Category: Philippine Star

Henri Schoeman rediscovered his winning form in Cebu, overcoming punishing heat, a choppy swim and a blustery bike course before fighting through cramps in the closing run to reclaim the men’s professional crown at the IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu here on Sunday.

The 34-year-old South African clocked 4:08:52 over the demanding 1.9-km swim, 90-km bike and 21-km run course, returning to the top two years after his breakthrough triumph in the same race presented by Megaworld. He won his first Lapu-Lapu 70.3 in 2024 in 4:02:31, beating another deep international field.

But this victory carried far more weight for Schoeman, who has endured two difficult years trying to regain the form that once made him one of the world’s elite triathletes.

‘This win means so much, you know. I’ve had a really tough two years, struggling to find my form,’ said Schoeman, who described the victory as a major confidence boost and a sign that there is still more to come.

Schoeman said the race largely unfolded according to plan, with the swim setting up his decisive move on the bike. He pushed hard in the opening leg before creating the gap he needed on the 90-km ride, which again featured the imposing Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).

The bike, however, was no easy ride even for the world-class professionals. Strong winds swept across the course and made the exposed sections particularly demanding, with the CCLEX bridge providing one of the race’s biggest physical and tactical tests.

Schoeman managed to hold his advantage through the bike and carried that cushion into the half-marathon, where the tropical heat turned the final leg into a test of patience and survival.

‘I just wanted to make sure that I get to the finish line, because I know it gets really hot on the run,’ he said.

Schoeman, who had split times of 27:23 (swim)-2:10:09 (bike)-1:26:15 (run), revealed that cramps forced him to ease off his pace, opting to race conservatively rather than risk losing the victory in the closing kilometers.

He held off Austrian Sebastian Fuchs and Ben Hamilton of New Zealand, who clocked 4:12:51 (35:33-2:09:36-1:22:19) and 4:14:34 (32:34-2:10:01-1:27:06), respectively.

While Schoeman celebrated a triumphant return, Australian Olympian Natalie Van Coevorden delivered an equally impressive performance, capturing the women’s professional crown in the race organized by Sunrise Events Inc., which drew more than 1,400 triathletes from 48 countries, with the majority competing for top honors in various age-group divisions.

The huge turnout also underscored how the IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu has become a regular and much-anticipated part of Cebu’s sporting calendar – a race where elite international competition, challenging tropical conditions and the unmistakable energy of the Cebuano crowd come together year after year.

As in previous editions, thousands of spectators lined the course, turning the roads and finish area into a wall of sound that helped carry exhausted athletes through the most challenging portions of the race. Their boisterous support has also become one of the defining features of IRONMAN racing in Cebu.

Van Coevorden clocked 4:30:11 to dominate an all-Australian podium, finishing ahead of compatriots Charlotte McShane, who posted 4:47:33, and Paige Cranage, who crossed the finish line in 4:53:17.

Van Coevorden, who competed in both the women’s individual and mixed relay events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, admitted the conditions were among the toughest she had experienced in a 70.3 race. The heat was relentless, the wind was persistent and, for much of the day, she found herself racing alone at the front.

‘I think we had probably the most challenging conditions I’ve ever had for a 70.3 today. It was hot, it was windy, and I had a pretty solo day by myself,’ she said, visibly relieved after securing the victory.

The swim proved especially difficult, with the strong current making the return leg particularly demanding. Van Coevorden also had to contend with the wind on the bike, recalling how she feared being blown toward the water while crossing the bridge, but maintained her rhythm and stayed within herself.

McShane, who battled Van Coevorden near the front early on, said the swim took a heavy toll. A strong current helped propel the athletes outward, but the return trip became a brutal fight against the water, leaving her depleted before she even reached the bike.

‘I felt pretty terrible straight away on the bike,’ said McShane, describing the remainder of the race as survival. The wind added another layer of difficulty, while the heat made the run equally unforgiving as the professionals battled simply to keep moving toward the finish.

Austria’s 24-year-old rising star Fuchs, meanwhile, turned in the biggest result of his young career with a strong runner-up finish, drawing strength from a deeply personal motivation. ‘Four years ago my dad died and this is for him,’ he said, dedicating the performance to his father.

Fuchs said the swim was particularly rough and choppy, while the bike demanded plenty of strength on the bridge and the uphill sections. By the run, the heat had intensified the suffering, but the massive Cebu crowd gave him and the other athletes a much-needed lift.

‘The crowd was amazing and they pushed us so hard,’ he said.

