✍️ Field Notes

Research, essays, and stories on brands, business, culture, and the ideas shaping everyday life.

The History of IMAX in the Philippines

How IMAX works, who owns it, and whether the Philippines has the real thing.

What IMAX actually is, who owns and runs it, the LieMAX debate, and where to catch the biggest screens in the Philippines.

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The History of TCL

Who owns TCL, why it is so cheap, and how it became the number one TV brand in the Philippines.

Where TCL came from, who owns it, why its TVs are so cheap, and how it climbed to number one in the Philippines and second in the world.

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The History of Ayala Corporation

How Ayala became one of the oldest conglomerates in the Philippines.

A closer look at how Ayala grew into one of the most powerful conglomerates in the Philippines.

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The Complete History of GCash

How GCash became one of the most important fintech brands in the country.

The story of how GCash evolved from an early mobile payments experiment into the Philippines' dominant fintech platform.

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The Success Story of Puregold and its founders Lucio and Susan Co

How Puregold grew into one of the biggest retail chains in the Philippines.

A look at how Puregold grew from a single grocery store into one of the biggest retail chains in the Philippines.

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The History of SkyFlakes

How M.Y. San created one of the most iconic Filipino snacks.

How SkyFlakes became a staple in Filipino homes, offices, school bags, and sari-sari stores.

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The Complete History of Chooks to Go

The story behind one of the most recognizable roast chicken brands in the Philippines.

The rise of Chooks to Go from a bold product idea into one of the most recognizable food brands in the country.

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