The Blackout Zone: SM Cares, CHED Turn Experience Into Understanding

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—SM Cares, in partnership with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), brought The Blackout Zone to the CHED Central Office Auditorium at the Higher Education Development Center Building in Diliman, Quezon City from July 21 to 22, 2026.

Developed through SM’s Mall for All drive on inclusivity, the immersive exhibit invited students, educators, and members of the academic community to experience life without sight in a controlled and safe environment. Participants were guided through everyday activities designed to encourage them to look beyond limitations and recognize the abilities, independence, and resilience of people with visual impairments.

“Sometimes, understanding begins when we are willing to step outside what is familiar,” said Richard V. Caluyo, Senior Assistant Vice President for SM Cares. “By bringing The Blackout Zone closer to schools and the academic community, we hope to inspire young people and educators to help build learning environments where every person feels seen, respected, and included.”

For a few moments, participants stepped into complete darkness. Without relying on sight, they navigated familiar tasks through touch, sound, scent, and the reassuring guidance of others.

What emerged was something lasting: a deeper appreciation of how persons with visual impairments experience and move through the world each day.

Previously mounted in SM malls, The Blackout Zone has featured sensory and everyday activities such as tying a shoe, preparing coffee and sandwiches, identifying candy and scents, and experiencing Movies for the Blind. Its CHED installation marked a meaningful step beyond the mall setting, allowing the initiative to reach people who help shape classrooms, institutions, and future generations.

Through its partnership with CHED, SM Cares hopes to deepen conversations around accessibility and encourage higher education institutions to strengthen inclusive practices both inside and outside the classroom. 

“Our united goal with SM for The Blackout Zone is for the program to serve as a catalyst for meaningful action,” said CHED Commissioner Michelle A. Ong. “Empathy allows us to dismantle the barriers that hamper inclusion and education of Filipinos with vision impairments. Through this shared effort, we hope to further guide policies tightly woven with real-life experiences to serve this sector better.  

The experience also served as a reminder that inclusion is not built through awareness alone. It grows through empathy translated into thoughtful actions—from offering clear assistance and respecting independence to creating spaces where people of all abilities can participate fully.

The Blackout Zone forms part of SM Cares’ continuing programs for persons with disabilities, which promote accessibility, sensitivity, inclusive employment, and meaningful participation in community life.

Because while participants entered the exhibit without sight, many left seeing inclusion more clearly.

European Higher Education Fair 2025 Kicks Off with Opening Ceremony in Manila

Filipino students, researchers and academicians can explore a world of opportunities at the European Higher Education Fair (EHEF) 2025, opening doors to the EU’s top learning and research institutions. 

The opening ceremony will feature a momentous gesture, bringing together the European Union Ambassador and representatives of its EU Member States to showcase their diverse fields of expertise and collectively form an image symbolising the true essence of the fair’s theme “Pathways to Excellence.” 

We are pleased to open the EHEF 2025 here in Manila. EHEF offers Filipino students and researchers a unique opportunity to explore new pathways to excellence while deepening the enduring partnership between the European Union and the Philippines-  said European Union Ambassador H.E. Massimo Santoro. 

The EHEF has been held annually for several years and has become one of the flagship events of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines, showcasing the EU as a hub of academic excellence. This year, the fair introduces Copernicus and EURAXESS as new programme sessions.

The EHEF 2025 is supported by the Commission on Higher Education, together with the regional hubs University of Santo Tomas (Metro Manila), University of the Cordilleras (Luzon), Eastern Visayas State University (Visayas), and Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan (Mindanao). University partners include Ateneo de Davao University, Caraga State University, De La Salle University, Far Eastern University, Holy Cross of Davao College, Lyceum of the Philippines-Manila Campus, Mindanao State University - Iligan Institute of Technology, Pampanga State Agricultural University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of San Agustin, University of the Philippines Manila, and Visayas State University.

Professional organisation partners include the National Academy of Science and Technology–Philippines, Philippine Architecture School Association, Philippine Computer Society, Philippine Economic Society, and the United Architects of the Philippines. Media partners such as Backend News, Baguio Herald Express, Daily Guardian, Daily Tribune, Gadgets Magazine, GMA Pinoy TV, Manila Bulletin, Mindanao Gold Star Daily, News Watch Plus, SEA Wave Pop Culture Magazine, SEA Wave Pilipinas, Tempo, and WhenInManila.com help bring the event closer to students nationwide. COMCO Southeast Asia-Pilipinas is the PR and communications partner.

The Fair will be held onsite on 21 and 22 November at Robinsons Manila and onsite on 24 November via Zoom application. It features 99 onsite and online exhibitors from 15 EU Member States: Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Latvia, Hungary, The Netherlands, Austria, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland, and Sweden. 

For more information, visit ehefphilippines.com and check our social media accounts: Facebook, Instagram, and X (@EHEFPhilippines).

DTI Chief Signs IRR of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, strengthens PH Creative Industries

MAKATI CITY - The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), as spearheaded by Trade Secretary Fred Pascual signs the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) No. 11904, otherwise known as the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act (PCIDA).

The PCIDA, which lapsed into law on 28 July 2022, mandates the development of a vibrant Philippine creative industries by protecting and strengthening the rights and capacities of creative firms, artists, artisans, creators, creative workers, indigenous cultural communities, creative content providers, and other stakeholders.

