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THE pandemic years marked a turning point for Mark Lewis Higgins. He turned 60, mourned the loss of his sister, and faced the truth that he alone carried the responsibility for Slim’s Fashion and Arts School, founded in 1960 by his mother and National Artist Salvación Lim Higgins, and his aunt Purificación Lim.

‘I realized I needed to think about succession. If something happens to me, what will happen to this school?’ he said. ‘It’s not so much for the legacy of my mom. It’s more because if the school shuts down, it would be a great loss for the country. The curriculum is so valuable.’

Slim’s became known for its strict training in design, dressmaking, and patternmaking. The school set the benchmark for technical precision in Philippine fashion education, and produced generations of designers and artisans, among them Oliver Tolentino, Jo Ann Bitagcol, Joe Salazar, Oskar Peralta, and Michael Cinco. For Higgins, the main question was how the school would continue.

‘We weren’t just looking for a partner,’ he explained. ‘We were looking for a community that understands the dignity of making.’

In September, the ownership and custodianship of Slim’s Fashion and Arts School was officially handed over to the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB).

‘Benilde has the infrastructure, the heart, and the commitment to carry Slim’s forward,’ Higgins said.

Under the agreement, Slim’s will continue offering its diploma and certificate programs under Benilde’s School of Environment and Design. The college will retain Slim’s core courses in Dressmaking, Bespoke Tailoring, Fashion Illustration, and Draping, while introducing new ones such as the Textile Series, Fashion Business Series, and Styling.

‘This is not just a merger,’ said Bro. Edmundo Fernandez, FSC, president of CSB, during the ceremonial handover and MOU signing on September 4 at the college’s Design + Arts Campus. ‘It’s a custodianship. Slim’s is a national patrimony, and we’re honored to be entrusted with its legacy. We want to make its training accessible to more students, especially those who come from middle-class backgrounds and aspire to build careers in fashion.’

Christine Cheryl Benet, incoming director of Slim’s under Benilde, stressed that the school’s identity will remain intact. ‘Slim’s has always been about precision, discipline, and honoring the craft,’ she said. ‘We’re expanding into arts and design, but the core remains-we train makers, not just dreamers.’

The agreement also links Slim’s archives with the planned Benilde Fashion Museum at the historic Miguel Febres Cordero Building. The museum will house garments, sketches, and documents from Slim’s and other Filipino designers, allowing students and researchers to study them firsthand.

For Higgins, the transfer involved many moving parts. ‘You can imagine it’s a very complicated transition.it’s like an octopus. In one tentacle, you have the curriculum. In another, you have the collection of dresses, which will now be with the Benilde Fashion Museum. Then another tentacle is the library, which houses hundreds of books. Then you have the archive of vintage photographs, my mom’s original fashion designs. So it’s a lot for them to absorb and to plan for.’

One piece in particular was difficult to let go. ‘My mom’s wedding gown. She designed and made it herself. She closed her shop for two months just to create her entire wardrobe when she got married. It’s a beautiful gown. It hasn’t been seen since 1959, but we’ve been photographing it for an upcoming book,’ he said.

The gown, he added, is a testament to her craft. ‘She bought this really expensive lace from Paris, and she always told me it was heirloom lace. The lace has not disintegrated, and the dress is beautifully cut. It’s Dutch satin and silk, and whatever was left from that lace, she made into the christening dress for my sister and me.’

Benet explained that Slim’s will remain a separate unit under Benilde. While Benilde runs four-year fashion and design degree programs, Slim’s will focus on shorter certificate and diploma courses, including TESDA-recognized training. This ensures that the Slim’s Method of dressmaking and tailoring is preserved while being integrated into Benilde’s offerings. She noted that Slim’s curriculum would broaden through Benilde’s expertise in fields such as textiles. This expansion would strengthen the fashion ecosystem, benefiting not only designers but also artisans and other makers who are vital to the supply chain.

Sustainability is another priority. Benet pointed out that many Filipinos today lack access to skilled dressmakers or tailors. ‘One of the main problems of typical Filipinos is that there’s no one to sew in their area. First and foremost, we don’t even know how to repair clothes,’ she said. By producing more skilled artisans through Slim’s, she hopes communities will learn to repair and modify clothing rather than relying on fast fashion.

She also emphasized Slim’s role in preserving Filipino identity in fashion. Many young designers, she observed, are unfamiliar with earlier generations of Filipino designers. By keeping Slim’s teaching methods and archives alive, students gain a deeper understanding of the roots of Philippine fashion, not just its Western influences.

