Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Trading of PhilWeb Corp.’s shares were suspended for one hour on Thursday following news of a possible change in control, with Gregorio Araneta Inc. (GAINC) selling its 57-percent stake for P1.8 billion.

In a notice, the Philippine Stock Exchange said the trading suspension would be from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

The gaming technology operator announced GAINC’s exit and the sale of its entire stake to Nexora Holdings Inc. and Velora Holdings Inc.

Both are domestic holding companies that are not engaged in securities brokering, PhilWeb said in its disclosure on Thursday.

Since the acquisition involved more than 35 percent of PhilWeb’s outstanding voting shares, the buying companies are required to conduct a tender offer to all remaining shareholders.

The Trillion Peso March movement will launch its weekly Friday protests against corruption on October 10 as part of the buildup for the November 30 nationwide rally.

The launch will feature simultaneous actions in schools, offices, parishes, and various community hubs.

Activities will include noise barrage, candle lighting and protests in designated circles and spots. A mass will also be held at Edsa Shrine and other planned circles in the city centers.

Organizers urged participants to bring candles, placards and noise-making objects such as whistles, horns, pots, and pans.

The Trillion Peso March, spearheaded by the Church Leaders Council for National Transformation and backed by over 80 civil groups, is described by organizers as a campaign to heighten the people’s moral struggle against corruption.

‘Join us in daily acts of solidarity: Wear a white ribbon. Put a white flag in your house, car, and churches. Toll the bells and sound a noise barrage, light candles at 8:00 p.m., and recite the National Day of Prayer and Public Repentance,’ said the Trillion Peso March Movement organizers on their Facebook post last October 7.

The November 30 rally, a commemoration on Bonifacio Day, is expected to be the culmination of the movement’s series of actions. One hundred groups are expected to attend the gathering.

Meanwhile, in a previous interview with INQUIRER.net, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan chair Teodoro ‘Teddy’ Casiño said that there were ongoing plans for another massive protest against corruption to be held this October.

‘There are suggestions that aside from the one on November 30, another big centralized rally should also be held this month,’ said Casiño.

‘So these are the things that are being discussed now. The various sectors are also preparing their own mass actions, which we are encouraging because of what we are seeing,’ said Casiño.

First Gen Corp. is strengthening its presence in Mindanao as it bagged a new power supply deal for a cold storage facility.

Mets Cold Storage Services, Inc. (Mets) tapped the Lopez-led firm to energize its warehouse in Cagayan de Oro City, the latter said on Wednesday.

Currently, the Mets facility has a capacity of more than 7,100 metric tons of cold storage space.

Under the agreement, First Gen will provide up to 2,050 kilowatts in support of the facility’s expansion.

The electricity supply will come from First Gen’s Mt. Apo Geothermal Power Plant in Cotabato. Energy Development Corp. operates this facility.

‘We are pleased to partner with First Gen to reduce the energy intensity of our cold storage operations,’ Mets chief operating officer Donna Robles said in a joint statement.

‘This move will reduce not just our energy cost but our carbon footprint as well, while providing a stable power supply,’ Robles said.

Track record

With about 15 years of experience in the market, Mets has already scaled up its operations with facilities in Cavite, Bulacan, Cebu and Cagayan de Oro.

‘Cold storage is critical for ensuring safety and sanitation across the supply chain for food and even medicines,’ said Arlene Sy-Soriano, assistant vice president and head of sales and engagement at First Gen.

The bulk of First Gen’s renewable energy portfolio is from geothermal power, reaching about 1,200 megawatts (MW).

The group’s hydro, wind and solar projects have a combined capacity of more than 400 MW.

Portfolio target

First Gen has set an ambitious goal of growing its portfolio to 13,000 MW by 2030. This push includes interests in natural gas plants.

To hit this goal, First Gen’s top officials said the firm would heavily bank on expansion in the geothermal power segment. This, given that geothermal power generators can run round the clock to meet minimum demand.

The group finished the first half of 2025 with an almost flat growth in net income at P8.6 billion. Gains from its hydro were not enough to offset its weaker geothermal power and gas businesses.

Both the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Health (DOH) should explain why payment for COVID-19 health workers was still proposed in the 2026 budget even if these were already paid in 2025, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said on Thursday.

In an ambush interview at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Adiong was asked about the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc) decision to realign the P6.8 billion for healthcare workers, which was made after consultation with the DOH.

