Remember the law granting value-added tax refund (VAT refund) to foreign tourists signed a few years ago? That law was challenged and recently the Supreme Court of the Philippines upheld the constitutionality of Republic Act 12079 (the act creating a VAT refund mechanism for non-resident tourists), according to a news report by GMA News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of GMA News. Some parts in boldface…
The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld the constitutionality of a law that grants value-added tax (VAT) refunds on select local purchases by non-resident foreign tourists.
In a 30-page decision, the SC En Banc dismissed a petition challenging the validity of Republic Act 12079, or an act creating a VAT refund mechanism for non-resident tourists, adding Section 112-A to the National Internal Revenue Code.
“Granting VAT refund to foreign tourists was not arbitrarily done. It is a policy decision based on legitimate state interests, i.e. the need to remain competitive as a global tourist destination,” the SC said.
“In fine, foreign tourists may be granted privileges and benefits that are not extended to Filipino citizens, so as long as these distinctions are based on reasonable and justifiable classifications, as in here,” it added.
According to the SC, the VAT refund applies to goods brought from duly accredited stores and taken out of the country within 60 days from purchase. The goods must be priced at least P3,000 per transaction.
Meanwhile, the SC said Section 5 of the law’s implementing rules and regulations limit the refund to retail and tangible goods, including clothing, apparel, electronics, gadgets, jewelry, accessories, souvenirs, food or non-food consumables, and other items intended for personal use.
The petitioner, however, argued that the law violates the constitutional guarantee of equal protection as it excludes Filipino citizens.
For its part, the SC said equal protection does not require identical treatment for all persons.
It said the act also distinguishes foreign tourists from Filipino citizens.
According to the SC, the VAT refund system follows the basic rule of VAT that goods are taxed where they are consumed. If the goods are consumed in the Philippines, they remain subject to Philippine VAT.
Meanwhile, the SC added that VAT refund for foreign tourists is a well-established international practice.
“The Philippines is among the last few countries in Asia to adopt such a system. Our Asian neighbors, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, and Japan have long implemented this VAT refund mechanism for foreign tourists,” it said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you agree with the Supreme Court’s decision on the law about VAT refund for foreign tourists? Apart from the VAT refund for foreign tourists, what problems that plagued the Philippine tourism industry should the government solve this year?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
As the military conflict between the United States and the Islamic terrorist state of Iran intensifies, the State Department announced that action has been taken to cut off the financial lifelines of the evil regime.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the entire announcement by the State Department. Some parts in boldface…
The United States is taking decisive action to cut off the financial lifelines sustaining Iran’s ruling elite. Today’s action targets Ali Ansari, a Dubai-based Iranian national who has built a sprawling global network of real estate and commercial holdings — spanning Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Cyprus, the UAE, and beyond — on behalf of Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and other regime insiders.
The United States also sanctioned three Iran-based currency exchange houses — Mohammad Darbani and Partners, Lavasani and Partners, and Mohsen Khandan and Partners — along with their managing partners and associated front companies. By targeting these networks, the United States is directly disrupting the regime’s ability to access foreign currency and conduct international financial activity.
These actions reflect the Trump Administration’s commitment to holding accountable all those who enable the regime’s corruption and regional aggression. The United States will continue to pursue sanctions against individuals, companies, and financial institutions — including foreign entities — that facilitate illicit Iranian commerce, and will not relent until the Iranian regime ends its destabilizing behavior and its exploitation of the Iranian people.
Today’s action is being taken pursuant to E.O. 13902, which targets persons operating in Iran’s financial and petroleum sectors, E.O. 13876, which focuses on the Supreme Leader of Iran and his affiliates, and the counterterrorism authority E.O. 13224, as amended by E.O. 13886. These designations build on a series of OFAC actions targeting Iranian shadow banking and currency exchange house networks
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the US will be able to cut off Iran’s links to all financial sources around the world? Could it be possible that the sinister financiers behind LGBTQ and transgender mobs and human traffickers (involved with mass migration targeting Europe) could secretly be funding the Islamic terrorist regime of Iran?