That boisterous support has become one of the defining features of IRONMAN racing in Cebu. As in previous editions, thousands of spectators lined the course, turning the roads and finish area into a wall of sound that helped carry exhausted athletes through the most painful portions of the race.

A man was arrested after he allegedly tried to rob a gasoline station in San Rafael town in this province yesterday morning.

Reports said the suspect and his two companions arrived on a motorcycle at the gasoline station in Barangay Sampaloc at past 3 a.m.

The suspect approached a pump attendant and declared the robbery, but the cashier managed to call for help, according Lt. Col. Lawrence Gerald Bathan, acting chief of the San Rafael police.

Armed with a bladed weapon, the suspect tried to enter the cashier’s booth, but responding police officers arrived and arrested him.

The suspect’s companions fled on foot, leaving behind their motorcycle.

Police said they recovered from the suspect two plastic sachets containing shabu, a knife and the motorcycle.

Five Chinese nationals have been held for working without permits in Trento, Agusan del Sur.

The foreigners were apprehended by a combined team of the police and the military as well as the Bureau of Immigration (BI) following a raid on a business establishment in Barangay Pulang Lupa on Monday.

The raid was based on information that the establishment is employing illegal aliens.

Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon, chief of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said the Chinese were placed under the custody of the BI for proper disposition.

Receiving flowers always puts a smile on your face. They lift your spirit, bring a sense of deep inner joy and a feeling that you are loved. Be it just one flower, the much coveted three flowers, or a cheerful bouquet, flowers always have that positively energizing effect on you – so much so that you end up repeatedly sighing, smiling, smelling and kissing them.

But, by all means, refrain yourself from doing so. While flowers may be a symbol of love and friendship, they may also be a source of potential health problems.

‘Certain flowers contain toxic substances, which they use to protect themselves against insects, plant-eating animals, and environmental stress,’ explained Dr. Fatima Johanna T. Santos-Ocampo, MD, Pediatric Allergology and Immunology Specialist of Makati Medical Center (MakatiMed).

On top of the list of flowers to avoid are angel’s trumpet, azalea, poinsettia, daffodil, and poison ivy.

‘Angel’s trumpet and azalea are highly poisonous and can cause illness or death if ingested. Poinsettia and daffodil can result in mild gastrointestinal issues, and poison ivy triggers itchy rashes upon contact,’ Dr. Santos-Ocampo said.

Like humans, plants can get sick, too. If you sometimes see a white dust coating leaves, stems, and even flower petals, that is powdery mildew. It is a fungal disease that makes leaves turn yellow then brown before falling off. Meanwhile, black spot, which, true to its name, appears as black markings on the leaves of roses and is bad news. Then there is gray mold, which obtains its host’s nutrients by coating it in thick gray fuzz.

‘In general, we are not likely to get infected by a plant attacked by a pathogen or a microorganism that brings disease to its host,’ the doctor said. ‘Still, it’s best we avoid them, especially if we’re immunocompromised.’

To be avoided, in particular, are sporotrichosis, a fungus found on the thorns of dead roses, because it can affect the lungs, eyes, central nervous system, bones, and joints, when it enters the skin from a scratch.

Also to be avoided is mycotoxin, a type of fungi that produces aflatoxins, which can lead to vomiting, convulsions, cancer, and death.

Then there are flowers with pollen, which is a fine, powdery substance essential to the reproduction of plants. It’s also a known allergen.

When inhaled, ‘our immune system thinks they are invading our body, much like a virus or bacteria. This leads to the release of histamine, which makes us itch, sniffle, and sneeze. Others experience more distressing symptoms like wheezing and shortness of breath,’ Dr. Santos-Ocampo explained.

Signs

Flowers known to trigger an allergic reaction include baby’s breath, dahlia, daisy, chamomile, chrysanthemum, and sunflower.

So, how do you properly treat fungal and allergic reactions from flowers? More importantly, how do you prevent them from affecting human beings?

According to the MakatiMed specialist, knowing how to spot a potentially toxic, pathogenic, or allergenic flower or plant and avoiding it is the easiest way to prevent a bad or life-threatening reaction.

‘If you notice leaves with telltale signs of a pathogen, pluck them out immediately so they don’t spread to the other leaves,’ said Dr. Santos-Ocampo. ‘Put space between plants to promote good air circulation, and protect them with commercially available garden oils and fungicide sprays.’

As for flowers, you need to play safe by choosing from a host of pollen-free varieties or those whose pollen are sticky, heavy or trapped, hence not easily airborne.

