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The Straits Times/Asia News Network, 19 Sep 2019 While Singapore ranked the highest out of the four Asian nations included in the index, it still placed in the bottom half of the list at No. 13. The Straits Times/Asia News Network

by Vincent Cabreza, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 19 Sep 2019 BAGUIO CITY –– Anti-smoking proponents on Wednesday (Sept. 18) argued with local businessmen and a tobacco industry lawyer, who challenged the city’s 2017 “smoke-free ordinance,” that penalizes huge retailers and small village stores for selling sticks of cigarettes instead of a whole pack.

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By: Daphne Galvez, INQUIRER.net, 18 Sept 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has come up with its own version of a measure that seeks to create a new department to cater to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

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by Kenneth Rogoff, 17 Sep 2019 Is it time for the United States to consider switching from income tax to a progressive consumption tax as a way of addressing growing wealth inequality? Many economists have long favored a consumption-based tax system for raising revenue on the grounds of efficiency and simplicity. However, despite occasional vocal…

by Krissy Aguilar, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 17 Sep 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) needed P257 billion to roll out the Universal Health Care (UHC) law, but was given only P160 billion.

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by Doris Dumlao-Abadilla, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sep 17, 2019 The fast-growing Philippine offshore gaming operator (Pogo) industry has overtaken the information technology-business process outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry as the biggest market for new office space in Metro Manila and could contribute as much as $11.6 billion to the economy this year.

by Roy Stephen C. Canivel, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sep 17, 2019 MANILA, Philippine — More online lending companies may soon face government scrutiny after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday said it had issued cease-and-desist orders against 19 online lending applications.

https://reliefweb.int/report/world/iom-manual-community-based-mental-health-and-psychosocial-support-emergencies-and IOM Launches Manual on Community-Based Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergencies and Displacement

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by Mary Grace Padin (The Philippine Star) – Sept 16, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The Duterte administration’s Build Build Build program generated about three million additional jobs last year, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

by Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star) – Sept 16, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — A proposed law reducing income tax on thousands of corporations could create more than one million new jobs over the 10-year reduction period, the measure’s principal authors said yesterday.

by Daxim L. Lucas, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sep 16, 2019 MANILA, Philipppines — Local authorities — acting on a tip from the Chinese government — have uncovered what could be a growing online investment scam hiding behind a fledgling industry based in one of the country’s special economic zones.

by Louella Desiderio (The Philippine Star) – Sept 13, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — Foreign business groups in the country welcomed the recent approval of amendments to the Foreign Investments Act (FIA) at the House of Representatives, saying these would enable the Philippines to attract more investments.

by Richmond Mercurio (The Philippine Star) – Sept 13, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The search may soon be over for an investor who can take over the shipyard facility of financially troubled Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction Philippines in Subic, according to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman and administrator Wilma Eisma.

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by Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star) – Sept 12, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — Net inflows of foreign direct investments (FDI) fell by 48.5 percent to $430 million in June from $836 million in the same month last year due to the worsening trade war between the US and China, according to the Bangko Sentral ng…

by Lawrence Agcaoili (The Philippine Star) – Sept 12, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has strengthened its financial consumer protection framework in light of the increased complexity of financial products and rapid technological innovations in financial products and services.

by Eva Visperas (The Philippine Star) – Sept 12, 2019 DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines — At least 47,078 households were removed from the list of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps beneficiaries in Ilocos last month.

(The Philippine Star), Sept 12, 2019 Tuition is now free all the way to the tertiary level, following the enactment in 2017 of Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education law. With two more years of basic education plus kindergarten, the government should be appropriating a lot more funding for universal…

by Ian Nicolas Cigaral (Philstar.com) – Sept 12, 2019 MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine property sector should withstand external headwinds that are threatening the global economy amid “strong appetite” for commercial and residential spaces in the country, property consultancy Colliers International said.

The Straits Times/Asia News Network, Sep 12, 2019 JAKARTA — Indonesia’s top policymakers are now more certain about the need to amend its strict labor laws, which have, for more than a decade, scared away investors because of hefty severance pay and benefits.