PH climbs 10 places in FIVB ranking

PH jumps to No. 46 in FIVB women’s rankings

Jean Malanum

June 14, 2025

Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The Philippines hopes to move up further in the world rankings with a title victory at the 2025 Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) Women’s Volleyball Nations Cup in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Ranked No. 56 in the FIVB rankings before the tournament, the Philippines jumped to No. 46 after beating Chinese Taipei, 25-17, 25-21, 18-25, 15-25, 15-12, at the Dong Anh Arena on Friday night.

The Philippines, whose earlier victories over Mongolia, New Zealand, and Kazakhstan also contributed to its rise in the world rankings, is scheduled to meet defending champion and host Vietnam in the finals at 9 p.m. (Manila time) on Saturday.

“The program is working. The past three years (were) all upward for our national program in all disciplines – volleyball and beach – thanks to the support of our stakeholders," Ramon Suzara, president of both the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) and Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), said in a press statement on Saturday.

When Suzara and the PNVF took over in 2021, the Alas women’s team was No. 156 in the 222-nation FIVB but jumped to No. 66 in 2023. Last year, the Philippines improved to No. 58 after placing third in the Volleyball Nations Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Bella Belen, who registered a triple-double 14 points, 19 receptions, and 16 digs against Chinese Taipei, is expected to deliver again.

“I’m really happy because we were able to win this game, not just for us but for the Philippines. No words can explain how much we wanted this game and we’re going to prepare hard for us because it’s in Vietnam,” Belen said.

Brazilian coach Jorge Souza De Brito described the victory over the Taiwanese as "a gem of a win."

“We knew that semifinals are always hard and they (Taiwanese) gave us a hard night. But we also knew that we just have one chance to get to the final so I’m proud and very thankful for the girls," said De Brito, who has been supervising the Alas women's program for the past three years.

Jia De Guzman, last year's Best Setter, said Chinese-Taipei tested the team’s character.

“We're very grateful that we surpassed that test of character. Being up two sets, losing two sets, then coming back in the fifth set, that's really hard to do against a team like Chinese Taipei," she said. (PNA)

Manila climb up 20 spots in Emerging Startup Ecosystem ladder

Bucking Global Trends, Manila Moves Up 20 Spots in Emerging Startup Ecosystems List

Amid a global decline in ecosystem value, the Philippine capital continues to signal growing competitiveness as it moves up in the rankings of emerging global startup ecosystems, thanks to a strong showing in fintech, AI, and sustainability.

By Paul John Caña
Esquire Philippines
13 June 2025

Defying global trends, Manila continues to move up in the ranking of Emerging Startup Ecosystems, placing in the 61-70 bracket this year from 81-90 last year and 91-100 in 2023. 

According to the Global Startup Ecosystems Report (GSER) 2025 published by Startup Genome, a leading innovation ecosystem development organization, Manila generated $6.3 billion (about P352.35 billion) in ecosystem value between July 1, 2022, to December 31, 2024. This represents an impressive 35 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in its ecosystem value compared to the period July 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022 (which covered GSER 2023).

Startup Genome defines ecosystem value as the sum of valuations of funded startups, including unicorns, plus the post- money valuation of exits in the past two and a half years. Essentially it is the measure of economic impact, calculated as the value of exits and startup valuations.

Sharing the 61-70 bracket in the ranking with Manila are the following cities: Lagos, Nigeria; Indianapolis, USA; St. Louis, USA; Chongqing, China; Athens, Greece; Hyderabad, India; Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; and Gothenburg, Sweden.

The GSER echoes the Venture Capital Report 2025 published by Foxmont Capital Ventures and Boston Consulting Group. That report found that, despite the generally quiet and subdued sentiment within the local startup industry, dealmaking activity in the Philippines actually reached record levels in 2024. Total funds raised by startups in the Philippines ballooned to $1.12 billion last year, up 16.6 percent versus the previous year’s $960 million and just slightly ahead of 2022, which was the previous record holder at $1.11 billion. 

Ranking in the GSER 2025’s Top 10 Emerging Ecosystems are the following cities (in descending order): Wuxi, China; Jakarta, Indonesia; Istanbul, Turkey; the Research Triangle (a region in North Carolina that includes Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), USA; Copenhagen, Denmark; Salt Lake and Provo, Utah; Barcelona, Spain; Dublin, Ireland; Nanjing, China; and Greater Lausanne, Switzerland.

Unlike the main list that ranks the top global startup ecosystems in the world, emerging ecosystems are startup communities at earlier stages of growth. Startup Genome says the methodology for ranking the Top 100 Emerging Ecosystems is designed to reflect this disparity, “showcasing the ecosystems displaying high potential to become top global performers in the coming years.”

