BY ALEX ALAGON
MANILA – Philippine Airlines (PAL) places its commitment to reliability and heartfelt service at the center of its latest campaign, showing how arriving on time helps travelers experience the moments that matter most. PAL has engaged creative agency BBDO Guerrero to provide a glimpse of what it feels like to fully experience the moments that define their journeys through their consistent on-time performance.
Grounded in the idea that travel is best experienced in the moment, the campaign uses a POV (point-of-view) approach to place audiences at the center of these experiences. From capturing scenic views to discovering hidden spots, each execution reflects Philippine Airlines’ understanding of the importance of these moments and how being on time helps make them possible.
The campaign builds on PAL’s recognition as Asia-Pacific’s Most On-Time Airline in Cirium’s 2025 On-Time Performance Review. It features five of the Philippines’ most sought-after destinations – Cebu, Coron, Boracay, Siargao, and Bohol. Each destination highlights a uniquely timed moment, reinforcing how reliable and timely flights allow these experiences to happen as planned.
Underwater visuals in Cebu were sourced from freediving photographer Ben Yavar (@ben.freediver). Bohol’s visuals were sourced from photographer Marina Tobaruela and Siargao’s photographs and films were from Cavan Images, BlackBoxGuild, and MaryTraveller. Production teams shot on location in Boracay and Coron. This commitment ensures that every frame reflects genuine travel experiences, aligning with PAL’s brand promise of heartfelt service.
The campaign visuals are also accompanied by reimagined versions of PAL’s Fly With Heart melody. Each destination features a localized interpretation of the tune, with distinct instrumentation and arrangement designed to reflect the character of the destination.
Alvin Miranda, VP – Marketing at Philippine Airlines said: “For PAL, being on time is not just an operational achievement. It is one of the most meaningful ways we show care to our passengers. This campaign brings that promise to life by showing how PAL’s reliability helps travelers arrive in time for the moments they came for, whether it is a golden hour view, a dive, a celebration, or a quiet moment of discovery.”
David Guerrero, Chief Creative Officer at BBDO Guerrero added: “On-time performance is one of the biggest factors shaping how travelers choose and evaluate airlines. We saw an opportunity to make it emotional by focusing on the moments that only happen when everything works as it should. It’s a simple truth, but one that resonates deeply with travelers.”
Philippine Airlines keeps the focus on what matters most: getting passengers where they need to be, right when it counts. The campaign is now live, with all materials available on Philippine Airlines’ social media channels.
WITHOUT any doubt, like iconic bystanders (or istambays, in the local jargon) practically inhabiting front benches of roadside sari-sari stores, we have, at last, become our own perfect version of fence-sitters.
All this done in the comfort of our homes and hiding behind the security of our LED screens. As stambays, we’re not merely contented with the incessant flow of vehicles; we’re also expectant witnesses to parades of all kinds, and, once in a while, circus acts even.
Now, if these were treated as belonging in the metaphorical realm, their counterpart, pathetic reality, would then be, as stambays, we’ve also become passive witnesses to this circus: governments, dumb politicians, deep-seated corruption, and all that’s turning whirlpool-y around us.
While we may whine and moan as we watch, the truth is, we hide in the comfort that, at least and perhaps for the moment, we are detached from that reality because we have our own skins to worry about. It’s a cop-out excuse and a miserable one at that, but deep inside we feel it’s not our concern for the moment.
But just how long is the moment? There is only one measure… It’s “until it happens to us.”
As one gets lulled in the reverie and comfort of being safely inside and looking out, it’s difficult to acknowledge that other people matter. As stambays merely glancing at each full jeepney racing past, it’s hard to imagine that, nestled inside each vehicle, are individuals living separate lives and undergoing different struggles.
In a sense, this physical detachment from the wake of the continuous parade flying past deeply influences how we think and accept whatever comes.
Particularly in this era of the Internet, our senses are continuously bombarded. Like a one giant roadway, lined with surreal side street diversions and roundabouts which in turn, lead to other hidden paths and destinations, it’s a virtual rabbit hole, and everyone’s sense of perspective is sure to wander and get lost.
While, on one hand, there are those who view it as a fountain where knowledge endlessly springs from, it is likewise a Pandora’s Box of sorts, whereby both misinformation and disinformation fill its many lanes, like the familiar potholes in our roads and highways.
Whether we admit it or not, it’s this bystander mindset that has affected behavior when it comes to our people-to-people relations.
