Coca-Cola Philippines Named Brand of the Year at SMARTIES™ Philippines 2026

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Coca-Cola Philippines has been named Brand of the Year at the SMARTIES™ Philippines 2026 Awards and received eight awards across categories including omnichannel marketing, artificial intelligence (AI), personalization, commerce, and retail media. Organized by MMA Global, SMARTIES™ Philippines recognizes marketing campaigns that combine creativity, technology, consumer insights, and measurable business results.

The recognition reflects Coca-Cola Philippines’ continued focus on creating more relevant and personalized experiences for Filipino consumers. Two award-winning campaigns drove this achievement: Coca-Cola Festive 2025, which used data-informed audience targeting and storytelling to make holiday connections more meaningful, and Grab’s Year in Cravings, which turned consumers’ food-ordering habits into personalized digital experiences.

For Coca-Cola Philippines, the Brand of the Year recognition is not simply an industry accolade. It reflects the company’s approach to turning consumer understanding into experiences that are meaningful for people while delivering measurable business impact.

Creating More Meaningful Holiday Connections

Among the recognized work was Coca-Cola Festive 2025, which earned Gold for Omnichannel Marketing and Silver for Innovative Use of AI in Advertising.

Built around Coca-Cola's annual Christmas platform, the campaign brought the brand’s festive story to Filipinos through a connected ecosystem of television, outdoor, digital, and retail experiences. It combined television and outdoor advertising with digital platforms including Meta, YouTube and TikTok, while Connected TV placements helped extend the campaign into family mealtime moments at home.

The campaign also brought its festive message to life through activations such as the Emoji Cup promotion with quick-service restaurant partners and Sound of Home, an initiative that helped connect Filipinos in the country with loved ones working overseas.

The Innovative Use of AI recognition highlighted Coca-Cola Philippines’ use of data and AI-enabled audience targeting to deliver more relevant festive communications and identify growth opportunities across regional markets. By combining audience insights and local market information, the campaign connected with consumers at more relevant moments throughout the holiday season.

Making digital experiences more personal

Together with Grab, Coca-Cola Philippines also earned six awards for its partnership with Grab through the “Year in Cravings” report.

The campaign received Gold awards for Customer Growth & Conversion Strategy and Instant Impact/Promotion, Silver awards for Brand Experience and Personalization, and Bronze awards for Retail Media/O2O Excellence and Customer Growth & Conversion Strategy.

Inspired by year-end recap experiences, Year in Cravings gave users a personalized look at their food-ordering habits, including customized food personas and insights based on their favorite meals and cravings.

The experience also introduced personalized food and Coca-Cola beverage pairings within the Grab app, allowing consumers to revisit and reorder their favorite food-and-drink combinations. By combining personalization, commerce, and consumer insights, the campaign transformed everyday ordering behavior into a more engaging digital brand experience.

The collaboration brought together Coca-Cola Philippines, Grab, agency partners, and teams to turn consumer insights into experiences that connected digital engagement with commerce.

“These recognitions reinforce the importance of staying close to consumers and understanding what matters most to them,” said Frenissa Lagman, Marketing Head of Coca-Cola Philippines. “Whether through personalized digital experiences, data-informed marketing or festive campaigns that celebrate meaningful connections, our goal remains the same: to create experiences that feel relevant, memorable and rewarding for Filipinos. These awards encourage us to continue finding new ways to connect with people through creativity, technology, and a deep understanding of what matters most in their everyday lives.”

Together, the awards demonstrate Coca-Cola Philippines' success in developing campaigns that resonate with consumers across different channels and turn creative ideas into engaging brand experiences.

Learn more about Coca-Cola Philippines and its latest initiatives at www.coca-cola.com/ph.

Vivo Philippines Launches AlwaysPowered TikTok Challenge, Giving Participants a Chance to Win Vivo V80 Lite

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Vivo Philippines is bringing the everyday workday experience to TikTok with its AlwaysPowered effect, an interactive challenge that gives participants the chance to win a brand-new Vivo V80 Lite smartphone.

Designed around the familiar demands of a busy schedule, the challenge invites TikTok users to test their workday instincts through six YES-or-NO questions. Participants answer by tilting their heads left or right to select their responses. As the virtual clock moves from 9 AM to 6 PM, the on-screen battery level drops from 100% to 60%, reflecting the energy needed to get through a full day of meetings, deadlines, errands, and coffee breaks.

How to Join the AlwaysPowered Challenge

Joining the challenge is simple. Participants can follow these steps:

1. Open the effect: Visit the AlwaysPowered effect on TikTok.

2. Answer the questions: Respond to all six questions by tilting your head left or right to select YES or NO.

3. Post your entry: Upload your video on TikTok, mention @vivo_philippines, and include the hashtags #vivoV80Lite and #vivoV80Lite10000mAh.

One lucky participant will receive a brand-new Vivo V80 Lite. Participants should review the official contest mechanics to ensure their entries meet all eligibility and submission requirements.