Manila also figured highly in other categories in GSER 2025, including making it to the Global Top 15 (and No. 4 in Asia) in Bang for Buck (which measures the amount of runway tech startups acquire, on average, from a VC round); Global Top 30 (and Top 15 in Asia) in Affordable Talent (which measures the ability to hire tech talent); Top 25 in Asia in Funding (which measures innovation through early-stage funding and investor’s activity); Top 30 in Asia in Performance (a measure of the size and performance of an ecosystem based on the accumulated tech startup value created from exits and funding); and Top 30 in Asia in Talent & Experience (which measures long-term trends over the most significant performance factors and the ability to generate and keep talent in the ecosystem). 

“The Philippines demonstrates consistent performance in advancing innovation and digital transformation,” said Department of Trade and Information Secretary Cristina Roque. “As the lead agency supporting enterprise development, DTI ensures the country’s competitiveness and future-readiness by nurturing entrepreneurs and cultivating tech-driven solutions.

“This progress directly reflects the leadership of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and our commitment to the Bagong Pilipinas agenda, which champions inclusive, innovation-led growth and positions the Philippines as a hub for next-generation industries,” the trade chief added.

What’s driving startup growth in Manila

According to the report, the following sectors drove significant growth in startups in Manila and are therefore key strengths in the Philippines’s startup ecosystem: Fintech, Artificial Intelligence, and Sustainability.

“These sectors are supported by targeted government funding, regulatory strategies, and rapid digital adoption,” the report said. “In 2023, fintech firms secured major funding rounds, AI integration expanded across 100+ startups, and sustainability-driven ventures grew sixfold since 2020, aided by national programs like the Innovative Startup Act and Green Economy Programme in the Philippines.”

Startups are also choosing to set up shop in Manila thanks to a young, tech-oriented talent pool, driven largely by the Philippines' approximately 350,000 STEM graduates annually. The country, through the Board of Investments, is also teaming up with tech experts to future-proof the critical and foundational skills in engineering and technology of the Filipino workforce. 

“Recent policy reforms, including the CREATE MORE Act and the Philippine Innovation Act, strengthen fiscal incentives and regulatory support amid rapid digital market growth projected to reach up to $150 billion by 2030,” the report said.

In its highlight of Manila, the GSER said Philippines currently has approximately 1,200 startups, 65 incubators and accelerators, 55 venture capitalists, and 210 coworking spaces.

“Manila thrived despite the venture capital winter, as it reached a total of $2.4 billion VC funding and an exit value of $258 million from 2020 to 2024,” the report said. “The Manila ecosystem proactively catalyzes growth and attracts more domestic and foreign investments, with the establishment of startup hubs and hosting of startup conferences, like the annual Philippine Startup Week.” 

Top 10 Global Startup Ecosystems 2025

Startup Genome’s main list of Global Startup Ecosystems was once again topped by Silicon Valley in the US, followed by New York City, London, Tel Aviv, Boston and Beijing (tied), Los Angeles, Seoul, Singapore, and Shanghai. 

Just beyond the Top 10 are the following cities: Shanghai, Tokyo, Paris, Philadelphia, Bengaluru-Karnataka, Seattle, Chicago, Shenzhen and Washington DC (tied), San Diego, and Toronto-Waterloo and Amsterdam-Delta (tied).

Produced annually by Startup Genome, the GSER delivers fresh insights on the world’s leading innovation ecosystems, highlighting key trends, investment flows, and policy strategies driving entrepreneurial success.

“With its impressive rise in the rankings over the past three years, Manila is strengthening its profile as a dynamic emerging ecosystem in Asia,” said Stephan Kuester, Managing Partner at Startup Genome. “We are honored to partner with the Department of Trade and Industry, whose targeted support continues to align with and accelerate the ecosystem’s development trajectory.” 

“The global startup landscape is undergoing its most dramatic shake-up in years, with Asia and Africa surging ahead while much of Europe falters,” the report says. “Within the 2025 Top 40 Global Startup Ecosystem ranking, 16 ecosystems have moved up in rank while 18 have declined.”

Seven PH companies in Forbes world's 2000 largest

Sy-led firms lead Philippine companies on Forbes ‘Global 2000’ list

Meg J. Adonis - Reporter
Inquirer.net
13 June 2025

MANILA, Philippines – Seven companies based in the Philippines made it to Forbes Magazine’s list of the world’s 2,000 largest listed companies, cornering a combined market value of $70 billion.

