Category: Business Mirror

LOWER revenue expectations are forcing the Philippines to scale back infrastructure spending, creating a fiscal tradeoff that could weaken growth, complicate efforts to stabilize debt and the sovereign’s ‘BBB’ rating, Fitch Ratings said.

In a commentary, the credit rating agency said reduced revenue projections, which have fallen to around 15.5 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) over the medium term from around 16.5 percent in last year’s framework, are causing ‘significant adjustments’ in the government’s fiscal plans.

As a result, the government is planning to reduce infrastructure disbursements to roughly 4 percent of GDP, about 1 percentage point lower over the projection period.

‘Weaker public infrastructure spending could weigh on medium-term growth, although the extent to which lower disbursements will affect growth remains unclear,’ Fitch said.

Governance reforms could improve spending efficiency and guard the economic impact of lower infrastructure spending levels, while increased use of public-public partnerships and local government units for infrastructure investment could reduce overall government disbursements, it added.

In April this year, Fitch revised its outlook on the Philippines’ issuer default rating to ‘negative’ from ‘stable’ while affirming the country’s ‘BBB’ sovereign rating due to ‘growing risks’ around the country’s medium-term growth potential.

‘Investment remains well below its pre-pandemic trend; and without a sustained recovery, downside risks to medium-term GDP growth are likely to persist,’ the agency said.

Second-quarter GDP remained slow at 2.3 percent, dragged by investments and capital formation, which both contracted by 9.2 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

‘Slower growth is feeding into the fiscal outlook,’ Fitch said, noting the government’s deficit target of 5.1 percent of GDP in 2027, which was slower than the 4.8 percent deficit forecast in last year’s medium-term fiscal framework.

‘Repeated upward revisions to medium-term deficit targets suggest the government continues to prioritize supporting growth over a faster pace of consolidation, leaving risks tilted towards a more gradual reduction in deficits over the next few years,’ it added.

Fitch said the government has also turned ‘more cautious’ in its growth assumptions and expects medium-term growth to average around 6 percent, although risks are tilted towards weaker outcomes.

The ratings agency also sees general government (GG) debt to GDP to increase slightly in the near term before stabilizing over the medium term.

‘Achieving that outcome will depend considerably on growth performance, investment recovery and the effectiveness of efforts to sustain infrastructure investment,’ it said.

A former engineering director at Meta who has testified before Congress about child safety on Instagram told jurors Wednesday at a landmark trial that the company took a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ approach on kids under 13 on its platforms.

During his second day of testimony, Arturo Béjar said Meta consistently prioritized profits over safety in designing its products, focusing on how often and for how long people used them, even if it was detrimental to their mental well-being. ‘If you step away from the product, they are not going to make any money,’ he said.

The trial that began Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, pits Meta against the states of California, Colorado, Kentucky and New Jersey and is expected to last about six weeks. The four states were among 29 that sued the tech giant in 2023 over child safety and privacy-the other 25 will go to trial later. The company also faces lawsuits in state courts, including one underway in Tennessee. The lawsuit accuses Meta of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that addict children to its platforms and hide these harms from the public. It also argues that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents’ consent, in violation of federal law.

Meta says users must be at least 13 years old to create an account, in line with the law, called the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA.

‘The attitude in particular on Instagram was ‘Don’t ask, don’t tell,” Béjar said in response to a question about his perception of the company’s attitude towards users under 13.

The company has rejected the claims and said evidence at the trial will show its commitment to safety.

‘You will hear over the course of this case a lot of important issues, issues like teen mental health, issues like social media, issues like how teens use social media,’ Meta lawyer Paul Schmidt said Tuesday. ‘Those are important issues, and they’re issues where Meta believes that it has a responsibility. It has a responsibility to act on its own. It has a responsibility to try to work with teens and parents in partnership to try to address those questions.’

Plaintiffs’ witness says safety was an ‘afterthought’

Béjar worked at Facebook from 2009 to 2015, attracting wide attention for his work to combat cyberbullying. He returned from 2019 to 2021 as a contractor to work on safety issues. He testified before Congress in 2023 about social media and the teen mental health crisis, saying that Meta executives, including CEO Mark Zuckerberg, knew about harms Instagram was causing but chose not to make meaningful changes to address them.

In his testimony Wednesday, Béjar said employee performance reviews and compensation for those who worked on user-facing products were mostly focused on user numbers and how long they spend with those products.

