Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) positioned design as a strategic driver of business competitiveness rather than an aesthetic consideration, as it capped Cebu Business Month (CBM) 2026 with the ‘Good Design. Good Business. Summit.’

Speaking at The Studio in Oakridge Business Park, CCCI president Regan King, emphasized that business performance is increasingly shaped by deliberate design decisions-from how companies create value and serve customers to how organizations build systems, workplaces, and business models capable of adapting to long-term economic change.

The summit, the final major event of this year’s Cebu Business Month, highlighted design as a competitive advantage amid shifting global sustainability standards and growing interest in circular economy principles.

‘For a long time, design was treated as the final layer of the business process,’ King said. ‘Today, it is recognized as a strategic discipline that influences performance, competitiveness, and long-term value creation.’

The chamber linked the summit to its ‘LEAD AMUST have IMPACT’ agenda, which seeks to strengthen Cebu’s competitiveness through leadership that is intentional, future-ready and impact-driven.

While capital, technology and market access remain essential growth drivers, King argued they are insufficient without well-designed systems and enterprises capable of sustaining economic value over time.

The discussion also reflected the growing prominence of the circular economy, which emphasizes designing products, infrastructure and business systems for durability, adaptability and resource efficiency rather than focusing solely on waste management or environmental compliance.

According to King, circularity begins at the design stage, influencing how businesses generate long-term economic, environmental and social value.

The summit featured international and local experts, including representatives from WOHA Architects, landscape architect Paulo Alcazaren, and The Regenesis Project, who presented projects integrating environmental sustainability with commercial viability through design-led approaches.

The afternoon sessions shifted focus to the business sustainability of the design profession itself, highlighting the need for architects, designers and creative professionals to build financially viable firms that can retain talent and strengthen Cebu’s broader innovation ecosystem.

King said sustaining the region’s creative industries is becoming an economic imperative, warning that failure to develop a robust design ecosystem could weaken Cebu’s long-term competitiveness.

Closing this year’s Cebu Business Month, the chamber framed design as the link between leadership, investment, innovation and connectivity, arguing that the quality of business design ultimately determines whether those factors translate into sustained economic value.

‘Good design is good business,’ King said, adding that responsible business practices increasingly form the foundation of a circular economy and future competitiveness.

Amid complaints over electric bill shock, President Marcos wants to remove systems loss charges passed on by power utilities to consumers along with the value-added tax on the fee.

This requires amendments to the 25-year-old Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA).

Marcos made this known in his penultimate State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday as the country staggers under soaring fuel prices brought about by the war in the Middle East now on its sixth month.

‘If we’re talking about reducing the price (of electricity), I believe it is time to scrap the systems loss that is being passed on to consumers. It is being passed on to consumers and added to the bill with value-added tax on top of it,’ Marcos said, for which he got a standing ovation and cheers from lawmakers in the session hall.

‘It is not the fault of the consumer why there is systems loss. So it is not right that they are the ones to pay for it,’ he noted.

‘Therefore, we the people, request – no, we demand – for the immediate amendment of the EPIRA and to prohibit charging systems losses to consumers, including the value-added tax thereon,’ the President stressed.

Systems loss refers to the loss in the transmitted electricity to the grid up to the consumers. Systems losses may be caused by natural processes as power passes through transmission lines and by outright theft through illegal connections or tampering of electricity meters.

For households and commercial establishments covered by the franchise of the Manila Electric Co., systems losses comprise about five percent of the electric bill.

The 2001 EPIRA allows utilities to pass on systems losses to customers, thus Marcos’ call for amendments to the law.

He said the cry of the people to reduce the cost of electricity was clear to the government.

Marcos also asked Congress to immediately pass the proposed ‘Sariling Kuryente Act,’ which would make it simpler, easier and less expensive for people to install solar panels and battery storage systems.

Nuclear power

The Chief Executive also renewed his call for the use of nuclear energy for power generation, saying the technology is now safe.

‘Pushing the envelope further, perhaps it is time for us to revisit nuclear energy production. We are already using nuclear energy in the fields of medicine, agriculture, water filtration and the upcycling of plastic,’ Marcos said.

