Category: Daily Monitor

Small and medium enterprise (SME) entrepreneurs in Uganda have urged the government to establish a one-stop service centre bringing together agencies responsible for regulating and formalising businesses, saying it would cut bureaucracy and improve business survival.

The call was made on Friday by 45 entrepreneurs graduating from a three-month Enterprise Development Programme (EDB) organised by Uganda Development Bank (UDB) at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Mbarara Campus in Kamukuzi, Mbarara City.

The entrepreneurs said a centralised hub hosting agencies such as the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) and UDB would simplify registration, compliance and access to finance.

‘Most of Ugandans find it hard to formalise their businesses because of the bureaucracy involved and time consuming, moving from one office to another in different locations. If these offices had a one stop center it would be easy to get all the information needed easily,’ said Ms Kyomukama, director of Jane K Events.

Julius Mucunguzi, director of Foundation Foods, said a centralised system would support business growth by making services more accessible.

‘Having a centralized system helps entrepreneurs to access several services like registration, tax compliance, certification, financial and advisory services which are key in sustaining businesses because it becomes convenience, accessibility, transparency,’ he said.

MUBS Mbarara Campus director Richard Akisimiire said many SMEs fail due to information gaps and poor financial discipline.

‘Most of the SMEs do not reach their fifth birthday, we need to deepen training to address the challenge of information gaps and financial literacy. The government agencies are key in this and having them easily accessible is key in the growth and sustainability of these enterprises,’ Akisimiire said.

UNBS certification manager Didas Muhereza said agencies involved in business formalisation are interdependent.

‘You cannot come for certification without paying taxes, here you need URA, you have to be registered and that is URSB so we need to work together to see how businesses are supported to grow in a convenient and flexible way,’ he said.

UDB director for Strategy and Corporate Affairs Allan Joshua Mwesiga said SMEs face structural challenges, particularly access to finance and sustainability.

‘This is the reason we have brought most of these agencies to interface with these entrepreneurs. They face a lot of challenges in managing their businesses well. We need to have the whole ecosystem that enables formalisation of businesses,’ he said.

Mwesiga said UDB aims to build a sustainable pool of entrepreneurs by equipping them with skills needed to become investor-ready.

‘SMEs make up 90 percent of Uganda’s private sector and contribute over 75 percent to our GDP. They are the backbone of the economy and key driver of job creation yet studies have shown that two out of three startups in Uganda fall in the first year,’ he said.

Team leader for the graduates Julian Mumpe said the training covered entrepreneurship mindset, bookkeeping, budgeting, governance, proposal writing, marketing, business succession, and debt and risk management

AS part of its annual tradition to bring Yuletide cheer to the residents of its centers and residential care facilities (CRCFs), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is set to hold a series of celebrations, which include gift-giving and a simple ‘salo-salo’ party.

‘May mga iba’t-ibang activities sa mga care facilities natin. Sa katunayan, taon-taon, sa December 24th, 25th, sa 31st, at saka sa January 1st, may mga special na mga parties sa loob ng mga care facilities natin. [There are various activities in our care facilities. Every December 24, 25 and 31, as well as January 1, we have special parties in our care facilities],’ DSWD Secretary Rex Gatchalian told reporters during his visit at the Golden Reception and Action Center for the Elderly and Other Special Cases (GRACES) in Bago Bantay, Quezon City, on Friday.

Gatchalian said that he chose to visit first one of the often-neglected sectors, the elderly residents in shelters, to ensure they feel loved and cared for this Christmas season, despite being away from their families.

‘Alam natin na itong time of the year, masaya para sa karamihan pero para sa mga nasa shelter natin, siyempre naulila na sila sa pamilya nila. ‘Yung mabisita sila, malaking bagay na yun. So nagdala kami ng konting regalo. Pero bahagi ito ng mga Christmas celebration natin sa mga shelter natin. Ang utos kasi ng Pangulo natin na Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., siguraduhin na yung mga nasa shelter natin nadarama rin nila yung diwa ng Pasko. [Most people are happy this time of the year, but residents of our shelters feel lonely. It is a big thing for them to be visited. So, we brought some gifts as part of our Christmas celebrations in our shelters. President Marcos instructed us to ensure that residents in our shelters also feel the spirit of Christmas],’ he said.

About 200 elderly residents of GRACES, including homeless senior citizens and those who are bedridden, received gift packages from Gatchalian.

