Category: Business Mirror

In a moment filled with pride and tears, 25-year-old Kenneth Calma, a production worker at Mekeni Food Corporation, walked across the stage to receive his diploma and medal as magna cum laude, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the Pampanga State University last August 12.

Behind the applause and academic honors lies a story of resilience, sacrifice, and a young man’s deep love for his family.

From factory floor to academic glory

For Kenneth, earning a college degree was not only a personal triumph-it was the fulfillment of his entire family’s dream. Born and raised in Balubad, Porac, he is the son of Rosito and Reyna Calma, a barangay tanod and a homemaker. Growing up with eight siblings, Kenneth knew early on that life would be difficult-but he also knew that hope would always keep them going.

His siblings worked hard to support the family: Linuel and Genesis served as house boys for Mekeni’s executives, Lito and Adrian Garcia; Merwin worked in the warehouse; and Jennica and Jivon joined the packaging section. His brother Rosito Jr., through the help of the Garcia family, earned a degree in Accountancy from Holy Angel University and became the family’s breadwinner until illness forced him to stop working. Kenneth’s twin, Kevin, was not able to finish his studies.

Amid these challenges, Kenneth made a promise to himself – to continue what others could not, and to change the course of their family’s life.

Juggling work, school, dreams

Even as a senior high school student, Kenneth was already working. He started as an on-call worker at Mekeni, doing odd jobs-sweeping floors, carrying goods, and even cleaning homes-just to earn extra income for the family.

In 2020, he became a regular employee at Mekeni as a checker in the packaging section. But when the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2021, he resigned to pursue his dream of becoming a teacher. He enrolled at Don Honorio Ventura State University (now Pampanga State University) while still working part-time in Mekeni’s warehouse. By 2023, he returned to the company as a full-time production worker.

His daily routine was grueling: working from 6:00 P.M. to 2:30 A.M. sometimes longer, then heading straight to school for classes from 7:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Sleep was a luxury. There were times when exhaustion got the best of him, and he would doze off in class. Yet, despite the fatigue, Kenneth remained one of the top students. His professors saw his potential-and his perseverance.

Faith, family, and the fire to succeed

There were moments when Kenneth felt like giving up. He admitted that he initially hid his studies from his supervisor, fearing he might lose his job. But the thought of his mother’s dream-to have a teacher in the family-kept him going.

‘Wala po lahat ng ito kung wala ang nanay ko at pamilya ko. Lahat ng ginagawa ko ay para sa kanila. Gusto ko pong baguhin ang takbo ng buhay namin,’ he tearfully shared.

And indeed, he did. After years of sleepless nights, long shifts, and endless sacrifices, Kenneth proudly graduated Magna Cum Laude-a success not only for himself but for his entire family, community, and the company that believed in him.

The Mekeni family: More than just an employer

Kenneth expressed deep gratitude to Mekeni Food Corporation, which provided not just employment but encouragement and moral support.

‘Sobrang thankful po ako. Kung wala ang Mekeni, baka hindi po ako nakapagtapos. Malaki po ang naging bahagi nila sa buhay ko,’ he said.

Pruds Garcia, President of Mekeni, lauded Kenneth’s achievement:

‘Kenneth’s story is a testament to perseverance and the power of community. At Mekeni, we strive to offer not just jobs, but opportunities for personal and professional growth. We are proud to have been part of his journey.’

He added, ‘Ang tagumpay ni Kenneth ay tagumpay ng bawat Mekeni employee na nangangarap. We celebrate not just his academic success, but the courage it took to pursue it.’

A message to dreamers

During his graduation, Kenneth stood proudly beside his parents, Rosito and Reyna, who beamed with pride. Their son-once a factory worker who juggled jobs and classes -had finally made it.

To those who dream of breaking the cycle of hardship, Kenneth has this message:

‘Kung gusto mo talaga ang isang bagay, paghihirapan mo ‘yon. Habang bata ka, mag-aral ka. Hindi habang buhay malakas tayo.’

His story reminds us all that nothing is impossible when fueled by hard work, patience, and faith.

So, if you are reading this and carrying the weight of your family’s hopes-keep going. Like Kenneth, you too can turn the tables. You too can rise.

The Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Tuesday confirmed that one of its four helicopters tasked to conduct a ‘rapid damage assessment and needs analysis’ (RDANA) to check on the effects of typhoon ‘Tino’ went down in Agusan del Sur.

‘The PAF confirms that one of its Super Huey helicopters encountered an air mishap today, November 4, 2025, near the vicinity of the 60th Infantry Battalion at Agusan Del Sur,’ it added.

The aircraft was part of a flight of four helicopters that had departed from Davao to Butuan to conduct a RDANA mission.

Communication with the helicopter was lost, which immediately prompted the launch of a search-and-rescue (SAR) operation.

A thorough investigation is being conducted to determine the circumstances and cause of this accident.

Further details will be released as they become verified and available.

‘The PAF is focusing all efforts on the ongoing SAR operations. We are praying for the safety of the pilots and crew involved in this unfortunate air mishap,’ the PAF said.

Defending champion University of the Philippines takes on struggling University of Santo Tomas on Wednesday in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines Season 88 basketball tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Fighting Maroons are a far different team from the squad that dropped the first-round match against the Growling Tigers, 67-87.

After starting the season 0-2, UP won six of its last seven games to seize solo second behind league-leading National University (8-2).

UST, which won five of their first six games, have dropped three straight and are looking to stay in the fight for a semifinal spot.

The Tigers suffered a 96-97 overtime loss to Adamson last week, blowing an eight-point lead late in regulation.

Still, UP coach Goldwin Monteverde remains wary of UST.

‘They’re a very competitive team. For us, we always focus on ourselves first, on what we need to improve. Of course, we prepare for every team the same way, and UST is no different. What’s important for us right now is to concentrate on our own game first, then slowly work our way toward preparing for UST.’

At 5-4, the Growling Tigers hold a half-game lead over the Falcons in the race for the last spot in the semifinals.

Ateneo, running sixth with a 4-5 record and just a game behind UST, will aim to snap a five-game skid when it takes on winless University of the East at 2 p.m.

WITH the government taking anti-corruption more seriously now, I think that we have to be aware that in corruption it needs three to tango: the government official who takes and the private sector person who is ready to give, and the lawyer who is willing to protect both against a significant fee. While we always complain about the ‘corrupt government agencies and their practices’, it is time now to get the house of the private sector in order also and address the legal system.

When we, in business, talk about competitive advantages, building and maintaining an ethical culture must be part of the agenda. The private sector has to build an ethical culture in practice.

What is the difference between ethics and building a culture of trust?

Ethics are a set of principles. An ethical culture is a culture committed to pursuing those principles-and sometimes the pursuit of those principles leads employees to take actions somebody else might dislike. Perhaps the employee reports suspicions of misconduct.

Either way, the employee in the government, in the private sector or in the legal system needs to trust that his organization will support that decision to step forward. The apparatus of a corporate compliance program-the training, the internal reporting systems, the Code of Conduct, the due diligence procedures; all of it-should work toward the goal of a strong sense of trust within the organization.

When you view ‘building an ethical culture’ from that perspective, suddenly several tasks rise to the top of the priority list.

For example, as much as we all love a strong internal reporting system, most employees report their concerns to leaders. Most employees also take their cues about how to behave from leaders. Consequently, training leaders about how to weave ethical standards into the organization’s daily routines is critical.

Formal training will always be important; employees will always need to know what the law says about bribery, or privacy, or collusion, or whatever else comes along. Culture, however, is much more than training, full of informal practices, norms, and expectations. Therefore, ethics and compliance programs must work with middle managers on what those practices, norms, and expectations are, and how to base them on the organization’s ethical principles. That’s where we win or lose this battle in corruption.

Senior leaders have a crucial role in building an ethical culture too since they send the signals about the organizational culture that people in operations translate into daily routines. Let me remind you that I am talking about organizations in the government, in the private sector and in the legal environment!

Let’s look at three ways you can build an ethical culture:

1 Develop clear ethical values-honesty, respect, fairness; whatever fits your organization. Talk with senior leaders and the board about what those values should be. Put them in the Code of Conduct, in a place of prominence so that every employee is aware of it.

2 Develop clear training materials based on those values. Create real-life scenarios that employees might encounter, where the resolution shows how ethical conduct is the higher priority than commercial success.

