Category: Business Mirror

The Bambusetum is becoming a mini bamboo forest in Zamboanga City from what began in 2001 as a one-hectare demonstration site within the Pasonanca Natural Park in Barangay Pasonanca.

The bamboo forest has assorted species ranging from native species like kawayan kiling and kawayan tinik to the towering botong, or giant bamboo, along with anos or bagakay, and the unfamiliar yet equally popular Thailand bamboo, iron bamboo, black bamboo, kayali, laak, and running bamboo.

The Bambusetum, established by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (DENR-ERDB) Region IX now serves as a center for research, education, and ecotourism.

Growing recognition

While the importance of bamboo is often overlooked, the development of the Bambusetum demonstrates the growing recognition of the plant’s social, economic, cultural, and ecological importance for Filipinos.

The Philippine government has integrated bamboo into its National Greening Program (NGP) since its inception in 2011. Executive Order 26, which established the NGP, listed bamboo among the preferred species for propagation and reforestation across eligible development areas.

That same year, the DENR issued Department Administrative Order 2011-11, which laid out the guidelines for producing nursery planting materials, specifically incorporating bamboo.

Globally, the recognition of bamboo is galvanized by the declaration of September 18 as World Bamboo Day to raise global awareness of bamboo’s economic, environmental, and social benefits and to promote its sustainable use.

Planting hope through a versatile plant

Behind the concept of establishing the Bambusetum is the noble idea that not everything is about today. Beyond what can be made from it, bamboo offers something less tangible: Continuity. A way to plant hope for people we may never meet.

Bamboo is not a tree, but a giant grass-and one of nature’s most versatile plants.

Its roots can help hold soil and support watersheds. Its rapid growth makes it a renewable material, while its ability to store carbon gives it a role in climate action.

It can also provide habitat, contribute to biodiversity, and create livelihood opportunities through products made from it.

Ecotourism destination

The Zamboanga City Bambusetum has now become an ecotourism destination for visitors and nature lovers, who come to marvel at the different types of bamboo and its potential aesthetic value in gardening and modern landscapes.

It also serves as a venue for environmental education, research demonstrations, and public awareness activities related to bamboo conservation and sustainable resource management.

Over the years, the facility has welcomed students, researchers, government personnel, environmental advocates, local communities, and other visitors who have participated in various educational, extension, and conservation-related activities.

These visits reflect the Bambusetum’s growing role as a center for learning, environmental awareness, and nature appreciation, while providing opportunities for visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the ecological, economic, and environmental importance of bamboo resources.

Green gold

Bamboo has earned the tag ‘green gold’ as it represents a highly lucrative economic asset while being exceptionally renewable and environmentally friendly.

There are 61 bamboo species in the Philippines, a third of which, about 20 species, are endemic to the country.

Early Filipinos have used bamboo for shelter, firewood, furniture, handicrafts, and countless other things. The traditional nipa hut (bahay kubo) makes use of bamboo for posts, flooring, walls, framing and trusses, windows, and doors.

Bamboo is also used extensively in farms-for fences, livestock pens, harvesting baskets, traditional irrigation pipes, trellises, and fruit-trees support.

In fisheries, it is used for fish corals (baklad), pens and cages; outriggers of fishing boats; rafts; fish and crab traps; and fishing poles.

Bamboo byproducts continue to evolve over the years. It is now used for interior design in hotels and homes; furniture made of bamboo is now exported worldwide.

Engineered bamboo floor tiles abound, and what used to be a basic table and chair at home, are now turned into export-quality, elegant furnitures for big hotels and restaurants.

Carbon sink

Bamboo is extremely important as a fast-growing, highly renewable natural resource that protects the environment, fights climate change, among the other benefits from it.

Most of its species mature in just three years to five years without needing replanting.

Clumping bamboo is similar to a ‘bunch grass’ that expands, forming a separate bunch near the original bunch.

It acts as a carbon sink and absorbs a large amount of carbon dioxide and produces clean oxygen. Because of its strong root network, it is effective in preventing soil erosion, regulates water flow in rivers and streams.

Being fast-growing, it is now being considered as an alternative fuel wood and charcoal wood.

Expanding bamboo forest

Cidur S. Julsadjiri, assistant protected area manager of the Pasonanca National Park, told the BusinessMirror on September 20, that they intend to increase the number of bamboo species in the Bambusetum from 10 to 20 in the next few years, with focus on conserving commercially viable species, including those that are considered ornamentals.

Since the Bambusetum covers just around 1 hectare, he said they intend to promote its cultivation-encouraging every local government unit in Zamboanga to start their own bamboo plantation.

Besides its environmental uses, bamboo serves as food and home to endemic animal species. Long-tailed macaques are known to feast on bamboo leaves. Monitor lizards use its thick bunch as protection against other predators.

Bamboo shoots (labong) are also a favorite dish in the Philippines.

‘Bamboo is economically important,’ he said, citing its many uses from furniture to floor tiles.

Nature-based solutions against biodiversity loss

Executive Director Jerome Montemayor of the Asean Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) commended the ERDB-Forest and Wetland Research, Development and Extension Center (FWRDEC) in establishing the Bambusetum within the Pasonanca National Park, one of the region’s 71 Asean Heritage Parks (AHPs).