‘Among these are roses, orchids, tulips, hydrangeas, peonies, carnations, irises, begonias, snapdragons, and cactus flowers, which are low in pollen. These are also very lovely to give and receive,’ the doctor advised.

‘You can also keep allergic reactions at bay by purchasing fresh flowers, which are less likely to release pollen,’ she added.

Dr. Santos-Ocampo also cautioned against flowers with an overpowering fragrance because these ‘may trigger sneezing because they have volatile organic compounds (VOC’s). In concentrated form, these may trigger coughing, allergic rhinitis, or an asthma attack in sensitive individuals. It is safer to choose those with mild scents.’

But if you have already been affected, particularly of pollen allergy, over-the-counter medications can ease your symptoms of pollen allergy. Your doctor can recommend antihistamines, decongestants, and eye drops for your particular case.

‘See a healthcare specialist immediately if the symptoms do not subside or progress,’ the doctor said.

This week’s impeachment trial was entertaining, thanks largely to the awkward and often self-defeating defense mounted by senators openly sympathetic to twice-impeached Vice President Sara Duterte. Their eagerness to shield the Vice President was remarkable not only for its brazenness, but also for how casually they abandoned even the pretense of any impartiality expected of senator-judges. Instead of weighing the evidence, they appeared determined to litigate on Duterte’s behalf. Worse, the mental gymnastics they performed in trying to defend the Vice President had the opposite effect; with every strained argument, they only pushed Sara deeper into the quicksand.

This came as the House prosecution continued to tighten its case, presenting documentary evidence and witness testimony on Duterte’s alleged misuse and fraudulent liquidation of millions of pesos in confidential funds. Among the most consequential witnesses was a former Commission on Audit (COA) auditor who personally evaluated the transactions and testified that there was prima facie evidence of abuse.

Leading the defense was Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who proudly declared before the impeachment court and the entire nation that he was ‘neutral.’ Yeah, right. ‘Morally neutered’ is a more accurate description. This is the same senator-judge who said that a death threat is only a threat if there is a dead body, and that Sara’s threat against her dynastic rival was only conditional, as if imposing conditions makes a personal death threat against another person permissible and less criminal.

Alan Peter, ‘the neutral,’ then immediately delivered a non-neutral intervention that favored the Vice President. He questioned the former COA auditor, arguing that a prima facie finding is not final or conclusive. The statement is legally correct, but spectacularly beside the point.

A prima facie finding does not mean that the presumption of innocence has been replaced by a finding of guilt. But neither does it mean that the presumption remains untouched by the evidence that has emerged. It simply means the probe has already crossed the threshold from mere allegation to a reasonable presumption that wrongdoing may have occurred. The case has advanced precisely because the evidence was found sufficient to warrant further proceedings.

Cayetano’s argument ironically conceded exactly that. By stressing that a prima facie finding is ‘not yet final,’ he implicitly acknowledged that the case has already progressed well beyond the stage of mere accusation and suspicion. The process is no longer asking whether there is anything worth investigating; it is now determining whether the evidence ultimately proves guilt.

To use a basketball analogy, a sport Alan Peter loves, even if watching him play is an assault on the eyes, this is no longer the opening tip-off. The case has survived the early rounds and is already in the semifinals. Pointing out that the championship has not yet been won is hardly a defense; it merely confirms that the team is very much in contention. Nobody mistakes a semifinalist for someone who failed to qualify.

In trying to undermine the significance of a prima facie finding, Cayetano ended up underscoring precisely why it matters.

Second to mount a defense of Sara was Sen. Imee Marcos. The estranged sister of the President attempted to pin responsibility for the alleged misuse of confidential funds on the Vice President’s staff. Through her questioning of the witness, Imee sought to shift accountability away from Sara and onto the Office of the Vice President’s Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) and other personnel. She argued that since the SDO physically received and disbursed the confidential funds, the SDO, not the Vice President, should answer for any misuse.

Bravo! In trying to exonerate Sara, Imee reinforced the prosecution’s assertion that the confidential funds were, in fact, misused. Her argument was no longer about whether abuses occurred, but merely about who should carry the blame.

Has the senator conveniently forgotten that responsibility does not disappear simply because someone else physically handled the cash? The House prosecution has already presented documents showing that Sara personally signed requests for the release of confidential funds, certifications and official documents seeking their allocation to her office and papers designating the officials, including the SDO, who would administer those funds.

Simply put, while the SDO handles the cash, the Vice President authorizes the funds and bears ultimate responsibility for ensuring that they are used lawfully, properly and in accordance with the rules.

