Category: Business Mirror

Communications giant Globe has earned five honors at the HR Excellence Awards and the 2026 Stevie Awards for Great Employers, recognizing its people programs and HR leaders. The awards highlight the company’s extensive work in employee advocacy, career mobility, workforce initiatives and internal communications.

‘These awards are meaningful because they recognize the work our teams are doing to make the employee experience better. But the real measure of our progress is whether our people feel supported, see opportunities ahead of them, and know they can continue to grow here,’ said Renato ‘Ato’ Jiao, Globe chief human resource officer.

‘We will keep listening to Ka-Globe and improving the way we support them at different points in their careers. There is still a lot of work to do, and that pushes us to keep building a workplace where our people can grow, contribute and do their best to build value everyday,’ he added.

At the HR Excellence Awards, a regional awards program that recognizes outstanding HR practices and programs across Asia, Globe received Bronze for Excellence in Addressing Urban Workforce Challenges, and Excellence in Employee Advocacy and Brand Ambassadors. The awards recognize efforts to respond to changing employee needs and give Ka-Globe more opportunities to share their experiences and perspectives.

Globe also earned three honors at the 2026 Stevie Awards for Great Employers, an international competition recognizing achievements in human resources and the workplace.

JL Benedict Gutierrez, senior expert for EVP and employer branding, won Gold for Internal Communications Professional of the Year, while Paul Constantino, Manager for HR Tech and Process, received Gold for Human Resources Professional of the Year. Globe also received Bronze for Achievement in Career Mobility.

Behind these awards are programs and practices that employees experience throughout their careers at Globe. These include opportunities to explore roles across the organization, develop new skills and pursue different career paths without having to look outside the company.

Championing employee voices is an integral part on how Globe continues to shape its dynamic culture. By giving Ka-Globe more avenues to share their stories and experiences, the company provides current and prospective talent with a more authentic view of life at Globe.

The five awards recognize Globe’s progress across key areas of its people practices. Each provides a distinct measure of the company’s efforts to strengthen its workplace and culture. More importantly, they reflect Globe’s continuing commitment to creating programs and experiences that make a meaningful difference in the careers and everyday lives of Ka-Globe.

THE country’s headline inflation may be easing, but analysts warned that the slowdown remains fragile as elevated rice prices and a weakening peso threaten to keep price pressures high in the coming months.

On Friday, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported that inflation eased to 6.1 percent in August from 6.2 percent in July.

This marked the fourth straight month of slower inflation after it peaked at 7.2 percent in April. Average inflation from January to August stood at 5.2 percent.

Despite the slowdown, inflation remains well above the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) target range of 2 to 4 percent.

PSA noted that rice remained the biggest individual contributor to August inflation, with its inflation rate accelerating to 19.4 percent from 17.1 percent in July. Rice alone contributed 1.3 percentage points to headline inflation.

This was the highest rice inflation since July 2024, when it reached 20.9 percent.

Ateneo de Manila University economist Leonardo A. Lanzona said the latest figures suggest that the easing in headline inflation is being driven by a few softer components rather than a broad-based moderation in price pressures.

‘I would not yet call this an established trend-it’s a lull that could reverse quickly if either rice supply or the peso deteriorates further,’ Lanzona told the BusinessMirror.

Lanzona said rice remained a significant risk to the inflation outlook given its large weight in the consumer price index (CPI) basket, with sustained double-digit inflation in the staple potentially reversing the broader downward trend.

Food, fuel pressures

Data from PSA showed that food and non-alcoholic beverages remained a major source of inflationary pressure in August, accounting for 28.8 percent of headline inflation.

While some food prices eased, rice and other items continued to post elevated inflation.

Vegetable and tuber prices fell -3.4 percent in August after rising 8.4 percent in July, while fish and other seafood inflation slowed to 6.6 percent from 7.8 percent. At the same time, inflation in cereals and cereal products reached 14.9 percent, while fruits and nuts rose 5.8 percent.

The food pressures were accompanied by higher transport costs. Transport inflation accelerated to 13.5 percent in August from 11.9 percent in July, while housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels eased to 7.9 percent from 8.2 percent.

Lanzona said weakness in the peso could further compound inflationary pressures, particularly through fuel prices.

Because the Philippines imports much of its refined fuel, a weaker peso can raise the local cost of imported fuel and feed into transport prices, farm production costs, and eventually food prices.

