Category: Business Mirror

FRENCH hospitality giant Accor Group has finally planted its first Mercure flag in the Philippines at the Andrew Tan-led Megaworld Corp.’s township development in Cebu.

The 550-room Mercure Mactan Cebu is operated by Megaworld Hotels and Resorts (MHR) at Mactan Newtown, a master-planned coastal township in Cebu. The hotel was formerly known as Belmont Hotel Mactan.

In a news statement, Accor Asia’s Chief Operating Officer for Premium, Midscale and Economy Division Garth Simmons said, ‘Cebu is a destination on the rise. Introducing Mercure to the Philippines for the first time with the opening of Mercure Mactan Cebu marks a strategic expansion for the brand, as Cebu continues to emerge as a compelling gateway for travelers seeking culturally rich experiences.’

He added that Mercure Mactan is ‘designed to reflect the character of its surroundings [and] connects curious and passionate travelers to the stories, flavors, and energy that define Cebu. As demand grows for experience-led travel, we are excited to expand our presence in the Philippines and create more opportunities for travelers to connect with emerging destinations across Asia.’

For her part, MHR Managing Director Cleofe C. Albiso told the BusinessMirror that the company’s franchise agreement with Accor is ‘one deal only, just for Mactan.’ There are currently no plans to rebrand other Belmont Hotels to Mercures.

However, she said talks were ongoing on the possibility of partnering with Accor for its other brands. ‘Nothing final,’ she said.

Movenpick Westside in 4Q

MHR earlier announced its 1,530-room Grand Westside Manila Bay will also be managed by Accor, under the Movenpick brand, by the fourth quarter of the year. To be called Movenpick Westside, it will be Accor’s largest hotel under the brand.

Meanwhile, Accor said Mercure Mactan features 550 guestrooms and suites, including Standard Rooms, Privilege Rooms, and the Presidential Suite. Each room is designed with locally inspired touches, curated artwork, and vibrant accents that celebrate the colors and creativity of Cebu.

The food and beverage outlets showcase the rich flavors and culinary traditions of Cebu. ‘Pulô serves authentic Filipino and Cebuano cuisine with a fresh ocean-to-table approach, within interiors inspired by solihiya weaving, abaca craftsmanship, and the vibrant energy of the Sinulog Festival,’ the Group added.

Guests can enjoy cocktails, local brews, and light bites at Lingaw Pool Bar, while Zabana Bar and Lounge offers a relaxed setting for evening drinks, complemented by handcrafted Cebu guitars that pay tribute to the island’s musical heritage.

The hotel also features a fully equipped fitness center, separate steam and sauna facilities, spa treatments, a tranquil Garden Lounge, and an inviting swimming pool designed for relaxation throughout the day.

Flexible MICE spaces

For meetings, celebrations, and social gatherings, Mercure Mactan Cebu offers versatile meeting rooms and flexible event spaces designed for both corporate and social occasions, accommodating gatherings from 30 to 180 guests.

The hotel sits directly across the recently opened Mactan Expo, the area’s largest convention facility with a 3,000-seat theater capacity. This positions Mercure Mactan as an ‘ideal base for delegates attending large-scale conventions and exhibitions in Cebu.’

The hotel also provides exclusive access to Mactan Newtown Beach, featuring a picturesque Ceremony Garden for intimate occasions and an elegant Glass Pavilion overlooking the sea for larger celebrations and weddings.

‘At Mercure Mactan Cebu, we invite guests to experience more than just a destination. We invite them to feel Cebu,’ said hotel General Manager Gwen De La Cruz.

‘What truly defines Cebu is its people. Hospitality is innate and embedded in the Cebuano lineage, every stay is shaped by genuine warmth and connection. We want every guest to feel that this is a place they can return to, time and time again, because Cebu always feels like home,’ she added.

The Accor Group currently manages 12 hotels in the Philippines for various local developers: Movenpick Resort and Spa Boracay, Raffles Makati, Fairmont Makati, Novotel Suites Manila at Acqua in Mandaluyong, Admiral Hotel Manila-MGallery, Novotel Manila Araneta City in Cubao, Ibis Styles Manila Araneta City, Ibis Styles Subic in Zambales, Swissôtel Clark Philippines, Mercure Mactan, Movenpick Cebu, and South Palms Resort and Spa Panglao-MGallery.

