BusinessWorld B-Side

In this B-Side episode, Alice G. Laborte, a senior scientist at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), explains to BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol how satellite imagery can make the farming industry more resilient, especially in the face of climate change. Recorded remotely in July 2022. Produced by Earl R. Lagundino and Sam L. Marcelo. 

With every change of administration comes the question of what needs to change and what needs to be retained. B-Side takes a look back at how the 1987 Philippine Constitution was drafted with Bernardo M. Villegas, an economist and one of its framers, who speaks to BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about foreign ownership liberalization, the additional factors driving foreign direct invest...

(This B-Side episode is sponsored by Tata Consultancy Services Philippines.) Data analytics and consulting company GlobalData recently projected that the Philippine cloud market will reach $2.8 billion by 2025 from $1.8 billion in 2020, as more enterprises migrate their workload online. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Philippines Country Head Shiju Varghese and Eastern Communications Product and I...

The mainstream adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) is expected to gain traction after the previous Congress passed a law that seeks to develop the Philippines’ EV industry. The law facilitates a shift to e-vehicles by imposing a 5% EV fleet quota for industries that operate vehicles such as cargo logistics, food delivery companies, tour agencies, and utilities providers, among others, within a tim...

The Philippines improved its ranking in the Global Peace Index (GPI) which ranks 163 independent states and territories and 99.7% of the world’s population using qualitative and quantitative indicators. The country showed the fifth largest improvement in peacefulness in this year’s edition of the index, increasing by 4.6% from last year. This despite the average level of global peace deteriorating...

Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development (IMD) recently announced that the Philippines improved four spots in its 2022 World Competitiveness Yearbook. Based on the 2022 version of the report, the country ranked 48th out of 63 economies, higher than the 52nd place out of 64 economies in 2021. IMD looked at the competitiveness of the Philippines via 333 indicators categor...

Hrish Lotlikar, co-founder and chief executive officer of SuperWorld, explains how an alternative imagined world inspired by the mobile game Pokémon GO allows individuals to own a piece of the virtual world, the metaverse, through the blockchain technology. They can sell and trade their virtual plots of land, with each plot represented as a non-fungible token or NFT.  People are “excited and...

The Filipino workforce is gradually adapting to a work environment that has been changed forever due to the pandemic. Career fairs and upskilling programs have emerged to address accelerated digitalization and automation.   In this B-Side episode, JobStreet Philippines country manager Philip A. Gioca talks to BusinessWorld reporter Brontë H. Lacsamana about how adapting to the ever-...

The metaverse, a virtual world that relies on technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain, is seen as the next big thing by companies like Meta, as it is seen to change the way we work and connect with each other. “It’s the virtual equivalent of being together. It’s going to be as close as possible to that,” John Rubio, country director of Meta Philippines, said at the BusinessWo...

Chris B. Millado joined the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) after the People Power revolution in 1986 toppled the dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos, Sr. The CCP was the pet project of first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos whose ideas of “the good, the true, and the beautiful” were reflected in the center’s projects and productions. Mr. Millado joined the center as it was reorienting itself and de...

Reagan, a recovering gambling addict who has been sober for 11 years, has been jailed, institutionalized, kidnapped, and held at gunpoint.  In this B-Side episode, he tells BusinessWorld reporter Patricia B. Mirasol about addiction, support systems, and the lifelong journey to recovery. “I can’t say I’m cured because every day is a struggle. Every day I can relapse,” he said. “By saying I’m a...

This year’s Philippine Pavilion at the 59th Venice Art Biennale features a collaborative project titled Andi taku e sana, Amung taku di sana (All of us present, This is our gathering ) by visual artist Gerardo Tan, ethnomusicologist Felicidad A. Prudente, and Ifugao weaver Sammy N. Buhle. In this B-Side episode, Philippine Pavilion curators Yael Buencamino Borromeo and Arvin Flores explain to Busi...