We have become impersonal. In social media, for example, a more heightened confrontative, in-your-face stance has emerged through the years, and experts say this is mainly because of the internet’s and social media’s cloaking attribute, which creates a barrier between parties.
For so-called trolls, it has become easier to shame and bully others because they are virtually invisible. Because of this, one psychologist has said, “In terms of public shaming, we are currently operating at our lowest level as a species right now.”
So, in the end, the images of two realities merge: sitting outside Aling Nene’s sari-sari store watching a never-ending line of jeepneys pass by and that of sitting somewhere now, sifting through a mix of the net’s cocktail of news, fake news, junk, and whatever mis-, dis-, or information that comes your way.
- Chickenpox cases in Davao City up 51%, cases mostly in schools
THE CITY Health Office (CHO) has recorded a sharp rise in chickenpox cases among students this year, renewing calls for schools to isolate symptomatic students.
Farah May Clamor, section head of the CHO’s City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, reiterated strict observance of home quarantine protocols to prevent the spread of the disease.
CHO logged 62 chickenpox cases in schools from January to August this year, up from 41 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Clamor said chickenpox is highly contagious and spreads more rapidly in closed spaces such as classrooms, making schools a high-risk setting for transmission once a student falls ill.
“Once a student in school gets infected, the disease spreads faster because of close contact in confined spaces,” Clamor said.
She urged school administrators to immediately isolate students showing symptoms of the disease and to ensure that those confirmed or suspected to be infected stay home until they have fully recovered.
“Chickenpox is highly contagious, but transmission can be reduced through early recognition, staying at home while contagious, avoiding close contact, and practicing good hygiene,” she said.
Clamor said the CHO’s surveillance system remains in place to track and monitor cases across the city.
CHO appealed to schools and parents to promptly report suspected cases to the proper health authorities for verification and accurate information.
She noted that some reported cases still need to be confirmed, as it remains unclear whether all instances involve chickenpox or other similar conditions with comparable symptoms.
The illness is contagious 1 to 2 days before rash onset until all blisters scab over, but the incubation period is up to 21 days.
According to the Department of Health, chickenpox is a highly contagious and common viral infection among children caused by the Varicella virus, which can be passed through airborne particles, droplets in exhaled air, and fluid from blisters or sores.
Signs and symptoms include the appearance of reddish skin lesions, which become blisters on the 3rd to 4th day of fever, weakness, muscle and joint pains, and sudden onset of fever.
Photo: Public Health Image Library
POLICE authorities in Toril partnered with the City Transport and Traffic Management Office and the Land Transportation Office XI to crack down on illegal passenger dispatchers, unregulated three-wheeled transport units, and hazardous pedestrian thoroughfares.
PMAJ Richeen M. Lagnayo, acting commander of DCPO Police Station 8 (Toril), initiated coordination meetings with acting CTTMO head Atty. Tristan Dwight P. Domingo and LTO XI regional director Atty. Ernesto Raphael V. Robillo to implement “OPLAN HAPSAY (Highway and Pedestrian Safety Advocacy for Dabawenyos).”
The campaign targets longstanding traffic bottlenecks and urban nuisances across Toril’s commercial district.
Key enforcement targets include clearing streets of unauthorized “barkers” or dispatchers, enforcing placard regulations on bao-bao and payong-payong motorized tricycles, regulating local TODA groups, clearing sagging “spaghetti wires,” and repainting worn pedestrian crosswalks.
In addition to street enforcement, the inter-agency partnership will leverage police community networks to bring LTO licensing and registration services directly to host communities.
LTO XI Director Robillo noted that partnering with DCPO will accelerate the deployment of LTO’s Barangay Outreach and Support Service program, alongside the Strengthening Advocacy for Future Educators project designed to teach traffic safety awareness directly in campus settings.
The CTTMO pledged continuous logistical and personnel support to ensure sustained police visibility and traffic enforcement along major thoroughfares in Toril.
Meanwhile, the DCPO affirmed that joint operations will continue throughout the third quarter to instill road discipline, curb road transport violations, and safeguard pedestrian traffic in key commercial hubs across Davao City’s southern sector.
MILITARY forces in the Caraga Region dealt another blow to remaining insurgent networks after three communist rebels surrendered and led troops to a hidden arms cache containing high-powered weapons and improvised explosives across Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Sur.
The week-long operational streak was executed by field units under the 401st Infantry Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division (4ID).
The series of surrenders began on Aug. 22 when Michael M. Anga-an (alias Piko ), a former mass supporter under the dismantled Guerrilla Front 21 (DGF21), surrendered to the 36th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Bagyang, San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, yielding an improvised shotgun and live ammunition.
