Filipino Artists Spotlight Sustainability in Security Bank–AAP Art Competition

Makati City, Philippines — Security Bank Corporation, in partnership with the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP), brought together Filipino artists from across the country through the inaugural “Paint for the Planet” Art Competition, culminating in an awarding ceremony at Security Bank Centre in Makati City.
The nationwide competition drew more than 300 submissions, underscoring the role of art as a powerful platform for reflection, dialogue, and action amid growing environmental and climate challenges.

With the theme “The Art of Sustainability: People, Planet, and Prosperity,” participating artists were invited to interpret environmental stewardship, inclusive growth, and shared responsibility—translating complex sustainability issues into compelling visual narratives.

“Sustainability is not just a concept for us—it is central to how we think about progress”, said Tanya Ansaldo-Deakin, First Vice President and Corporate Communications Division Head of Security Bank. “As climate impacts become more tangible—through floods, extreme heat, and weather disruptions—we are reminded that progress must move hand in hand with care for people and the planet. Through your work, you brought that message to life.”

Fidel Sarmiento, President of the Art Association of the Philippines, also addressed the finalists and guests:

“This competition is a testament to the Filipino artist’s ability to inspire change and spark important conversations. Through your art, you have shown how creativity can be a powerful force for sustainability and nation-building. We are proud to stand with Security Bank in supporting artists who use their talent for a greater purpose.”

Honoring excellence and advocacy

The awarding ceremony recognized artists whose works stood out for both artistic excellence and their powerful sustainability messages.

Top winners:

• First Place (PHP200,000): Clark Manalo, “Holding Harmony” (oil, 24” x 30”)
• Second Place (PHP150,000): Nino Cris Odosis, “Unboxing Nature’s Gift” (acrylic, 24” x 30”)
• Third Place (PHP100,000): Edu Perreras, “The Future is in Our Hands” (oil, 30” x 24”)

Five artists received Honorable Mentions, each awarded PHP20,000:

• Ma. Jezshell Nicole Azares, “City in the Garden”
• Armando Flaviano, “RE”
• Ian Maigan, “Prosperitree”
• Johann Padiernos, “Cradled”
• Pedro Velasquez, Jr., “Pag-Asa, Pagbunga ng Likas ng Yaman”

The 12 remaining finalists received PHP5,000 as a token of appreciation for their outstanding contributions.

Art as a platform for sustainability

“The artworks filled our spaces with color, emotion, and hope,” Ansaldo-Deakin added.

“At Security Bank, BetterBanking is about people at the center—and using our platform to support initiatives that create meaningful impact.”

Learn more about Security Bank’s sustainability initiatives by visiting https://www.securitybank.com/sustainability/

The Vivo V60: A Premium Yet Practical Holiday Gift That Delivers All Year Round

Finding a gift that feels both meaningful and practical can be challenging, especially during the holiday season. This year, Vivo makes the choice easier with the Vivo V60—a smartphone designed to offer premium features, dependable performance, and long-term value beyond the holidays.

Sleek, stylish, and thoughtfully engineered, the Vivo V60 is built for everyday moments. Whether it’s capturing memories, staying connected, or enjoying entertainment on the go, the device balances form and function without carrying a flagship-level price tag.

The Vivo V60 is an ideal gift for anyone on your list—family members, friends, or even yourself. Its refined design gives off premium vibes, while its performance-focused features ensure it keeps up with modern lifestyles. For content creators, travelers, and everyday users, the V60 stands out with its impressive camera system. Equipped with a 50MP ZEISS Super Telephoto Camera and a 50MP ZEISS Main Camera, it captures sharp, detailed photos whether shooting close-up portraits or distant scenes.

The viewing experience is just as impressive. The V60 features a 120Hz AMOLED display that delivers smooth scrolling, vibrant colors, and immersive visuals for streaming, gaming, and browsing. Powering all of this is a robust 6500mAh BlueVolt battery designed to last through long days of use. With 90W fast charging, users can quickly power up and stay productive without long waiting times.

Running on OriginOS 6, the Vivo V60 introduces a refined visual interface, enhanced system performance, and practical AI-driven features that improve everyday usability. The result is a smoother, smarter, and more intuitive smartphone experience.

User feedback reinforces the V60’s appeal. Jaymark Marmol from Iriga City praised the device for its camera clarity and smooth performance, particularly for live streaming and vlogging. Another user, Euden Valdez, shared her excitement over the phone’s design and usability, noting that it felt premium enough to make her reconsider gifting it away.

Priced starting at Php 28,999, the Vivo V60 delivers a compelling balance of style, performance, and practicality. Available at Vivo concept stores, kiosks, and online platforms, the V60 also comes with a special promo: purchase until January 10, 2026 for a chance to win a brand-new Jaecoo J7SHS SUV.

