenue reached $1.7 billion. More than 100
centres around the country have created a new class of relatively affluent and
independent young Filipinos. But growth in the industry has put such skilled employees in
high demand, driving up competition and labour costs.
Jobless rate down (Dec 2006)

According to the quarterly Labour Force Survey, the jobless rate has fallen dropped to
7.3%. This means that 2.61 million Filipinos were willing to work but found no jobs during
the survey period. The report said that about 49.5% of the jobless belonged to the group
aged 15 to 24, mostly high-school graduates, with 19% college graduates. Males had a
higher unemployment rate at 7.6% compared with females at 6.8%. The government
defined unemployment as all persons who are 15 years old and above as of their last
birthday and are reported as without work and available for work and seeking work.
Employment also posted a slight increase and was estimated at 33.2 million, or 310,000

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higher than the 32.9 million a year ago.The estimated employment rate in October stood
at 92.7%.
Philippines welcomes online gambling (Dec 2006)

Since the US banned online gambling, Internet casino companies have been forced to look
elsewhere. According to reports online casino companies have flocked to Manila over the
last year because currently the Philippines is the only Asian country issuing licenses for
online gambling. The problem is that there is no culture of making e-payments, but there
is optimism that online gambling will take off, because Asian consumers have a betting
culture and it has been forecast that other Asian countries will legalize online betting
over the next two years.
2.9 hungry households (Nov 2006)

Some 2.9 million households are experiencing hunger with some 51% of Filipinos
considering themselves poor, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. This
represents 16.9% of households, matching a record high reached last March and
September 2005. Severe hunger, defined as going hungry 'often' or 'always' in the last
three months, went up to 4.6% in September or some 800,000 households, from 3.4% in
June. Moderate hunger, defined as experienced 'only once' or 'a few times' in the last
three months, rose to 12.3%, or about 2.1 million households, from 10.1% in the
previous quarter.
Brand Filipino cool in Japan (Nov 2006)

According to reports Filipino ingredients are becoming popular in Japan and Filipino words
are being used as brand names with nata de coco a prime example. In clothing Pagong is
apparently the hottest brand name for shirts and tank tops that use a kimono design. The
company collaborated with Adidas to produce the shirts for its fall collection.
High medicine prices and the Roxas bill

According to the government's Philippine International Trading Corp (PITC), prices of

pharmaceutical products sold locally are so high that an average of four in five Filipinos
live without access to medicine. Six years ago, the World Health Organization said fewer
than 30 % of Filipinos had access to medicines. According to PITC, this number has now
fallen further. PITC's main activity is to scour the globe for branded medicines that are
cheaper than those sold locally, import them in bulk, and sell them at prices lower than
those offered by foreign pharmaceutical firms. Often, PITC offers medicines manufactured
by the same pharmaceutical firms, but at significantly lower prices - a practice that the
foreign manufacturers oppose, and the local unit of Pfizer is suing PITC. According to
reports, the Roxas bill (Senate Bill No. 2263), will remove any doubt as to whether PITC's
activities are legal or not. The idea of the proposed bill is that once a product has been
introduced anywhere in the world by the patent owner, then anyone may buy and import
the same for resale in the Philippines without risk of patent infringement.
Five million tourist target (Oct 2006)

To reach its target of 5 million foreign tourists by 2010, the Philippine Tourism
Department will launch promotion campaigns in Germany, Australia and Russia in 2007.
Incoming tourism is growing fast: in 2004, the tourism target was surpassed by 20% and
in 2005, by 14.5% (2.63 million tourists).
Domestic holidays not popular (Oct 2006)

In contrast to incoming tourism, domestic tourism is in the doldrums. Results from the
2005 Household Survey on Domestic Visitors (HSDV) conducted by the National Statistics
Office and the Department of Tourism showed that only 34.6%, or 8 million out of 23.7
million respondents had gone on a vacation or a pleasure trip at least once. The majority
of the respondents, 56%, or 13.2 million Filipinos, travelled to visit relatives or friends
with 12% of the total, or around three million Filipinos on business trips and the

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remaining 32% taking a vacation. The five major attractions for domestic travellers were
malls with 23.6%; parks 7.4%; churches/shrines/cathedrals 7.3%; beaches/resorts with
2.2%; and food chains/restaurants with 1%.
Overseas workers boost economy (Sept 2006)

The Philippines' gross domestic product grew 5.5% in the second quarter of 2006, a slight
rise from last year's 5.4%, due to sustained growth in services and recovery in the
agriculture sector, plus an 18.3% rise of overseas Filipino workers remittances.
Outsourcing to Philippines on the rise (Sept 2006)

Dell has opened a second call centre in Philippines. The first opened earlier in 2006.
Low paid workers (Sept 2006)

According to a recent study by the Bureau of Labour and Employment Statistics (BLES),
Filipino labourers and unskilled workers comprise nearly 40% of the underemployed,
followed by farmers, forestry workers and fishermen. The survey reaffirms that the lower
a person's education attainment, the more likely that person would end up
underemployed. A study by UBS found that Manila-based workers were among the lowest
paid in the world.
Low veg consumers(July 2006)

With an annual per capita vegetable consumption of only 40 kilogram, Filipinos are
among the lowest consumers of vegetables in Asia, according to the National Nutrition
Council (NNC). The consumption rate has been falling since 1978. In contrast, China has
a per capita vegetable consumption of 250 kg per year, the highest in the world. The
main reasons for declining vegetable consumption include the low importance given to
vegetables, the perception of vegetable preparation being time consuming, lack of
knowledge of nutritional values, lack of skill in preparing appetizing recipes and
preference for meat. There is also a stigma attached to eating vegetables in the
Philippines: vegetables are linked to "incompetence," as in the use of terms like
"nangamote" (sweet potato, for "not getting anything"), "mukhang lantang
gulay" (vegetable for "ugliness") and "kalabasa" award (squash for shameful acts).
Internet cafes boom (July 2006)