WHILE formal account ownership in the Philippines has more than doubled over the past decade, many Filipinos ‘remain underserved’ in terms of access to formal savings and credit products, according to Maya Bank Inc.

As such, one of the digital bank’s executives pointed out that the country’s financial inclusion progress should be measured beyond the accounts opened or transactions processed.

‘The question is no longer simply whether Filipinos have a financial account, but whether that account is making their lives better and more secure,’ Maya Head of Corporate Affairs Kristoffer Eduard M. Rada said during the recent Asean Tech Summit Manila.

‘The more important test is whether the infrastructure helps people build savings, access affordable credit, grow a business or cope with an emergency,’ the official of the digital bank said.

According to the digital bank, formal account ownership in the country has ‘more than doubled’ over the past decade, rising from 22 percent in 2015 to around 50 percent in 2025.

Despite the significant growth in account ownership, Maya said in its statement: ‘Many Filipinos still use their accounts mainly for transactions and remain underserved by formal savings and credit products.’

Rada said national payment rails, digital identity, improving credit information and the digital banking framework of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) have laid ‘important foundations.’

These systems, however, still need to be ‘strengthened and sustained,’ he asserted.

Nonetheless, Rada said, digital payments can help by giving financial institutions a ‘better understanding’ of consumers and businesses with little or no traditional credit history.

‘Used responsibly and with the proper safeguards, everyday financial activity can provide useful signals about how people and businesses manage money,’ a document issued by Maya read.

The Asean Tech Summit Manila was held weeks after banks and financial institutions started slashing digital fund transfer fees.

The BSP is hoping the share of digital payments will corner at least 70 percent of total retail transactions by 2028.

In July last year, the central bank reported that the share of digital payments to total monthly retail transactions rose to 57.4 percent in terms of volume and 59 percent in terms of value in 2024, data from the BSP showed.

Based on the Philippine Development Plan, the baseline-at 30.3 percent in 2021-should increase to 50 percent in 2023; 52 percent to 54 percent in 2024; 54 percent to 58 percent in 2025; 56 percent to 62 percent in 2026; 58 percent to 66 percent in 2027; and 60 percent to 70 percent in 2028.

For years, the prevailing narrative surrounding the Philippine economy has been fixated on two primary levers: the exchange rate and trade liberalization. The conventional wisdom suggested that a weaker peso was the golden ticket to boosting exports, while opening our markets was the surest path to industrialization. However, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli M. Remolona has injected a much-needed dose of reality into this debate, challenging us to confront the structural rot that truly stifles our economic potential. (Read the BusinessMirror story: ‘Licking corruption, better EODB should get priority’, August 3, 2026).

Governor Remolona’s recent pronouncement is a refreshing departure from the monetary tunnel vision that often grips policymakers. By urging the nation to prioritize our Corruption Perception Index and Ease of Doing Business rankings over the fixation on a ‘stronger peso’ or trade deals, he is effectively drawing a line between short-term tactical moves and long-term strategic survival.

The Governor is right: we suffer from a ‘money illusion.’ We obsess over the daily fluctuations of the peso against the dollar, believing that a weaker currency is a panacea for our manufacturing ills. Yet, as he astutely pointed out, the exodus of Intel to Penang and our car manufacturers to Thailand had nothing to do with the exchange rate. These were not decisions made on the trading floor; they were decisions made in boardrooms where investors weighed the predictability of the rule of law, the efficiency of logistics, and the integrity of the bureaucracy.

The data, or lack thereof, is damning. We are ‘near the bottom’ of the Corruption Perception Index. To foreign investors, we are perceived as a high-risk environment not because of market volatility, but because of red tape and rent-seeking. We are ‘in the middle of the pack’ for Ease of Doing Business, a mediocre ranking that signals to global capital that establishing a foothold in the Philippines will be an exercise in patience and frustration rather than seamless efficiency.

The message is clear: Trade liberalization is insufficient. Tariff walls are irrelevant if the cost of corruption and bureaucratic delay is higher than the cost of the tariff itself.

