Category: Business Mirror

MICRO-CREDENTIALS are rapidly reshaping the way Filipino employers hire, evaluate, and reward graduate talent.

Coursera’s Micro-Credentials Impact Report 2026 found that 96 percent of Filipino employers hired at least three candidates with micro-credentials in the past year, signaling a decisive shift toward skills-first hiring.

For employers, micro-credentials are becoming a trusted signal that candidates can create immediate positive impact. In fact, 77 percent of Filipino employers say candidates with micro-credentials move faster through hiring pipelines-4 percentage points above the global average, reinforcing their value as a marker of job readiness.

A Google report estimates that AI could unlock approximately $50.7 billion in productivity and cost benefits for the Philippines by 2030-an opportunity that hinges on a workforce equipped with the right skills.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has responded through its Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 1, Series of 2025, which creates a national framework for industry-aligned, stackable micro-credentials, making higher education the focus of the skills transformation.

Based on insights from more than 3,500 employers, learners, and higher education leaders in seven countries that include the Philippines, the 2026 report revealed that 89 percent of Filipino employers are willing to offer higher starting salaries to graduates with micro-credentials, with 36 percent willing to offer a raise of more than 15 percent for GenAI micro-credentials. Eighty-five percent of Filipino graduates who earned micro-credentials secured a role aligned to their field within 12 months.

‘As AI reshapes the workplace, employers are placing a premium on candidates who can prove they have practical, job-ready skills,’ said Managing Director for Coursera Asia Pacific Ashutosh Gupta. ‘In the Philippines, micro-credentials are no longer just a differentiator: they are becoming an essential signal of employability.’

‘The data shows strong alignment between employers, students, and higher

education leaders: learners want credentials that count toward degrees, employers are willing to pay more for them, and universities see them as critical to staying relevant,’ Gupta noted. ‘CHED’s CMO is a pivotal step, giving universities the policy foundation to embed micro-credentials at scale. Those that move fast will define the next generation of Filipino talent.’

Key findings

EMPLOYERS are embracing micro-credentials as proof of job readiness:

96 percent of Filipino employers hired at least three candidates with micro-credentials in the last year;

89 percent are willing to offer higher starting salaries to graduates with micro-credentials;

90 percent said entry-level hires with micro-credentials perform better in their first year; and

77 percent said credentialed candidates move faster through hiring pipelines.

Students are choosing institutions that offer credit-integrated credentials:

4.6 times as many Filipino students are likely to pursue micro-credentials with formal credit recognition (79 percent) than without it (17 percent).

62 percent said the strongest signal of rigor is an industry-created micro-credential that counts toward a degree; and

85 percent of Filipino graduates secured a role aligned to their field within 12 months.

Higher education leaders see embedded micro-credentials as a competitive advantage:

86 percent agreed that embedding micro-credentials links academic learning with workforce relevance;

63 percent said institutions without embedded micro-credentials face moderate or significant strategic risk;

75 percent said programs with embedded micro-credentials experience higher student retention; and

75 percent agreed that embedding micro-credentials leads to a faster curriculum refresh rate.

Proof of skill: key

AMONG the institutions already leading the charge is iPeople Inc., which has embedded more than 50 professional certificates across six schools. These include all the Mapua schools in Manila, Laguna, and Mindanao; National Teachers College; University of Nueva Caceres; as well as the modern Mapua Malayan Digital College.

‘The Philippines is at an inflection point. Our graduates are talented, but talent alone doesn’t win in a global job market. Proof of skills does,’ pointed out Mapua Education Group president and CEO Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo. ‘Micro-credentials embedded into a degree give Filipino students exactly that: industry-recognized and globally credible evidence of what they can deliver from Day 1. What gives me real confidence is that CHED is now establishing policy frameworks around this.’

Through their partnership with Coursera, Dr. Maestrecampo said: ‘We [can] bring these credentials into our programs at scale, combining global content with local academic rigor.’

THE Commission on Higher Education (CHED) has formally authorized the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) to offer 13 for-credit micro-credentials.

The recognition follows the approval of the programs by the CHED Commission en banc through Resolution No. 397-2026 and is valid from June 2026 to June 2029.

The micro-credentials are compressed, competency-based, and verifiable learning units that recognize specific knowledge and professional skills. Unlike non-credit certificates, they carry academic credit and may be stacked toward selected undergraduate degree programs, thus providing learners with more flexible pathways to higher education.