He said nuclear power will reinforce energy security and bring down the cost of electricity in the country.

‘We will make sure that this will be safe. We will also ensure that we will explain clearly to the public the benefits of nuclear energy,’ he said.

Marcos said under the Philippines’ chairship this year of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Framework Agreement on Petroleum Security for the joint stockpiling of energy assets in the region has been ratified.

Now that the Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao grids are fully connected, the country is in a better position to connect with its neighbors to help realize the ASEAN Power Grid, he announced.

The government is also closely monitoring some 200 power projects scheduled to be completed by the end of his administration with a total capacity of nearly 10,000 megawatts.

MREIT Inc. is undertaking its biggest asset infusion to date through a P27-billion property-for-share swap transaction as part of efforts to further diversify its asset mix.

MREIT said the asset infusion, which has been approved by its board of directors, would consist of mall, hotel and office assets.

The fifth wave or Wave 5 of asset infusions into MREIT, once approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission, will bring the company’s total assets under management to P122 billion.

The Wave 5 transaction will be implemented through a property-for-share swap with Megaworld Corp., Travellers International Hotel Group Inc. and Southwoods Mall Inc. at a subscription price of P16.50 per share.

The price represents an 18.6-percent premium over MREIT’s 30-day volume-weighted average price.

MREIT said Wave 5 would be the biggest asset infusion among publicly listed real estate investment trusts at the Philippine Stock Exchange this year in terms of total value.

Including the P16.2-billion Wave 4 completed in the first quarter, the asset infusions will bring MREIT’s total 2026 infusions to over P43 billion.

MREIT president and CEO Jose Arnulfo Batac said the company’s next phase of growth is about building a larger and more diversified platform that drives long-term value for shareholders.

‘As we scale, we remain focused on driving cost efficiencies across the portfolio. This provides a clear path to margin improvement and, in turn, dividend-per-share accretion for shareholders,’ Batac said.

Wave 5 marks MREIT’s most significant diversification to date as it will shift the company’s asset mix to approximately 77 percent office, 20 percent retail and three percent hotel.

MREIT’s portfolio is currently over 95 percent office by gross leasable area (GLA).

The company said the wider asset base would also expand its geographic footprint from five to nine Megaworld townships, deepening its exposure to high-traffic mixed-use estates. A total of 303,900 square meters of GLA will be added to MREIT’s portfolio under Wave 5.

The retail component includes five lifestyle malls with a combined GLA of 160,200 square meters, representing 53 percent of the infusion.

These are Festive Walk Mall at Iloilo Business Park in Iloilo City; Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila; Venice Grand Canal Mall in McKinley Hill, Taguig; Eastwood Mall in Quezon City and Southwoods Mall in Biñan City, Laguna.

MREIT said the inclusion of these assets gives the company’s shareholders direct exposure to consumption-driven upside, supported by the sustained strength of foot traffic and retail activity.

The office component, meanwhile, consists of six high-occupancy office assets totaling 117,200 square meters of GLA, or 38 percent of the upcoming infusion.

Philippine men’s football team head coach Carles Cuadrat believes his youthful squad has what it takes to begin their ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 Group B campaign on a positive note when they face Myanmar Tuesday at the New Clark City Athletics Stadium in Capas, Tarlac.

The five-time semifinalist opens its latest bid for a historic first appearance in the tournament final against a familiar opponent. The two sides last met in June, when the Philippines claimed a convincing 5-1 victory in an international friendly before Myanmar appointed new head coach Jorn Andersen.

Despite that dominant result, Cuadrat insists the previous encounter will have little influence on today’s match, as Myanmar have evolved under their new leadership.

‘We have analyzed the opposition thoroughly. Myanmar’s new coach has introduced different ideas, although many of the players remain the same. That previous meeting gives us valuable experience, but this will be a different challenge,’ Cuadrat said.

The Spanish tactician also highlighted the youthfulness of his current squad, which is even younger than the team that competed in the recent Tri-Nations Tournament.

‘Back then, experienced players like Randy Schneider and Patrick Reichelt provided leadership. This time, we have only two players over the age of 30, while the rest of the squad is very young. It will be an important test, but the players have trained well and understand what we want to achieve on the pitch. We’re hoping to deliver a strong performance,’ he added.

