Category: Auto Guid

UNITED STATES — As health officials investigate more than 30 cases of infant botulism linked to ByHeart baby formula since August, parents who say their children were sickened with the same illness months before the current outbreak are demanding answers, too.

California public health officials confirmed late Friday that six babies in that state who consumed ByHeart formula were treated for botulism between November 2024 and June 2025, up to nine months before the outbreak that has sickened at least 31 babies in 15 states.

At the time, there was “not enough evidence to immediately suspect a common source,” the California Department of Public Health said in a statement.

Even now, “we cannot connect any pre-August 1 cases to the current outbreak,” officials said.

READ: Cuba battles chikungunya outbreak despite shortages of food, medicine

Parents of at least five babies said that their infants were treated for the rare and potentially deadly disease after drinking ByHeart formula in late 2024 and early 2025, according to reports shared with The Associated Press by Bill Marler, a Seattle food safety lawyer representing the families.

Amy Mazziotti, 43, of Burbank, California, said her then-5-month-old son, Hank, fell ill and was treated for botulism in March, weeks after he began drinking bottles filled with ByHeart formula.

Katie Connolly, 37, of Lafayette, California, said her daughter, M.C., then 8 months old, was hospitalized in April and treated for botulism after being fed ByHeart formula in hopes of helping the baby sleep.

For months, neither mother had any idea where the infections could have originated. Such illnesses in babies typically are caused by spores spread in the environment or by contaminated honey.

Then ByHeart recalled all of its products nationwide on Nov. 11 in connection with growing cases of infant botulism.

As soon as she heard it was ByHeart, Mazziotti said she thought: “This cannot be a coincidence.”

ByHeart officials this week confirmed that laboratory tests of previously unopened formula found that some samples were contaminated with the type of bacteria that leads to infant botulism.

Marler said at least three other cases that predate the outbreak involved babies who drank ByHeart and were treated for botulism, according to their families. One consumed ByHeart formula in December 2024. The other two were sickened later in the spring, he said.

An official with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said federal investigators were aware of reports of earlier illnesses but that efforts are focused now on understanding the unusual surge of dozens of infections documented since Aug. 1.

READ: Explainer: What to know about lyme disease

“That doesn’t mean that they’re not necessarily part of this,” said Dr. Jennifer Cope, a CDC scientist leading the probe. “It’s just that right now, we’re focusing on this large increase.”

Because so much time has passed and because parents of babies who got sick earlier may not have recorded lot numbers of product or kept empty cans of formula, “it will make it harder to definitively link them” to the outbreak, Cope said.

Connolly said it feels like her daughter has been forgotten.

“What I want to know is why did the cases beginning in August flag an investigation, but the cases that began in March did not?” Connolly said.

Cope and other health officials said the strong signal connecting ByHeart to infant botulism cases only became apparent in recent weeks.

Before this outbreak, no powdered infant formula in the U.S. had tested positive for the type of bacteria that leads to botulism, California health officials said. The number of cases also were within an expected range. A test of a can of open formula fed to a sick baby in the spring did not detect the bacterium.

Then, beginning in August and through October, more cases were identified on the East Coast involving a type of toxin rarely detected in the region, officials said. More cases were seen in very young infants and more cases involved ByHeart formula, which accounts for less than 1 percent of infant formula sold in the U.S.

Earlier this month, after a sample from a can of ByHeart formula fed to a sick infant tested positive for the germ that leads to illness, officials notified the CDC, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the public.

Less than 200 cases of infant botulism are reported in the U.S. each year. The disease is caused when babies ingest spores that germinate in the gut and produce a toxin. The bacterium that leads to illness is ubiquitous in the environment, including soil and water, so the source is often unknown.

Officials at the California Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program track reports of botulism and the distribution of the only treatment for the illness, an IV medication called BabyBIG.

Outside food safety experts said the CDC should count earlier cases as part of the outbreak if babies consumed ByHeart formula and were treated for botulism.

“Absolutely, yes, they should be included,” said Frank Yiannas, former deputy commissioner for food policy and response at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “Why wouldn’t they be included?”

Sandra Eskin, chief executive of STOP Foodborne Illness, an advocacy group, agreed.

