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The world’s longest Christmas season just got merrier because SM Supermalls is ringing in the holiday spirit as early as September!

The country’s favorite destination has officially kicked off the 100 Days countdown to Christmas with dazzling decorations, festive activities and heartwarming surprises across all 88 malls nationwide. This year, SM is making the holidays extra meaningful as it celebrates ‘100 Days of Kindness’-a nationwide campaign that brings cheer, joy and generosity to millions of Filipinos.

Spread kindness and make everyday moments brighter

Christmas at SM has always been about togetherness, joy, and giving. This 2025, SM Supermalls highlights acts of kindness as the true spirit of the holidays.

From September 16 to December 25, SM will feature daily videos on its digital platforms featuring touching and inspiring acts of kindness through the 100 Days of Kindness campaign, where shoppers may experience random acts of kindness such as surprise treats, warm greetings and delightful gifts.

Each day is a chance to make someone smile, reminding everyone that kindness, no matter how small, makes the season brighter.

Join the grand holiday kickoff

SM Supermalls is ushering in the 100 Days to Christmas with a festive lineup of activities. Mallgoers nationwide will be treated to a joyful Holi-Squad Mall Greeting, a simultaneous meet-and-greet that brings early Christmas magic to every SM mall.

To complete the grand kickoff, shoppers will be delighted by the unveiling of the Happiest Holiday Décor, where malls transform into enchanting holiday destinations adorned with the iconic Holiday Grand Red Ribbon, symbolizing joy, unity and the true spirit of Christmas.

Experience festive activities leading up to Christmas

The holiday festivities continue with a series of exciting events leading up to December.

From October 20 onwards, SM malls will unveil their dazzling mall centerpiece displays, bustling holiday bazaars, Santa’s chair for warm holiday greetings and special appearances from the Holi-Squad.

On November 16, families and friends can lace up their shoes for the Holiday Santa Run, a fun-filled activity that brings together communities at SM Run Hubs. Adding a touch of magic, shoppers on December 6 can witness the enchanting Holiday Snowflakes Surprises, where a simultaneous confetti shower across selected malls will shower 100 lucky guests with special gifts from partner tenants.

The festive spirit will fill the air as chorale groups serenade mallgoers with uplifting performances on World Chorale Day this December 8. To make weekends even more memorable, SM will host the Happiest Holiday Weekends throughout December, with Santa meet-and-greets, lively busking sessions, and heartwarming holiday carols for the whole family to enjoy.

And this year, your fave Bears of Joy are getting a makeover! Welcome the SM Besties of Joy. For every bear purchased, another will be donated to a child in need, spreading warmth and comfort to those craving the magic of Christmas.

Shop, dine and celebrate with special holi-deals

Shoppers can also look forward to SM Malls Online Holiday Deals from December 1 to 31, offering exclusive holiday gift specials and dining feasts perfect for gatherings with family and friends. Whether you’re ticking off your gift list or planning a memorable holiday meal, SM makes sure every celebration is filled with joy and convenience.

Celebrate the happiest, kindest Christmas yet at SM!

With all these celebrations and surprises in store, SM Supermalls invites everyone to experience the happiest, kindest Christmas yet. From grand events to simple acts of giving, SM proves that the true magic of the season is found in kindness.

The countdown has begun-because at SM, Christmas starts now!

Catholic schools cannot limit themselves to staging protests when corrupt scandals erupt, but must commit to the slower, harder work of forming students who will reject corruption as “normal,” a senior Church leader told the country’s largest Catholic education gathering on Wednesday, October 1.

Bishop Charlie Inzon of Jolo, who chairs the Episcopal Commission on Catholic Education under the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), warned that dishonesty has become so normalized that the youth may grow up believing “there is no way out” of it.

‘Systemic dishonesty has become normalized. Our young people. may grow up believing that it simply is the way things are, and worse, that there is no way out, no escape to this reality,’ Inzon told an audience of some 3,500 students, educators and school officials at the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) national convention on Wednesday, October 1.

Inzon delivered the “message of hope” during the first day of CEAP’s national convention yesterday. He chairs the CBCP commission that supports all Catholic educational institutions in the country and was recently appointed as the next Cotabato archbishop.