‘Out of culture kasi, di ba, sa pamil-yang Pilipino, tayo yung matatanda natin, tumatanda ng kasama natin sa bahay. So malungkot, in a sense, kasi meron tayong 200 na matatanda na napabayaan, pero masaya, in another sense, kasi natututukan sila ng pamahalaan. [In our culture, our elderly stay with our families. It’s sad that we have 200 senior citizens here who were neglected, but happy in another sense because the government is taking care of them],’ Gatchalian said.

The DSWD operates around 77 centers and residential care facilities nationwide, providing shelter and support for vulnerable sectors like children, PWDs, women, and senior citizens, with specific numbers hovering around 76,077 in recent reports from late 2025. These facilities offer temporary homes, rehabilitation, training, and health services to help disadvantaged individuals reintegrate into society.

For donors who want to share their blessings to the clients and residents under the care of the DSWD’s CRCFs, they may visit the Kaagapay donations portal web site at https://kaagapay.dswd.gov.ph/home.

Enthusiastic crowds and spectators lined up along the parade route for a chance to catch glimpses, cheer, and wave at the stars as decorated movie-themed floats on Friday afternoon, as the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) delighted the public with the star-studded Parade of Stars in Makati City, which serves as the host city.

During the parade opening, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman and Concurrent MMFF Overall Chairman Romando Artes encouraged the public to watch all eight movie entries and experience a wide range of genres in the MMFF 51st edition, themed ‘A New Era of Philippine Cinema.’

Makati City Mayor Nancy Binay welcomed participants of the parade as it passed in front of the Makati City Hall Old Building, marking the first time Makati hosted the event.

The Mayor expressed gratitude to MMDA for choosing Makati as the host.

Binay encouraged the public to support the MMFF, reaffirming support for the Philippine film industry.

Prominent movie personalities in the MMFF 2025 who joined the parade include: Vice Ganda, Carla Abellana, Zanjoe Marudo, Angelica Panganiban, Solenn Heussaff, Piolo Pascual, Kiko Estrada, Cedrick Juan, Romnick Sarmenta, Zoren Legaspi, Carmina Villaroel, Rica Peralejo, Rico Blanco, Janice de Belen, Lorna Tolentino, Joey Marquez, and Zaijian Jaranilla.

Bianca de Vera, Will Ashley, and Dustin Yu, among others.

During the parade, each stars on their respective movie floats took the chance to promote and call on the crowd to watch their films that will be shown nationwide starting December 25, Christmas Day.

The eight movie entries included in this year’s lineup are: ‘Call Me Mother,’ ‘Rekonek,’ ‘Manila’s Finest,’ ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll: Evil Origins,’ ‘I’m Perfect,’ ‘Love You So Bad,’ ‘Unmarry,’ and ‘Bar Boys: After School.’

The celebration continued during the Music Fest at the Circuit Makati Open Park with performances and special appearances from Bamboo, Angeline Quinto, BGYO, Eisel Serrano, River Joseph, Brent Manalo, Mika Salamanca, and others. The Music Fest is hosted by Enchong Dee and Jervi Wrightson.

Special thanks are extended to this year’s MMFF sponsors: the City of Makati, Philippine Airlines, Pru Life UK, Playtime Entertainment, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, and Film Development Council of the Philippines.

The beneficiaries of the MMFF include organizations in the film industry: the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund), the Film Academy of the Philippines, the Motion Picture Anti-Film Piracy Council, the Optical Media Board, and the FDCP.

Opposition candidates in Kalungu District have complained of the overnight defacing and removal of their campaign posters ahead of a campaign tour by President Museveni, raising concerns over fairness in the run-up to the January 15 General Election.

Museveni, who is seeking re-election to extend his rule to 45 years, is scheduled to campaign in Kalungu and Kalangala districts on Saturday, December 20.

Opposition candidates, including parliamentary contenders, said they woke up on Thursday and Friday to find large numbers of their posters removed from streets and trading centres across the district.

Campaign materials belonging to Kalungu District Woman Member of Parliament Aisha Sekindi, who is also state minister for water and is seeking re-election as an independent, were also affected.

Upon receiving reports of the defacing while campaigning at Kalangala landing site in Bukulula Sub-county, Sekindi broke down in tears, blaming her political opponents.

