BIZ BUZZ: Is the worst over for ALI?

After a bruising first half, Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is not quite ready to make that call.

ALI chief finance officer Jed Quimpo said the property giant’s immediate goal was less about staging a sharp rebound and more about keeping its business steady in the second half.

“For us, our target is to stabilize,” said Quimpo.

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That would be a welcome development for ALI, whose net income declined to P11.5 billion in the first six months of 2026 from P14.2 billion a year ago.

There were already some signs of improvement toward the end of the semester.

Second-quarter net income reached P6.1 billion, up 13 percent from the previous quarter, while first-half sales reservations stood at P53.5 billion.

Quimpo said ALI believes it can sustain its first-half pace, including on the sales front, through the remainder of the year.

But whether the property giant can pull it off will partly depend on forces outside its control.

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“The biggest caveat is that the markets are chaotic, right? I mean, every now and then, something flares up,” Quimpo said. “But to what we can control, we’ll try to achieve that.”

So, is the worst over? ALI isn’t calling it yet. For now, stability is the name of the game. —Emmanuel John B. Abris

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New PH chief for US drugmaker

An American drugmaker has tapped a seasoned healthcare executive to steer its next chapter in the country.

MSD in the Philippines, the local unit of New Jersey-based Merck & Co. Inc., has appointed Mary Srethapakdi as its new managing director, putting its Philippine operations in the hands of an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience across the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.

She succeeds Andreas Riedel, who was appointed managing director of MSD Vietnam.

Srethapakdi takes the helm of a Philippine business that has been around for more than three decades, with MSD providing prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies and even animal health products.

With her appointment, Srethapakdi will wear two hats, as she will continue to oversee MSD’s operations in Thailand, where she has served as managing director since 2021.

Before joining MSD, Srethapakdi held senior leadership roles at major healthcare companies and advised healthcare organizations globally during her stint at Boston Consulting Group. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a doctorate in molecular biology from Cornell University.

In the Philippines, Srethapakdi will be tasked with expanding access to MSD’s medicines and vaccines, strengthening partnerships across the healthcare sector and addressing the changing needs of Filipino patients.

“I am honored to lead MSD in the Philippines at a critical juncture, when health is a pronounced priority in the public and private sectors,” Srethapakdi said. —Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta INQ