‘This milestone formalizes Benilde’s long-term strategy to champion lifelong learning while positioning the college as one of the country’s credentialing authorities,’ Vice Chancellor for Academics Angelo Marco Lacson said.

The recognized micro-credentials span the fields of real estate, hospitality, tourism, culinary arts, architecture, and design.

The School of Professional and Continuing Education will soon offer real estate certifications for Land Laws and Property Titling; Highest and Best Uses for Real Estate; Real Estate Planning, Development and Environmental Concerns; Effective Real Estate Marketing Tools; Real Estate Financial Planning and Management; and Real Estate Project Feasibility Studies.

Other credentialing opportunities include Amadeus Reservations Fundamentals; Basic Education Courses in Opera Property Management System, and Opera Sales and Catering Management System; and the Basic Education Course in Micros Fidelio Materials Control System. Architecture-related offerings include Drafting Technology, Computer-Aided Design and Drafting, and Building Technology and Utilities.

The chorus was infectious – ‘NME – NME – NME – NME. New Move for Error…’ – again and again.

The song ‘New Move for Error’ caused a stir in the burgeoning underground music scene when legendary DJ Howlin’ Dave of rock station DZRJ played that song from the punk band Third World Chaos in 1984.

Punk rock and New Wave gained a beachhead on Philippine shores, and local music would never be the same again.

Following the first-ever independent release of New Wave band Ocean Zoo’s Animal Party extended play single in 1983, punk band Chaos followed with a seven-inch release of ‘Quitter’ and ‘We Are the One’ (RCA Victor) a few months later. The single was produced by Tony Huelves, in-house producer for Vicor Music Corp. and its labels, Sunshine and Blackgold. At the time, Vicor was also the local distributor of RCA Records.

Then, in 1984, this time renamed as Third World Chaos, the four-piece crew of the late Potit Mangali on vocals, Tommy Tanchanco on guitars and backing vocals, Manny Pascual on bass and backing vocals, and Dino ‘Fer’ Solver on drums put out their only album, New Move for Error’ (distributed by Dyna Records).

‘The records were distributed through major labels, but they didn’t push or even promote them,’ recalled Pascual. ‘It was very disappointing. That is why we went to them in the first place.’

The records didn’t appear in most record stores at that time. One only knew of their availability if one went to punk gigs or listened to DZRJ or read Jingle Chordbook magazine, which extensively covered the then-burgeoning punk scene.

Somehow, all the copies sold out by word of mouth. And today, both the seven-inch single and the original long-playing album are some of the most coveted Holy Grails in Filipino music. If one does find an original copy in the market, whether in near-mint or in poor condition, it sells for anywhere from Php 8000 to Php 15000 and more. Even the European bootlegs fetch a huge sum because of the absence of original copies.

Thankfully, both have been rereleased for old and new fans by German underground label Merciless Records without having to break the bank.

Aside from ‘We Are The One’ and ‘Quitter,’ the New Move For Error album produced by Chaos and Howlin’ Dave features fan-favorite tracks like ‘Rebel Rockers,’ ‘You Won’t Anymore,’ ‘Insult The Useless People,’ and the anthemic title track. The LP version also comes with deluxe packaging that consists of a transparent vinyl, a recreated gig poster, as well as inserts featuring an old magazine interview in the underground magazine Herald X, and a lyric sheet. The album jacket also sports an obi strip.

‘I lost my copies a long time ago, and to have reissued versions is like a gift to all of us decades later,’ added Pascual. ‘It is something we can also share with our families as well as fans. We hope new listeners will like our music.’

The Chaos single and New Move for Error are the latest releases from Merciless Records, which previously released Dead Ends’ first three studio albums – Complaints, Second Coming, and Damned Nation – individually and in pizza-box-style sets. Then last year, the German label reissued Dead Ends’ contemporary, Deceased’s Never Rest in Peace.

‘The Philippines has a rich punk rock history,’ noted Joern Thoendel, who owns Merciless Records. ‘With punk a global movement, we feel that it is also a good time to introduce Filipino punk to a European and global audience.’

Copies of Third World Chaos’ New Move for Error and the seven-inch single can be purchased locally through Mutilated Noise Records on Facebook or through Merciless Records’ Bandcamp page.

Celebrity dentist Dr. Sam Bernardo continues to champion better oral health awareness among Filipinos, urging the public to take dental care seriously and not wait until problems become painful before seeking professional help.

As the founder of Awesam Smile Dental Clinic, Bernardo has made patient education and preventive dental care part of her advocacy, emphasizing the importance of regular checkups and proper oral hygiene.

