Category: Business Mirror

LAST October, the Chery group hosted its 2025 International Technology Night convention in Wuhu, China. Various car brands within the Chery group welcomed global contingents representing respective regional markets. Under the theme ‘Co-Create, Co-Define,’ the convention highlighted the group’s ‘Enter Super Next’ future vision and united global users to explore new possibilities in smart mobility. The parent company also displayed its comprehensive strength in smart mobility, hybrid powertrains, engines, and solid-state battery technology, integrating technology and user experience.

Omoda and Jaecoo Philippines hosted members of the motoring media to represent the country’s contingent at the international convention. Upholding the brand vision of ‘co-creating a better life with young people,’ Omoda is dedicated to developing specialized crossover vehicles designed for modern, youth-oriented lifestyles. In contrast, Jaecoo, guided by its philosophy of ‘Inspired by classics, beyond classics,’ focuses on creating premium off-road vehicles rooted in classic design with advanced capabilities. Together, these two brands contribute unique value propositions, constructing differentiated competitiveness within the market.

Building the world’s best hybrid system

As a long-term technology runner, Omoda and Jaecoo’s parent company continuously pushes the boundaries of core powertrain technologies: breaking through global battery safety limits, mastering solid-state battery technology, and setting industry benchmarks. The company boldly ventures into innovation ‘no-man’s lands,’ achieves a revolutionary 48% engine thermal efficiency-while mainstream engines typically range from 38% to 45%, each 1% increase faces immense systemic challenges. The R and D team overcomes these technical hurdles with multiple disruptive innovations, including a 26:1 ultra-high expansion ratio, hyperbolic triple-linkage mechanisms, 35% EGR rate, and thermal insulation coatings, staying at the forefront of engine technology.

This breakthrough not only marks a technical achievement but also reshapes the value of hybrid vehicles: Data indicates that every 1% increase in thermal efficiency reduces overall vehicle fuel consumption by roughly 2.5%. In the future, hybrid vehicles will likely enter the ‘1-liter fuel consumption era,’ approach the energy cost of pure electric vehicles, and deliver long-term economic and practical value to users.

The summit comprehensively presented the core technology highlights of Omoda and Jaecoo hybrid vehicles, demonstrating the brand’s leadership in power and energy efficiency. Outfitted with the SHS Super Hybrid System, the three core components deliver ‘super performance, super range, ultra-low energy consumption, and super power.’ The fifth-generation 1.5-liter TDGI hybrid-dedicated engine uses a Deep Miller cycle, i-HEC intelligent combustion system, and six other advanced technologies, achieving a 44.5% thermal efficiency and fuel consumption as low as 5.99 L/100km or 16.69 km/L, balancing powerful performance with ultimate efficiency.

Meanwhile, the hybrid-dedicated infinitely variable super electric DHT intelligently switches driving modes based on vehicle speed, precisely matching power and fuel requirements under various conditions. The high-performance hybrid battery pack provides comprehensive protection, including heat resistance, impact resistance, waterproofing, and 2-millisecond post-collision power cut protection. It supports a 90 km pure electric range and 3.3 kW external power output, ensuring safety, endurance, and outdoor power applications. During this long-distance test, Omoda and Jaecoo hybrid vehicles handled all road conditions with ease, ensuring stress-free long journeys.

Co-Creation achievements

The ‘International Technology Night’ did not limit itself to technology showcases; it also brought together global users and partners to witness co-creation achievements. During the event, Vietnamese user and content creator Bach Thanh Trung shared his real-life driving experience in ‘My Daily Life with the Jaecoo J7 SHS.’ He spoke sincerely about how the J7 SHS integrates into daily routines: He switches to quiet electric mode for weekdays and uses hybrid power for weekend adventures. The vehicle also provides convenient mobile power support for camping and outdoor work. His words express JAECOO’s core spirit-versatile, free, and agile-meeting daily mobility needs while enabling users to explore life’s possibilities.

