Henry Sy

President Benigno Aquino opened a giant $1.2 billion casino on Saturday to kick off the Philippines' high-stakes bid to join the likes of Macau and Las Vegas in an elite group of gaming destinations.

Macau mogul Lawrence Ho's gaming firm signed an agreement Friday to invest $600 million in a giant casino project in Manila, boosting the Philippines' bid to join the world's gambling big leagues.

The Philippines makes its biggest bet this weekend in a high-stakes bid to join the world's elite gaming destinations, with the launch of a $1.2-billion casino on Manila Bay.

Optimism is soaring that the Philippines is finally becoming an Asian tiger economy, but critics caution a tiny elite that has long dominated is amassing most of the new wealth while the poor miss out.

Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada has teamed up with the family of Philippine billionaire John Gokongwei for a billion-dollar casino project in Manila, both sides said Thursday.

Japanese gambling tycoon Kazuo Okada has teamed up with the family of Philippine billionaire John Gokongwei for a billion-dollar casino project in Manila, the local partner said on Thursday.

Philippine lender Bank of the Philippine Islands said it was in talks to acquire local rival Philippine National Bank to create potentially the country's largest financial institution.

Rock superstar Sting has forced organisers to move his planned one-night show in the Philippines to another Manila venue amid a spat over pine trees involving the original hosts, it was announced Friday.

Rock superstar Sting has called off a one-night show in the Philippines in protest at the removal of pine trees outside a shopping mall undergoing redevelopment, the concert venue's owners said Friday.

Australian billionaire James Packer and Macau gambling tycoon Lawrence Ho are teaming up with the Philippines' richest family to develop a $1 billion casino in Manila, the Philippine partner said Friday.

The Philippines' richest family said on Wednesday it was in talks with Australian billionaire James Packer and Macau gambling tycoon Lawrence Ho to develop a $1-billion casino in Manila.

Lady Gaga rocked the Philippines Monday, defying critics and state censors as thousands of fans, many of them dressed as outrageously as she was, roared their approval.

Lady Gaga is set to rock the Philippines later Monday amid planned street protests and with censors in the house on orders to report any hint of blasphemy, devil worship, nudity or lewd conduct.

The Philippines' largest shopping mall operator said Friday its profits increased strongly last year as an ambitious expansion plan at home and in China paid dividends.

The Philippines' richest man is in talks to take control of one of the country's main real estate firms, which has major parcels of undeveloped land in the nation's capital, his company said Thursday.

Philippine shopping mall giant SM Prime Holdings said on Wednesday that it hoped to raise $500 million by taking its expanding China operations public.

Shares in First Philippine Holdings Corp. soared Thursday after a firm linked to the country's richest man made a bid for its stake in top power firm Meralco.

Local units of First Pacific Co. on Thursday bolstered their control of Philippines power retailer Meralco by buying out an ally for about 44.6 billion pesos (937.37 million dollars), the seller said.