‘The most common issue I notice is that people are unaware of the importance of oral health. They only visit the dentist when their teeth ache,’ Bernardo said.

She stressed that greater awareness can help prevent more serious dental problems, particularly among people who tend to postpone consultations because of cost, fear, or lack of information.

‘If we increase the spread of dental health education, we can reduce dental issues. Another thing I constantly emphasize is that the longer we wait, the worse things will get,’ she added.

Beyond her private practice, Bernardo has also been involved in initiatives aimed at bringing dental services and education closer to communities that have limited access to professional care.

According to Bernardo, some patients in underserved communities are unable to prioritize dental treatment because of their basic needs.

‘They really can’t go to the dentist. So, while we’re doing extractions, we try to teach them the proper way to care for their teeth,’ she said.

She also pointed out the realities faced by families who have to prioritize food and other essential expenses before dental treatment.

‘Of course, we have to understand that they’ll prioritize their basic needs, like food. That’s why we decided to hold this event in Happyland to help those who are suffering from tooth pain,’ Bernardo explained.

For the dentist and oral health advocate, the goal goes beyond treating toothaches. She hopes to encourage Filipinos to develop a more proactive approach to oral health through proper hygiene, regular dental consultations, and early treatment.

Her advocacy also reflects Awesam Smile Dental Clinic’s stated mission of educating patients about oral health practices while providing professional and comfortable dental care.

Bernardo’s message remains simple: dental care should not only begin when pain becomes unbearable. With proper education, prevention, and timely consultation, Filipinos can take better care of their oral health and protect their smiles in the long run.

XBOX continues to celebrate its 25th anniversary, this time with a presentation of its upcoming games at one of the biggest gaming conventions in the world in Cologne, Germany.

With the company marking its 25th year of play, gaming company Xbox will feature 25 new games in its booth, allowing fans to experience them before launch.

Here are some of the titles that gamers can expect:

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4-One of Xbox and Microsoft’s biggest franchises will be present at gamescom. Gamers can enjoy the action-packed, multiplayer experience firsthand of this latest addition to the established game.

Halo: Campaign Evolved-Explained as a ‘faithful yet modernized remake’ of the beloved and legendary campaign, gamers will see the revival with updated visuals, refined gameplay, and expanded combat options for Halo.

Fable-Playground Games will have its first live demo of one of the most awaited fantasy role-playing games in 2027. Here, players will have a chance to see its combat, visuals, and a preview of what to expect from the game.

Stranger Than Heaven-An upcoming action-adventure game developed by RGG Studio and published by Sega, this distant prequel to the Like a Dragon franchise will present the innovative combat system of the game.

Other games to be presented alongside Xbox include Gears of War: E-Day, Minecraft Dungeons II, METRO 2039, Forza Horizon 6, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, Alien Deathstorm, Alien: Isolation 2, Armatus, Bad Magpie, The Blood of Dawnwalker, Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, Crowsworn, Genigods: Nezha, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, STAR WARS Zero Company, Terrible Lizards, Turok: Origins, and Valor Mortis.

Filipino fans who cannot go on-site in Germany can still tune in to Xbox’s presentation as they will have a livestream on YouTube and Twitch, with the show also available in American Sign Language (ASL) and English Language Audio Descriptions. The show will start by 10 pm on August 26, Philippine Standard Time.

GARMIN really said ‘stop staring at screens’ when it launched the CIRQA Smart Band, the brand’s first screen-free smart band.

The CIRQA tracks advanced fitness and wellness features with up to 10 days of battery life and Garmin says this is all without the need for a subscription. The new Garmin smart band eliminates notifications from messages or calls and apps, as well as other distractions. It will track your health and wellbeing before syncing everything to the Garmin Connect app.

The smart band monitors sleep stages, sleep scores, heart rate variability (HRV), respiration, stress, Body Battery, energy monitoring, heart rate, Pulse Ox and skin temperature throughout the day and night. It also features built-in nap detection and supports menstrual cycle and pregnancy tracking.

‘We purposefully created CIRQA Smart Band for those who are passionate about staying healthy and active. With its discreet design and trusted health and fitness tracking tools Garmin is known for, this smart band complements our lineup of popular smartwatches and wellness monitors, allowing users to transition smoothly between their Garmin devices throughout the day. Plus, with no subscription required, CIRQA Smart Band helps you stay on top of your health and fitness goals-and makes a thoughtful gift for others who want to do the same,’ said Susan Lyman, Garmin vice president of consumer sales and marketing.