3 Refine your internal reporting system to assure the confidentiality of whistleblowers. Someone who does report an allegation to a hotline (or some other system that circumvents his or her manager) has a fear about doing the ethical thing. He or she needs to trust that the organization will protect their identity-that is, they need to trust the system. They need to see that the internal reporting system is trustworthy.

Those are only a few examples of what building an ethical culture entails. It’s long, painstaking work, that relies on communication and collaboration but that’s how you get to an ethical culture.

In conclusion, Culture is the Glue in creating change, putting values into action, and moving away from corruption. The culture glues government, the private sector and the legal system into the fair future we all want.

GOVERNMENT personnel are set to receive a year-end bonus and a P5,000 cash gift this November, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced.

In a statement, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the year-end bonus and P5,000 cash gift will be released with the first agency payroll of November 2025, pursuant to Budget Circular 2024-3.

For fiscal year 2025, the agency noted that a total of P63.69 billion has been allocated for the year-end bonus of civilian and military or uniformed personnel, and P9.24 billion for the cash gift, covering more than 1.85 million government workers.

The year-end bonus, equivalent to one month of basic pay as of October 31, and the P5,000 cash gift, are given annually to reward the hard work and dedication of government workers nationwide, the DBM said.

The agency said it ensures that all funds for the year-end bonus and cash gift have been comprehensively released at the start of the fiscal year, allowing agencies to process and credit the benefits without delay.

‘The DBM is one with the President in ensuring that our public servants feel the warmth of our Bagong Pilipinas. Pinapahalagahan po natin ang sipag at kahusayan ng ating mga lingkod-bayan. Kaya naman, sinisiguro nating maibibigay sa tamang oras ang kanilang mga benepisyo,’Pangandaman said.

‘We know how much government personnel look forward to this time of the year not just because it’s the season of giving, but because it’s a well-deserved recognition of their service and sacrifice,’ she added.

Under DBM rules, employees who have rendered at least four months of service from January 1, and are still in government service as of October 31, are entitled to the year-end bonus and cash gift.

As such, the DBM reminded all agencies to release the bonuses promptly and in accordance with existing budget circulars.

FILIPINO students are shifting their overseas study priorities toward technology, healthcare, and management programs in Europe-a change diplomats say mirrors both the country’s evolving economy and global labor demand.

Speaking at a news conference ahead of the European Higher Education Fair (Ehef) 2025, European diplemats said last week that the growing preference for skills-based and postgraduate programs reflects how Filipino learners are adapting to economic opportunities at home and abroad.

Irish Deputy Head of Mission Erica Duffy said more Filipinos are pursuing fields that connect with the country’s growth engines.

‘These are all areas where the Filipino economy has started to grow more and more,’ she said, adding that the shift in student preferences reflects the broader evolution of the Philippine economy toward services, technology, and management-oriented industries.

Arnulf Gressel, Commercial Counselor of the Austrian Embassy, said hospitality remains the top draw for Filipino students in Austria.

‘There is a lot of interest in anything involving hospitality,’ he said.

Data from IDP Philippines showed that about 53,000 Filipinos were enrolled in universities across the top study destinations-Canada, Australia, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, the United States, and Ireland-as of 2023.

The number is expected to grow by 8 to 10 percent annually, with most students pursuing post-graduate degrees in business, health services, hospitality, and IT-related disciplines.

Jens Rösler, Deputy Director of the Goethe-Institut Philippinen, noted that more Filipinos are entering healthcare and service-related programs in Germany.

He added that many of these students deliberately learn the language as part of their preparation.

‘It would be a fallacy to think that language is unimportant,’ he said. ‘It’s essential to truly live and work in a country, especially in healthcare and service sectors.’

Deepening cooperation

THE EU Delegation to the Philippines deputy head, Agata Nowicka, said the changing study patterns among Filipino students underscore how education has become a key pillar of cooperation between the Philippines and Europe.

‘The EU is investing heavily in quality education with a lifelong-learning perspective,’ she said, adding that programs such as Erasmus+ are designed not only to promote academic mobility but also to align higher education with the skills needed by partner countries.

Nowicka said this cooperation has expanded beyond scholarships to include joint research and institutional development.

