Category: Business Mirror

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.

A proposed five-year term for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials could end the recurring cycle of postponing village and youth elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) said.

Under the proposal, barangay and SK officials would serve five years instead of the current four-year term and move the next regular elections to November 2028.

Comelec is considering the measure as a way to prevent barangay and SK polls from repeatedly overlapping with national and local elections.

‘For the longest time, it comes to a point when they coincide, and when they coincide, this is used as a reason to request that the elections be moved,’ Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiangco said.

Despite being local polls, barangay and SK elections require nationwide logistics and preparations, Laudiangco said.

‘Even if these are barangay and SK elections, the logistics and preparation cover the entire country,’ he said.

A five-year cycle would also keep barangay and SK elections(BSKE) from falling within the same year as national and local elections, according to the poll body.

Such a setup would give local officials a more predictable election calendar and reduce the likelihood of another congressional intervention to move the polls.

Senate Bill No. 2387 contains the proposal, seeking to amend Republic Act No. 12232 by setting the term of barangay and SK officials at five years.

The Senate Committee on Local Government has approved the measure for preparation of a committee report, alongside a separate proposal seeking to postpone the Nov. 2 BSKE.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives is also expected to consider a counterpart measure, with Comelec saying it will follow whatever law Congress ultimately approves.

‘We will abide by the law. Whatever the decision of Congress is, we will follow,’ the spokesperson said.

Comelec is seeking clarity from lawmakers by September as preparations continue for the scheduled November polls.

Planned training for teachers who will serve as election workers is among the reasons for the urgency, as transportation, meals and other expenses could no longer be recovered if the elections are moved.

‘If we proceed with the training, that would be an additional expense that Comelec can no longer recover,’ he said.

Previously procured ballots, ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia could still be used if the elections are reset, while training expenses would already have been incurred.

Comelec has allocated P19.57 billion for the 2026 BSKE, with about P8 billion already spent, obligated or earmarked for election preparations, according to Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia.

Calling all PAW Patrol fans, families, and proud pet parents! This month, SM Megamall invites everyone to max out their mall experience with a lineup of activities that’s fun for the whole family.

Watch PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie at SM Cinemas

After their ship gets caught in a mysterious storm, the PAW Patrol pups crash land on an uncharted tropical island filled with dinosaurs. They meet Rex, a pup who has been stranded on the island for years and has become an expert in all things dino-related. When the PAW Patrol’s archrival, Mayor Humdinger, begins recklessly mining in hopes of exploiting the island for its natural resources, he inadvertently causes a huge, dormant volcano to erupt. The PAW Patrol pups are thrown into a series of high-stakes, dino-sized rescues bigger than anything they’ve done before, as they must stop Humdinger before everything on the island goes extinct. Witness the mission at SM Cinemas nationwide, starting August 26.

Catch the First Stop of PAW Patrol: To The Rescue

The fun spills outside the theaters and into the Mega Fashion Hall as SM Megamall hosts the first stop of the PAW Patrol: To The Rescue, running from August 22 to September 2, 2026. Kids and families can enjoy the PAW Patrol Meet and Greet* with the pups, pop-up stores with merch, The Lookout Tower for photo ops, and the Adventure Bay Rescue area with free games that are playable by simply downloading the SM Malls Online app.

*Meet and Greet schedule:

August 22 (4:00 PM, 6:00 PM)

August 23, 28, 30 (2:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 6:00 PM)

August 29 (6:00 PM) After wrapping up at SM Megamall, the tour will continue to SM City Novaliches (September 5 to 16) and SM North EDSA (November 2 to 8).

Whether it’s a movie date or an afternoon of free games, there’s always a reason to head to My SM – because when it comes to family bonding, SM Megamall is your most loved supermall. Follow @smmegamall for the latest updates on upcoming pup-filled events.

Cloudy skies and the threat of rain didn’t stop golfers from showing up for the first Poveda 2002 Golf Tournament, held last August 18, 2026, at the Player Course of The Orchard Golf and Country Club in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

Organized by Poveda Batch 2002 in partnership with Sta. Lucia Land Inc., the charity tournament brought together friends, family, alumni, and members of the golf community for a day of friendly competition and fundraising.