“This outbreak is traumatic for parents,” she said. “They may have fed their newborns and infants a product they assumed was safe. And now they’re dealing with hospitalization and serious illness of their babies.”

Connolly and Mazziotti said their babies are improving, though they still have some lingering effects. Botulism causes symptoms that include constipation, poor feeding, head and limb weakness and other problems.

After months of uncertainty about the potential cause of the infection, Connolly said she “became completely obsessed” with the link to ByHeart formula. Now, she just wants answers.

“We deserve to know the data that can help us understand how our babies got sick,” she said.

MANILA, Philippines — For many Filipino kids, a visit to the shopping mall isn’t complete without a pit stop at Timezone, the family entertainment center that has become a staple of local mall culture since opening its first Philippine branch in 1998.

Originally from Australia, the arcade chain has expanded to over 50 venues across the Philippines, making it one of the group’s fastest-growing markets.

Its formula is simple: build communities that Filipinos feel familiar with.

“Timezone builds spaces for social connecting, for people to play together, not to be by themselves and not to be lonely at home,” says Caroline Leong, chief customer officer of Timezone Group. “When you come to the Philippines, you really see that experience resonates in our guests here.”

“Culture and community are really our biggest learning from the Philippine market,” she adds.

Disruption

That sense of community was abruptly disrupted when the pandemic shut down malls. For a business built on foot traffic, the country’s long lockdowns were especially painful.

READ: Oh no, Timezone is selling their games right now

However, when restrictions eased, Filipinos returned with pent-up enthusiasm.

“When we reopened, our numbers almost doubled already in revenue. Of course, with that comes a doubling of foot traffic,” recalls Rafael Prats Jr., the longtime president and general manager of Timezone Philippines.

Timezone now attracts approximately 2.5 million visitors every month across its 47,000 square meters (sq m) of retail space nationwide.

This year, Timezone is counting on this year-end rush to lift what has otherwise been a flat year, weighed down by disruptions such as typhoons and earthquakes.

Nostalgia

Timezone prides itself on being the company that introduced Dance Dance Revolution to the Philippines.

The cult classic debuted at its Glorietta 4 branch in Makati, then a compact space of under 1,000 sq m.

That nostalgia guided the major revamp of the same branch, one of the first Timezone sites in Metro Manila, launched just 11 months after it had debuted at Ayala Center Cebu.

READ: Ayala Malls: More than just a shopping haven it’s a lifestyle destination

The updated branch features virtual reality zones, bowling alleys, billiard tables, claw machines, party rooms alongside more than 100 games and attractions in an expanded 1,361 sq m space.

Two more locations are slated for a revamp this year, with eight more scheduled for next year.

Prats says Timezone’s move to a “multi-attraction” model is guided by the need to keep reinventing itself.

“We wanted to attract a wider base and give a more complete entertainment center,” he says.

“We felt it was time to evolve the business. And it’s still evolving as we speak.” INQ

MANILA, Philippines — LenderLink, a fintech startup that gives real-time access to credit data, was named “Startup of the Year” at the 2025 KMC Startup Awards.

Earning praise from judges for addressing critical access gaps in lending and setting new standards in user-first financial services, LenderLink led this year’s roster of gold awardees.

Aside from winning the gold prize for Startup of the Year, it also ruled the Customer Experience Excellence category.

For the third consecutive year, KMC Solutions, the country’s leading provider of flexible office spaces and offshore solutions, recognized the country’s best and brightest startup companies at a gala night held on Nov. 13.

READ: PH more attractive in eyes of fintech players, says alliance

The event forms part of the 2025 Philippine Startup Week, the annual nationwide celebration of Filipino innovation and entrepreneurship.

This year’s competition received 140 entries from different startups nationwide, culminating in 24 finalists bringing home gold, silver and bronze distinctions across eight major categories. Each category celebrated a different aspect of innovation, growth and leadership within the startup ecosystem.

8 major categories

Lithos Manufacturing captured the gold for Culture and Community Excellence, recognized for its strong employee-first workplace practices and commitment to local industry development. The company produces nonmetallic industrial mineral products such as zeolite, bentonite and calcium carbonate.