The Philippines and Myanmar have met nine times in the regional championship over the past three decades, with their most recent tournament meeting ending in a draw in 2024. Myanmar, meanwhile, have not beaten the Philippines since 2004.

Andersen’s squad enters the match after a demanding trip from Yangon following their Group B opener, where they suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat to Malaysia.

‘We will do our best tomorrow,’ Andersen said. ‘We know it will be a difficult away match after a long journey and a tough game on Saturday, but we will give everything we have.’

The Norwegian coach also felt his side deserved more from the loss to Malaysia and will be aiming for a stronger performance against the hosts.

Kickoff is set for 6 p.m., with Sportfive on top of the action as the Philippines look to make a winning start to their ASEAN Hyundai Cup 2026 campaign.

The Gilas Pilipinas U23 team is expanding its pool as it is set to compete in two major 3×3 tournaments to be held one after the other this September.

Ryan Gregorio, the 3×3 program director of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, said it’s necessary to add more players to the national team pool, which is slated to see action in the FIBA 3×3 U23 World Cup in Wuhan, China from September 15-19 and then go straight to the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan from September 21-25.

Gregorio added that the Asiad is also reserved for U23 players.

The intricacy of the schedule is even muddled by the upcoming seasons of the UAAP and NCAA, respectively, which also open during the same stretch in September.

‘We’re actually preparing for two tournaments. So it’s impossible for us to have just one team. So we’re expanding our pool and checking on the players available,’ said Gregorio in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.

‘I think the conflict right now is the schedule of the UAAP and NCAA. So those are the things we really have to scrutinize. Yun talaga ang mga bagay-bagay na kailangan careful ang understanding. And siyempre ayaw mo rin maapektuhan yung mga teams or schools na maglalaro sa kani-kanilang tournaments. So kailangan mapag-aralan ng husto ang schedule and makausap din ng husto ang mga coaches also.’

The Gilas 3×3 team that topped the FIBA 3×3 Nations League Asia that earned the country a spot in the World Cup are all student-athletes, namely, Earl Medina of Adamson, Koji Buenaflor of University of Santo Tomas, Jhun Dela Rama of San Beda, and the Far Eastern University duo of Cabs Cabonilas and Jedric Daa.

Medina, Buenaflor, and Dela Rama were with Gregorio and coach JJ Espanola in the Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus.

According to Gregorio, the SBP is looking to have 12 to 15 players who will be included in the expanded pool.

A separate U23 team is also set to compete in the FIBA 3×3 Youth Nations League in Petaling, Jaya from August 16-24.

‘We’ll have six players there also. And the idea is really to expand the pool and get the best possible talent to represent the country,’ said the SBP official. ‘So again we really have to study it religiously.’

The people have begun to view Sara Zimmerman Duterte for what she is – a do-nothing, divisive vice president and, as the ongoing impeachment trial gains momentum in the prosecution’s favor – abusive, violent and corrupt, one who has enriched herself during all the years she has been a public official.

As an elected official, Sara was trusted by the people with an enormous mandate – 32 million votes for VP in May 2022. If you fail people’s trust and expectations, that’s betrayal – betrayal of the public trust, under the Constitution, a ground for impeachment conviction and removal from office, permanently.

A survey conducted by OCTA Research July 2026 shows that for the first time since 2024, VP Duterte is no longer trusted by majority of the people; only 47 percent trust her now, a ‘significant eight-percentage-point decline from the 55-percent record in March 2026.’ And only 45 percent, below majority, are satisfied with her performance, ‘a significant five-percentage-point decline from 50 percent in March 2026.’

Explains OCTA: Sara’s ‘trust and performance ratings have fallen below majority level together for only the second time in the available series – the first being November 2024, when both stood at 49 percent. This quarter’s ratings of 47 percent trust and 45 percent performance are the lowest yet recorded for her, surpassing even that earlier dip. It is the scale and timing of this decline, more than its rarity, that stand out.’

In November 2024, Sara announced on national TV she contracted assassin/s to kill President Marcos Jr., First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. At the impeachment court, the VP is accused of grave threats and sedition.