Built for Everyday Demands

The campaign also highlights the Vivo V80 Lite's massive 10,000mAh BlueVolt Battery, designed to support users throughout their daily routines. Whether managing work responsibilities, running errands, staying connected with friends, or enjoying entertainment, the smartphone emphasizes battery capacity for people with demanding schedules.

Through the AlwaysPowered effect, Vivo Philippines combines interactive social media engagement with a product-focused campaign, encouraging users to participate in a fun challenge while discovering a smartphone built around their everyday needs.

Ready to join? Visit the AlwaysPowered effect on TikTok, create your entry, and follow Vivo Philippines on social media for updates. You can also visit the official Vivo Philippines website for more information.

Those interested in experiencing the device can purchase the Vivo V80 Lite at participating Vivo physical stores, through the Vivo e-store, or via the Vivo Store app.

PLDT, Smart Call for Collective Action to Protect Children Online

PLDT and Smart are calling for urgent, collective action across government, industry, schools, families, and communities to address growing threats to children in the digital world, stressing that no single sector can protect young Filipinos online on its own.

For PLDT Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer Menardo “Butch” G. Jimenez, the issue has become one of the company's top priorities as mounting risks to children have increasingly extended into both online and offline spaces.

“Our children are under attack. And the moment your child is under attack, that becomes priority one,” Jimenez said, noting that addressing these threats cannot be left to telco companies or government alone, but instead would require various sectors to work together, bring to the table their respective expertise, and transform these into practical solutions.

“This problem is not solved by telcos playing God or even government playing God. This problem is solved by every single sector in this room talking with each other to understand the problem, and together come up with solutions,” he said.

PLDT and Smart put this call for collaboration into action through the “Safe Online Space Forum: Building Safer Online Spaces for Filipino Children and Families,” which convened voices from government, telco, technology, education, families, media, and civil society to examine safeguards and policies, harmful online content and threats, and ways to empower children to navigate the digital world safely.

Jimenez emphasized that PLDT’s role is not to prescribe the answers, but to bring together stakeholders with the knowledge and experience needed to develop them.

“We’re here not to lead; rather, we are here to listen. We are not the experts,” he said, noting that while telcos like PLDT have technological expertise, protecting children also requires experts from fields like education, psychology, policy, parenting, and other disciplines to weigh in.

Jimenez also challenged stakeholders to go beyond broad statements and instead identify concrete actions that can make an immediate difference for children. “We have to come up with actual initiatives and solutions that we can do and use tomorrow already, because the crisis is already escalating,” he said.

Multi-sectoral panels

Joining the first panel, which examined existing regulations and policies and the roles different institutions play in protecting children, were representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), Philippine National Police (PNP), Office of Senator Risa Hontiveros, and Converge ICT Solutions Inc.

“We will not win in the reactive part of cybercrime. We will always win on the proactive side. In fact, with our engagement with the platforms, we now have a channel where we can communicate and coordinate before requesting action on harmful content,” said Dir. Rojun V. Hosillos of the Cybercrime Investigation Office at CICC.

A second panel brought together perspectives from social media platforms like TikTok, esports athletes, media, and families on addressing harmful content and threats in the digital world.

"I think it's important that we don't automatically blame gaming or e-sports as harmful," said National Esports Athlete and National Chairperson of the Esports Party List Alexandre “AK” Laverez, who at age 12 had the opportunity to represent the country on the global stage. "The e-sports industry offers careers, friendships, and opportunities."

The final panel, which focused on how families, schools, and communities can help raise empowered and digitally resilient children, included child development experts, non-government organizations, educators, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Social Technology Bureau.

“Invest in parent education, care for teachers, and boost content creators. Invest in the people influencing children, in addition to investing in technology,” said Dr. Tina Zamora, family life and child development specialist and developmental psychologist.

Bryanna Mariñas, founder and executive director of Violence Ends With Us, urged stakeholders to include the youth in the conversation: “Work with children, young people, and survivors to actually understand how they're experiencing the world and how they're using the technology. Work with survivors and victims of violence to understand what they've experienced, what was not done, and what you can do better to prevent that harm happening to other people.”

The discussions were moderated by PLDT and Smart Public Engagement Group Head Roby Alampay, Deputy Head Gian Lao, and PLDT Chief Legal Counsel Atty. Joan de Venecia-Fabul.

Parents are key

Jimenez himself emphasized the responsibility of parents in helping children develop the values and judgment they need to navigate increasingly complex online environments. “We can talk about how technology, the government, or the laws will solve this, but the reality is a big part of the solution lies with the parents as well,” he said, reminding stakeholders that their respective capabilities also bring a responsibility to act: “To whom much is given, much is required. We are not mere bystanders in this. We are actually people who can help.”

The Safe Online Space Forum forms part of the PLDT Group’s broader efforts to advance multi-stakeholder collaboration in creating safer digital environments for children. The initiative also contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.

Alsons Dev Brings Community Voices to the Forefront at Davao Design Week 2026

DAVAO CITY — Davao Design Week 2026 brought together students, educators, creatives, design professionals, government representatives, and community leaders at La Herencia Davao from October 8 to 10 to explore participatory design, an approach that involves people in the design process to help address local challenges, improve everyday experiences, and shape more responsive places and systems.