‘Further peso weakness would show up in headline CPI almost immediately via transport and with a short lag via food,’ he added.

Pantheon Macroeconomics Chief Emerging Asia Economist Miguel Chanco likewise pointed to persistent global oil price pressures as a risk to the inflation outlook.

‘Oil-related disinflation in the housing and utilities, and transport components is still likely to be the over-arching story until the next of next year, given their excessive overshoot when the conflict started,’ Chanco said.

Bad weather, El Niño

Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Lead Economist Emilio S. Neri Jr. said the August inflation reading may not yet fully capture the impact of recent bad weather and flooding, which could add to price pressures in the months ahead.

‘The latest inflation figure may also not yet fully reflect the impact of the recent weather and flooding, the effects of which could materialize in the coming months,’ Neri said.

National Statistician Claire Dennis S. Mapa earlier said PSA’s provincial offices had reported price pressures toward the end of August, particularly in the final week, which could be reflected in succeeding inflation prints.

Neri also identified the potential emergence of a super El Niño as a major risk to the inflation outlook.

He said its full impact may emerge in the first quarter of 2027, with food prices particularly vulnerable to disruptions in supply.

‘Rice prices are particularly sensitive to adverse weather conditions, and rising fertilizer costs could further amplify the effect of poor weather on food supply by raising farmers’ production costs,’ he said.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, for his part, said the Department of Agriculture continues to update its El Niño response plan, including irrigation support, farm input assistance, inventory monitoring, and timely market interventions to help stabilize food prices.

‘Our priority is to strengthen the foundations of long-term price stability through improved food security, more efficient logistics, and targeted support for vulnerable sectors,’ Balisacan said.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is ensuring secure and nurturing learning spaces through active, enhanced collaboration with various agencies and partners.

This initiative reflects President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s emphasis on the crucial role of all sectors in safeguarding the youth.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara discussed with Marcos Jr. the department’s steps to further strengthen school safety and preparedness in dealing with threats to the security of Filipino students.

‘Checking in on our learners is an inherent strength of our educators, [especially the class advisers that they interact with every day],’ said Angara. ‘Following President Bongbong Marcos’ mandate, we must ensure that our teachers truly know their learners, who do not just teach, but also actively check on their learners’ well-being.’

On strengthening prevention and preparation in schools, DepEd noted the need to increase school surveillance, such as installing CCTVs and metal detectors.

The department also encouraged conducting national and localized school drills and classroom-based discussions on child protection.

In line with this, a Nationwide School Safety Drill was set on August 25 as part of DepEd’s continued strengthening of safety and preparedness in schools. This also aligns with the president’s directive for safer learning environments.

Students are also encouraged to actively participate in school clubs and organizations. Parents and guardians are also advised to join the Parent Engagement Program led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

To further protect and support learners, the Learners TeleSafe Contact Center Helpline is ready to listen, support, and assist learners and parents.

In partnership with the National Center for Mental Health, DepEd continues to strengthen counseling, referrals, and access to professional support.

The Education Department is also expanding peer counseling programs in schools with the Department of Health, DSWD, and guidance counselor associations. The program aims to empower youth to be more active partners in reaching out, listening, and understanding their fellow students to create a safer, more caring, and supportive school environment.

Meanwhile, DepEd is also strengthening coordination with the Philippine National Police and local authorities to ensure learners’ safety.

THE nubia Neo 5 GT 5G Special Edition makes no effort to hide where it picked up its newest trick. Place it beside the RedMagic 11 Pro and the resemblance is easy to spot, particularly from the back, where both phones turn their cooling hardware into part of the design.

RedMagic is nubia’s flagship gaming brand, built for players who demand top-level performance and are prepared for the equally demanding price. The Neo series, on the other hand, is more accommodating and aimed at people who play regularly, want proper gaming features, but are not yet ready to spend flagship money.

The Neo 5 GT Special Edition sits somewhere between those two groups. It keeps the midrange processor and familiar features of the regular Neo 5 GT, then borrows one of RedMagic’s more interesting ideas: an active liquid-cooling system that you can actually see.

I have the Surge Black model, which I think shows the blue liquid beneath the transparent section of the rear panel better. It gives the phone more character than a printed pattern or another strip of RGB lighting and makes this version look substantially premium.

So what is AquaCore?