The event was held for the benefit of the Asociasión de Alumnas de Poveda, the alumni association of Saint Pedro Poveda College. The tournament was able to surpass the expected goals set by the organizers, and the generated funds will support the association’s community outreach initiatives, charity programs, and other projects.

Additionally, the tournament was able to gather a total of 72 sponsors who generously gave gifts for raffles and giveaways. Among these sponsors are Palawan Pay and CWC as major sponsors, Clubface as the event’s apparel sponsor, and San Miguel as the event’s drink sponsor.

Despite the rainy forecast, the weather cooperated just in time for the opening prayer led by Poveda alumna Marga Puyat, followed by the ceremonial tee-off led by eight-year-old Tyly Bernardino, the tournament’s youngest player.

Michelle Robles-De Castro, representing Sta. Lucia Land Inc. and also an alumna of Poveda Batch 2002, welcomed the players and guests with the tournament’s welcoming remarks. Lara Santico-Vicente then went through the tournament rules before the players headed out to the course.

Behind the event were Poveda Batch 2002 alumnae Trinna Bernardino, Michelle Robles-De Castro, Andrea Mago, Alex Ocampo, Lara Santico-Vicente, Cathy Dizon, Bea Santos, and Berry Stehmeier, who came together to organize the tournament in support of their alma mater and its community.

The tournament welcomed 170 players and guests joining the day’s activities, among which were 12 club champions.

Adding another highlight to the event, the Poveda 2002 Golf Tournament was recognized as a qualifying event for the World Amateur Golfers Championship (WAGC) happening in September 2026. WAGC Director Mark Leviste was present to award Certificates of Qualification to the players.

Unlike any major golf tournament, the Poveda 2002 Golf Tournament was organized without a golf director, yet it was still executed flawlessly, delivering a highly competitive amateur event. This also reflects the Povedan core values: commitment, excellence, and Christ-centeredness.

Overseeing the tournament, there were two rulesmen on the course, namely Mr. Francis Montallana and Mr. Marvin Dumandan. There were also four marshals roaming.

Off the course, the event continued with food, prizes, raffles, and music by DJ Santino Laurel, giving players and guests a chance to unwind and celebrate after their rounds.

Over lunch, both players and attendees delighted in feasts of several served dishes and snacks. Families got to take home lots of goodies and gifts.

The awarding program opened with remarks from Berry Stehmeier and was hosted by Andrea Mago, who led the recognition of the day’s winners. Trinna Bernardino delivered the closing remarks, thanking the players, sponsors, partners, and guests who helped make the tournament possible.

Taking home the Overall Low Gross Champion title was King Stehmeier, who finished with a gross score of 72 and a net of 69. Meanwhile, Poveda alumna Lara Vicente Santico was named Overall Low Net Champion, finishing with a gross score of 75 and a net of 69.

More than a day on the greens, the inaugural Poveda 2002 Golf Tournament brought together sport, friendship and a shared purpose-making the Batch of ’02’s first tournament one that was truly good to be true.

THE Department of Energy (DOE) will continue to unload excess liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply and boost diesel inventories.

‘So, we’re starting to unload as well, so that storage costs don’t become excessive,’ said DOE Secretary Sharon Garin.

The country’s fuel inventory as of August 21 stood at 47 days. Of which, gasoline supply will last for 44 days; diesel, 47; kerosene, 121; jet fuel, 75; fuel oil, 54; and LPG, 34.

‘We have to do the math because we don’t want to spend too much. Because while we have it, we have to pay for storage-meaning the rent of the space to store it. Therefore, the longer we keep it, the more expensive the storage becomes,’ said Garin, referring to LPG supply. ‘Most of the time, we try to sell it lower than the going rate just to dispose. But I think it’s almost finished because everyone wants it,’ said Garin.