Serbiz earned “Tech Innovator of the Year” for its solutions that streamline field service operations and empower grassroots workers through technology.

International shipping service provider ZendEase was hailed as this year’s “Growth Champion” for its rapid scale-up locally and globally.

Philippine Coding Camp took home the “Innovation in Marketing” award for its creative education campaigns that drive digital literacy among Filipino youth.

Kredit Hero Inc. rounded out the gold awardees with the “FutureTech Leadership” prize, a testament to its contribution to next-generation financial technologies.

Silver winners

On the other hand, the silver winners are:

– Mylo Speech Buddy (Startup of the Year, Growth Champion, and Innovation in Marketing) – Flying Tigers Express’ CEO Dave Overton (Breakthrough Leader of the Year)

– Rezbin (Culture and Community Excellence)

– Pili AdheSeal Inc. (Tech Innovator of the Year)

– NextPay (Customer Experience Excellence) and

– Serbiz (FutureTech Leadership).

Meanwhile, the bronze winners include:

– Rezbin (Startup of the Year)

– BCremit’s cofounder Jose Angelo Calma (Breakthrough Leader of the Year)

– Bambuhay (Culture and Community Excellence)

– Twala (Tech Innovator of the Year)

– Jia Financing Inc. (Growth Champion)

– Dehusk (Innovation in Marketing and Customer Experience Excellence) and

– Rezbin (FutureTech Leadership).

Platform for stronger connections

Co-presented by OneCFO, in collaboration with Ideaspace | QBO, MAIN.PH, Founders Launchpad, Kaya Founders and Uniquecorn Strategies, the event aims to recognize outstanding startups from different sectors, as well as foster relationships in the startup community.

Michael McCullough, cofounder of KMC Solutions, urged new ventures to use the awards as a platform to foster strong connections between Filipino startups.

“At KMC, we remain committed to supporting this community — to building an environment where founders and teams can think boldly, work together, and grow,” McCullough says.

READ: Emerging startup trends in the Philippines

First inaugurated in 2023 by KMC Solutions, a premier business services company that once was a startup itself, the KMC Startup Awards program was born out of a desire to spotlight innovators who are transforming industries.

“What began in 2023 as a way to shine a light on emerging founders has grown into a movement — one that recognizes imagination, resilience, and the determination to turn ideas into reality,” says McCullough.

With this year’s theme, “Innovation Without Limits,” the cofounder further encouraged startups to look for fresh ideas and break boundaries.

“We believe that meaningful solutions can start anywhere, and that progress comes from the courage to create what has not existed before,” he says. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — From bamboo-based turbines to an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that helps parents track their children’s development, Quezon City is positioning itself not only as the Philippines’ Film City, but also a rising hub for startups.

These ventures, along with five others, make up the fourth cohort of the StartUp QC Program, a city-led initiative that awards each selected startup P1 million in seed funding to help refine and scale their services.

Apart from funding, the program also provides mentorship, training and exposure to investors and clients.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte says the program strengthens the city’s bid to become a competitive startup center while keeping public service at its core.

“Innovation is not just about technology—it is about empathy, service and equity,” Belmonte says. “Through StartUp QC, we are proving that governance and innovation can work hand in hand, that a local government can be both visionary and inclusive.”

Real needs

This year’s seven grantees were chosen from nine finalists for their “innovative, scalable and socially attuned solutions.”

Many address real-world challenges, such as finding work and navigating property ownership.

Among the awardees are Briyo, which builds modular and bamboo-based wind and hydro turbines; Kazam On-Demand Services, a platform that connects households with part-time help; Laro, a sports and recreation booking and community app; and Soolok, which helps simplify the home-buying process and accelerate acquisition to as fast as 45 days.

AI-led

AI tools also play a strong role in this year’s batch.

Agap.ai offers an AI-aided developmental screening tool for parents outside clinical settings.

Hireable, meanwhile, uses AI to match freelance workers and employers based on skills and performance.

Xamun.AI converts business requirements into functional applications in weeks.

“Together, these startups show that innovation in Quezon City is practical, socially aware and designed to improve lives while contributing to broader conversations on sustainability and technology,” the city government says.