MOST phones manage heat using graphite sheets and a vapor chamber, which spread heat away from the processor so it does not remain concentrated in one small area. Although manufacturers frequently describe this as ‘liquid cooling,’ a vapor chamber is a sealed, passive component and does not have a pump visibly circulating coolant through the phone.

AquaCore takes a more active approach. The nubia Neo 5 GT 5G Special Edition uses a small piezoelectric micropump to move non-conductive coolant through a three-layer internal structure. The liquid carries heat away from the main components, while the built-in fan moves air through a dedicated duct to help release it.

The phone still uses graphite and a vapor chamber, so the circulating liquid does not replace everything else. The coolant transports heat, the graphite and vapor chamber distribute it across a wider area, and the fan maintains airflow through the phone.

The regular Neo 5 GT already had a built-in fan and a total heat-dissipation area of 29,508mm². The Special Edition adds the active liquid loop and expands that area to 33,652mm², an increase of roughly 14 percent. According to nubia, it is the first phone in its class to combine active liquid and air cooling in this manner.

I rarely play continuously for more than a couple of hours, but the difference was still noticeable. Unlike some gaming phones I have tested, the Neo 5 GT Special Edition remained relatively cool, with only a slight buildup of heat after a couple of hours playing. It never became uncomfortably hot in my hands, which matters more to me than another benchmark score.

How does it play?

THE Special Edition uses the same MediaTek Dimensity 7400 as the regular Neo 5 GT. It comes with 12GB of physical RAM and another 12GB of virtual memory, which nubia markets as up to 24GB Dynamic RAM. The NeoTurbo Engine also manages processing and memory resources to help keep frame rates stable while gaming.

Those specifications place it firmly in the midrange, which means it should not be judged by how far it can push every graphics slider in the most demanding games. I was more interested in whether it could provide a smooth and dependable experience in the titles most people regularly play.

Mobile Legends presented no major difficulty, with matches remaining smooth and controls responding promptly. Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile were also enjoyable at appropriate settings, without serious lag getting in the way of a match.

Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves demand considerably more from the processor. Both were playable at sensible settings, although a few frame drops appeared when scenes became busier or more effects filled the screen. These moments never made either game unplayable, but setting everything to maximum would be asking too much from the Dimensity 7400.

For my kind of gaming-which means playing for enjoyment rather than measuring every frame with professional monitoring equipment-the Neo 5 GT Special Edition did its job well.

Trigger happy

THERE is a reason nubia Neo phones have become popular among FPS players: the 550Hz Neo Triggers 5.0. The triggers are already available on the regular Neo 5 GT, but they remain one of the best reasons to choose this phone over an ordinary midrange model.

The two touch-sensitive areas along the shoulder frame can be assigned to different on-screen controls. For Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile, I assigned one trigger to aim and the other to fire. This leaves both thumbs available for movement and camera control while clearing some of the virtual buttons from the display.

Nubia claims hardware latency of less than 5.5 milliseconds. The triggers can also be assigned to skills or frequently used commands in Mobile Legends and other games, although shooting games benefit most from having two additional controls along the frame.

A 6.8-inch 1.5K Amoled display provides plenty of room for controls, maps and menus, while the 144Hz refresh rate keeps supported games and everyday navigation smooth.

The stereo speakers with DTS:X Ultra produce surprising loud volume for casual gaming, while the X-axis linear motor provides stronger feedback for supported actions. Headphones remain preferable for competitive shooters, where footsteps and directional audio matter, but the built-in speakers are perfectly usable when playing around the house.

Flat on its back

ANOTHER design feature I appreciate on the Neo 5 GT models is the completely flat back. There is no raised camera island pressing against the fingers during horizontal play, and the phone remains steady when placed on a table. Speaking of cameras, while photography isn’t its main focus, its 50MP main camera is capable enough for everyday snapshots, food photos and quick social media posts, particularly with good lighting. It can also record video at up to 4K. It also has a decent 16MP selfie camera.

Nubia includes a 90-degree charging cable so the connector does not protrude directly into the palm while playing. The 80W wall charger also comes in the package, allowing owners to use the phone’s full charging speed without buying another adapter.

The 6,210mAh dual-cell battery is large enough for gaming mixed with messaging, social media, photography and watching videos. Actual endurance will depend on screen brightness, refresh rate, game settings and cooling mode, but in my daily use, the phone easily survived a day of work accompanied by a few hours of test gaming.