In addition to user experience sharing, the international convention united global media and partners to witness the brand’s technology and user co-creation achievements. At the awards ceremony, organizers presented the ‘Global Eco Co-Creation Excellence Award’ to Kuwaiti KOL Mohammad Alkandari and Turkish senior journalist Hirant Kasapoglu, along with other international partners. This demonstrated the diversity and global influence of the Omoda and Jaecoo ecosystem. Applause and cheers filled the venue, highlighting the brand’s steady progress in promoting user co-creation and smart mobility worldwide.

The ‘International Technology Night’ not only showcased Omoda and Jaecoo and its parent company’s comprehensive strength in smart mobility and core powertrain technologies but also reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to ‘co-creating a better life with users.’ Going forward, Omoda and Jaecoo will continue to integrate technology and ecosystem resources with a global vision, enabling more users to experience intelligent, free, and diversified mobility, and inviting them to jointly shape a green, smart, and sustainable future of transportation.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) frontloading a ‘jumbo reduction’ in key policy rates might be ‘drastic’ and could further weaken the Philippine peso, according to the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday night, BPI President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jose Teodoro K. Limcaoco said he personally thinks that the BSP will not lower the borrowing costs by 50 basis points.

‘It’s drastic. It might send the wrong signal,’ Limcaoco warned.

If the BSP cuts ‘significantly faster’ than the United States Federal Reserve, then that could further weaken the local currency, Limcaoco added.

The peso dropped to an all-time low of P59.17 against the US dollar on Wednesday, losing 18.5 centavos when it opened at P58.95.

It remained at the P59-level on Thursday, closing at P59 after opening at P59.13, based on the data by the Bankers Association of the Philippines.

‘You have to look at what the Fed is doing,’ the banker said, adding that any local monetary policy decisions would take into account the magnitude of the Fed’s move in December.

This comes even as the economy grew by a mere 4 percent in the third quarter of this year, the weakest pace since the first quarter of 2021, when it contracted by 3.8 percent. If the pandemic years were to be excluded, this is the slowest pace since 2011.

Limcaoco noted that while people might be ‘disappointed’ with the 4 percent growth, the rest of the world is growing at 2 percent.

‘So, the Philippine economy is still growing. It’s not growing as fast as it used to, but it is still growing,’ the banker added.

To prop up the economy further, the market is anticipating that the BSP may implement an off-cycle monetary policy easing, particularly a reduction in large banks’ reserve requirement ratio, currently at 5 percent.

The Monetary Board, the BSP’s highest policymaking body, is set to convene on December 11 for its rate-setting meeting.

Limcaoco said it is up to the BSP to intervene, as they are responsible for monetary policy and keeping prices steady.

‘If they believe that a weak peso might be inflationary, then they might,’ Limcaoco added.

However, the BSP had said that it allows the exchange rate to be determined by market forces.

‘When we do participate in the market, it is largely to dampen inflationary swings in the exchange rate over time rather than to prevent day-to-day volatility,’ the central bank said.

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has earned its first-ever global customer-experience accreditation from Airports Council International (ACI) – the global association of airport authorities representing over 2,000 airports.

NAIA achieved Level 1 Airport Customer Experience Accreditation, the first time the country’s main gateway has been recognized by ACI for meeting international standards in managing and improving the passenger experience.

The accreditation comes from ACI’s Airport Customer Experience Accreditation program -the only global framework that evaluates how airports understand, measure, and improve the end-to-end passenger journey.

From July to September 2025, ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey gathered real-time feedback from 700 arriving and departing passengers across all terminals. NAIA achieved 100 percent compliance with ACI’s sampling and data standards, allowing its results to be included in the organization’s global benchmarking program.

This recognition comes one year after New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC), a consortium led by San Miguel Corporation and Incheon International Airport Corp., took over operations of NAIA under a public-private partnership awarded through a competitive bidding process in September 2024.

NAIA handles 50 million passengers annually, placing it among the region’s busiest airports and underscoring the scale of work required.

The accreditation affirms the early results of NNIC’s dual focus on customer-experience management and physical modernization, which together raised NAIA’s passenger satisfaction to 4.06 out of 5 in the latest ACI ASQ survey – above the 4.0 performance requirement under the concession agreement.

