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The biggest individual investor who is bullish on bitcoin is Larry Fink of BlackRock Inc., the world's largest asset management co. based in New York.   

The brains behind Philequity is Mr. Wilson Sy of Wealth Securities who is a long time veteran of the Phil stock market.  MInsan napapisip din ako as to who will take his place once he retires for good just like everybody else since medyo may eded na din sya.

Ingat lang pipol. The PSEI Index just went down below the support level today.  Technical indicators are weak while fundamentally the economy is reeling from the persistently stubborn inflation we have been experiencing for many months now.  Unless global interest rates begin going down spearheaded by the US Fed and followed by central banks elsewhere around the globe including the BSP, I find it hard to see how the local stock market will be able to regain its former vigor.  Dito sa atin, the inflation issue is caused by supply side problems due to weak local agricultural production resulting in high food prices (a big component of our consumer price index or CPI) since majority of the food (and non food items) we consume is imported from abroad and therefore expensive once supply shocks like weather disturbances, climate change and geopolitical instability (i.e. War in Ukraine, the Middle East, etc.) are taken into account.  Kaya no amount of interest rate hikes by the BSP will solve our inflation problem with the only solution being to increase our own local production with the active support of the Dept of Agriculture although this is largely a medium to long term solution with no quick fixes or instant miracles for those who are expecting overnight resolutions.  Patience and persistence is the key.  I recently had a conversation with a top executive of one of the country's biggest banks and he told me two of the main items they are closely monitoring are the prices of rice and sugar (both of which we import in huge volumes) since malakas tayo kumain ng kain at mahilig tayo sa matatamis na bagay.  Kaya pag sumipa presyo nun dalawa at tumaas na naman ang inflation babagsak ulit ang stock market kasi inflation and high interest rates have a negative effect on the stock market and business in general.   

The Chinese restaurants in Banawe have different price points ranging from high to low and I notice that those operating on the low end of the price range tend to utilize frozen (squid, shrimp, pork) instead of fresh seafood and meat as a way of managing their operating costs and maintaining their current menu prices.

Mandarin Sky - Prawns with Walnuts, Vegetable Rolls, Braised Stuffed Pigeon, Ginger Duck, Seafood with Fresh Asparagus and Egg Whites, Sea Clam with Egg Whites, Fresh Scallop with Brocolli

Gloria Maris Greenhills - Mini Taro Basket with Prawn and Scallop

I believe nothing beats the most recent episode involving a live rat doing some table jumping exercises at the SM Seaside Cebu branch of Tong Yang Hotpot (part of the Vikings Group of restaurants) which has been garnering numerous views over social media.  It looks like this resto will be off my dining list for an indefinite period.  

Sorry for the typo error it should be read as nickel instead of nicke.

Mukhang matutulog tayo ng matagal ngayon because of the supply side induced inflation issue.  It appears gold mining and nicke mining stocks lang ang medyo humihinga pa like APX, PX and NIKL.

Anybody has any idea whether restaurants specializing in Chinese buffets only like the previously operating Chinatown Bestfood Restaurant in Banawe still exist somewhere in the Greater Metro Manila area?  I really miss those restaurants that specialize in an only one cuisine buffet format. 

How I wish somebody would revive the Chinese Buffet concept just like what Chinatown Bestfood Restaurant in Banawe offered before the pandemic caused its demise as a profitable business.

buhay na naman ang chicboy. Saw their recently reincarnated branch along tomas morato near the former Hotel Rembrandt.  They're within the same compound as the Cinema 76 Film Society and Via Mare Restaurant.   

IKEA's restaurant, if only for curiousity's sake.  It seems the lines are always very long every time I pass by that place. 

Read some of the comments about Ma Mon Luk's bad service  and I can also confirm it myself based on my own personal experience.  I did some digging around and believe it might have something to do with the state of labor management relations at the company.  They once had a long drawn out labor strike decades ago that very few people today, especially the young generation, know about or even remember at all in the case of those who are much older now which was later eventually resolved in the end.  This particularly bad episode could have somehow left a lingering sense of distrust and unease within the company since then which has declined considerably in comparison to its more successful industry peers if you measure it by the number branches still operating for starters.  In a way, I seem to get the sense that the staff are trying to retaliate back at management through the bad if not rude service shown to its customers on one hand while company management for one that ironically belongs to the service sector appears to have adopted a rather unusual hands off attitude/policy about the whole matter aimed at possibly avoiding another vicious brawl with organized labor by making itself scarce at the front of the house and visibly failing to periodically check on them or their performance with regards to the job duties and responsibilities reasonably expected of full time employees.  At the rate things are going, it would not be any surprise if the company one day finally decide to throw in the towel without any warning and close shop which would be a pity given its legacy and iconic status.  There are indeed better and less stressful ways of making money or earning a living as they say.

Cafe Ilang Ilang buffet at Manila Hotel is open now. Salamat naman in order to have more dining out choices and break the monotony of fast food and home cooked meals for a change..

