Category: Philippine Star

The second half of 2026 is packed with blockbuster releases that deserve to be experienced on the big screen.

From Disney’s live-action “Moana” and Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” to the highly anticipated “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” among many others, moviegoers have plenty of reasons to head back to the cinema.

But not all movie theaters offer the same experience. Whether you’re after larger-than-life visuals, immersive sound, or premium comfort, there’s a cinema format designed for you. Before booking your tickets for this season’s biggest releases, here’s a guide to finding the perfect way to watch based on your preferences.

IMAX

For moviegoers who want the biggest, boldest cinematic experience, IMAX delivers. Featuring an expansive screen, breathtaking visuals, and crystal-clear sound, IMAX puts you at the heart of every scene, making every moment feel larger than life.

Available at: SM Aura, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA, SM City Clark, SM Lanang, and SM City Cebu.

SCREENXSCREENX takes immersion to the next level. Using synchronized side-wall projections, the action extends beyond the main screen and surrounds audiences across three walls, creating a cinematic experience that draws you deeper into the story.

Available at: SM Mall of Asia

Directors ClubFor those who prefer a more exclusive movie experience, Directors Club delivers premium comfort. Sink into plush leather recliner seats while Dolby Atmos fills the auditorium with rich, immersive sound, complemented by sharp laser projection for exceptional picture quality.

Available at: Select SM Cinema branches nationwide

Event ScreenvSM Cinema’s Regular Cinemas provide a great movie experience featuring comfortable seating, crisp digital projection, and immersive sound, delivering quality entertainment for moviegoers.

Available at: All SM Cinema branches nationwide

The only way to experience movies from the undisputed leader of the big screen

Whether you’re looking for the spectacle of IMAX, the immersive world of SCREENX, the premium exclusivity of Directors Club, the flexibility of the Event Screen, or the dependable quality of a Regular Cinema, SM Cinema, the country’s undisputed leader of the big screen, offers a format to match every moviegoer.

SM Cinema operates more than 389 screens across over 79 branches nationwide, bringing world-class movie experiences closer to Filipinos wherever they are.

The Philippine economy lost further momentum in the second quarter as a sharp pullback in investment and increasingly cautious households exposed deeper weaknesses in domestic demand, according to BPI Lead Economist Emilio S. Neri Jr.

Gross domestic product grew 2.3 percent from a year earlier, slowing from 2.8 percent in the first quarter and falling well short of the 5.4 percent expansion recorded in the same period last year.

The result points to a broadening slowdown as elevated inflation, softer consumption and weak capital spending weigh on activity.

Investment was the biggest drag. Gross fixed capital formation contracted 13.7 percent in the second quarter, compared with a 2.5 percent decline in the previous quarter.

Construction spending fell 14.8 percent, with government construction plunging 32.4 percent. The decline reflects continuing governance issues surrounding public infrastructure, Neri said.

The sharp drop in infrastructure spending came even as government consumption rose 8.3 percent, suggesting that fiscal resources were increasingly directed toward social support and measures designed to cushion households from the impact of higher oil prices.

Private construction offered little relief. Developers remained cautious amid excess real estate inventories and weak sentiment, limiting expansion plans and further restraining investment.

The slowdown also spread to equipment spending. Durable equipment investment fell 13.6 percent, indicating that companies were not only postponing construction projects but also delaying purchases of machinery and other capital goods.

Road transport equipment spending dropped 28.4 percent, reflecting the likely combination of elevated fuel costs and weaker demand for vehicles. Spending on mining and construction machinery fell 42.7 percent as construction companies cut equipment purchases.

Energy-related investment was a notable exception. Spending on power-generating machinery increased 23.3 percent from a year earlier, following a 103.9 percent surge in the first quarter, pointing to continued capital spending in the power sector despite the broader investment downturn.

The investment contraction poses a risk beyond the immediate impact on GDP. A prolonged period of weak capital formation could reduce the economy’s capacity to expand output, particularly if businesses continue to defer projects amid inflation, policy uncertainty and softer demand.

‘If investment spending remains weak due to elevated inflation, policy uncertainty, and softer demand conditions, the economy could emerge from the current slowdown with a lower growth potential than before,’ Neri said.