Resignation as the enemy

Inzon sees corruption not only as a governance issue but as a ‘cultural sickness and spiritual malady’ that erodes truth and conscience. When citizens start to believe no one will ever be held accountable, he said, society slips into what psychologists call ‘learned helplessness.’

‘If corruption is the disease, despair is the poison, and resignation is the enemy,’ the prelate stressed. ‘When this enters our mind. indeed, there is no way out, no escape.”

He warned that corrupt leaders exploit this despair, insulating themselves with ‘systems of immunity and mutual protection’ while convincing themselves that ordinary people are ‘easily manipulated, bought, and silenced.’

While mass protests and movements against corruption have erupted in the past, Inzon noted that they often ‘wane’ and dissolve once anger subsides. Catholic institutions, he argued, cannot solely rely on these actions to fight corruption.

‘Our intervention should not be only dramatic and episodic through protests, but also sustained, consistent, courageous, and persistent,’ the CBCP official said. ‘We must be vigilant not only in the streets, but in our classrooms, ensuring that we do not fall into the cycle of despair and helplessness.’

CEAP operates around 1,500 member schools nationwide and yesterday highlighted the timing of the convention, which coincided with ongoing probes into anomalous public works projects and nationwide calls for accountability.

During a press conference on Tuesday, September 30, CEAP President Fr. Karel San Juan, SJ called on Catholic school alumni implicated in the current corruption scandal to return to the values of ‘truth, decency, social justice, and social transformation.”

Inzon’s message on Wednesday was for Catholic schools to actively shape students not just into competent professionals, but also into citizens who have a strong moral conscience.

‘If our institutions succeed only in producing graduates with technical skills and with beautiful board exam performances but lacking in conscience and social responsibility, then we have failed,’ Inzon said.

Seeds of hope

The bishop also pointed to different signs of resistance to corruption: civic campaigns for accountability, communities rallying to support each other after calamities and youth leading online efforts against corruption.

For Inzon, the mission of Catholic education is inseparable from the country’s political problems. ‘To be a Catholic academic community in this time of national crisis is to live out solidarity,’ he said, urging schools to stand with marginalized communities and ensure education remains accessible to the poor.

‘Hope is saying and telling us that corruption is not our destiny, that dishonesty is not our identity, and that resignation is not the way to go,’ he said.

Inflation likely accelerated in September on the back of rising food and fuel costs, though overall price gains are still expected to remain near the lower end of the government’s target band, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas said.

The BSP said September inflation may settle within the 1.5 to 2.3 percent range, faster than August’s 1.5 percent.

If realized at the upper end, it would mark the first time in six months, or since February’s 2.1 percent print, that inflation breaches the two percent level, bringing it back within the BSP’s two to four percent target band.

‘Upward price pressures for the month are likely to arise from higher prices of rice and fish. Elevated domestic fuel costs likewise contributed to the upside price pressures for the month,’ the BSP said in a statement.

These, however, may be partly offset by lower vegetable and meat prices as well as cheaper electricity rates.

‘Going forward, the BSP will continue to monitor evolving domestic and international developments affecting the outlook for inflation and growth in line with its data-dependent approach to monetary policy formulation,’ it added.

The Philippine Statistics Authority will release the September inflation data on Oct. 7. This comes ahead of the BSP’s Oct. 9 policy meeting, where investors are watching closely if the Monetary Board will deliver another 25-basis-point rate cut or opt to keep the key rate on hold at five percent.

HSBC ASEAN economist Aris Dacanay said the decision is finely balanced.

‘As the BSP nears the end of its easing cycle, finding the right monetary stance has become an exercise of making small adjustments,’ Dacanay said.

According to Dacanay, food-driven inflation risks should remain a key consideration for policymakers, with supply disruptions from typhoons Nando and Opong expected to exert upward pressure on prices.

He also said that the extension of the government’s 60-day rice import ban by President Marcos could also add to these pressures in the coming months.

At the same time, there is still limited evidence that the economy is losing momentum. The recent depreciation of the peso against the dollar may likewise temper the BSP’s appetite for further easing, as it raises the risk of higher import costs feeding into inflation.