The place is not exactly what I would strictly call a bar but it seems the U Belt college crowd has taken to the place like proverbial ducks to water and I'm referring to the former Laperal Bldg. along CM Recto Ave. opposite San Sebastian College that has been transformed and enlarged into a mixed use commercial residential complex named Youniversity Suites aka You Suites catering to the university students studying nearby whose mini mall and multi level food court section named LA Village includes a live band stage area where different bands / singers perform during weekends. The place serves both alcohol and food (a variety of cuisines actually) and I find the atmosphere and vibe to be quite pleasant and inviting during the several times I visited the place. You got students coming from a mix of universities and colleges located nearby who either come individually, in pairs or as a group as a way of unwinding and spending some downtime away from their academic studies by simply just hanging out or having a food trip. This generation is really lucky to have this facility available within the vicinity which wasn't available before during my time. Back in the late 80's and early 90's, even if you had enough dough to splash around or splurge such recreational options weren't even available in the downtown or u belt area. One usually had to go to either Malate, Makati, Ortigas or QC for this kind of social amenity. The way the entire place was repurposed is a classic case of urban renewal and gentrification so long as there is ample capital available necessary for the task and I discreetly learned the developer is said to be the late Henry Sy Sr.'s business partner in SM Appliance Center which may explain its flawless outcome from planning to actual execution.

Can't wait to try Popeye's once they open in the country next year.

Hilton Manila P2,200++ with unlimited curacha (coconut crab) when I had dinner there recently.

Just to share without sounding too presumptuous, I know times are rather bad for the stock market with the threat of a global trade war and the persistent inflation along with other economic woes like higher interest rates we are experiencing locally which had led to a sluggish movement we have been seeing for quite sometime. But I think the most powerful tool and probably the best tool the gov't has right now in its arsenal is the massive Build Build Build program which it needs to roll out more expeditiously in order to jolt new new and added vigor into our economy. Putting that into perspective, it might be opportune for everybody to take another look at POPI whose company has the leasehold rights over Manila's Tutuban Center complex. Ayala Land took over the company two years ago and many changes have taken place since then with POPI recording a financial turnaround after the Ayalas installed a new management team and implemented many new physical improvements aside from the infusion of new capital real estate assets into POPI such as the pioneering Laguna Techno Park and its new sister hub, the Cavite Techno Park and the redevelopment of POPI's existing real estate portfolio consisting of a 15 hectare warehouse complex in Calamba, Laguna and of course its crown jewel, the Tutuban Center in Downtown Manila measuring 20 hectares in its totality. The government extended POPI's lease contract over Tutuban up to the year 2039 while Ayala Land intends to redevelop the complex by reconfiguring it and increasing its current leasable floor area of 60,000 sqm by a factor of 4 within the next 5 years or so. Pedestrian visitor traffic is expected to reach 500,000 people per day by that time since Ayala's long term plan is to turn Tutuban into the country's premier land based passenger and cargo railway logistics hub with its integration into the national government's North Rail and South Rail project together with the westward expansion of LRT 2 from its current endpoint at CM Recto-Isetann station all the way to R -10 opposite the gate of Pier 4 in North Harbor which will feature additional stations located right in front of Tutuban Center-CM Recto Ave. along the way and another one at the corner of CM Recto Ave. and Asuncion St. in Downtown Manila. The financing for the North Rail segment running from Tutuban to Malolos and eventually Clark will be financed by the Japanese government through official development assistance loans and is slated for completion by the time the current President steps down from office in the year 2022 and beyond with the South Rail segment featuring lines running initially from Tutuban to Batangas City and Calamba / Los Banos in Laguna financed by the Chinese government using the same fund sourcing mode following almost the same time line with an eventual extension all the way to Legazpi, Albay in the Bicol region. Overall, the aim for POPI is to become the country's leading industrial park and real estate logistics provider with a nationwide network stretching from Luzon all the way to Mindanao specially after the company launches a new and similar 100 plus hectare industrial park in Northern Mindanao in the town of Laguindingan near the existing international airport located about 1 hour's travel time from Cagayan de Oro City in addition to another one of similar size planned for both Central Luzon and the Visayas. Having said all these, it might be important to note that Ayala purchased a controlling stake in POPI through 2 separate block sales executed at P2.25 and P2.45 per share with the stock reaching a peak of P4.10 per share recently this year and it has never returned again to the previous P2.25 / P2.45 levels mentioned since that time given the net positive recurring income flows registered from the time the new controlling entity took over the company. The current market weakness may be viewed as an advantage to pick up more POPI shares with the projected increase in recurring lease income that is likely to happen as additional floor areas are added in the months and years ahead specially with the ongoing redevelopment of Tutuban Center and the addition of new income streams from other planned sites in different areas of the country. One anecdotal tale I can share is that there is now a P10 service fee being charged by the new management of Tutuban for each and every single instance people use the comfort rooms located at their food courts as a way of minimizing the entry of freeloaders given the demographic makeup of its surrounding locality and this I believe only goes to show and highlight how conscious they are about maximizing every single peso and centavo of revenue stream they can get from their valuable real estate assets. With a mentality like this, I have no doubt that the company is in the goods hands of its able stewards who can do wonders for both existing and prospective stockholders. Another development I foresee is the decline of long distance trucking and bus companies here in Luzon as both businesses and individuals find it more cost efficient and convenient to ship goods and travel to and from areas serviced by the new and revitalized railway network the government envisions with their timely and regular schedules resulting in a corresponding and drastic reduction in the road vehicle volume and accompanying perennial traffic which we all very dearly desire and whose presence is so often the bane of modern urban living and existence.

