Balancing immediate urban needs with long-term climate and social resilience is proving difficult for city leaders in the Philippines, new findings from an Expo City Dubai global survey reveal. The 2025 Urban Readiness Report, developed with YouGov and based on a survey of more than 1,000 city leaders worldwide, found that 81% of Filipino officials […]

Amid the glow of the harvest moon, the Mid-Autumn Festival offers more than lanterns and mooncakes—it invites pause, reflection, and the quiet companionship of tea. Celebrated annually on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month, the festival is one of China’s most cherished traditions—a moment of reunion, thanksgiving, and lunar reverence. Though mooncakes are […]

In a world where tensions run high and differences often dominate headlines, the Global Civilization Initiative (GCI) offers a vision of connection, dialogue, and cooperation among nations. Rather than focusing on conflict, it emphasizes the richness of cultural diversity, the value of learning from one another, and the importance of working together to address common […]

This year’s Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos were honored in a rare series of tributes at the Supreme Court, the House of Representatives, and the Senate — a recognition underscoring the nation’s highest esteem for teachers, soldiers, and police officers who embody integrity, courage, and compassion in public service. On September 8, the House of Representatives […]

Travel today often splits in two directions: the rigid choreography of guided tours, or the endless logistics of going it alone. Both approaches can leave little room for the accidental discoveries that make a journey unforgettable. Druk Asia is proposing something different: an invitation to experience Bhutan without the checklist. The “Bhutan Insider Experience with […]

Thailand and the Philippines—both maritime nations deeply intertwined with ocean resources—are embarking on contrasting journeys toward blue economic development. While both face mounting pressures from climate change, coastal erosion, and overexploitation of marine assets, Thailand is actively deploying innovative financing and governance tools, whereas the Philippines is still laying the legislative and institutional backbone needed […]

Da Nang is a city that greets you with movement. The hum of motorbikes, the shimmer of the Han River, the sweep of clouds over the Marble Mountains—it feels alive even when standing still. At dusk, the bridges turn into spectacles: the Dragon Bridge breathing fire into the night sky, the river reflecting bursts of […]

Vietnam’s accelerating maritime construction in the South China Sea is shifting the balance of power in one of the world’s most contested waterways, with direct consequences for the Philippines as it confronts increasingly assertive Chinese actions in waters it claims. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) reported on August 22 that satellite images […]

This September, Lagen Island in Palawan’s Bacuit Bay unveils a sweeping transformation, marking a new era for one of the Philippines’ most beloved island sanctuaries. Long known for its raw beauty and quiet charm, the reimagined Lagen emerges as a 42-key private retreat where tropical forests meet towering limestone cliffs and the sea glimmers in […]

In urban Philippine households, the hum of YouTube notifications now competes with the evening news broadcast—signaling a sea change in how Filipinos consume information. Across Southeast Asia’s “social-media capital,” creators, not institutions, are becoming the most visible voices in news. Mainstream outlets still command influence, but the reach of influencers is accelerating. Filipinos spend nearly […]