‘In that context, safety was an afterthought,’ he said.

The states are seeking changes to user experiences for Facebook and Instagram as well as financial damages, which could include billions of dollars in penalties. In a written statement, the office of California’s attorney general said if Meta loses, the amount of any damages would be set by the court. ‘This case is about stopping Meta from offering a dangerous product to teens, and from lying to teens, families, and the public about the dangerousness of their platforms. The primary remedy under our state consumer protection law is an injunction,’ the statement said.

Béjar walked through Meta features he said were designed for adults and are ‘inherently unsafe for teenagers.’

This includes video autoplay, which can mean teens see videos that may cause them harm even if they don’t click on them; as well as various counters that track how many people liked, viewed or commented on your content or how many followers you have.

Child development experts have noted teenagers are more susceptible to social comparison than adults, so products that reward popularity can be more harmful to their mental health.

Age verification has been criticized for not going far enough

Despite Meta’s statements that it works to find kids under 13 on its platforms and ban them, Béjar testified that he found ‘tens of thousands’ of kids under 13 on Instagram through his research. He said it was ‘common knowledge’ at the company that such young children were on Instagram.

‘Meta has one of the most sophisticated infrastructures in the world to detect fake accounts,’ he said. But despite that, he added, there were ‘no goals, no metrics’ to detect and check kids’ ages who were suspected to be under 13.

Over the years, Meta has introduced features it says are designed to make the experience safer for young people. But Béjar said these did not work.

The Tribal Communities Association of the Philippines Inc. (TRICAP), together with government, corporate, and hospitality partners, brought humanitarian assistance to 250 calamity-affected families in Malapatan, Sarangani on August 19 through Project Kapwa.

Led by TRICAP National President Bae Limpayen Jennifer Pia Limpayen Sibug-Las, the humanitarian team conducted relief operations at the evacuation site in San Roque, Poblacion, where 250 families received relief goods following recent calamities that affected communities in the municipality.

The mission was undertaken in partnership with Apo View Hotel, Eurotel, Hotel Sogo of the Global Comfort Group, the NCIP Region XII Medical Team, Ramosco, and GOODERA.

The participation of the NCIP Region XII Medical Team under the leadership of Regional Director Datu Joey Bogay and Sarangani Provincial Officer Luciano Lumancas added a critical health component to the humanitarian response, bringing medical assistance closer to affected families at the evacuation site.

Before the relief operation, the Project Kapwa team paid a courtesy visit to Malapatan Mayor Salway ‘Jun’ Sumbo Jr. at his office to coordinate with the local government and discuss the situation of affected communities.

The team was also assisted by Indigenous Peoples leaders and local partners, including Datu Jaime Lantingan and Malapatan Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) Fulong Titus Mandalo.

For TRICAP, the initiative represents more than the distribution of relief goods. It reflects the organization’s continuing commitment to Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable communities and its belief in the Filipino value of kapwa-the recognition that communities must stand together during times of crisis.

‘Project Kapwa is about standing with communities when they need us most. Humanitarian assistance becomes more meaningful when government, civil society, the private sector and communities work together with compassion and dignity,’ Sibug-Las said.

The initiative also demonstrates the value of cross-sector partnerships in disaster response. TRICAP said the collaboration among Indigenous Peoples organizations, government agencies, private institutions, hospitality establishments, corporate volunteers, and humanitarian partners enabled the team to bring assistance directly to families in an evacuation setting.

Sibug-Las expressed appreciation to all Project Kapwa partners, particularly Apo View Hotel, Eurotel, Hotel Sogo of the Global Comfort Group, NCIP Region XII Medical Team, Ramosco and GOODERA, for supporting the humanitarian mission.

TRICAP also thanked the Municipality of Malapatan and its Indigenous Peoples representatives for facilitating the team’s engagement with affected families.

Project Kapwa forms part of TRICAP’s broader advocacy of ‘Strengthening Indigenous Peoples’ Voices from Roots to Rights,’ extending the organization’s work beyond advocacy and representation toward community-based humanitarian action.

The organization said it will continue to work with partners and local communities in responding to the needs of Indigenous Peoples and other vulnerable sectors, particularly during emergencies and disasters.

A NEW audio accessory is on the horizon with Sony’s latest Pulse Elevate wireless speaker, featuring what they call ‘lifelike gaming audio’ for desktop gaming or on-the-go.

