Despite challenges and economic headwinds, the Philippine logistics remains robust and continues to deliver. In this article, the team provides an overview of the country’s logistics landscape and explores the prospects and challenges that lie ahead of the industry.  

In the Philippine automobile market, Japanese brands have a strong presence with more than 80% share. However, like other major ASEAN countries, Chinese brands are expanding their presence with the shift to EV. In this report, we investigated the EV market and policy trends in the Philippines, and discussed the prospects for an EV shift…

With the recently enacted Republic Act No. 12001 or the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RPVARA), there is an expected increase in real property taxes and a more transparent valuation. How might this impact affected stakeholders? This article dives into the impact of RPVARA to real estate companies or developers.  

The number of registered electric cars (EVs) in the Philippines has increased significantly, yet they remain a minority. In the final installment of our ASEAN 5000 Survey series, we look at how EV manufacturers may capitalize on Filipinos’ shifting perceptions of East Asian automobile brands. We investigated the characteristics of Filipino BEV owners and provided insights…

It seems like the Philippine population, just like the Philippine economy, is stuck. The country has been stuck as a lower middle-income economy for the past 48 years. As a result, 80+% of Filipino households have been stuck below the middle-class threshold.   We expect this to change in the next 15 years, with GDP…

In 2013, NRI conducted a survey on market attractiveness and brand image across ASEAN. A decade later, we revisit this study to analyze shifts in consumer perception, particularly how they impact automotive branding, especially electric vehicles (EV), in the Philippines, through our ASEAN 5000 Survey series.   In Part 1, we explore the evolution of…

Nomura Research Institute (NRI) Manila Branch recently conducted a successful Japanese Cross-cultural Understanding (CCU) program for BPI MS Insurance Corporation (BPI MS). Among the participants included various team members, ranging from staff to managers across different departments. The CCU training focused on equipping BPI MS employees with the skills to navigate cultural nuances in the…

Back in 2012, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) published a paper entitled Tracking the Middle-Income Trap: What is It, Who is in It, and Why? According to their research, the Philippines – as of 2010 – has been a lower middle-income economy for the past 34 years. 14 years later – in 2024, the country…

Nitori, a Japanese furniture seller, opened its first retail store in the Philippines last April. This was, according to Trade Secretary Pascual, the first major investment under the amended Retail Trade Liberalization Act (RTLA). The amendatory law was supposed to attract foreign retailers to set up shop in the country. However, more than two years…

The 3rd quarter Philippine GDP numbers suggest that inflation has affected the different economic classes disproportionately. The higher classes, who can afford to spend on hotels and restaurants continue to do so, despite high inflation and rising interest rates. On the contrary, the lower classes who only spend on the essentials are forced to cut…