As a long-time Xbox fan and owner of three Xbox game consoles, I can say that this current console generation has been disappointing and the current state of Xbox gaming is a huge letdown.
With the approval of Microsoft’s leadership, Team Xbox acquired a lot of game companies that include the giants Activision-Blizzard-King (ABK) and Bethesda, going right down to the smaller game studios. Those were acquired with the promise of new and exciting games that would make Xbox gaming really great in the form of exclusive games, new content for Game Pass subscribers and more.
Sadly, things turned out really disappointing and now the new Xbox head Asha Sharma has the tremendous challenge of making drastic reforms, downsizing and correcting the cases of mismanagement by the previous leadership. That said, she declared a hard reset of the Xbox business and the changes are being implemented already.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Xbox announcement focused on Asha Sharma’s message to the entire team. Some parts in boldface…
We are beginning the most significant restructure in XBOX history. After careful consideration, I’ve made the difficult decision to reduce our team by approximately 3,200 throughout FY27. This will include approximately 1,600 role eliminations today, and in addition, four studios will leave XBOX to new management. I recognize that a year-long restructuring creates additional challenges. Unfortunately, it is not possible to make all the necessary changes in a single day, and I wanted to be direct about the scale.
I know this is painful. These changes will directly affect people who have poured their creativity into building XBOX. Many joined us through acquisitions, while others were recruited here, or sought us out because they loved this industry and loved XBOX. Today’s decisions do not reflect their talent or dedication.
Our business today is not healthy. We are operating at margins that are 3-10x lower than comparable platform and publishing businesses. We entered Gen 9 with a smaller install base and a higher cost structure. To grow, we bet on Game Pass, multi-platform, and a broader portfolio of content. While those businesses have created meaningful value, they did not grow at the pace we expected. As that happened, our core business weakened, and we added more teams, more investment, and more time, hoping for a better outcome. And now the industry is facing the most severe hardware crisis in its history. We must reset XBOX.
First, we will reset our content portfolio.
Since 2018, we have aggressively expanded our studio portfolio while the number of games created each month across the industry now outpaces the last ten years combined. We now find ourselves competing not only with the largest publishers, but also with smaller independent studios. It is neither possible nor desirable to own every great independent studio. We have also learned that we are not the best home for every type of studio; in a typical year, we lost 64 cents for every dollar we invested. As we reset XBOX, we will help independent creators succeed by providing open development tools and audiences to realize their vision.
Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions will return to management and transition to independent studios with their IP, catalog, and runway for their next games. Ninja Theory and Undead Labs have entered terms to join new ownership with funding to complete and grow Senua and State of Decay 3. In France, Arkane’s management is beginning required consultation with its Works Council to review potential strategic options.
We are also making reductions across other units, and in some cases, shifting investment to focus on higher priority projects. These changes vary in size across Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King, Mojang, and XBOX Game Studios. None of our first party publicly announced games or projects are being cancelled as part of these reductions.
In addition, Mojang and King will now report directly to me. These two studios have increasingly become platforms and are our largest by monthly active players. They bring critical geographic, demographic, and differentiation to XBOX.
Second, we will reset our platform.
We know that great technology gets better when it gets simpler, not bigger. Today, in some parts of the company, work passes through as many as 14 layers of management. Our platform teams are 40% larger than they were at the start of this generation, even as our player base and playtime have declined. That complexity has slowed decisions, blurred accountability, and made it harder to deliver for players. As we reset XBOX, we will simplify.
We will reduce management layers to no more than 5, and where possible, 3. We will deliver success through a flatter organization that is built around makers (individual contributors focused on building), player-coaches (leaders who remain deeply involved in the work while developing their teams), and directly responsible individuals (DRIs) who own key decisions and outcomes. And we will streamline how we work across our tools, with a cleaner code base, shared services, and 50% reduced vendor spend.
Third, we are resetting how we operate.
As XBOX grew our headcount, we became more fragmented. Teams, studios, and functions often operate independently, and it became harder to work towards a shared goal, make the right tradeoffs, and get things done.
