Tourist arrivals up by 5.9% in Jan-Feb 2019
Foreign tourist arrivals to the country continue to increase, with 5.9 percent growth in the first two months of 2019 compared to the same period last year.\"For the first two months, tourist arrivals have been 1,493,000 precise,\" Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat told reporters during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday.Puyat attributed the growth to the country\'s improved access and air connectivity, particularly with the opening of the Mactan-Cebu Airport and the Bohol-Panglao Airport last year.\"It\'s better now, but of course we are continually working with the Department of Transportation on rehabilitating the airports and maybe having night-rated airports,\" she said.According to DOT data, January arrivals decreased from 732,506 visitors to 723,390 in 2019. But the 13.8 percent growth of international visitors in February 2019 was able to offset the slight arrival drop from the preceding month.Romulo-Puyat said South Korea, fo... Philippines named best country to invest in
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 6) — The Philippines ranked first in a U.S. report\'s list of the \"Best Countries to Invest In\" for 2018.The U.S. News and World Report said the Philippines has been performing well in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI), despite declining inflows to other Southeast Asian countries.\"In years to come, the country is expected to receive more FDI from within the region from powerhouses like China that are looking to utilize available labor in developing nations,\" the report said.The Philippines topped the list of 80 countries. It is followed by Indonesia, Poland, Malaysia, and Singapore.On its website, the U.S. News said its ranking is based on scores given by \"more than 6,000 business decision makers on a compilation of eight equally weighted country attributes: corruption, dynamism, economic stability, entrepreneurship, favorable tax environment, innovation, skilled labor force, and technological expertise.\"The Philippines a... HK finance firm eyes PH investments
Following China’s “One Belt and One Road” strategy for outward expansion, financial conglomerate Freeman FinTech Corp. Ltd. is exploring investment opportunities in the Philippines especially in the field of banking.Officials of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed firm recently met with top officials of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the House of Representatives as well as executives of the Philippine Stock Exchange and Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. to assess the investment climate in the country.A Sino-Hong Kong conglomerate engaged in a wide range of financial investments around the world, Freeman FinTech met with BSP Governor Nestor Espenilla Jr. to discuss the possibility of applying for various financial licenses.Espenilla briefed the company officials on the current state of banking and financial regulations in the Philippines and encouraged Freeman FinTech to explore the local banking system and undergo an accreditation and licensing process to be able ...