For those who cannot put the phone down even when it needs to recharge, bypass charging will be useful. Instead of repeatedly charging the battery while the game is generating heat, power can be supplied directly to the phone. This reduces the additional thermal load on the battery and may help preserve its condition over time.

Is it special enough?

THE nubia Neo 5 GT 5G Special Edition does not bring a new processor, battery, display or camera system. Its defining upgrade is AquaCore, accompanied by a larger cooling area and a redesigned back that allows the moving liquid to become part of the phone’s appearance.

At ?26,999 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage version, I would have liked to see a few other ‘special’ additions alongside the improved cooling. The Dimensity 7400 performs well when expectations and graphics settings are kept realistic, but it remains the same processor found in the less expensive regular model.

Rising component costs make the price increase easier to understand, but still difficult to accept.

Still, the phone does not need maximum graphics settings to be enjoyable. Mobile Legends, Call of Duty: Mobile and PUBG Mobile suit it particularly well, while Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves remain playable with settings adjusted to match the hardware.

The responsive shoulder triggers have a more noticeable effect on gameplay than many headline specifications, while AquaCore helps the phone maintain its performance during longer sessions without becoming uncomfortably hot.

If the price has been holding you back, the upcoming 9.9 sale may provide a better opportunity to consider it. Nubia Philippines is bringing the Neo 5 Series into its NEOverse 9.9 MAXXING campaign, with discounts, vouchers, freebies and limited-time offers available through its official TikTok Shop, Shopee and Lazada stores while promotional stocks last.

Selected products will come with up to four freebies, which may include a phone cooler, mini fan, charging cable and a three-month Viu Premium subscription, depending on the device and promotion.

Selected Neo 5 Series products will also be included in special 9.9 offers, including a limited ?99 deal on Shopee. Since stocks and mechanics will vary, check the specific listing before completing a purchase.

Actress Sanya Lopez will headline the NEOverse 9.9 MAXXING Live Fest on September 8 at 7 pm, marking her first live-selling appearance with nubia Philippines. The stream will run through nubia’s official TikTok and Shopee channels.

THE Philippines needs to make its export sector more competitive to ease pressure on the peso and strengthen its ability to finance its growing import bill, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said.

Balisacan said the government needs to address structural constraints that have kept exports from keeping pace with imports, which has left the country vulnerable to peso depreciation.

‘What we are telegraphing is that we are addressing those structural issues that are constraining our ability to drive exports, to make our export sector more competitive so that we could finance our imports successfully,’ Balisacan told reporters in a chance interview.

He said this would require diversifying the country’s sources of growth, particularly by developing its manufacturing and export industries.

‘We should be able to develop our industries, our exports, making our industries more competitive . . . there’s no shortcut on that. We have to understand where does the weak competitiveness come from,’ Balisacan said.

His remarks came after the peso fell to a new record low of P62.50 per US dollar last Tuesday, its fourth consecutive record-low close.

Balisacan said the country’s dependence on imports means it needs to generate more dollars through exports to finance its purchases abroad.

‘You’re a net importer and therefore you need more dollars, more currency to finance your imports than the currency that you’re able to earn from your exports,’ he said.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed that import payments rose 18.9 percent year-on-year to $92.26 billion from January to July, while exports grew 12.9 percent to $54.92 billion.

The faster growth in imports left the country with a $37.34 billion trade deficit during the seven-month period.

Balisacan said the imbalance, combined with heightened external uncertainty, particularly from the conflict in the Middle East, leaves the Philippines ‘a bit vulnerable’ to external pressures.

This makes fiscal discipline important, he said, as the government seeks to manage domestic demand while addressing the country’s external imbalance.

But the chief economist cautioned that fiscal tightening should not come at the expense of economic growth.

Instead, Balisacan said the government should prioritize spending with the biggest impact on the economy, particularly education, health, social protection, and infrastructure.

‘Hopefully with that combination, we are able to generate the growth we want even as the size of the overall budget for 20227 is not growing as much in the previous years,’ he added.

More than 140 senior citizens and children across four pilot regions have benefitted from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Project Apo Ko as of August 2026.