‘The most direct explanation for (Sara’s) record decline is the impeachment trial itself,’ notes OCTA. ‘The proceedings opened on July 6 to extensive live coverage across both broadcast and online platforms, with thousands of police deployed around the Senate and protesters gathering to call for her conviction – a level of sustained public and media attention rarely matched by other developments in this survey period. The opening was further amplified by the same-day arrest of a key Duterte ally, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, which dominated both traditional news cycles and social media discussion in the days that followed. That her ratings crossed below majority in precisely the quarter this trial began, and by a wider margin than the previous such crossing in November 2024, makes the trial and its surrounding media environment the most direct and best-supported explanation among the factors considered here.’

‘Other factors may have compounded this effect,’ concedes OCTA, ‘though none can be isolated from this (July 2026) survey alone.’ Says the usually reliable pollster:

‘One is a growing perception, voiced increasingly by critics in Congress, that the Vice President has not done enough, given her limited formal portfolio during a period of economic difficulty. Some lawmakers have publicly questioned what the Office of the Vice President has accomplished, pointing to her relative absence from public statements on pressing issues such as West Philippine Sea tensions and disaster response.

‘A second is the perception of corruption itself: the flood control fund scandal, the allegations of unexplained wealth and misused confidential funds at the center of the impeachment charges and the same-day arrest of Sen. Marcoleta may together have reinforced corruption-related concerns as a factor distinct from the trial’s media visibility alone.’

‘Beyond these individual factors, the shape of the data itself points to a more structural reading that reinforces the trial as the central explanation,’ points out OCTA.

‘The decline is unusually uniform across socioeconomic class – Class ABC, D and E each fell by approximately nine points in trust – which is not the pattern one would expect if the cause were narrowly economic, since economic pressure this quarter fell more unevenly on lower-income groups.

‘A decline this evenly spread across class lines is more consistent with a shared national event, such as the trial, than with a pocketbook-driven shift,’ concludes OCTA.

A second major impeachment charge against Sara is unexplained wealth. She began public service in 2007-2009, three years as Davao City vice mayor; in 2010-2022, 12 years as mayor and from July 2022 to the present as the second highest elected official of the land.

Per her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), Duterte’s net worth increased 12-fold from P7.25 million in 2007 to P88.5 million despite the fact that during the 15 years til 2024, she earned no more than P43.2 million (P26 million according to records of the the House of Representatives that impeached her by a vote of 257 to 25 last May 11, 2026). If she earned only P26 million in 18 years, how come her net worth exploded to P88.6 million by 2024. Where did the P62.5-million difference come from? The implication is that Sara enriched herself as a public official.

Moreover, in suspicious transactions catalogued by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) involving the bank accounts, individual and corporate, of Sara and husband Manases Carpio, P6.771 billion were transacted during the 20-year period 2006 to 2025. Of the P6.771 billion, P3.772 billion – 56 percent – was traced to Sara’s bank accounts. She earned only P26 million in 18 years but monies totaling P3.773 billion flowed into her bank accounts, a whopping P3.747 billion difference.

More than 99.33 percent of monies that flowed into Sara’s bank accounts cannot be accounted for by her legitimate earnings. How do you explain that? Pending explanation, the P3.747 billion is considered unexplained wealth. Under the law, unexplained wealth is corruption and the government can seize the money, the P3.747 billion.

Under the Constitution, the vice president is not allowed to engage in business.

To clear up Sara’s finances, the Senate, as an impeachment court, has directed the Bureau of Internal Revenue to produce her tax records, the AMLC to produce her financial records and those of her husband and the ombudsman to produce Sara’s SALNs.

A new start for Philippine volleyball.

That is how it is shaping up as all Philippine National Volleyball Federation officials heeded the call of the Philippine Olympic Committee – the sport’s caretaker – to resign and pave the way for elections set Aug. 10.

‘That’s the first step and they all agreed to resign,’ POC president Abraham Tolentino said during the meeting that he called for at the Solaire in Parañaque.