Data from the EU Delegation show that an average of 55 to 65 Filipino scholars each year complete joint master’s degrees in Europe through Erasmus+, while 47 capacity-building projects have linked Philippine and European universities in areas such as innovation, climate studies, and digitalization.

‘The EU has endeavored to become more strategic in reaching out to students, academicians and researchers. We have continued to engage the support of several universities as ‘regional hubs’ from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao,’ Nowicka added.

The Ehef will be held on November 21 and 22 at the Midtown Atrium of Robinsons Manila, while online sessions will be conducted on November 24.

This year’s edition will feature 97 participating universities and institutions from across the EU, including new entrants Romania, Latvia, and Slovakia, alongside long-time partners such as Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, and Sweden.

MORE banks expect no change in lending standards for both business and household loans in the fourth quarter of 2025, according to the latest survey of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

According to the BSP’s third quarter 2025 Senior Bank Loan Officers’ Survey (SLOS), 86 percent of 58 bank respondents expect to maintain their lending standards for businesses, while 87.5 percent expect to keep standards for household loans unchanged.

For business loans, this was up from 78.9 percent in the third quarter, while the rest are split between easing at 3.5 percent and tightening at 10.5 percent.

Similarly, for household loans, this is higher than 77.5 percent in the previous quarter, with around 10.0 percent expecting tighter standards and 2.5 percent possibly easing.

The BSP defined lending standards as the rules banks use when giving loans, such as interest rates, loan size, collateral, loan conditions and repayment terms.

Based on the SLOS, a net 7.0 percent expect to tighten, rather than loosen, standards for business loans, and a net 7.5 percent for household loans in the fourth quarter.

‘This indicates that any future change in credit standards is more likely to reflect tightening than easing,’ the BSP said.

Compared to the third quarter, net tightening is higher at 17.5 percent for business loans and 7.5 percent for household loans.

In terms of demand for business loans, 73.7 percent of banks anticipate that demand will remain steady, slightly lower than 75.4 percent.

Only 1.8 percent of banks anticipate a decline in loan demand, while 24.6 percent see an increase, up from 19.3 percent in the third quarter.

Household loans also showed a similar pattern, with 65 percent of banks expecting demand to stay the same, down from 75 percent in the third quarter.

Meanwhile, 25 percent of banks anticipate a rise in household loan demand, up from 17.5 percent previously, while 10 percent foresee a decline, slightly higher than the 7.5 percent in the third quarter.

The SLOS consists of questions on loan officers’ perceptions relating to the overall credit standards of their respective banks, as well as to factors affecting the supply of and demand for loans to both enterprises and households.

The analysis of the results of the SLOS focuses on the quarter-on-quarter changes in the perception of respondent banks.

The responses for the third quarter 2025 SLOS were gathered from September 11, 2025 to October 21, 2025, with a total of 58 respondent banks out of 60 surveyed banks or a 96.7 percent response rate.

Twenty years ago, I found myself in a negotiation room half a world away, representing the Philippines in talks that would change the course of public health. It was the early 2000s, long before the word ‘vape’ entered our vocabulary. It felt almost strange to be there. I wasn’t a doctor or scientist, but a lawyer serving as an Undersecretary of Health, navigating an unfamiliar but deeply consequential space where law and health converged.

We were negotiating the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), or what would become the world’s first public health treaty devoted to protecting people from tobacco. It was not a typical diplomatic exercise. It was a fight to save lives, especially those of the young.

My generation grew up seeing tobacco everywhere, on television, in movies, on billboards, and on buses. The cowboy in cigarette ads, strong, rugged, free, became the image of aspiration for young men. Cycling fans remember athletes in red jerseys racing through towns around the country, cheered on by locals with banners carrying a cigarette brand. It was clever marketing with a very simple message: if you wanted to be adventurous, to be cool, to belong, you had to smoke.

Back then we didn’t yet know that behind every ‘cool’ image was disease, addiction, and death. By the time the FCTC came along, the toll was clear. Tobacco was not just a health issue; it was a governance issue, a development issue.

The FCTC called for measures that, at the time, felt revolutionary: ban on tobacco advertising, raise taxes on tobacco products, make public places smoke-free, warn consumers with graphic health warnings. These were not mere policies, but shields for future generations.