‘That said, we are penciling in a rate hold next week wherein the BSP keeps its policy rate at five percent,’ Dacanay said.

Michael Ricafort, chief economist at Rizal Commercial Banking Corp., placed his own September inflation forecast at 2.1 percent.

Despite the uptick, Ricafort said that the benign outlook still leaves space for easing.

‘Inflation could possibly pick up to two-percent levels for the rest of 2025, but would still average 1.8 percent for the year, thereby supporting future policy rate cuts that would match US Fed rate cuts,’ Ricafort said.

He cautioned, however, that risks remain from volatile global oil prices, storm damage to food supply and peso depreciation.

The central bank’s Monetary Board has already cut rates by a cumulative 150 basis points since August 2024, with BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. earlier signaling openness to one more cut before year-end.

Alex Eala endured what’s easily one of the longest matches she’s ever played, gutting out a 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (3-7), 7-5 win over Belgian Greet Minnen to progress to the Suzhou Open quarterfinals at the Sungent International Tennis Center in China yesterday.

With her fortitude and resilience, the fourth-seeded Eala emerged triumphant in the match that lasted over three hours, booking a Last 8 face-off with Swiss sixth seed Viktorija Goluvic.

Goluvic, with a career-high singles WTA ranking of No. 35 and currently at No. 90, made short work of Czech Republic’s Linda Fruhvirtova, 6-2, 6-0, in making the quarters.

Eala, on the other hand, needed to dig deep to overcome the power-hitting Minnen and reach a fourth straight quarters. For making the Last 8 at Suzhou, the Filipina ace is now guaranteed of $3,450 cash prize (over P200,000).

Eala survived a rollercoaster ride in the opening set, blowing away a 3-0 lead but then fighting back from 0-3 down in the tiebreak.

But Minnen, the WTA No. 72 with a career winnings of over $3 million, was a tough nut to crack, striking back in the second-set tiebreaker.

The fierce duel extended all the way to the third with Eala eventually prevailing on the third match point as Minnen’s power shot went long.

Minnen hammered nine aces as against Eala’s three. The Filipina, however, had the last laugh, scoring a total of 127 points as against Minnen’s 119.

Okada Manila proudly celebrates its second consecutive win as the Best Meetings and Conventions Hotel – Philippines at the 2025 Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) Travel Awards, organized annually by TTG Asia.

The award, decided by votes from readers across TTG Asia publications including TTG Asia, TTG China, TTG India, TTG MICE, TTG-BT MICE China, TTG Associations and TTG Asia Luxury, underscores the resort’s standing as the country’s premier destination for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions (MICE).

Widely regarded as one of the Asia-Pacific region’s most prestigious distinctions in travel and hospitality, the TTG Travel Awards continues to honor organizations that consistently raise the bar of excellence.

Okada Manila’s back-to-back recognition not only highlights its role as a leader in the industry but also showcases the Philippines’ growing prominence as a hub for world-class business events.

The 2025 Awards Ceremony and Gala Dinner was held last September 25 at the Centara Grand at CentralWorld in Bangkok, Thailand.

‘Winning this award for the second year in a row is a proud milestone for our entire team,’ said Cielo Reboredo, VP for sales and marketing at Okada Manila. ‘It shows the confidence our partners and guests have in us, and it drives us to keep delivering events that bring people, ideas and possibilities together here in the Philippines.’

A benchmark for world-class events

Since 2016, Okada Manila has built a strong reputation for hosting seamless events of every scale and a diversified portfolio of events venue. Its venues combine flexibility, tailored solutions and professional support for everything from international conventions to private celebrations.

The Grand Ballroom accommodates large gatherings of up to 1,200 pax, while the Golden and Glass Ballrooms are ideal for mid-sized occasions good for 100 to 300 pax. The Crystal Pavilion, with its striking glass architecture, is ideal for trade shows, exhibitions and entertainment events.

Cove Manila, Southeast Asia’s largest indoor beach club can be booked for major corporate events and conventions that can accommodate up 1,500 guests offers a dynamic setting, and the Chairman’s Lounge provides exclusivity with panoramic views of Manila Bay and The Fountain.