The pilot implementation covers the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 4A (Calabarzon), Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), and Region 11 (Davao Region). Project Apo Ko serves 40 senior citizen beneficiaries-designated as ‘Dream Team’ members, residing in four DSWD-managed Centers and Residential Care Facilities (CRCFs), along with 101 children enrolled in five Child Development Centers (CDCs).

Asst. Secretary Irene Dumlao, who serves as DSWD spokesperson, said two of the four pilot regions have already commenced their scheduled ‘Apo, Lolo, Lola’ interaction sessions.

‘As of August this year, Calabarzon and Zamboanga Peninsula have conducted 2 out of 12 sessions, while the remaining 2 regions (NCR and Davao) are set to start this September,’ Dumlao said.

The DSWD launched Project Apo Ko in February 2025 to preserve Filipino cultural heritage by connecting senior citizens in residential facilities with children aged 3 to 5 in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) centers.

Through structured ‘Apo, Lolo, Lola’ sessions, elderly participants pass down cultural knowledge, traditions, and life experiences to the youth, fostering community solidarity, mutual empathy, and enhanced social well-being across generations.

In addition to providing productive engagement for senior citizens, the project actively supports early child development. Among the 101 child beneficiaries, 23 are enrolled in Visayan Village CDC (Tagum City), 21 in Bahay Bulilit CDC (Quezon City), 20 in the Fundamental Baptist CDC (Zamboanga City), 18 in Sampaloc 1 CDC and 19 in Sampaloc 2 CDC (Tanay, Rizal).

Prior to rolling out the interaction sessions, the DSWD’s Social Technology Bureau conducted key pre-implementation activities, including capacity-building workshops for Dream Team members and assigned social workers, parent orientations, and baseline assessments to maximize learning outcomes for both age groups.

In July 2026, the STB facilitated 3 capacity-building sessions across GRACES (in partnership with the Quezon City LGU), Haven for the Elderly (with the Tanay, Rizal LGU), and the Home for the Elderly (with the Zamboanga City LGU). KB

The Home for the Aged in Tagum City, Davao del Norte completed its capacity-building activities in August 2026.

The DSWD has allocated a budget of P3.95 million for the pilot implementation, downloaded to the four participating Field Offices (FOs).

All participating centers target the completion of all 12 ‘Apo, Lolo, Lola’ sessions by the end of November this year, which will culminate in a Session Completion Ceremony.

Northern Luzon is in for a special musical treat as international soft rock icons Air Supply head to Ilagan City, Isabela, for a one-night concert on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at The Capital Arena.

The highly anticipated show is part of the legendary duo’s ‘A Matter of Time Tour,’ featuring Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock as they bring their unmistakable sound and timeless collection of love songs closer to their loyal Filipino fans.

For music lovers in Northern Luzon, the concert is more than just an evening of entertainment. It offers a rare opportunity to watch one of the world’s most enduring soft rock acts perform live without the need to travel to Metro Manila.

For over five decades, Air Supply has captured the hearts of audiences around the world with their powerful harmonies, emotional performances and unforgettable melodies. Their music has transcended generations, making them one of the most beloved international acts among Filipino music fans.

Fans can look forward to singing along to some of Air Supply’s biggest hits, including ‘All Out of Love,’ ‘Lost in Love,’ ‘Making Love Out of Nothing at All,’ ‘The One That You Love,’ ‘Every Woman in the World,’ and many other classics.

The Ilagan concert is expected to attract longtime followers who grew up with Air Supply’s music, as well as younger listeners who continue to discover and appreciate the duo’s timeless songs.

The event also puts the spotlight on Ilagan City as an emerging destination for major live entertainment events in Northern Luzon. With The Capital Arena serving as the venue, music fans from Isabela and nearby provinces-including Cagayan, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, Kalinga, and other areas-are expected to make their way to Ilagan for the much-awaited concert.

For many fans, having Air Supply perform in the region presents a unique chance to experience an internationally acclaimed musical act right in their own backyard.

Nexus Collaboration promises a memorable evening featuring world-class music, exciting stage production, and the signature Air Supply sound that has remained popular across generations.

Tickets for the ‘A Matter of Time Tour’ concert in Ilagan are available through Veentix, with the following ticket categories:

* VVIP Floor – ?13,852

* Platinum Floor – ?10,660

* VIP – ?8,532

* Gold Floor – ?7,469

* Lower Box – ?6,405

* Upper Box – ?3,213

All ticket prices are inclusive of ticket charges.

