Thursday, January 29, 2026
All the Lucky Feels at SM Supermalls
Your New Comfort Food Era Starts at Frankie’s & Bloom & Baker at SM City Marilao
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
UMak Launches First-of-Its-Kind ‘Barter Boutique’ for Students
Friday, January 23, 2026
Tough Times Call for the OPPO A6 Pro's Tough Tech
GLoan Makes Borrowing Worry-Free with Free Health and Loan Insurance, Giving Borrowers Extra Protection
Thursday, January 22, 2026
From Philippines to the World: Cebuana Leads the Charge in Red Bull Dance Your Style 2026
Return to Middle-earth: “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” Extended Edition Hits SM Cinemas for an Exclusive One-Weekend Engagement
Eastern Communications Leads PH Market as a Cisco Preferred Networking Partner Under Cisco 360 Partner Program Framework
Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Meet the Garmin Approach R50, the Only Portable Golf Launch Monitor with a Built-in Simulator
Last Chance for Runners and Fur Parents to Register for Home Credit’s Takbo #ParaSaLife 2026
Security Bankers Raise Funds for 41 Scholars through Year-End, Employee-Led Initiatives
Tuesday, January 20, 2026
Filipino Digital Bayanihan in Action: Php 64M Raised via GBayanihan to Support Local Communities and Causes
GCash, the Philippines’ leading mobile finance super app, continues to advance financial inclusion and community initiatives through its tech-for-good efforts, as Filipinos raised ₱64 million in 2025 via GBayanihan, its in-app digital donation platform. GBayanihan removes barriers to giving by connecting millions of GCash users directly to vetted NGOs nationwide, enabling seamless and transparent contributions using their mobile phones.
Making bayanihan always-on for Filipinos
By integrating donations directly into the GCash app, GBayanihan connects Filipinos to NGOs in remote and underserved areas where traditional donation channels are limited. The platform offers a seamless, transparent, and mobile-first experience that removes barriers to giving. It also enables overseas Filipinos to contribute directly to local NGOs without having to navigate complex remittance channels, and fosters a culture of giving that extends beyond borders.
Users can explore various vetted advocacies, donate instantly using their GCash wallet, and receive immediate confirmation, all while ensuring contributions reach credible organizations that hold public solicitation permits and Philippine Council for NGO Certification (PCNC) accreditation.
Turning holiday celebrations into community support
Partnering with the Manila Symphony Orchestra, the year-end concert “A Yule Concert: The Magic of Christmas” brought together partners from the public, private, and advocacy sectors to celebrate digital bayanihan. GCash also contributed on behalf of guests to assist partner NGOs, advocacy partners, and the communities they serve, which demonstrates GBayanihan's role in mobilizing nationwide community assistance.
Strengthening the bayanihan movement with new advocacy partners
A three-day ceremonial signing was held in July 2025 with 27 accredited NGOs, signaling the start of their onboarding to GBayanihan. 11 more partner organizations will be available on the GCash GBayanihan feature starting December 2025, while more PCNC-vetted NGO partners are expected to be onboarded in 2026, expanding access to millions of GCash users and potential donors nationwide.
NGO partners have highlighted how GBayanihan has strengthened their reach and improved transparency. Claudine Manuel, assistant program manager at Megawide Corporate Foundation, noted that digital donations eliminate delays and tracking challenges common in manual systems. Tricia Anne Mandap, resource mobilization officer at ABS-CBN Foundation, said the platform allows them to connect with more Filipinos while ensuring contributions remain safe, transparent, and aligned with their mission. Charlene Diaz, manager for marketing and donor relations at Ayala Foundation, described GBayanihan as a meaningful way for donors to support communities both online and in person.
"With GBayanihan, Filipinos can easily support NGOs that respond to disasters, serve marginalized groups, and provide access to health and education," explained CJ Alegre, GCash head of sustainability. "This is more than a program—it's a movement."
Through its full suite of digital tools, GCash continues to help Filipinos contribute to meaningful causes while supporting NGOs in reaching more communities efficiently and transparently, driving inclusive growth, and fostering a culture of giving that benefits every Filipino.
To learn more about GBayanihan and its NGO partners, including ABS-CBN Foundation, ACAP, ACAY Missions Philippines, Angat Buhay, CFC Ancop Global Foundation, CRIBS, Hero Foundation, InLife Foundation, Let’s Save the Brain, Philippine Red Cross, PHINMA Foundation, PSFEI, RMHC, Save the Children, UNICEF, Virlaine, and World Vision Philippines, visit the Help Center.
From Barangay Courts to Battlegrounds: OPPO and MLBB Drive Local Esports in Pampanga and Bulacan
Monday, January 19, 2026
The Medical Wellness Association Declares 2026 as “The Year of the Sardine”
The Medical Wellness Association (MWA), in its mission to improve wellness of the World’s consumers, has declared 2026 as “The Year of the Sardine”. The aim is to educate and inspire consumers across the globe on the wellness benefits of eating real, nutritionally dense foods--with sardines being one of the optimal and most affordable choices available.