The resort also offers versatile meeting rooms and event venues, complete with multimedia technology, curated packages and award-winning culinary experiences designed to elevate every gathering. All venues are complemented by customizable packages and dedicated services to ensure flawless execution.

A complete resort experience

Okada Manila’s 30-hectare property offers more than event spaces. Guests can choose from 1,001 well-appointed accommodations, relax at the Forbes 5-star recognized The Retreat Spa or recharge through extensive wellness and recreation facilities.

Dining and shopping are equally diverse, with more than 40 restaurants serving global cuisines and The Promenade offering premium retail options. This balance of business and leisure makes Okada Manila not just a venue, but a destination where every aspect of the guest journey is thoughtfully curated.

Putting the country at the center of MICE excellence

Strategically located in Entertainment City, just minutes from international airports and Manila’s business districts, Okada Manila plays an essential role in strengthening the Philippines’ standing as a competitive MICE destination in Asia.

Its continued recognition by TTG Asia’s readership reflects not only the resort’s pursuit of excellence but also the country’s growing appeal to global event organizers.

Best Dressed Women of the Philippines marks its 22nd year with a glamorous fundraising gala.

Now in its 22nd year, the long-running fundraising foundation of the Cancer Society – The Best Dressed Women of the Philippines – celebrated another milestone with a spectacular fashion gala held at Shangri-La The Fort.

Spearheaded by Helen Ong, chairman of the board and founder of the event, the evening was a tribute to style, philanthropy, and community. The event once again honored some of the most prestigious and fashionable women in society, along with their friends and supporters.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) wants all local government building officials to undertake a rapid assessment of buildings in their respective localities in the wake of the destruction wrought by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu province.

‘We focus on this first, then we deal with the resiliency designs and enforcement of the building code,’ Arrey Perez, newly appointed DPWH Undersecretary for technical services, National Building Code Development Office and operations for external convergence projects, said in a text message to The STAR.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon rushed to Cebu province yesterday morning – on President Marcos’ orders – after inspecting the devastation in Masbate caused by Typhoon Opong.

At a briefing, Dizon said the DPWH was fast-tracking the conduct of structural assessment, especially of the bridges in the province.

‘Right now, obviously, we’re still reeling from this very tragic event yesterday, which struck in the middle of the night,’ he said.

‘The instructions to us by the President, apart from making the initial assessment, is to respond immediately to the needs of Bogo and the other LGUs in northern Cebu which were severely hit by this,’ Dizon said. ‘For DPWH, our task was to, first of all, clear the roads. So all the national roads are being cleared right now. A lot of them have already been cleared.’

‘The national highways that got disfigured, a lot of them have already been flattened so that the goods and the essential services heading to the north, especially in Bogo City, will be unhampered,’ the DPWH chief said.

‘So we are working round the clock, 24/7 tayo dyan. We will be working overnight to make sure that your roads are cleared.’

Bacolod Rep. Albee Benitez also called on the government to conduct a thorough review of the country’s infrastructure facilities to ensure they would be able to withstand natural disasters.

‘Even as we have yet to assess the full extent of the destruction caused by the earthquake, it is also urgent that the government conduct a thorough review of the disaster-worthiness of all public infrastructure,’ Benitez said.

‘First expose the shoddy work, punish those guilty for it, then take the necessary steps to ensure that no public building, road or bridge will contribute to loss of life, injury and damage to property,’ he said.

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM), for its part, has called on agencies to activate their Quick Response Fund in response to the earthquake in Cebu.

With P8 billion still in the budget pile as of Oct. 1, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRM) Fund is on standby for support in repairing earthquake damage in the region.

‘We also have the NDRRM Fund on standby for larger-scale needs, including the repair of damaged facilities and heritage sites, to help ensure that our communities can rise again as quickly as possible,’ the budget secretary said.

‘Likewise, DBM’s regional offices in Central and Eastern Visayas were instructed to coordinate with their regional counterparts from the OCD to identify requirements where DBM assistance may be extended,’ she said.