Governor Remolona’s statement acknowledges a crucial macroeconomic reality: monetary policy cannot operate in a vacuum. The effectiveness of our monetary tools is fundamentally constrained by the frictions of governance. If the cost of importing raw materials rises due to a weaker peso, as noted by the DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau, the ‘advantage’ of depreciation is eroded. A cheap peso cannot compensate for expensive inefficiency.

Furthermore, the De La Salle University economists have correctly identified the path forward. We cannot compete in the global arena by being the cheapest; we must compete by being the best. Currency depreciation is not a ‘sensible’ development strategy. It is a crutch that allows us to avoid the painful, but necessary, work of industrial upgrading. We cannot simply dump more of the same low-value goods into the market; we must diversify and export more complex, knowledge-intensive products.

This requires a seismic shift in our national priorities. Governor Remolona has given us the roadmap. The goal is not just a stronger peso, but a stronger institution. The target is not just trade balance, but bureaucratic integrity. The true driver of manufacturing competitiveness is not the exchange rate, but the rate at which we can get things done-ethically, efficiently, and predictably.

It is time to stop tinkering with the value of our currency and start transforming the value of our governance. The BSP has sounded the alarm; it is now up to the Executive and Legislative branches to respond. We must dismantle the barriers to entry, crush the culture of ‘grease money,’ and build a bureaucracy that serves, rather than stifles, the entrepreneur. Only then will the Philippines graduate from being a ‘middle of the pack’ economy to a true tiger in the region.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. on Monday said its income in January to June came in flat at P24.5 billion compared with the previous year’s P24.45 billion, as costs and expenses eclipsed revenue growth.

Total revenues grew 5 percent to P71.7 billion from P68 billion, with rental income from malls, offices, hospitality and MICE accounting for 61 percent.

‘Our focus on tenant relationships, customer experience and cost management supported our performance. Despite challenging market conditions, commercial demand remained resilient across our portfolio,’ said Jeffrey C. Lim, SM Prime president.

Lim said the company is targeting to at least match last year’s income of P48.84 billion. Real estate sales for the period contributed 27 percent, while cinema ticket sales, food and beverage, amusement and related offerings generated the remaining 12 percent.

Costs and expenses during the same period increased 6 percent to P35.6 billion from P33.6 billion, due to higher depreciation and amortization charges, fixed overhead costs and construction expenses.

Mall revenues grew 8 percent to P41.8 billion from P38.6 billion on the combined effect of higher occupancy, stronger tenant sales and improved operational efficiency.

Residential revenues, covering core, leisure and premium offerings, slipped 1 percent to P20.6 billion from P20.9 billion on lower revenue recognition from prior-year sales.

Revenues from hotels and convention centers expanded 8 percent to P4.4 billion from P4.1 billion owing to higher bookings and average daily room rate.

Office and warehouse revenues rose 9 percent to P5.0 billion from P4.6 billion, driven by higher space take-up.

Second-quarter consolidated net income rose 1 percent to nearly P12.9 billion from P12.8 billion, as costs grew in line with revenues.

Total revenues from April to June increased 9 percent to P38.4 billion from P35.3 billion.

Meanwhile, costs and expenses went up by nearly 9 percent to P19.0 billion from P17.5 billion, mainly due to higher construction costs.

Capital expenditures declined 18 percent to P30.7 billion in the first half from P37.3 billion a year earlier.

Last April, SM Prime announced that it will invest more than P6 billion to redevelop SM Harrison Plaza on the former Harrison Plaza Complex in Manila, which is slated to open next year.

The project forms part of SM Prime’s P150-billion mall investment program for 2026 to 2030, which includes the major redevelopment of 16 existing malls and the construction of 12 to 15 new lifestyle malls.

Steven T. Tan, president of SM Supermalls, said the company expects to have 115 malls by 2030 or four to five malls per year, as SM expands its footprint outside of Luzon and Metro Manila.

Tan also said the company is aiming to open 100 malls by 2027 or 2028, and will launch one flagship or premier mall per year through 2030, as it expands its reach in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corp. (MMPC) is targeting a 20-percent market share this year as it rolls out new models and prepares to expand local hybrid vehicle production, with a medium-term goal of capturing at least a quarter of the Philippine automotive market.

