1958: Year that Henry Sy opened the first Shoemart Store on Rizal Avenue in Manila. There are now over 35 SM stores around the country.

8: Total number of Ayala Malls in the Philippines—Glorietta, Greenbelt, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Center Cebu, Market! Market!, Bonifacio High Street, TriNoma and Marquee Mall.

4 million: Estimated number of credit card users in the country (2010)

P120,000: Required minimum gross fixed annual income of a Banco de Oro MasterCard owner.

7: Number of credit card types offered by Metrobank.

3: Percentage of fuel rebate at Petron gasoline stations for the Petron-BPI MasterCard, marketed as a “full service motorist card.”

P1,200: Primary card annual fee of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited’s Red MasterCard, HSBC’s exclusive credit card for women.

1235: House Bill filed by Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap that proposes a limit on monthly interest for credit card payments to one percent, or 12 percent per annum.

1992: Year that the “Consumer Act of the Philippines” or Republic Act 7394, was approved. The law aims to protect consumers against “deceptive, unfair, and unconscionable sales acts and practices,” among others.

Compiled by Schatzi Quodala, Inquirer Research
Source: smdeptstore.com, myayalamalls.com, congress.gov.ph, clg.bdo.com.ph, metrobankcard.com, hsbc.com.ph, chanrobles.com, PDI Archives