Adiong said he does not know the exact details, but he also agreed that having line items for completed programs raises suspicions.

‘Well, we cannot answer for DBM [.] I for one do not know how, but I’m sure the DBM has the perfect [.] explanation for that. But I cannot quite for certain give you a direct answer to that,’ Adiong, a vice chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations, told reporters. ‘Well, one would think of it that way,’ Adiong said when asked if having the line item for healthcare workers’ allowances was suspicious. ‘Because if it is already paid, of course, it should not be there. So again, it’s something that our executive department (should explain), but I’m pretty sure that they have the answer for that.’

Adiong explained that the discovery of the line item for health workers’ payments was made after agencies approached the BARSc, a sub-panel of the appropriations committee, about projects that they prefer to be prioritized.

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DOH apparently informed the BARSc that they have already made the payments, and therefore can be removed from the proposed 2026 budget.

`It has already been paid’

‘We also rely on the data from each departments, that’s why that is one of our recommendations – since it has already been paid, so we moved from one budget entry to another budget entry within the department that requested for such amount [.] when we had the budget line items and there are requests per agency, we decided what would be the priority,’ Adiong said.

‘So when we had the initial meeting and they transmitted that to the agencies concerned, they said, ‘no [.] this is our priority.’ Others said that ‘this is already finished, so we might as well move this to another budget item.’ So that’s what happened,’ he added.

This is the reason, Adiong said, as to why they realigned several items under the DOH budget.

‘That’s why the action of the BARSc since it has been paid, so we have to realign that from the items, budget entries that we have organized,’ he noted.

On September 2, the DBM announced that it had released the P6.8 billion final balance for the payment of health emergency allowance to healthcare workers who served during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2021 to 2023. According to Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, she has approved the special allotment release order (SARO) amounting to P6.767 billion for the DOH on September 1 for the mandated Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowances (PHEBA).

The amount covers a total of 1,411,546 claims from 2021 to 2023 from local government units (LGUs) and private health facilities, state universities, and other institutions across various regions.

‘In compliance with the directive of our President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and because we recognize the importance of the services of our workers in the health sector, especially during the pandemic, we have approved the release of the SARO to the DOH amounting to P6.7 billion to pay the declared final balance of our government’s obligation for the HEA of healthcare and non-healthcare workers,’ Pangandaman said in a statement.

When asked if it is possible that DOH failed to anticipate that the P6.8 billion balance would not be paid in 2025 – and therefore needed to place it again in the 2026 budget – Adiong said he cannot answer on behalf of the agencies involved.

‘Well, I cannot give you an answer, as I said, because everything would be hypothetical on my part, I do not want to presume or to [.] provide you an answer because we do not know how they actually prepared,’ he said.

‘As far as we are concerned in the BARSc, again, there’s a close coordination with the agencies and we from the BARSc side – even before the BARSc, the House leadership saw what items had duplicates,’ he added.

This is not the first time, however, that projects already completed have been listed in the 2026 National Expenditures Program. Early September, Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno suggested that the NEP be sent back to the DBM due to several problems – like the discovery of multiple or redundant entries. Puno revealed that Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) programs at the district level still received allocations despite being completed, citing the case of Marikina Rep. Marcelino Teodoro, who experienced the issue.

Puno said he also checked the allocations for his own district – the first district of Antipolo – and he found out that projects provided by the district and regional engineering office of the DPWH were no longer in the NEP.

Janella Salvador and Klea Pineda sent fans gushing as the pair shared photos of them being cozy with each other – which some deemed as an apparent confirmation of the actresses’ rumored romance.

Salvador initially shared through her X page on Wednesday, Oct. 8, her photos with Jasmine Curtis-Smith, her and Pineda’s co-star in the queer film ‘Open Endings.’

In the snaps, Salvador and Curtis-Smith are in an embrace at what appears to be a public establishment, with the former seemingly drawing nearer the latter’s face to kiss her on the cheek.

‘Ugh, fine. I’ll stop gatekeeping these photos. [I love you],’ Salvador captioned the post, tagging Curtis-Smith. Pineda chimed in on the thread and shared two photos of her and Salvador in which they can be seen in a much tighter embrace and with them taking turns on kissing the other on the cheek.

‘Sige na nga ako din,’ Pineda said. (Fine, I’ll do the same.)

Salvador then reposted the photos, adding the caption, ‘Ay sus, inunahan ako.’

