About the Author

Mr. Lucas has been a journalist since 1999, having covered banking and finance, telecommunications, transportation, energy, capital markets and the presidential palace beats.

He has worked for The Business Daily, BusinessWorld, The Manila Times, Today and the Manila Standard Today. He spent 18 years at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, starting as a reporter in 2005 before becoming its business news editor until Dec. 31, 2023.

He earned a business management degree from the Ateneo de Manila University in 1994.

Latest from the Author

11 Aug 2026

9:48AM

Finally! Filinvest, Globe boost mobile connectivity at Festival Mall, environs

By: Daxim L. Lucas

Filinvest Land plans to expand coverage deeper inside the mall and increase connection speeds. Better mobile service has become increasingly important as the company introduces digital services such as parking automation and shoppers rely more heavily on mobile payments.

31 Jul 2026

2:41PM

INSIDER VIEW | Regulatory stability: the missing ingredient for growth, confidence

By: Daxim L. Lucas

Nowhere is that fragility clearer than in the digital economy's gig sector, now one of the country's largest sources of livelihood: online sellers, delivery riders, drivers, freelancers, hundreds of thousands of families who found opportunity here precisely because these platforms didn't exist under the old rules.

22 Jul 2026

12:18PM

INSIDER VIEW | The price of coddling the Filipino consumer

By: Daxim L. Lucas

Paternalism has substantial costs, and they compound quietly over decades. A public that never learns to read a loan disclosure, never learns to walk away from a bad bank, never learns to question anything that "sounds too good to be true" is a warning worth heeding.

29 Jun 2026

2:47PM

INSIDER INFO | Polo Club row hits coaches, ball boys, service staff

By: Daxim L. Lucas

Just when members thought the Manila Polo Club couldn't find another controversy after the brewing debate over its proposed P1-billion tennis facility redevelopment, another issue has landed squarely on the clubhouse doorstep, this time involving the people who keep its sports facilities running every day.

25 Jun 2026

9:08AM

INSIDER INFO | A P1-billion tennis match at Manila Polo Club

By: Daxim L. Lucas

A brewing controversy over a proposed P1-billion renovation of the club’s tennis facilities has exposed growing tensions between the club’s current officers and members who believe the project is being pushed through without adequate consultation—and possibly without the approval required for a capital expenditure of such magnitude.

23 Jun 2026

6:22PM

INSIDER INFO | Lance Gokongwei’s next bet? PhilWeb

By: Daxim L. Lucas

Sources said the transaction, expected to be announced on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, involves a P2-billion commitment split between a 10-percent stake in common shares and a 5-percent stake in convertible preferred shares.

18 Jun 2026

11:37AM

INSIDER INFO | Another Ayala Land veteran crosses over to Megaworld

By: Daxim L. Lucas

The move comes as Megaworld president and chief executive Kevin Tan continues to assemble a formidable bench of industry veterans as the company expands its footprint across retail, hospitality and township developments. The recruitment drive has been difficult for rivals to ignore.

14 May 2026

10:19AM

INSIDER INFO | Social media posts spark LTP layoff fears after lease deal

By: Daxim L. Lucas

Posts circulating on Facebook claimed LTP would discontinue its line maintenance operations by August 2026, potentially affecting several hundred aircraft maintenance personnel assigned across Manila, Cebu, Clark, Davao and General Santos. The posts quickly spread among aviation workers.

5 May 2026

4:16PM

INSIDER INFO | Romulo roots shape Ateneo law school’s new dean

By: Daxim L. Lucas

The recent appointment of Ma. Ngina Teresa “Maita” Chan-Gonzaga as dean of the Ateneo de Manila University Law School is stirring quiet talk in legal and academic circles not just for her credentials, but for the firm that helped shape her early career — the Romulo Buenaventura law firm.