‘A well-managed bambusetum maximises the impact of nature-based solutions to combat biodiversity loss, foster sustainable livelihoods, provide a living laboratory for research and development, and empower communities to safeguard natural wealth,’ he told the BusinessMirror via email on September 21.

According to Montemayor, the usefulness of bamboo species was evident in the results of the Biodiversity-based Products Project of the ACB.

It was able to establish a bamboo furniture and handicraft value chain for nearly a hundred households in four villages surrounding Nam Ha National Protected Area, an AHP in Lao PDR.

Montemayor shared that the ACB’s Small Grants Programme also empowered women’s groups in Gunung Leuser National Park, an AHP in Indonesia, by assisting the establishment of three women-led credit cooperatives, providing them with loans and other financial products that enabled the production and sales of various bamboo crafts.

‘In addition to its contributions to research and in increasing public awareness, we hope that this initiative will truly complement and inspire more people-driven ecologically sound ecosystem restoration efforts for a shared sustainable future,’ he said.

Avoid ‘exotic’ species

For her part, international biodiversity expert Theresa Mundita S. Lim, executive director of Miriam College’s Environmental Studies Institute, also lauded the initiative of the DENR-ERDB to establish the Bambusetum.

However, she took note that managers of the facility should always put a premium on planting native species only.

‘I welcome initiatives that highlight the ecological, economic and livelihood potential of bamboo. I hope, however, that the continuing development of the Bambusetum will start to put more emphasis on our native Philippine bamboo species, many of which also have considerable potential for sustainable utilization and value-added products,’ said Lim, a former DENR-Biodiversity Management Bureau director and executive director of the ACB, via Messenger on September 21.

‘This [use of native Philippine bamboo species] is particularly important because the Bambusetum is located within Pasonanca Natural Park,’ she said.

Lim explained that under the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, protected areas are intended primarily for the conservation of native plants and animals and their habitats, and the establishment or introduction of exotic species within protected areas is prohibited.

‘The Bambusetum, therefore, presents a wonderful opportunity not only to demonstrate the many uses of bamboo, but also to showcase our own native bamboo diversity-and how conservation, research, education and sustainable livelihoods can reinforce one another. Where ‘exotic’ species are already present, appropriate measures should also be taken to ensure that they do not spread into the surrounding natural ecosystem,’ she said.

Premium alternative

‘We have always considered bamboo as a premier alternative to metal or plastic,’ said Gregg Yan, executive director of Best Alternatives, an organization that promotes eco-friendly solutions to industries that impact the environment.

‘Bamboo is a raw material that’s as strong as steel and as versatile as plastic. It absorbs carbon dioxide as it grows, and since it is completely biodegradable, it generates zero waste at the end of its life cycle…it is affordable, it’s rugged, and honestly, it just makes sense to use it to replace many of the metal or plastic products we’re using today.’

Climate advocate John Leo Algo of Aksyon Klima Pilipinas said initiatives like the Bambusetum are welcomed to emphasize the significance of bamboo, and, by extension, nature and nature-based solutions.

Science-based expansion

‘The Bambusetum can provide a template on how to further raising awareness and understanding of nature conservation, research, environmental education, and public engagement.

While more ‘bamboo forests’ are eyed down the line, ‘we cannot emphasize enough that expansion should remain science-based and consistent with the ecological objectives of a protected area, especially the use of native and locally appropriate bamboo species and protecting natural forests from invasive species and destructive practices,’ Algo said.

‘The DENR must also strengthen on-the-ground ecological monitoring and its cooperation with local stakeholders, especially local communities, in conducting relevant activities. Lessons must have already been learned from what happened with the NGP,’ he said.

In Rodriguez, Rizal, bamboo is becoming more than a natural resource-it is opening doors to new livelihood opportunities and more sustainable fuel production, with support from the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The partnership among DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI), Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Brgy. Puray Upland Farmers Association Inc., and the Tribal Council Association of Puray Inc. aims to establish a community-based enterprise that will convert locally available bamboo into charcoal briquettes in Barangay Puray.

‘Livelihood and environmental protection do not have to be competing goals. With the right technology, communities can use resources, such as bamboo, while reducing reliance on wood for charcoal. This project shows that economic opportunities and environmental protection can go hand in hand,’ said Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr.

Through the initiative, the people’s organizations will be trained to produce and potentially market bamboo charcoal briquettes.

Livelihood meets sustainability

Charcoal briquetting converts carbonized biomass and charcoal fines into compact fuel by mixing them with a binder and compressing the mixture using a briquetting machine. DOST-FPRDI has developed both manual and hydraulic briquetting machines.

The resulting briquettes are compact and easy to handle, burn more slowly, and can produce more intense heat per unit volume than ordinary charcoal.

Besides bamboo, the technology can also process coconut shells, coconut husks, coffee bean hulls, sawdust, and other agro-forest wastes.

‘This gives communities greater flexibility in sourcing materials and creates opportunities to turn agricultural and forest residues into useful fuel products rather than allowing them to go to waste,’ explained DOST-FPRDI Director Rico J. Cabangon.

Rodriguez, Rizal provides a strong foundation for the initiative, with about 1,642 hectares of bamboo plantations in Barangay Puray.