For the first time, we are establishing a Chief Operating Officer with end-to-end P&L responsibility across content, hardware, platform, and services. Helen Chiang has been promoted to this role and will report directly to me. Over nearly two decades at XBOX, Helen has helped build some of our most important businesses, from XBOX Live to leading Mojang and the Minecraft franchise. She will bring our businesses together under one operating model, making sure we make clear investment decisions, learn from our successes and failures, and hold ourselves accountable for results.
Thank you, Dave McCarthy, who is retiring after 17 years with XBOX. Dave has played a defining role in building the platform that millions of players rely on every day and has been a trusted partner through many of the biggest moments in XBOX’s history. We wish him all the best.
These changes are about a bigger future for XBOX, not a smaller one. The next decade of gaming will be larger, more global, and more creative than anything we’ve seen before. This year, we’ll invest as much in XBOX as we ever have, but we’ll invest with greater focus, greater discipline, and greater clarity, all in service of making XBOX where the world plays and creates.
I want XBOX to be one of the few companies that entertains more than a billion people each day and gives everyone the opportunity to create and connect.
Indeed, the Xbox business model deteriorated financially and became much harder to manage. The billions of Dollars spent on Xbox gaming over the past several years did not result in the great gaming experiences for fans and gamers, nor did it compel the Xbox game studios to become productive and disciplined.
First-party games of Xbox in the generation of Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S have been lackluster in quality and enjoyment overall. I played Starfield a lot on my Xbox Series X via Xbox Game Pass and my enjoyment of it has been limited compared with other games of Bethesda. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II was fun at first but it ended up being hollow. As the said Ninja Theory-developed game lacked depth with its gameplay and game design, I never bothered to replay it after finishing it. Obsidian Entertainment, a company that specialized in making role-playing games (RPGs), produced new RPGs under the Xbox umbrella but none of them were great. In fact, Avowed and The Outer Worlds 2 ended up as commercial failures.
Going back to Asha Sharma’s message, I can say that letting go of Compulsion Games and Double Fine Productions was the right move as the huge amount of money Team Xbox spent of them did not result in great games. Compulsion Games’ South of Midnight was a $100,000,000 production that ended up with sales of way below one million copies. More notably, Compulsion Games has a discriminating woke and hateful community manager who goes by the handle @PikaChulita. Look at the captured evidence below.
The community manager of Compulsion Games openly hates gamers.
Look at the details very closely.
Speaking of wokeness and discrimination, the controversial Matt Hansen has been laid off from Obsidian Entertainment. Hansen was heavily involved in the huge disappointment called Avowed. That being said, Team Xbox should really REMOVE all the untalented woke activists among its many game developers. Those activists – the feminists, the LGBTQ mob, the Islamists, the Black Lives Matter zealots and others –do not care about making great games at all and they have been misusing Microsoft’s money to turn new Xbox games into vehicles of Leftist/woke/socialist propaganda. Xbox should also cut off any ties with the super woke Sweet Baby Inc.
When it comes to the larger entities like Activision, Bethesda/ZeniMax, Blizzard, King and Mojang, the layoffs are painful but it makes sense to shift investment to focus on higher priority projects. Activision should regain focus on ensuring quality and great fun with its continued productions of Call of Duty (COD) games. Bethesda has to deliver new Fallout and The Elder Scrolls games faster and with the highest quality possible.
With the way things are right now, I am not certain if I will pursue the next-generation Xbox console called “Project Helix”. Memory has gotten much more expensive in recent times due to extremely high demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and the memory manufacturers’ deals with AI companies. How much memory could the next-generation Xbox have and could its retail price exceed $1,000 at launch?
Indeed, the future of Xbox gaming is really clouded and I can only hope that the hard reset of the Xbox business under Asha Sharma will create positive changes and results. To say the least, the reforms have started and only time will tell what will happen next.
In ending this blog post, posted below are selected YouTube videos about the state of Xbox for your enlightenment.