Netizens flocked to the post, expressing curiosity over the real score between the pair.

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ay sus inunahan ako https://t.co/7x212ZgruX

– Janella Salvador (@superjanella) October 8, 2025

Just last September, Salvador and Pineda were also seen enjoying a concert together.

While the pair have remained mum on their relationship status, Salvador hinted, ‘Kung ano nakikita niyo, ‘yun na ‘yun.’ /ra

Byeon Woo-seok, the breakout star of ‘Lovely Runner,’ has become a rising star in an era when the K-drama scene is increasingly dominated by a saturated A-list. Once a B-list actor navigating the margins, Byeon now represents the lightning-in-a-bottle phenomenon, a talent whose momentum can carry a series from domestic acclaim to global recognition almost overnight.

Into this narrative steps Lee Chae-min, the lead of ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ – tvN’s biggest hit of 2025 – whose explosive popularity after his performance as a handsome yet exacting tyrant king has fueled comparisons calling him the next Byeon.

The drama itself spins a layered premise: Ji-young (Lim Yoon-a), a top chef transported back in time, must navigate the refined palate of Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min), a Joseon-era king with a taste for perfection. The series struck gold, peaking at a 20 percent viewership rating to become tvN’s most-watched show in 2025 and claiming the title of the first non-Netflix-original Korean drama to hit No. 1 globally on Netflix, according to FlixPatrol.

The role came to Lee under unusual circumstances. Park Sung-hoon (‘The Glory,’ ‘Squid Game’) was originally slated to play the lead, but controversy erupted last year when a pornographic ‘Squid Game’ parody surfaced on his social media, forcing him to bow out. Ten days before filming, Lee was brought on board, and facing the role with virtually no preparation time, Lee admitted feeling the full weight of expectations. ‘It’s true I had almost no time to prepare, but since it was a project with such an excellent director and senior actors I respect, I worried a lot about causing trouble as a rookie. Honestly, I even wondered, ‘Why did such an opportunity suddenly come to me?” the 25-year-old actor said in an interview in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on Sept. 30. ‘But since they saw me in such a positive light, I felt I had to give everything in return – to throw myself into it for the sake of the project without being a burden.’

Stepping into the shoes of seasoned actors and sharing scenes with global K-pop star Lim Yoon-a, who is ten years his senior, the actor who made his debut in 2021 said he initially wrestled with anxiety.

‘At first, I was really anxious and lacked confidence. At that time, Lim gave me courage. She told me, ‘You’re already doing well, just like Lee Heon,’ and that gave me great strength. Honestly, working with her was really good,’ he said.

Article continues after this advertisement He added, ‘When acting alongside her, I never thought about our age difference. At least while acting, I was fully focused on the character. To me, Lim was someone I deeply respected who taught me a lot.’

The label of ‘next Byeon’ is both a compliment and a burden – and Lee knows it.

‘It’s an honor, but I also feel a lot of pressure that comes with it. It made me think I need to show even better acting in my next project,’ he said.

Looking forward, Lee envisions a career that spans the gamut: layered noirs, portrayals of high-powered chaebol figures and emotionally charged romances. Yet, amid the relentless pace of stardom, he said he wants to preserve his identity. ‘I don’t want to lose myself. In life, you face many situations and go through changes, but I want to keep the person I am inside from changing. Hearing that many different things might happen in the future makes me think that this is exactly the time when I need to hold on to myself even more,’ he said.

Another allegedly anomalous government deal, this time involving body-worn cameras amounting to nearly P1 million each, surfaced at a Senate hearing on Thursday.

As the Senate subcommittee on finance tackled the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Transportation, Sen. Raffy Tulfo confronted the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) regarding its procurement of 191 body-worn cameras in 2020, amounting to a total of P168 million.

‘Let me give you a clue – one unit costs ?879,000. That’s for a single body-worn camera,’ Tulfo said when PPA General Manager Jay Santiago asked for time to check their records.

According to Tulfo, he has documents showing that the body-worn cameras were purchased by the PPA from Boston Home Incorporated, a company with only a paid-up capital of P10 million, based on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s records. Upon checking the address of Boston, Tulfo said they found out that it was only holding office in an apartment.

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Santiago initially explained that these body-worn cameras were ‘integrated ‘into their regular surveillance system, being used by their port police.

But Tulfo was not satisfied with Santiago’s explanation.

