A miracle collaboration born at SUMMER SONIC is finally here.

“SB19 has released “GENTO feat. Kento Nakajima,” their long-awaited collaboration with the Japanese singer-actor, out on Friday, October 30, 2026.

The song premiered on stage at SUMMER SONIC 2026 Tokyo on August 15, 2026, when the two acts performed it together and sent the crowd into a frenzy. “GENTO” is SB19’s signature song and their most-streamed solo track in Japan. With Kento Nakajima joining, the collaboration drew a huge response as a historic moment when the Philippine and Japanese music scenes intersected.

The collaboration grew out of the “GENTO with Kento Nakajima” TikTok project, filmed during SB19’s visit to Japan last year, which became a major talking point on social media and led to the production of an official collaboration track. The song features special lyrics partly written by Kento Nakajima himself. It carries on the themes of “GENTO” (“success,” “hard work,” and “proving your worth”) while adding a fresh side of Kento Nakajima.

“We’re truly happy to have collaborated with Kento,” shares SB19. “This collaboration has also reminded us of the power of music. It has been a while since we released ‘GENTO,’ but its message, its musicality, and its goal of changing people’s lives through the beat have not faded at all, and they continue to reach many hearts.”

SB19 says Kento was the perfect fit for the collaboration, not only because of the wordplay between his name and the song, but also because of who he is as an artist. The P-Pop powerhouse adds, “We met him last year and reunited at SUMMER SONIC. Through those experiences, we saw how naturally he connects with people and embodies the energy and message that “GENTO” stands for.”

Kento, meanwhile, has nothing but praise for their collaborator, SB19. “Since the SUMMER SONIC performance, music fans in general, not just fans of the two acts, have been eagerly waiting for the release. With today’s launch, this historic collaboration goes beyond the excitement of the venue and reaches fans around the world.”

Pre-orders for Wakas at Simula on Vinyl open today, October 29, at 12:00 PM Philippine time, giving fans exclusive dibs on another physical format of SB19’s second studio album. The limited-edition release will be available through Backspacer Records’ online store, pressed on Smokey Midnight Blue vinyl with individually numbered copies and exclusive keepsakes.

Officially announced on October 25 during Day 2 of ONE ZONE FEST, the vinyl edition will drop on November 15, 2026. Its arrival expands the group’s growing physical music catalog, following the sold-out release of the Wakas at Simula Global Version CD.

For SB19 leader PABLO, the release represents a long-awaited opportunity to give the album a more permanent physical presence. “Honestly, we’re really happy to finally have Wakas at Simula in a tangible form because we know how much A’TIN, and even we ourselves, love having something we can see and touch,” he shares. “Having this vinyl edition as something we can physically hold and listen to means so much to us, especially now that more and more people are getting into analog formats. This release will forever hold a special place in our hearts, and it’s something we’ll continue to carry with us as we move forward.”

The album was a natural choice for the group’s vinyl debut, conveying a defining moment in its evolution through Filipino-language releases, international collaborations, and reimagined versions of earlier material. JUSTIN hopes the format will also open doors for new listeners. “Through this edition, we also hope that new fans, whether local or international, can discover SB19 and have Wakas at Simula as their entry point into our music, while experiencing the album in a more personal and meaningful way,” he says.

The release has been thoughtfully assembled with collectors and longtime supporters in mind. Its premium tri-fold sleeve houses a 24-page, full-color lyric photobook featuring never-before-seen photographs, an exclusive 11-by-11-inch art print, a special-edition sticker pack, and one random member photocard selected from five new photographs created exclusively for the vinyl edition.

STELL emphasizes the group’s hands-on approach to the creative process, from the visual presentation to the smallest packaging details. “We want every detail to feel intentional, and hopefully, this release reminds everyone that at least one SB19 member had a suggestion along the way.”

Bridging analog and digital listening, the 12-inch single LP also features a built-in near-field communication (NFC) tag for convenient online access to the album. “Integrating an NFC tag into the vinyl is one way we’re doing that, allowing fans to enjoy the physical album while also having convenient access to its digital counterpart,” JOSH explains.