MMPC Chairman Noriaki Hirakata said the company expects Philippine sales to grow by 5 to 6 percent this year under ‘normal market conditions,’ driven by demand for models such as the Xpander, XForce, Triton and Mirage.

‘This year, we try to get 20 percent market share. And for the medium-term plan, we intend to get 25 percent market share, minimum,’ Hirakata told reporters during a media roundtable in Makati City on Monday.

The Mirage currently accounts for about 40 percent of MMPC’s total Philippine sales, making it the company’s biggest-selling model in the country. MMPC manufactures the Mirage G4 and L300 at its 23-hectare plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, which has annual capacity of 50,000 units and is currently operating at about 90 percent of capacity.

The company is considering increasing the plant’s capacity, although Hirakata said the decision would depend largely on market demand for its planned hybrid vehicle.

The planned hybrid program could also give the Philippines a larger role in Mitsubishi’s regional production network. The company is exploring the possibility of exporting locally produced hybrid vehicles, although none of its Philippine-made models are currently exported.

‘We are seeking for the export opportunity of this newly produced hybrid vehicle. It’s good for the Philippines. By exporting vehicles from the Philippines, we can improve the trade balance of the nation,’ Hirakata said.

Potential export markets would not be limited geographically, he said, provided the vehicles meet the safety and emissions requirements of their respective markets.

EVIS investment

The expansion is tied to Mitsubishi’s planned participation in the government’s Electric Vehicle Industry Strategy (EVIS), under which the company intends to invest P7 billion to produce hybrid electric vehicles locally.

Signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the EVIS executive order provides up to P60 billion in fiscal support for electric vehicle manufacturing projects.

‘We are very pleased with that obligation. And we are having a detailed discussion to compose. So, we are having a good discussion about how to make it happen,’ Hirakata said.

MMPC is awaiting the registration of EVIS’ implementing rules and regulations before formally proceeding with its participation.

The company initially plans to produce one hybrid model locally as it develops its manufacturing capabilities. ‘For now, just one, because we need to improve our capability to produce hybrid vehicle,’ Hirakata said.

MMPC has not set a specific annual production target for the hybrid model, saying output will depend on market demand.

‘As many as possible. There’s no limitation. But we cannot disclose the annual target production number for the competition issue,’ Hirakata said.

The P7-billion investment will be used to expand the existing Sta. Rosa facility rather than build a new plant. MMPC also plans to add between 300 and 500 engineers for its hybrid manufacturing operations.

He added the investment could eventually exceed P7 billion if demand for the locally produced hybrid vehicle is stronger than expected.

Beyond vehicle sales, the company’s medium- to long-term Philippine strategy includes improving cost competitiveness, increasing productivity through artificial intelligence and data centers, and expanding earnings from its wider automotive value chain.

The company is also looking to grow sales of higher-priced vehicles through broader financing options.

Hirakata identified the Philippines as one of Mitsubishi Motors’ priority markets, alongside Japan and Vietnam. The Philippines is currently its largest market in Southeast Asia and second-largest worldwide after Japan.

THE prosecution in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is moving to close a critical gap in the confidential-fund money trail by questioning the disbursing officers who personally received the cash and presenting government experts who may challenge the identities and signatures appearing on thousands of acknowledgement receipts.

Gina Acosta and Edward Fajarda, the former special disbursing officers of the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education, respectively, are expected to be treated as hostile witnesses and questioned about where the funds were taken and how they were distributed after their withdrawal from LandBank.

The prosecution said their testimony could provide the crucial link between the release of the cash and its subsequent liquidation through acknowledgment receipts, many of which reportedly contain names that could not be matched with official civil registry records.

Private prosecutor and House prosecution panel legal spokesperson Benjamin ‘Jay’ Tolosa Jr. said Acosta and Fajarda could be treated as hostile witnesses because their interests are considered adverse to those of the prosecution.

‘Yes. When you describe someone as a hostile witness, it means that the witness’ interests are adverse to those of the party that called them,’ Tolosa said.

The hostile-witness classification would allow prosecutors to ask leading questions even though they are the party presenting Acosta and Fajarda before the Senate Impeachment Court.