“Given the consistent worsening of wellness metrics across most of the developed world, it is clear the wellness community needs to course-correct its recommendations to the public. Metabolic Health is rapidly being revealed in research as an underlying key to wellness, from preventing classic metabolic diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver, to cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and even kidney and liver dysfunction”, says Dr. Christopher Breuleux, President of the USA based MWA.
According to MWA Board Member and Faculty Member, James Michael Laffety, “sardines represent one of the stronger options to combat metabolic disease. By consisting of proteins and Omega 3 fats and loaded with a high density of essential vitamins and minerals; coupled with being one of the most cost-effective proteins available, it really is a ‘superfood’. We believe declaring 2026 as the year of the sardine, is a simple and clear call to action consumers can easily act upon.”
He added that sardines have been garnering heavy press recently, with leading physicians and wellness gurus from around the world promoting concepts such as “the 3 day sardine fast” across social media from Instagram to X. Sardines have been featured on globally leading podcasts, and as the world shifts its focus to metabolic health, it would seem this trend will only increase.
“Globally, in recent years the sardines’ market has increased at an annual rate of +7.5%, pre-dating the increased focus on metabolic health. The MWA forecasts annual growth to become double-digit, or 10%+ from 2026 onward, given increased education and awareness, and the recent changes to the US Food Pyramid as deployed last week. And this is a good harbinger for improved wellness across the world,” shared Mr. Lafferty.
Because of the health and wellness benefits, MWA has been active at reviewing the sardine category for several years. In mid-2025, after a review of sardine brands, they awarded the prestigious “Superfood” seal to Mega Sardines, a Filipino brand, based on the purity of their fishing waters in the South Pacific, coupled with Mega’s unique “Catch to can in 12 hours” vertically integrated production process, which ensures unsurpassed freshness for a canned sardine.
Mega Prime Foods, Inc. is a 50-year-old company that embraces the Filipino concept of “Malasakit”, which means “Giving to society without any expectation of payment in return”. As the company has embraced this philosophy and has seized on the MWA seal to drive the category, they have emerged as the leader driving knowledge, education, and awareness across the globe.
The company is actively developing a battery of clinical studies, underwritten by major universities, to expand the range of knowledge on food choices and impact on metabolic health. Ms. Michelle Tiu Lim Chan, CEO of Mega Prime Foods, sums it up best: “It all starts with our cultural value of Malasakit, and we are proud to be serving consumers in the Philippines and around the globe, high quality and high value foods that improve their health. We see the “Superfood” seal from the MWA, and being the sole brand in the world to earn this, as the culmination of our commitment to our consumers for the past 50 years. My father and mother started this mission, and it is my honor to continue it for another 50 years and beyond.”
Coca-Cola Philippines Drives Water Stewardship With Reforestation activity at La Mesa Watershed
Sun Life Donates CAD 150,000 for Cebu Earthquake, Typhoons Tino and Uwan Relief Efforts
MANILA, PH – January 2026 – Reaffirming its commitment to extending aid in times of crisis, Sun Life has donated CAD 150,000 (PHP 6.3M) to communities devastated by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Central Visayas, and the destructive impact of Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan.
CAD 50,000 (PHP 2.1M) will be allocated to restoring safe, inclusive, and continuous learning for 500 schoolchildren affected by earthquake in Cebu. With Save the Children Philippines as the implementing partner, the funding will provide modular temporary learning spaces that are child-friendly and accessible to learners with disabilities, alongside clean water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, emergency power stations, and internet connection. Complementary interventions, such as learning continuity kits with essential educational and psychosocial support materials, and emergency communication lines, will also be given.
Sun Life likewise aided response through World Vision Philippines, where CAD 50,000 (PHP 2.1M) was used to provide 350 families with emergency relief packs containing hygiene kits, non-food items such as blankets, mosquito nets, and lamps, and learner kits for children. Another CAD 50,000 (PHP 2.1M) went to typhoon relief efforts in Pangasinan, where 350 families received emergency relief packs to help them recover from Typhoon Tino and Super Typhoon Uwan’s impact.
Meanwhile, Sun Life Financial-Philippines Foundation, Inc. (Sun Life Foundation), the philanthropic arm of Sun Life Philippines, also responded to recent natural calamities through its partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation. Food packs were distributed to 600 families affected by the Cebu earthquake and 585 families in Masbate recovering from the effects of Typhoon Opong.
The Philippines ranks as one of the most disaster-prone countries, situated within the Pacific Ring of Fire and experiencing on average 20 typhoons annually.
“More than our way of supporting communities, this donation symbolizes our firm commitment to standing with our fellow Filipinos during their most vulnerable moments,” said Benedict Sison, CEO and Country Head of Sun Life Philippines. “As a partner to Filipinos, we aim to help rebuild lives and restore hope for a brighter future.”