Household spending was similarly restrained. Consumer expenditure grew 2.8 percent in the second quarter, suggesting that households were becoming more selective as higher prices squeezed purchasing power.

Consumers appeared to prioritize essential goods and services while reducing discretionary spending, a shift that could further limit the contribution of household demand to economic growth.

Inflation risks remain elevated, Neri said, with oil prices and adverse weather among the key threats. Potential second-round effects could also broaden price pressures if higher transport, food and production costs begin feeding into wages and other goods and services.

The outlook could improve in the second half if economic activity begins to recover. Such a rebound may give the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas greater scope to put more emphasis on anchoring inflation expectations rather than responding primarily to weak growth.

For policymakers, the challenge is becoming more complex. Supporting demand without allowing temporary supply shocks to become entrenched in inflation expectations will be critical, particularly as weak investment threatens to weigh not just on current growth but also on the economy’s longer-term productive capacity.

Telco-to-tech giant Globe Telecom Inc. is confident it would recover to growth mode in the second half, banking on the strength of core products and the expansion of new services.

Globe is eyeing to return to expansion mode in the second semester to flip its 11-percent decline in profit to P11.04 billion in the first half.

Globe chief finance officer Juan Carlo Puno said the telco is optimistic of its prospects in the remainder of the year, as revenues from core services are growing rapidly.

He said Globe plans to leverage its revenue momentum in the first half and expand further in the second. It also aims to be more measured with capital investments to keep cash flow positive.

Globe increased its revenue by six percent to P92.66 billion from January to June. It banked on the six-percent hike in mobile and broadband gains to anchor its revenue base.

In broadband, Globe grew its subscribers by 32 percent to more than two million, of which over half or 1.1 million came from its low-cost product GFiber Prepaid.

Further, Globe booked a 15-percent increase in corporate revenues, capitalizing on businesses in need of enterprise-grade solutions to elevate digital capabilities.

However, expenses also went up by six percent to P47.79 billion.

On top of this, Globe’s depreciation costs spiked by eight percent to P28.67 billion, attributed to ongoing efforts to build new infrastructure. It also started feeling the pang of its reduced stake in GCash, as the e-wallet welcomed new investor Mitsubishi Corp. last year.

GCash’s parent Mynt Inc. is scheduled to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange on Oct. 19. With GCash about to be public, Puno said Globe is looking to dress up another entity that has the potential to become larger.

For one, Globe’s data center builder ST Telemedia Global Data Centers (STT GDC) Philippines will reach a systemwide capacity of at least 30 megawatts by the end of the year.

Once this scale is attained, STT GDC Philippines will cement its position as one of the country’s biggest data center operators, adding a larger value to Globe’s portfolio.

Host-vlogger Mariel Rodriguez-Padilla pushed back against renewed criticism of a 2022 vlog in which she appeared to credit her husband, Sen. Robin Padilla, with helping pass a law before he became a lawmaker.

In a video posted Sunday, Aug. 9, Mariel said her remarks had been taken literally and argued that she had been referring to how Robin’s experience with firearms laws figured into discussions surrounding Republic Act 8294.

“Tinatanong ng mga tao, anong gagawin niyan?” Mariel recalled telling viewers in 2022, when Robin was running for senator for the first time. Her husband appears briefly in the background.

‘So, sinabi ko nasa Bilibid pa lang siya, eh, gumagawa na sila ng batas. Tinake ‘yan literally. Siyempre hindi ka makakapasa ng batas kung hindi ka senator,’ Mariel said.

Mariel further argued that Robin’s case became associated with the issue addressed by RA 8294, which amended laws on illegal possession of firearms.

“When Robin was in Bilibid, his case became closely associated with the issue that RA 8294 addressed – illegal possession of firearms. RA 8294 was enacted in 1997 while he was incarcerated. Now, IF gamitin natin ang talino na binigay sa atin ng Maykapal… sino kaya ang nag-draft at nagpasa ng bill na naging RA 8294? Obviously, legislators,” she wrote.

Robin was jailed in 1994 for illegal possession of firearms and was granted conditional pardon by former President Fidel V. Ramos four years later.

