Category: Business Mirror

THE volume of goods traded in the country plunged 37.9 percent during the second quarter of 2026, dragged by a sharp contraction in commodities transported by water, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

Preliminary PSA data showed total domestic trade volume fell to 10.57 million tons in the April-to-June period from the 17.02 million tons recorded during the same quarter last year.

The decline was largely driven by water transport, where the volume of commodities shipped fell 56.7 percent to 3.77 million tons from 8.72 million tons a year earlier.

Road transport also recorded a decline, although at a slower pace, with volume falling 18.1 percent to 6.79 million tons from 8.29 million tons.

Air transport was the only mode to post an increase, with volume rising 18.3 percent to 6.91 thousand tons from 5.84 thousand tons.

The contraction in the physical volume of goods was accompanied by a smaller decline in the value of domestic trade.

PSA said domestic trade value fell 21.9 percent to P745.70 billion in the second quarter from P955.18 billion a year earlier.

Road transport bucked the broader decline, with the value of goods moved through the mode increasing 9.8 percent to P542.73 billion from P494.44 billion.

Meanwhile, the value of water-borne trade plunged 56 percent to P202.42 billion from P460.06 billion. Air shipments declined 16.9 percent to P557.67 million from P670.87 million.

Mineral products accounted for the largest share of domestic trade outflow volume at 2.73 million tons or 25.9 percent of the total, the PSA said.

Prepared foodstuffs; beverages, spirits and vinegar; tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes; products, whether or not containing nicotine, intended for inhalation without combustion; other nicotine containing products intended for the intake of nicotine into the human body followed with 2.25 million tons, while vegetable products accounted for 1.43 million tons.

By value, however, machinery and mechanical appliances, electrical equipment and related products led domestic trade at P183.41 billion, or 24.6 percent of the total.

The PSA said Region IV-A (Calabarzon or Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) remained the largest source of goods shipped across regions, accounting for 2.72 million tons, or 25.8 percent of total domestic trade volume.

The National Capital Region (NCR) followed with 1.70 million tons (16.1 percent), and Region III (Central Luzon) with 1.41 million tons (13.3 percent).

Pag-IBIG Fund’s gross housing-related assets reached ?1.01 trillion as of July 31, 2026, as its housing portfolio continued to grow with more financing extended to members buying, building and improving their homes, as well as to institutions supporting housing development.

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling, who chairs the Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees, said the growth reflects Pag-IBIG Fund’s continuing role in expanding homeownership while supporting activity across the housing sector and the broader economy.

‘Pag-IBIG Fund’s performance continues to reflect its commitment to achieving the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program to make affordable homeownership accessible to more Filipinos.

‘Reaching more than ?1 trillion in housing-related assets is an important milestone. It means more financing is reaching Filipino homebuyers, while qualified developers and institutions receive greater support to provide housing. As investments in housing grow, they also help stimulate the industry, support construction and related sectors, create jobs and contribute to broader economic growth,’ Aliling said.

Of Pag-IBIG Fund’s ?1.01 trillion in gross housing-related assets, ?971.39 billion, or about 96%, consists of housing-related loans, while ?38.47 billion consists of other housing-related assets. For members, much of this represents financing that has helped Filipino workers buy, build or improve homes.

The emphasis on housing is built into Pag-IBIG Fund’s mandate, which requires at least 70% of its investible funds to be invested in housing. This enables members’ pooled savings to finance homes and housing development while generating earnings that help protect and grow their funds.

Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene C. Acosta said the trillion-peso housing portfolio reflects the very meaning of Pag-IBIG, Pagtutulungan sa Kinabukasan: Ikaw, Bangko, Industriya at Gobyerno, with members’ savings helping fellow members achieve homeownership.

‘This is Pag-IBIG at work. The savings of millions of Filipino workers are pooled together and put to productive use, much of it to help fellow members have homes of their own. As we continue supporting President Marcos’ housing agenda, what matters most is that more members are able to turn their hard-earned income into homes and assets that can provide greater security for their families,’ Acosta said.

‘For a member paying a housing loan, each amortization brings that member closer to fully owning a home. Over time, that home becomes more than a place to live. It is an asset that families can improve, preserve and pass on to the next generation. This is how homeownership can help our members build lasting value and greater financial security,’ she added.