These are SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), BDO Unibank Inc., Top Frontier Investment Holdings, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (Metrobank), Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), Ayala Corp. and International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI).

These firms were ranked according to revenue, profit, assets and market value, with SMIC taking the top spot at 811th.

Apart from Top Frontier, all the companies included in the list are also members of the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi). The benchmark index is composed of the 30 most valuable and actively traded stocks listed on the local bourse.

Top Frontier is the controlling shareholder of San Miguel Corp., in which it has a 65.99-percent stake.

“For the 23rd year, Forbes’ Global 2000 ranks the largest public companies in the world using four metrics—sales, profits, assets and market value—and despite the geopolitical uncertainty and combativeness resulting from Donald Trump’s tariffs, all four reached records this year,” Forbes said in a statement.

PHILIPPINES leaps five spots in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index

PHL jumps to 20th place in Global Gender Gap Index

BusinessWorld
13 June 2025

THE PHILIPPINES jumped five spots in the 2025 Global Gender Gap Index of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to 20th out of 148 countries and retained its position as the highest-ranking Southeast Asian country.

“Compared to the previous year, the economy has climbed five positions in the ranking, with a 0.2-percentage-point increase in its overall gender parity score,” the WEF said in a report released on Thursday.

The Philippines had a score of 78.1%, well above the average global gender gap score of 68.8% and Eastern Asia and the Pacific average of 69.4%. A parity score of 100 indicates full parity, while the gender gap is the distance from full parity.

The country had the highest ranking among Southeast Asian economies, followed by Singapore (47th), Thailand (66th), Vietnam (74th), Timor-Leste (86th), Laos (96th), Indonesia (97th), Cambodia (106th), Brunei (107th) and Malaysia (108th). Myanmar was not included in the study.

The Philippines remained in third spot in the Eastern Asia and the Pacific region, behind New Zealand (5th) and Australia (13th).

The WEF’s Global Gender Gap Index grades four key dimensions: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.

According to the report, the Philippines scored 79% in the economic participation and opportunity subindex this year, the highest in Eastern Asia and the Pacific and 13th globally.

“In 2025, slight improvements in the scores for wage equality and estimated earned income have brought its economic parity score to 79%, the highest in Eastern Asia and the Pacific this year,” it said.

It achieved full parity when it comes to professional and technical workers.

In the educational attainment subindex, the Philippines dropped to 87th spot from last year’s first place, when it achieved full parity.

This subindex includes literacy rate, enrollment rate in primary, secondary, tertiary education.

“Despite strong performances in educational attainment, the gender parity in education has slightly declined. For the first time, the primary school net enrollment rate for boys surpasses that of girls, resulting in a 1.2-percentage-point drop in the education parity score from previous years of full parity,” WEF said.

The report showed the Philippines had gender parity in the literacy rate, as well as enrollment in secondary education and tertiary education.

For political empowerment, the Philippines improved from 30th place from 34th last year.

This subindex includes women in parliament, ministerial positions, years with female or male head of state.

“The Philippines’s political parity score is buoyed by nearly 16 years of female leadership under Presidents Corazon Aquino and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. This contributes to a 46.2% score in the head-of-state indicator, the second highest in the region,” the WEF said.

Despite this, progress in female representation in parliament is described as “modest” with a score of 38.9%.

“The score for ministerial positions has declined to 21.1% in 2025, down from over 30% in both 2006-2007 and 2023,” it added.

For the health and survival sub-index, the Philippines rose a notch to 85th spot this year.

“The Philippines has faced growing sex imbalances at birth over the past decade. The sex ratio at birth (females to males) has declined from 0.944 in 2016 to 0.926 in 2025,” the WEF said.

Reinielle Matt M. Erece, an economist at Oikonomia Advisory and Research, Inc., said the Philippines’ improved ranking in the gender parity report was mainly driven by gains in wage equality, but noted that the “country still has a long way to go.”

“This is a good indicator of improvements in job opportunities and reduction of gender discrimination,” Mr. Erece said in a Viber message to BusinessWorld on Thursday.

However, he pointed out that female enrollment in primary education remains below 90%. “Thus, improvements in education accessibility and also childhood health are equally important to ensure that students have proper access to education,” he added. 

Mr. Erece also urged the government to improve the quality of education to help reduce dropout rates, especially among female students.

In the report, the WEF said that no economy has yet achieved full gender parity.

Iceland ranked first with a score of 92.6%, keeping the top spot for 16 consecutive years. It is the only economy to have closed more than 90% of its gender gap since 2022.

The rest of the top 10 include Finland, Norway, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Sweden, Moldova, Namibia, Germany and Ireland.