With Air Supply’s strong and loyal following in the Philippines, fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early, particularly those who want to choose their preferred sections and seats.

The concert is presented by Nexus Collaboration in partnership with the City Government of Ilagan, as part of their effort to bring internationally recognized artists and world-class entertainment closer to audiences outside Metro Manila.

As Air Supply takes the stage at The Capital Arena, generations of fans are expected to come together for a night of nostalgia, romance, and unforgettable music.

For those who have loved Air Supply’s songs through the years, this is a chance to hear those classic melodies live once again.

Save the date-October 21, 2026-and get ready for an unforgettable night with Air Supply in Ilagan City.

For ticket information and concert updates, visit Veentix and follow the official social media pages of Nexus Collaboration.

Our relatively young country is being powered by diverse natural sources of energy. Mainly, water, heat from deep earth, and natural gas. Hopefully, if we put our heads together, we can have energy from the sun and perhaps fossil fuel underneath our seas, and even from the mountains of waste and garbage rotting in our landfills. They are the power plants that generate electricity, which is vital to our progress.

But there is a different kind of power in our midst that, if activated and properly harnessed, can be put to work to generate and produce another level of energy to boost our country’s progress. It’s easily accessible yet we choose to overlook and neglect this reservoir all these years.

Let me call it ‘May Gulang Power Dam.’ The sleeping power plant of Senior Wisdom. A fully charged reservoir of static or dormant energy that continuously drains and builds up year in and year out. It is there for the taking, just waiting to be plugged to the grid of our national life.

Every year, thousands of Filipinos join the ranks of senior citizens. Many opt or are forced by law to go into retirement. These include retired corporate executives, lawyers, engineers, architects, doctors, public servants like judges, agency heads, and many more. Then there are seniors in the field of arts: painters, writers, theater and film actors and directors. They belong to an exclusive, privileged club because one has to be old to be a member.

Given their deep and extensive life experiences, why push them to the side and allow them to waste their lives in obscurity? Why does it seem that the world has no use for them anymore? They are better seen than heard, treated with hypocritical, insincere respect. The young and the ambitious go getters see them as ‘over the hill,’ ‘jurassic,’ ‘past their prime,’ ‘washed out,’ no longer productive and use-able but disposable and replace-able.

Yet this annual stream of retirees going into the swelling ranks of the inactive or semi-active actually represent a dormant energy than can be turned into a kinetic force when switched on. They are a resource needed by our people, our leaders and policy makers, our corporate button pushers, as valuable as any technology or power plant, waiting to be tapped if only we’d take the time to truly listen. Our youth obsessed society will do well to tune into this humming, fluctuating frequency of deep, lived wisdom.

Society must start looking at older people as priceless assets, not liabilities that cost money and effort. Their wisdom is not outdated-it is time-tested. Their stories are not old-they are gold. Their presence should not be a burden-it is a blessing.

These lolos and lolas can take the young to the past, serving as a living bridge to history, providing context for current challenges that might otherwise seem unprecedented.

There is an African proverb, ‘A day spent with an elder is a history lesson that cannot be taught in a classroom.’

When you see an old man amble around a mall or park, that’s decades upon decades of experience and knowledge walking past by you.

Advice and counsel from a retired professional or an executive can save the young professionals a lifetime of questioning. They have answers that would have otherwise taken decades for them to reach on their own.

The brains of retired professionals need to be picked on now before dementia creeps in and completely takes over their minds. Consider the insights they have gained from decades of personal and professional experiences.

Their collective insights can help create a roadmap for adapting to change based on past experience. They’ve seen trends come and go, weathered storms literally and figuratively, and emerged with a nuanced and deeper understanding of human nature and social changes.

For instance, young journalists and media commentators and analysts discuss our devastating series of floods as if they happened only today. Talk to a 75-year-old and he would tell you about floods and calamities that happened many years ago. He will tell you about ‘siyam-siyam’ or ‘Beinte uno de Mayo’ and so forth. Political wrangling? Corruption? He’s been there. He’s seen it all. This long view can help us understand the cyclical nature of many issues we face today.

Imagine them as a collective force that can energize the minds of our youth, our leaders and our technocrats, our experts, in the same way that a hydro power plant generates the electricity to light up our homes, power the machines of our commerce and industry.

So, indulge me on this idea, even if it may be off the wall or too outside of the box.