In response to the official request of Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez, Israel has agreed to extend earthquake aid in the South American nation by an additional two weeks, according to a news report by The Jerusalem Post.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of The Jerusalem Post. Some parts in boldface.
The Israeli aid delegation’s earthquake relief work in Venezuela will continue for an additional two weeks after interim president Delcy Rodriguez met with Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar to request the extension, the Foreign Ministry and the IDF announced on Wednesday.
The decision was approved by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
With a small delegation of only 30 people, Israeli presence in Venezuela has been focused on designing a national reconstruction plan, which Rodriguez hopes to begin implementing.
As part of the plan, the IDF began mapping and categorizing approximately 1,300 buildings on Monday, classifying them as either to be demolished or potentially salvageable despite damage.
Additionally, IDF Brig.-Gen. Elad Edri said that the IDF engineers have provided guidance to Venezuela on handling debris from damaged buildings.
‘Out of the box thinking’ as earthquake death toll rises – The multi-year plan is a major accomplishment of the Israeli delegation, and Venezuela approved it within days, rather than the weeks or months it would normally take to develop.
Edri said the severity of the disaster warranted rapid, out-of-the-box thinking.
Following the June 24 earthquake, the IDF delegation flew out of Israel on June 30 and landed in Venezuela on July 1 after multiple complex stopovers, Edri said.
He explained that, given the current chaos, other delegations who wanted to assist with the disaster have needed four to five days of travel and waiting to reach disaster-stricken sites.
Even the IDF could not fly directly into Caracas; they flew into Valencia instead and then traveled domestically to Caracas.
On Sunday, the Venezuelan Information Ministry announced that the death toll had risen to 3,342. The new tally also puts the number of injured at 16,470, while the number of homeless has risen to 17,345.
To all my readers, I encourage you to thank the Lord for this breakthrough of cooperation between Israel and Venezuela. Not so long ago during the rule of the dictator Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela was hostile towards Israel and took sides with the Palestinians. With Maduro gone (thanks to the United States under President Donald Trump’s leadership), Venezuela now has a new leader and there has been a series of changes that happened since.
As such, I encourage you all to pray to the Lord for Israel and Venezuela to become allies and willing diplomatic partners in this chaotic world we live in. Pray also to Him for the continued recovery of Venezuela whose people suffered so much not only from the recent earthquake but also from the decades-long economic deterioration under their dictators.
Following the disturbing ballistic missile launch of Communist China into the Pacific Ocean, the United States reaffirmed its support for the Philippines, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. Symbolically, the new US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton issued an official statement.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to the Philippines after China test-launched an unarmed intercontinental-range ballistic missile from a submarine into the southern Pacific Ocean.
In a statement on Tuesday, July 7, US Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Lipton said the launch underscored concerns over Beijing’s nuclear weapons buildup and its implications for regional peace and stability.
“The ironclad US-Philippine Alliance has been a tremendous and transparent source of regional peace and stability for over seven decades,” Lipton said.
“Beijing’s provocative missile launch yesterday is further evidence of its rapid and secretive nuclear weapons development program, which runs counter to regional stability and is inconsistent with the pursuit of meaningful arms control discussions,” he added.
Lipton said the United States shares the Philippines’ concerns over the missile launch and remains committed to its “oldest security ally in the region.”
The statement followed a July 6 statement by US State Department spokesperson Thomas “Tommy” Pigott, who said the United States had monitored China’s test launch of an unarmed intercontinental-range ballistic missile from a submarine.
According to Pigott, the missile landed in the southern Pacific Ocean.
“At a time when the United States is working harder than ever to prevent nuclear proliferation, China is doing the opposite,” Pigott said.
He said China’s “rapid and opaque nuclear weapons buildup” remains a major concern for countries in the region and the international community.
The United States also urged China to participate in meaningful arms control talks and establish a regular notification arrangement for all intercontinental-range ballistic missile and space launches.
Such an arrangement, Pigott said, would be consistent with commitments made by the other members of the P5, or the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council.