Speaking to reporters at the House of Representatives, Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said thousands could be killed if an earthquake similar to the one that hit Cebu strikes at the heart of Metro Manila.

A hypothetical magnitude 6.5 quake in the metropolis would be deadly because of the region’s many buildings and dense population, Solidum said.

‘It is a reminder of the seriousness of the efforts that we need to do, ensuring that your family and the community are prepared in your areas,’ he said.

Metro Manila residents have long feared the arrival of ‘The Big One,’ or a magnitude 7.2 earthquake that experts say can happen as early as 2058 or as late as 2258.

That photograph of hundreds of millions in cash stacked casually on nondescript tables is iconic.

The sight of so much cash gives corruption its ugly face. It is no longer an abstraction. Every Filipino who works very hard to earn a few of those bills to buy the bare necessities is shocked by the callous quantity of it all – the workaday attitude of those who dump the cash in suitcases and cartons.

Volumes of cash such as those in the photo are accumulated in many other places and delivered to designated recipients. Hundreds of millions, possibly billions, in cash brought to mansions and penthouses. Deducting those allowed ‘for the boys,’ much of the cash flows to a few central points: the masterminds and protectors of this enormous racket.

Money, as we know, is fungible. My hundred-peso bill is fully interchangeable with your hundred-peso bill. They buy the same things.

But money is fungible only to an extent. At a certain magnitude, there will be difficulty transacting cash.

Our banking system is fully armed to detect financial fraud and ring alarm bells when odd transactions happen. One cannot leisurely walk over to a bank branch and try to deposit a hundred million in cash. A new law designed to fight money muling allows the bank to capture your cash and hold on to it until some very important questions are adequately answered.

In the midst of the corruption crisis we now endure, bank tellers are probably more precious than senators. They detect suspicious transactions and promptly report to the Anti-Money Laundering Council. If our banks get together, we can yet stop those reported suitcases of cash from reentering circulation.

The BSP last week limited cash withdrawals to P500,000. A former finance secretary proposed lowering the peso denominations in circulation. There will be some inconvenience in this, but criminals must be prevented from enjoying the fruits of their betrayal.

So much cash is likely stranded in the mansions of the masterminds. Enough alerts have been issued in the financial and business communities. Cash in large volumes cannot move without detection.

There are many ways corrupt money may be laundered. One way is to use the casinos to convert cash to checks. Our authorities are now keeping close watch over these establishments to avert the country being downgraded as a money laundering haven.

Another way is to accumulate real estate, using cash transactions when possible. This is reflected in the staggering inflation in the choicest real estate developments.

Such has been the volume of the recent scams that the price spiral in golf shares and country club memberships is attributed to them. Some of the dirty money is used to buy luxury goods such as designer bags, expensive wristwatches and supercars to avert depreciation of dirty money.

Over the last three years, the House of Representatives became a living showcase for designer bags, expensive wristwatches and supercars. This should have alerted us to the scale of corruption going on.

Several times in the past, our government printed new money as a method to flush out the caches of cash of the previously powerful. An easier way is to put out search warrants for those places identified by whistleblowers as drop points for suitcases filled with cash. It is never too easy to dispose of cash above a certain quantity.

The corruption attending our infrastructure projects deeply alarmed our people. Churches, business groups including the normally staid Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry and schools administrations have all issued statements denouncing the corruption.

We cannot rely on the usual rallies which have been commandeered by the political factions positioning for the next elections. From hereon, every Filipino citizen should speak out when they see things.

Computers should help our banks identify the large cash withdrawals that happened over the recent past. They could also help us identify those performing as money mules for the powerful. Auditors have a heroic role to play in saving our Republic.

Fill social media with anecdotes about luxurious spending by the powerful. We know now, from these anecdotes, who has been splurging on what. Store clerks should spill the beans.

The small guys – those who carried suitcases of cash for their powerful bosses – can tell us a lot. We need their testimonies and their courage to get to the bottom of all these.

The business community is abuzz with stories about powerful individuals trying to buy big time into large corporations. These are more sophisticated ways of laundering dirty money. At some point, all these attempted buy-ins should be documented.