Pag-IBIG Fund also continued to expand financing for both the end-user and institutional housing markets. From January to July 2026, housing and wholesale loan releases reached ?88.84 billion, up 12% from ?72.61 billion during the same period last year, reflecting continued demand for home financing and funding support for housing development.

To widen access further under Expanded 4PH, Pag-IBIG Fund increased the maximum Pag-IBIG Housing Loan to ?10 million per borrower, payable over terms of up to 30 years, while continuing to provide a 3% subsidized housing loan rate for qualified low-income borrowers. It also offers promotional rates of 4.5% for loans above the socialized housing price ceiling up to ?4.9 million, and 5.75% for loans above ?4.9 million up to ?10 million, until Dec. 31, 2026.

THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) authorized the release of P1 billion to the University of the Philippines (UP) System to boost the disaster prevention capabilities of Project Noah (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards).

A statement issued by the DBM on Monday read that the funding, chargeable against UP’s built-in appropriation under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, will scale up Project Noah’s flood forecasting powered by artificial intelligence (AI), real-time hazard monitoring and early warning systems.

Of the P1-billion allocation, P935 million is earmarked for research and development services, while the remaining P65 million is allotted to general management, supervision and operational support.

The DBM said the funding will bankroll the procurement and deployment of critical information and communications technology (ICT), digital and scientific equipment and the recruitment of highly specialized technical personnel.

‘This P1-billion investment in Project Noah is an investment in prevention. We are putting science, AI, and real-time hazard information to work so government can act earlier, communities can prepare better, and more Filipino lives and livelihoods can be protected,’ Budget Secretary Kim Robert C. De Leon was quoted as saying.

‘The best disaster management is when we are able to prevent disasters from becoming a catastrophe. Every peso we invest in better forecasting and preparedness can help save lives, protect livelihoods, and avoid far greater losses later on,’ he added.

Project Noah, managed by the UP Resilience Institute, advances disaster risk reduction and management and climate change adaptation and mitigation through research, development and extension services.

The program generates real-time hazard assessments, predictive flood scenarios, and science-based information by utilizing AI-enhanced modeling, light detection and ranging mapping, data analytics and other digital technologies.

The project helps national government agencies and local governments make faster and better-informed decisions before and during emergencies.

In the past, the DBM and UP Noah collaborated to incorporate disaster risk reduction techniques into the Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation (Project Dime), which assisted in determining how vulnerable and resilient government infrastructure projects were to natural disasters.

For Mary Emelyn Cavita, success has never been measured solely by revenue or business growth. It is measured by the opportunities it creates for others.

From working as a virtual assistant to becoming an entrepreneur in the global outsourcing industry, Cavita’s story is one of persistence, systems-building, and purpose. Over the past decade, she has transformed herself from a solo virtual assistant into the founder and CEO of Virtual Assistant Portal PH OPC, a Philippine-based outsourcing company serving international markets.

Her business interests have expanded beyond the Philippines, reaching clients and markets in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Dubai, and Canada.

Cavita’s mission is to show the world that Filipino talent can compete globally when given the right skills, systems, and opportunities.

From one virtual assistant to a workforce platform

Cavita’s entrepreneurial journey began with her own experience as a virtual assistant. But instead of remaining focused on serving individual clients, she saw an opportunity to create a system that could allow more Filipino professionals to participate in the global digital economy. That vision eventually became Virtual Assistant Portal PH.

What started as a one-person operation evolved into a broader staffing and workforce-development platform. The company combines recruitment and staffing with training, mentoring, compliance, and operational systems designed to prepare Filipino virtual assistants for international clients.

For Cavita, virtual assistants should not be viewed simply as people performing individual tasks. ‘They are professionals who can develop specialized skills, take on greater responsibilities and eventually become team leaders and entrepreneurs themselves,’ Cavita explained.

This is the philosophy that has shaped the way she has built her company. Instead of relying solely on individual talent, Cavita has invested in systems that allow people to work more effectively and consistently. Training programs, operational processes, and compliance standards have become important components of the business as it expands its international reach.