Revealed during Sony’s State of Play, Sony promised that Pulse Elevate would immerse gamers with amazing audio akin to its predecessors, the Pulse Elite wireless headset and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds.

‘Pulse Elevate builds upon the immersive next-level gaming audio experience we introduced to players with Pulse Elite wireless headset and Pulse Explore wireless earbuds, combining powerful technologies like planar magnetic drivers and PlayStation Link into new form factors for players to experience with their favorite games,’ the blog reads.

Developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Pulse Elevate can be used on PC, PlayStation, and Mac setups, while also being viable on the go for PlayStation Portal remote players and smartphone users.

According to PlayStation, it supports Tempest 3D AudioTech for PS5, which enables the speaker to position audio cues with incredible accuracy. Another feature is its adjustable orientation that lets you fill the room with music or immerse you in gaming. It also has built-in woofers that produce rich bass tones.

Online multiplayer gamers would enjoy this new tech as well because it has a built-in mic that has AI noise-reduction features, allowing for an enjoyable communication experience with friends and teammates online.

Pulse Elevate also has PlayStation Link ultra-low latency and multi-device connectivity, allowing users to connect via PlayStation Link while also simultaneously connecting to Bluetooth for different needs like music, voice chat, and more. ‘The wireless speakers feature exceptionally lifelike audio, ultra-low latency, and lossless PlayStation Link wireless connectivity,’ their blog reads.

Pulse Elevate comes in two colors: Midnight Black and White. Pre-orders will be available on September 2, 2026, for local retailers, and is set to release by November 12, 2026. Its estimated price is ?14,709.

A total of 4,999 indigent elderly in this town received P3,000 each on Wednesday under the national government’s social pension program.

In an interview, Baby Soriano, head of the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs here, said the amount is received quarterly by the elderly, which they use to purchase some, if not most, of their basic needs.

‘This is a big help to them. Since the elderly have needs like maintenance medicines and food,’ she said. The Social Pension Program of the Department of Social Welfare and Development provides a monthly stipend of P1,000, distributed quarterly, to qualified beneficiaries.

Soriano said the distributed amount is for the third quarter of this year. ‘We thank President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for all the programs and projects for the elderly,’ he said.

Remedios Abalos, a 66-year-old beneficiary, said she would use the amount to purchase rice and medicine for her hypertension.

For Filipino travelers who want to explore the world without the stress of planning every detail, group tours can be one of the most convenient and rewarding ways to travel. Whether it’s your first international trip, a family vacation, or a multi-country adventure, a well-planned group tour can make the experience easier from start to finish.

One of the biggest advantages is convenience and value. Hotels, transportation, sightseeing schedules, transfers, and other key arrangements are organized in advance, allowing travelers to spend less time managing logistics and more time enjoying the destination. With major travel essentials often bundled into one package, group tours can also make budgeting simpler while providing the added support of an organized itinerary, especially when exploring unfamiliar destinations or navigating language and transportation barriers.

The key is choosing a group tour that fits your travel style. Review the itinerary, inclusions, optional activities, and overall pace before booking to make sure you know exactly what to expect.

Avian Summit Travel Corporation has helped thousands of travelers experience some of the world’s most sought-after destinations, from the vibrant cultures of Asia and the breathtaking landscapes of Europe and Africa to bucket list destinations across the globe. Its curated group tours bring together carefully planned itineraries, organized travel arrangements, and dedicated support for a more seamless travel experience.

As a DOT-Accredited travel agency and the Top 1 Performing Agency for European Tours, Avian Summit has become a trusted choice for Filipino travelers. Its journeys have also been trusted by celebrities, influencers, entrepreneurs, and lifestyle personalities, further strengthening its reputation in international travel.

Ready for your next adventure? Explore more destinations, discover exclusive travel offers, and let Avian Summit take care of the details. Visit aviansummit.ph, your trusted DOT-Accredited travel partner.

THE last Samsung foldable I reviewed was the Galaxy Z Fold 4. After a few years and several iterations, we were long overdue for a reunion.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is arguably the most expensive mass-market, non-customized flagship smartphone you can buy in 2026-for now. It starts at ?123,990 and climbs to ?165,990 for the 1TB configuration.

That’s laptop money. Very good laptop money.

