Officers answer questions from the media, from left: Arjun Shroff, PHILTOA Board of Trustee; Jacqueline Fernandez, EastWest Bank President; Ma Lourdes Japson, PHILTOA President; Bryan Ang, Head of Philippine Sales; and Cecile Kimpo, PHILTOA Board of Trustee.  Mark your calendars for the highly-anticipated 2026 Philippine Travel Mart (PTM)! Officially announced during a press launch at Lakbay Museo on July 28, the country’s premier and longest-standing interactive travel trade exposition is back and bigger than ever. Organized annually by the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) with the support of the Department of Tourism, the PTM serves as the nation's primary marketplace for travel experiences. As PHILTOA celebrates its 40th anniversary, the organization remains steadfast in promoting responsible tourism that drives economic growth, creates jobs, and empowers local tour operators. This year’s event—anchored on the theme “Nurturing the NextGen Tourism: Discover Your Ph...

SB19 as PH Tourism Ambassador is long overdue. The group has been raising the Philippine flag all these years in their international gigs and their music more than speaks of the culture and heritage every Filipino loves to share globally.  The Department of Tourism (DOT) has officially named global P-Pop powerhouse SB19 as the Philippines’ newest Tourism Ambassadors, cementing the quintet’s status not only as a source of immense national pride, but as quintessential representatives of modern Filipino culture.  This exciting partnership was heralded by a clever digital activation featuring a "Galingbayan" box—a thoughtful play on the traditional balikbayan box sent home by overseas Filipinos—symbolizing love, sacrifice, and connection across distances.  After playfully fueling internet speculation with cryptic goat emojis, the DOT and SB19 confirmed the collaboration, perfectly timed as the P-Pop Kings prepare to fly the Philippine flag from Manila to Chicago for the highl...

  For its 22nd edition, the Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival opens and closes with two internationally acclaimed independent films that reflect the complexity of Filipino experience: the opening film, Enjoy Your Stay , explores a mother's enduring love for her daughter, while the closing film, Filipiñana , follows a teenage girl whose job at a country club leads to unexpected discoveries. Opening Film  Directed by Dominik Locher and Honee Alipio and co-produced by Close Up Films and JBA Production, Enjoy Your Stay follows Luz, a Filipina who has spent years working as an undocumented cleaner in Switzerland. Living in the shadows alongside her friend Aileen and other Filipina migrant workers, she constantly faces the threat of being discovered and deported.  When she sees her ex-husband appear on a Filipino reality TV show with their six-year-old daughter, Luz’s life is shaken. In desperation to keep her child after years of working abroad, she promises on ...

Participants at Rizal Covered Court in Taguig City. PHA recognized the events supporters (holding plaque of appreciation below: Coun. Joy Panga-Cruz, Brgy. Capt. Allan Cruz, and Coach Yeng Guiao.  “May bago tayong misyon—”buhayin” ang Samboy Lim Law. Kailangan natin itong i-CPR. Kailangan umpisahan ulit ang pagla-lobby para mapondohan na ito ng Department of Education,” Rain or Shine Elasto Painters head coach Joseller “Yeng” Guiao said on July 17, 2026 , during the observance of the 3rd National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) Day.  The former Pampanga congressman is the principal author of the Philippine CPR Act. He reflected on the decade-long journey of Republic Act No. 10871, recalling the vision behind the law and stressing the need for its sustained implementation. “Sigurado po ako, hindi lang isang buhay ang masasagip natin kapag marunong tayong mag-CPR. Ang mga kabataan, sila ang posibleng magsalba sa buhay ng kanilang mga lolo at lola, nanay at tatay, at iba pang...

  What happens if the lead actress would call the shot and insists her way in the theater production?  In the case of Eugene Domingo, also lovingly called Uge, she transforms into a delightfully annoying diva especially when she was going overboard with all her eccentric "notes."  "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank 4: Oh Sh*t It's Live sa Cheter!" runs from June 19 to August 16, 2026, at the PETA Theater Center in Quezon City. Chris Martinez is still the writer with PETA veteran Maribel Legarda as director.  Playing as herself and celebrating her 37th year as a theater actress, Uge gathered her friends to dinner and proposed a new project: something big and impactful to commemorate a career milestone.  With "urgency and involvement" as motivation, she wanted to star in a grand production of Aurelio Tolentino's 1903 nationalistic classic "Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas" as Inang Bayan.  And the play should be staged on a ship deck in the middle of the W...

  NCCA officers and panelists at the launch officially welcoming proposals for the 2027 Competitve Grants. Panelists (below) answers questions from the media, from left: L-R: NCCA Deputy Executive Director for Operations Bernan Joseph Corpuz; National Committee on Communications Vice Head May-I Padilla; National Committee on Music Head Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua; Commissioner Dr. Lordinio Vergara, Subcommission on the Arts; National Committee on Archives Head Emma Rey; and National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities Vice Head Arwin Paul Lingat. I ntegrating arts and music education into the core curriculum is far more than an extracurricular luxury; it is a fundamental bridge to cognitive development and more as a sophisticated pedagogical tool. Through the rhythmic repetition of melodies, students inadvertently unlock powerful mnemonic devices that accelerate memorization, refine speech patterns, and strengthen language acquisition. Even the abstract world of mathematics fin...

More than scoring fair or even the lowest deals in airline fare and hospitality brands, there’s always something new at the yearly Travel Madness Expo (TME).  For the 2026 edition which ran from July 10-12, it's discovering something new,  learning the culture of other countries, and connecting with the rest of the world.  For instance, at the Malaysia Airline booth, which featured among others, soccer, Pinoys lined up to try the sports and had a chance to win a limited edition soccer ball.  I personally tried it and lo and behold I was able ‘to shoot the ball’ on a designated hole on my 2nd try. So, I should have won a ball, right!? Unfortunately, it was practice time and I didn't  join the contest proper due to time constraints.  So, it was self discovery for me that I can still pull a good kick at my age of over 60. I realized soccer could really be a good sport or a hobby. No wonder my son loved it during his teenage years, and my youngest daughter want...