‘The result is a model that seeks to benefit both sides of the outsourcing equation: international companies gain access to trained Filipino professionals, while Filipino workers gain access to global employment, mentoring and opportunities for career advancement,’ Cavita pointed out.

Turning remote work into opportunity

Cavita described the growth of Virtual Assistant Portal PH as coming at a time when remote work is changing the way companies build their workforces.

For Filipino professionals, she said the remote economy has opened a pathway to international employment without requiring them to leave the country. ‘Workers can earn from global clients while remaining close to their families and communities,’ she said.

Cavita’s own experience has given her a firsthand understanding of the challenges faced by remote workers.

Her approach is therefore not simply about matching a worker with a client. It is about providing the support and structure needed to help professionals succeed once they enter the global market.

Testimonials from workers associated with Virtual Assistant Portal PH underscore this dimension of the business. Some have described the organization as transformative, crediting Cavita not only for helping them find employment but also for providing encouragement, mentorship, and support along the way.

In this sense, Cavita’s journey mirrors the evolution she wants to create for other Filipino workers: from freelancer, to professional, to leader and eventually to entrepreneur.

When business becomes a vehicle for social impact

Perhaps the most distinctive element of Cavita’s story is that her entrepreneurial ambitions extend beyond business.

According to The Global Filipino Magazine, a portion of the profits from her ventures has been reinvested in community initiatives.

These efforts have included educational scholarships, support for the construction and operation of a school in a geographically isolated community, feeding programs for disadvantaged children, and financial and medical assistance for cancer patients and their families.

Her advocacy has also extended to animal welfare, including support for organizations caring for stray dogs and cats.

For Cavita, business success carries a responsibility to create a wider social benefit.

This perspective has shaped a business philosophy in which profits are not simply an endpoint. They can also become resources for creating opportunities for people who might otherwise have limited access to education, employment, or assistance.

Building a Filipino brand for the world

Cavita’s expanding international footprint also reflects the growing competitiveness of Filipino professionals in the global digital economy.

Her businesses have developed operations and relationships across several international markets, demonstrating how a Philippine-based company can serve clients beyond the country’s borders.

Her entrepreneurial activities have also expanded beyond the traditional virtual-assistant model.

Through OutSmart Services, Cavita has moved toward helping service-based businesses grow through structured support, systems, and remote teams. That evolution represents another stage in her entrepreneurial journey: moving from selling her own time and expertise to building organizations capable of delivering services at scale.

A significant transition

The freelancer depends primarily on personal skills and availability. An entrepreneur builds systems, develops people, and creates an organization that can continue generating value beyond the individual’s own capacity.

Cavita has made that transition at the center of her business story.

Redefining success

Cavita’s recognition as a finalist in the Emerging Global Filipino Icon 2026 awards adds another milestone to her career. The recognition highlights her work in ethical outsourcing, workforce development, and the reinvestment of business success into education, healthcare, and community initiatives.

Cavita’s meteoric rise is amazing, as she started as a virtual assistant and became an entrepreneur. Furthermore, she built a company that produces opportunities for other Filipino professionals.

Her story plays a pivotal role in the Philippines’ growing participation in the global digital economy. For Cavita, the country’s advantage is not simply the availability of skilled and English-proficient workers. With the right training, technology, systems, and entrepreneurial leadership, she said Filipino talent can become the foundation of globally competitive businesses.

Cavita’s entrepreneurial success does not involve building an enterprise but also promotes inclusivity where, as the business grows, other people grow with it.

THE Asian Development Bank (ADB) committed $143.3 million (roughly P8.839 billion) for private-sector operations in the Philippines last year, with $109.4 million (about P6.746 billion at current exchange rates) in capital mobilized alongside the financing, according to a new report.

In its ‘Private Sector Operations in 2025: Report on Development Effectiveness’ released last Tuesday, the ADB said $129.8 million was in long-term financing, which mobilized $95.8 million, while $13.6 million was in short-term financing, with the same amount mobilized. Among the Philippine transactions listed in the report was ‘Project Tulip,’ ADB’s investment in the initial public offering (IPO) of Maynilad Water Services Inc.

The ADB committed $100 million from its own resources to the IPO, while another $45 million was invested through the ADB-administered ‘Leap 2’ facility, bringing the ADB’s total investment to $145 million.