In France, there is an institution called The French Academy made up of around 300 members, prominent senior achievers chosen from among the most eminent specialists in France and abroad. The members of the Academy are known as the ‘Immortals’ and have included many great names like Jean Racine, Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Henri Bergson, Claude Lévi-Strauss, Eugène Ionesco, Jacques Cousteau and many more. They represent the brain trust of France.

In similar fashion, maybe we can organize some sort of a Collegium of Senior Wisdom consisting of an open community of seniors who feel they still have much to give to society. It would welcome every senior or elderly who wants to impart his/her learnings and accumulated wisdom to the present before leaving this life.

It won’t be a fossilized institution but a camp of disciplined seniors, trained as resource persons to speak, educate, and inspire, ready to be deployed to places where their knowledge and expertise are needed, similar to Navy Seals, Rangers or Special Forces or Commandos. But instead of physical battles, they would be engaged in a battle against ignorance, mediocrity, against forgetting, against ‘puwede na’ mindset.

The point is to provide platforms and opportunities for this cadre of retired but mentally active senior citizens, including National Artists and other personalities to become resource persons on various subjects, including but not limited to the arts, the sciences, culture and history, sociology, climatology, and so on.

If we can make this possible, seniors will never see retirement or age 60 as a dead end but as transitioning to another active productive phase of life, part of a power plant, humming with wisdom and intelligence, generating and bringing high kilowatts of knowledge to young people everywhere through lectures, seminars and workshops, lighting up their minds and infusing passion into their hearts.

So never leave a senior outside the door. Invite him into the room and provide a prominent seat for him at the table. As someone said: ‘When we sit with the elderly, we sit with history, with wisdom, with stories that shaped the world. They are not burdens-they are bridges.’

Listen intently, for he is downloading, sharing forward his accumulated wealth of wisdom. Someone’s tomorrow depends on the strength of his yesterday.

Ho Chi Minh did not live to see the country he helped lead through war finally reunited under one flag.

The revered revolutionary leader died on September 2, 1969, the date Vietnam later chose for its Independence Day. In the old Saigon that now bears his name, the transformation shaped by the people’s struggle for liberation remains visible in its old boulevards, crowded streets, temples, book stalls, cafés, and the constant flow of motorbikes that defines the modern city.

I returned to Saigon a year after meeting writer Nguyen Ngoc Ha. Her recollections of the old city, briefly told in Tales of Saigon, stayed with me. But this story comes largely from what I saw on the streets: a busy, restless city that still carries its past, along with a faster pace of daily life and visible signs of a more modern, daring lifestyle among the younger generation. Even the Central Market, a must-visit site for local and foreign visitors and known for its underground flea market, was closed during the first week of August this year after the government took over the land for redevelopment. That shift is not surprising in a socialist system where the state plays a dominant role in land ownership and the local economy.

Saigon was renamed Ho Chi Minh City after national reunification in 1976, a year after North Vietnamese communist forces captured the former South Vietnamese capital on April 30, 1975.

The old name, however, remains familiar in people’s daily lives. Ho Chi Minh, known to many Vietnamese as Uncle Ho, remains central to that story.

He led the struggle for independence against colonial rule and became the symbol of a nation determined to free itself from foreign control. The city’s new name marked not only a political change but also the start of a long effort to rebuild Vietnam after decades of conflict.

Near the city center, Saigon’s Notre Dame Cathedral remains one of the city’s most familiar landmarks. Its red-brick walls and twin towers continue to draw churchgoers and visitors, even as restoration work goes on. The cathedral also shows how religious faith remains part of public life in Vietnamese society.

The city is also easy to explore on foot, especially around the central district and along routes leading toward Chinatown. Locals say Saigon’s Chinatown is among the largest outside mainland China, though Manila’s Binondo is older.

Despite the warm weather and sudden rains, much like Metro Manila during the wet season, the streets near the city center are easy to explore. Many have wide sidewalks lined with shops, cafés, hotels, and travel offices-a clear sign of a tourism boom in a city that draws a large share of Vietnam’s foreign visitors.

Not Cheap, but Affordable

Locals do not always describe the tourist areas as cheap. The better word, they say, is affordable. That distinction helps explain why Saigon continues to attract visitors from across Southeast Asia and beyond.