‘It is clear that candidates whose posters were spared are the ones behind defacing of ours. Those people have done many things to annoy me, but I have remained strong. This is the reason I shunned the party primaries because I had learnt of a plot to rig me out,’ she said.

Sekindi said she was shocked to learn that even a large arch erected by her campaign team in Lukaya Town Council to welcome Museveni had been stripped of her posters and replaced with those of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party flag bearers Vincent Ssempijja and Hellen Nakeeya, who are contesting the Kalungu East parliamentary seat and the district woman MP seat respectively.

‘I am very sure the President’s advance team is already in Kalungu and they are seeing all these injustices done against his minister, but I will not revenge because I have the support of the people,’ she said.

Sulait Ssekitto, a resident of Lukaya Town, alleged that the posters were removed by groups of young men guarded by armed operatives.

‘I was coming from the Mosque and saw them removing the posters and putting them on a white double cabin truck which was guarded by armed men in plain clothes,’ he told Monitor late Friday.

Yusuf Kiruluuta Junior Nkerettanyi, the National Unity Platform (NUP) candidate for the Kalungu East parliamentary seat, said all his giant posters, each costing Shs300,000, placed in Lukaya, Mukoko and Bukulula had been removed and taken to an unknown location.

‘The people defacing our campaign materials and taking others away are causing a huge financial loss to us. They are forgetting that voters love the person not the posters. I request our people to vote for me even when I don’t print new posters,’ he said.

Kalungu Resident District Commissioner Seif Kataabazi said investigations were underway.

‘That matter is already under investigation and the evidence we have so far will enable us arrest all those behind this crime,’ he said.

Under Ugandan law, defacing or destroying campaign posters is a criminal offence punishable by a fine or imprisonment.

Somewhere in Gulu City, 16-year-old Leon Joshua Otim succumbed to injuries he sustained after being attacked by criminal gangs at Awere Sports Ground in Bar-Dege-Layibi Division in Gulu City last week.

Otim was attending a campaign rally for the National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, when he was hit on the head with a blunt object.

This came a few days after 33-year-old Meshach Okello was shot dead on November 28 as Bobi Wine left Iganga District, where he had just finished addressing a campaign rally at the Railway Grounds.

These violate Articles 3 and 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which guarantee liberty, security, freedom, equality, dignity, and rights to all people.

Music producer and Bobi Wine supporter Daniel Brenny Oyerwot, commonly known as Sir Dan Magic, was left nursing head injuries at the Gulu incident.

Mid this year, Edward Ssebuwufu, also known as Eddy Mutwe, a long-time civilian bodyguard of Bobi Wine, was abducted and tortured in the infamous ‘basement’ incident before being produced in court days later.

These atrocious human denigrating acts are patterns of gross, cruel mistreatment, and torture which violate Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Catholic priest, Fr Deusdedit Ssekabira, and political activist Sam Mugumya are part of the statistics of the rampant enforced disappearances.

Amid all these violations, institutions mandated with enforcing human rights standards seem not to be doing enough.

To my dismay, Ms Mariam Wangadya, the chairperson of the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), was recently quoted as acknowledging that they might not be doing enough when it comes to strongly condemning atrocities committed by security forces against civilians.

‘We don’t go deep enough the way we do when condemning acts of violence against civilians. I must confess that this is out of fear,’ she said, according to The Observer, at a joint press briefing at the UHRC headquarters ahead of this year’s International Human Rights Day commemorations.

It’s now close to three years since the Government of Uganda terminated the operations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), forcing the agency to leave the country.

However, OHCHR has cautioned Uganda to observe and protect human rights for all.

On December 3, OHRC executive director Volk Turk deplored the escalating human rights violations and crackdown on the freedom and rights to dissent at a time the country is preparing for presidential and parliamentary polls on January 15.

‘It is deeply regrettable that election campaigns have once again been marked by widespread arbitrary arrests, detentions and use of unnecessary arrests or disproportionate force against the Opposition, as well as undue restriction of press freedom,’ Mr Turk said in a statement.

The hundreds of victims of these human rights violations were exercising their right to dissent as enshrined in the 1995 Constitution under Articles 29 and 38.

Article 29 guarantees the freedom of conscience, expression and assembly under a registered political party or association, while Article 38 protects citizens’ right to participate in all government affairs as a cardinal principle of any democracy.

The continued crackdown of dissenting voices and Opposition not only violates the Constitution, but the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Good Governance.