KEN also sees the release as another legacy-building effort to raise the bar for Filipino music. “We want to stay true to who we are as SB19 while continuing to challenge ourselves and explore new ways to express our artistry,” he says. “This vinyl edition is one step in that direction, and we hope there will be more opportunities for us to bring our music to life in different physical formats, creating meaningful experiences that A’TIN can treasure for years to come.”

SB19’s Wakas at Simula on Vinyl Launch and Fan Signing Event will happen on November 15 at SPACE at One Ayala. Fans who purchase the vinyl through the Backspacer Records online store using the designated promo code will have a chance to secure an invitation to the event. Limited slots are available for the fan-signing session. See the full mechanics here.

Pre-order Wakas at Simula on Vinyl here: https://sb19.lnk.to/buy-WaSVinyl

Tracklist:

Visa
Memories
Toyfriend (with Be:First)
Everblack
Emoji (with Jolin Tsai)
Wakas
What?
Mapa
Mana
Bazinga
Ikako
SLMT

Roblox, the global immersive platform for gaming and creation, announces the appointment of Joel Neoh as Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Oceania. Neoh joined Roblox this October and is looking to grow the company’s presence in the region, foster partnerships, support the creator ecosystem, and align the global product and business priorities with local market demands. He will serve as Roblox’s senior business lead in SEA and OCE, overseeing Roblox’s strategy in these two regions and working with local teams and partners.

A core focus of the role will be to champion a growing community of Roblox developers and creators, help local studios make use of Roblox’s tools to scale and find commercial success, and familiarise players and parents in the region with the brand. With a young, digitally native population and a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem with a strong focus on safety, Southeast Asia and Oceania represents a significant opportunity for long-term growth.

Commenting on his new role as Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Oceania, Neoh said: “I’ve spent my career building companies across this region, and I’ve seen first-hand the creativity, optimism and entrepreneurial energy here. We’re at a moment where technology is making it easier than ever for people to move from simply consuming digital experiences to creating them. That’s what excites me most about Roblox. We have an opportunity to help a new generation of creators across Southeast Asia and Oceania turn ideas into experiences, communities and businesses that can reach the world. As we grow, keeping young people safe and working closely with parents, regulators and local communities will remain central to everything we do. I believe this region can become one of the most important sources of creativity on Roblox, helping reimagine the way people come together through play and creation.”

Zhen Fang, VP of International at Roblox, said: “South East Asia and Oceania are important regions for Roblox within APAC, with a vibrant and fast-growing community of creators and players. We are committed to the region for the long term, and we will keep investing in our local teams, creators, and partners here. Joel has built and scaled businesses across the region for two decades, and his entrepreneurial experience and strong ties to the local tech ecosystem make him the right leader to guide the next phase of our growth across these regions.”

Neoh is an entrepreneur and investor with two decades of experience founding, building, and scaling technology companies across Asia Pacific, spanning digital media, e-commerce, fintech, consumer health, and AI. He founded GroupsMore in Malaysia, which merged with Groupon ahead of its IPO, and went on to lead Groupon Asia Pacific. He also founded Fave, a popular Southeast Asian fintech and consumer payments platform that scaled to 10M+ users before its acquisition by Pine Labs in 2021. Most recently, he was Managing Director at Prenetics, leading its consumer health businesses. An active investor, Neoh has backed 50+ startups across Asia, particularly in consumer technology, and is a Founding Partner of First Move, an early-stage venture capital platform supporting entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia apart from also most recently being an investor and involved in launching IM8 .

At AI Vision Forum Manila 2026, held on October 28 at Shangri-La The Fort, the platforms and partners on the programme covered every layer a digital product depends on: how it is built, how it is found, how it converts and how it keeps running as usage grows. For the Philippines’ developers, startups and in-house digital teams, the combination points to a shorter path from idea to production, and a way to scale without building every layer from scratch.

Building with agents

HowOne, presented by SVP and Product Lead Daniel Chen, is an agent-native platform built for what it calls the One-Person Company. A founder describes a product in plain language, and AI agents build it, launch it in one click and help run it. For a market rich in digital talent, tools of this kind can let a single builder test an idea that once required a full engineering team.

