BusinessWorld B-Side

April 19 is World Liver Day, a day to raise awareness about the health of our often-overlooked yet vital liver. Liver diseases are a leading cause of mortality in the Philippines, accounting for 27.3 per 1,000 deaths, according to a 2023 study published in the Annals of Hepatology. Experts also warn that 10-20% of Filipinos may have non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, which can lead to serious comp...

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. In this B-Side episode, we dive into everything you need to know about the disease. Colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the Philippines, with an estimated one in 1,800 Filipinos at risk each year. To help understand its symptoms, treatments, and prevention, Dr. Dave Rennel L. Sebollena, Vice President of the...

In celebration of National Women’s Month, we recognize the trail-blazing Filipinas who have defied all odds through their success in various fields. However, we must also acknowledge the challenges that plague women into breaking existing glass ceilings. Carlota Salamat Andres shares in an interview with BusinessWorld her journey to becoming an S&E engineer, and why more Filipinas deserve more...

What's gender equality like in the finance industry? What challenges and opportunities do Filipinas face in this sector? BusinessWorld speaks with Abbie Dans-Casanova, president and CEO of SB Finance, in this B-Side episode. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editing by Arjale Queral

In this B-Side episode, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health’s Dr. Vincent C. Casimero and Dr. Niko H. Ylagan talk about Rabies Prevention Month, the causes and transmission of rabies, plus the protocol for handling animal bites and scratches. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editing by Jayson Mariñas

She Secure is a program which provides funding and financial advisory support to women-owned and women-led enterprises in the Philippines. In this B-Side episode, Abigail de los Santos Tan, co-founder and managing partner of ARC SME Business Development Company, talks about how to program aims to address the funding barriers faced by female entrepreneurs. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editin...

What causes reputational damage? How can one mitigate the effects of it? What are ways companies can protect their reputation? In this B-Side episode, BusinessWorld talks about these topics with R.G. W. Gabunada, a partner at Louder PH, a full-service agency, and the CMO of Mansmith and Fielders, a training and consultancy company. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editing by Jayson Mariñas

DeepSeek is a Chinese AI company that develops large language models, which is a type of AI program that can recognize and generate text, among other tasks. Its new AI model, R1, is said to rival the capabilities of leading AI models, while reportedly costing less to develop.  In this episode, BusinessWorld talks about LLMs, DeepSeek, and the AI arms race with Satnam Narang, a senior staff researc...

The Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, or Senate Bill 1979, was introduced to address the rising cases of teenage pregnancy in the country. However, it recently became controversial after a viral video from Project Dalisay claimed that the bill undermines traditional Filipino values, sparking various conversations and even leading seven senators to withdraw their signatures from the bill. In li...

Cancer affects over 5,000 children in the Philippines annually. Although highly treatable, late diagnoses and other factors contribute to the country’s low survival rate of just 30%.In this B-Side episode, we speak with Dr. Ana Patricia A. Alcasabas, head of Pediatric Hematology-Oncology at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and chair of the National Sub-Technical Working Group for Childhood Ca...

Hemogen is a possible business spin-off that's composed of a team of scientists from the DoST's Philippine Nuclear Research Institute. With the institute's radiation technology, the team was able to develop materials that can control severe bleeding in trauma patients. In this B-Side episode, two of the team members talk about Hemogen's plans for commercializing the product. Interv...

Filipinos have evolved their way of thinking from that of an employee to that of an entrepreneur, according to Nagesh Devata, senior vice president for APAC at Payoneer, a business payments platform. In this B-Side episode, he shares insights about freelancing and digital finance trends in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editing by Jayson Mariñas

How do Filipinos spend and pay as they shop during the Christmas season? How are merchants and businesses addressing the challenges of the year-end holiday rush? BusinessWorld discusses this topic with Bryan L. Tiongson, Philippine country head of Global Payments, a payments solutions provider. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editing by Jayson Mariñas

The Philippines has recently enacted Republic Act No. 12023, which imposes a 12% value added tax on digital services providers, both resident and non-resident. In this B-Side episode, BusinessWorld discusses some of the ramifications of the law with Pia Rodrigo, a communications officer of Action for Economic Reforms, an independent, reform-oriented policy group. Interview by Edg Adrian A. Eva Aud...

What are the top issues facing the Philippine electoral system? If the political party system is broken, then how do we fix it? How important is education in a democracy? BusinessWorld speaks with Clarita R. Carlos, a retired political scientist from the University of the Philippines, about these issues. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editing by Jayson Mariñas

Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has signed the CREATE MORE Act this November, a law that promises to attract more foreign investments and boost economic growth by reducing the corporate income tax rate from 25% to 20% for registered business enterprises (RBEs). The CREATE MORE Act also offers a VAT zero-rating on essential services like marketing and human resources, among oth...

The 2024 U.S. presidential election is capturing attention worldwide as Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump face off in a closely contested race to the White House. With the U.S. wielding the world’s largest economy and military, this election’s outcome will undoubtedly have far-reaching global implications. But what’s at stake specifically for the Philippines and the br...

How can podcasting help businesses in terms of brand management, community building, and thought leadership? In this episode,  BusinessWorld  speaks with Ron Baetiong, the founder and CEO of Podcast Network Asia, about the impact podcasting can have for businesses who get into this digital medium. Interview by Patricia Mirasol Audio editing by Jayson Mariñas

Flooding seems to have become a part of life for many of our fellow citizens in various areas of Metro Manila and nearby provinces. Despite the country having spent trillions on numerous flood management projects, Filipinos still suffer the seemingly endless flooding problem, as pointed out by several senators during a hearing after the devastation caused by Typhoon Carina. With this pressing issu...

How is the Philippines solving its healthcare issues through innovation? How are healthcare workers being upskilled to keep up with these technological advancements? Are we putting too much premium on technology? In this B-Side episode, BusinessWorld discusses robotics, artificial intelligence, and electronic medical records with Dr. Gerardo D. Legaspi, the medical director of the University of th...

A La Niña watch alert was issued by the state weather bureau in March, indicating that the phenomenon is likely to occur this year. Recently, there has been growing concern about whether La Niña has arrived in the Philippines due to the continuous heavy rains caused by several tropical cyclones, such as Enteng and Carina, along with the enhanced effects of the Southwest Monsoon. In this B-side epi...

What is it like being a doctor to the barrio? What innovations are making the greatest impact in rural communities? What role does the local government play in all of this? In this B-Side episode, BusinessWorld talks about these topics with Francine Nicole M. Araneta, who works as a rural doctor under the Department of Health's Doctor to the Barrios program. Recorded remotely on August 22, 202...

Obesity is now a rising health problem in the Philippines, with a staggering 27 million Filipinos considered overweight or obese, according to a 2019 survey by the DOST-FNRI. To combat obesity, the government imposed an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages under the TRAIN Law, which was signed in December 2017. Filomeno S. Sta. Ana III, a coordinator of Action for Economic Reforms and a columni...

How does the Filipino-Chinese community drive growth in the Philippine economy? What policies do they advocate the government to practice? What do they think of the West Philippine Sea issue? In this B-Side episode, BusinessWorld converses with Cecilio K. Pedro, the president of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc., about government policies, investment genera...

Alcohol drinking has been a vital part of various Filipino celebrations and festivals, creating camaraderie and a celebratory spirit. Some Filipinos turned to alcohol as a coping mechanism for stress, as it slows down brain function and can induce feelings of relaxation and calmness. During the pandemic in 2021, more Filipinos became alcohol drinkers, with the Department of Health (DOH) reporting...