Failure to fulfil these international commitments and resolutions attracts the world’s human rights bodies. This is not foreign interference but rather holding a member state accountable to shared common values and principles.

I welcome Mr Turk’s remarks but also implore Ugandan human rights institutions to do their work. Security agencies must hold accountable those officers found violating the law, and victims must be compensated.

THE Marcos Jr. administration is prioritizing job creation to ensure economic growth translates into higher incomes as it targets upper middle-income status by 2026, Finance Secretary Frederick Go said.

In a press chat on Thursday, Go said the government’s strategy centers on economic growth, and this must translate into more jobs that allow more Filipinos to benefit from higher incomes.

‘Our strategy is to grow the economy and make sure that no one is left behind. Then when you hurdle that rate, you become an upper middle income economy,’ Go said.

The Philippines remains within the lower-middle-income bracket-defined by the World Bank as economies with a gross national income (GNI) per capita between $1,136 and $4,495.

The country’s GNI per capita rose to $4,470 in 2024, a 5.67-percent increase from $4,230 in 2023. The upper middle income country GNI per capita starts at $4,486.

This made the Philippines miss achieving the upper-middle- income country (UMIC) status in 2025 by a mere $26.

Go said the government remains committed to achieving UMIC status in 2026, noting that the economic team should ‘stick to that’ timeline.

The new Finance chief acknowledged that foreign exchange movements pose a challenge to the country’s bid, as income classification is denominated in dollars.

‘One of the problems is, it’s defined in dollars. So even if we grow in pesos, if the foreign exchange rate works against us, that’s the problem,’ Go said.

Despite this, Go said the Philippines is already close to reaching upper middle-income status and expressed optimism that continued economic expansion would help the country meet the required income level.

‘I am hopeful,’ Go said. ‘Because I believe our economy will grow.’

According to World Bank, if the Philippine economy can grow by 6.8 percent annually for the next 25 years, it may finally end its extended stay as a middle income country

The World Bank said enhancing investments in infrastructure and human capital; improving regulations and governance; and mobilizing private capital will provide a 1.4 percentage point boost to GDP growth to 6.8 percent annually from the current 5.4 percent.

Raising productivity through investments in infrastructure and human capital would add 0.78 percentage points to annual GDP growth, while efforts to deepen capital markets would add another 0.45-percentage points to growth; and those that would increase labor force participation would lead to a 0.18-percentage boost to GDP.

DESPITE business sentiment improving on hopes of higher holiday-driven spending, Filipino consumers turned more pessimistic as concerns over corruption, inflation and income pressures dampened their confidence, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Results of the BSP’s latest Business Expectation Survey (BES) revealed that the overall business confidence index (CI) increased to 29.7 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025.

A positive CI means more respondents are optimistic than pessimistic.

The current-quarter CI is higher from the 23.2 percent recorded in the third quarter of 2025, due to more consumer spending during the holiday season, improvements in business process, expansion plans and a favorable inflation environment.

However, optimism among businesses moderated for the succeeding quarter.

The CI for the first quarter of 2026 fell sharply to 23.7 percent from 49.5 percent previously, reflecting expectations of weaker post-holiday demand, the adverse impact of corruption allegations on investor sentiment, peso depreciation and higher inflation.

The year-ahead business outlook also softened, with the CI easing to 40.4 percent from 49.5 percent.

Businesses cited governance-related concerns over public works spending, weaker demand, elevated inflation, peso depreciation, and the risk of an economic slowdown as factors dampening sentiment.

The BES is a key economic surveillance tool of the BSP, and its results are important inputs to monetary policy formulation.

Weaker consumer confidence

Meanwhile, results of the BSP’s Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) showed that consumer sentiment turned more pessimistic in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The overall CI dropped to -22.2 percent from 9.8 percent in the previous quarter.

A negative CI means there are more respondents with a negative outlook than a positive outlook.

The BSP said the more negative reading reflected both a decline in the share of optimists and an increase in pessimists.

Consumers pointed to graft and corruption concerns, rising inflation, lower household income, and adverse weather conditions and other natural calamities as the main factors undermining confidence.

Concerns over the effective delivery of government services amid governance-related issues also weighed on sentiment.

For the next quarter, the overall CI declined to 3.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from 6.9 percent in the preceding quarter.

Meanwhile, the year-ahead CI eased to 11.8 percent from 14.1 percent previously.

The BSP said the less upbeat outlook for both periods stemmed from the same set of concerns cited for the current quarter.