‘Earning the ACI accreditation this early says a lot about the people working every day to improve NAIA,’ NNIC president Ramon S. Ang said. ‘We still have a lot to do, but because of their commitment, we are making steady progress in terms of upgrading the airport’s systems and strengthening the service culture that travelers experience.’

Under NNIC, NAIA has recorded improvements across staff courtesy, check-in efficiency, and terminal facilities, with scores increasing quarter-on-quarter. To further enhance the passenger experience, NNIC recently opened the 6,000-square-meter Mezzanine Food Hall at Terminal 3, with additional food halls and restaurants set to open across Terminals 1 and 2 by early 2026.

Physical upgrades are also underway, from infrastructure rehabilitation and terminal expansion to new power systems, modernized baggage handling, the rollout of the new Collins biometric passenger processing system and improved digital information systems, among others.

On top of these, NNIC has remitted over P57 billion to the national government in its first year – the highest revenue share ever recorded for a Philippine airport concession – showing how the PPP is delivering tangible benefits to both government and the public.

CHAROEN Pokphand Foods Philippines Corporation (CPF) announced a five-year $1-billion project to boost the country’s hog output.

In a statement, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said the CPF’s expansion plan would help restore the country’s swine population to pre-African swine fever (ASF) levels by 2028

CPF aims to raise its hog production capacity from the current 1.3 million heads to 7 million by 2030. Of this, 4.8 million would be in Luzon, 1 million in the Visayas, and 1.2 million in Mindanao.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said CPF’s expansion aligns with the government’s vision of a zero-kilometer food system.

‘This means producing food where it’s needed and advancing agricultural investment to create jobs and ensure food security,’ Tiu Laurel said.

He also encouraged CPF to consider locating some facilities near major tourist hubs to help ease food costs.

Under the plan, the firm is evaluating nine locations nationwide for agro-industrial complexes, each covering roughly 20 hectares.

The DA said every site will feature feed production and hog processing facilities, with each complex worth about $125 million to build.

Furthermore, feed plants are expected to produce around 10,000 metric tons (MT) per month, which would require corn output from 5,000 hectares.

Since the detection of ASF in 2019, the country’s swine population has plunged to roughly 8 million heads from 13 million.

With this, the DA has launched a series of repopulation measures, including the vaccination against ASF and distribution of breeders to reach the prepandemic hog population within the next three years.

Meanwhile, President Marcos recently signed the Animal Industry Development and Competitiveness Act, which allocates roughly P20 billion annually over the next decade to develop the livestock, poultry, and dairy sectors. Nearly one-fifth of the funding was earmarked for hog repopulation.

The DA noted that CPF’s plan signals a major push for the local pork industry, focusing on enhanced production capacity, farm modernization, and greater support for local pig farmers.

Agriculture officials stressed that the investment would help stabilize supply and increase resilience against future disease outbreaks.

‘The expansion represents a strategic partnership with the private sector to achieve long-term recovery and growth in the hog industry-a crucial pillar of the nation’s food supply and a key driver of rural employment.’

THE Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) has launched its first call for funding requests for the Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM) during the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30).

This marks the Fund’s transition to active operationalization, enabling it to initiate its first interventions to respond to climate-induced loss and damage for developing countries.

The BIM has been allocated an initial USD 250 million to support response efforts in developing countries facing economic and non-economic loss and damage from slow-onset and extreme climate-induced events.

The call for funding requests underscores the Fund’s commitment to delivering timely and targeted support to the people on the front lines of the climate crisis. In line with the Fund’s principles, the BIM will support bottom-up, country-led, and country-owned approaches to responding to loss and damage.

‘This call for funding requests sends an important signal to developing countries that support is available,’ Richard Sherman, Co-Chair of the FRLD, said in a statement. ‘I extend my deepest gratitude to all stakeholders who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to reach this point. Your experiences and needs have been central to designing the BIM for which we are now launching a call for funding requests.’

COP30-widely acknowledged as the ‘implementation and action COP’-provided a strategic platform to launch this call, drawing broad engagement from partners, national focal points, implementing partners, and other actors in the climate landscape. The event facilitated critical dialogue on climate-induced loss and damage and offered clarity on the funding cycle, funding criteria, and access modalities for the BIM.

