Newsletter: Globe‑backed social enterprises Virtualahan and The Spark Project highlighted in Singtel Group Future Makers 2025 Impact Report

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Two Globe-backed Philippine startups, Virtualahan and The Spark Project were featured in the Singtel Group Future Makers (SGFM) 2025 Impact Report, a regional review celebrating ten years of tech-driven social innovation.

Newsletter: NOBITA and Yeng Constantino collaborate on new heartfelt ballad, “Gayuma”

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Filipino pop-rock quintet NOBITA links up with Yeng Constantino in the collaborative new single “Gayuma,” out via Sony Music Entertainment. 

Newsletter: Orient Marks 75th Anniversary with Limited-Edition Releases Showcasing Japanese Craftsmanship and Innovation

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Orient celebrates its 75th anniversary with the launch of several new limited-edition timepieces across its Orient Star, Orient Stretto, and Revival collections. The new Keshiki-themed Orient Star 2025 models draw inspiration from Japanese winter landscapes and feature elegant snowlight-inspired blue-grey dials. Limited to 1,000 pieces or fewer per model, these mechanical watches showcase the brand’s craftsmanship with open-worked designs and engraved serial numbers. At the same time, Orient introduces the Orient Stretto series in its Contemporary Collection — including both 75th anniversary limited models and standard releases. Featuring urban-inspired dials, wedge-shaped indices and sport-lux styling, the Stretto watches reflect a modern city aesthetic while maintaining Orient’s signature mechanical performance. Additionally, Orient unveils a solar-powered compact Stretto line, designed for everyday wear with fashionable dials and slim cases, and a 75th anniversary World Map Revival model, reissuing an iconic 1969 design with a retro multicoloured dial and world-time function. Together, these releases highlight Orient’s rich heritage, modern engineering and continued innovation in Japanese watchmaking.

Newsletter: Hot days make for icy weather, Philippine study finds

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The Philippines, like other tropical countries, is known more for its balmy climate than for hailstorms. But a new Philippine study—the first of its kind—has found that the country’s hottest days are, in fact, more likely to produce hail.

The largest hailstones ever recorded in the Philippines fell in Cabiao, Nueva Ecija, on May 8, 2020. An infrared image from the HIMAWARI-8 weather satellite taken at the time shows the convective system associated with this hail event. The inset panel on the upper right shows the corresponding radar reflectivity scan suggesting high amounts of precipitation in the area. In the lower right are photos of hailstones recovered from the event. SOURCE: Ibañez et al., 2025

Hailstorms are so few and far between in the Philippines that, even in an age of pervasive social media updates, they are still met with amazement and astonishment.

Newsletter: ONE OR EIGHT Kicks Off Back-to-Back Single Releases With “Young & Reckless” - First of Their “Anthems of Challenge”

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ONE OR EIGHT consists of YUGA, MIZUKI, NEO, TAKERU, TSUBASA, REIA, RYOTA, SOUMA (L to R) (credit: Avex Music Creative Inc.)

On 29th August, rising global boy group ONE OR EIGHT has released two consecutive singles, each serving as an “anthem of challenge” for dreamers and those embracing their individuality.

Newsletter: povo to begin offering “Japan SIM” online, a data-only eSIM for foreign travelers with unlimited data options

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KDDI has announced that “Japan SIM,” a data-only eSIM specifically for foreign travelers to Japan, will be available online starting August 28, 2025. Travelers can apply for service online and download the eSIM (embedded SIM card) profile while preparing for their trip, allowing smooth access to povo2.0 services immediately upon landing in Japan.

Newsletter: UPD Study Uses AI Model to Predict Tropical Cyclone Rainfall

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By: Eunice Jean C. Patron

Graphical abstract of the AI-based accumulated tropical cyclone (TC) rainfall model.

(Photo credit: Mesias & Bagtasa, 2025)

The Philippines is often hit by tropical cyclones (TCs), which bring heavy rainfall that can cause floods and landslides. More often than not, the patterns of TCs repeat. For instance, if a typhoon with a certain amount of rainfall passes through Central Luzon, a similar typhoon that will pass through Central Luzon again in the future is likely to have the same amount and distribution of rainfall.

Newsletter: New Artists Announced for This Year’s Clockenflap, with Vaundy, Sparks, ELLEGARDEN, Jeremy Zucker, L'Impératrice and Many More Added to the Lineup

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Clockenflap, Hong Kong’s biggest international outdoor music and arts festival, today gave music fans even more reasons to look forward to this year’s edition with the announcement of the second wave of acts that have been added to the lineup. With over 30 artists announced already, and many more still to come, excitement is building for another epic three-day weekender when the festival returns to Central Harbourfront from Friday 5 to Sunday 7 December, 2025.