Over the next few weeks, we can look forward to an unprecedented national festival of truth-telling. This is the sort of national festival that is giving the corrupt sleepless nights.

In every community, there should be a forum on how money for local projects has been squandered. There is one amazing story from Albay, for instance, about how a billion pesos in infra funds was used to build a road to the resort of a politician’s underling – contracted out to that politician’s company of course.

Many of these stories will distress us. But they are stories we all need to tell.

That telling photograph of millions in cash leisurely sitting on tables did not just demean our currency. It demeaned the nation.

For the past 35 years, “Disney On Ice” has always held its Philippine shows in Metro Manila.

But the possibility of Cebu experiencing Disney’s spectacular ice skating concert is becoming more likely.

The Seaside Arena has been in construction across the SM Seaside City mall since the pandemic, and upon completion, the 16,000-seater will be the largest indoor arena in Cebu.

Arnel Gonzales, the vice president and general manager of the Mall of Asia Arena, told Philstar.com in an exclusive interview after the press conference for this year’s “Disney On Ice” show in the Philippines that the Cebu Arena is already 70% complete.

Both the mall and arena will make up the planned Seaside City Complex, which will also include a convention center and two bayfront hotels.

Having another major arena is, according to Gonzales, part of SM’s goal to “deliver the highest quality of live entertainment like no other to every Filipino nationwide.”

Counted among them is “Disney On Ice,” which has been staging shows in the Philippines since 1990. The shows have been handled by Feld Entertainment at the Mall of Asia Arena since 2016.

New characters debut

A question that emerges is once the Seaside Arena is open, would “Disney On Ice” consider heading to Cebu?

Feld Entertainment’s vice president for Asia-Pacific Matthew Garrick explained to Philstar.com that the “Disney On Ice” show that comes to the Philippines is part of a regional tour that also goes to nearby countries like Japan, China, and Australia.

“That tour will continue each year. So, as new markets come on board, whether that’s Cebu or whether that’s another country, they’re going to fit into the tour,” Garrick teased.

Garrick pointed out that “Disney On Ice” was a staple holiday tradition now in the Philippines, so scheduling will be even more concentrated if there are other venues to be considered.

“We’re working together. We’re working together towards achieving that,” Gonzales upon being asked if Cebu could one day host “Disney On Ice.”

The new show debuting this December is “Magic in the Stars,” a concept that has been touring for three years and will feature more than 55 Disney characters, the biggest yet for a Philippine show.

These include fan favorites like Aladdin, Cinderella, Moana, Rapunzel from “Tangled,” Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog,” the Madrigals of “Encanto,” Anna, Elsa, and Olaf of “Frozen 2,” and, of course, Mickey Mouse.

Also debuting in the upcoming show are Lightning McQueen and Mater from “Cars,” Asha from “Wish,” and the titular character of “Raya and the Last Dragon.”

Actor John Estrada expressed support for his daughter Kaila as rumors continues to go around that she is now seeing her “Incognito” co-star Daniel Padilla.

Speculations about Kaila and Daniel being an item swirled after the two were spotted in public a number of times, and showbiz reporter Ogie Diaz even claimed the actors were now dating but would leave it to them to confirm the news.

While neither Kaila nor Daniel has addressed the rumors, John told entertainment journalist and friend Dolly Anne Carvajal that he trusts Kaila’s judgment and smarts.

“Kaila is an adult… wala s’yang ginagawang masama. I’m very confident that whatever she decides to do in her life, pinag-isipan na n’ya lahat ‘yan,” John said about his daughter with ex-wife Janice de Belen.

John further pointed out that it was not his story to tell, and it would be up to Kaila to answer questions about her being linked to Daniel.

“All I do is to let her know and feel that she will always have my support and that I trust her and I will always be here for her and her siblings,” John ended.

Apart from Kaila, John and Janice are also parents to Inah, Moira and Yuan. He also has a daughter, Samantha, with Priscilla Meireles.

Many have even joked that Kaila’s name was similar to Daniel’s mother, Karla Estrada.

Daniel was previously in an 11-year relationship with former love team partner Kathryn Bernardo, who is now reportedly dating Lucena Mayor Mark Alcala.