‘Okay, integrated camera and all, but to cost P879,000? Come on,’ the senator said.

Tulso also revealed that the same company was previously flagged down by the Commission on Audit after it sold defective equipment to the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB).

‘If only you had checked and visited this office, you would have seen that it’s just an apartment, why would we buy hundreds of millions worth of cameras from them? And if you had just done a background check, you would have found out that they had sold defective equipment to the EMB,’ he said in Filipino.

But Santiago defended the agency’s purchase of the body-worn cameras, saying it was in accordance with Republic Act No. 9184 known as the ‘Government Procurement Reform Act.’

‘And just like with other procurements of the Ports Authority, Your Honor – whether for infrastructure, goods, or equipment – we do not make advance payments,’ the PPA head said.

‘Sir, what we’re talking about here is extreme overpricing – this is immoral and highly scandalous,’ Tulfo answered.

Santiago further explained that these were not ordinary cameras as they also come with servers.

Still, Tulfo said the nearly P1 million cost per unit was more expensive than the P135,000 body-worn camera bought by the Philippine National Police.

‘Go to Shopee – it’s ?6,000, all in. But this one costs ?1 million?’ the senator later said and prodded DOTr acting chief Giovanni Lopez to investigate ‘this anomaly.’

‘Secretary, the transaction involving Boston Home is very anomalous. Please investigate – heads must roll,’ Tulfo said.

Lopez, for his part, gave his commitment that he would look into it.

In a statement later released to the media, Santiago clarified that the project, which was undertaken in two phases, amounted to a total of P337 million. Phase 1 of the project, costing P168.8 million, was awarded in 2020 while the second phase, awarded in 2021, was valued at P168.68 million.

The ?168.68 million deal, according to Santiago, was for 164 cameras, which he said was below the ?170 million approved budget for the project.

The contract, he said, also covered not just the cameras but ‘the entire surveillance and evidence-management ecosystem for deployment across 22 Port Management Offices nationwide.’

Regarding the issue of the supplier’s paid-up capital and use of an apartment, the PPA chief noted that it ‘fully satisfied all eligibility requirements during post-qualification.’

Pertinent documents from the Government Procurement Policy Board likewise confirmed that it was not blacklisted by any government entity during the time of procurement in 2020, according to Santiago.

‘At the time of post-qualification, there were no adverse records or blacklisting orders against Boston Home, Inc. The company met all statutory and documentary requirements,’ he stressed.

‘PPA reaffirms that the 2020 Body-Worn Camera (Phase I and II) project followed an open and competitive bidding process, not negotiated procurement,’ Santiago further said.

Also during the hearing, Tulfo asked the PPA about its supposed purchase of six mobile X-ray machines.

Santiago, however, said the transaction did not push through because he was not satisfied after personally inspecting the equipment.

Scientists and medical doctors cautioned that the widespread misconception about nicotine’s harm is hindering millions of smokers worldwide from adopting effective, less harmful alternatives.

During a panel discussion at the eighth Summit on Tobacco Harm Reduction: Novel Products, Research and Policy in Athens on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 2025, organized by SCOHRE, the International Association on Smoking Control and Harm Reduction, 200 experts from 51 countries emphasized a collective message: Science, not ideology, must guide global tobacco control efforts and embrace harm reduction as a vital public health tool for smokers unable or unwilling to quit.

Tobacco harm reduction is a public health strategy aimed at reducing the harm caused by traditional cigarettes by promoting less harmful alternatives such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches. While cessation remains the ‘gold standard,’ experts said these alternatives represent a pragmatic, science-based option.

Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, a physician and research associate in Greece, noted the important role of the scientific community in correctly communicating the effects of nicotine to dispel misconceptions about it.

The failure to confront these misconceptions will only allow them to thrive, continuously leading many health care professionals-and the public-to mistakenly consider nicotine itself as highly hazardous.

Research shows nicotine itself is not the main cause of diseases associated with smoking, though it is addictive.

Meanwhile, Dr. Giovanni Li Volti, a full professor of biochemistry at the University of Catania, cited studies suggesting nicotine is ‘perfectly safe’ for cardiovascular health and not associated with conditions such as recurrent stroke.

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He said the very existence of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) makes no sense if nicotine were inherently risky.

Despite this evidence, Li Volti said the prevailing misperception is widespread.

‘This is the result of our failure as a scientist to communicate. We fail to teach them what is exactly the effect of nicotine and which is the toxic effect of combustion products,’ he said.