The participating organizations are also managing substantial bamboo areas, including 167 hectares under Remontado Balik Kalikasan Inc., 197 hectares under the Brgy. Puray Upland Farmers Association Inc., and nearly 300 hectares under the Tribal Council Association of Puray Inc.

The project reflects DOST-FPRDI’s broader efforts to promote technologies that help communities make productive use of locally available biomass. By providing alternatives to traditional wood charcoal and creating value from bamboo and other agro-forest wastes, charcoal briquetting can support both livelihood development and more sustainable resource use.

According to Cabangon, transferring the technology does not simply mean providing equipment. Instead, the project was built around the resources, facilities, and capabilities that each organization already has.

DOST-FPRDI conducted site assessments and recommended facility layouts and equipment arrangements suited to the communities’ existing spaces and resources. To make the technology manageable, the project will begin with small-scale production using manual briquetting machines.

The equipment will be provided to the three participating organizations as they build the skills needed to operate the technology.

‘Delivering the equipment is only the first step. What matters is whether communities can operate it, build the skills to use it, and eventually make it part of a viable livelihood. That is why we are starting with equipment and production scale suited to what these organizations already have, so they can grow their capabilities and expand as they gain experience,’ he said.

Through continued collaboration with local partners, DOST-FPRDI seeks to ensure that technologies are not only transferred to communities, but adapted to their needs and developed into opportunities they can sustain.

Hikiniku translates to ‘minced’ or ‘ground meat’ in Japanese, a fitting name for Hikiniku to Come, the global dining phenomenon that has gained a following in Japan and the Philippines.

Famous for its signature concept of freshly ground, charcoal-grilled beef patties served over steaming hot rice, the restaurant relies on a remarkably simple single-set menu. Yet foodies are eagerly lining up at its newest branch in SM Megamall. Given the irresistible aroma and theatrical dining experience, it is hard not to fall in love with the concept.

The popular Japanese restaurant officially expanded its Philippine presence with the opening of its second branch on September 18, 2026. Located on the third floor of Mega Fashion Hall in SM Megamall, the opening marks the brand’s first venture into an SM shopping center. By bringing its theatrical, freshly grilled dining format to one of Metro Manila’s premier retail hubs, the concept is now accessible to a broader audience. This follows the successful launch of its flagship Philippine store at Uptown Mall in Bonifacio Global City last year.

The original ‘on-the-rice’ experience

FIRST introduced in Japan in 2020, Hikiniku to Come pioneered a dining format centered on a simple but distinctive idea: freshly grilled Hamburg served directly over freshly cooked rice. This ‘on-the-rice’ style quickly gained popularity, expanding across Japan and other parts of Asia.

At Hikiniku to Come, the experience is built around enjoying Hamburg at its freshest, grilled to order, served immediately and paired with hot, freshly prepared rice.

At the heart of the restaurant is the simple belief that food is best enjoyed at the exact moment it is made, a philosophy that shapes everything from ingredient preparation and kitchen operations to restaurant layout and service.

This commitment is embodied in the brand’s signature Three-Fresh Principle. First, the restaurant serves freshly ground 100-percent beef, which is ground on-site every morning under strict temperature and timing controls to preserve optimal flavor, texture, and freshness. The freshly ground meat is then shaped into Hamburg patties and cooked directly in front of guests, allowing each portion to be enjoyed within seconds of leaving the grill.

Finally, the experience is completed with freshly cooked Japanese short-grain rice, which is prepared in small batches every 20 minutes throughout the day, ensuring that every bowl is served steaming hot from first to last.

Together, these elements deliver the signature Hikiniku to Come experience at its freshest.

Brought to the Philippines by The Standard Group

HIKINIKU to Come’s Philippine expansion is led by The Standard Group, whose portfolio is built around scaling concepts anchored on a single dish done right. Standard’s model is to protect what makes a dish work-from sourcing and technique to timing-and replicate that discipline branch by branch.

The opening of its second Philippine location within a year, with a third store already confirmed for Q1 2027, reflects Standard Group’s deliberate approach: expansion paced by operational readiness and consistency, not just demand.

‘Hikiniku to Come lives by three principles: just ground, just grilled and just cooked,’ shared Nicole Concepcion-Salud, group brand manager at The Standard Group.

”Just ground’ pertains to the quality of the meat. We use choice cuts of Wagyu beef, ground fresh every morning and portioned right in front of you; it is never kept overnight. ‘Just grilled’ speaks to the theatricality of cooking right before your eyes. They are probably one of the most meticulous and perfectionist brands I’ve ever known. The meat has to be cooked at a high temperature and at a precise angle to the grill. If there is even a single crack on the patty or if it isn’t cooked to perfection, it is discarded.’

Concepcion-Salud added that ‘just cooked’ focuses on the rice.

‘Rice is definitely not an afterthought. We use Niigata short-grain rice cooked in traditional hagama pots every 20 minutes. Every bowl of rice you eat is truly ‘just cooked.”

Menu and dining setup

THE Hikiniku to Come set costs ?850 and includes three 90-gram hamburger steaks, unlimited refills of freshly cooked rice, miso soup, homemade ponzu with grated daikon, various condiments and pickles, and one raw egg.

Designed as a shared culinary showcase, the location replaces traditional dining tables with four U-shaped communal counters. At the center of each counter is an open charcoal grill where chefs prepare the signature patties directly in front of guests.