To further push the ‘stop staring at screens narrative,’ the CIRQA Smart Band has an inconspicuous design. The ultra-lightweight 20g design and 5 ATM water rating provide comfortable 24/7 wear. The fabric band provides maximum comfort for all-day wear. The smart band is available in four colorways: Black, French Gray, Captain Blue, and Mauve. There are additional accessory bands in French Blue, Citron, and Dark Olive. The Garmin CIRQA Smart Band can be worn around the wrist or as an arm band with an optional black upper arm band accessory (sold separately).

The smart band will automatically detect and record a variety of activities, even without a screen. As users confirm or edit their activities, the smart band will adapt to more accurately classify them in the future.

When worn day and night, CIRQA Smart Band helps provide a more complete picture of overall health. Health and activity data can also sync across compatible Garmin devices so users can get a more complete view of their wellness and fitness across the Garmin ecosystem.

The CIRQA Smart Band provides comprehensive sleep data, including a detailed breakdown of sleep stages, a sleep score, guidance on optimal sleep duration, heart rate variability, respiration, and nap detection. This is all available within the Garmin Connect app. The CIRQA Smart Band also includes popular fitness features to help users make the most of their workouts.

Manual activity tracking allows users to track more than 80 different activities, including running, walking, yoga and more. They can also select a favorite activity to track by simply tapping the single side button. With advanced training metrics, users can dial in with performance features like training readiness to know whether it’s a good day to go hard or take it easy and track progress with HRV status, VO2 max, and training status.

Users can connect to a compatible iPhone or Android smartphone’s GPS to accurately track outdoor walks, rides, and runs, while LiveTrack allows location sharing in real-time when using a smartphone and the Garmin Connect app.

The Garmin CIRQA Smart Band is available at Garmin Brand Stores, Garmin Specialty Stores, The Loop, and Garmin’s official e-commerce platforms.

The word ‘slowpoke’ refers to a person who moves or acts very slowly. I move and think slowly from inclination, habit or temperament. If that is so, I am a slowpoke.

I like slow burn movies where the plot and character revelations build up at a quiet glacial pace and sometimes nothing happens at all on the surface. When I read a book, it takes me weeks or sometimes months to finish it.

Although I am sociable, I don’t easily make friends. It takes me a little longer to give my full trust to someone and this is why my circle of intimates is very small.

I can’t be rushed into a decision. I often say, ‘Let me think about it,’ whether someone asks me to comment, share an opinion, or invites me to a social function-or to chat over coffee. My wife and I were engaged for five years before I gave in to her insistence that we formalize our relationship by getting married.

In childhood, I was one of the first to be eliminated in games like Trip to Jerusalem because I was slow to react. In street games like ‘patintero,’ I was easily tagged by my quicker playmates, so nobody wanted me on their teams. In the fairy tale ‘The Hare and the Turtle,’ I naturally rooted for the turtle in his race with the overconfident rabbit.

In college, I joined a five-kilometer run at my classmates’ insistence, only to finish among the 10 slowest runners. In pickup basketball games, I couldn’t stay with the player I was guarding. Even during our Saturday dance parties, I couldn’t find a partner: by the time I reached the other side of the floor where the girls were seated, everyone was already taken. I learned to live with people calling me ‘mabagal’ though it hurt more than I let on.

In class, I struggled to think quickly. When it was time to stand for recitation, my mind would go blank, and I couldn’t answer questions on the spot. Even when I managed to respond, my thoughts came out disjointed. That’s why I dreaded oral exams. During written tests, I often ran out of time, leaving a few questions unanswered. It’s honestly surprising that I passed Algebra in high school, since it would take me a long time to solve each problem.

In a Western style duel, I would probably get shot first because I’m not quick on the draw. If there was a cartoon character called Speedy Gonzalez, I was Slowpoke Gonzalez.

Driven by the urgent need to earn an income and support my growing family, I entered the corporate world as an advertising copywriter. My natural biological wiring completely changed. I fell into a routine of chasing the next due date-rent, utilities, loan payments, and more. The sad thing is I got used to that kind of life.

I pushed myself to think and write fast because deadline for creative concepts was always yesterday.

Before long, office colleagues nicknamed me ‘the quick nick of time’ for my impressive ability to complete tasks and submit copy requirements at lightning speed.

I ate fast-often on the run-between meetings. I learned to elbow past rival passengers to squeeze into crowded jeepneys. Sometimes, I clung to the handle of a moving bus and stood precariously on the ‘estribo’ of a full bus to get to Makati during rush hour.