He added that high-quality human epidemiological evidence does not support an increase in the risk of cardiovascular disease or cancer from nicotine alone.

The practical consequences of this failure were illustrated by Dr. Rohan Andrade Sequeira, a consultant cardio-endocrine physician in Mumbai, India, where the widespread use of local oral tobacco contributes to exceptionally high rates of oral cancer.

With the global success rate for NRT at only 7 percent, Sequeira said the remaining 93 percent of users ‘have to go back to their old patterns,’ remaining trapped in a cycle without a safer alternative.

For Sequeira, nicotine pouches present an opportunity for India to progress from its traditional patterns of oral tobacco use.

Damian Sweeney, chair of the New Nicotine Alliance Ireland, presented Sweden as a powerful ‘proof of concept.’

While the country’s overall nicotine use is at the European Union average, the majority is through snus, a smoke-free tobacco product.

This has reduced Sweden’s smoking prevalence to just 5 percent-the lowest in the European Union-a clear achievement for tobacco harm reduction supported by robust real-world data.

Sweeney contended that misinformation about nicotine and low-risk alternatives is ‘as deadly as smoking itself.’

The consumer perspective is vital, Sweeney said, urging individuals to share their positive experiences with novel products directly with policymakers.

Farsalinos corroborated the impact of misinformation, noting that a 2017 survey he published found only 5 percent of smokers correctly believed e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful than smoking.

‘When they’re not properly informed, they will not even try to quit using a harm reduction product,’ he said.

Clive Bates, former director of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) UK, cited evidence that all noncombustible nicotine sources are ‘very much less risky than smoking.’

He said the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) has moved away from its core objective of reducing smoking and is actively blocking tobacco harm reduction.

He said a ‘coalition of the willing’ among FCTC parties should emerge to challenge the secretariat and the WHO to integrate harm reduction and reverse the current ‘fanaticism’ against nicotine. The panel concluded that the scientific community should consistently communicate evidence-based findings across all channels, while media outlets share a responsibility to correct misinformation and provide balanced coverage of harm reduction.

Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña has called out the transfer of unprogrammed funds for infrastructure projects in the proposed 2026 national budget to Foreign-Assisted Projects (FAP) – noting that it is just another unprogrammed appropriations (UA).

In a virtual interview on Thursday, Cendaña said that while allocations for the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP) were transferred to FAP, there is still a need to clarify where the funds would go because both are considered UA.

‘That is what we have observed, the reduction of the SAGIP projects, but when we saw it, it seems it was just transferred to the FAP, the Foreign Assisted Project,’ he said. ‘So we really need to scrutinize the allocations under UA.’ According to Cendaña, while there are reforms initiated for the budget process, it should be clarified how the UA will be appropriated.

‘Because while we have mentioned improvements, reforms, a lot still has to be explained, like the basic issues, like why are these items placed under the UA, if these are obligations that we should pay for our healthcare workers, if these are obligations under foreign loans when we implement foreign assisted projects,’ he said.

But Deputy Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong allocations for FAP are necessary because the country just cannot renege on its obligations to projects backed by foreign loans.

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‘The Foreign Assisted, these mostly are big ticket projects, we cannot avoid that, we cannot just renege from our obligation to the agreement that we had with Foreign Assisted Projects. So we cannot turn back on that,’ Adiong, a vice chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations, said.

`Open to any abuses’

‘Number two, it’s a matter of really restricting, for example, it’s restricting the usage so that it may not be open to any abuses. That’s why we removed the infra projects from SAGIP, because that in a way is a room for probably using these funds to allocate to some projects that are not really that important,’ he added.

Adiong also assured the public that there are safeguards to ensure that the placement of SAGIP funds to FAP would not be prone to production.

‘So here, we prioritize. I mean it comes to the Foreign Assisted projects, we know that there are big ticket projects and there are guidelines on how to source out that fund,’ he said.

‘It’s not as easy as just getting a portion of that and using that indiscriminately to whatever programs that one may think should be allocated to,’ he added.

Earlier, Adiong was also asked about the presence of the payment for healthcare workers’ allowances during the COVID-19 pandemic in the proposed 2026 budget, even if these were already paid in 2025.

According to Adiong, both the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Health (DOH) should explain this, agreeing with views that having line items for programs that have been completed raises suspicions.