Directly in front of each seat is a personal wire-mesh grill where the chef places the cooked patties to keep them warm until they are transferred to a rice bowl. Large industrial overhead ducts hover closely above each station to capture smoke instantly, allowing guests to enjoy the immersive grill experience without leaving smelling like they have come from a barbecue pit.

Chef Fhred Batalona’s homecoming through Palay+ brings Filipino chefs from home and abroad together in a culinary exchange.

For Filipino chef Fhred Batalona, coming home was never simply about bringing his Melbourne cooking back to the Philippines. It was about sitting down at the table again-and discovering what he could learn.

That spirit came to life at Palay+, an immersive 10-course dining experience held on September 26, 2026, at Eastwood Café + Bar, featuring Batalona and the culinary team of Megaworld Global Hotels and Resorts (MGHR).

The event marked the first collaboration under Salo-Salo, MGHR’s new culinary initiative that brings Filipino chefs from around the world together with chefs in the Philippines.

It’s about exchange

The concept goes beyond the traditional guest-chef format.

‘This is not just your guest chef program,’ MGHR Corporate Chef Franco ‘Panky’ Lopez said during the launch of Salo-Salo. ‘Salo-Salo is about exchange.’

A Filipino chef working abroad, he explained, brings experiences shaped by another market and another kitchen culture. Local chefs, meanwhile, bring direct knowledge of the country’s regions, ingredients, traditions, and the way Filipino hospitality is lived every day.

‘When those perspectives meet, both sides should leave with something new,’ Lopez said.

That exchange is at the heart of Palay+.

For Batalona, it also represents a particularly meaningful homecoming.

He moved to Melbourne 11 years ago, initially focused on becoming better at his profession. Living away from the Philippines eventually made him look at his own culture differently, particularly the food he had grown up with.

Simple experiences

He recalled simple experiences-from street food and fried bread to his mother’s cooking-that took on greater significance when viewed from a distance.

‘Your mom’s cooking,’ he said, became part of his understanding of food as something that nourishes, something eaten every day, and something shared with family.

That realization eventually found expression in his culinary work in Australia.

Beginning in 2021, Batalona developed events that showcased Filipino food and culture to Melbourne audiences. His work eventually led to Palay, his restaurant in Fitzroy, where he draws from his Filipino roots while incorporating techniques and influences acquired from cooking other cuisines.

Yet even after establishing himself in Melbourne, Batalona remained curious about Filipino food and the ways he could continue to reinterpret it.

That curiosity brought him home.

‘Coming home to the Philippines and having the opportunity to share Palay+ with Filipino diners is something I’m truly grateful for,’ Batalona said. ‘Palay was created from my love for Filipino food and culture, so bringing this experience back home feels especially meaningful.’

But Palay+ was not simply a homecoming performance.

It was a two-way exchange.

Collaboration and reconnection

Batalona worked alongside MGHR’s chefs, whose own culinary practice is rooted in Filipino ingredients, regional traditions, and the experience of cooking for local diners. The collaboration allowed him to reconnect with flavors he knew from home while encountering ideas and approaches from chefs working here.

‘I’m also thankful to Megaworld Global Hotels and Resorts for opening its doors to this collaboration and allowing us to create something together with their chefs,’ Batalona said. ‘I look forward to sharing our stories through food, learning from the team, and hopefully giving Filipino diners a fresh perspective on the flavors and traditions we all grew up with.’

For MGHR, that kind of exchange represents the next stage of its culinary platform.

LaMeza began in 2022 as a tasting-menu concept and evolved into a platform where MGHR chefs could reinterpret Filipino dishes while exploring the stories and traditions behind them. Salo-Salo expands that conversation by inviting Filipino culinary voices from overseas to the table.

‘The mesa became both a way to reawaken culinary artistry and to ask, how do we create a modern Filipino table that the world can discover while staying connected to where our food comes from?’ Lopez said.

With Salo-Salo, that question has become broader: Who else should be part of the table, and what can the Philippines contribute to the global conversation about Filipino cuisine?

For Batalona, the answer is not necessarily about making Filipino food conform to someone else’s definition of sophistication.

Elevating Filipino food?

During the launch of the collaboration, he challenged the familiar idea that Filipino food always needs to be ‘elevated.’

‘I don’t want to elevate Filipino food anymore,’ he said. ‘I think elevation is how open our mouth is.’

For him, the more important question is: ‘What can be Filipino food?’

It is a question that leaves room for evolution without losing one’s roots.

Filipino cuisine can travel from Manila to Melbourne and back again. It can absorb new techniques, respond to different audiences, and take on new forms, while remaining connected to the ingredients, memories, and traditions that shaped it.

That is what makes a culinary exchange like Palay+ more than a one-night dining experience.

Same culinary heritage

It creates a conversation between Filipino chefs who have taken different paths but remain connected by the same culinary heritage.

And perhaps that is the real meaning of Salo-Salo: not simply gathering around a table, but making the table big enough for different experiences, perspectives, and possibilities.

As Lopez put it, the measure of success is not only the dish that eventually reaches the table, but what the collaboration leaves behind-‘new thinking, stronger relationships, and new opportunities for Filipino culinary talent.’

Carlos Yulo is entitled to P4 million in cash incentives from the government for winning two gold medals in the men’s artistic gymnastics competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games.