The launch of the call establishes the process through which countries can access funding from the FRLD. In addition to offering a platform for stakeholders to engage in support of the FRLD, the launch event raised awareness about the BIM and clarified the call for funding requests’ procedures, timelines and criteria. The call will be opened for a period of 6 months from 15 December 2025.

‘The Board has allocated USD 250 million in initial grants for the BIM. Developing countries are invited to submit funding requests aligned with their priorities,’ said Jean-Christophe Donnellier, Co-Chair of the Fund. ‘This first call aims to test, learn, and shape the Fund’s long-term model. Innovation is key: for example, the FRLD will leverage entities already accredited by other funds, avoiding duplicate processes and accelerating FRLD operational readiness while promoting coordination and coherence.’

This call signals the Fund’s readiness to deliver on its mandate. The FRLD has evolved from the historic agreement to establish a fund during COP27 in 2023, through its establishment at COP28 in 2024, to the launch of its first call for funding requests. This first concrete opportunity to provide support to vulnerable countries and communities is a long-anticipated step. It is also a testament to the global solidarity that has led to this moment. The BIM, as the Fund’s pilot phase, will also generate lessons to guide long-term operations.

In October 2025, at its seventh meeting, the Board decided to launch the call for funding requests for the BIM. Key components for operationalizing the BIM were also approved, including the funding cycle, eligible activities for funding, initial funding criteria and access modalities.

‘We are sincerely grateful to the many stakeholders that have supported the Fund and helped us get to this point,’ said Ibrahima Cheikh Diong, FRLD Executive Director. ‘This call, while significant, reminds us of the need for significantly more resources to meet the vast scale of need on the ground. As we operationalize the BIM, we will also be working to mobilize additional resources to support our long-term ambitions.’

IN the event of a conflict, about 70 percent of adult Filipinos have expressed willingness to fight for the country, the survey results released by OCTA Research on Adult Filipinos’ Willingness to Fight for the Country showed.

The noncommissioned survey conducted from September 25 to 30, 2025, using face-to-face interviews, also showed that 30 percent remain unwilling or uncertain.

‘This enduring sentiment reflects a deeply ingrained sense of patriotism and collective identity that cuts across socioeconomic, regional, cultural, and ethnic divides. Defending the nation continues to serve as a unifying moral anchor for many Filipinos-a shared belief that transcends differences in background and circumstance,’ read the survey, with 1,200 male and female probability respondents aged 18 and above and registered voters interviewed for the study.

Support for national defense is robust across major areas, with at least seven in 10 Filipinos ready to fight-peaking in the National Capital Region with 79 percent and lowest in the Visayas (61 percent).

By socioeconomic class, willingness is highest among Class ABC at 79 percent, followed by Class D (70 percent) and Class E (64 percent).

Regionally, patriotic commitment is strongest in Eastern Visayas (89 percent), Bicol Region (87 percent), Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (84 percent), Central Luzon (83 percent), Davao Region (82 percent), and the Ilocos Region (80 percent).

Meanwhile, lower expressions are recorded in Cagayan Valley with 19 percent, followed by Northern Mindanao with 35 percent, and 43 percent in Caraga.

‘These variations suggest that the patriotic spirit is deeply rooted across the country. In many areas, the willingness to fight for the country may also reflect a resilient sense of belonging and confidence in national unity and sovereignty,’ the survey added.

Across age groups, willingness to fight for the country remains high but varies significantly by generation.

The highest percentage is observed among Filipinos aged 75 and older (77 percent), reflecting a patriotism shaped by lived experience and historical struggle.

In contrast, the lowest level of willingness is found among those aged 65 to 74 (59 percent).

Notably, younger Filipinos-Millennials (75 percent) and Gen Z (73 percent)-show remarkably high levels of readiness to defend the nation in the event of a conflict, challenging common assumptions about youth disengagement or apathy.

This strong patriotic sentiment among the younger generations, the survey stated, may reflect a renewed and active form of nationalism-one that combines emotional commitment with civic awareness and a sense of shared responsibility for the country’s future.