On Aug. 25, joint teams from the 3rd Special Forces Battalion and the 4th Civil-Military Operations Battalion facilitated the surrender of Roger Tana Gana ( alias “Jake” ), a former Militia ng Bayan operative in Sibagat, Agusan del Sur.
Gana turned over a homemade shotgun, two M357 Magnum revolvers, and ammunition.
Exposed rebel cache
The operations culminated on Aug. 26 in Cantilan, Surigao del Sur, when rebel operative Erwin Carasco Pedrablanca ( alias “Vincent” ) surrendered to the 36th Infantry Battalion and exposed a buried weapons cache in Barangay Buntalid.
Following Pedrablanca’s directions, troops unearthed an M14 rifle, six rifle grenades, and two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) equipped with detonation wires and switches.
BGEN Benjamin L. Leander, commander of the 401st Infantry Brigade, noted that the steady stream of surrenders reflects dwindling support for armed insurgents in former stronghold communities.
“The collective efforts of government forces, local stakeholders, and communities remain crucial in helping former members rebuild their lives and reintegrate into society as partners in advancing lasting peace,” Leander said.
4ID commander MGEN Marion T. Angcao commended the 401st Brigade, reaffirming that military units will sustain pressure against remaining insurgent remnants while keeping surrender channels open for rebels seeking return to civilian life.
All three surrendering individuals are currently undergoing custodial debriefing and processing for government reintegration benefits under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
THE CENTRALIZATION of Davao City’s local government data infrastructure gained support from the City Council, but with operational considerations.
Proponent Councilor Bonz Andre Militar pushed for a centralized data center to streamline operations, enhance security, and integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into public service and policy-making.
Under the proposed centralization plan, all department servers will be consolidated into a unified central data center to allow easier management by the City Information and Technology Center (CITC) and establish stronger cybersecurity protocols.
Speaking during the regular session on Tuesday, Aug. 25, Diosdado Lopez, CITC acting network head, revealed that the city currently relies on 17 to 19 server rooms scattered across various departments.
Lopez noted that while some systems currently maintain limited hybrid connectivity such as shared networks, centralization will improve security for sensitive records, including taxpayer information and civil registry documents under the Civil Registrar’s Information System (CRIS).
“Right now, developers are designing systems with security-by-design, incorporating multi-factor authentication, firewalls, and endpoint protection across workstations and servers,” Lopez said.
Addressing human resource capabilities, councilors questioned whether the CITC currently possesses sufficient expertise to manage a centralized data center, particularly in cybersecurity, network administration, database management, cloud computing, and disaster recovery.
Lopez explained that the unit has proposed right-sizing and applied for departmentalization to transition from its current division status.
Councilors strongly recommended elevating the CITC to a regular, permanent department under the city government. The CITC is currently operating as a division under the City Administrator’s Office.
He assured the existing staff is trained in network and database administration and handles cybersecurity penetration testing.
Militar revealed that proposals to departmentalize the CITC have been filed in the 20th council and remain under review by the city’s budgeting and right-sizing committees.
To prevent service disruptions during the transition, councilors inquired whether existing departmental systems would be replaced, migrated, or interconnected.
CITC developer Arthur Cariño assured the body that data migration will not interrupt ongoing public services.
“The agency is capable of developing new systems while current databases remain operational, utilizing Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) to integrate existing servers smoothly without disrupting day-to-day government operations,” he said.
Aside from cyber defenses, councilors emphasized the equal importance of physical security to restrict access to the central servers.
With this, the CITC disclosed plans to implement strict access controls, including primary and secondary biometric authentication systems such as facial or fingerprint terminals reserved exclusively for authorized data center personnel.
The planned facility will also feature dedicated security personnel, controlled split-type air conditioning systems tailored for server cooling requirements, and emergency response mechanisms for fire, earthquakes, and smoke detection.
Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang proposed constructing a dedicated, high-tech ICT building to house the centralized server infrastructure rather than adding equipment to existing City Hall facilities.
“Personally, what I wanted to see, having this framework, is to have a physical, separate high-tech building where all the data of the city were centralized. Meaning, meron talagang magandang separate structure,” Dayanghirang said.
He pushed for fast-tracking of the ordinance to avoid delays for another one year or six months, as October 15 will be the last submission of the budget.
“I think if we do not include any amount there, we will have a delay for another year or six months. So if you can fast-track this and discuss this with the Local Finance Committee, this can be a tangible, relevant, and significant project,” he stressed.