Yulo arrived in Manila over the weekend following a spectacular showing at the Asian Games in Japan.

Under Republic Act (RA) 10699, the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, an Asian Games gold medalist is entitled to a P2-million cash incentive. A silver medalist is expected to receive P1 million and a bronze medalist P400,000.

Yulo won the men’s floor exercise and vault events. His younger brother Karl Eldrew earned the bronze medal in the horizontal bar last Thursday.

The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), headed by Chairman Patrick Gregorio, is expected to announce the distribution of the Asian Games cash incentives next month.

The 26-year-old Carlos, a three-time world champion and Paris Olympic double-gold medalist, returned to Manila on Saturday with the 18-year-old Karl Eldrew.

Yulo’s longtime coach Allen Castañeda is set to receive P2 million for guiding Yulo to his two gold medals and an additional P200,000 for Karl Eldrew’s bronze.

Mixed martial artist Jean Claude Saclag is also set to receive P1 million for his silver medal in the traditional MMA men’s -65kg event.

The Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 team of Maria Pasilang, Kennan Ka, Kacey Dela Rosa, and Amyah Espanol will share the P1 million incentive for their silver-medal finish.

The other six bronze medalists are weightlifter Ian delos Santos, karateka Marie June Adriano, MMA fighter Carlos Alvarez, the soft tennis team, and the women’s karate kata team.

NAGOYA-Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala launches her quest for her first Asian Games gold medal against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej in a Round of 16 on Monday at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.

If the Women’s Tennis Association rankings are the basis, Eala, 21, is a clear favorite as world No. 18 over the Thai who’s No. 510 on top of having defeated the 31-year-old Thai, 6-3, 6-4, at the 2022 International Tennis Federation Thailand 05A event.

Eala, however, is coming off a disappointment in Singapore where she lost to world No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, in a WTA500 event only last week.

‘I think I have as big a chance as any other person on the draw [in the Asian Games],’ said Eala following her Singapore loss. ‘I think once you compete and, like I said, once you’re in the draw, you have a chance so I’ll do my best.’

Cheapchandej advanced to the second round following a dominant 6-1, 6-1 victory over Pakistan’s Mahin Aftab Qureshi.

Eala is aiming to build on her bronze medal from the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and contribute to the Philippines’s gold tally, which currently stands at two following gymnastics star Carlos Yulo’s achievements.

She will team up with Shaira Hope Rivera in women’s doubles, opening against Hong Kong’s Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu.

Abalone, pigeon, and Wagyu are not the first ingredients that come to mind when one thinks of a Spanish tasting menu.

But Chef Gale Tan Sun of Asador de Manila was never aiming for the usual. With French training, Chinese heritage, and a repertoire spanning several cuisines, he brings a perspective on Spanish cooking shaped by influences beyond the cuisine itself.

That approach was evident in Vino y Fuego, a four-course tasting menu at World Cellar, World Kitchens in Gateway Mall 2 in Araneta City, where familiar techniques and ingredients were given room to move beyond their usual culinary associations.

‘It’s exciting. At the same time, I’m very nervous. I’m not sure how the guests would take our food,’ Tan Sun told BusinessMirror after the dinner.

The chef said he wanted the menu to be different, using Spanish and imported ingredients while drawing from his experience across cuisines.

‘I want something different. Something different. Not the usual,’ he said.

A Spanish menu with familiar influences

THE meal began with Abalone and Mushroom, a dish that perhaps best reflected the chef’s Chinese roots. Abalone was paired with wild mushroom duxelles, truffle, saffron paella, abalone jus and a crisp tuile.

The shellfish is a familiar ingredient in Chinese cuisine, but here it was placed within a dish that leaned into Spanish flavors, particularly through the saffron paella. It was a subtle introduction to the idea behind the menu: rather than keeping culinary traditions in separate boxes, Tan Sun allowed them to meet on the same plate.

The course was paired with Clos Montblanc Cava Brut Rosé, whose gentle sweetness and bubbles provided a light start to the meal.

From there, the menu moved to Pigeon and Fig, pairing roasted pigeon breast and confit leg with cauliflower purée, glazed fig, Marcona almond, sherry vinegar and pigeon jus.

Pigeon may be familiar in Chinese cooking, but Tan Sun approached it differently.

Instead of deep-frying the bird, the leg was slow-cooked in its own fat, while the breast was roasted to retain its tenderness and develop a crisp exterior.

The pigeon’s gamey character was balanced by fresh French figs, which brought sweetness and juiciness to the dish. Sherry vinegar added acidity, while Marcona almonds contributed texture and nuttiness.

The wine pairing, Collefrisio ‘In and Out’ Montepulciano d’Abruzzo 2010, brought darker fruit flavors, including black cherry and blackcurrant, along with mineral notes that worked with the richness of the pigeon.

The third course shifted from game to beef with Wagyu Beef and Bone Marrow.

Charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef rump was served with potato bravas, caramelized onion, bone marrow, smoked paprika and Rioja jus. The beef was rubbed with bone marrow before hitting the grill, giving it added richness, while the charcoal supplied a smoky character.

The potato component was prepared with thinly sliced potatoes cooked with butter, compressed and cut into shape, while caramelized onions added sweetness. Smoked paprika and shoyu brought another layer of savory depth.