‘ It may also suggest that patriotism among today’s youth is not merely symbolic, but grounded in an informed, participatory, and forward-looking vision of nationhood.’

Moreover, there are more adult Filipinos in the rural areas (74 percent) who are willing to fight for the country in the event of a conflict compared to those in the urban areas (67 percent).

The percentage of adult Filipinos willing to fight for the country is relatively higher among males (77 percent) than females (64 percent).

The percentage of adult Filipinos willing to fight for the country in the event of a conflict with a foreign enemy declined by eight percentage points-from 78 percent in June 2024 to 70 percent in September 2025.

While this represents a decline, the survey noted that overall willingness remains high, with seven in 10 Filipinos still prepared to defend the nation if conflict arises.

Across major areas, willingness dropped by at least nine percentage points in most regions, except in the National Capital Region (NCR), where it rose sharply by 14 points.

By socioeconomic class, the steepest decline was recorded among Class E respondents (-18 points), while Class ABC registered a 10-point increase, reflecting diverging outlooks between higher- and lower-income groups.

‘This decline recorded above suggests that while patriotic sentiment remains broadly resilient, it is increasingly shaped by the country’s social, economic, and political realities.’

Possible factors denting confidence

On the other hand, persistent political scandals, high inflation, economic insecurity, local political dynamics and unequal access to credible information, survey says, may have weakened patriotic confidence among poorer and more vulnerable sectors.

‘In contrast, heightened national conversations on sovereignty, defense, and regional security appear to have reinforced national pride and resolve among the middle and upper classes.

These patterns indicate that economic stability and civic awareness may play a decisive role in shaping how Filipinos perceive patriotism and their willingness to defend the nation,’ it said.

This survey has a ±3 percent margin of error at a 95-percent confidence level.

Vivant Corp. delivered a strong performance from January to September this year, ending the period with a 24-percent hike in core net income to P2 billion driven by its energy business.

Vivant has major investments in the water and energy industries. It reported Thursday that the power generation business ended the period with a net income contribution of to P1.7 billion which represents 63 percent of total net income from the strategic business units, as four of Vivant’s conventional plants saw reserve market (RM) nominations increase by 192 percent. Its unit 1590 Energy Corp. (1590 EC) has the highest volume of RM nominations at 865 gigawatt hours (GWh).

Vivant Energy Corp. (Vivant Energy) increased its total attributable power generation capacity to 471 megawatts (MW) with the acquisition of the 40-percent stake in Samal Solar Renewable Energy Corp. (SSREC), developer and operator of a planned 53.14 -MW solar plant in the province of Bataan.

Net income contribution from 35 percent-owned distribution utility (DU) Visayan Electric Co. (VECO) totaled P879 million, higher than P871 million earnings in 2024 as sales volumes across customer classes grew year-on-year (YOY). ‘Vivant continued to show strong results despite the slower than expected GDP growth in the first nine months of the year. I am proud of the resilience of our teams as we navigated market challenges and saw positive results from our power generation, energy distribution, and wastewater treatment operations.’ said Arlo G. Sarmiento, Vivant CEO.

Vivant’s portfolio of conventional plants delivered a total of 3,211 GWh. Of which, on-grid volumes totaled 3,015 GWh while off-grid assets sold 196 GWh of energy to its customers.

Overall energy volumes sold saw a 15-percent decline during the period. Nonetheless, the net income contribution of the power generation business grew by 12 percent to P1.7 million driven by trading gains from the participation of certain plants in the RM and Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), as well as revenue from Ancillary Services Procurement Agreement (ASPA) contracts.

Meanwhile, North Bukidnon Power Corp. (NBPC) and Cebu Energy Development Corp. (CEDC) recorded the highest YOY increase in spot market energy sales at 102 percent and 36 percent, respectively. Total volume sold through ASPA contracts was also 9 percent higher due to the energy dispatched by Therma Visayas, Inc. (TVI) and Meridian Power Inc. (MPI).