Held under the theme “DESIGNDUMP: From The People,” the inaugural event was presented by Alsons Development and Investment Corporation (Alsons Dev), SKS Interiors, Inc., and La Herencia Davao in conjunction with the Department of Trade and Industry’s Design Week Philippines. It featured panel discussions with more than 30 speakers, workshops, performances, and interactive activities that encouraged participants to share perspectives and engage with issues affecting everyday life.

One of the ways the event put participatory design into practice was through the Puhon Visioning Workshop, organized by Placemaking Davao. It invited Dabawenyos of different ages and backgrounds, including children, to share their ideas, experiences, and aspirations for public spaces, infrastructure, and community life in Davao as the city approaches its 100th year.

For Alsons Dev, a Davao-based real estate developer with more than 60 years of experience in the industry, participatory design means putting people at the center of the development process. Vice President and General Manager Jolla A. Soriaga shared this perspective in her keynote address during Davao Design Week’s opening program.

“As developers, we do more than create structures. We shape the places where people live, work, and interact, so good design must go beyond aesthetics and efficiency to respond to people’s needs. This calls for malasakit: understanding the people and places we serve and designing with genuine care for both. This community-centric approach guides our work at Alsons Dev,” Soriaga said.

Davao Design Week’s call to action, “Life is Better When We Design Together,” underscored that shaping better communities takes collective effort, combining professional expertise with the ideas, experiences, and aspirations of the people who live in them.

Through its participation in Davao Design Week, Alsons Dev reinforces its people-centered approach to planning and development, reflecting its commitment to building communities of lasting value and enhancing quality of life across generations.

Empowering Indigenous Communities: PLDT, Smart Advance Disaster Resilience for Tagbanua ICC in El Nido

As PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) strengthen the resilience of their network through the Palawan Resiliency Submarine Cable Project, they are also helping equip local communities with the knowledge and skills that help boost preparedness and resilience at the community level.

More than 30 members of the Tagbanua Tandulanen Indigenous Cultural Community (ICC) from 11 barangays in El Nido recently participated in a disaster preparedness training session organized by PLDT, reinforcing a shared commitment to building resilient communities alongside resilient connectivity.

For members of the Tagbanua Tandulanen ICC, knowledge on how to prepare for disasters is more than just about keeping their own community resilient when they are in their respective hometowns.

“While we can say that our town has not had much experience with earthquakes, knowing what to do during such an event is important, especially because we’re not only staying in Palawan but also traveling beyond it,” said Roderick D. Gacasa, who attended the session held in Brgy Sibaltan, El Nido. The session is part of the Group’s commitment to the community in relation to the recently signed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on the Palawan Resiliency Submarine Cable Project.

A teacher at Sibaltan Elementary School, Gacasa, said that disaster preparedness is also something they teach to their students. “We regularly conduct similar trainings and drills with our students. We always tell them that we are not only confined to Palawan; we also travel outside of it. And when we’re out there, we must know what to do.”

The session, led by Jonathan Palma of the Emergency Management Center, taught participants basic survival tips and disaster response in the event of earthquakes, typhoons, and storm surges; how to assemble their own emergency kits; and how to use their phones in times of emergency, among other topics.

PLDT and Smart also turned over office equipment to the ICC, represented by Tribal Affairs Assistant I Kamaulangan Nelson Biennes, for use in future tribal hall activities.

“We are thankful to PLDT for this learning session, and for not forgetting our community,” said Biennes, who opened the training. “Disaster preparedness is something that we should all be knowledgeable about, so this session is really important and timely.”

Stephanie V. Orlino, AVP and Head of Stakeholder Engagement at PLDT and Smart, underscored the importance of advocating for a nationwide culture of disaster resilience, including among indigenous communities. “Resilient communities and resilient connectivity go hand in hand. As we strengthen our network through the Palawan Resiliency Submarine Cable Project, we also want to help ensure that the communities we serve, such as the Tagbanua Tandulanen ICC, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to prepare for emergencies. By combining reliable connectivity with disaster preparedness, we can help communities stay informed, connected, and resilient when it matters most.”

Shared commitment to protect IP rights

Signed earlier this year, PLDT’s MOA with the Tagbanua ICC of Palawan and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) for the Palawan Resiliency Submarine Cable Project reinforces their shared commitment to recognize and protect Indigenous Peoples’ rights through continued adherence to cultural, social, and environmental safeguards while implementing and completing the network project.

This initiative, conducted in time for National Indigenous Peoples’ Month, is aligned with the Group’s #KonektedforInclusion programs, which harness technology to help underrepresented sectors, including indigenous communities, gain greater access to connectivity, learning, and livelihood opportunities. It also advances its #KonektedforResilience advocacy, which promotes disaster resilience before, during, and after emergencies.

It also reinforces the PLDT Group’s commitment to helping the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 10 on reducing inequality and SDG 11 on sustainable cities and communities.