In the past months, the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC) released a strategic Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) inventory stored at the South Pacific Inc. (SPI) terminal in Batangas, priced at P68.72 per kilogram (kg).

The strategic LPG inventory is an emergency fuel buffer meant to safeguard domestic supply and protect consumers from global market volatility and supply disruptions.

The energy chief said PNOC has no immediate plans to import another batch of LPG supply soon.

‘We have really enough and they already know where to go. Where did they buy from before? In the Middle East. Now, they’re buying from America. So, luckily, our companies have learned to be resilient and to spread their risk.

So, we have many other countries as sources,’ she said.

Likewise, LPG is likely not to be included in the planned strategic petroleum reserve. ‘We still have to study that because there is a different storage for LPG. When you store diesel, gas, it’s just like you put it in a big tank and then you store it there.

‘Here, there are two components that you have to mix. And then there’s the pressure that you have to control and the temperature. So it’s a more complicated process. That’s why we have not included that yet. And also because we have enough,’ she explained.

The PNOC and the Maharlika Investment Corp., are developing a strategic petroleum reserve and oil storage facility. Maharlika proposed a consortium with PNOC and the private sector to build oil depots to store strategic reserves. Maharlika will act as a capital provider, and PNOC will contribute assets; private operators will manage the facilities.

PNOC has funded and started studies to build at least one oil storage tank by end of next year. The investment is initially pegged at P5 billion per storage tank, capable of storing 500,000 to 1 million barrels of oil.

The Senate and House of Representatives are already tackling the proposed bills related to establishing the Philippine Strategic Petroleum Reserve (PSPR) system.

‘We’re still holding on to the diesel because it is being used for transportation. For LPG, you have a substitute. You can burn wood or charcoal. But for diesel, we’re not so confident yet of the situation of the Strait of Hormuz and 60 percent of diesel is really being utilized for transportation. So, maybe it’s not enough at the moment,’ said Garin.

THE proposed Pax Silica hub in New Clark City will test whether the government can speed up investment processing without weakening legal, environmental and social safeguards, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said.

ARTA said streamlining government procedures should focus on reducing processing times, compliance costs and inter-agency bottlenecks, but should not mean bypassing statutory requirements or limiting public participation.

‘ARTA is actively collaborating with regulatory agencies across the semiconductor ecosystem to systematically optimize processing times, compliance costs, and inter-agency procedures,’ the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘The Pax Silica initiative provides a key platform to advance this agenda through coordinated and predictable governance,’ it added.

The statement comes as the proposed development faces scrutiny over its potential impact on water resources, communities and the country’s exposure to foreign interests.

Malacañang said earlier the project would remain subject to existing laws and environmental requirements, including measures to prevent the displacement of communities without appropriate safeguards.

Pax Silica covers about 1,600 hectares in New Clark City and is envisioned as an advanced manufacturing complex for semiconductor production, including wafer fabrication, chip design and critical minerals processing.

The project is intended to focus on higher-value semiconductor manufacturing and related activities that require significant capital investment.

It has been projected to attract between $40 billion and $70 billion in domestic and foreign investments and create jobs for engineers, researchers, computer science professionals and skilled technical workers, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) said.

Further, under the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (Republic Act 11032), Arta is tasked with helping improve government service delivery and reduce regulatory burdens.

The pace of approvals, however, remains separate from the actual development timeline.

BCDA President and Chief Executive Officer Joshua Bingcang earlier said site development could begin in three to five years, initially covering about 500 hectares of the proposed 1,620-hectare site. Full development is expected to take place over about 30 years.

Arta said it would continue working with regulators, local governments and private-sector stakeholders to streamline procedures for the project while keeping regulatory requirements in place.

The urgent passage of the Comprehensive School Safety Act is needed to address urgent school safety concerns and strengthen security measures following school shooting incidents in the cities of Tacloban and Zamboanga, according to Senator Bam Aquino.

In a manifestation, Aquino rallied his colleagues to support the swift passage of Senate Bill No. 2390, or the Comprehensive School Safety Act, which seeks to put in place vital safeguards to ensure safer schools.