Net income contribution from VECO was at P879 million slightly up from P871 million the prior year, driven by the three-percent growth in DU sales volumes. Residential customers recorded the highest increase in volume sold at four percent, followed by industrial at three percent and commercial at two percent.

Vivant’s water business recorded a P184-million income contribution in compared with the P11 million loss recorded in the same period the prior year. In June 2025, the company began recognition of finance income from the concession of 100 percent-owned Isla Mactan Cordova Corp. (IMCC) as a result of the signed 25-year joint venture agreement between VHHI and Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MWCD) to supply Metro Cebu with water clean and potable water.

Congratulations to all the chefs, professional cooks and kusineros, as well as the restaurateurs and their dining establishments for being named on the first Michelin Guide for the Philippines.

I attended the awarding ceremony last October 30, and the joy of all these culinary professionals winning a top international accolade was quite infectious. I may not be someone who had to study French culinary techniques or worked in some top-notch, fine-dining restaurant, but as someone who has slaved over a stove or two to feed friends and family, I understand how it feels to receive compliments for a dish or meal everyone has enjoyed.

That these chefs and their kitchen teams had to whip up their dishes consistently over time, making sure their hearts and souls go into every plate served, is an amazing feat and, thus, it does them justice to be named to the Guide.

Of course, to this day, people are still discussing and debating the lists (One/Two Stars, Select, Bib Gourmand) wondering how such and such restaurant made the cut, and why others didn’t. (No, the inspectors didn’t make it to Negros Island, so hipos na kamo, mga palangga. Maybe next year!)

I am particularly happy to see my two favorite establishments-Cirkulo of Chef J Gamboa and sister Malu, and China Blue by Jereme Leung at Conrad Manila-listed in the Select category, definitely a well-deserved recognition. (I am specially fond of the Gamboa siblings because despite all their success, they remain humble and friendly to all. Their immense affection for their restaurant staff is the reason many of the latter have stayed with the siblings for so long.)

There are a few interesting restaurants I’ve been to on the starred list, but I can’t describe them as favorites because I have yet to eat there more than two times in their lifetime. So perhaps, I will get to love them too in due time.

Cheers as well to Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, who worked hard to get the Guide to enter into a partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT). Unfortunately, it is a fact of life that the Guide will not come to the Philippines out of the goodness of its heart to rate our restaurants, like it does in Europe or the United States.

The sad reality is, like our neighbors in Southeast Asia, the DOT has had to pony up some millions of dollars to get the Guide to rate Philippine restaurants. (It probably doesn’t help that Michelin Tires doesn’t even sell enough of its products here these days especially with the onslaught of cheaper substititutes from China.)

I remember chatting one time with Tourism Secretary Mon Jimenez, who was then working to position the Philippines as a center of gastronomy in Southeast Asia. He had just successfully pulled off the first Madrid Fusion Manila, and in our discussion he said that if he wanted to, ‘I can get [the] Michelin Guide to come here.’

But I guess Sec. Mon knew it would not have been sustainable given the the sizeable amount of funds to pay the Guide, which the DOT did not have. So he just stuck with the partnership with Madrid Fusion to hold a Manila edition, which lasted for three years, carrying over to even his successor, Wanda Tulfo-Teo.

And so funds willing, Frasco hopes to continue the partnership with the Guide, hoping its foreign and local inspectors will also fan out to Iloilo, Bacolod and other parts of the Visayas, as well as Davao and its neighbors in Mindanao. As she said in our interview right after the Guide handed out the awards, ‘Our regional cuisine is so diverse, [these] really deserve to be highlighted.’ I agree. For one, a steaming bowl of batchoy at the La Paz Public Market in Iloilo is certainly worth repeated visits.

So will the Michelin Guide Philippines attract enough foreign tourists? That remains to be seen. It will be up to our hardworking tourism attaches abroad and DOT’s own marketing people (or consultants) to seize the Guide and weave its information into effective promotions for the Philippines.

NOW, it’s bad enough that the Philippines only received 4.77 million foreign visitors from January to October this year, but to have the DOT headlining earthquakes and typhoons on its own Facebook page seems counterproductive to its own efforts to encourage tourists to visit the country.