This holiday season, give a gift that continues to impress long after the celebrations end—the Vivo V60.

PLDT Urges Investments in Talent, Governance, Infrastructure to Accelerate AI in the Philippines

With the right elements in place, the Philippines can use artificial intelligence as a force to uplift communities and turn the country’s potential into a real, life-changing impact. Leading integrated telco network PLDT Inc. (PLDT) emphasized the importance of top-tier talent, stringent governance frameworks, and reliable infrastructure in fully realizing the advantages of AI to drive national economic and business growth.

At the recent Digital Nation Summit Manila spearheaded by GSMA, the organization representing mobile operators globally, PLDT and Smart Head of Network Strategy and Architecture Eric Santiago underscored the importance of enabling infrastructure, world-class talent and research, and trustworthy governance in helping the country reap the benefits of AI, which is estimated to add between 8 to 12% to GDP by 2030 through productivity, new exports and services. "It's not just about the buzzwords, but about bottom lines and better lives," Santiago said.

Santiago emphasized that talent must be strengthened nationwide, starting from schools and universities. "We should also encourage and incentivize Filipino AI experts abroad to return and help in training," he said. "Upskilling our people is essential. AI fluency must be accessible to all so we can build the bench needed for long-term innovation."

Strong governance and cybersecurity guardrails, as well as coordination with government agencies and LGUs, are also crucial. "Trust is fundamental. A resilient governance framework ensures that every API integration, every connection point, and every AI-enabled system remains safeguarded," said Santiago, adding that good governance plays a key role in attracting investors and protecting citizens.

Santiago also highlighted infrastructure as the backbone of AI adoption, citing PLDT and Smart’s rollout of a 5G Standalone network, distributed edge capabilities, and innovative resiliency solutions, including laser-based, point-to-multipoint, and satellite connectivity. "We are building networks that stay intelligent and operational despite disruptions, ensuring continuous service,” he said.

As the summit calls for deeper collaboration across sectors, Santiago reaffirmed PLDT’s commitment to enabling the country’s digital future. "Through collaboration within the industry and with other stakeholders, the Philippines can lead in turning AI into what I call 'archipelago intelligence', transforming efforts into 'actual impact' and 'actionable intelligence' to deliver value across our islands,” he said.

PLDT's continued investment in network infrastructure and innovation underscores the Group's broader commitment to national digital transformation, bringing the benefits of the Internet closer to more Filipino communities, and driving technology-enabled education, livelihood, and disaster resilience across the country.

Advancing digital access and infrastructure also helps bridge socioeconomic divides, build a more future-ready Philippines, and enable the country to achieve the UN Sustainability Development Goals, particularly SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure).

Bitget Connects 7,300 Filipino Students Through Blockchain4Youth Starlink Program

Manila, Philippines — Bitget, the world’s largest Universal Exchange (UEX), has expanded its Blockchain4Youth initiative by bringing high-speed satellite internet to six schools across Surigao del Norte, Siquijor, and Negros Oriental through a major Starlink deployment.

Through this initiative, Bitget has delivered reliable connectivity to more than 7,300 students and over 100 teachers, marking one of the most significant digital inclusion efforts in remote island communities in the Philippines.

The program now supports Espoir School of Life and Lasala Integrated School in Surigao del Norte, Apo Elementary School and the Arts & Design Collective Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, and Siquijor State College and Siquijor Provincial Science High School in Siquijor.

For many of these schools, this marks their first time experiencing dependable high-speed internet access. This transforms how classes are conducted and how teachers prepare lessons, as they previously relied entirely on printed worksheets due to unreliable or nonexistent internet connectivity.

“This project is not just about connectivity — it’s about opportunity,” Bitget CEO Gracy Chen said. “By bringing Starlink to these islands, we are giving thousands of young people their first real access to the digital world and the tools they need to participate in tomorrow’s economy.”

Alongside each installation, Bitget’s team conducted educator consultations, digital readiness assessments, and early testing of Blockchain4Youth learning modules. These activities lay the groundwork for future Web3 and digital literacy programs, ensuring that schools can fully utilize their newfound connectivity beyond simply accessing the internet. Teachers now have access to online training and updated curricula, while students can engage with interactive learning resources that were previously inaccessible.

This Starlink rollout is part of Bitget’s broader vision under its PayFi Islands initiative, which aims to extend digital infrastructure and education into underserved regions across the Philippines. Bitget plans to continue deploying connectivity solutions and launching digital skills programs to ensure that no student or community is excluded from the rapidly evolving digital landscape.

