BIZ BUZZ: Guess who’s coming to PH?
It’s unfortunate but true, that not too many CEOs include the Philippines in their travel plans.
But at the end of the month, one CEO is coming to the country.
We’re talking about John Giamatteo, the CEO of BlackBerry Ltd. who is scheduled to visit Manila later this month as part of his Asia-Pacific-wide tour.
According to BlackBerry, the Philippines and the wider Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region are strategically important markets for BlackBerry’s global business, which just celebrated 40 years of operations.
Once principally known for its smartphones and secure email, BlackBerry said that it has successfully transitioned over the past few years from hardware to software—becoming a world leader in IoT, communications security and critical event management, serving governments and companies worldwide, including Nato, all of the G7 and majority of the G20.
Giamatteo, who was named Blackberry CEO just last Dec 2023, seeks to take advantage of the rapidly expanding digital economies across Asean and bolster BlackBerry’s presence.
After all, major weather events are creating a more complex risk landscape for nations, which require deep private-public sector collaboration and innovative solutions to bolster national security defenses.
As well as sharing a strategic update on BlackBerry’s transformation, Giamatteo will address some of these critical challenges when he meets with customers and partners in Manila. —Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Sewing new opportunities in garment making
If you thought the Philippine garment industry was a thing of the past, think again as it could soon be threading its way back, thanks to an upcoming high-profile meeting between Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque and a major Hong Kong-based garment manufacturer.
The meeting, which is set to happen before the end of the month, has already got the industry buzzing.
Roque is set to meet with representatives from the company, which she has yet to name, to discuss its potential entry in the Philippines.
The stakes couldn’t be higher as global trade tensions heat up, driven in large part by the ripple effects of US President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs announced earlier this month.
Sources familiar with the meeting say the discussions will focus on everything from labor supply to tax incentives.
And it’s clear that the Philippines is positioning itself as a new hot spot for garment production, touting the lower tariffs it faces compared to other Asian economies as an advantage.
Industry experts are watching closely, with some believing this could be the beginning of a new wave of manufacturers seeking refuge from tariffs and escalating trade wars in the region.
And if the Philippines can deliver, it could stitch itself back into the global manufacturing fabric. –Alden M. Monzon
Golden MV’s third baptism
They say third time’s the charm, and maybe that was exactly the mantra of Golden MV Holdings Inc. in changing its name not once, not twice, but thrice.
In a disclosure on Wednesday, the mass housing and memorial park developer led by Manuel Villar—the Philippines’ richest individual—said it had gotten the Securities and Exchange Commission’s approval to change its name to Villar Land Holdings Corp.
The alteration was not an impulsive choice.
Back in November, Golden MV already unveiled the name change to reflect its expansion and land banking plans within the Villar City “megalopolis.”
Originally focused solely on memorial park development, Golden MV expanded into mass housing in 2017 after acquiring Bria Homes Inc. for around P3 billion.
A year later, the company changed its name from Golden Haven Inc. to Golden Bria Holdings. It adopted the Golden MV brand in 2020.
Golden MV’s third name change comes just after it reported nearly P1 trillion in earnings due to revaluation gains, which, analysts point out, may not actually be counted in evaluating a company’s bottom line growth.
Let’s hope that Villar Land Holdings will finally make money from the reassessed properties—even if it’s no longer “Golden.” —Meg J. Adonis
Rice farmers go high-tech
Good news for rice producers: a mobile application is under way to help palay (unmilled rice) farmers increase their income by allowing them to monitor real-time market prices.
The National Food Authority (NFA) and the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) formalized their collaboration on the Bantay Palay App through the recent signing of a memorandum of agreement.
An official at NFA told Biz Buzz that the mobile app would be rolled out by May, with personnel from both agencies undergoing training to familiarize themselves with its process flow.
Developed by PhilRice, the Bantay Palay App aims to enhance transparency and accessibility of market prices, helping farmers make informed decisions when selling their produce.
“Collaborations between government agencies play a crucial role in ensuring that our farmers have access to the right tools and information to improve their productivity and income,” NFA Administrator Larry Lacson said on Facebook.
Here’s hoping that this new tech will move the needle toward fair pricing and market efficiency in the rice sector. —Jordeene B. Lagare INQ