Duck Reels presented its in-house short-drama production tool, which helps shape a premise into a short drama made for its own viewing app, DuckVerse. For content teams, AI production of this kind can compress work that traditionally needed a crew, a schedule and a budget.

Getting found and converting demand

A3SEO builds websites, writes content and converts visitors in more than a dozen languages. Its engine, TRXY, runs 42 AI agents that track every page, fix what slips and measure the effect of each change, while strategy stays with the human SEO team. R2Y2 gives businesses and agencies AI website creation and management, with live traffic and search data in one view. RunLink connects the commercial funnel on one engine, from AI-produced multilingual content and media buying to sales conversations in private chat. Soric’s CustomerOps system answers calls, unifies WhatsApp, Viber and Messenger, and reviews every conversation.

Taken together, these systems can turn traffic, content and customer conversations, work that usually sits with separate teams, into connected processes that scale with the business.

AI in specialised workflows

S.H.I.E.L.D., shown at the forum as a demonstration, applies AI to work-injury insurance claims. It estimates expected sick leave, tracks how each recovery develops and flags unusual patterns for professional review, while qualified professionals keep every decision. It is an example of AI moving into judgement-heavy, regulated work, where the system supports experts rather than replacing them.

The infrastructure that lets it scale

An AI product is only as reliable as the infrastructure beneath it. TiDB, powered by PingCAP, is a distributed SQL database built for AI and real-time workloads, combining live transactional data, vector search and analytics in one system; it was represented by Predee “PD” Kajonpai, Senior Solution Architect. TrueWatch, represented by Pre-sales Solutions Architect Choy Dian Chun, is a unified observability platform that monitors systems from cloud infrastructure to LLM applications in production.

Five cloud partners took part in the Cloud Tech Panel Discussion. Panelists included Gary Huang, Solution Architect at Alibaba Cloud; Brian Han, Manager, Solution Engineering, iGaming and Web3 at Cloudflare Asia Pacific; Tey Kou Fuh, Regional Sales Director at Oracle; and Romulo Gapuz Jr., Chief Technology Officer of Huawei Cloud Philippines.

For Philippine builders, cloud infrastructure of this kind can let a product scale with demand instead of ahead of it, so capacity is paid for as users arrive rather than before.

SM Investments Corporation, the parent company of the SM Group, received the Five Golden Arrow Award from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) for the third consecutive year, achieving the highest rating under the corporate governance awards program.

For its commitment to high standards of corporate governance, SM Investments receives its third consecutive Five Golden Arrow Award from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD). In photo (from left): Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. Trustee and Honorary Fellow of ICD; Frederic C. DyBuncio, President and CEO of SM Investments; Atty Benedicta Du-Baladad, Trustee and Chairperson of ICD; and Tomasa H. Lipana, Fellow of ICD and President of ICD.

SM Prime Holdings, Inc. and China Banking Corporation (Chinabank) received Five Golden Arrows while BDO Unibank, Inc. and Belle Corporation received the 4 Golden Arrows.

The awards assess how companies protect shareholder rights, disclose material information and provide effective board oversight. The 2026 recognition is based on the 2025 ASEAN Corporate Governance Scorecard assessment.

“We aim to continuously create long-term value for our stakeholders, and strong governance is central to that,” said Amando M. Tetangco Jr., Chairman of the Board, SM Investments.

SM Investments’ Board is led by an independent Chairman. Tetangco is the first independent Chairman of the company, and a former two-term Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

The Board oversees the parent company’s strategy, risk management and major investment decisions across its interests in retail, banking, property and portfolio businesses. This oversight supports decisions on where to invest, how to manage financial obligations, and how much cash to return to shareholders. The operating companies retain their own boards and management teams, accountable for their respective businesses.

“The achievement reflects SM Investments’ continuing commitment to integrity, transparency, accountability and responsible stewardship, with sound corporate governance serving as a foundation for sustainable growth and long-term stakeholder value,” said SM Investments President and CEO Frederic C. DyBuncio.