Councilor Enzo Villafuerte proposed incorporating provisions requiring continuous backup power systems, including Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) units, standby generator sets with fuel reserves, and solar energy storage to prevent data corruption during power outages or failures.
“The emergency power systems shall automatically activate upon loss of normal power supply, and shall be regularly tested and maintained to prevent service interruption, data corruption, or data loss. Adequate fuel reserves shall be maintained to support prolonged power outages, consistent with the city’s approved business continuity and disaster recovery plan and applicable national standards,” Villafuerte said.
The CITC assured that physical offline backups stored in safety deposit boxes are currently utilized as an added layer of redundancy.
At present, site selection and building plans for the permanent central facility undergo review for budgetary requirements.
SENATE Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday expressed support for a measure seeking to ensure the proper reintegration of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) returning to the country for good, emphasizing the need to implement this through stronger interagency cooperation.
“Let me express support for the bill. It’s a very good bill; we need it,” Cayetano said of the Bagong Balikbayan Act (Senate Bill No. 2423 under Committee Report No. 80) sponsored by Senator Raffy Tulfo.
The measure seeks to establish a comprehensive, integrated, and sustainable reintegration program for OFWs, covering their needs before, during, and after their overseas employment.
Cayetano is regarded as the father of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) for his legislative efforts as House Speaker and as principal author of the measure that created the department.
He also served as Foreign Affairs Secretary and personally looked after OFWs from 2017 to 2018, during which he personally handled and looked after their concerns.
“I’d like to support the provision na nilagay about interagency (cooperation),” he said, underscoring the need for agencies like the DMW, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE, and other agencies to work together to ensure that the bill’s programs translate into meaningful assistance for returning OFWs.
Cayetano noted that the objectives of the Bagong Balikbayan Act are closely aligned with the original intent behind the creation of the DMW: to develop the global Filipino, help Filipinos access better opportunities abroad, and prepare for the needs of future generations of migrant workers.
Drawing from his experience in OFW welfare and protection, Cayetano has consistently emphasized the need for stronger and more coordinated government measures to protect migrant workers and support them throughout the migration cycle.
“I’m excited to discuss this at the proper time and to ask the departments how they will not only help this bill and coordinate to make sure that this bill translates to success for OFWs,” he said.
In supporting the bill, he also urged Tulfo to consider the mandatory review of the creation of the DMW in the passage of this measure.
“By next year, up for mandatory review na y’ung batas ng DMW. I really hope we pass this bill, but I hope we can review it side-by-side with how the Department of Migrant Workers can be more effective,” he said.
Comprehensive reintegration support
The Bagong Balikbayan Act mainly addresses the limited programs and initiatives available for returning OFWs, with the goal of establishing a comprehensive, sustainable, and full-cycle reintegration program that addresses the economic, social, and psychosocial needs of OFWs before their return, during their overseas employment, and upon arrival in the Philippines.
The reintegration program shall be customized to the needs and skills of OFWs and mainstreamed through the migration cycle, while promoting access to local employment, entrepreneurship, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, and other livelihood opportunities.
Financial literacy programs shall also be developed to help OFWs attain economic self-sufficiency, social stability, and psychosocial well-being for themselves and their families.
The bill strengthens the role of the DMW, through the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) as the lead agency, and creates a National Reintegration Network for integrated service delivery.
It shall also institutionalize digital systems for job matching, skills recognition, training, entrepreneurship support, and access to financing.
The measure seeks to cover all returning OFWs, irrespective of their typology or status, including land-based or sea-based OFWs, documented or undocumented OFWs, those who have been voluntarily or mandatorily repatriated regardless of grounds for repatriation, and OFWs returning to the country due to distressing circumstances in their host countries.
Once passed into law, the funding to implement the Bagong Balikbayan Act shall be charged against the DMW’s current year budget along with agencies concerned, and thereafter shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero said that millions of low-income Filipinos stand to benefit from legislation institutionalizing free housing through usufruct, a legal arrangement that grants families the right to occupy and enjoy government land and housing without owning them.
“Through usufruct, this bill seeks to grant Filipino families the right to occupy, use, and enjoy government land and improvements for residential purposes, while ownership remains with the State,” Escudero told colleagues in his sponsorship of Senate Bill No. 2421 or the Free Housing Through Usufruct Act under Committee Report No. 79 on Wednesday.