By combining high-speed internet access with long-term educational support, Bitget is helping remote communities bridge the digital divide, improve learning outcomes, and build pathways toward full participation in the global digital economy.

YGG Pilipinas and DICT’s Regional Builder Residency with Sui Foundation Produces 50 Graduates

MANILA, PHILIPPINES - YGG Pilipinas and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) have announced the first results of MFW City, their joint talent-development initiative designed to equip Metaverse Filipino Workers (MFWs) with the technical skills, mentorship, and career pathways needed to participate in the global digital economy. Its inaugural effort, carried out in the MIMAROPA region, trained participants in the Move programming language for the Sui blockchain, successfully producing 50 graduates.

Of the total 127 participants, 80 percent were third-year or higher students in computer science, IT, computer engineering, or related fields, with nearly half already coding for one to two years. The program addressed a clear exposure gap, introducing blockchain for the first time to a highly skilled cohort: 76 percent had zero prior exposure to blockchain, and none had experience with the Move language. The program required a high level of commitment, with one online class and one in-person class held each week in Puerto Princesa, complemented by mentoring sessions with Sui contributors and ecosystem partners for feedback and code review.

The pilot attracted a mixed group, with one in five female participants, and students from a number of educational institutions across the region, including Palawan State University, Holy Trinity University, Fulbright College, the Association of Computer Scientists (ACS), and STI College.

“We're thrilled with how it's gone, and we're tremendously proud of the effort that everyone put in — DICT, YGG Pilipinas, and Metaversity, and especially the students,” said James Wing, Head of AAA Gaming Partnerships at Mysten Labs, the first contributor to Sui. “We faced a lot of challenges with the weather, and we still were able to get really strong graduation numbers and really unique, innovative products that we wouldn't have thought of before. It's a testament to their perseverance: being able to adapt on the fly, especially with something as significant as not having internet. There is always going to be a huge demand for builders who can adapt like these guys have proven they can do.”

Typhoon Tino struck Puerto Princesa on November 4, bringing severe flooding, widespread power loss, and interruptions to internet and mobile connectivity. It forced the cancellation of the final class, yet the cohort still achieved a notably strong 40% completion rate for a voluntary blockchain developer program, demonstrating sustained commitment through both a technically demanding curriculum and the disruptions of a natural disaster that arrived in the program’s final week.

The program culminated with the presentation of the students’ capstone projects, where they were required to design and launch a working prototype on the Sui blockchain and pitch their solution to a judging panel. Teams were tasked with solving the problem of creating a trusted, verifiable way to recognize community contributions across schools, guilds, and online communities, so these achievements could be demonstrated when applying for work.

Two members of the winning team, Nicholo Dela Rosa and JK Rabanal, were flown from Puerto Princesa to speak at the YGG Play Summit held at SM Aura Premier in Bonifacio Global City, 19-22 November 2025. Their team, The Scouts, created Campfire, a way to digitize certificates while also serving as a gamified, NFT-based community platform. The first runner-up was Spot Me, a web application that connects event organizers and participants through reward-based engagement.

“During our last few days of the program, a typhoon suddenly hit the Philippines. It made it very hard for us, especially when one of our classes was suspended because of internet issues. Especially with all the challenges we experienced, we didn’t expect to win the competition, so we feel very proud of what we were able to do,” said Rabanal, who graduated from Palawan State University with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 2022 amid the pandemic.

“We learned about the Sui builder program from our peers, and we were interested to learn more about the Move programming language and the Sui ecosystem,” said Dela Rosa, a third-year Palawan State University student. “This opportunity has changed our mindset. Now we are thinking more and dreaming big, especially after flying to Manila [to speak here on stage at the YGG Play Summit]. We’re hoping to improve our winning project and have many more opportunities like this.”

By piloting in Puerto Princesa, the collaboration demonstrated how regional hubs can serve as replicable models across the Philippines to deliver scalable blockchain education and professional development tracks, aligning with DICT’s mission to create 8 million digital jobs by 2028.

DICT MIMAROPA provided the backbone for the program by opening training hubs, computer labs, and internet access (including Starlink for remote areas), mobilizing participants through its regional networks, and linking the initiative to local governments, schools, and community leaders. In parallel, YGG Pilipinas, through its Metaversity platform, drove program design and delivery, from curriculum and mentorship to workshops, project sprints, demo days, and certification.

“What YGG, Sui, and DICT have accomplished in Puerto Princesa demonstrates the power of partnerships rooted in a shared purpose. When government, industry, and communities come together, barriers fall, and possibilities expand. This program is more than training—it marks the beginning of long-term pathways for Filipinos to thrive in the global digital economy. And we look forward to bringing this kind of opportunity to even more communities nationwide.”