‘There’s really a lot that must be done and I’m hoping we can get support for the School Safety Act. Let’s put there everything that’s needed, and the good points, and let’s push those,’ said Aquino, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, speaking partly in Filipino.

Aquino said he intends to sponsor the measure on Wednesday.

The measure establishes a School Safety Framework that would begin at the national level but require every locality to develop a clear framework involving the schools, concerned government agencies, and the community.

‘Maganda nga na magsimula tayo to address this as a community, mapag-usapan, mabuo itong framework na ito, malaman iyong mga protocol at maging mas klaro sa bawat sektor ng komunidad kung ano po yung role nila,’ he emphasized.

It also aims to strengthen the prevention, reporting, and response to violence, bullying, cyberbullying, and other threats, while ensuring that schools remain safe spaces for learners and school personnel.

Every school would be required to prepare and annually update a School Safety Plan covering emergency protocols, hotlines, safety infrastructure, digital safety, off-campus activities, community engagement, and monitoring.

Aside from the School Safety Act, Aquino cited other measures outside the scope of the Committee on Basic Education that are crucial to protecting students, teachers, and other school personnel from violence and other threats.

Among them are proposals to restrict social media access based on age, impose stiffer penalties for loose firearms, hold parents or guardians accountable when their firearms are misused, as well as amendments to the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) law.

Aquino said these measures, together with the School Safety Act, should be fast-tracked to address the various factors contributing to threats against learners and school communities.

‘It takes a community to raise a child, it also takes multiple bills and multiple reforms to try to address this issue. Aksiyunan natin, ipasa natin ang mga panukalang ito,’ Aquino said.

Aside from physical security measures, Aquino likewise underscored the importance of community participation following his dialogue with students, parents, and officials of Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU).

‘Having gone through and talked to the Ateneo de Zamboanga community, iyong administration, iyong mga estudyante, iyong mga magulang, nakikita ko po rin yung point ni [Senate Minority] Sen. Alan [Cayetano]. It’s not just about the security measures, talaga nagsisimula talaga ito with a community aspect,’ he said.

Cayetano earlier proposed holding community town hall meetings in schools, where parents, teachers, students, religious leaders, school officials, business groups, and other stakeholders can identify problems unique to each community and work together to find solutions.

Aquino said parents have a particularly important role in preventing incidents of violence by being more attentive to what their children are experiencing and encountering.

He likewise encouraged parents to use parental controls on their children’s devices to prevent them from accessing violent games and other content that are not intended for children.

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) has repatriated more than half of the roughly 400 Filipino seafarers who were aboard 27 ships attacked in the Northern Black Sea amid the Ukraine-Russia war.

DMW Secretary Hans J. Cacdac made the announcement after the launch of the Philippines-New Zealand Friendship Week at the DMW main office in Mandaluyong City last Tuesday.

‘Around 260 of them have come home. So more than 50 percent or around 60 percent have returned home,’ he said partly in Filipino in a press briefing.

He gave the update after DMW reported during the weekend the safe condition of the 39 Filipino crew members of two ships, which were hit by drone attacks at the Black Sea.

Since tensions in the Black Sea escalated, Cacdac said they have recorded three Filipino sailors, who died, and another 15, who were injured from the ongoing conflict in the said body of water.

He said the government was able to send home the said sailors via Romania and Turkiye, where they also received aid from the team of DMW and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials and personnel.

The interventions include welcoming sailors when they disembark from ships, preparing their repatriation, giving them financial assistance, and coordinating with their families in the Philippines.

Compared to the ongoing tensions in the Red Sea, where there are also stranded Filipino sailors, Cacdac said the situation in the Black Sea is less concerning since there are various available exit routes of ships to safely navigate to.

To prevent more Filipinos from being affected by the ongoing conflict in the Black Sea, the DMW chief urged Filipino sailors to exercise their right to refuse to sail in such dangerous waters.

DMW also called on shipowners not to bring Filipino seafarers in the said area, which the DFA and the Department of National Defense has tagged to be under ‘full scale international armed conflict.’