Higgins believes Benilde is the right custodian to carry Slim’s forward. ‘The exciting thing is, because it’s in the hands of an institution like De La Salle, they can run it on a larger scale than my sister and I ever could. They want to retain the clientele of people who don’t necessarily want a college degree but who want to learn a skill. At the same time, they can integrate it so that you can ladderize it and still earn a degree. In a way, they’re reaching a broader market than we would.’

Benilde established the country’s first bachelor’s degree in fashion in 1996. With Slim’s under its wing, the college can now support both degree programs and skill-based training.

‘The fashion industry is incredibly diverse,’ Benet added. ‘It is made up not only of degree holders, but also artisans and makers, all of whom are vital to keeping our industry alive. By housing the Slim’s Fashion and Arts School under Benilde, we can contribute more holistically to the Philippine fashion ecosystem-nurturing not only designers, but also the artisans and technical experts that bring fashion to life. This milestone ensures that Slim’s legacy thrives in the hands of a new generation.’

An undefeated run to the ATP Finals trophy later this year will result in a paycheck of more than $5 million – slightly more than what Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka earned for their US Open titles this month.

The exact amount for an undefeated run at the year-ending event for the top-eight players is $5,071,000, the ATP announced. That’s an increase on the $4,881,100 that Jannik Sinner earned when he went undefeated at last year’s ATP Finals.

Alcaraz and Sabalenka each earned exactly $5 million at the US Open.

Total prize money for the ATP Finals – Nov. 9-16 in Turin – is $15.5 million.

Top-ranked Alcaraz and No. 2 Sinner, who each won two Grand Slam titles this season, are the only two singles players to have qualified for the finals so far.

An undefeated doubles team will earn $959,300.

On October 19, vivo will introduce the V60 Lite, a smartphone designed to celebrate self-expression and effortless style. With a feather-light body and striking color options, it’s crafted for young Filipinos who want their phone to be as bold and vibrant as their personality.

Ultra-slim comfort that moves with you

Measuring just 7.59mm thin and weighing only 194g, the V60 Lite 5G redefines sleekness. Its Slim Flat Screen Design and premium straight-edge frame create a modern silhouette that feels effortlessly light and comfortable, even during long hours of scrolling, gaming, or streaming your favorite K-dramas.

The 6.77-inch 120 Hz AMOLED display with HDR10+ certification delivers vivid colors and an impressive 94.2% screen-to-body ratio, making every video and selfie pop.

Camera elegance, seamlessly integrated

At the back, the Exquisite Transparent Camera Module showcases a minimalist vertical lens layout that blends seamlessly into the panel.

The subtle sparkle of the transparent material adds a premium touch while staying compact, so you can capture content in portrait or landscape without any awkward grip.

Colors that match every mood

The vivo V60 Lite has three colors that mirrors your mood and style:

Pop Pink – Playful yet empowering, this cheerful shade features a subtle iridescent shift that feels like pure ‘pink magic.’ Perfect for mirror selfies and OOTDs, it channels the trendy girl-group vibe and brings a splash of joy to everyday life.

Titanium Blue – Inspired by Arctic glaciers, Titanium Blue radiates calm luxury with its cool metallic finish. It’s the color of confidence-ideal for students and young professionals who want their phone to feel as polished as their ambitions.

Elegant Black – A timeless classic with flowing metallic luster, Elegant Black delivers understated sophistication. Whether at a night out or an important meeting, it instantly elevates your look.

More than just a phone, the vivo V60 Lite 5G is a personal accessory that complements every outfit and moment. From the lecture hall to late-night hangouts, it keeps up with a dynamic lifestyle while showcasing a look that’s uniquely you.

The vivo V60 Lite will launch on October 19 in Pop Pink, Titanium Blue, and Elegant Black. Celebrate your individuality and capture every memory in style with the phone that’s slim, powerful, and undeniably chic.

Maynilad Water Services Inc., which is mulling over its initial public offering (IPO) in November, said it will submit its final prospectus this week to reflect the changes in its registration statement.

The change may include a lower share price and the increase in its cornerstone investors, according to Ramoncito S. Fernandez, Maynilad president and CEO.

He said the cornerstone investors in its maiden offering are already ‘committed.’

‘The progress is promising. And we will file the final prospectus by this Friday. The market is bad. but we are putting in a very successful and incredible story,’ Fernandez said.

