The Freeman - Cebu Business | Philstar.com

Property developers in Central Visayas are pressing ahead with plans to sustain housing production even as delays in the release of licenses to sell (LTS) have slowed new project launches, adding to pressure from expensive land, rising construction costs and high borrowing rates.

Micro and small entrepreneurs in Cebu and across the Visayas and Mindanao are increasingly turning to e-commerce as a way to reach customers beyond their local markets, a trend reflected in the rapid growth of online sellers and content creators in the region.

 Women-led micro, small and medium enterprises need stronger links to buyers and corporate supply chains if they are to move beyond small-scale operations and compete in larger markets, business leaders said.

The push for a P1,200 daily minimum wage for all private sector workers in Cebu has been docketed before the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board 7. That means jumping from P500 in Class B areas and P540 in Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu to P1,200 in one order, an increase of 122% to 140%.

Filipinos are becoming more comfortable with formal credit and digital banking even as inflation and rising living costs weigh on their financial outlook, pointing to a gradual shift in borrowing behavior toward regulated financial institutions, according to TransUnion.