Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are the driving force of the Philippine economy, making up 63% of the country’s total employment and contributing 36% to its gross value added, according to the World Bank Group. As 2026 unfolds, SMEs must continue to adapt to shifting customer needs and evolving market demands. Here are five practical strategies local businesses can apply to sustain and scale their growth this year:   #1 Upskill to Unlock Growth   Business owners are often jacks-of-all-trades, wearing multiple hats in running their enterprises. To keep up, they must continue investing in upskilling to manage these roles...

From Damien Chazelle, Babylon is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo and Li Jun Li. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.    Babylon is the result of 15 years of research and world-building that started in Chazelle’s head long before he typed the first draft of the script and stepped behind the camera to bring his long-gestating epic to life.   “I...

Where the mysteries lie. Where the secrets are buried. Where the crawdads sing. Watch the new trailer of Columbia Pictures’ Where the Crawdads Sing, featuring the new original song by Taylor Swift. Uncover the mystery, exclusively in cinemas across the Philippines soon.   About Where the Crawdads Sing From the best-selling novel comes a captivating mystery. Where the Crawdads Sing tells the story of Kya, an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men...

Last Monday, September 12, President Marcos officially declared the voluntary wearing of face masks in public despite top experts opposing it because it might relay an impression to the public not to take COVID-19 seriously. According to Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, President Marcos Jr. already signed Executive Order (EO) No. 3, which states the approval of the mentioned concern. As per Angeles, the new policy is not applicable in indoor, private, or public establishments, public transportation by land, air, or sea, and outdoor settings where people cannot maintain physical distancing.    Additionally, the secretary clarified that not fully vaccinated individuals,...

The gorgeous candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2023 visited on February 27 the equally-beautiful Art In Island: The Media Square, which recently reopened to the public after undergoing renovation. The girls took a break from the usual pageant events to immerse in the breathtaking state-of-the-art attractions in the largest mixed media museum in the Philippines.   Upon entering the museum, the candidates were welcomed by the sight of a beguiling virtual waterfall and a floor-to-ceiling display of breathtaking light scenery. The ladies were in awe of the projected images that overlay highly detailed hand paintings of the natural topography, which range...