Their expected testimony follows the presentation of evidence from former LandBank officials concerning the withdrawal of confidential funds intended for the OVP and DepEd.

Tolosa said the two disbursing officers occupied a crucial position in the fund trail because they were the officials who received the cash after it was withdrawn from the bank.

‘We should watch out for their testimonies because they were the special disbursing officers. As we may recall from the testimony of the LandBank officer, they were the ones who received the money,’ Tolosa said.

The prosecution is seeking to establish the movement of the funds from their release and withdrawal to their alleged distribution and eventual liquidation through acknowledgment receipts and other supporting documents.

For prosecutors, the testimony of the disbursing officers could answer a central question in the case: What happened to the cash after it was released to them?

‘It will be important to hear from them because they were accountable for the funds. After receiving the money, where did they take it, and how did they use it?’ Tolosa said.

Acosta and Fajarda previously appeared during the House inquiry into the use of confidential funds, where their respective roles as the OVP and DepEd special disbursing officers were identified.

Their testimony is expected to be assessed alongside bank records, liquidation documents and Commission on Audit (COA) findings presented under Article I of the impeachment case.

Tolosa acknowledged that the ultimate determination of the credibility and evidentiary weight of their testimony would rest with the senator-judges.

COA trail

The prosecution is also relying on COA Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office Supervising Auditor Celine May Del Campo to continue the audit trail beyond the matters covered by former state auditor Roderick Wamil’s personal knowledge.

Both Wamil and Del Campo were subpoenaed by the Senate Impeachment Court as prosecution witnesses under Article I, which covers the alleged misuse and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds assigned to the OVP and DepEd.

Wamil testified primarily about the audit stages and documents personally handled before succeeding portions of the audit process were taken over by other auditors.

According to Tolosa, Wamil could not answer certain questions regarding notices of disallowance because those developments occurred after the auditor had left the Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Office.

‘There were questions, particularly about the notices of disallowance. Wamil said, ‘I no longer have personal knowledge about that because I had already left.’ Ms. Celine succeeded Wamil, so she will continue that part of the account,’ Tolosa explained.

Tolosa rejected suggestions that Del Campo’s testimony would merely repeat what Wamil had already told the impeachment court.

‘Some people may be wondering whether they will say the same things. No, their testimonies are different,’ he said.

The prosecution considers the distinction significant because the COA process allegedly progressed from audit observations and suspensions to the issuance of notices of disallowance.

During the proceedings, Wamil repeatedly limited the testimony to audit developments within the former auditor’s personal knowledge. Del Campo is expected to discuss the succeeding audit actions based on records she handled and events within her direct knowledge.

‘For the matters that were already outside Wamil’s personal knowledge, Celine will fill in the missing details,’ Tolosa said.

Del Campo recommended the issuance of notices of disallowance covering P448 million of the P500 million in confidential funds provided to the OVP, according to House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon.

Receipts under scrutiny

Beyond the withdrawal and audit of the funds, the prosecution also intends to examine the identities and signatures appearing on acknowledgment receipts submitted to support the liquidation of confidential expenditures.

Ridon said the 845 acknowledgement receipts presented in connection with the OVP’s confidential funds represented only the ‘tip of the iceberg.’

Speaking at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City, Ridon said witnesses from the Philippine Statistics Authority and the National Bureau of Investigation are expected to appear in the coming weeks to demonstrate the extent of the alleged irregularities.

The PSA witnesses are expected to discuss government civil-registry searches involving people named as confidential-fund recipients. NBI experts, meanwhile, are expected to testify about the handwriting and signatures found on the acknowledgment receipts.

Ridon recalled that during the clarificatory hearings conducted by the House Committee on Justice, an NBI handwriting expert found indications that the signatures appearing on numerous acknowledgment receipts may have been written by only one person or a small group of individuals.

‘The handwriting appeared to indicate that only a small group of people signed these acknowledgement receipts,’ Ridon said, recalling the expert’s earlier testimony.

He argued that the expected PSA and NBI testimonies could broaden the questions surrounding the confidential funds beyond the amounts already disallowed by state auditors.