With a price tag well into six figures, the obvious question arises: Who in their right mind would spend this much on a phone?

After using the Z Fold 8 Ultra for several weeks, I realized that’s the wrong question.

This isn’t a smartphone I’d recommend based purely on value for money, nor is it something you buy simply because you want Samsung’s newest and most expensive toy. It starts making sense when you already know exactly what you’re going to use it for.

Samsung also made an interesting decision this year by finally attaching the most important word in its flagship vocabulary to the Fold: Ultra.

And that word comes with expectations.

Yes, Samsung also has the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8, with its new passport-like shape that’s understandably getting plenty of attention. It’s different, fresh and arguably the bigger conversation starter of the two. But novelty isn’t really what the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is chasing; it is helping you achieve your purpose.

Here are eight realizations from my time with it.

1. The price. If the price makes you think twice, this probably isn’t for you. Let me explain before that sounds incredibly snobbish.

For most smartphones, price-to-performance matters enormously. If one phone gives you 90 percent of another phone’s capabilities for half the price, the cheaper phone is probably the smarter buy.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra plays by slightly different rules.

Think business owners, top executives, journalists, creatives, consultants or anyone whose smartphone has become part of their working infrastructure. They might approve documents in the car, check spreadsheets between meetings, review presentations, or go through PDFs without pulling out a laptop.

For them, the question isn’t necessarily, ‘Is this phone worth ?123,990?’

It is: ‘Will this make what I already do easier?’

That’s when the ‘math’ starts ‘mathing.’

The 8-inch inner display, Samsung DeX, multitasking capabilities and Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy won’t automatically make you productive. But if you already have a purpose for them, they can make your day easier.

2. Instant Aura. This one’s going to sound superficial until you think about the other things we carry. A nice watch doesn’t make you more punctual. An expensive pen doesn’t improve your handwriting. A tailored suit doesn’t make you smarter. But they communicate something before you’ve said a word.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra has that effect. Pull another black rectangular smartphone out during a meeting and chances are nobody notices. Put this on the conference table, open that 8-inch display, and people notice.

It has presence.

I’m not talking about showing off. I’ve encountered foldables increasingly often at executive briefings, business meetings and press events, and there’s something different about unfolding a screen large enough to review a document or presentation while everyone else is reaching for a laptop.

There are phones you pull out of your pocket, and there are devices that announce themselves when you put them on the table.

3. That camera bump though. At just 4.1mm when unfolded, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra is an absurdly thin piece of engineering. Folded, it’s 8.9mm, and weighs just 215 grams despite packing an 8-inch folding display and 5,000mAh battery.

But then you turn it around.

Calling that camera bump an island would be geographically inaccurate. That thing is a continent.

Put the phone on a desk and it doesn’t sit flat. There’s noticeable wobble, and that substantial camera assembly makes the beautifully thin profile feel considerably less thin.

There’s also a wonderfully ridiculous contradiction here. Samsung has spent years shaving fractions of millimeters from the Fold, and one of the first accessories I’d recommend is a good case with a kickstand.

4. Flex Mode. One of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’s most useful positions is neither completely open nor completely closed. It’s halfway.

Samsung calls it Flex Mode, and it’s one of the features that separates the Ultra from the regular Galaxy Z Fold 8.

With supported apps, the display divides into two working areas, with content above and controls below. Videos can stay on top while playback controls sit underneath; during video calls, the phone supports itself on a desk; and in some apps the lower portion can even function like a touchpad.

But the camera may be where Flex Mode makes the most sense.

Partially fold the phone, put it on a flat surface and it effectively becomes its own tripod for group photos, timed selfies or videos. For content creators, you can also position the cameras low while keeping the display angled toward you.

We usually judge foldables by what they can do completely unfolded. Flex Mode reminds you that one of their advantages is that they don’t have to be.

5. Durability. Smartphone durability has become strangely theatrical. Manufacturers dunk phones underwater, drop them, bend them and subject them to increasingly outrageous stunts to prove they’re no longer fragile.

Samsung probably isn’t going to pull an airplane with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

And maybe it doesn’t need to.

Samsung’s approach is less theatrical. There’s the Armor FlexHinge, Flex Titanium reinforcement beneath the folding display, Armor Aluminum construction and an IP48 rating for water and solid-particle resistance.