It was paired with Bosio Boschi dei Signori Barolo, a wine with enough structure to stand alongside the richness of the beef and bone marrow.

The final course, Pavlova and Spanish Peach, offered a lighter finish. Crisp pavlova was paired with Spanish peach, vanilla mascarpone cream, salted latik and calamansi. The combination brought together sweetness, creaminess and acidity, with calamansi keeping the dessert from becoming too heavy.

A glass of Brilla Moscato NV completed the meal.

From French training to Spanish cooking

WHILE Vino y Fuego was presented as a Spanish-inspired experience, Tan Sun’s route to Asador de Manila was shaped by a much broader culinary journey.

He studied culinary arts and trained in French cuisine, but eventually worked across different styles of cooking. Before joining World Kitchen, he ran a small commissary in Manila and worked in food consultancy.

His restaurant journey also took an unexpected turn during the pandemic.

‘I was always into food,’ he said.

When the pandemic pushed much of the food industry toward delivery, Tan Sun began offering food through the emerging delivery market. His focus on cochinillo eventually caught the attention of World Kitchen, which later invited him to join its dining concepts.

That became Asador de Manila, his first restaurant branch.

Cochinillo remains one of his specialties, although it did not take center stage during Vino y Fuego. Instead, the tasting menu gave him space to explore a broader side of his cooking.

Growing carefully, staying hands-on

FOR Tan Sun, however, expanding the restaurant is not simply a matter of opening as many branches as possible. He hopes to expand next year but plans to remain within Metro Manila for now.

‘If you open up a restaurant, you should be hands-on. It’s hard if it’s far,’ he said, noting that maintaining consistency is part of the reason he prefers to keep the operation within reach.

A different take on Spanish food

FOR diners discovering Asador de Manila for the first time, his invitation is simple: try something outside the expected.

‘Experience something different,’ Tan Sun said. ‘It’s our take on what Spanish food should be. But a different take.’

And perhaps that is the most fitting description of Vino y Fuego. It is not an attempt to make every ingredient unmistakably Spanish. Instead, it gives a chef with multiple culinary influences room to interpret Spanish cooking in his own way across the four courses.

The dinner was part of World Cellar’s Saturday series at World Kitchens, where different themes are featured each week and selected wines are paired with menus created by chefs across its dining concepts.

World Cellar houses around 4,000 bottles across 400 labels from around the world and has been recognized by Wine Spectator with an Award of Excellence.

As the Philippines prepares to introduce nuclear power and moves to build a higher-value critical minerals industry, Filipino researchers are revisiting a resource the country has studied for decades: uranium in Camarines Norte, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (DOST-PNRI) announced.

Researchers from the University of the Philippines Diliman, the DOST-PNRI, and Akita University in Japan have developed an integrated mineral-processing method for uranium-bearing materials.

Their study focused on Bessemer, Larap, Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte, a historic center that has long been associated with uranium exploration in the country.

Their work confirmed that uraninite is the main uranium-bearing mineral on the surface deposits examined in the study.

The study also revealed that the material can be processed into a product with higher uranium content.

This finding is an important step toward further research on producing uranium concentrate, commonly known as ‘yellowcake,’ an intermediate material used in the nuclear fuel cycle.

The study arrives at a timely moment as the country moves forward to include nuclear power in the future energy mix. The Philippine Energy Plan targets the entry of at least 1,200 megawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2032.

Meanwhile, Executive Order 122, issued in August 2026, established a national framework for developing the Philippine critical minerals industry, emphasizing investment, local mineral processing, value addition, and downstream industries.

Together, these national directions highlight a growing need for Philippine expertise not only in nuclear energy, but also in understanding and developing the country’s mineral resources.

Returning to Larap with modern science

The Larap-Paracale district has been explored for uranium for decades. The material used in the new study came from Bessemer, Larap, a newly-identified area for uranium mineralization. The sampled mineralized zone was about half-meter wide where 180 kilograms of material were collected for laboratory testing, the DOST-PNRI said.

Using techniques-such as microscopy, X-ray diffraction and modern elemental analysis-the researchers confirmed the presence of uraninite grains among copper-, molybdenum- and iron-bearing minerals.

Identifying the minerals that contain uranium is important because their physical and chemical properties determine how the uranium can be separated and recovered.

According to the researchers, the original material contained 244 parts per million (ppm) of uranium, along with 0.57 percent copper, 0.49 percent molybdenum and 13.5 percent iron.

The researchers first used flotation, a method that separates materials such as copper- and molybdenum-bearing sulfides.

Then they processed the remaining material through magnetic separation, which removed magnetite, an iron-rich magnetic material, and further concentrated uranium in the non-magnetic fraction.

The combined process increased the uranium concentration from 244 ppm to 305 ppm, while recovering about 73 percent of the uranium in the final product.

Microscopic examination after processing also revealed that some uraninite grains had been separated from the surrounding mineral matrix.

This indicates that the process can effectively improve the concentration of uraninite and produce a material suitable for further uranium recovery.

However, the resulting material is not yet yellowcake or nuclear fuel. Rather, the study showed that it can serve as a starting material for the next stages of processing, such as leaching and purification to produce yellowcake, the DOST-PNRI explained.