My blood pressure started shooting up and at age 40, I was on maintenance. My pulse beat was high. My doctor said I was pre-diabetic. My stomach acidity went several notches higher.

Then Covid put everything on pause. Like everyone else, I was forced to press the brakes. In that pause, I did some self-reflection and realized that my relentless push to move faster had taken a toll on me physically, emotionally, and psychologically. I kept trying to perform constantly, and it hollowed me out little by little. I was not having fun.

During the first days of the national shutdown, I felt uneasy about the 9-to-5 rhythm I’d spent years getting used to. Then, unexpectedly, something shifted – exhilaration. I woke up without pressure, stopped checking the clock, and put my cellphone on mute.

With time to spare and no looming deadlines, I returned to long-neglected book reading and began writing essays. I was able to think, focus, and linger on my work-free to step away whenever I needed, without pressure.

I began to breathe easy and deeply; before that, my breathing had been rapid and shallow. I stopped gobbling my food and instead nibbled slowly, savoring the flavors of fish, meat, and vegetables. Whereas I previously gulped three or four cups of coffee a day, this time I took my time to sip it, even trying to notice the subtle differences among the varieties we had at home-some of which friends had given me as gifts.

I even took up a casual hobby-backyard composting-hoping to enrich the soil and learn the knack for recycling, which was then just beginning to catch my interest.

It was a change of pace, one I quickly came to enjoy. I soon felt slow footed again, and my reflexes dulled. In return, living was fun again.

That’s why, when the shutdown was lifted, I didn’t want to return to our office. I wasn’t interested in joining the scramble toward the ‘future’ in the post-Covid world. After all, I could survive on online consulting and gig work, especially as outsourcing creative jobs became the new norm.

Upon deeper reflection, I realized I was not a lesser person because I’m a ‘slowpoke.’ Yes, I move differently-but not because I’m a laggard. It’s because I’m a circumspect and cautious person. I move deliberately and attentively. I don’t want to be rushed into doing anything. When I act, I prefer to do it at my own pace and on my own terms.

I don’t completely reject my harried past as a working man. After all, I lived in that pace for over 40 years. It taught me what it feels like to live in the fast lane-constantly pressured by time and competing concerns. Now I’m half Speedy Gonzalez and half Slowpoke Gonzalez: I can switch to being a ‘quick nick of time’ when I need to, but I do it with deliberate awareness, in the spirit of the Roman motto Festina lente-‘make haste slowly.’

As someone once said, a man is defined by his contradictions as much as his ultimate choices. I choose to be defined not as the ‘quick nick of time,’ but as ‘slowpoke nick.’ In the final leg of my journey, I make a deliberate transition from the fast lane to the slow lane.

After years of being like a hamster running on a wheel, I have decided to practice what I call ‘The Art of Unhurried Living.’

‘Unhurried Living’ is a conscious choice to unplug oneself from urgency and pressure. It rejects hustle culture and prioritizes mental well-being over constant stress.

It fits my slowpoke nature perfectly. It means giving myself permission to move as slowly and leisurely as I want-letting others race like the proverbial hare while I savor the walk at a turtle’s pace.

I keep my phone on airplane mode for short periods throughout the day to help me reset and disconnect. During this time, I don’t receive texts, e-mails, or calls-I’m no longer living on call.

I do not hesitate to say ‘let me think about that.’ This gives me the space to absorb, masticate, and digest something before I make a decision.

I walk more often. To me slow leisure walking is the best way to process my daily thoughts and emotions. I hear myself. I notice things. I see things more clearly and logically.

Slowness brings mindfulness, which stretches time. I want to savor every moment, extracting joy and meaning without rushing. It feels like hiking a trail that constantly widens-revealing new landscapes and details I used to overlook.

I am no longer concerned about reaching the destination. To me it’s this slow journey that matters. It is a journey that never ends.

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Threat actors are increasingly exploiting AI systems, development tools and software supply chains to launch faster and more sophisticated attacks, according to cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike.

In a recent online briefing on the company’s latest Global Threat Report, CrowdStrike head of counter adversary operations Adam Meyers said organizations can no longer treat AI solely as a productivity tool and must begin securing it as a critical part of their digital infrastructure. ‘Securing AI is absolutely critical,’ Meyers said. ‘The expanding AI attack surface is being targeted by threat actors, ‘he said.

He noted that cybercriminals are attacking AI from multiple angles-from abusing AI-powered chatbots to consume costly computing resources to exploiting vulnerabilities in AI infrastructure platforms to deploy ransomware.