That doesn’t mean it’s dustproof, and IP48 still falls short of the IP68 protection we’re accustomed to on conventional premium flagships. But together, these improvements provide something arguably more important when you’re carrying a six-figure foldable every day: peace of mind.

6. How Ultra is it? This is where I’m going to be difficult. Samsung put Ultra in the name, so it’s fair to judge the phone by the expectations that word creates.

The cameras start impressively with a 200MP main camera, joined by an upgraded 50MP ultrawide.

Then you get to the telephoto.

It’s still a 10MP camera with 3x optical zoom, with digital zoom topping out at 30x.

That’s not bad. But on Samsung’s ultimate foldable? At this price? With Ultra in the name?

The two 10MP selfie cameras aren’t particularly remarkable either, although the folding design gives you an obvious solution: Don’t use them.

Open the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, turn it around and use Rear Cam Selfie. The cover display becomes your viewfinder while you shoot with the much better rear cameras.

7. Turning pages-like a book. Of all the things I expected to enjoy on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, reading wasn’t particularly high on the list.

Then I opened Google Play Books.

There’s something wonderfully appropriate about reading a digital book on a device you physically open like one. Compatible books can appear across two pages on the 8-inch display, complete with Google’s page-turn animation.

For years, the crease has been the thing foldable manufacturers wanted us to stop noticing. Here, instead of an imperfection, it almost becomes the gutter running down the middle of a real book.

No, it doesn’t smell like paper. We’re not there yet.

As someone who grew up reading comics, things get even better. Comics can be difficult on small screens because dialogue becomes hard to read, while constantly zooming into panels destroys the original page composition.

Google Play Books’ Bubble Zoom solves part of that problem on compatible comics. Double-tap a speech bubble and the text enlarges while leaving the surrounding artwork and layout intact.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra gives you the full page when you want to admire the artwork, then enlarges the dialogue when you need it. Close the Fold when you’re done and the entire comic book disappears into your pocket.

8. The laptop question. Give me a complicated spreadsheet, a long editing session or several thousand words to write, and I’m still reaching for my computer. But those aren’t the moments where the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra earns its keep.

It’s when you’re in the back of a car and someone sends a document that needs checking. When a presentation arrives five minutes before a meeting. When you’re at an airport and don’t want to unpack your laptop. It’s when you need a browser beside Samsung Notes, messages beside your calendar, or a PDF beside the e-mail discussing it.

On a conventional smartphone, multitasking usually means becoming faster at switching between apps. On the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, multitasking can mean not switching at all.

Now Nudge can take this further by recognizing something actionable onscreen and suggesting a relevant next step or another supported app in Multi Window. Samsung DeX extends things further when you have an external display, giving you a desktop-style workspace from the phone in your pocket.

None of this replaces a proper computer for serious, prolonged work.

It doesn’t need to.

The Fold’s advantage isn’t that you can finally leave every other device at home. It’s that there are fewer moments when you regret doing so.

And that brings us back to where we started.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra isn’t for everyone. It shouldn’t be.

A phone this expensive doesn’t suddenly become sensible because it has enough impressive specifications. It starts making sense when those capabilities fit into your life-when the bigger screen saves you time, Flex Mode solves a problem, Now Nudge helps you get organized, or you simply rediscover how enjoyable it is to sit down and read.

You can find plenty of reasons to want the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra.

The harder-and far more important-question is whether you’ve found a purpose for it.

A new batch of outstanding Filipino students, selected by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), and the International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), has received scholarships from the Republic of China (Taiwan) government.

The initiative supports Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy, which aims to strengthen regional cooperation and deepen people-to-people ties.

This year, 147 Filipino scholars were awarded scholarships to pursue studies in Taiwan. Among them, two students will receive the Taiwan MOFA Scholarship, while 26 students will pursue degree programs under the MOE Taiwan Scholarship. Twenty students will receive the Taiwan ICDF Scholarship, which supports both academic learning and practical training through industry-academia collaboration. In addition, 99 students were awarded the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship to study Mandarin in Taiwan.

Each year, the Taiwan government offers a wide range of scholarships to approximately 2,000 Filipino students. These opportunities include Mandarin language programs, undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies across various academic disciplines, as well as vocational and technical education tracks designed to provide practical skills and internship experiences in relevant industries.

On August 6, the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines hosted the 2026 Taiwan Scholarship Awards Ceremony in Manila to recognize this year’s recipients.