Because of its popularity with consumers, The Internet cafe industry in the Philippines is
rapidly being transformed from its roots as simple LAN shops and networked cafes into
complete business centres equipped with value added services. According to research by
IDC, the expense of PCs and Internet access have made Internet cafes a growing niche
market, with top services including online gaming, Internet surfing and printing-scanningfaxing-copying.
SMS (July 2006)

In developing countries, SMS is a replacement for letters and faxing and the Philippines is
the world's leading user of SMS service.
Philippines to suffer economic losses due to climate change (July 2006)

Studies by Asian scientists reveal that the region stands to suffer economic losses as
well as severe threats to human life and the environment due to climate change. It is
forecast that countries like Thailand and the Philippines will suffer most from the
catastrophic impact of climatic change. In a recent report "Crisis or Opportunity: Climate
Change Impacts and the Philippines", one of the Philippines foremost meteorologists,
stated that the Philippine archipelago's is experiencing increasingly severe weather
events: between 1975 to 2002, intensifying tropical cyclones caused an annual average of
593 deaths and damage to property of 4.5 billion pesos (around US$83 million), including
damage to agriculture of 3 billion pesos (around US$55 million). The Philippines was
identified as one of the countries 'not well-poised' to respond to climate based disasters.

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Mobile penetration may peak (June 2006)

According to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), the penetration rate of

cellular phones in the country could plateau at 50%, or about 42.5 million Filipinos as
economic conditions compel consumers to prioritise basic needs. This would represent a
growth of only about 7.5 million more subscribers from the current penetration rate of
40%. The Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. is the market leader, through its Smart
Communications Inc. and Pilipino Telephone Corp. units, followed by Globe Telecom Inc.
The expected peak penetration rate of mobile phone users in the country may be
contrasted with its neighbours such as Taiwan, which has a penetration rate of 111%
Death penalty abolished (June 2006)

Twelve years after the death penalty was re-imposed in the Philippines, legislators have
voted to abolish capital punishment. The passage of the law will automatically commute
the death sentences of about 1,200 convicts to life imprisonment. The decision was
viewed by the President Gloria Arroyo as a demonstration of the strongly Catholic
countrys Chistian religious principles.
Economy grows strongly

The Philippines' economy grew by 5.5% in the first quarter of 2006 compared to the same
period according to the National Economic and Development Authority. The economy's
expansion was attributed to the growing strength in the agriculture and manufacturing
sectors, together with increasing household consumption and expenditure on
infrastructure.
8 million Filipino workers abroad

According the Philippines' labour secretary, countries should loosen their immigration
policies to allow overseas workers to stay longer abroad. She also called for measures
that would eventually legitimise illegal Filipino workers in other countries. More than
eight million Philippine nationals work abroad and the money sent home is a major source
of foreign exchange.
China grants approved destination status

China has granted the Philippines an Approved Destination Status (ADS), making it a
preferred destination for Chinese tourists. The Chinese government developed the ADS to
establish an orderly system of travel abroad for its citizens. The Philippine Consulate in
Xiamen issues 20,000 tourists visas a year, mainly to Chinese visiting their relatives in
Manila.
ADB report criticises Philippines

According to an Asian Development Bank (ADB) report released April 6 the Philippines
growth rate of 5.1% is one of the slowest in Southeast Asia. The ADB report criticized the
Philippines for its dependence on personal consumption, and its reliance on remittances
from overseas Filipino workers (OFW), for the economys growth. The continuous flow of
OFW remittances was also found to be the main factor in the pesos appreciation.
Catholicism still dominates

Around 82% of the Philippines' 85 million consumers claim membership of the Catholic
Church, down from 86% early last century, as Islam, Protestant evangelical groups and
locally-founded charismatic movements attract more followers. Over Easter, in what has
become a traditional spectacle, 7 men consented to be crucified with nails. Catholicism
has been dominant since the Spanish occupation in the 16th century. The Philippines is
the only Christian country in Asia.
IMF raises growth estimate

The International Monetary Fund raised its forecast for the Philippine economy in 2006
based on a stronger inflow of funds from Filipinos working overseas. The IMF's latest

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World Economic Outlook projected the Philippines' gross domestic product will expand 5%
in 2006, down from 5.1% in 2005 but higher than the IMF's September forecast of 4.8%
growth. For 2007, the IMF forecast the Philippine economy will expand 5.6%. The IMF
credited the growth with surging remittances. About 8 million overseas Filipino workers
sent home a record US$10.7 billion in 2005, up 25% on the previous year and constituting
around 11% of the 2005 GDP.
Outsourcing up

According to the Economic Planning Secretary, outsourcing is the way forward for the
Philippines, with employment, revenues and investments from the sector expected to rise
by at least 42% in 2006. While call centres are now at the forefront, other major
outsourcers are expanding their operations beyond call centres in the English-speaking
Southeast Asian country. According to a study jointly sponsored by the trade
department's Board of Investments and the industry groups Business Process Association
of the Philippines, and the Commission on Information, Communication and Technology,
outsourcing jobs will rising by 44 % in 2006 compared to 2005. Global consultancy
McKinsey has reported that at least 120 outsourcing companies operate in the
Philippines, and predicted that revenues from the sector would reach 10 billion dollars by
2010

Euromonitor International 2014

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