To further strengthen its startup scene, Quezon City is preparing the Business Investment and Trade Incentives for Startups Ordinance, which will provide fiscal incentives and encourage entrepreneurs to scale.

The planned measure is part of the city’s broader “Invest With QC” campaign. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines, represented by Commissioner Rogelio Quevedo of the Securities and Exchange Commission, chaired the 42nd Session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting (ISAR) that took place in Geneva from Nov. 11 to Nov. 14.

ISAR is an intergovernmental working group dedicated to assisting member states to improve the quality and international comparability of financial reporting and nonfinancial disclosure, such as environmental issues, corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.

READ: Ensuring your CSR programs have impact

The session focused on the review of developments in the harmonization of sustainability reporting requirements and their practical implementation and also delved into the integration of the topics of biodiversity and human capital considerations into sustainability reporting.

Quevedo moderated all panel sessions and delivered a presentation at the high-level panel of the meeting. His presentation focused on the Philippines’ sustainability reporting roadmap, which prioritizes disclosures on climate-related risks.

He also shared that recent disclosures included policies, commitments and targets in biodiversity protection, as well as disclosures on human rights and labor practices.

READ: Labor rights are human rights

Quevedo previously led the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel, the principal legal office for all government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries. He has also been a professor in commercial and civil law at the University of the Philippines College of Law and a supervising lawyer at the latter’s Office of Legal Aid.

The Philippine delegation was composed of representatives from the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Philippines to the UN Office and other international organizations in Geneva and the Governance Commission for Government-Owned or Controlled Organizations. INQ

MANILA, Philippines —  With specialized distributors facing cutthroat competition from e-commerce platforms and direct-to-consumer brands, personalization emerges as a service moat that keeps the business afloat.

As growth slows in the professional audio equipment sector, Audiophile Components Inc. is rolling out a personalization strategy aimed at extracting higher value from existing customers rather than chasing volume sales.

The distributor’s “Make It Yours” program offers engraving services on four Shure microphone models, marking a departure from the traditional equipment retail playbook that emphasizes technical specs and competitive pricing.

READ: Pro audio market booms with live event resurgence

Buyers of specific Shure wired and wireless microphones can have their units customized with up to six characters in two etching styles. The service comes bundled with premium accessories—a calculated move to elevate the perceived value proposition beyond the core product itself.

Audiophile is betting that performers and audio professionals will pay a premium for products that signal individuality—even in a category historically defined by reliability and standardization. The Shure models eligible for customization are industry workhorses, meaning brand risk is low even if the personalization angle falls flat.

Navotas-based partner

Audiophile partnered with Color Hue, a Navotas-based art restoration company, for its microphone customization.

“It’s a defensive and offensive strategy—defensive because it protects margin; offensive because it positions them as more than a box-mover,” says a retail consultant.

Personalization, aside from being difficult for online competitors to replicate, is also seen to generate customer data and direct relationships.

READ: Five of The Best Audiophile Headphones Money Can Buy

The strategic question is whether customization can become a sustainable competitive advantage or merely a short-term promotional tactic.

With audio equipment facing longer replacement cycles and intensifying price competition, distributors are under pressure to demonstrate value beyond logistics and availability.

How the market responds to paying extra for engraved microphones is expected to offer clues about whether personalization can meaningfully alter the economics of a maturing distribution business. INQ

MANILA, Philippines — SM Supermalls has long supported the growth and careers of local Filipino artists.

READ: SM at 40: A new era of Supermalls, continuously evolving for you

Among the artists that SM Supermalls proudly features along the hallways of their corporate headquarters at the SM Mall of Asia Complex, as well as their corporate website, is acclaimed visual artist Anna Vergel RS.

A proud ‘Iskolar ng Bayan’ or alumna of the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts, Vergel RS’ works are cited by SM as exploring “themes of mythology, transformation, and femininity … Her recent works continue her exploration of strength and reinvention—on canvas and in life.”

READ: Mall of Asia Complex: A sterling landmark of disaster resilience

“I am deeply humbled that the SM Group, especially SM Prime Holdings executive committee chair and billionaire Hans Sy, included my works in their website for greater appreciation of the public, ” Vergel RS shares. INQ

Jericho Rosales is aware of the good, bad, and ugly reactions to “Quezon,” where he starred as the titular character, saying it was a film that taught him to be the bigger person.