In his keynote, Representative Wallace Chow congratulated the scholars for their academic excellence and encouraged them to become ambassadors of goodwill by promoting Taiwan as a study destination.

Chow also highlighted TECO’s plans to continue strengthening collaborations with top Philippine universities in emerging fields such as electronics, artificial intelligence (AI), and semiconductors. He encouraged scholars to take advantage of the increasing work and research opportunities in Taiwan.

Chairperson and Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) Resident Representative Corazon Avecilla-Padiernos emphasized that the Taiwan Scholarship programs aim to cultivate the next generation of Filipino professionals and leaders who can contribute to the country’s development. She also underscored the scholars’ role as a lasting bridge of friendship between Taiwan and the Philippines.

Commission on Higher Education International Affairs Service Director Cristine Ferrer also shared a message of encouragement, then echoed Chow’s sentiments that these scholarships serve as beacons of a brighter future for both Taiwan and the Philippines in shared dreams of global connection and academic-industry excellence. Addressing the scholars directly, she urged them to remain rooted in their identity and committed to the country’s betterment.

Several scholarship recipients shared their motivations for choosing Taiwan as their study destination, reflecting their hopes and ambition to gain academic and cultural experiences that will shape their future careers.

For many travelers, Dubrovnik is instantly recognizable as King’s Landing from HBO’s Game of Thrones and its prequel, House of the Dragon. Medieval walls, dramatic staircases, and Adriatic coastline transformed this Croatian city into one of television’s most iconic filming locations. But beyond the fantasy world, Dubrovnik is genuinely one of Europe’s most beautiful coastal cities.

For Filipinos, visiting Croatia has also become easier. Since Croatia joined the Schengen Area in 2023, Philippine passport holders can enter using a valid Schengen visa. Flights from Manila usually connect through Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Vienna, or Amsterdam via airlines like Qatar Airways, Emirates, Turkish Airlines, or KLM.

Applying for a Schengen visa may seem intimidating, but preparation is key. Travelers should apply through the embassy or visa center of the country where they will spend the most time. Requirements typically include a valid passport, round-trip flights, hotel bookings, travel insurance, proof of funds, employment documents, and a detailed itinerary. Applications are commonly processed through VFS Global.

I visited Dubrovnik expecting a ‘Game of Thrones destination,’ but I left realizing it is much more than that. It is a city of seafood dinners by the sea, island-hopping adventures, and sunsets that make you want to stay longer than planned.

Here are five practical tips to help you enjoy Dubrovnik smarter.

1. The Old Town Has A LOT of Steps – Travel Light or Hire a Luggage Carrier

One thing many first-time visitors do not realize is that Dubrovnik’s Old Town was built long before wheeled luggage existed. The polished limestone streets and endless staircases can quickly become exhausting, especially if your accommodation is inside the Old Town walls.

Travel light if possible, or ask your hotel about luggage assistance. Some guesthouses and local porters offer luggage-carrying services for a fee, and honestly, it can save you from arriving completely drained before your vacation even begins.

Comfortable shoes are non-negotiable here.

2. Get the Dubrovnik Pass

Dubrovnik is expensive during peak season, so the Dubrovnik Pass is absolutely worth it. As of 2026, the pass costs pound 40 for one day, pound 50 for three days, and pound 60 for seven days. It includes access to the famous City Walls, several museums and galleries, plus public transportation around the city.

The best part? The City Walls ticket alone already costs almost the same as the one-day pass, making it one of the smartest purchases for first-time visitors.

One important thing to remember: you can only enter the City Walls once using the pass, so plan your visit properly. Go early in the morning or later in the afternoon to avoid both the heat and the cruise ship crowds.

The walls stretch nearly two kilometers around the Old Town and offer incredible panoramic views of the Adriatic Sea and Dubrovnik’s orange rooftops. You will also recognize several Game of Thrones filming locations along the way.

3. You Cannot Leave Dubrovnik Without Eating Seafood

Croatian coastal cuisine deserves far more attention.

Because of Dubrovnik’s Adriatic location, seafood here is incredibly fresh. Expect oysters, grilled octopus, black risotto, mussels, and sea bass almost everywhere.

One of the city’s most famous restaurants is Lady Pi-Pi, known for grilled seafood, generous portions, and stunning rooftop views overlooking the Old Town. Expect queues during summer, but it is worth the wait.