“The United States remains steadfast in our defense commitments to our allies and partners,” Pigott said.
The latest US statements come amid continuing concerns over China’s expanding military capabilities and increasingly assertive activities in the Indo-Pacific, including in the West Philippine Sea.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you concerned that China could someday attack the Philippines with ballistic missiles? Do you think this destabilizing move by China could spark the US to send more naval vessels into the Asian region? How do you think US President Donald Trump will react if ever China launches even more ballistic missiles?
Customers of Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) are able to withdraw and deposit cash at grocery, convenience stores and other commercial joints thanks to the a newly launched campaign between the bank and over a thousand partner stores, according to a news report by GMA News.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of GMA News. Some parts in boldface…
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) on Wednesday launched its “Himala” campaign, allowing customers to withdraw and deposit cash at 1,369 partner stores, including grocery and convenience stores.
The service effectively turns participating outlets into “mini BPI branches,” enabling customers to complete cash transactions without visiting a physical bank branch.
The partner network includes Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI) stores such as Robinsons Easymart, Robinsons Supermarket, Shopwise, The Marketplace, Robinsons Department Store, Toys “R” Us, and Uncle John’s.
The service is also available at non-RRHI outlets, including Amesco, Fitmart GenSan, CVM Pawnshop, Falcor Marketing, Prince Retail, Prince Warehouse, Rodamel Drugstore, Savers Depot, Tacurong Fit Mart Inc., and Tambunting Pawnshop.
Customers can generate a barcode through the BPI app for cash deposits and withdrawals, then present it at any participating store for processing. They may also send the barcode to another person, who can use it to deposit or withdraw cash at a partner outlet.
Customers may deposit or withdraw a minimum of P100 through the partner network. Deposits are limited to P10,000 per barcode and P50,000 per day, while withdrawals are capped at P10,000.
Select services, including account opening and applications for BPI products, are also available through the bank’s network of 8,000 retail partners, which includes pharmacies and gas stations nationwide.
According to BPI Agency Banking head Rally Jereza, the Ayala-led lender is in talks to onboard more partner stores, with the goal of expanding the network to 10,000 outlets within the year.
“For now, I’m satisfied with 8,000 because we want to encourage people to use [the service]. But in terms of expanding, with existing BPI clients, corporate clients… it’s easy to expand. Right now, we just want to be able to maximize all of those footprints,” he said.
Jereza said the initiative also supports BPI’s “May BPI Dito” campaign, which aims to make the bank’s services available in as many locations as possible.
“What began in 2023 as product application points has evolved into a fully integrated banking ecosystem. Every phase—from enabling transactions on tablets to barcode withdrawals and now barcode deposits—was built to ensure safety, simplicity, and trust,” he said.
“This is not just expansion; it is a redefinition of what a bank can be in the digital age,” he added.
BPI said it has onboarded more than one million new-to-bank customers through its agency banking network and aims to increase the figure to 10 million.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are a BPI customer, have you experience the convenience of doing important transactions at the grocery or at the convenience store lately?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
The United States of America (USA) celebrated its 250th anniversary and during his 4th of July speech at the National Mall, US President Donald Trump honored the American heroes as well as the Founding Fathers of the nation, according to a news report by Newsmax.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the report of Newsmax. Some parts in boldface…
President Donald Trump celebrated America’s 250th anniversary in a rousing speech on the Fourth of July at the National Mall on Saturday night.
Trump delivered his remarks after 11 p.m. ET, after being delayed by over an hour due to lightning and heavy rains. But Trump said he would not be deterred in celebrating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
“If we have to speak in front of one person at four in the morning I’m going to be here,” Trump said in a speech streamed live on Newsmax. “There’s no way we can be deterred.”
“Tonight we come together for one of the most joyous and glorious milestones of all time,” Trump added. “For two and a half centuries, our American Republic has stood as the crowning achievement of human history.
“This country is the home of freedom. This is the land of liberty. And this is a flag that’s the banner of the most extraordinary, most exceptional, most incredible nation ever to exist on the face of the Earth.”
