(click to read the 2017updates)   In this issue of VISTA we take a look at Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the Philippines and glimpse at some of the data behind the FDI numbers. Direct investment is a category of cross-border investment associated with a foreign entity or individual havin

WEATHERING THE STORM MACROECONOMY The sunny days are starting to give way to wetter days. By the end of the third quarter, a handful of strong storms would have passed, given that approximately 20 typhoons visit the Philippine area of respo

In this month’s VISTA, we want to take a look at the current Foreign Banks in the Philippines and glimpse at some of the changes occurring in the banking sector. As our readers are aware, changes late last year in the Philippine laws have eased up restrictions on Foreign Bank entry and spurred

EXPANDING THE PIE MACROECONOMY The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community or “AEC” shall start some steps of integration by December of this year. While regional integration typically has four main pillars,

We took some time to look at the lending levels and distressed debt levels in the Philippines banking sector to see if we could identify any distressed debt opportunities. In summary, the conclusion is... "While some opportunities do exist for traditional alternative asset and real estate debt and e

SUSTAINING GROWTH AND PROFITABILITY MACROECONOMY THE government through the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) approved 12 infrastructure projects costing about Php 184.4 billion. This will significant

INVESTING IN THE PHILIPPINE REAL ESTATE MARKET MACROECONOMY The World Bank Group President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, declared in July that Philippines is the “next Asian miracle” due to its very strong macroeconomic fundamentals and governme

MARKET INTEGRATION IN STEP WITH ASEAN INTEGRATION MACROECONOMY The buzzword lately is the “ASEAN Integration” due to the planned Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Economic Community (AEC) by December 2015 of the ten nations

SPOTTING MARKET GAPS The Economy Philippines’ full year target for 2014 is between 6.5-7.5% growth, on the back of the 7.2% real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2013 even with the impact of the natural disasters, according to

OPPORTUNITIES ARE ABOUND The Economy Buoyed by the stable Aquino Administration and its platform for good governance, the Philippines posted a real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of 6.8% in 2012. The recent credit rating upg