Newsletter: TEDxForbesPark 2025 Unveils Stellar Lineup of Global and Local Changemakers

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The stage is set for TEDxForbesPark 2025, happening on September 8, 2025 at Cinema High Street, Central Square, BGC. This year’s event carries the theme “INSPIRE”, spotlighting extraordinary individuals whose stories of resilience, innovation, and leadership are shaping the future of business, technology, education, and human potential.

Newsletter: FAIRMONT HOTELS & RESORTS DEBUTS NEW ‘DISAPPEARING BAR’ CONCEPT POPPING UP AT SELECT FAIRMONT PROPERTIES GLOBALLY

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Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, part of world-leading hospitality group Accor, invites guests to experience the Disappearing Bar, a pop-up bar that appears briefly before vanishing to its next destination. This exclusive bar program invites guests to discover Fairmont’s signature hospitality in unexpected settings worldwide, transforming every moment into a celebration.

Newsletter: Jewel Owusu drops music video of “spark”

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Filipino-Ghanian artist Jewel Owusu has dropped the music video for “spark.”

Newsletter: The Role of Content in SEO: Why Blogging Still Works

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In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, businesses are often tempted to chase the newest marketing trends such as social media ads, AI-driven campaigns, or influencer partnerships. Yet when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), one strategy remains consistently effective: content, and in particular, blogging.

Newsletter: PUSO Wrestling Unleashes “Bakunawa” — A Night of Myth, Legacy, and Heart

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 PUSO Wrestling proudly presents its next grand live event, BAKUNAWA, a showcase of hard-hitting action, Filipino passion, and world-class storytelling. Inspired by the mythical moon-eating dragon, Bakunawa promises to be a night where legends collide, rivalries ignite, and the spirit of Pinoy Wrestling shines brighter than ever.

Newsletter: Rising Japanese Singer-Songwriter Rol3ert Releases New Single “say my name”

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 (Credit: Exciter Records)

19-year-old singer-songwriter Rol3ert releases his fifth single, “say my name”, worldwide on 27th August via Exciter Records and FRIENDSHIP. The track arrives on the heels of growing momentum across Southeast Asia — with Indonesia now ranking as his #1 Spotify market and the Philippines driving over a quarter of YouTube views for his previous single “Nerd”.

Newsletter: Almost 9 out of 10 Filipinos Take Supplements, Making the Philippines APAC’s Top Supplement Market – Herbalife Survey

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Herbalife, a premier health and wellness company, community and platform, has released findings from its 2025 Asia Pacific Responsible Supplementation Survey, revealing that Filipinos (89%) are the top health supplement users in the region, followed by Indonesia (88%) and Taiwan (86%). The survey showed that most Filipinos take health supplements to support their general health and immunity (70%), followed by for energy and focus (42%) and for better sleep or stress management (35%). 

Newsletter: Xpress Super App Mass Hiring Sweeps Metro Manila — Final Chance to Join Before Expansion

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From August 15th to 20th, the Xpress Super App Training Hub at #5134 West Service Road, Parañaque City became the epicenter of opportunity as professional drivers from across Metro Manila flocked to secure their place with the Philippines’ fastest-rising mobility platform.

Newsletter: Ebe Dancel sells out repeat concert a day after tickets are released

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It’s official: tickets to Ebe Dancel with The Manila String Machine: The Repeat have officially sold out after just one day. 

Newsletter: Big Flavors, UNSTPPBL Energy: GOMO customers experience the First Scratch Session

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GOMO is turning up the flavor in its mission to inspire subscribers to live an UNSTPPBL life by breaking limits, defying norms, and making every moment count. More than just connectivity, GOMO is about bringing fresh, bold experiences that fuel culture and creativity. That’s why the digital telco has partnered with Scratch Smashburgers as the Official Co-Presenter of the first-ever Scratch Session, a dining experience that fuses food, culture, and creativity.

Newsletter: THE FAVORS (FINNEAS AND ASHE) RELEASE NEW TRACK “TIMES SQUARE JESUS

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The Favors (FINNEAS & Ashe) release “Times Square Jesus,” the final new track ahead of their debut album The Dream (September 19 on Darkroom Records). Listen HERE. It follows their romantic, harmony-drenched single “The Hudson” and the announcement of An Evening with The Favors, a run of shows as a band at iconic venues in Los Angeles, Red Rocks, and New York City.

Newsletter: MOMARCO RESORT TANAY

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Escape the City. Embrace Nature. Experience Momarco. Meticulously designed to frame the forests of the SIERRA MADRE’s natural beauty, MOMARCO resort is renowned for its Clean, Green & Serene nature. An exceptional experience offered only by the mountain ranges. A place with a deep spiritual richness.