Not to be outdone, Sen. Robin Padilla once again shared with us his infinite wisdom. Seeking to justify the Vice President’s questionable confidential fund expenditures, he argued that because the CPP-NPA did not launch attacks on the dates when checks were issued to Duterte’s office, the confidential funds may have helped prevent those attacks.

Stupendous! Following Robin’s amazing logic, every time we bring an umbrella and it doesn’t rain, the umbrella must have scared away the clouds. If the lights don’t go out after buying a flashlight, then the flashlight must have prevented a blackout, and an earthquake didn’t happen because someone took a bubble bath. Robin just unlocked the secrets of the universe.

With allies like these, Sara doesn’t need the prosecution team to pin her down. Her allies in the impeachment court are doing the job for them. In their pathetic attempts to defend Sara, arguments that often defied both common sense and basic logic, they only accomplished the opposite. They reinforced the prosecution’s assertions, conceded key premises and advanced arguments that collapsed under even the slightest scrutiny.

Instead of plugging the holes in Sara’s defense, her senator-allies kept punching new ones into it. Every attempt they made to pull the Vice President out of the hole only handed her another shovel.

We stand at the threshold of a new era. For decades, we have been called the ‘back office of the world,’ providing the labor that powers the dreams of others while our own industrial potential lay dormant. But the wind is shifting. Today, I champion a future where we are no longer just the hands of the global economy, but its very thinking mind. That future begins with the Pax Silica Initiative.

Launched by the United States Department of State in December 2025, the Pax Silica is a strategic coalition designed to secure the ‘silicon stack,’ from the mines that produce critical minerals to the frontier artificial intelligence models that will define this century. As US Undersecretary of State Jacob Helberg observed, ‘If the 20th century ran on oil and steel, the 21st century runs on compute and the minerals that feed it.’ This is not a traditional military alliance. It is an alliance built on economic security, technological resilience and industrial leadership. By joining as the 13th signatory in April 2026, the Philippines secured a seat at the table where the future of the global digital economy is being shaped.

Our participation is more than symbolic. New Clark City will host the world’s first AI-native industrial acceleration hub, a 4,000-acre ‘Golden Node,’ expected to attract between $40 billion and $70 billion in investments and generate between 180,000 to 500,000 high-quality jobs. This is an opportunity to reverse decades of brain drain by giving Filipino engineers, scientists and innovators reasons to build their futures here instead of abroad. To jumpstart this, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority is offering a two-year grace period on lease payments for pioneers who come to build this ecosystem on Filipino soil.

Yet investment alone does not guarantee national transformation. Electronics already account for more than 50 percent of our total merchandise exports, reaching $39.1 billion in 2024. Yet nearly 73 percent of our semiconductor industry remains concentrated in assembly, testing and packaging, capturing only a fraction of the industry’s value. Pax Silica is the ladder we need to climb higher, not only to manufacture, but also to design, improve and ultimately own it.

To climb this ladder, we must first protect our mineral wealth. We are the fifth most mineralized country in the world, with an estimated $1 trillion in untapped reserves of copper, gold, nickel, zinc and silver. Yet only around five percent has been explored and for decades, we have exported raw ore while others made the profit. Historically, foreign partners like the US primarily sought to extract these critical minerals to feed their own supply chains without processing them on our soil. Pax Silica gives us a rare opportunity to rewrite those rules. Instead of exporting raw minerals, we should require domestic processing and refining before export. We should build local battery industries, semiconductor component manufacturing and advanced materials research. Meaningful participation by Filipino communities must become a non-negotiable condition. A country blessed with strategic minerals should not merely supply the future, it should help manufacture it.

This is a direct call to action for DepEd and TESDA. DepEd must strengthen STEM education, coding and AI literacy from basic education onward, while TESDA expands specialized training in semiconductor manufacturing, precision engineering, robotics and AI system operations. Partnerships with universities and companies locating in New Clark City should create apprenticeship and technology transfer programs. The projected 150,000 direct high-value engineering jobs must go to Filipinos.

We are not alone in this journey. South Korea anchors the world’s production of High Bandwidth Memory through Samsung and SK Hynix. The Netherlands is home to ASML, the sole producer of extreme ultraviolet lithography machines needed to manufacture advanced chips. Japan dominates the specialty chemicals that make semiconductor production possible, while UAE and Qatar are investing billions in AI-ready data center infrastructure. India and Italy, our newest partners, demonstrate that Pax Silica has become one of the world’s most consequential technology partnerships.