I doubt that the people who run the DOT’s social media accounts understand why these exist in the first place. Don’t they know that foreigners looking for information on how to travel to the Philippines peruse these accounts?

Good na sana that they read about the Philippines now having Michelin-starred restaurants, but then to see updates of all the natural disasters here, then photos of the Tourism Secretary handing out relief packs.parang mixed messaging, di ba? And yet they wonder why DOT’s partners canceled flights and bookings to Cebu?

I often read the government-run tourism pages of our Southeast Asian neighbors just to check out what’s happening in their neck of the woods. What page visitors will see are waterfalls, river cruises, old-world charm in their architecture, fun frenzied dancing, among other exciting activities tourists are sure to enjoy. Many of these countries are already promoting events happening in 2026.

Unfortunately, since this administration, the DOT social media accounts have become more politically-oriented than marketing-focused. I get that Secretary Frasco used to be a mayor, and politics is a way of life for her. But perhaps all photos and information of her activities relating to non- DOT matters (yes, like handing out relief goods in typhoon-affected areas) should be relegated t? her personal page, not the DOT’s.

DOT should be posting about what tourists can love about the Philippines-our colorful fiestas, scuba diving in the fish-fevered deep, relaxing spa massages, ziplining over tree canopies, or descriptions of our flavorful local cuisine. Not crumbling church walls, post-magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

Know your target audience, then share the information they most need.

CANADA has pledged over CAD 76.4 million (P3.21 billion) in new development projects and CAD 1.2 million (P50.4 million) in humanitarian assistance to support the Philippines’ recovery and long-term resilience.

The announcement was made by Canadian Secretary of State for International Development Randeep Sarai during his official visit to Manila on Friday.

Sarai expressed condolences for victims of recent earthquakes in Cebu and Davao, as well as typhoons Tino (Kalmagi) and Uwan (Fung-Wong), commending the Philippines’s evacuation of over one million residents as ‘a commendable capacity and strength.’

He warned that climate change is driving more frequent and severe storms, threatening lives and livelihoods across the region.

The new Canadian funding will target:

Disaster risk reduction and preparedness

Food and water security

Ecosystem protection and biodiversity conservation

Greenhouse gas reduction and energy security

Sexual and reproductive health services

Nutrition programs for children affected by conflict and malnutrition

12 key development projects approved

Canada’s investment will fund 12 new initiatives aligned with Philippine priorities:

Climate Resilient Agri-Food Trade Promotion Support (CRAFTS)-CAD 5M to help women-led SMEs adopt climate-smart technologies and access global markets.

Economic Linkages for Enhanced Value, Trade and Exports (ELEVaTE)-CAD 5M to boost export readiness for 400 SMEs, focusing on women entrepreneurs.

Disaster Resilient and Climate Adaptive Food Systems (DRCAFS)-CAD 9.1M to strengthen food security for 15,000 smallholder farmers in disaster-prone areas.

Building Capacities for Eco-Resilience-CAD 3.1M to restore 125,000 hectares of ecosystems and train 3,500 people in nature-based disaster risk reduction.

Addressing Stunting in the Philippines-CAD 7.1M to improve nutrition for 140,000 mothers and children under five.

Isla Maganda Peace Education Program-CAD 3.1M to deliver peace education to 44,000 children in conflict-affected regions.

Sustainable and Transformative Action to Realize SRHR (STARS)-CAD 7.1M to expand sexual and reproductive health services for women, girls, and LGBTQI+ individuals.

Building Resilience through Inclusive Development and Gender Equality (BRIDGE)-CAD 3.7M to address water stress and promote gender-responsive disaster planning.

Agsama Kape (Together for Coffee)-CAD 9.1M to help Indigenous women coffee farmers adopt climate-smart practices.

Empowering Stewardship in the Coral Triangle-CAD 11.15M to support women-led marine conservation across 65,000 hectares.

Energy is the Key to a Climate Stable Future (Enerkey)-CAD 11M to promote transport electrification and clean energy transition in the Philippines and Indonesia.

Toward Sustainable Energy

Security in Asean-CAD 2M to strengthen regional energy connectivity through the Asean Power Grid.