If you want a more upscale experience, Nautika is known for elegant seafood dining beside the fortress walls. Meanwhile, Proto remains one of Dubrovnik’s classic seafood institutions.

Honestly, one of the best experiences in Dubrovnik is simply sitting down for a long seafood dinner with Croatian wine while watching the city slow down at sunset.

4. Skip the Cable Car and Walk Up Ulica Matije Gupca

The Dubrovnik Cable Car offers beautiful views, but round-trip tickets now cost around pound 30 per adult.

If you are traveling on a budget, there is a free alternative many tourists overlook.

Walk uphill through Ulica Matije Gupca toward the residential areas above the Old Town. The climb is steep, but once you reach the higher viewpoints, you will get postcard-worthy panoramic views completely free.

Personally, I think this route feels more authentic because you also get to experience the quieter side of Dubrovnik away from the crowds.

Go before sunset for the best lighting and cooler temperatures.

5. Don’t Overbook Boat Tours

Boat tours are one of the best experiences in Dubrovnik, especially if you want to visit Lokrum Island, the Blue Cave, or the Elafiti Islands.

But here is a tip many travelers do not know: you do not always need to pre-book online weeks ahead.

If you walk around the Old Port area in the morning or early afternoon, many operators still have available spots and sometimes offer discounted last-minute rates, especially for sunset cruises or shared tours.

Dubrovnik may have become globally famous because of Game of Thrones, but the city’s real magic comes from its atmosphere beyond the screen.

It is in the church bells echoing through the alleys, the seafood dinners by the harbor, the endless staircases, and the Adriatic sparkling below the city walls.

And once you experience Dubrovnik in person, you realize this place never needed Hollywood to become unforgettable.

OpenAI and Thinking Machines recently formed a partnership to help Philippine enterprises, growing businesses, and educational institutions to achieve a more secure, practical and organization-wide AI adoption.

In a recent media briefing in Makati City, the two companies also highlighted that OpenAI’s Partner Network is designed to help organizations translate AI ambitions into measurable impact by connecting them with partners that bring industry expertise, technical capabilities, deployment experience and strong customer relationships.

For Thinking Machines, the Advanced Partner recognition underscores its technical capabilities and delivery track record while highlighting the potential for Filipino talent to develop and deploy world-class AI solutions for businesses and broader societal challenges.

‘Being recognized as an OpenAI Advanced Partner is an important validation of the capability our team has built over the last decade,’ said Niek van Veen, vice president for commercial at Thinking Machines.

‘What excites me even more is what comes next. Expanding our work together through ChatGPT Business and ChatGPT Edu enables us to support more organizations, from growing businesses to educational institutions, while continuing to help enterprises deploy AI at scale and developing Filipino talent,’ he added.

Thinking Machines is one of only 30 companies worldwide to be named an OpenAI Advanced Partner.

AI is already becoming a vital part of how Filipinos work.

According to the companies, about 40 percent of ChatGPT messages in the Philippines are work-related, highlighting the opportunity for organizations to move from individual use of AI toward coordinated, organization-wide capabilities.

They said the evolution of AI is also pushing organizations beyond simple productivity assistance toward more sophisticated, agentic workflows that can change how teams make decisions, serve customers and accomplish tasks.

For Philippine companies, however, they said the next challenge is making AI adoption repeatable and sustainable across the organization. Thinking Machines works with enterprises across industries to identify high-value workflows, build AI fluency, redesign processes and deploy AI within existing data, governance and operating environments.

‘AI is easy to experiment with; transforming an organization with it is harder,’ van Veen said.

‘The opportunity now is to turn familiarity with AI into organizational capability-embedding it into the way businesses operate, make decisions, and create value.’

They said preparing employees to work effectively alongside AI is equally important.

The expanded collaboration also places emphasis on making AI accessible beyond large enterprises.

Through ChatGPT Business, Thinking Machines said it can support growing businesses seeking to incorporate AI into their operations, while ChatGPT Edu provides an avenue for educational institutions to explore AI-enabled teaching, learning and institutional workflows. The broader approach reflects the changing nature of AI adoption in the Philippines, where businesses of different sizes and educational institutions are increasingly looking for practical applications rather than simply experimenting with generative AI.

For the country’s technology ecosystem, the partnership also reinforces the potential of Filipino professionals and technical teams to participate in the development and deployment of advanced AI capabilities.