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Big picture
Newly appointed Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon wasted no time in signaling reform. On his first day, he announced he would demand courtesy resignations from more than 400 top officials and engineers of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). His goal: to root out corruption and restore credibility to an agency long plagued by ghost projects and bribery scandals.

The sweep
Dizon said courtesy resignations would cover a wide range of DPWH officials, including:

He stressed that ghost projects could not exist without collusion inside the DPWH, and the review would aim to elevate honest and capable employees to key roles.

Targeting contractors
Dizon also vowed a lifetime ban on contractors linked to ghost projects or substandard work. He said blacklisting would be immediate, without lengthy investigations. The DPWH is working with the Department of Trade and Industry to explore permanent license revocations through the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board.

Political backing
Local officials quickly backed the shake-up. Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte praised Dizon’s record and urged him to champion flood-control reforms. Valenzuela Mayor Wes Gatchalian cited his personal inspections of de-clogging and dredging projects after last July’s floods as proof of his dedication.

Why it matters
The DPWH controls billions in infrastructure funds each year, making it powerful yet prone to scandal. Dizon’s purge is the boldest reform attempt in years and will test whether Marcos Jr.’s “clean governance” promise can survive entrenched corruption.

PSEi: 6,140.35
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YouTube is turning more Filipino creators into online sellers. Two months after launching YouTube Shopping with Shopee, the Philippines has become one of just six global test markets. Early results look strong: over 20% of eligible creators have joined the affiliate program, tagging more than 550,000 products across 240,000 videos. With YouTube reaching 93% of Filipino internet users, the platform is betting big on creator-driven commerce — especially since Filipinos are nearly twice as likely to trust YouTubers over other influencers. New tools like product stickers on Shorts and timestamps in videos aim to make shopping seamless and profitable.

Australia is showing how to make renewable energy work and the Philippines is paying attention. In New South Wales, the government builds transmission lines while private companies invest in wind and solar, ensuring projects can plug into the grid without delays. That model is unlocking over 7 gigawatts of new supply. ACEN, Ayala’s energy arm, is part of the push, with a 2-GW project pipeline and a newly approved $3-billion wind farm in Tasmania. For the Philippines, the message is clear: renewables alone won’t cut it without storage and transmission to carry the power where it’s needed.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged agencies to make the Turismo Asenso Loan Program easier to access for tourism-related MSMEs nationwide. Speaking at an awarding event, Marcos said the Department of Tourism, Department of Trade and Industry, and Small Business Corp. must simplify the process and expand information so even businesses in remote areas can benefit. The program offers low-interest loans of up to ₱20 million to help MSMEs upgrade services, expand operations, and sustain jobs. Nine tourism entrepreneurs received loan approvals ranging from ₱150,000 to ₱1 million, signaling early rollout of the post-pandemic recovery initiative.

Hong Kong officials are wooing Filipino businesses with a simple message: fewer taxes, more opportunity. Alpha Lau of Invest Hong Kong said the city’s tax system is among the world’s simplest just 8.25% on the first HK$2 million (about US$350,000) in profits, and 16.5% above that. No VAT, no capital gains tax, and no estate duty make the pitch even sweeter. Lau argued Hong Kong offers what Singapore does, plus direct access to China. Talks are also underway for a double taxation deal with Manila, which could make it easier for Filipinos to expand or invest abroad.

Jacob Ang, the youngest son of San Miguel Corp. boss Ramon Ang, has been named president of SMC Asia Car Distributors, BMW’s exclusive distributor in the Philippines. He replaces Spencer Yu, who led the company for seven years. Jacob said his focus will be on boosting customer experience and cementing BMW’s position as the country’s top premium auto brand, especially as demand for luxury cars and electric vehicles grows. Ramon Ang praised his son’s “fresh perspective,” saying he’s confident Jacob can take BMW further. The company currently operates the widest premium dealership network nationwide.

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From mid-2024 to August 2025, Indonesia has been rocked by the largest street protests in decades. What began as outrage over political dynasties and election laws escalated into a nationwide uprising fueled by economic hardship, corruption scandals, and a growing fear that democracy is backsliding.