The clearest sign of modern Saigon is on the road. Motorbikes, scooters, and cars move almost without pause. Crossing the street takes patience and nerve, while sidewalks fill with vendors, parked motorcycles, small eateries, and people going about their day.

Yet the city is not defined only by new buildings. Classic French and Vietnamese structures still stand, even as modern towers rise in the business districts. Saigon became the economic capital of French Indochina in the late 19th century.

At dusk, Bui Vien Walking Street turns into a strip of music, food stalls, bars, and backpackers. Its noise and crowds stand in sharp contrast to the quieter Saigon preserved in old photographs and personal memories.

Vietnam’s changing economy can also be seen in its vehicles. Older residents still remember La Dalat, a locally assembled car from the 1960s and 1970s. Today, VinFast electric vehicles have become a source of national pride, even as motorbikes and scooters remain the everyday choice for many city residents.

Still, the most telling scenes are simple: readers under the trees on Book Street, visitors posing outside colonial buildings, families riding together on scooters, and vendors working through the heat.

Saigon also carries many reminders of the war. At the War Remnants Museum, visitors see military equipment, photographs, and exhibits on the human cost of the conflict, including the effects of Agent Orange. At the Reunification Palace, old offices, basement rooms, and gates recall the final days of South Vietnam in 1975.

The city was shaped by war and reunification, but it has also emerged as a center of trade, migration, and a lively informal economy. This can be seen in the ordinary routines of people working, selling, commuting, praying, and raising families in a city that has learned to move with its fast-changing pace.

Leaving the Bloody Era Behind

While Saigon remains tied to its colonial past, it is also busy with the demands of the present.

Nguyen’s book offers a small opening into the past. On Book Street, she is among the writers who return to a place where printed books still draw readers. The stalls carry titles on Vietnam’s history, culture, and everyday life, even as the city around them becomes more dependent on mobile phones and digital communication.

Nguyen also recalled a time when letters carried news between families and friends who lived apart. But that world in the old city has largely faded. Today, the Central Post Office is used mainly for official documents and parcels, while much of the building now looks like a large department store for souvenirs.

On our visit to the Mekong Delta near Vietnam’s Cambodian border, we saw part of the watery maze of canals and swamps where U.S. and South Vietnamese forces once encountered Viet Cong fighters using guerrilla tactics in thick mangroves and darkness.

The war left long-term environmental damage, including the effects of Agent Orange, a chemical herbicide used to destroy enemy food crops and forest cover.

Today, the delta is known as the rice bowl of southern Vietnam and a source of rice for export, including to the Philippines. It is also a place where visitors can see farming, aquaculture, river trade, and the religious life of communities living close to the water.

A journey through Ho Chi Minh City-the old Saigon-shows how deeply the struggle against foreign domination shaped modern Vietnam. The road was painful and tragic, but it also led to reunification, recovery, and the city of captivating contrasts that visitors encounter today.

You buy a console, buy a disc, play the game, and you don’t have to think about losing access to it unless the physical disc gets destroyed, all because you own what you have paid for, and the company does not have a say about it.

Fast forward to the present and one of the biggest gaming companies globally, Sony, is now facing a class action lawsuit that started in June 2026, in lieu of four plaintiffs stating that Sony employed deceptive practices with marketing digital goods as ‘purchases.’

This practice, the plaintiffs argued, violated California Law AB 2426, which states that the seller should have a warning label that ‘states in plain language that ‘buying’ or ‘purchasing’ the digital good is a license.’

In Sony’s defense, they argued that digital games ownership is ‘impossible,’ citing that they made it clear in their updated terms of services and end user license agreement that the games/software are ‘licensed, not sold.’

‘A reasonable user would have seen the terms of service above or directly below the action button, [with] the user unambiguously manifest[ing] assent to the terms of service, including the arbitration provision, and the terms and arbitration provision were valid and binding,’ their motion to dismiss said.

They asserted that users have to ‘agree’ to the SPLA (Services Provider License Agreement) before buying a PlayStation game, more specifically the updated PlayStation Terms in April 2026 that states in its section 1 that ‘the Software is licensed to you, not sold’ which comes out during the checkout phase.

‘By selecting [the Confirm Purchase], you agree to complete the purchase in accordance with the PlayStation Terms of Service before using this content,’ Sony wrote in their motion.

‘You further acknowledge that your purchase of this digital product amounts to a license subject to the Software Product License Agreement.’