The survey further showed that all three component indices, such as overall economic condition, family financial situation and family income, declined in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The overall economic condition index fell to -48.4 percent, its lowest level in five years.

The family financial situation index also slipped to -14.6 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025 from -7.1 percent in the third quarter of 2025.

Meanwhile, the family income index returned to negative territory at -3.5 percent after three consecutive quarters of positive readings.

Looking ahead to the first quarter of 2026, consumers were more pessimistic about the country’s economic condition, less optimistic about their family’s financial situation and remained positive about family income.

Over the next 12 months, sentiment turned negative for the overall economy, stayed positive for the family’s financial situation, and became more optimistic for family income.

The Q4 2025 CES was conducted from October 1 to 13, 2025. The CES samples were drawn from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2023 Geo-Enabled Master Sample for household-based surveys, which is considered a representative sample of households nationwide.

The Intelligent Transport Monitoring System (ITMS) says it plans to produce up to one million digital number plates in 2026 as Uganda accelerates the nationwide transition from the old registration system.

The rollout is part of a mandatory two-year migration to digital number plates aimed at enhancing security, curbing crime and improving traffic management.

The transition officially began in late 2023 with government vehicles, expanded to motorcycles, and moved to third-party and first-time vehicle registrations in January 2025. Motorists have been given until January 2027 to fully comply.

Mr Joseph Tumwine, the ITMS head of installations, said the programme has gathered momentum, with about 300,000 digital number plates installed this year for first-time registrations alone. He said production capacity will be significantly scaled up in 2026.

‘We have already achieved 83 percent of installations on the planned day and we are committed to improving this performance,’ Tumwine said.

‘We are also announcing an ambitious target to produce up to one million new number plates in 2026, supported by a new factory in Kyambogo,’ he added.

The Kyambogo facility currently employs about 300 Ugandans and produces up to 2,500 number plates per shift, according to ITMS officials.

Mr Tumwine was speaking on Friday during an event in Kampala where ITMS officials, together with Spiro Uganda, recognised the owner of the 200,026th motorcycle to receive a new digital number plate. The boda boda rider was presented with branded gifts to mark the milestone.

Spiro Uganda country head Bruce Mucunguzi said the company is working closely with ITMS and the Ministry of Works and Transport to speed up installations while minimising downtime for riders.

‘Our priority is to deliver a secure, efficient and transparent implementation that meets regulatory requirements and the needs of customers,’ Mr Mucunguzi said, adding: ‘Through coordinated efforts, installation processes have been accelerated, and most registration queries are now resolved in less than 24 hours,’ he added.

Mr Tumwine said the progress reflects ITMS’s commitment to building domestic capacity by producing durable digital number plates entirely within Uganda, while ensuring a seamless and transparent registration process for motorists.

Susan Kataike, the principal communications officer at the Ministry of Works and Transport, said the third phase of implementation, which began on January 6, 2025, focuses on new motor vehicles entering the country.

‘All new vehicles are required to have digital number plates installed at a cost of Shs700,000,’ Ms Kataike said.

The ITMS integrates advanced transport monitoring and data analytics technologies, including smart road enforcement tools such as the Electronic Penalty System. The system also supports the Uganda Police Force in tracking and recovering stolen vehicles and motorcycles.

Officials maintained that the digital number plate programme is expected to significantly improve road safety, strengthen security and support more efficient management of Uganda’s transport sector as the country modernises its vehicle registration system.

Inmates in several prisons in Sembabule District have complained of prolonged pre-trial detention, blaming slow court processes and a shortage of prosecutors for delaying justice.

The concerns were raised on Friday during a pastoral visit by Masaka Bishop Severus Jjumba, to Sembabule Main Prison, Ntuusi Prison and Lwemiyaga Prison.

Inmates said the lack of prosecutors in the district had resulted in cases stalling for long periods, leaving many prisoners on remand well beyond statutory timelines.

At Lwemiyaga Grade Two Magistrates Court, inmates said there is currently no prosecutor, a situation they say has paralysed court proceedings.

An inmates’ captain at Ntuusi Prison, who asked not to be named, said several prisoners would either have completed their sentences or been released had their cases been heard in time.

‘We believe that your voice as Bishop can be heard by the higher authorities. We pray that you ask the authorities to address the challenges leading to overstay on remand without our cases being heard,’ he claimed.