Among those present – 40 in all – were former PNVF chief Tonyboy Liao, the Premier Volleyball League and Spikers’ Turf’s Ricky Palou and Sherwin Malonzo, Farm Fresh and ZUS Coffee owner Frank Lao, the NCAA’s Fr. Vic Calvo, OP, ZUS coach Jerry Yee and representatives of Beach Volleyball Republic, Rebisco and other clubs, leagues and stakeholders.

Ramon Suzara, AVC president and former PNVF head, did not attend the meeting but was reportedly near the vicinity.

The group also agreed on the creation of a new 13-member PNVF board, which will include athletes’ representatives for all the leagues including the UAAP and NCAA to answer to the national team call for players availability.

It also removed the chairman’s post while adding a seat for the POC. It also made the position of secretary-general as an appointive post by whoever is voted upon as president.

National team mainstay Stefi Marithe Aludo defeated third seed Gwen Emily Kurniawan of Indonesia, 6-1, 6-3, on Tuesday in the girls’ singles of the Oscar J. Hilado J60 World Tennis Championship Week 2 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center.

Aludo, a bronze medalist in doubles and team events in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, needs two more wins in Group C of the round-robin preliminaries to advance to the quarterfinals.

“I’m happy to win my first match, hopefully, I’ll make it to the next round,” said Aludo, an incoming college freshman at the University of Hawaii.

She lost to Korean Yerin Lee in the first leg quarterfinals, but won the doubles title with Philippine Tennis Academy teammate Louraine Jallorina.

Meanwhile, local Mikaela Rose Ngu also won her Group C match against qualifier Krissana Rodprasert of Thailand, 6-0, 6-2.

In Group E, local Jana Jelena Nicole Diaz downed American Sofia Bartolata, 6-0, 6-3, and fifth seed Kimika Fukui of Japan outplayed local Kathlyn Ann Bugna, 6-2, 7-5, in the event offering World Tennis (formerly International Tennis Federation) points.

Now on its 18th edition, the annual tournament is renamed in honor of the late PHINMA Corp. Chairman Emeritus Oscar J. Hilado in recognition of his lifelong support for and contributions to Philippine tennis.

Past champions include Alexandra Eala, Francis Casey Alcantara, John Bryan Otico, Arthur Craig Pantino, Khim Iglupas, Tennielle Madis and Aludo.

During the commencement rites of the University of the Philippines Cebu on July 14, 2026, following the conferral of degrees and the individual recognition of graduates, the university’s Pahinungod program called forward its graduating volunteers and recognized them for the time and service they had given to communities beyond the university.

The recognition does not come with a Latin honor. Nor does it raise anyone’s general weighted average. But it matters because an award or recognition is also a statement of values. By honoring its volunteers in front of their families, teachers, and fellow graduates, the university is saying that education is not measured only by grades. It is also measured by what one does with the knowledge and opportunities one has received.

The Ugnayan ng Pahinungod is the volunteer service arm of UP, providing opportunities to its students, faculty, staff, and alumni to serve the marginalized and underserved.

I mention this small yet important part of the commencement ceremony because it illustrates a basic truth. A society eventually becomes what it rewards.

It is easy to signal our virtues and values, especially on social media these days. But do these virtues and values really receive attention, financial rewards, influence, and social status? These are the real incentives that shape social behavior.

Today, much of what attracts attention and gains influence is found on social media platforms, whose own incentives are not necessarily aligned with the values we claim to uphold.

Social media companies compete for our attention and sell that attention to advertisers. Their algorithms reward engagement, without regard to whether a post is true, fair, or useful. What matters to them is whether people will continue watching, clicking, sharing, and arguing.

Outrage outruns accuracy. Anger travels faster and farther than nuance. A falsehood can be written and shared in minutes, while a measured response requires time, evidence, and explanation. Then we wonder why society has become more polarized.

We ask why troll farms thrive. We ask why an honest and hardworking public servant receives less attention than someone who has learned how to be loud, angry, and obnoxious toward the people he attacks, while remaining entertaining to an audience within his own echo chamber.

The obvious answer is that the system is producing exactly the behavior it rewards. That is why it is important to support other systems of recognition that reward service, integrity, competence, and work whose value cannot be measured by clicks or social media engagement.