Maynilad’s IPO raised P34.3 billion, or about $607 million, with 97 percent of the proceeds reserved for its capital expenditure program, including improvements to raw water conveyance, sewer coverage, and wastewater treatment facilities.

The report also listed a $29.8 million peso-denominated loan to Fuse Financing Inc., the lending arm of G-Xchange Inc., for its online lending platform. The ADB said at least 60 percent of the proceeds will be directed to micro-sized, small-scale, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) owned or led by women, while 50 percent will go to businesses operating in provinces with high poverty incidence.

Other Philippine transactions listed by the ADB included the project of Asialink Finance Corp. to expand SME financing through secured vehicle lending. The transaction also included the ADB Ventures investment in Nibertex Pte. Ltd.

Across its developing member countries, the ADB committed 49 private-sector projects last year, down from 58 projects in 2024.

Despite the lower number of projects, committed project financing increased to $3.097 billion from $2.614 billion.

Total financing for private investment reached $9.5 billion, 38-percent higher than in 2024, while direct private capital mobilization rose 31 percent to $4.7 billion, the report said.

The ADB said its 2025 private-sector operations covered areas including renewable energy, digital infrastructure, waste management, education, health, and access to finance.

The bank also committed $1.6 billion in climate financing, equivalent to 69 percent of its committed private-sector projects during the year.

St. Luke’s Medical Center- Global City and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) have strengthened their commitment to expanding access to quality healthcare through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), witnessed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The partnership brings together two shared priorities: strengthening healthcare access for Filipinos and ensuring that patients continue to receive quality medical care.

Through the MOA, St. Luke’s and PhilHealth will work together to help eligible PhilHealth members maximize their healthcare benefits and make access to medical services more seamless. For St. Luke’s, the partnership builds on its commitment to provide patients with world-class medical care supported by highly trained specialists, advanced technology, comprehensive clinical services, and patient-centered care.

Patients covered by PhilHealth will continue to receive assistance from St. Luke’s dedicated teams in navigating their benefits, completing requirements, and processing the necessary documentation.

‘Healthcare access is not only about making services available. It is about making sure that patients can receive the right care, at the right time, and at the standard they deserve,’ said Dr. Dennis P. Serrano, President and CEO of St. Luke’s Medical Center.

The MOA reflects the importance of collaboration between government and private healthcare institutions in advancing the country’s healthcare system. Through the partnership, St. Luke’s- Global City and PhilHealth seek to strengthen mechanisms that enable more Filipinos to access appropriate medical services while maximizing the benefits available to them.

The partnership was formally sealed through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between St. Luke’s Medical Center – Global City, represented by President and CEO Dr. Dennis P. Serrano, and PhilHealth, led by President and CEO Dr. Beverly C. Ho. The ceremony, witnessed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., underscores the national priority of expanding healthcare access through PhilHealth coverage and building strong public-private partnerships that place patients at the center of healthcare delivery.

For St. Luke’s, this event represents another step toward making world-class healthcare more accessible to more Filipinos.

Same world-class care. Greater access.

St. Luke’s Medical Center remains committed to working with PhilHealth and the government in advancing a more accessible, responsive, and inclusive healthcare system-while upholding the standards of excellence that patients have come to trust.

President Ferdinand Marcos is aiming to propel MD Juan Enterprises Inc.’s foray into electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing by providing the 60-year-old traditional jeepney manufacturer with new pieces of equipment.

MD is a beneficiary of the Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (SETUP), which provides micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) with seed fund for technology acquisition.

The beneficiaries of the SETUP also receive technical training and consultancy services, packaging and label design, database information systems, and support for establishment of product standards.

On Tuesday, Marcos visited the office of MD in Caloocan to witness the assessment done by DOST in the company to determine what it pieces of equipment it will need so it can manufacture electric tricycles and jeepneys.

‘But right now, the reason we are here is to assess what needs to be done so that they will be capable of fabricating all-Filipino electric tricycles and electric jeepneys, should the need [for it] arise,’ he said in Filipino.

‘So, the next step is to put in some of the new equipment that is still necessary for the production of the electric vehicle.’

MD began its operations producing replacement and restoration parts for American military and civilian jeeps and now serves customers in the United States, Europe, and other international markets.