The law provides adequate support measures to the Philippine creative industries which currently face various binding constraints to growth, such as high output costs, fragmented education systems, piracy issues, lack of data and statistics, underdeveloped branding and infrastructure, and wide skill gaps and mismatch, among others.

To steer and oversee the implementation of the law, it creates the Philippine Creative Industries Development Council (PCIDC), which will be chaired by the DTI Secretary, and composed of the Secretaries of the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Tourism (DOT), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG); the Chairperson of the Commission of Higher Education (CHED), Chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the Director General of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL), and private sector representatives from various creative domains.

Aside from the PCIDC, the law also mandates the development of the Philippine Creative Industries Development Plan (PCIDP), which shall embody several support mechanisms geared to address the specific concerns in the creative ecosystem covering infrastructure, research and development, innovation, digitalization, financing, investment, and education, among others.

The law also seeks to develop and promote Philippine Creative Cities to produce more UNESCO-designated creative cities in the country by placing creativity and culture at the heart of local development plans and promoting the establishment of creative hubs and clusters.

The promulgation of the PCIDA-IRR is set to advance the country’s efforts in effectively executing the PCIDA towards enabling the creative industries to be a key driver of the country’s post-pandemic economic recovery.

DTI Secretary Fred Pascual sees the signing of the IRR as an important step towards harnessing the enormous potential of the Philippine creative industries. “The collaborative efforts of different stakeholders in the creative ecosystem are all vital in building a vibrant and globally competitive Philippine creative economy. Hence, we have made sure that the PCIDA-IRR would be a product of synergistic discussions with other government agencies and the creative industry players”, he said.

Secretary Pascual also emphasized that “the signing of this IRR is an important enabling measure to effectively execute the PCIDA towards transforming the creative industries to drive our economic recovery and fuel an inclusive and sustainable growth.”

Further, highlighted that the PCIDA is set to bolster a collaborative environment for local creatives and the government; “the IRR will promote a better work environment and livelihood for creative workers, improve education and access to financial support, develop industry data and statistics for policymakers, and harness other innovation efforts to help workers and firms in the Creative Economy”, Pascual added.

He also acknowledged the enormous potential of the Philippine creative industries, noting the role of different stakeholders in building a vibrant and scaled-up Philippine creative economy at the forefront of the Asia-Pacific Region, driving the country’s development, and further enriching our local culture. In fact, the creative industries contribute almost 8% to the economy, employing 5 million workers and generating exports accounting for 12% of the country's total exports.

Meanwhile, Competitiveness and Innovation Undersecretary Rafaelita Aldaba added that "With new technologies & digital transformation, creative industries present new opportunities & innovation prospects for creative and cultural workers. Leveraging on cultural richness, skilled content artists and creators, and new technologies, the creative industries can act as the prime catalyst for creative disruption and innovation in the country".

The creative industries are included in the priority industries of the DTI under its science, technology, and innovation-driven industrialization strategy, which aims to grow globally competitive and innovative industries and create more and better jobs in the country.

The signed version of the IRR may be accessed here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bsoPGKvKDwV14sQeAmSaXg9nqPlbqvmy/view

DTI CHIEF OPENS PH NATIONAL PAVILION IN CHINA EXPO

SHANGHAI – Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez opened the Philippine (PH) National Pavilion at the China International Import Exposition (CIIE) on 6 November. This aims to improve the market access of PH products into China. CIIE runs from 5 to 10 November and features 3,000 exhibitors from 130 countries.

“The Philippines appreciates the Chinese government’s thrust to deepen its globalization commitment.  CIIE is China’s way of conveying to the world that it is ready to open more its market and encourage more exporters to China,” said the DTI Secretary, Sec. Lopez added: “It sends a strong signal to the world that China would also like to help balance trade with its trading partners as China believes in promoting globalization that's is more inclusive, to achieve the goal of having shared prosperity with other countries.”

The 136-square meter PH national pavilion, themed “Partner Philippines: Building Value Together,” showcases the country’s initiatives in trade, investment, and tourism. It features 10 partner government agencies and companies as well as 11 universities. These universities are promoting their undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as English as a Second Language (ESL).

Aside from the national pavilion, there are 36 booths in the Enterprise Zone featuring Filipino exhibitors: 28 for food, five for consumer goods (apparel, accessories and consumer goods, electronics, automobile, and information technology), and three for services (tourism and service outsourcing).

Sec. Lopez cited the close trade relations between PH and China. China is PH’s largest import partner at US$ 17.5 billion in 2017 and fourth-largest export market at US$ 8 billion in the same year.

Also present at the opening ceremonies were PH Ambassador to China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana, Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) Trade Director General for Asian Affairs Peng Gang,  Former Commercial Counselor of China to the Philippines and MOFCOM Director General for Foreign Trade Development Bureau Wu Zhengping, Special Envoy to China Carlos Chan, DTI Undersecretary Nora Terrado, and DTI-CITEM Executive Director Pauline Juan.

The Philippine participation to the CIIE is spearheaded by the DTI, in cooperation with the following government and private sector partners: Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Department of Agriculture (DA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Department of Tourism (DOT), the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Philippine Airlines, Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Anvil business club, Philippine Franchise Association and the Integrated Development Studies Institute.