Aid with accountability

Funds will be delivered through multilateral and bilateral partners, not directly to government agencies, ensuring strict anti-corruption safeguards.

Sarai emphasized Canada’s long-term approach: ‘We look at it from a long-term perspective-building readiness, resilient infrastructure, and crops that can withstand disasters,’ he said, citing Canadian-backed potato varieties that tripled yields for Filipino farmers.

‘Investing in people and processes ensures communities can stand on their own.’

During his Manila visit, Sarai met withEnergy Secretary Sharon Garin, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel, and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan.

Discussions focused on energy cooperation, food security, and inclusive economic growth.

Canada remains one of the top six donors to the Philippines, having provided over CAD 1 billion in aid over decades. Sarai said stronger partnerships with like-minded nations will help Manila bolster sovereignty and resilience amid regional tensions.

I am looking out of the window of this huge hotel I have been holed up in for some two days now. The rains have not stopped; there was a window of about an hour of sunshine but then it got stormy again.

Travelling to this frontier land- the last as we are told always-one always believes one is treading on a territory that is not ours. Or one that is separate, different from us.

The tendency is to try to define the inhabitants here, the name of the people who properly live on this island. Proprietary citizens, we may call them. But the question is not easy. There is the Palawan; and there is also, to the consternation of the native, the Palawano.

But we listen to songs and the dialects, for somebody mentions the Cuyonon, a regional Bisayan language identified by the Summer Institute of Linguistics, and considered as lingua franca of Palawan. And before you could say Cuyo, there would be protests from the Batak and Tagbanua. For there would be other groups as well, each one claiming identity under the banner of Palawan.

Living on the island, however, brings us to contact with other groups. The Tausugs, for example, have ethnic memories of the Palawan as ‘Palawano Traan’ or those that have been scattered or ‘people in scattered places.’ Ethnography indicates the origins of these people from those found in the Tabon caves, a cave system located in Lipuun Point, Panitian, Quezon, in Palawan.

Reputedly the most popular cave system in the country, the Tabon Caves have been called ‘the cradle of civilization,’ due to the presence of the number of burial jars and prehistoric remains discovered in the area from the 1960s. The most well-known of the finds in this site was the ‘Tabon Man.’

Interestingly, the caves are named after the Tabon scrubfowl, a Philippine megapode, a medium-sized bird found also in the Philippines, northern Borneo and Sulawesi. The said bird, which nests on the shore near the sea, used to inhabit the area of Ticao island, which gave rise to the Tabon festival as celebrated on the said place. Whether there is truth to this origin myth or not, Palawan seems to hold a key to much of the mystery or history of the land.

Now, here I am looking out into the vast sea extending beyond the pools of this resort. I am tempted to look at the map because there is nothing out there except the sea. With the storm not abating, I sense now a country that is finding it difficult to mark its boundary.

The Spratly islands should be out there. Consisting of more than 100 reefs, islets and cays, and covering some 158,000 square miles, this composite should be an amazing resource for a country like ours. But the Spratly Islands have been disputed for a long time.

For one, the Spratly Islands are named after a British whaling navigator. With stakes in the islands are China, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, and the Philippines. The islands, as a result of these differences and claims, have Chinese, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Philippine names. Very much like the many inhabitants of Palawan, which are numerous and varied.

To add to the splendor of the land, one encounters the so-called ‘Taaw’t bato,’ which is often simplified into ‘taong bato, which literally means ‘people of the rock,’ a reference to those living in the southern interior of Palawan. One can go deeper and look for those who live in the upriver, pointing to those isolated from the rest. This categorization, of course, is common, even among other lowlanders when the direction of the stream divides the residents as to their residence.

I could belabor the point. This is a common affliction of one who is a stranger in one’s own island. Or of one who savors the loneliness or the allure of being a stranger in one’s island, where each day-each moment-a way of cooking and taste makes us wonder why we have lost our sense of self. Or, because beauty is such a vanishing tradition or one that is merely passing, and because even our own histories are phantasms we like to chase with modifiers and verbs that never make sense even to the native speaker.