‘MD Juan is recognized as a company with long-standing experience in this field; they are at the forefront of the technologies we need to assemble, fabricate, and manufacture electric vehicles-with everything sourced right here in the Philippines,’ Marcos said.

The Marcos administration is currently pushing local EV production through Executive Order (EO) No. 121, which establishes the P60-billion Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (EVIS) Program.

The chief executive said the local production will help mainstream EVs, which will reduce the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products and the implementation of the government’s public utility vehicle modernization efforts.

Gaming is no longer defined by a single screen, a single game, or even a single type of player. It has become a culture where people compete, create, discover new technology, follow their favorite titles, and connect with communities that share their interests.

That evolving culture came to life at Cyberzone Game Fest 2026, which brought gamers, creators, technology enthusiasts, and gaming communities together across your most loved mall, SM Mall of Asia, SM City Fairview, SM City Bacolod, and SM Davao.

Co-presented by Acer Predator and OPPO, and powered by DataBlitz, PC Express, SMART, and PLDT Home, the festival offered different ways for visitors to experience gaming-from competitive tournaments and free play to technology showcases and a glimpse into the work of Filipino game developers.

More than a series of gaming activities, Cyberzone Game Fest reflected how the experience of gaming continues to expand-and how communities remain at the center of it.

A Place Where Gamers Come TogetherAcross the four destinations, players and fans came together to compete, try new titles, explore gaming setups, and spend time with people who share their passion.

For some, the draw was competition. Others came to discover new games or experience gaming technology firsthand. Some simply wanted to be part of the atmosphere and meet fellow enthusiasts.

That mix is increasingly representative of gaming culture itself.

The community is no longer made up of only hardcore players. It includes casual gamers, esports fans, content creators, collectors, tech enthusiasts, and people who simply enjoy being part of the culture surrounding games.

Cyberzone Game Fest gave these different groups a shared space to play and connect.

Where Competition Meets Community

Players battled in TEKKEN 8 and Street Fighter 6, while free-play sessions featuring Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising and Fatal Fury gave both seasoned players and newcomers an opportunity to pick up a controller and join in.

The energy around the matches was familiar to anyone who has experienced competitive gaming: players focused on every move, spectators reacting to clutch moments, and friends supporting one another from the sidelines.

But the competition also highlighted something bigger.

For many gamers, the experience is not simply about winning. It is about having someone to play against, people to cheer with, and a community that understands the excitement of the game.

Experiencing the Technology Behind the Game

Here, esports tournaments shared space with interactive gaming technology, giving players an opportunity to experience the hardware, peripherals, and setups that have become an important part of modern gaming.

For today’s gamers, technology is part of the experience itself.

Performance, responsiveness, visuals, audio, and connectivity can all shape how a game feels. Being able to experience those elements firsthand adds another layer to discovering what works for different types of players.

The Gear Grounds made that technology tangible, while keeping the focus on the people using it.

A Glimpse Into the People Making GamesAt the Cyberzone Dev Den, powered by PC Express, visitors could discover locally developed titles including Vi 3v3 Arena by GridLock Games and Langit Lupa: Office Wars by NinetySix Studios.

The showcase gave Filipino indie developers an opportunity to put their games directly in front of players-and, just as importantly, gave players a chance to meet some of the people behind the games.

For visitors, it was an opportunity to discover games that may not yet have the visibility of major international releases.

For developers, having players experience their work in person offers something difficult to replicate online: immediate reactions, questions, feedback, and conversations around the games they have built.

It also gave aspiring developers in the audience a closer look at what local game development can look like in practice.

The presence of indie developers may have been one part of the larger festival, but it represented an important idea: gaming communities are not only made up of people who play-they also include people who create.

And the more opportunities players have to discover local creators, the more connections can form between Filipino developers and the communities they hope to reach.

Gaming Continues to Evolve

Across four SM Supermalls destinations, Cyberzone Game Fest 2026 showed just how broad gaming culture has become.

There were players competing in tournaments, fans discovering new titles, enthusiasts exploring gaming technology, and visitors experiencing locally developed games for the first time.

Each experience offered something different, a maxed-out experience but they shared a common thread: gaming creates connections.