‘Well, we cannot answer for DBM [.] I for one do not know how, but I’m sure the DBM has the perfect [.] explanation for that. But I cannot quite for certain give you a direct answer to that,’ Adiong, a vice chairperson of the House of Representatives’ committee on appropriations, told reporters.

‘Well, one would think of it that way,’ Adiong said when asked if having the line item for healthcare workers’ allowances was suspicious. ‘Because if it is already paid, of course, it should not be there. So again, it’s something that our executive department (should explain), but I’m pretty sure that they have the answer for that.’

Adiong explained that the discovery of the line item for health workers’ payments were made after agencies approached the BARSc, a sub-panel of the appropriations committee, about projects that they prefer to be prioritized.

DOH apparently told the BARSc that they have already completed the payments, and therefore can be removed from the proposed 2026 budget.

Last September 2, the DBM announced that it has released the P6.8 billion final balance for the payment of health emergency allowance to healthcare workers who served during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, or from 2021 to 2023.

This is not the first time, however, that there were reports of projects already completed being present in the 2026 National Expenditures Program. Early September, Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno suggested that the NEP be sent back to the DBM due to several problems – like the discovery of multiple or redundant entries. Puno revealed that Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) programs in the district level still received allocations despite these being completed already, citing the case of Marikina Rep. Marcelino Teodoro who experienced the said issue. Puno said he also checked the allocations for his own district – the first district of Antipolo – and he found out that projects provided by the district and regional engineering office of the DPWH were no longer in the NEP.

Mondelez International underscored its commitment to supporting its advocacy on mindful snacking during recent engagements with leading Philippine nutrition and health organizations.

Tang Sin Loon, Southeast Asia Lead for Nutrition Strategy and Communications of Mondelez International, shared insights on mindful snacking with stakeholders from the Philippine Society of Nutrition and Dietetics Convention 2025, and participants of the 31st Annual Convention of the Philippine Association for the Study of Overweight and Obesity, themed B.E.A.T. Obesity. Mondelez International also supported the recently held Philippine Association of Nutrition 78th anniversary and annual convention.

‘Filipinos love to snack,’ Tang highlighted, citing findings from Mondelez International’s 2024 State of Philippine Snacking report, which found that 98 percent of Filipinos enjoy at least one snack a day-well above the global average of 91 percent.

He explained that the role of snacking has evolved significantly over the years. Once seen primarily to fill hunger between meals, it is now also a source of nourishment, an energy boost, and enjoyment. This evolution has fueled consumer demand for snacks that are both convenient, offer functional nutrition and emotional uplift.

Mondelez International is the maker of such beloved snacks such as Oreo, Toblerone, Eden cheese and Cadbury Dairy Milk. ‘Snacks, when eaten in the right portion and consumed mindfully, can fit into a balanced lifestyle,’ Tang said. ‘Mindfulness is about being intentional and present in the moment as you eat, and research shows that mindful eating can help people find more satisfaction in food while consuming smaller amounts.’ Mindful snacking, as advocated by Mondelez International, focuses on four key areas: mindful eating, mindful portions, mindful recipes, and mindful choices. The company has expanded portion-control packs across its snacking portfolio, which refers to individually wrapped options and products sized at fewer than 200 calories. Clear labeling and easy-to-understand portion guidance on-pack and online also help consumers make more informed decisions.

At the same time, the company continues to enhance its recipes by gradually reducing health-sensitive nutrients, fortifying the snacks with positive nutrients, and offering a wide variety of options to suit different snacking moments. These efforts, Tang noted, align with the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition 2023-2028, which emphasizes social and behavioral change communication to address malnutrition. Scientific evidence further supports mindfulness as a tool for healthier eating. Clinical studies have shown that mindfulness interventions applied to eating help reduce binge-eating disorders, with benefits observed across both at-risk and healthy populations. The key principles of mindful eating include paying attention to the eating experience, recognizing hunger and satiety signals, savoring food with all the senses, and making conscious, deliberate food choices.

‘Snacking is a holistic experience that supports both physical and emotional needs,’ Tang said. ‘By empowering consumers with mindful snacking options and education, we aim to help people enjoy the snacks they love as part of a balanced lifestyle.’

Mondelez International continues to work with experts, stakeholders, and consumers to advance its mission of empowering people to snack right. By embedding mindfulness into its products, packaging, and consumer education, the company seeks to help Filipinos enjoy the snacks they love while living mindful, balanced lives.