“Despite decades of progress, efforts to achieve gender parity remain constrained, imposing a hidden but heavy tax on global growth and weakening the foundations of economic resilience — expressed in underutilized talent, lost productivity, slower innovation and frayed social cohesion,” WEF said.

“As the global context evolves, challenges and opportunities emerge for economies that seek to close gender gaps and adopt gender parity as a strategy for growth: expanding women’s participation in the workforce, strengthening leadership pipelines, improving skills-to-work transitions, enhancing policy implementation, and ensuring inclusive outcomes in global trade.” — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante

Vietnam invests billion dollars in PH transport sector

Vietnam’s Green GSM investing $1 billion in Philippines

Louella Desiderio
Philstar Global 
11 June 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Vietnamese electric vehicle (EV) ride-hailing service provider Green and Smart Mobility (Green GSM) is investing $1 billion to support its operations in the Philippines.

The Office of Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs (OSAPIEA) said in a statement yesterday that Green GSM has started its investments in the Philippines with the launch of its taxi and transportation network vehicle service in the country yesterday.

OSAPIEA said the ride-hailing service provider using VinFast electric vehicles is investing $500 million to support the first phase of its operations in the country.

Green GSM has deployed an initial fleet of 2,500 all-electric VinFast vehicles for its operations in Metro Manila.

Apart from the deployment of the initial fleet, the investment is also being used to set up Green GSM’s office, hire employees, construct charging stations and garage for taxis, as well as the purchase of taxi units.

The fleet includes the VinFast VF 5, a compact EV with a range of 326 kilometers, advanced driver-assist systems and modern infotainment features, suitable for the country’s urban centers.

Once fully operational, OSAPIEA said Green GSM is expected to create 20,000 to 70,000 high quality jobs for Filipinos nationwide, with investments reaching a total of $1 billion.

Green GSM will operate through a hybrid model of taxi services, combining manual hailing and bookings made through the app.

“This will be a game-changer for Philippine public transport. It promises not only to modernize our transport system, but more importantly to offer commuters a safer, more convenient and environment-friendly transport option,” SAPIEA Frederick Go said.

Go, along with Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon and Trade Secretary Cristina Roque attended Green GSM’s launch, supporting the government’s push for the adoption of green transport options.

In line with the push for the adoption and development of the EV industry, the government is aiming to see 2.4 million EVs on the road by 2028 to achieve its 50 percent EV adoption rate target by 2040.

Fil-Am elected mayor of San Antonio, Texas

Fil-Am daughter of Ilocana public school teacher wins US mayoral race

Story by Cristina Chi 
Philstar Global
10 June 2025

MANILA, Philippines — The daughter of an Ilocana immigrant made history over the weekend by becoming the first Filipino-American and woman of color elected mayor of San Antonio, Texas — the seventh-biggest city in the United States. 

Gina Ortiz Jones, 44, defeated her conservative rival, former Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos, with 54.3% of the vote in Saturday's runoff election, according to US media reports. This also makes Jones the first openly gay mayor and only the third woman to lead the Texas metropolis of 1.5 million residents.

Jones will take office on June 18 for a four-year term. 

Her mother, Victorina Ortiz, left behind an established career as a public school science teacher in Pangasinan to immigrate to the United States in the 70s, according to an interview with Jones by People Asia.   

A University of the Philippines Diliman graduate, Victorina initially worked household jobs after arriving in the US before eventually returning to education — spending over 40 years teaching special needs students at a public school district in San Antonio.

"My journey has been a uniquely American story. My mom came to this country from the Philippines and raised me and my sister by herself," Ortiz said in her campaign website.  

The decision to leave the Philippines required courage that Jones says she inherited. "That same courage is in my heart, that's in my blood, that's in my sister's heart," she told People Asia magazine in 2023.  

Jones said she was raised by her mother to be conscious of finding ways to give back to her community. "It’s why my sister and I both joined the military, and it’s why I’ve worked as a public servant," the San Antonio mayor-elect said.

Historic win amid partisan battle

Jones' victory is seen a breakthrough for Filipino-American political representation in the United States, where Asian-Americans remain underrepresented in major offices despite being the fastest-growing ethnoracial group in the US electorate.

Before running for mayor, she unsuccessfully sought a congressional seat twice under the Democratic party, losing close races in 2018 and 2020 in South Texas.

According to a report by the Texas Tribune, the mayoral race turned bitterly partisan, with Jones having to parry attacks from Pablos, whose campaign ran television advertisements questioning her military record and painting her as an outsider.