What set it off
The spark came in August 2024, when the government tried to tweak election rules to benefit President Jokowi’s son. Tens of thousands marched, forcing a retreat. But simmering anger over inflation, layoffs, and new taxes set the stage for fresh unrest under President Prabowo Subianto and Vice President Gibran Rakabuming Raka.

How it escalated
By early 2025, protests spread across cities over budget cuts, a VAT hike, and revisions to military laws that critics said revived authoritarian practices. The breaking point came in August: parliament’s plan to grant itself massive housing perks while ordinary Indonesians struggled. The proposal drew crowds of over 100,000. On August 28, protests turned deadly when a police armored vehicle killed 21-year-old driver Affan Kurniawan. His death, captured on viral video, transformed discontent into rage.

The fallout
Riots, vandalism, and violent clashes left at least five dead by the end of August. Parliament reversed its housing perks, but calls for police reform, anti-corruption measures, and deeper democratic renewal have not gone away.

Why it matters
Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest democracy, now faces a crisis of legitimacy. Protesters see systemic inequality and state violence as proof that institutions serve elites, not citizens. With unrest still simmering, the government’s next moves could decide whether the anger fades—or fuels an even broader movement.

Nestlé has fired its CEO, Laurent Freixe, after finding he breached company rules by failing to disclose a romantic relationship with a direct subordinate. The board said the move was necessary to protect the company’s values and governance. Freixe, who led the company for less than a year, is being replaced by Philipp Navratil, a Nestlé veteran recognized for his leadership in tough markets. The shake-up comes as Nestlé maintains its growth strategy across brands like KitKat, Häagen-Dazs, and Nespresso. The case mirrors BP’s CEO scandal last year, highlighting rising scrutiny of corporate leaders’ personal conduct.

The Taliban have ordered underground beauty salons in Afghanistan to shut down within a month, threatening arrests for women who defy the ban. Official salons were closed in 2023, wiping out 12,000 businesses and over 50,000 jobs, but many women continued operating in secret as their only source of income. For some, like 38-year-old mother Frestha, the salons were both a financial lifeline and a source of joy for women in her community. Human rights groups say the move deepens Afghanistan’s gender apartheid, where women are already barred from education, most jobs, gyms, parks, and even public speaking.

Skipping the Homework
Too many first-time founders dive in without validating demand. Some follow passion or chase trends, only to find out later that customers don’t actually want their product. Simple market research like surveys, interviews, competitor checks can save time and capital.

Mixing Money Matters
Another common slip is treating business money like personal money. Without a separate account and bookkeeping, it’s impossible to track profits or file taxes correctly. This blunder often leads to confusion and penalties.

Planning Problems
Many startups run without a business plan or pick a legal structure blindly. Both mistakes lead to higher taxes, limited investor appeal, or even liability risks. Add weak money management for example no budgets and no reserves that can make the problems multiply.

Other Costly Pitfalls

How to Do It Right

The fixes are straightforward:

The Bottom Line
The Philippine market is tough but full of opportunity. Success comes down to focus, resilience, and adaptability. Avoid these common missteps, and you give your business a real chance to grow and thrive.

Chinese scientists may have just given humans “super-vision.” Their new contact lenses let people see infrared light, which is normally invisible to our eyes, by using engineered nanoparticles that convert it into visible colors. In early tests, wearers could spot infrared signals and even track their direction, a trick usually reserved for night-vision goggles. The catch is the lenses are not sensitive enough yet for full thermal vision. Still, researchers believe this could be the start of wearable tech that goes beyond fixing eyesight, opening the door to glasses or lenses that change how we see the world.

Meet 14-year-old Isha Marla from Oregon, who just became a finalist in the 3M Young Scientist Challenge for inventing fabric made from seaweed. Her creation mimics synthetic textiles but naturally breaks down, tackling the massive problem of fashion waste. Every year, the fast-fashion industry pumps out 92 million tons of textile waste, with only 1 percent recycled. Isha extracts alginate from seaweed, cooks it up in her kitchen, and transforms it into a strong, flexible material. If scaled, her fabric could give fashion a greener future while proving that even local kitchen experiments can spark global solutions.