According to its latest prospectus, Maynilad’s cornerstone investors include International Finance Corp., the Asian Development Bank and Security Bank Corp.- Trust and Asset Management Group.

Maynilad offer consists of 1.66 billion common shares of primary offer, 24.9 million in preferential offer, with an overallotment option of 249.04 million shares and an upsize option of 354.7 million in secondary common shares. The deal is priced up to P20 per share, but agreements with the cornerstone investors may not push through if the price falls below P15 apiece.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), meanwhile, has granted the first Philippine Green Equity label to Maynilad, pursuant to the new guidelines issued by the agency to further promote sustainable finance.

In a letter to the company dated September 26, the SEC Markets and Securities Regulation Department confirmed that Maynilad has sufficiently established and demonstrated its compliance with the requirements under the Guidelines on Philippine Green Equity, subject to its continuing compliance with the guidelines.

The green equity guidelines allow publicly listed companies and companies preparing to go public that generate a significant portion of their revenues from, and direct majority of their investments toward, green activities, to distinguish themselves from other issuers through the use of the Philippine Green Equity label.

Under the guidelines, companies intending to carry the Philippine Green Equity Level must be listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) or preparing to go public, with more than 50 percent of their revenues and investments (sum of capital expenditure and operating expenditure) earned from or directed toward green activities. Such activities must meet the eligibility criteria of the Philippine Sustainable Finance Taxonomy Guidelines (SFTG) or the Asean Taxonomy for Sustainable Finance (ATSF). Companies’ revenues derived from fossil fuels must also be limited to less than 5 percent.

Based on the assessment report of an external reviewer submitted to the SEC, Maynilad derived 100 percent of its revenues from green activities, such as water supply, wastewater treatment, sanitation services, and installation of new water service connections, in line with the minimum 50 percent requirement as provided under the guidelines.

Assuming that overallotment option and preferential offer are fully subscribed, Maynilad could net up to P37.38 billion from the IPO, but proceeds could be upsized up to P50 billion.

The offer will run from October 23 to 29, with the shares expected to be listed on the main board of the PSE on November 7, according to the latest timeline it submitted to the SEC.

DigiPlus Interactive Corp., the country’s premier digital entertainment provider behind BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone, today announced a landmark partnership with Philippine First Insurance Co. Inc. (PhilFirst), the country’s first domestic insurance company.

Together, they have introduced the Philippines’ first-ever surety bond program for online gaming players – setting a new benchmark in player protection. The program takes effect immediately.

For players, this means more peace of mind every time they log in, as long as their eKYC (electronic Know-Your-Customer) information is up to date and they continue to play within the platform’s guidelines. Whether it’s a casual gamer or a loyal fan celebrating a big win, they can enjoy BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone knowing their wallets and balances are even better protected.

Through this initiative, eligible players benefit from an added financial safeguard. The surety bond protects player balances of up to ?1 million per player, without requiring customers to purchase a separate policy.

‘DigiPlus is proud to be the first in the industry to roll out this level of consumer protection,’ said DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio H. Tanco. ‘We are committed to putting our players first. With this surety bond, they can play confidently on BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone, knowing that their funds are safeguarded.’

How does the DigiPlus surety bond work?

Eligibility: Players must be eKYC-verified, have made at least one successful deposit, and be in good standing within the platform’s guidelines.

Coverage: The surety bond safeguards player wallets and balances up to ?1 million per player.

Activation: Protection is in place immediately and applies automatically for all eligible players across BingoPlus, ArenaPlus, and GameZone.

This latest measure strengthens DigiPlus’ commitment to reliable customer service and protection, adding the surety bond to its 24/7 customer support and 130+ physical BingoPlus stores nationwide, which already serve as convenient and trusted outlets for players.

With the addition of the surety bond, DigiPlus continues to raise industry standards – delivering not only engaging and innovative gaming offerings but also a stronger guarantee of trust, security, and peace of mind for its customers.

Globe Telecom Inc. said on Wednesday it is strengthening its presence in Quezon Province with a series of network expansions and technology upgrades in Lucena City.

In a statement, Globe said it has upgraded and optimized 48 cell sites across Lucena, covering around 275,000 city residents.

The company is also building new facilities to ensure the city’s households, schools, and businesses can seamlessly adapt to the demands of a digital economy.

‘These improvements enable seamless video learning, efficient business transactions, and other digital activities, ensuring Lucenahins remain ahead in today’s fast-paced digital economy,’ Globe said.