Jones responded by assembling a coalition of progressive organizations, veterans groups and labor unions. Her platform focused on expanding pre-kindergarten programs, increasing affordable housing, and improving internet access in poor neighborhoods. 

Pablos trailed by more than 12,000 votes, according to a report by the San Antonio Express.

From Air Force to City Hall

Jones served as an intelligence officer in Iraq under the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which prohibited openly gay service members. She left the Air Force early to care for her mother, who had been diagnosed with cancer while Jones was deployed.

She later worked for federal agencies, including the Defense Intelligence Agency, before serving as undersecretary of the Air Force under US President Joe Biden — the first openly gay woman of color in that position.

Manny Pacquiao inducted to Hall of Fame

Manny Pacquiao enshrined to Boxing Hall of Fame

JM Siasat
GMA News
June 9, 2025

Manny Pacquiao was inducted into the prestigious International Boxing Hall of Fame earlier today in New York, USA.

Pacquiao, the lone eight-division champion in history, joined fellow Filipinos Pancho Villa, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, and promoter Lope Sarreal.

"From the streets of General Santos, to the bright light of Las Vegas, to tonight at the International Boxing Hall of Fame. No shoes, no food, no chance, just a dream in my heart," Pacquiao wrote on his official Facebook page.

"I never imagined this moment, but by God’s grace, here we are. This is not just about boxing. It’s about faith. Family. Sacrifice. Purpose. It’s about every Filipino and every fan who believed in me, even when the doubters didn’t."

Pacquiao's, though, journey is not over. On July 16 at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, the 46-year-old Pacquiao will lace them up once more against WBC world welterweight champion Mario Barrios.

An underdog in the upcoming fight, Pacquiao is poised to break his own record of being the oldest welterweight champion in history should he overcome his lanky Mexican opponent.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News

Pinay ice hockey players secure Asia cup crown

Philippines claims women’s Asia Cup ice hockey crown

Randy Caluag
Manila Standard
09 June 2025

THE Philippines has once again ascended to the top of Asian women’s ice hockey, capturing the IIHF Asia Cup 2025 with a hard-fought 4-2 victory over a tenacious Iranian team in the gold-medal match recently in United Arab Emirates.

The team’s success was boosted by exceptional individual performances, including Player of the Game Kathleen Tan (#33), whose stellar play consistently elevated the team.

Jasmin Alcido (#87), recognized as the Best Player for the Philippines, showcased her brilliance throughout the tournament, but every single player, however, poured their heart and soul into this historic win.

The Filipinas’ path to the gold was marked by dominance.

They secured their spot in the finals with a commanding 4-1 victory over India at the Al Hili Ice Rink in Al-Ain, UAE.

The win marked the Filipinas’ fourth straight in the tournament, with earlier victories including decisive performances against Kyrgyzstan, host country UAE, and Malaysia.

Forward Illeana Venice Jimenez was a standout in the semifinal match against India, earning Player of the Game honors.

Jimenez’s crucial goal, along with her 46.67% face-off win rate and two shots, helped seal the Philippine squad’s dominance and secure their place in the championship against the Iranians.

Nicole, Darren Criss won their first Tony awards

Fil-Ams Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss score 1st Tony wins

Story by Kathleen A. Llemit
Philstar Global
08 June 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-American actor-singers Nicole Scherzinger and Darren Criss won their first-ever nominations at the Tony Awards 2025 earlier today. 

Scherzinger, the former lead singer of pop group Pussycat Dolls, scored her first Tony for her portrayal of a has-been star Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Broadway adaptation of the 1950 film “Sunset Blvd.” 

“Thank you for making this little Hawaiian Ukranian Filipino girl’s dream come true,” Nicole said during her acceptance speech at the awards night held at the Radio City Music Hall in Manhattan. 

Nicole had earlier stunned with her Norma Desmond-inspired look on the red carpet. 

Apart from her win, “Sunset Blvd” also won Best Revival of a Musical and Best Lighting Design in a Musical for Jack Knowles.

Darren, who rose to fame via the TV musical “Glee,” also picked up his first Tony for his performance in “Maybe Happy Ending.” 

It is a double win for Criss as “Maybe Happy Ending” bagged the Best Musical award. Apart from taking on a role in the musical, Criss is also one of the producers of the show. 

“Maybe Happy Ending” also scored the following awards: Best Direction of a Musical for Michael Arden, Best Book of a Musical for Will Aronson and Hue Park, Best Original Score for Park and Aronson, and Best Scenic Design for Dane Laffrey and George Reeve. 

Another Filipino, Marco Paguia, won Best Orchestrations for “Buena Vista Social Club.”