A resource question that only drilling can answer

The study confirms that uranium mineralization is present at the surface and that the uranium-bearing material can be upgraded. What it cannot determine yet is how much uranium exists underground.

Because the present work examined only the surface, it does not establish the depth of the deposit, how thick it is, or how deep and widespread the uranium-bearing zones are.

Determining whether Larap has enough uranium resource to be considered as having potentially economic significance will require a much larger exploration program. Such work will include detailed geological, radiometric, and geophysical surveys followed by systematic drilling and analysis of drill cores.

It would need geologists to map the mineralization in a three-dimensional way and estimate the extent of the deposits as well as the uranium content. Only after such work can geologists confidently assess the area’s resource potential.

This represents a clear opportunity for the next phase of the work. Government agencies, research institutions, mining and exploration companies, and potential private-sector investors could help move forward the investigation from surface studies to full-scale exploration of what lies underground.

If drilling establishes a significant resource, more studies would still be needed to assess mining and processing economics, environmental and radiological impacts, regulatory requirements, and community considerations before any possible development.

More than a uranium story

The material found in Larap contains several valuable minerals, not just uranium.

During processing, the researchers were able to separate different minerals-such as copper and molybdenum in one part of the process, as well as iron-bearing magnetite. Uranium, meanwhile, became more concentrated in the final nonmagnetic material.

This multi-resource approach is relevant to the direction of EO 122, which seeks to move the Philippines beyond raw mineral extraction toward greater domestic processing and value creation.

The government is still developing the official Philippine Critical Minerals List, so the study does not presume which of these resources will ultimately be formally designated as critical minerals.

The findings help determine the geological, analytical, and mineral-processing capability the country will need to properly evaluate complex domestic mineral resources and determine how more of their value can be captured in the Philippines.

The broader significance of the research is therefore not that the Philippines is ready to produce its own nuclear fuel. More so, the study proves that Filipino scientists are rebuilding the capability to understand a domestic uranium occurrence, determine how its uranium can be concentrated, and identify the next scientific questions needed to establish whether the resource warrants further development, the DOST-PNRI pointed out.

For Larap, that next question is now clear: what lies beneath the surface, and is there enough of it to justify the next stage of exploration?

The research was funded by the Department of Science and Technology Grants-in-Aid Program through the NuCycle Program-NuMER Project, and implemented jointly by UP Diliman’s Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering and DOST-PNRI.

A shortage of workers in yarn production is disrupting the country’s handloom textile supply chain, which has led some farmers to stop planting fiber crops and left weavers struggling to secure yarn, according to the Philippines’ Science chief.

During the recent opening of the 2026 Philippine Handloom Weaving Festival (PHWFL) at a mall in Araneta City, Cubao, Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr. said the lack of machinery and workers for yarn production has weakened demand for agricultural materials that can be processed into fibers.

As a result, some farmers in areas that previously produced fiber crops have stopped planting because there is no viable market for their output, he said.

Solidum said the situation points to a broader gap in the country’s innovation ecosystem, where producers of raw materials are not sufficiently connected to industries capable of processing them into textile inputs.

‘We can clearly see that this is necessary. It is important that not only the national government but also the private sector step in and play a role in this effort, because this is what our country needs: an organization that can scale up the processing and manufacturing of the necessary materials so that more of our fellow Filipinos can produce them,’ he explained.

‘If there are better facilities that can be established to produce more yarn, then production can be done on a larger scale,’ Solidum added, noting that this would not only support handloom weaving but also expand the production of locally made garments.

He said a stronger yarn manufacturing sector could also generate jobs beyond weaving, including positions in yarn-production facilities, garment manufacturing and retail.

‘It would be better if the private industry would takeover to make it more profitable,’ he noted.

Bridging the yarn gap

Part of the government’s efforts to address the supply gap is the establishment of Regional Yarn Production and Innovation Centers (RYPICs), which are intended to process locally available fibers into yarn for weaving and textile production.

Among these is the RYPIC in the Ilocos Region, which can produce up to 13 metric tons of yarn annually under an eight-hour operating schedule, with the potential to increase output by extending operating hours.

The facility at Isabela State University-Ilagan Campus can produce about 50 kilograms of yarn per day, while the RYPIC in Cotabato has an annual production capacity of up to 40 metric tons.

However, Solidum said the existing capacity remains insufficient because demand for yarn extends beyond handloom weavers.

He pointed to the government’s own requirements for locally produced textiles under Republic Act 9242, or the Philippine Tropical Fabrics (PTF) Act, which requires government agencies and offices to use locally produced Philippine tropical fabrics for official uniforms and attire.

Beyond increasing production and demand, the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Textile Research Institute has also been working to connect local weavers with consumers. This was among the aims of the three-day PHWF, which featured 30 weaving communities from across the country.

Last year’s PHWF in Ilocos generated more than P3.3 million over four days, with more than 120 weavers from 40 communities participating. The HIBLA Weavers’ Fair held in Araneta City in May generated another P4.1 million.

‘These numbers are important. But behind every peso is something even more important: A weaver who earned. A family who is assured of food on the table, sent their children to school, and accessed health care, a skill and tradition that is sustained,’ Solidum said.

He said the handloom sector demonstrates how an innovation can become a tradition while creating opportunities for further innovation and income generation.