The officer in charge of Ntuusi Prison, Peter Olo, acknowledged that slow judicial processes were affecting prison operations, noting that many inmates were yet to appear before court.

‘We have several inmates who have not yet been heard. This affects our work and we ask the Judiciary to address those gaps,’ Olo told Monitor.

At Lwemiyaga Prison, both administrators and inmates also raised concerns over chronic water shortages, saying prisoners are forced to walk long distances in search of water.

Sembabule Resident District Commissioner Jane Francis Kagayi assured inmates that the staffing gaps within the courts would soon be addressed.

‘Government recently announced a robust recruitment programme across all government departments including the Judiciary. So I’m optimistic that it will be handled. I will also amplify the voice,’ Kagayi said.

Bishop Jjumba urged inmates not to lose hope, telling them they still had a role to play in society after serving their sentences.

‘Never lose hope because there is life after here. Just reflect on the past and turn to God so that by the time of getting back to your communities you have transformed,’ he said.

He also encouraged Christians to support vulnerable members of society, saying anyone could one day face similar hardships.

The bishop, accompanied by priests and district leaders including Sembabule District Chairperson Patrick Nkalubo and the RDC, served inmates a special meal, donated essential items and pledged to provide water-harvesting tanks to all three prisons.

According to Denis Mulinda, the Masaka Diocese coordinator of the prison outreach programme, the initiative began in 2018 to remind inmates of their human dignity.

‘We thank the bishop for appreciating this idea and spearheading it. Since 2019, he has visited nine prisons in Rakai, Masaka, Bukomansimbi, Kalungu, Kalangala and Sembabule, and there is no doubt that the moment he shares with inmates greatly impacts them,’ Mulinda said.

Greater Masaka region, which falls under Masaka Diocese, has 36 prisons. The three facilities visited on Friday house a combined total of 256 inmates.

NUSTAR Resort Cebu invites guests to welcome a hopeful new year as it lights up the Boardwalk with ‘Carnaval de Luz’ on December 31, 2025. This year’s celebration brings together vibrant live entertainment, Instagram-worthy setups, and themed zones, creating a coastal destination where families and friends can welcome 2026 in a bright and uplifting atmosphere.

A Night of Light and Hope

The celebration will begin at 9:30 PM, with guests enjoying an energetic evening led by Elmer Dado and Gruppo Tribale, joined by samba dancers, poi and hoop performers, and roving entertainers. Raffle draws will take place throughout the evening.

At midnight, guests can look forward to a spectacular pyro-musical show featuring a pyrobird that will light up the sky. This year’s theme puts forward a message of light and renewed hope, acknowledging the challenges of the past year while guiding us into 2026 with a renewed sense of optimism. Carnaval de Luz embodies this spirit by transforming the NUSTAR Boardwalk into a vibrant, welcoming space where families and friends can gather, reconnect, and celebrate new beginnings. Following the fireworks display, DJ Kit will keep the celebration alive with a high-energy after-midnight set.

Admission and Ticket Purchase

Admission is priced at PHP 988 per person and includes two drinks, entertainment, and entry to the raffle draws. Hotel and dining guests may join the celebration for PHP 600 per person, subject to a minimum spend of PHP 1,500 for dining guests at select NUSTAR restaurants. Children aged 11 and below may enter free of charge.

Tickets can be purchased starting December 6 via nstr.ph/NYE2025 or visit us at the Fili Lobby and Casino Entrance. You may also contact events@nustar.com.ph, 0999 995 7512, or (032) 888 8282. Guests with hotel or restaurant reservations may arrange passes through their booking channels, while NUSTAR Rewards Members can redeem passes using points.

Convenient Access and Free Shuttle Services

Enjoy a comfortable and convenient ride to the New Year’s Eve celebration at NUSTAR Resort Cebu with our expanded complimentary shuttle services. Guests can get to NUSTAR from these key locations: Paseo Arcenas, Banawa; Vibo Place, Escario; Gaisano Country Mall, Banilad; Oakridge, Mandaue; South Town Centre, Tabunok; Mactan-Cebu International Airport, and more.

Countdown to 2026 at NUSTAR

With coastal views, immersive themed zones, and performances for all ages, NUSTAR’s Carnaval de Luz is the premier destination for families and friends celebrating New Year’s Eve in Cebu. Celebrating light, hope, and the joy of togetherness, the event promises a warm and inspiring start to 2026.