To complement the stronger network, Globe is also offering flexible data promos for every type of user-from Go+ packages for prepaid subscribers, Sulit Surf bundles for TM customers, to GPlan options for postpaid households and professionals who require dependable internet all day.

‘Globe’s efforts in Lucena are part of its network expansion program nationwide. By expanding cell sites and boosting capacity, the company is preparing communities for the future.’

The company reported a net income of P12.4 billion in the first half of 2025, down 14 percent from the same period last year, with gains from its digital ventures and cost-efficiency measures partially offset lower service revenues and higher depreciation and financing charges.

Consolidated service revenues stood at P80.2 billion, 2.4 percent lower than the P82.2 billion posted in the first six months of 2024. This was due to softer contributions from traditional services and a contraction in fixed wireless demand, although revenues from mobile data and fiber broadband segments showed resilience.

During a sit-down with Lav, he tossed out the Vice Ganda line almost casually, like a joke half-formed. But Lav doesn’t do jokes. His films teach you that the camera lingers until you squirm, the stories loop back until you recognize you’ve been here before. So when he said Vice on the ballot, I heard it as another long take, a provocation, not a punchline.

Because this isn’t really about Vice. It’s about the country’s obsession with spectacle, the way politics already runs like a theater. Lav has been circling this for decades. Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan, his take on Dostoevsky, follows a brilliant law student who murders while an innocent man rots in prison, a brutal reminder of how justice bends toward power. Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis, his eight-hour meditation on the Revolution, stretched the march for independence into betrayal after betrayal, showing freedom as unfinished business. Batang West Side, set in New Jersey, tracked the Filipino diaspora through a young man’s death and the detective who unravels it, a story of exile and alienation. Different films, different frames, but the same diagnosis, cycles of suffering replayed, spectacle masking decay.

So yes, Vice Ganda, the most visible entertainer of the moment, makes perfect sense in his mouth. Not as a campaign slogan, but as proof. If politics has long been about charisma, image, and showmanship, then who better than the performer who already commands the crowd? The remark is less an endorsement than an X-ray; here is what politics has become.

Lav told me during dinner that trolls had started circling him online. He said it with a shrug, like he’s seen the script before. And he has. His films are full of that noise, gossip, rumor, and fear, turning into background music. From What Is Before, which won the Golden Leopard at Locarno, captured the creeping atmosphere before Martial Law, villagers sensing terror through whispers before it descended full force. Melancholia, his three-part study of grief, showed characters swapping roles, a nun, a prostitute, a pimp, yet never escaping their despair, a metaphor for a country trapped in cycles no matter the costume. Florentina Hubaldo, CTE, followed a woman suffering memory loss, her abuse and pain replayed endlessly, a portrait of a nation addicted to forgetting. Every one of these films tells you the same thing: rumor, repetition, amnesia, the mechanics of power.

So the chatter online about his Vice Ganda remark, some laughing, some thrilled, others unsettled, only proves the point. Lav has always staged dissonance. Season of the Devil, his sung-through anti-musical, gave us dictatorship through flat, tuneless chants, propaganda delivered without melody, a deliberate discomfort. His Vice Ganda provocation works in the same register, jagged, unmelodic, daring you to sit with the discord.

Three words still hang in my head: mapanlikha, mapangahas, mapanukso. Inventive, daring, provocative. They’re his signatures. He stretches time until it breaks. He stages history without compromise. He unsettles surfaces until deeper truths spill out.

So no, this isn’t prophecy. It’s a parable. Lav leaves the camera running, long after the line is spoken. He doesn’t cut. He never does. And the audience, the electorate, are left in the frame, forced to decide whether they’ll keep applauding the performance or finally demand something else, something real, something not yet rehearsed.

President Donald Trump said ‘a lot of good’ could stem from a government shutdown, threatening to oust federal workers and eliminate programs that are favored by Democrats if Congress doesn’t meet a midnight funding deadline.

‘We can get rid of a lot of things that we didn’t want and they’d be Democrat things,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office Tuesday. ‘They just don’t learn. So we have no choice. I have to do that for the country.’

Trump’s remarks are likely to inflame tensions with Democrats just before a midnight deadline to fund the government. The deadlock over spending threatens to paralyze many US government operations for the first time in nearly seven years, causing the suspension of services for Americans and paychecks for federal workers.

Earlier Tuesday, Trump suggested there could be ‘a lot’ of federal worker dismissals if federal funding ran out. The White House last week directed agencies to draw up plans for widespread firings if the government closed down. So far, no agencies have explicitly called for terminations in their shutdown plans.