I hear the concerns of our farmers and indigenous brothers. The identified areas in New Clark remain within long-established industrial zones and employment projections must distinguish between temporary construction work and permanent technical careers. Workers deserve competitive wages, continuous upskilling and opportunities for advancement.

There are also understandable concerns about water. The BCDA proposed a surface-water harvesting system capable of supplying 120 million liters daily, exceeding the hub’s projected requirement of 65 to 90 million liters while allowing surplus capacity to benefit surrounding communities. According to industry data, a typical AI query uses only about five drops of water. By comparison, producing a single hamburger requires thousands of liters across the agricultural supply chain. The challenge is not whether AI uses water, it for a fact does, but whether we manage that water responsibility.

My fellow Filipinos, for too long our economy has depended on remittances, low-value manufacturing and the export of our most talented people. Our neighbors have steadily climbed the technological ladder while we remained on its lower rungs. Pax Silica offers us an opportunity to change that trajectory, but only if we negotiate wisely, educate more boldly and build deliberately. Our objective is not simply to host the infrastructure through which other nations secure their future. It is to transform our growing geopolitical importance into sustainable, inclusive and sovereign national development.

That is the true meaning of Pax Filipina. A nation that no longer exports only labor and raw materials, but exports innovation, technology and ideas. A nation that does not merely participate in the future but helps shape it. The future is Pax Silica. If we seize the moment with wisdom and resolve, that future will belong not to foreign investors, but to every Filipino.

Class suspensions have been announced in several areas across the country for Monday, August 10, due to inclement weather brought by the Southwest Monsoon, locally known as the ‘habagat.’

Government work has also been suspended in some areas.

Some cities, however, have shifted to alternative modes of learning following the suspension of in-person classes.

The following areas have announced class and work suspensions for Monday:

Region I

Ilocos Sur: No classes at all levels, public and private; work in government offices is suspended.

Cordillera Administrative Region

Abra: No classes at all levels, public and private, including work in all government offices.

Benguet: No in-person classes at all levels, public and private.

Baguio City: No classes at all levels, public and private.

Mountain Province: No classes at all levels, public and private, and work in government offices is suspended.

Municipality of Kabayan: Work in all government offices is suspended.

Region III

Bulacan: No classes at all levels, public and private.

Nueva Ecija: No classes at all levels, public and private.

Pampanga

Arayat, Bacolor, Candaba, Macabebe, Mexico, Minalin, City of San Fernando, San Simon, Sta. Ana, Sto. Tomas: No in-person classes at all levels, public and private.

Region IV-A

Batangas

Lemery: No face-to-face classes at all levels, public and private; shift to modular or online distance learning.

Cavite

Bacoor: No classes at all levels, public and private.

Cavite City: No classes at all levels, public and private; work in government offices is suspended, except for employees providing essential services.

National Capital Region

Marikina City: No face-to-face or online classes at all levels, public and private.

Quezon City: No face-to-face classes at all levels, public and private. Shift to Alternative Delivery Modes of Learning.

Ateneo de Manila University: Onsite classes in the Loyola Schools will shift to online learning; special work arrangements are in place for employees reporting to the Loyola Heights campus.

Olympic pedigree, a stacked international field and one of Asia’s toughest race courses promise another thrilling spectacle when the IRONMAN 70.3 Lapu-Lapu blasts off today at Mactan Newtown Beach in Cebu, where defending champion Henri Schoeman returns determined to reclaim the crown against a deep cast of elite challengers.

The South African star, who captured the bronze medal in the Rio Olympics, is back after missing last year’s race and eager to build on the commanding victory he posted in his event debut in 2024. But the 34-year-old faces a far sterner challenge this time, with fellow Olympian Natalie Van Coevorden leading a stellar women’s field and an equally determined international cast targeting the professional titles.

The centerpiece of Sunrise Events, Inc.’s premier endurance race presented by Megaworld will once again test athletes over the grueling 1.9-km swim, 90-km bike and 21-km run, highlighted by the iconic Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).

Meanwhile, a record of 674 young athletes turned the RLC Residences IRONKIDS Lapu-Lapu into a celebration of the country’s rising multisport talent, with Zackary Da Silva and Laureen Lee Tan emerging as the premier division champions.

Thirty-eight Filipino seafarers on board vessels hit by missile strikes while transiting the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea are now back in the country, the Department of Migrant Workers announced.

According to the DMW, the seafarers from the motor vessels Marathi, Minoan Pioneer, Blue and Nissos Sifnos arrived in Manila in two batches on Friday.