He said the growing use of AI-assisted software development has also created new risks for organizations. As developers increasingly rely on AI coding assistants, Meyers said the technology automatically downloads software packages and dependencies in real time to complete programming tasks. While this accelerates development, Meyers warned it also creates opportunities for attackers to poison software repositories or compromise developer accounts, allowing malicious code to spread quickly across organizations.

‘If you ask AI to code something for you, it’s going to start pulling down packages that it thinks it needs,’ he said. ‘That is happening with complete automation, and people are often not stopping to inspect those packages.’

According to CrowdStrike, recent software supply chain attacks have affected repositories that collectively recorded tens of millions of downloads each week, illustrating how rapidly malicious code can proliferate once trusted development channels are compromised.

The company also highlighted the growing role of AI in offensive cyber operations.

Meyers said threat actors, particularly those linked to China, are leveraging AI to accelerate vulnerability research and exploit newly disclosed software flaws in record time.

He noted that Chinese cyber groups have invested heavily in weaponizing vulnerabilities over the past several years, with AI significantly reducing the time needed to develop working exploits. ‘As we’ve seen with AI, it is extremely capable of helping find and exploit vulnerabilities, especially when information about those vulnerabilities is already publicly available,’ he said.

CrowdStrike warned that exploitation windows have narrowed dramatically, with some critical vulnerabilities being weaponized within hours of public disclosure. This leaves organizations with little time to respond using traditional monthly patching cycles.

‘The month-long patch cycle is obsolete,’ Meyers said, adding that companies should move toward automated remediation, accelerated patch management, and stronger exposure management to prioritize the most critical vulnerabilities.

Beyond securing AI applications, organizations must also strengthen the governance surrounding AI deployments.

Meyers said companies should view AI models as interchangeable components, placing greater emphasis on building secure ‘harnesses’ and operational controls around them rather than relying solely on the capabilities of any single model.

He cited CrowdStrike’s own experience, where applying the appropriate framework significantly improved the accuracy of AI-assisted vulnerability research by reducing false positives and producing more reliable results.

Open-weight AI models will also play an increasingly important role, he said, as organizations seek lower-cost alternatives to proprietary frontier models while maintaining flexibility to deploy AI securely for specific business functions.

Looking ahead, CrowdStrike expects more domain-specific AI models designed for specialized tasks, offering greater consistency and more predictable outputs.

The company urged organizations to complement AI adoption with comprehensive threat visibility, managed threat hunting, and stronger identity protection to prevent attackers from moving from compromised developer environments into enterprise cloud systems.

‘Threat actors continue to evolve and find new ways to attack,’ Meyers said. ‘Organizations need stronger guardrails, better intelligence and the right security controls to stay ahead.’ As AI becomes deeply embedded across enterprise operations, CrowdStrike said securing the technology itself must become as important as using it to improve productivity, warning that the organizations that fail to protect their AI environments could inadvertently provide cybercriminals with powerful new attack vectors.

THE Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) is set to add another European country to its growing list of international partners, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said on Friday.

Go did not identify the incoming partner, saying the country will be revealed during the first LEC Investment Forum scheduled for September 10 and 11 in Manila.

‘Last year, we had two partners in the Luzon Economic Corridor, the US and Japan,’ Go said in his keynote speech at the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines’ Economic Forum in Manila City.

‘Today, we have eight more partners in the Luzon Economic Corridor . . . And one more European country is set to become the newest addition to the LEC,’ he added.

The latest addition would bring the number of international partners beyond the Philippines, US and Japan to nine, while the LEC’s existing international partners are Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The corridor links Subic Bay, Clark, Manila and Batangas, connecting major manufacturing, logistics and trade centers.

The Philippines, US and Japan launched the corridor in April 2024 as the first Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment corridor in the Indo-Pacific.

The expanded partnership is expected to support infrastructure development through financing, technical assistance and private-sector investment in areas including transport, energy and digital infrastructure.

On the other hand, the upcoming investment forum is expected to bring together around 600 international investors, industry executives, project developers and government officials.

The three founding partners will co-host the event, which will feature infrastructure projects seeking financing and private-sector participation.

Discussions will cover advanced manufacturing, digital connectivity, energy, transportation and logistics, and private capital.

The US Trade and Development Agency, which is sponsoring the forum, said the event will also include project showcases, networking sessions and site visits to prospective projects in Subic Bay, Clark and Batangas.

The agency described the LEC as the country’s main economic corridor, with the four areas accounting for about half of the country’s economy.