I still remember the sense of pride when the Philippines ratified the FCTC in 2005. We became part of a global movement that declared: health must come first.

We have come far since then. Cities like Baguio, Balanga, Iloilo, and Davao have pioneered smoke-free ordinances. The Sin Tax reforms helped fund universal health care. Cigarette packs now carry graphic warnings that tell the truth about the harms they cause.

But victories in public health are never permanent.

In recent years, new forms of nicotine addiction have emerged, vapes, e-cigarettes, pouches, and other novel tobacco products, are aggressively promoted as ‘safer’ or ‘cleaner.’ Once again, the target market is the young.

These products come in flavors that entice the youth, sold with barely any restrictions online and in stores near schools. The same playbook is being used, only this time, the cowboy has been replaced by influencers.

The passage of Republic Act No. 11900, which transferred the regulation of vapes from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and lowered the minimum age of access from 21 to 18 years old, felt like déjà vu. Once again, health was being traded for commerce.

Our youth deserve better. Lawmakers must act decisively to halt the alarming rise in smoking and vaping among the young. They must restore the regulation of vapes and all nicotine products to the FDA, where it rightfully belongs, because public health cannot be dictated by trade priorities. The age of access should be raised back to 21, or even higher, given the scientific evidence that nicotine interferes with brain development well into early adulthood. Flavors that appeal to children and youth must be banned.

This November, the Eleventh Conference of Parties (COP11) to the WHO FCTC will convene to assess global progress and reaffirm commitments. It is critical that the Department of Health lead the COP11 Philippine delegation, not the trade or agriculture sector, not the diplomats, because the FCTC is a health treaty.

These are not radical demands, but logical next steps for a nation that once stood proud as an early champion of tobacco control.

The FCTC was not just a treaty. It was, and remains, a promise. A promise that we, as a nation, will protect our people from harm. A promise that the next generation will be freer than the last.

Health policies are not monuments but rather living commitments that must be renewed by every generation, lest they crumble under the weight of profit and neglect. Every time I see a young person puffing on a vape, I am reminded that the work we began more than 20 years ago is far from over. Our promise to protect them lives on and so must our resolve.

Two decades ago, I helped negotiate that promise. Today, alongside countless advocates, we must continue to honor the commitment we made to defend the health of the Filipino people, so that each of us may live fully, breathe freely, and grow old in good health. And when the next 20 years have passed, I hope we can proudly say we stood our ground and kept our word.

BUILDING the country’s roads and railways proved to be the biggest source of jobs in the construction industry in 2022, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The agency’s latest Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry showed that the construction of roads and railways hired 98,198 workers that year, accounting for over a third of all workers in the sector.

The broader construction industry employed a total of 286,849 people in 2022, up 6.1 percent from the previous year’s 270,311. Almost all of them, or 99.8 percent, were paid employees.

Demolition and site preparation had the leanest workforce with only 3,063 people on record.

Metro Manila continued to be the country’s construction hub, accounting for 56 percent or 160,781 workers. It was followed by Calabarzon with 34,964 workers and Central Visayas with 19,747.

Firms in the construction sector employed an average of 128 workers each in 2022, up from 118 the year before.

Meanwhile, companies engaged in road and railway construction had the largest workforce per establishment, averaging 282 workers, followed by demolition and site preparation firms with 236.

Caraga recorded the highest average employment at 197 workers per establishment, while the National Capital Region followed closely with 188.

The PSA counted 2,239 construction firms nationwide in 2022, slightly fewer than the 2,293 tallied in 2021. The biggest slice came from companies engaged in building construction, which made up 44 percent of the total.

They were followed by firms handling electrical, plumbing, and other installation works, and then by road and railway builders. Only 13 companies were involved in demolition and site preparation.

Metro Manila also topped the count of establishments, hosting 856 or nearly two in every five construction firms in the country.

Workers in the sector received a combined P69.79 billion in compensation in 2022, equivalent to an average annual pay of P243,800 per worker. This was a 6 percent increase from 2021.

Total revenue reached P636.24 billion, up nearly 14 percent from the previous year. Expenses rose at the same pace to P554.87 billion, keeping the industry’s revenue-to-expense ratio steady at P1.15 for every peso spent.

The Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry is one of the PSA’s flagship data programs, designed to capture performance and employment trends across key sectors of the formal economy.

The Philippines is grappling with a severe housing crisis, marked by a national backlog that reached 8.25 million units as of March 2025. Projections indicate this figure could swell to an overwhelming 22.6 million by 2040 if the current system remains unchanged.

In fact, it is a gargantuan challenge as 70 percent of Filipinos can only afford homes priced below P1.5 million, yet only 14 percent of available housing falls within this socialized range.

Property technology company Lhoopa argues that this is not just a crisis of supply, but a ‘Crisis of Access.’ The existing housing ecosystem was designed for a narrow demographic-stable, formally employed, middle-income earners-which fails to serve the majority of today’s service sector-driven and largely informal workforce. Lhoopa is actively addressing this mismatch by integrating technology, adaptive financing, and a localized network to redefine access and accelerate affordable homeownership.

Lhoopa’s core strategy involves leveraging technology, particularly AI and mobile applications, to inject efficiency and precision into the housing delivery process, dramatically reducing timelines and costs.

Accelerated development and turnover

Katie Chatto, head of communications of Lhoopa, told the BusinessMirror in an interview the industry standard for housing development can span two to three years. ‘Lhoopa cuts this down to an impressive 10-12 months using a data-driven approach,’ she said.

Chatto said Lhoopa’s technology analyzes thousands of data points-including land conditions, market demand, infrastructure proximity, and climate/disaster risk-to precisely identify land that is viable, safe, and socially impactful for affordable housing. She said technology-driven systems minimize risk and allow for development at scale.

According to Chatto, Lhoopa’s business model focuses on acquiring and refurbishing properties on idle or underserved land, including non-performing assets (NPAs). Once acquired, she said local contractors are mobilized for refurbishment, preparing the homes for occupancy quickly and efficiently.

Mobile technology connects local brokers and contractors (Lhoopa’s ‘real estate frontliners’) directly to the supply chain, facilitating real-time coordination.

Brokers use mobile apps to view and sell active property inventories in their locality, while contractors access projects and track progress digitally.6 This decentralized, community-based delivery model minimizes centralized coordination costs and speeds up the entire construction and sales cycle.

The use of these digital tools drives efficiency, transparency, and trust across the system, ensuring smoother sale closings and project management, which ultimately accelerates the path to homeownership for families.

Chatto said Lhoopa primarily caters to Filipino families who can afford homes priced at P1.5 million or less. Lhoopa’s internal data highlights the affordability gap: 96 percent of its buyers, with an average monthly income of P20,000, can only finance homes below P1 million. Lhoopa’s offerings are priced accordingly, with houses averaging around P650,000 and a maximum price point of P2.5 million.

While the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG) is a vital partner, Lhoopa focuses its efforts on assisting the large demographic of fund members. 99 percent of Lhoopa’s clients are active Pag-IBIG members, making the government institution the primary enabler of financing for these low-to-middle-income earners. Lhoopa actively seeks to integrate further with Pag-IBIG to make the process more accessible, potentially through shared technology and community outreach.

Bridging the information gap

A lack of knowledge is a significant barrier to making an informerd decision in buying a home. Lhoopa’s data shows that 75 percent of its homebuyers had no prior knowledge of the available affordable housing pathways. By providing clearer access to information and simplifying the complex homeownership journey, Lhoopa effectively serves households that are currently underserved by the fragmented system.

Lhoopa’s strategy is currently focused on high-growth corridors and emerging cities like Cavite, Batangas, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Naga, where land is more accessible. The success of this model is evident in its rapid growth: the company sold 2.5 times more houses in the first half of the current year compared to the same period in the previous year.

For families like Mario and Yhang, visually impaired massage therapists who bought their first home in Laguna, and Jennifer, a church caretaker who now owns a home in Cabanatuan, Lhoopa transforms the abstract aspiration of homeownership into an achievable reality.

By tackling the problem as a crisis of access, Chatto said Lhoopa provides a viable blueprint for expanding secure, quality, and affordable homeownership for millions of Filipino families, offering a clear path from chronic backlog to a definitive breakthrough.