As many as 750,000 federal workers could be temporarily furloughed, even if Trump doesn’t proceed with permanent dismissals, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated.

Political fallout could be widespread for both Trump and Democrats ahead of next year’s critical midterm elections, and leaders of both parties focused their public comments on blaming the other.

‘They want to try to bully us- they are not going to succeed-into taking their partisan bill,’ Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday. ‘That’s why we are heading into a shutdown.’

Democrats ‘are taking a risk by having a shutdown,’ Trump said at a mid-day Oval Office event. ‘We’re not shutting it down. We don’t want to shut it down because we have the greatest period of time.’

Asked about chances of a shutdown, he responded, ‘Nothing is inevitable, but I would say it’s probably likely.’

House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, similarly predicted that a shutdown is imminent.

‘I’m an optimist, but I’m a little skeptical this morning,’ he told CNBC Tuesday.

Although last-minute spending deals have averted several other threatened shutdowns in recent years, the stakes are especially high now, with the White House threatening to fire employees rather than furlough them, and Democratic leaders under intense pressure from progressives in the party to stand up to Trump.

Stocks fluctuated Tuesday morning with the prospect of a shutdown stoking concerns about how long it’ll go on and what impact the possibly delayed release of key economic data will have on the Federal Reserve’s upcoming interest-rate decisions.

Johnson accused Democrats of playing politics with their effort to renew health-care tax credits, saying it doesn’t have to be resolved until the end of the year when the tax credits expire.

‘Open the government and then we’ll have all the discussions,’ he said. ‘But right now that is a red herring.’

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Republicans of being unwilling to participate in bipartisan negotiations, telling CNBC Tuesday that his party refuses to be a part of ‘a my-way-or-the-highway’ approach.

Republicans in recent days have repeated the phrase ‘Schumer shutdown’ in an attempt to pin the blame on their Democratic opponent.

‘Chuck Schumer needs a Schumer shutdown and I think that’s what we’re probably careening toward,’ Senate Republican Leader John Thune told CNBC on Tuesday.

Deep divide

Lawmakers appeared no closer to a deal after a Monday meeting at the White House only served to underscore their deep divide. Democrats have sought an extension of health-care subsidies and a reversal of Medicaid funding cuts that were part of Trump’s signature tax legislation enacted earlier this year. Republicans are insisting on what they call a clean continuing resolution-without an array of controversial policy measures-that would extend government funding until November 21.

Thune told reporters the Democrats’ push amounted to a ‘hostage taking.’ While there is an opportunity to discuss potential health-care premium tax credit changes with Democrats, Thune said, ‘we can’t even have that discussion until we keep the government open.’

Until then, Thune said the Senate will take repeated votes on a short-term spending bill to reopen the government.

Senator John Barrasso, a member of Senate Republican leadership, said the chamber would take a break for the Yom Kippur holiday this week if there is a shutdown but then return to Washington and vote through the weekend.

If the president was seeking to curry Democratic votes, it wasn’t immediately apparent. Trump, who last week canceled a planned sit-down with Democratic leaders, on Monday evening posted a poorly dubbed video on social media of Schumer and Jeffries, set to mariachi music, suggesting the pair wanted to import new voters who ‘can’t even speak English.’

Schumer sniped back that the president is ‘trolling away on the Internet like a 10-year-old.’ Jeffries called the depiction of him in a sombrero ‘racist’ and dared Trump to insult him to his face.

Trump ally Sean Hannity, on Fox News, suggested to Johnson that there was no chance Trump would give into any of the Democrats’ demands, and Johnson agreed. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Democrats cheered party leaders in a closed-door meeting Monday evening that appeared to rally the troops.

Exit ramps

A shutdown would be the first since 2018-2019, when funding for the government lapsed for five weeks, including over New Year’s Day, during Trump’s first term.

Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress-as well as the White House-they appear to need the support of at least seven more Senate Democrats to clear procedural hurdles and pass a funding bill.

One possible path being discussed late Monday involves a potential compromise that would extend health-care tax credits but phase down the amounts in the second and third year.

GOP lawmakers expressed confidence that, even if the government shut down briefly, Democrats would eventually yield.

The latest report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations may not have enumerated the East Asian and Southeast Asian countries that grappled with high food prices a year after Russia attacked Ukraine, but the Philippines surely felt its impact. In a report, FAO said the proportion of countries experiencing moderately to abnormally high food prices doubled on an annual basis in 2023, returning to the levels observed in 2020.