The senator explained that only underprivileged, homeless citizens who do not own real property and have no affiliation with squatting syndicates will qualify. “Nakalatag sa Section 5 kung sinu-sino ang maaaring makinabang sa sapat at disenteng pabahay sa ilalim ng panukalang ito: mga Pilipinong kapos sa buhay at walang sariling tahanan, walang pag-aaring real property, at hindi professional squatter o miyembro ng squatting syndicate,” Escudero said.
Each usufruct agreement, he added, will be covered by a written contract detailing rights and obligations, including maintenance of the property and payment of utilities.
The veteran legislator emphasized that the housing units are strictly for residential use and warned that occupants cannot sell, transfer, mortgage, or rent out the units to others—acts that will cancel their right to use the property and ban them from government housing programs for 10 years.
SB 2421 also requires registration of usufruct contracts with the Registry of Deeds, ensuring transparency and legal protection for beneficiaries.
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will monitor implementation, while local government units will manage properties and guarantee access to basic services.
According to Escudero, the bill is designed to prevent abuse while securing tenure for genuine beneficiaries. “Ang bawat usufruct agreement naman ay nakapaloob sa isang nakasulat na kontrata kung saan nakasaad ang kanilang mga karapatan at obligasyon, pati ang mga kondisyon para sa patuloy na paggamit at pakikinabang sa ari-arian.”
The senator said the concept of usufruct dates back to Roman civil law but remains relevant today as a tool to address the stubborn problem of homelessness.
“Kung ang usufruct ay ang karapatang gamitin ang isang bagay at tamasahin ang mga bunga nito, nawa’y magbunga ang panukalang ito ng sapat at disenteng pabahay para sa milyun‑milyong Pilipinong nangangailangan,” he concluded.
Escudero, chair of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, led the measure’s passage through committee deliberations. It was presented at the plenary under Committee Report No. 79, which consolidated earlier bills filed by Senators Lito Lapid and Mark Villar and now awaits plenary debate and interpellation before moving to the period of amendments.
When Connectivity Matters Most: PLDT Enterprise Brings Starlink Support to Mindanao Recovery Efforts
MANILA, Philippines – In the aftermath of the powerful earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao, PLDT Enterprise, together with PLDT and Smart, deployed Starlink satellite connectivity solutions and mobilized emergency communications support to assist communities, responders, and local government units in maintaining critical links during a time of urgent need.
PLDT and Smart immediately dispatched field and operations teams to assess network facilities and support restoration activities in affected areas, including General Santos City and several municipalities in South Cotabato. This was made possible through close coordination among PLDT Enterprise, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), and local government units on the ground. Assessments showed that most PLDT and Smart network facilities remained stable and operational, with service disruptions largely caused by commercial power interruptions affecting certain sites.
PLDT Enterprise successfully rolled out Starlink connectivity solutions in areas where communications infrastructure had been affected, helping provide vital connectivity for emergency response operations and local communities. These deployments serviced impacted areas, including Malungon Sarangani Provincial Hospital and Alabel Sarangani Provincial Hospital, as well as command centers and rescue operation centers supporting emergency response and coordination efforts in affected areas.
“During emergencies, connectivity becomes deeply personal. It allows people to reach loved ones, enables responders to coordinate more effectively, and helps communities begin the difficult work of rebuilding,” said Menardo “Butch” G. Jimenez Jr., chief operating officer of PLDT.
Support for the Front Lines of Disaster Response When and Where Communication Matters Most
The deployment of Starlink solutions reflects PLDT Enterprise’s broader commitment to delivering resilient and rapidly deployable connectivity to communities and institutions facing challenging circumstances, particularly in locations affected by disaster-related disruptions, power outages, or geographic limitations.
“We strive to be the first responders for the first responders because restoring connectivity at the front line of a disaster can be a powerful force multiplier,” said Blums Pineda, senior vice president and head of Enterprise Business Group at PLDT Enterprise. “That means getting our response teams on the ground quickly to assess needs, restore services, and support connectivity where it matters most. The faster we reconnect communities and response teams, the sooner every call, every update, and every connection can help make a difference.”
The initiative underscores the importance of dependable and flexible communications infrastructure in supporting disaster response and community resilience. Through solutions such as Starlink Satellite Broadband, PLDT Enterprise continues to equip local governments, emergency responders, and institutions with technology that can help sustain communications when conventional networks face significant challenges.
As Mindanao communities move forward from disaster response to rebuilding, PLDT Enterprise, PLDT, and Smart remain committed to working alongside local partners to support response and rebuilding efforts, ensuring that connectivity remains available when it matters most.
Newer Posts