‘That is the kind of impact that we want Philippine science and technology to have,’ Solidum said.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the world cannot ‘allow countries and cultures to vanish beneath the waves’ on Thursday as the General Assembly approved its first declaration on sea-level rise.

This statement is meant to shift the international response to the rise in sea level driven by humans from fragmented initiatives to sustained, coordinated and adequately-funded action. It comes as country after country has lamented the toll of climate change in speeches this week and called for collective action.

Contrarily, US President Donald Trump repeatedly calls climate change a hoax, a con job or a scam.

Here are the world leaders in their own words:

‘Until recently, the response to climate change was firmly established at the center of the international agenda. This year, however, the topic disappeared from the debates of the G7 and G20, forums that bring together the largest carbon emitters. It is time to resume the offensive and inflict a defeat on denialism. Nature reminds us every day that we live on one planet. The glaciers in the Himalayas are melting. The super El Nino may cause torrential rains, droughts and forest fires in different parts of the globe.’- Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, president of BrazilTHE SITUATION: Climate change and deforestation threaten the Amazon. A strong El Nino, a cyclic warming of the equatorial Pacific, causes higher temperatures and drier weather in the rainforest, conditions that worsen wildfires.

‘What we experienced in Nepal was Himalayan tsunami. But the larger looming threat is even more consequential. It is not only the devastation we mourn today; it is for greater danger that lies ahead if the world continues to look away… I call upon you to treat climate action not as a charity, but as a matter of justice.’ – Shisir Khanal, minister of foreign affairs for Nepal

THE SITUATION: Human-caused global warming thinned glaciers and thawed mountain permafrost, likely helping to destabilize the Himalayan slope that collapsed last month and unleashed catastrophic flooding across Nepal, according to a World Weather Attribution report. More than 1,300 people were killed and over 5,000 remain missing.

‘To protect the lives of present and future generations, all states must take serious action to tackle global warming. I believe that climate action and economic growth can go hand-in-hand.’- Sanae Takaichi, prime minister of Japan

THE SITUATION: Japan is working to protect communities from warming and has pledged to slash emissions, but extreme heat remains a threat in the short term.

‘I think this summer was a summer of truth. The recent summer months have been, as we heard from the scientists, the hottest on record, but may be the coolest for the years to come.’ – Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission

THE SITUATION: Europe is heating up twice as fast as the global rate, making it the fastest-warming continent.

‘By the end of this century, 12 to 18% of our coastal areas could be submerged by sea level rise, affecting the livelihoods of tens of millions. Climate change has caused loss and damage equivalent to 1% of our GDP. And our food security is at serious risk.’ – Tarique Rahman, prime minister of Bangladesh

THE SITUATION: The low-lying geography of Bangladesh makes it one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change.

‘Cabo Verde speaks with the same voice as other countries that are also living the climate crisis every day. For us, climate change is not a distant risk. It is an existential reality affecting our economies, our food and water security, our coastlines and ultimately our people’s future.’- Francisco Carvalho, prime minister of Cape Verde

THE SITUATION: Cape Verde, like other small island developing states, is grappling with rising sea levels and increasingly powerful storms that erode shorelines, submerge land and threaten homes and livelihoods.

‘Nearly a third of the world’s tuna is caught in Pacific waters. And it’s moving east into the high seas. More than a quarter of our people live within a kilometer of the shore. Six of our communities have already moved. Two more are moving now. And half a degree is not a rounding error. For us, it is the difference between adaptation and relocation.’ – Naiqama Lalabalavu, president of Fiji

THE SITUATION: Lalabalavu cited projections that by 2050, the fish available to each Fijian is projected to fall by nearly a quarter, from 41 kilograms (90 pounds) a year to about 31. And more than half of that loss comes from climate change, he said.

‘The climate crisis is often referred to as a ‘global group project shared by all 8 billion people on Earth.’ A single country cannot tackle this challenge alone. At the same time, abandoning growth cannot bring everyone on board.’- Lee Jae Myung, president of Korea

THE SITUATION: The impact of extreme weather worsened by climate change is far-reaching in South Korea. Farmers face higher costs and must use more labor to produce the same or lower yields.

‘We live in a fragmented world. Nations are turning inward. Promises are made loudly and kept quietly, if at all. Each country is tempted to say: It is not my storm, not my coastline, not my problem. The ocean does not recognize that thinking. It is one body of water. What warms in one hemisphere breaks upon another. The sea has never been fragmented. Only we are.’ – Philip Davis, prime minister of the Bahamas

THE SITUATION: Like many other countries in the Global South, Bahamas has a lot of debt from warming-connected weather disasters. Hurricane Dorian, the strongest storm to hit the country on record, caused $3.4 billion in damage in 2019.

‘For those who have declared climate change a hoax perpetrated by geopolitical opponents, the warnings of recent times cannot have been clearer. Melting glaciers, flash flooding, droughts, record-breaking heatwaves, brush fires, hurricanes and other extreme weather phenomena are unmistakable signals of an overburdened planet. Climate change is the ultimate test of global equity.’ – John Dramani Mahama, president of Ghana

THE SITUATION: Ghana faces erratic rainfall, erosion of its coastal towns and accelerating desertification. In June, Mahama said Ghana and coastal West Africa were hit with unprecedented torrential rain that killed 39 people.