The president said the American people have shown more courage, done more good, righted more injustice and achieved more greatness than anyone else.
“For 250 years, the United States of America has been the hope, the promise, the light and the glory among all of the nations of the world, all over the world, they try and be like us,” Trump said.
“Nobody can be like us, and with God’s help, we will always be this,” Trump added. “Or even better. We’re going to be better.”
Trump used his speech to honor numerous veterans who fought in American wars, bringing them on stage to salute the flag while telling their tales of heroism.
Among those honored were 104-year-old Ken Schrubing, who was just 19 years old when he survived the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and 101-year-old Don Graves, who fought in the Battle of Iwo Jima.
“These are the fighters and the banners of the Greatest Generation,” Trump said. “They are the greatest generation. They saved the world and they made America very, very proud. We’re very proud of you, heroes all.“
Marine Corporal Pat Finn and Private First Class Rudy Meekins, who fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir in the Korean War, were also honored, along with astronaut Jack Schmitt, the last American to walk on the moon, and the Artemis II flight crew.
Eleven Gold Star families were also presented with flags during Trump’s speech.
Speaking in front of the first American flags produced, Trump praised the Founding Fathers and the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
“Those 56 patriots put everything at risk, stepped onto the stage of destiny, and seized a victory for the ages,” Trump said.
Trump said the Founding Fathers have allowed America to thrive for 250 years.
“Our cause was just. Our people are brave, our culture is exceptional, and our destiny is written by God,” Trump said.
“And as we can see here tonight, after 250 years, the spirit of 1776 still lives within us all,” Trump added.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you delighted with the way America’s 250th anniversary was celebrated this year? Are you thankful to America’s Founding Fathers, war veterans and other brave heroes who kept the US a shining light on the world? Do you think the unpatriotic Americans will eventually realize they are wrong with their current beliefs and make a drastic change to love the United States again?
In what is clearly a serious attempt by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to boost domestic tourism a lot, the new program Discover More To Love was recently launched with more than three thousand travel deals from varied hotels, tour operators and airlines, according to a news report by the Manila Standard.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of the Manila Standard. Some parts in boldface…
The Department of Tourism (DOT) launched a new campaign offering more than 3,000 travel deals from hotels, tour operators, and airlines to boost domestic travel during off-peak months and support local businesses.
The campaign, named “Discover More to Love,” runs from July to November 2026 to stimulate year-round travel, sustain bookings, preserve jobs, and strengthen local economies during the industry’s traditional lean period.
The initiative serves as an extension of the country’s official tourism brand, “Love the Philippines,” rather than a replacement.
Travelers can access discounts of up to 70 percent from more than 70 hotels and resorts through the Hotels Sales and Marketing Association. The campaign also features more than 250 nationwide travel packages alongside discounted fares from carriers Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, AirAsia Philippines, and Sunlight Air.
Online platforms AirAsia MOVE and Klook are providing exclusive deals, while Mastercard offers special payment privileges for cardholders. Travelers can access the promotional room packages, staycation deals, dining credits, and flexible booking options directly through the department’s enhanced website at http://www.tourism.gov.ph.
Tourism Secretary Dita Angara-Mathay said the agency wants to evolve the initiative through feedback from travelers and industry partners.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you support the DOT’s renewed focus on domestic tourism?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
If the Philippines fails to address the high costs of energy and the ongoing corruption connected with infrastructure projects, it could lose ground in global supply chains, according to a news report by BusinessWorld.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of BusinessWorld. Some parts in boldface…
THE PHILIPPINES risks losing ground in global supply chains unless it addresses high energy costs and unresolved corruption issues surrounding infrastructure projects, which continue to weigh on investor sentiment, according to UK-based risk intelligence firm Verisk Maplecroft.
“The Philippines’ biggest infrastructure challenge is its relatively high cost of energy, which has been exacerbated by the Hormuz crisis,” Laura Schwartz, a senior Asia analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, said in an e-mailed reply to BusinessWorld.