In 2016, former President Rodrigo Duterte granted him absolute pardon, restoring his political rights ahead of his successful Senate run in 2022 on the slate of the Uniteam alliance of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte. The political tandem eventually won the presidential and vice-presidential race in the 2022 national elections before the two top officials had a rift.

Mariel said Robin’s experience had been used as a case study in discussions surrounding amendments to the firearms law. Robin also appeared in the video to discuss Presidential Decree 1866, signed by Marcos Sr. on June 29, 1983, on the unlawful possession of firearms. The 1983 decree was later amended by RA 8294.

‘That was exactly the point. Robin was NOT a senator then, and I never meant that he literally sat in Congress, authored the bill, and voted for its passage. His experience was being cited to show that even before becoming a senator, he had firsthand experience of how laws – and changes in laws – can directly affect a person’s life,’ Mariel stressed.

‘Context matters. Comprehension matters too,’ Mariel ended.

Frank Lao was elected president of the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), whose new set of board of directors was described by Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino described as ‘committed.’

‘This is a ‘committed team’ and I believe they could sustain the progress of volleyball that started when the PNVF was established in 2021,’ said Tolentino after the elections that were held on Monday morning at the Solaire Theater Southlinks Boardroom 2M.

Also elected were Atty. Donn Kapunan (vice president), Rommel Ng (treasurer), POC secretary-general Atty. Wharton (auditor) and board of trustees Sienna Olaso, Francis Chad Salimbangon, Carmela Gamboa, Rustico Camangian, Mohamad Bernan Jr. and Jonas Cabochan.

Asian Volleyball Confederation President Ramon ‘Tats’ Suzara, the first PNVF president, was also elected to the board, while Donaldo Caringal was appointed secretary-general.

The two others on the 13-member board – male and female representative from the athletes’ commission – will be announced soon.

The POC thus relinquished its role as ‘caretaker’ of the federation, which was mandated by the FIVB – volleyball’s world governing body that suspended the previous PNVF elected into office November 21 last year primarily on poor governance.

The Alas Pilipinas men and women teams that were formed under POC supervision for the Aich-Nagoya 20th Asian Games during the suspension, Tolentino said, will remain.

FIVB appointed Ad Hoc Committee chair Hila Asanuma of Palau and FIVB External Legal Consultant Atty. Alexa Monica Dabao witnessed and certified the exercise. (Pool story)

Heavy rains in Luzon pushed Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial back by a day.

Senate President Win Gatchalian canceled Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial proceedings scheduled Monday, August 10, the STAR reported.

Gatchalian also ordered the plenary session suspended as government offices in Metro Manila shifts to work-from-home arrangements due to projected heavy rainfall.

The trial is set to resume Tuesday, August 11 with the testimony on the audit and disbursement of P612.5 million in confidential funds.

Commission on Audit supervising auditor Xylene Mae del Campo had been expected to continue testifying on portions of the confidential fund audit not covered by fellow COA auditor Roderick Wamil.

The prosecution had also lined up House official Marivic Pareja, Office the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta and Department of Education special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda.

Acosta and Fajarda are expected to face questions on the handling and disbursement of P500 million in confidential funds at the OVP and another P112.5 million at DepEd.

The prosecution has shifted from tracing the release and withdrawal of the funds to examining their audit, liquidation and disbursement.

Tagaytay City will host the inaugural Asian Youth Plus Track Championships next year at the Tagaytay CT Velodrome, according to Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham ‘Bambol’ Tolentino.

The new continental championships for track cyclists aged 16 and below, Tolentino said, was approved during the Asian Cycling Confederation (ACC) management committee meeting held in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend.

‘The Asian Youth Plus Track Championships aims to provide a platform to develop young cyclists in the whole of Asia with an expanded scope including Oceania,’ Tolentino said. It will enable young Asian cyclists to compete against a broader international field and further raising the standard of competition.’

It’s Alex Eala versus Belinda Bencic in the Round of 16 of the National Bank Open in Toronto today – and the WTA 14th ranked Swiss is walking into two battles.

It’s Bencic against Eala at Center Court of Sobeys Stadium. On the side, the fiery 2021 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist crosses swords with the animated Philippine crowd.