At this point, let me tell you about the Tatak UP Awards. Now on its sixth staging, the awards are conferred by the UP Alumni Association Cebu Chapter on alumni whose leadership, service, and professional excellence have made lasting contributions to Cebu and the Cebuanos. The search for this year’s awardees is now open.

Any UP alumnus may be nominated. This includes graduates of any unit of the UP System, as well as those who completed at least one year of study in good standing at a UP degree-granting unit. Anyone may submit a nomination, including the nominee.

The deadline for nominations is August 31, 2026. Awardees will be informed in September, and the awarding rites will be held on December 4. For more information, you may refer to this link: https://alum.up.edu.ph/call-for-nominations-tatak-u-p-awards-2026/

In your community, there may be a teacher, doctor, engineer, lawyer, public servant, artist, or community organizer who is an alumnus of UP and has spent years quietly improving the lives of Cebuanos. That person may never trend. His or her work may never go viral. The algorithm may never recognize that contribution or service.

The question ‘NamNam Mo Na Ba?’ taps into how for Filipinos, chicken is more than just food. It connects to our culture and our language in many different ways.

When we ‘namnam’ our favorite chicken dish, we start by inhaling its inviting scent. We then smack our lips. As we bite down, we close our eyes, savoring the flavor and the moment. We go for our second bite, and we soon verbalize our review, either with our audible chomps or our invitation to our companions to take a bite: ‘Kain!’

In the end, we relish every last bite, pause and sigh in satisfaction. Chicken satisfies more than just our appetites.

Chicken NamNam loves this about its customers. Chicken NamNam asks ‘NamNam Mo Na Ba?’ because it knows that the most memorable meals are the ones that make us feel something.

Filipinos get emotional about food, especially about chicken. It’s a comfort food, a dish for special occasions, it’s for the whole barkada and the family. It’s for nights alone, but also for that busy lunch at work.

Chicken NamNam strives to capture all of these emotions in every serving of their best-selling Zesty Garlic Chicken. It combines several elements that Filipinos love to the last bite. There’s the tangy sauce with its creaminess and delightful tanginess thanks to another Filipino favorite, garlic.

The signature Zesty Garlic sauce will make you say ‘sauce pa lang, ulam na!’-a common expression because it’s a quality distinct to Filipino cuisine.

But the sauce is best when it’s drenched over perfectly fried, crispy and tender boneless chicken. Chicken NamNam always serves up 100% real chicken, cooked just the way everyone likes it. The juiciness and the bite of the chicken perfectly complements the rich, creamy sauce that’s so addictive.

Don’t be surprised if you will be going after that second serving of rice!

It’s a guarantee that you’ll savour and devour Chicken NamNam Zesty Garlic Chicken until the end, and it won’t be long until you find yourself ordering it again.

Every order of Chicken NamNam’s Zesty Garlic Chicken comes to you at an unbeatable price. You can get an à la carte regular-size order for P119, while a large order is P149. Meal options start at P149. Complete the experience with options such as Garlic Rice, Cucumber Lychee Cooler (with real cucumber bits!) and Mango Banana Turon.

Customers can enjoy Chicken NamNam’s wide range of flavored chicken offerings, paired with signature sides and refreshing Coolers beverages for a satisfying meal at an affordable price.

Every flavor at Chicken NamNam is crafted by the expertise of Culinary Director Chef Paul Lenz who brings in his 25+ years of experience in leading hospitality and FandB with companies here and abroad.

The digital-native brand is a Grab Fan Favorites winner for three consecutive years and it also enjoys consistent five-star ratings across GrabFood, foodpanda and Google Reviews.

Apart from their flagship flavors, Zesty Garlic and Korean Garlic Soy, Chicken NamNam also offer delectable options like Creamy Gravy, Tropical Cheese, Sweet and Spicy, and Smokey BBQ. Chicken NamNam is available in strategic locations across and outside Metro Manila. You can also order Chicken NamNam via GrabFood and foodpanda.

With Chicken NamNam, ‘NamNam Mo Na Ba?’ is both a question and answer. It’s the best way to enjoy your fill of Chicken NamNam, and it’s also how you can describe the sensation when you tell your friends all about it.