“Following the onset of the crisis, there was some movement in fast-tracking renewable energy projects, but more will be needed,” she added.
The Philippines, which sources at least 90% of its oil supply from the Middle East, has been one of the most affected by the global oil crisis.
Ms. Schwartz also said last year’s corruption scandal — which linked state officials and contractors in substandard or nonexistent flood control projects — may deter companies that are seeking to diversify their supply chains from investing in the Philippines.
“High-profile governance issues, particularly the widespread public works corruption allegations and political jockeying, are one of the top factors leading to investor hesitation in the near term,” she said.
In its 2026 Supply Chain Risk Outlook, Verisk Maplecroft identified the Philippines, Thailand, Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay as “rising stars” in the global supply chain.
“Relative to the established hubs, these ‘rising stars’ offer different mixes of sector capability, market openness, regulatory strengths, and labor-risk trajectories for organizations looking to realign their supply chains,” it said in the report released on June 23.
“The businesses that move first — screening these markets now, building supplier relationships before demand spikes, and stress-testing entry strategies against external risk data — will find themselves better positioned to act when faced with disruptive geopolitical realignment, trade restrictions, or conflict outbreaks,” Verisk Maplecroft said.
A third of the world’s busiest ports and airports are vulnerable to disruption amid ongoing geopolitical conflicts, environmental challenges, and domestic security threats, the firm noted.
The closing of the Strait of Hormuz has created near-term headwinds for the Philippines and Thailand, Verisk Maplecroft said.
Despite this, “procurement teams willing to take a longer-term view will find these markets worth their attention,” the company added.
The report cited the Philippines’ strong potential in the global supply chain due to improvements in its market openness, its competitive labor costs, and its young, English-fluent workforce.
“The Philippines performs second-best across the Southeast Asian economies analyzed due to significant improvement in our market openness pillar,” it said.
“Despite lower infrastructure quality and governance challenges, including recent corruption scandals, the Philippines shows notable opportunities in sectors like electronics, auto parts, and food manufacturing,” Verisk Maplecroft said.
Other Southeast Asian economies assessed in the report were Singapore, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Myanmar.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? Do you think the government of the Philippines has the will to resolve high energy costs and the ongoing corruption on infrastructure projects? Do you think the Philippines could get more affordable oil from places other than the Middle East?
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco
Several business executives and investors from the United States are set to visit the Philippines next week to explore investment opportunities in the nation’s infrastructure sector, energy sector, and more, according to a news report by the Manila Bulletin. The American investors will engage with their Filipino counterparts during the planned 5-day trade mission.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the report of the Manila Bulletin. Some parts in boldface…
More than 25 American business executives and investors will visit the country next week for a business mission as the United States (US) seeks to deepen its economic ties with the Philippines, which recently secured upper-middle-income status.
In a statement, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said the US business delegation would mount a five-day trade mission across major economic areas in the Philippines from July 6 to 10.
The delegation includes business leaders and investors from the Northeast and Midwest regions of the US. The mission is organized by the DTI’s Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in New York and the Philippine Consulates General in New York and Chicago.
The DTI said the business mission aims to strengthen economic ties between the two longtime trade partners while also encouraging US companies to invest more in the country’s growing economy.
Based on the latest country income classifications of the World Bank, the Philippines has moved up from lower-middle-income to upper-middle-income status. This was based on the country’s gross national income (GNI) per capita estimate for 2025, which reached a record $4,850.
The DTI noted that the upcoming visit also comes at a time when the Philippines is actively positioning itself as a key partner for US companies looking to expand in Asia.
During the business mission, the US delegation will meet with Philippine government leaders and local business owners to explore business, tourism, and investment opportunities.
The US business leaders will also attend business meetings, informational briefings, and tours of key economic areas in Manila, Clark, Subic, and Corregidor.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you see a promising future between the United States and the Philippines when it comes to economics and investment under the leadership of US President Donald Trump? Are you convinced the corruption within the Philippines is no longer a turn-off for American investors?
Author Carlo Carrasco 