For the Filipina ace attracts an army wherever she goes – heavy in Toronto – waving flags, chanting loudly, the staid tradition of silence during serves and rallies breached, broken and strained.

And Bencic, for all her pedigree, has always been a highly competitive temperament on court. She’s an intense perfectionist who wears her heart on her sleeve, lets out animated outbursts, stares down her box when things don’t go to plan.

But she said motherhood has mellowed her.

Bencic gave birth to daughter Bella in 2024, then worked her way back to the Top 15 with a semifinal finish at Wimbledon.

In interviews with Tennis Insider Club and Tennis.com, she admitted tennis used to be her entire world, crushing herself with pressure.

‘Now it’s just not the most important thing. My priority is my family,’ she said.

Before, she would lock herself in a hotel room to agonize over a loss. After a heavy defeat in her comeback, she just brushed it off and spent the day at the beach with Bella. ‘Tennis is no longer life and death to me,’ she said.

She better be. Because Monday, she’ll be on Center Court surrounded by Eala fans – loud, relentless, ready to answer every cuss and every glare.

Retail tycoon Robina Gokongwei-Pe switched hats and channeled her inner ‘queen of talk’ to ask her friend and business rival Teresita Sy-Coson or TSC a question that has probably been lingering on her mind for quite some time now: ‘What’s your secret to looking forever 59?’

It was a moment that drew laughter from the crowd, including TSC herself, who responded by saying Robina ‘is a very good friend.’

To the delight of those in attendance during the 32nd National Retail Conference and Expo held in Pasay last Friday, Robina, who was part of the audience, decided to throw not one, not two, but a slew of questions during a brief Q and A segment to one of the special guest speakers, TSC, who gamely answered each query.

Robina, 65, narrated that a few people had asked her if she and TSC, 75, were batchmates in ICA (Immaculate Conception Academy), noting that the question made her ‘almost jump off the ledge.’

‘Are we not batchmates, or schoolmates at least?’ TSC asked, tongue in cheek.

‘Schoolmate is OK, but not batch mates because that means I need botox,’ Robina replied in jest.

TSC then responded, ‘I like to be younger. I like to be batched with the younger ones also.’

Robina also inquired how TSC was as a student, which the latter replied: ‘I was a very quiet student because my mind is always somewhere else. So they think that I am very attentive in school.’

‘I was always crazy about what I can do in the store. You know, just (thinking) crazy things – just not maybe listening to the professor or the teacher,’ TSC jokingly said.

TSC, chairperson of BDO Unibank, the country’s largest bank, further shared that her favorite subject as a student was mathematics.

Robina then pointed out that it does not mean, therefore, that one has to be an honor student to be very good in business, citing TSC as an example, who she said ‘was quiet and her mind was always wandering.’

Talking about succession, meanwhile, Robina shared that there is currently a very small number of third generation Gokongweis who are into the business.

As far as the third generation Sys are concerned, TSC said that not everybody is interested in the business.

‘My own kids do not like to follow (in my footsteps), so I’m happy to have my nieces and nephews,’ she said, again drawing laughter from the adoring crowd, which also included third generation retail industry leaders like Mariana Zobel de Ayala of the Ayala Group as well as brothers Bryan and Brandon Liu of the Penshoppe Group.

It was truly an exchange for the ages between two of the country’s most beloved business personalities, who probably deserve a talk show segment of their own.

What was once considered a niche interest has evolved into one of Southeast Asia’s most influential consumer forces.

Across the region, gaming and anime communities are no longer just audiences for entertainment. They have become highly engaged consumer groups whose interests increasingly shape how brands design products, build experiences and connect with customers.

For Liam Cheng, regional marketing head of Southeast Asia and Middle East at Ugreen, this shift has fundamentally changed how technology brands approach collaborations with major entertainment franchises. Drawing from the company’s latest partnership with HoYoverse for the Ugreen × Honkai: Star Rail collection, Cheng said fan communities today expect far more than traditional co-branding efforts.

“Gaming and anime communities have evolved from niche subcultures into a defining cultural force across Southeast Asia, and fan expectations have rightfully evolved right along with them,” Cheng told Philstar.com in an interview.