It brings people together around competition and fandom. It gives creators a way to reach audiences. It gives communities a place to meet offline. And it continues to create new opportunities for people to participate in different ways.

That is also why gaming events continue to evolve.

What was once primarily about playing games is now also about the technology behind them, the communities around them, and the people imagining what comes next.

More Ways to Play, Discover and Connect

The goal is not simply to create spaces where people can shop for gaming products, but to give enthusiasts more opportunities to experience, discover, and connect around the technology and interests they enjoy.

From competitive gaming and esports to new technology and Filipino game development, Cyberzone Game Fest brought different parts of that ecosystem together in one celebration.

And while the festival has come to a close, the communities it brought together continue to grow.

For gamers, creators, and tech enthusiasts, there will always be another game to discover, another setup to explore, another competition to join, and-perhaps-another game waiting to be created.

Military amputees and war veterans in Ukraine marked Independence Day on Monday by finishing a grueling endurance race that took them more than 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) around the country.

At a lake outside the capital, Kyiv, athletes removed their prosthetics and pulled on wetsuits to complete on the closing day of the weeklong event, with some needing help to get into the water.

Known as Iron Week, the competition is led by three-time Olympic triathlete Danylo Sapunov, who supports veterans as the country endures more than four years of war since Russia’s full-scale invasion. ‘This is not a competition. There is no winner, and it does not matter who swims faster,’ Sapunov said as athletes gathered at the lake. ‘The important thing is to participate and unite as one.’

Ukraine is marking the anniversary of its 1991 declaration of independence from the Soviet Union as European leaders traveled to Kyiv to join President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for official celebrations.

The amputee athletes completed seven consecutive days of competition – swimming, cycling and distance running – while traveling around Ukraine, including through war-torn cities in the east.

Yevhenii Lakhnenko, a 46-year-old army serviceman who had his right arm and left leg amputated after being wounded last October, said swimming had been central to his recovery.

‘I am finishing my recovery and will get back in the ranks,’ he said. ‘I do not think there is another country in the world as strong as Ukraine. Only our people are capable of doing what we are doing.’

Maksym Yuzviak, 35, a strike-drone operator who lost both legs in January 2025, said Ukraine’s independence rested on the actions of ordinary people.

‘Independence is about the people,’ he said. ‘People who are ready to take responsibility and who, as they say, are capable of taking action.’

For the first time in his storied basketball journey, Derrick Rose made his way to the Queen City of the South.

The ArenaPlus ambassador touched down in Cebu on Sunday, Aug. 23, as the No. 1 PAGCOR-licensed online sportsbook in the Philippines brought the former NBA Most Valuable Player back to the country for a pair of events bringing him closer to Cebuano basketball fans.

Rose’s first Cebu visit will see him headline the Champion’s Circle Appreciation Dinner on Aug. 25 before meeting more fans at SM Seaside City Cebu for ‘Rose Meets the Queen: Derrick Rose in Cebu’ the following day. ‘I’m so pumped to finally be here and meet the fans in Cebu over the next few days,’ Rose told ArenaPlus just hours after landing in Mactan-Cebu International Airport. ‘I already felt the warm welcome from the moment I arrived, and I’m excited to experience more of the city.’

Rose is no stranger to the Philippines. His Cebu trip marks his fifth visit to the country and his third as an ArenaPlus ambassador in less than a year-this time taking him beyond Metro Manila to connect with another passionate basketball community.

His first major engagement will be the Champion’s Circle Appreciation Dinner, giving select ArenaPlus VIPs from Cebu, influencers, and members of the media an exclusive opportunity to spend an evening with the basketball icon.

The spotlight shifts to SM Seaside City Cebu the following day, where Rose will take center stage for ‘Rose Meets the Queen: Derrick Rose in Cebu’ and meet more of the supporters who have followed his career from thousands of kilometers away.

‘I feel the love, and it’s always special to see how basketball can bring communities together no matter where you are in the world,’ Rose said.

For Rose, the trip also offers something new: the chance to discover Cebu for himself and meet fans who have followed the highs, setbacks, and resurgence of his career from afar.

But before discovering more of what the Queen City has in store, Rose had one question for the fans waiting to see him.