‘Apart from COA’s findings in its two decisions, the entire body of acknowledgement receipts may be called into question in the coming weeks when the PSA and NBI witnesses take the stand,’ Ridon said.

‘The questions will not be limited to the amounts disallowed in the audit. The evidence may show that only one person or a small group of people signed the acknowledgment receipts,’ he added.

The receipts presented so far allegedly included the names Mary Grace Piattos, Renan Piatos, Andy Lim, Alejandro Pikit, Nova Santos, Mico Harina and Patty Ting as recipients of confidential funds.

During the House Committee on Justice hearings, the PSA reported finding no records of the birth, marriage or death of individuals identified as Mary Grace Piattos, Kokoy Villamin and Milky Secuya.

The absence of civil-registry records does not by itself establish that a person does not exist. The prosecution, however, is expected to use the PSA results together with handwriting findings, audit records and testimony from the officials who handled the cash to question the reliability of the liquidation documents.

‘For thousands of acknowledgement receipts, different recipients should have signed them,’ Ridon said. ‘Once the NBI handwriting expert takes the witness stand, the evidence may show that the investigation should not be confined to the amounts disallowed in the audit.’

Consunji-led Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) filed a redundancy notice for 462 mine-site employees with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

The company said the cuts were driven by uncertainty surrounding the coal mine auction of the Department of Energy (DOE). SMPC said it will be mitigated by an assistance program offering retraining and redeployment within the DMCI Group.

SMPC reduced its 2026 production target as part of its operational planning in light of the impending coal auction which is expected to take place between August and September.

Its existing coal operating contract (COC) is set to expire on July 14, 2027.

‘We recognize the impact of this decision on our affected employees and their families, and we will do our best to support them through this transition,’ said Maria Cristina C Gotianun, SMPC president and chief operating officer.

Aside from the separation benefits provided under labor law and company policy, SMPC’s Employee Assistance Program will offer opportunities for redeployment within the DMCI Group, financial literacy training, skills retraining, livelihood support, relocation support, and job placement services in the mining and energy sectors. As of the end of July, SMPC employed 4,045 people, including more than 2,000 employees from its host communities.Last month, SMPC petitioned a Makati court for protection against the DOE from sharing the company’s detailed list of assets and propriety information with interested bidders.

In April, the DOE received keen interests from five firms-Limay Power Inc. (LPI), Malita Power Inc. (MPI), TSR/Sta. Clara, DESCO, and SMPC. According to the DOE, SMPC can still participate in the bidding.

SMPC said that since it owns these assets by virtue of its COC and the Coal Development Act (PD 972), these should not be made available for the use of other bidders and should therefore not be considered in their bid submissions.

The government, it said, can own the assets only if SMPC fails to remove them from the production and exploration area, within one year after the termination of its contract in July 2027.

‘Government ownership of these assets is merely future and conditional. The bidding is supposed to choose a winner that has a viable mine plan and knows how to run one to make sure coal production is seamless to protect the country’s baseload electricity generation. It is not about SMPC and how it runs the mine,’ the company added.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is moving closer to a more secure and self-reliant energy future following President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s announcement during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), where BARMM will co-manage two petroleum service contracts with the national government, the first arrangement of its kind in Philippine history.

The landmark partnership covering Petroleum Service Contract (PSC) Nos. 80 and 81 in the southern Sulu Sea is expected to strengthen the region’s energy security, accelerate electrification efforts, and create new opportunities for investment, employment, and community development. The initiative also forms part of the government’s broader strategy to reduce dependence on imported fuel while harnessing the country’s indigenous energy resources.

For Bangsamoro leaders, the development represents more than an energy project-it is another milestone in the region’s growing capacity to manage its own resources and deliver long-term benefits to its people.

Atty. Kitem Duque Kadatuan Jr., Member of Parliament of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority welcomed the announcement, saying that reliable and affordable energy is fundamental to inclusive development.

‘Energy is not only about keeping the lights on. It is about giving every Bangsamoro community the opportunity to grow, attract investments, create jobs, and improve the quality of life of our people. This historic partnership reflects the growing confidence in BARMM’s institutions and our shared commitment to sustainable progress,’ Kadatuan said.