The changing landscape became clear following Ugreen’s earlier collaboration with Genshin Impact. According to Cheng, the project revealed just how passionate gaming communities across Southeast Asia have become, both online and offline.

“When you create products that tie into characters, we’ve seen much stronger engagement across social discussions, user-generated content and purchase interest than with many traditional lifestyle or product-focused campaigns,” he explained.

What stood out most, Cheng added, was that fans were not simply looking for products carrying the logo of a popular franchise. Instead, they expected collaborations to feel authentic to the source material while also serving a meaningful purpose in their everyday lives. Those lessons directly informed Ugreen’s approach to its latest collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail. Rather than focusing solely on collectibles, the company aimed to create practical technology accessories that incorporate visual elements and design assets from the video game while maintaining the brand’s product functionality.

“The biggest challenge was finding the right balance between authenticity and practicality. We didn’t want to create a product that was simply collectible. We wanted something fans would genuinely enjoy using every day,” said Cheng.

Throughout the product development process, Ugreen worked closely with Honkai: Star Rail, combining the latter’s visual elements with their expertise in charging technology, craftsmanship and user experience.

The growing influence of fandom-driven consumer behavior also reflects a broader generational shift across Southeast Asia. Cheng noted that many people who grew up playing games and watching animated series have entered adulthood with significant purchasing power, bringing their interests with them into mainstream culture.

“From what we’ve observed, many fans are looking for collaborations that go beyond superficial co-branding. They want collaborations that let their favorite IPs fit naturally and meaningfully into their everyday lives. The value isn’t just in owning a collectible; it’s in having a piece of the world they love be part of their regular routine, whether that’s a charger on their work desk or a power bank they carry every day,” Cheng said.

Beyond the products themselves, fan expectations now extend to how brands participate within their communities.

According to Cheng, today’s fans want brands to engage in the spaces where communities already gather, whether through conventions, fan meetups or online ecosystems. They are looking for shared experiences rather than one-way marketing campaigns.

That trend influenced Ugreen’s decision to showcase its Honkai: Star Rail collection during HoYo Fest 2026 across six Southeast Asian markets, including the Philippines. The events allow fans to see the products firsthand while participating in a larger celebration of the games and characters they enjoy.

“From a brand perspective, one of the core principles of marketing is connecting with the right audience in the right environment, and that’s why participating in HoYo Fest is an important part of how we engage with the Honkai: Star Rail community,” said Cheng.

He emphasized that the company’s presence at the event is not driven solely by sales objectives. Instead, it serves as an opportunity to build stronger connections of the collaboration. Beyond visibility, community events provide insights that are difficult to obtain through digital analytics alone.

While online campaigns provide data on reach and engagement, face-to-face interactions allow brands to gather feedback that often cannot be measured through reports and spreadsheets. These conversations help companies better understand what fans value and can influence future collaborations.

“Nothing replaces the value of standing on the event floor, talking directly to players and hearing their unfiltered thoughts in real time. These insights help shape our future brand collaborations, enabling us to create products that resonate more deeply with fans and deliver the experiences they truly want,” Cheng said.

The shift reflects how collaborations between technology brands and entertainment franchises are evolving across Southeast Asia. Rather than treating fans as passive consumers, companies are increasingly looking for ways to involve communities more directly in the creative process and build experiences that extend beyond the products themselves.

The Philippines, in particular, remains one of the markets that Ugreen sees as especially important within the region’s gaming landscape. Cheng described Filipino gamers as highly engaged users who regularly move between multiple devices throughout their day, creating demand for technology products that are both practical and personal.

“What sticks with people is knowing the brand understands how they actually use tech in their own lives. That kind of thoughtful, utility-first collaboration is how we build long-term trust with Filipino gamers, rather than just driving a temporary spike in attention.” Cheng noted.

Looking ahead, Cheng sees opportunities for brands and entertainment franchises to create deeper engagements with fans, whether through more immersive community experiences or products that become a natural part of everyday routines.

As gaming communities continue to grow across the region, he believes successful collaborations will be shaped not only by the strength of an intellectual property, but also by how well brands understand the communities surrounding it.

“At the end of the day, these collaborations are never just about co-branding. They’re about meeting fans where they are, and bringing the worlds they love into the tech they use every single day,” he concluded.