This change, FAO said, was driven by a jump in the number of countries with abnormally high food prices.

The Philippines was certainly one of those Southeast Asian nations that saw ‘moderately to abnormally high’ food prices in 2023. That year inflation accelerated to a level that was last seen in 2008, when the rate averaged 6.3 percent, mainly due to high rice prices. Nearly two decades ago, the decision of rice-exporting countries caused international rice prices to skyrocket to unprecedented levels, affecting importers like the Philippines which has become reliant on foreign sources for its rice requirements.

The 6 percent average inflation rate recorded in 2023 was even faster than the 5.8 percent posted in 2022. These figures highlighted the country’s vulnerability to international developments such as Russia’s attack on Ukraine and its reliance on other nations to plug the gap in its domestic food supply. Supply constraints put more pressure on food prices the following year, when rice, onions, sugar and pork carried a higher price tag.

International organization Asean+3 Macroeconomic Office (Amro) said the jump in prices of key food items was due to a shortage of domestic supply. To tame inflation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas had to tighten monetary policy aggressively, raising policy rate 10 times between May 2022 and end-2023. However, monetary measures can only do so much to make food more affordable, as these will not be able to address the problems hounding the agri-food sector.

Easing supply constraints and reducing the country’s vulnerability to geopolitical and trade tensions would require serious effort on the part of policymakers to remove obstacles to increasing the country’s food supply. Amro noted that only a strong agricultural sector and a more resilient food supply chain will eliminate price volatility and eventually enhance the country’s food security. A robust agricultural sector, however, would remain a pipe dream if local planters remain unable to profit from their produce.

The Department of Agriculture will be getting a higher budget for next year, thanks to the decision of lawmakers to reallocate a portion of the flood control projects to the sector. These funds should be used judiciously to hasten the delivery of interventions that planters need to improve their productivity. The money should also be used to bankroll ‘unpopular’ programs that would have enabled this administration to increase farm exports and create more jobs in rural areas.

THE 68th National Day of Malaysia was recently commemorated through a reception graced by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Undersecretary for Migration Affairs Leo M. Herrera-Lim as guest of honor, Apostolic Nuncio and Diplomatic Corps dean Archbishop Charles John Brown DD, Philippine government officials, the diplomatic community, business leaders, and friends of Malaysia.

In his address, Ambassador Dato’ Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino reflected on Malaysia’s journey since independence, as he noted that this year’s celebration themed ‘Malaysia MADANI: Rakyat Disantuni’ (People Cared For) is a tribute to the sacrifices of past generations, and a call to safeguard unity, peace, and prosperity for the future.

The ambassador highlighted Malaysia’s role as Asean Chair in 2025, where under the theme ‘Inclusivity and Sustainability,’ his country has spearheaded key Initiatives such as the Kuala Lumpur Declaration on Asean 2045: Our Shared Future, setting a long-term vision for a more resilient region; the Asean Economic Community Strategic Plan 2026-2030, guiding regional economic cooperation; progress on the Asean Digital Economy Framework Agreement-the world’s first binding regional digital economy pact-and the launch of the Asean Artificial Intelligence Safety Network; expanded cooperation on sustainability and climate action, including renewable energy, the Asean Power Grid, and stronger partnerships with Japan and the European Union; deepened public health preparedness through the Asean Centre for Public Health emergencies; and the historic advancement of Timor-Leste’s accession to Asean.

According to the ambassador, these accomplishments are based on the guiding principle that progress should be inclusive, and that no Asean citizen should be left behind. He further noted that the Philippines will assume the Asean chairship in 2026, and assured that Malaysia will extend its utmost support to the Philippine government in ensuring the continued success of the bloc’s shared vision.

Underscoring the strong bilateral ties, Malik noted that Malaysia and the Philippines share history, culture, and aspirations, with cooperation spanning trade, investment, Islamic banking, education, halal industry, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. More than 800 Malaysian companies are currently operating in the Philippines, showcasing the ongoing growth in bilateral trade. He highlighted that the essence of their partnership lies in the warmth, trust, and mutual respect.

The program featured cultural performances, an angklung presentation by the Sisters of Mary Schools, a video montage on Malaysia’s Asean chairship, and a showcase of Malaysian cuisine. A symbolic presentation of 1,000 boxes of Farm Fresh milk to the Department of Education underscored the embassy’s commitment to community outreach programs. The festivities concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony that symbolized the Southeast Asian country’s enduring friendship with the Philippines, followed by cultural dances and a raffle draw.