‘They were repatriated after their ships were hit by drone or missile strikes while docked or navigating the Persian Gulf/Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea,’ the DMW said in a statement.

The 38 were provided airport, medical and financial assistance by the DMW, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration and Manila International Airport Authority.

Representatives of Sea Gate Navigation Corp., Intercrew Philippines Agency and Bright Maritime Corp. were also present at the airport to meet the arriving crew.

‘It is important that the manning agencies arrange the necessary physical and psychological checks, debriefing sessions and applicable benefits and compensation for the repatriated seafarers,’ the DMW said.

For three decades, Francorp Philippines has done more than witness the evolution of the local business landscape; it has helped shape it.

Celebrating its 30th Anniversary Gala under the theme ’30 Years of Transforming the Philippine Franchise Landscape,’ the country’s premier franchise consultancy firm gathered the region’s foremost business leaders, visionaries and enterprise builders to honor the brands reshaping the Filipino entrepreneurial dream.

What began three decades ago as a nascent, small-scale industry has since grown into the world’s seventh-largest franchise market, a remarkable milestone driven by Francorp’s pioneering frameworks and innovative business scaling strategies.

Reflecting on this remarkable journey, Francorp vice chairman Bing Sibal-Limjoco emphasized the enduring strength of the franchising model in her welcome remarks.

‘These past 30 years have proven that our franchising business model isn’t just a fad or a temporary trend. It has stood for consistent financial stability, long-term value to stakeholders, and a track record of employment and community impact,’ she said.

The landmark gathering served as an elite masterclass in global enterprise, headlined by two of the international franchise world’s most influential figures. Joseph Tanbuntiong, CEO of Jollibee Group Philippines and chairman of the Philippine Franchise Association, delivered a profoundly inspiring address centered on exceptional stewardship and the strategic blueprint required to transform homegrown concepts into dominant global empires.

Joining him on the stage was one of the world’s top business coaches – Brad Sugars, founder and CEO of ActionCOACH, who detailed the aggressive hyper-growth frameworks he utilized to expand his own enterprise into over 85 countries, challenging Filipino entrepreneurs to possess the leading-edge thinking necessary to capture international market share.

To open the evening’s festivities, Francorp hosted a vibrant Franchise Fiesta, showcasing the dynamic market innovation and enterprise energy of its contemporary brand partners. Guests were treated to a diverse sensory experience of next-generation concepts and established favorites, exploring curated showcases and giveaways from ActionCOACH Philippines, Avocadoria, Bakers PH, BigBrew, But First Coffee, BW Superbakeshop, Chick Chicken, Cupcake Royale Bakeshop, Enlins Bakeshop, Jaam House of Sushi, Mango Royal Milkshake, Mommy Vacion Crispy Pata, Powerhouse Tools, Prince Baker, RedBox Pizza, Remilly’s Yema Cakes, Ronli Wonton Siomai, Shawarma Shack, The Hungry Pita, Toby’s Estate, and Yoogatta. The celebration was further enhanced by the generous support of DITO BizBayan and Media Blitz Group, whose contributions helped create a memorable and engaging experience for all attendees.

A central highlight of the gala was the induction of 23 new brands into the Francorp Franchise Excellence Club, a prestigious distinction honoring homegrown brands that have successfully scaled through franchising.

In his chairman’s message, Francorp chairman Samie Lim celebrated the achievements of the club’s honorees and their collective impact on the country’s economic growth.

‘Today, as I look around this room and see all of our club honorees, I can confidently say that together, we have not only built businesses, we have fundamentally transformed the economic landscape of our nation,’ he said.

The celebration of aggressive growth peaked with the titans of massive economic footprints and global reach. Industry giants BigBrew and Goldilocks took center stage as the latest elite 1000 Club Honorees. Driving Francorp’s mission to build global Filipino brands, the International Club inducted visionaries capturing competitive overseas shores: Avocadoria (Thailand, Singapore, and UAE), Shawarma Shack and Andok’s (Singapore), and Turks, which is currently driving regional expansion in Hong Kong under the international brand name T. Co.

The gala anchored its modern success in its rich heritage with a Founders’ Recognition segment led by Francorp managing director Noel Siggaoat.

‘True leadership is not just about building a company; it is about creating an industry where others can thrive. Thirty years ago, three extraordinary business leaders and visionary minds came together with a singular, aligned vision: to build the ultimate framework for Filipino entrepreneurship,’ he said.