As BARMM continues to expand access to electricity while pursuing responsible resource development, the region is expected to play an increasingly important role in strengthening the country’s energy security. The historic co-management arrangement also highlights the importance of collaboration between the national government and the Bangsamoro Government in advancing inclusive growth and bringing lasting opportunities closer to every Bangsamoro family.

THE National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), together with its Asean 2026 Philippines partners, invites the public to join the month-long celebration of Asean Month 2026, featuring a vibrant lineup of cultural showcases, performances, workshops, and community events that highlight the rich heritage and shared identity of Southeast Asia.

Following the successful momentum of the Sulong SEAPop Music and Culture Caravan, the celebration continues this August under the Asean Chairmanship theme Navigating Our Future, Together.

As Asean commemorates its 59th founding anniversary, Filipinos and visitors alike are encouraged to discover the traditions, creativity, and cultural diversity that unite the region’s 11 Member States.

As part of the celebration, participants who joined previous Sulong SEAPop Music and Culture Caravan events are encouraged to bring their Sulong SEAPop Passport to continue collecting stamps through the Stamp Rally at participating Asean Month activities.

Those who complete the required stamps will have the chance to receive exclusive prizes, with winners to be announced during the culmination of the campaign in November 2026.

Throughout August, attendees can participate in a variety of free and accessible events across Manila, including:

August 10 to 31: Asean Corner at the Metropolitan Theater and Centro de Turismo, featuring cultural exhibits and activities. (Open to all)

August 20: Interagency Asean Month Celebration, bringing together government agencies in a showcase of regional cooperation and shared heritage.

Throughout Asean Month: Sulong SEAPop Passport Stamp Rally, where participants can collect stamps at participating activities and qualify for exclusive prizes.

Most public activities are free, with advance registration required for workshops with limited slots.

The public and media are encouraged to follow the official Asean 2026 Philippines and NCCA channels for schedules, registration details, and updates.

From cultural performances and exhibitions to workshops and lectures, the celebration offers diverse opportunities for audiences to experience the richness of Southeast Asian culture.

The Department of Science and Technology-National Capital Region (DOST-NCR), in partnership with Valenzuela City, opened the 2026 Regional Science, Technology, and Innovation Week (RSTW) in the National Capital Region on August 6, highlighting the role of science, technology, and innovation (STI) in creating safer, more resilient, sustainable, and people-centered communities.

With the theme, ‘Siyensya, Teknolohiya, at Inobasyon: Kabalikat sa Matatag, Maginhawa, at Panatag na Kinabukasan,’ the three-day celebration showcases technologies, programs, and innovations aimed at addressing the needs of communities, local governments, businesses, academe, and other sectors.

Science Secretary Renato U. Solidum Jr., in his keynote message, emphasized anticipatory governance, saying that that the impact of STI should ultimately be measured by the lives made safer, better, and more secure through science-based solutions.

One of the highlights during the opening was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between DOST-NCR and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development-National Capital Region for the Smart and Sustainable Communities Program.

The program seeks to support local governments in adopting science- and technology-based approaches to sustainable urban development.

Valenzuela City likewise adopted GeoRiskPH through a partnership with DOST-NCR and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, strengthening the use of hazard and risk information in planning, decision-making, and disaster preparedness.

The event highlighted efforts to expand access to advanced manufacturing technologies through the establishment of Advanced Manufacturing Center Satellite Laboratories with DOST-Metals Industry Research and Development Center, and partner academic institutions.

Meanwhile, DOST’s support to local enterprises through the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program (DOST-SETUP) was showcased through

SETUP showcased the experience of G-Start Builders Corp. on how technology upgrading, technical assistance, and productivity interventions can improve business operations and competitiveness.

Also launched was the VSPARK Valenzuela Startup Development Program and iHub Valenzuela, providing students, young innovators, and aspiring startup founders with opportunities for mentorship, skills development, ideation, and product development.

These initiatives reflect DOST-NCR’s continuing efforts to make STI more accessible and responsive to the needs of Filipinos.

Similarly, through the 2026 RSTW in the NCR, DOST-NCR reinforces the spirit of #AghamNaRamdam, bringing science, technology, and innovation closer to the people and translating them into practical solutions for stronger communities, better public services, and a more resilient and secure future.