To: rfonline568267

If what happens at Something Fishy is the norm, I wonder what the kitchens of Kamayan/Dads/Saisaki and Sambokojin are like since all of the following restaurants mentioned are known to be sister companies and owned by the same family whose surname starts with the letter V.

Goodah is still around except that its now owned by the Century Pacific group of companies (Century Tuna) as part of its separate and privately held quick service restaurant (QSR) division along with Yoshinoya Phils.

Just my own two cents, the stock market's continuing upward direction may well be determined by how our honorable Senators vote on package 1 of the government's comprehensive tax reform program when they come back sometime in July and resume session from their mandated work recess. If they decide to pass into law with minimal or no revisions the version recently passed by the lower house of Congress then we may well see another run up in the market beyond its current levels. The most recent gains achieved by the PHISIX or Phil. Stock Exchange Index was partly due to our Congressmen finally coming to their senses and passing what I just mentioned in my earlier statements. This of course is in addition to the healthy corporate profits being reported by our publicly listed corporations. Let's just hope our honorable Senators don't screw this one up as is largely common among most members of our political elite who are prone to shooting themselves in the foot or suffering from what many analysts have unfortunately called the foot in mouth disease of the non medical variety. The failure of our Senators to do what is required would send a very disappointing and wrong signal not only to the local and foreign business community but also to members of the int'l financial circles who represent our country's foremost creditors and sources of official development assistance since sustainability, consistency and continuity is something very much relevant in order for our economy to move forward. Apart from carefully scrutinizing and doing the usual due diligence necessary before buying any particular stock issue, the Senate's passing of the comprehensive tax reform program's package 1 is one particular macro event whose outcome we should all be aware about given its larger implications not only to those who are invested in the stock market but also to the country's whole economy.

I was able to pass by their original branch along Jupiter St. in Makati and sad to see even that location has finally closed shop. They did put up a good fight but lost out in the end. Definitely raises some questions about their management and its capability to weather the storms that are so common among businesses both big and small. Maybe the other chicken inasal chains can step up to the plate.

Ang complaint ko lang sa Sogo is inconsistent ang aircon nila. Feeling ko kadalasan maliit ang horsepower and capacity ng aircon na nakainstall if you consider the size of the rooms. Kaya pag nakahiga kana ng matagal ang init ng pakiramadam sa likod ng katawan dahil kulang sa lamig. Siguro nga kailangan nilang kumita or may tinatarget silang profit margin kaya ganun ang ginagawa ng management since karamihan ng guest nila are short term stays lang naman although I don't think such practice if ever justifies the means given that comfort is a primary consideration when choosing a place to stay whether for relaxation or otherwise. That I guess maybe one of the primary differences between motels and the bigger and more luxurious brand name hotels. As they say you usually get what you pay for.

Hi there guys anybody care to comment on the most recent quality of Manila Diamond Hotel's Corniche Restaurant Buffet. The reason I am inquiring is because a reputable real estate broker told me that the hotel's owner, Mr. Ramon Ang of SMC, is trying to unload the entire hotel for an eye popping P37 billion. Although I was at first skeptical about this piece of news, it was later confirmed after I inquired about the matter from other sources which in turn led me to wonder about the quality of the hotel's f & b nowadays. Is it still passable by int'l standards and if the hotel is being sold then it might mean its not making that much money which would in turn impact on the kind of food being served by the hotel's buffet restaurant.

Mr. Maxinquaye and Mr. Bughaw1,

Both your observations are right and have merit. What is considered an everyday staple in its land of origin has unfortunately become a luxury/gourmet food item in terms of pricing here in Manila making it far beyond the reach of most people. I guess this leaves the great majority left with no other alternative except the likes of Chowking, Lingnam, Luk Yuen and North Park Noodle House whose prices are more affordable. But then again Japanese ramen is different from its Chinese counterpart and the sad part is most people won't get to appreciate and taste the differences in both flavor and culinary culture. Imagine P800 for a bowl of noodles and an order of gyoza. As a rule, I usually eat noodle soups (ramen or mami) for breakfast or merienda but not as a meal for lunch or dinner because its inadequate for my appetite. The amount mentioned is already equivalent to at least two (2) entrees and a good heaping of rice in other restaurants depending on the cuisine in question. Hindi sulit at nakakbusog ang P800 in my opinion. Caveat Emptor. Boy oh boy those ramen shop owners here in Manila must really be earning money hand over fist.