BusinessWorld

Part of the Burnt Collection, each Sibol chair has a unique look.— ALMIRA MARTINEZ Pampanga-based furniture maker Genteelhome launched Sibol, the first series of the Burnt Collection, unveiling uniquely crafted bespoke wood pieces. Founder Katrina Blanca de Leon told reporters in a media briefing on Wednesday that Sibol, which means to emerge or to rise, reflects the pieces from the collection. “It speaks about growth, but not the usual kind of growth, not the natural kind of growth.

In the photo (from left to right): DICT Secretary Henry Aguda; President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.; DICT Undersecretary David Almirol; and Presidential Son William Vincent Marcos. Behind them are government officials and employees who attended the recent launch of the eGov PH Hub in San Juan City. The eGovPH Super App has been restored following reports of service disruptions attributed to a surge in user activity, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said on Friday.

Pope Leo XIV | Screenshot from Vatican Media Livestream DOUALA — Thousands of people were gathering early on Friday in Douala, Cameroon’s largest city and economic hub, for a Mass with Pope Leo that will likely be the biggest event of the pontiff’s four-nation Africa tour.

[From L-R] Samsung Electronics Philippines (SEPCO) Display Business Manager Ben Kim, SEPCO Integrated B2B Business Manager Paul Won Hyo Jung, SEPCO Head of Integrated B2B Kit Andal, SEPCO President, Roman Han, Mediaquest Holdings, Inc., President & CEO Victorico Vargas, CIGNAL First Vice-President & Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) Gerard L. Milan, and Mediaquest Holdings Inc.

MYANMAR’s former leader Aung San Suu Kyi — REUTERS Myanmar has reduced the sentence of imprisoned ex-leader Aung San Suu Kyi, her lawyer told Reuters on Friday, as part of an amnesty by a new president who ousted her government in a coup five years ago. Ms. Suu Kyi, 80, was serving a 27-year sentence for a litany of offenses her allies said were politically motivated to keep her at bay, ranging from incitement and corruption to election fraud and violating a state secrets law.

Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. — REUTERS PARIS — France and Britain will chair a meeting on Friday of around 40 countries aimed at signaling to the United States that some of its closest allies are ready to play a role in restoring freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz once conditions allow.

By Heather Caitlin P. Mañago, Researcher APPROVED building permits inched down 2.2% year on year in February, as high material costs and weaker residential demand weighed on construction activity. Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed building projects covered by the permits numbered 14,996 in February from 15,341 a year earlier. This was a turnaround from the 3.2% expansion in February 2025 and the revised 1.6% growth in January 2026.

A man inspects solar panels in this file photo. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN The Department of Education (DepEd) said it is looking into installing solar power panels in public schools next year to conserve electricity and cut costs amid the national energy crisis. “We’re studying the possibility of solarization of our public schools,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara told reporters in a briefing on Thursday.

PHILIPPINE INFORMATION AGENCY President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday approved the P4-billion emergency loan program for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to help businesses affected by the war in the Middle East. “President Marcos has cleared a program for MSMEs in distress as a result of the global oil shock to avail of easy loans ranging from P30,000 to P20 million each,” Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto said in a statement.

The International Monetary Fund's logo at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. — KATHERINE K. CHAN By Katherine K. Chan, Reporter WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Philippines’ response to the Middle East war-driven energy crisis should remain time-bound and targeted to help preserve its limited fiscal buffers as price shocks may persist, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said.