The use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube during the 2022 elections in the Philippines has exacerbated polarization and personality-oriented politics. In this B-Side episode, Jonathan C. Ong, associate professor of global digital media at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, explains to BusinessWorld senior reporter Arjay L. Balinbin how disinformation strategist...

The story of the " bayani " — the local term for "hero" — is the story of the Filipino people.  "You cannot separate Jose Rizal from Philippine society, or Andres Bonifacio from the Katipuneros. ... You cannot remove them from their context," said John Ray B. Ramos, historian and author of Bayani Biographies: Jose Rizal and the coauthor of Bayani Biographies: Andres Bonifacio , published by K...

In this B-Side episode, Collin Koh, a research fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, explains the valuable lessons the Philippines and the region should take away from the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. “It is important for countries to seek diplomacy, but also to seek readiness to respond to contingency — in this case, a credibl...

Government officials have assured Filipinos that the impact of the Russia-Ukraine war will be minimal given the Philippines’ limited trade and banking exposure with either country. Remittances from the conflict zones are also small compared to inflows from the rest of Europe and the world.   Still, the fact remains that Russia is a major exporter of oil and metals, while Ukraine is among the...

Femtech, or technology focused on women’s health, is an unexplored space in the Philippines, where the startup ecosystem is mostly male. “We need more investors to see that femtech presents a viable investment opportunity. And that can be explained by an ongoing trend in diversity and recognition of the importance of preventive health, not just sick care,” said Maria Jessica J. de Mesa, co-founder...

Creating a compassionate workplace starts with its leaders. In this B-Side episode, Vidya Srinivasan, vice president for Procter and Gamble’s Manila Global Business Services and Global External Reporting, explains how the multinational corporation embraces diversity and inclusion. “The leadership sets the tone... The tone at the top will tremendously help push programs,” Ms. Srinivasan tells Busin...

Non-fungible Tokens (NFTs) in the form of both digital art and play-to-earn gaming assets have come under fire for their price volatility and vulnerability to frauds and scams. This March, hackers stole around $600 million from the Ronin blockchain network that supports Axie Infinity, a play-to-earn game with 3 million daily active players, 35% of whom are Filipinos. Given the game’s large, Philip...

The social media hive mind is as fast as it is vicious. Say or do something triggering and you could find yourself going viral and getting canceled online. “The common definition of cancel culture is that it’s a form of public shaming. Sociologically, it’s society’s way of regulating itself. When we cancel somebody, you’re making a moral judgment,” says Nicole C. Curato, a Professor of Political S...

Each year, the Philippines is hit by an average of 20 typhoons, which are growing progressively more destructive. A report released by Fitch Ratings in November 2021 said that this country is one of the most exposed to climate change physical risks, particularly floods and storms. In addition, the Department of Finance reported that climate-related hazards have cost the country $10 billion dollars...

In the spirit of a good meal that lasts several hours because the talking is just as satisfying as the eating, this B-Side episode continues on the social role of food. “Filipinos won’t be the same without our food ... When we leave the country, we think, oh, when I want to feel more Filipino, I will cook, I will prepare, or I will eat Filipino food. It helps me get in touch with my Filipino ident...

You know that cliche, that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. It’s especially true here, in the Philippines, where food is central to gatherings and “ kumain ka na ba ” or “have you eaten” is a common greeting. When the pandemic struck, the simple act of breaking bread in the presence of friends and family was taken away from us. In this B-Side episode, John Paolo C. Dalupang, a rese...

Teenage pregnancy, abortion, birth control, and HIV/AIDs testing are topics considered taboo by Filipino society. For the Family Planning Organization of the Philippines (FPOP), providing better access to sexual and reproductive services is an uphill battle because the country is predominantly Catholic. “Our conservatives, they bend towards pro-life policies, which are, most of the time, at odds w...

The local music industry has had to say goodbye to significant gig spots that just couldn’t survive the pandemic, no matter how well-loved they were. As the country prepares to ease restrictions, B-Side takes stock of what it’s been like for local and independent musicians to collaborate and perform in a socially distanced world.  “Collaborating online has taught us how to streamline our musi...