The film made headlines after Manuel L. Quezon’s grandson Ricky Avanceña called out Rosales and its director Jerrold Tarog for allegedly disrespecting and distorting the former president’s legacy. This led to a swarm of mixed reactions from netizens on social media, with some speaking up in its defense.

“I did Manny Pacquiao, I did [Jesse] Robredo, but for ‘Quezon,’ ang daming lessons. It just really pushed me to become a bigger person,” he told reporters on the sidelines of Esquire Philippines’ Man at his Best award ceremony. “Someone kinder. I picked up wisdom talaga.”

“I learned to be more compassionate, humble, stronger, braver, and [have more] conviction. I never swayed and I learned about myself. It is what it is, we are actors and artists, and we serve the art,” he continued.

After the weeks-long promotion, Rosales has been more chill. Looking back, he admitted that “Quezon” was one of the films where he gave everything he had into sharing it to the public. 

“We had more busy promotion days than shooting days, and I never promoted a film this much. It’s because I believe in the film and I believe what it added to cinema. We welcomed naman everything,” he said. 

“Open kami sa reactions so it was a very interesting year for me. I learned a lot. I became calmer, wiser, more understanding, more accepting, so there were a lot of big lessons. All good ones. I still believe in what we made, I love what we did, and I’m so honored to serve cinema and our audience, and to be a helper of history, “ he further added.

For now, the actor will be taking a short break in December to catch up on his private life and, according to him, “learn more” about himself and his craft. But when asked if there’s anything he wanted to change about what happened this year, he declared that he won’t change a “single thing.”

“Not a single thing. Really. I feel like I’m blessed beyond what I asked for in terms of the good, the heavy, and the light, everything. I learned so much this yea,r and I worked so hard this year. I want more. I want to learn more. I want to be even bigger as a person, he said.

One of the actor’s reported projects is a film with Anne Curtis, marking their reunion in 14 years since the Philippine adaptation of “Green Rose.” He clarified that he doesn’t want to disclose further details but he’s excited about it.

“I’m very excited. I’m nervous, just because it’s another big and bold move for me, and for my team also. But I’m really excited about it now that I’ve learned so much,” he said. /mr

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Christmas carols drifted through Ayala Malls Central Bloc as the students of Sisters of Mary School-Boystown filled the Activity Center with the gentle chime of hand bells, signaling that the holiday season had finally arrived. Their performance set the tone for an evening of joy and togetherness as Ayala Malls Central Bloc marked the start of its “Season’s Giftings” celebration on November 20, 2025. A Celebration Rooted in Community The evening unfolded into Ayala Malls Central Bloc’s tree lighting ceremony, a moment that beyond its ceremonial switch-on reaffirms the mall’s role as a space where people come together to connect […]…

Keep on reading: Ayala Malls Central Bloc welcomes the holidays with heart in “Season’s Giftings”

MANILA, Philippines—Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz was on hand to support Karl Eldrew Yulo. during the all-around final of the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championships at Newport World Resorts on Saturday

The younger brother of Carlos Yulo did not reach the podium in the all-around, but Diaz still offered advice and encouragement.

READ: Karl Eldrew Yulo still proud of Top 10 finish in all-around final

“I don’t have the judging or the eagle eye that I have with gymnastics like I do with weightlifting but he’s still young,” she told the Inquirer.

“He has a lot of games to be played and with all of those, I know that’s where he’ll improve.”

Diaz has a close connection with Carlos Yulo, having competed alongside him under Team Philippines in numerous international competitions.

READ: Karl Eldrew Yulo eyes full-time focus on gymnastics

Her support for the younger Yulo highlights that bond as Karl Eldrew seeks to make his own mark in gymnastics.

When asked what Karl Eldrew should do with three more Finals on the way, Diaz kept her reminder straightforward: Don’t quit.

“You don’t become a champion overnight; it takes time. There’ll be a lot of failures but the important thing is to keep fighting and you don’t quit. Just keep dreaming, as well.”

Karl Eldrew will compete in the floor exercise finals on Sunday and the vault and horizontal bar on Monday at the same venue.