Meet Chow Sze-lok, a 17-year-old Hong Kong student who just bagged a bronze medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions. Her project, Kid-AID, uses artificial intelligence to detect child abuse in care centres through CCTV footage. The idea came after she read disturbing reports of abuse cases and thought tech could be part of the solution. With zero professional backing, Chow and her classmates built and trained the system themselves. The result? Global recognition and proof that innovation doesn’t need a corporate lab just purpose, grit, and a secondhand Windows XP computer.

Microsoft has dismissed two more employees linked to on-campus protests against the company’s contracts with the Israeli military. The workers, Nisreen Jaradat and Julius Shan, were part of the “No Azure for Apartheid” group, which has staged multiple demonstrations this year. Earlier this week, other employees were also fired after live streaming inside Microsoft president Brad Smith’s office. The group has organized encampments, disrupted presentations, and even splashed red paint on a company sign. Smith said Microsoft is reviewing how its cloud services are used in Israel but called the protesters’ actions unacceptable.

TikTok owner ByteDance is preparing another employee share buyback that values the company at over $330 billion, up from $315 billion just six months ago. Employees will be offered $200.41 per share, a 5.5% increase from the last program. The boost comes after ByteDance’s revenue surged 25% year-on-year in Q2, hitting about $48 billion and outpacing Meta’s $42.3 billion. Despite its financial strength, ByteDance’s valuation is still far below Meta’s $1.9 trillion due to U.S. political pressure. Washington continues to push for TikTok’s U.S. divestment, with a new deadline set for September 17.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is set to sign an executive order creating an independent commission to investigate corruption in flood control and other DPWH projects. The body will act as an investigative arm, tasked with digging into irregularities and recommending legal action against contractors and officials involved. Marcos said the probe will not stop at flood control, as more anomalies are being uncovered in the agency’s wider operations. The commission, still being structured, will include lawyers, prosecutors, and forensic investigators. Its findings could be referred to the Ombudsman or DOJ for possible charges.

Contractor Sarah Discaya faced tough questioning in the Senate over alleged links to ghost and substandard flood control projects. Discaya admitted her family owns nine construction firms, including one that bid on nearly 500 projects and won 71. Senators pressed her on how her companies amassed billions and whether DPWH insiders fed her bidding lists. She denied having “point persons” but later admitted knowing district engineers. Lawmakers also flagged her ownership of at least 28 luxury cars, despite earlier boasting of more than 40. The probe now centers on transparency, accountability, and possible collusion inside the DPWH.

Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie Gatchalian has joined Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG), a group of local leaders pushing for integrity and transparency in public service. Gatchalian said good governance has long been Valenzuela’s “way of life,” pointing to consistent COA praise, back-to-back Seals of Good Local Governance, and award-winning programs in education, housing, and disaster response. His city also earned recognition for child protection efforts, bagging a 2024 Galing Pook Award. By joining M4GG, led by mayors Joy Belmonte, Vico Sotto, and Benjamin Magalong , Gatchalian brings Valenzuela’s brand of accountability to the national stage.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has found 31 government contractors listed as possible campaign donors in the 2022 national elections — a clear violation of the election code. Chair George Garcia told lawmakers the names came from candidates’ official spending reports and are now under verification. He said the poll body is prioritizing the 2022 race since election offenses prescribe in five years. President Marcos earlier pointed to 15 contractors dominating flood control deals, but Comelec says the list is bigger and could implicate senators. If confirmed, contractors and candidates may face serious legal consequences.

Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro used her first State of the Province Address to reveal what she called “irregularities everywhere,” including P1.1 billion in unpaid obligations. She said hospitals lacked supplies and staff, over P1 billion in education funds went unused, and key offices like disaster response were sidelined. Baricuatro suspended quarry permits and scrapped a P500M Capitol relocation plan, instead rolling out her “Kamo ang Sugbo” roadmap for healthcare, hunger programs, and climate-ready infrastructure. Allies of former governor Gwendolyn Garcia pushed back, defending her record. With a Garcia-dominated board, Baricuatro’s reforms face tough political headwinds.