Newsweek 10/05/2018 - 10/12/2018

1989 “On and off camera, a fresh breed of women is seizing control of prime time,” Newsweek declared as new sitcoms like Murphy Brown and Roseanne captured both ratings and critical acclaim. One explanation: Men were shifting to cable channels, while women dominated the audience for prime-time programming. Also, times had changed. “Nice and sweet are out. TV’s new women aren’t trying to please other people,” said Murphy Brown creator Diane English, who is reviving her creation—a tough-minded news anchor, played by Candice Bergen—this fall (see Page 44). 1956 Color “even makes commercials look good,” enthused one of the few consumers who could afford a color-TV set. But the prohibitive price ($1,000, or the equivalent of over $9,000 today), combined with technological problems, meant “the big year” wouldn’t come until 1965,…

“Ten years after the financial crisis, we seem to have learned very little.” » AFTER HIS LAST TRIP TO PYONGYANG IN JULY, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo knew that Washington’s efforts to dismantle North Korea’s nuclear program were flailing. Kim Jong Un had snubbed Pompeo on the trip, visiting a potato farm outside the capital instead. Just over a month later, President Donald Trump canceled Pompeo’s next visit. “I feel we are not making sufficient progress,” he said. It had taken just two months for the glow of Trump’s historic Singapore summit with the North Korean leader to fade, and the president’s critics in the foreign policy establishment were gleeful: “Stunt diplomacy” had failed. Now, it seems that assessment may have been premature. In early September, Kim sent a letter to Trump,…

“We have the right demographic profile to support future economic growth.” Cesar G. romero, president and Ceo, pilipinas shell petroleum Corporation “The Philippines is a sure bet for investors,” says Edwin R. Bautista, president and CEO of Union-Bank, a major local bank. Having experienced remarkable growth for over a decade, the tropical archipelago in the South China Sea, containing nearly 7,500 islands and over 100 million people, saw a 6.7% year-on-year growth in gross domestic product (GDP) in 2017. That makes the Philippines one of the top three performers in Asia, says the World Bank, which predicts that its economy will continue to expand at about 6.7% a year until at least 2020. The country’s National Economic Development Authority expects even more, says Federico A. Laxa, chairman and CEO of leading property developer…

For Helen Yuchengco Dee, chairperson of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC), the secret to success in leading a multi-billion-peso conglomerate is continuing and building upon an already solid foundation that was laid down by her father before her. “His lessons of discipline, excellence and integrity have constantly served as a guide for the entire conglomerate,” she explains. It has long been at the forefront of innova- tion in various sectors, such as finance, edu- cation, construction and insurance. Mapúa University and its subsidiaries are some of the Philippines’ best institutions. Offering courses in IT, engineering and technology, they have a high standing with local and international accreditation bodies. In infrastructure and construction, EEI Corporation is a leading global construction service provider that continually pursues partnerships and projects that better the…

Founded in 1994 by three veteran stockbrokers — Ignacio Gimenez, Roberto Lorayes and Wilson Sy — Philequity Management, Inc. (PEMI) boasts an outstanding track record for returns on investment and towers above its peers as the preeminent investment manager and principal distributor of leading mutual funds in the Philippines. With a commitment to helping inves- tors achieve long-term financial goals via an array of mutual funds suited to their specific needs, PEMI has been recognized many times by the Philippine Investment Funds Association for its excellent returns. Giving investors access to a diversified portfolio managed by some of the best fund managers in the country, the flagship Philequity Fund, Inc. (PEFI) has garnered multiple awards from local and foreign agencies for its consistent track record of eye-catching returns. Taking into consideration PEFI’s…

By fueling one in three Filipino vehicles, refining and marketing company Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC) is a significant contributor to the Philippine economy and one of the country’s largest investors. It keeps growing, with 2017 earnings up 39% versus 2016, but President and CEO Cesar G. Romero is equally proud of the jobs PSPC creates: it has over 700 employees and generates work for about 25,000 more. “As we expand, we remain conscious of ways to contribute to the economy,” he says, noting that PSPC is investing heavily: “We have improved our refinery’s environmental standards and are completing a bitumen production facility. We traditionally invest about $20 million a year in retail, but in 2018, we are doubling that.” Listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange, it is 55%-owned by Royal…