The ACGS assessment covers shareholder rights and equitable treatment, sustainability and resilience, stakeholder relations, transparency and accountability through timely disclosure, and the Board’s strategic guidance and accountability. It provides investors with a basis for comparing corporate governance practices.

The recognition comes as SM marks 68 years since the opening of its first Shoemart store. As the businesses have grown, the founder’s values of trust and integrity have remained a foundation for how the Group is governed.

As Cathay marks its 80th anniversary in 2026, the airline celebrates its enduring role in connecting Filipino travelers to the world. For generations of Filipino travellers, Hong Kong has been more than a destination; it is a gateway to onward journeys for work, study, business, holidays, and reunions with loved ones.

Members of the world-famous Philippines Bayanihan Dance Company pictured at Manila International Airport boarding a Cathay Pacific flight, at the start of a world tour that would take them to Russia, the Middle East, Europe and the United States. (1967)

Photo published in Cathay News: Focus on N. W. Malaysia, Issue 36
Photo credits: Cathay Pacific, Swire Archives

Through its home city of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific links Manila and Cebu to the Cathay Group’s network of more than 100 destinations across Asia, Europe, North America and beyond, placing the city at the heart of Cathay’s global connectivity for the Philippines.

As international travel continues to evolve, Cathay is also investing in its fleet, cabin products, lounges and digital innovations to deliver greater comfort, convenience and connectivity.

For Filipino employees, the value of health coverage should begin long before a hospital bill arrives. It should help them get screened, seek medical advice early, and act on health concerns before these become more serious.

That is the focus of InLife Benefits Insurance Company, Inc.’s efforts to bring preventive healthcare closer to the workplace as PhilHealth moves to strengthen coordination between public and private health insurance coverage.

Through its participation in the PhilHealth YAKAP–HMO/PHI Benefit Complementation initiative and a separate awareness-building partnership with PhilHealth, InLife Benefits is helping employees make the most of their healthcare benefits by promoting greater awareness and more efficient utilization of the health services available to them.

Making coverage work together

For employees with both PhilHealth and company-provided health benefits, understanding how their coverage fits together is an important step toward making better use of it.

The PhilHealth YAKAP–HMO/PHI Benefit Complementation initiative seeks to align benefits from the national health insurer with those offered by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and private health insurance providers, including InLife Benefits. Under the initiative, PhilHealth’s Yaman ng Kalusugan Program (YAKAP) will serve as the initial layer of coverage for eligible primary care services, with participating private insurers providing complementary benefits for expenses beyond the program’s coverage.

The arrangement aims to minimize overlapping benefits, improve healthcare access, and help reduce members’ out-of-pocket expenses. For InLife Benefits, it also supports a broader effort to make preventive care a more accessible part of employees’ lives.

Bringing prevention into the workplace

Coverage alone does not ensure that employees seek care. They also need to know which services are available and understand how to use them.

Through a separate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with PhilHealth, InLife Benefits has committed to promoting YAKAP among its corporate clients, encouraging early disease screening, and helping employees better understand the healthcare services available to them.

Its network of corporate clients provides an avenue to bring that information closer to employees—connecting PhilHealth’s preventive healthcare initiative with workplaces where greater awareness can encourage earlier action.

Despite widespread PhilHealth membership among the workforce, awareness of the preventive services available under YAKAP remains a challenge. InLife Benefits seeks to help address this gap through its engagement with private employers, encouraging employees to explore and use the services available to them. Together, these efforts address two connected needs: benefits that work better together and employees who understand how to use them.

For InLife Benefits, the goal is to make health coverage matter earlier in the decision to get screened, the opportunity to seek advice, and the chance to address a health concern before it becomes a crisis.

Manulife Philippines, the local arm of leading international financial services provider Manulife, and iCare HMO, one of the country’s top health maintenance organizations, have entered into a strategic partnership to help companies offer employees more integrated health and financial protection.

Through this partnership, Manulife’s group life insurance benefit will be available to select iCare HMO group customers. The annually renewable coverage sits alongside employees’ existing healthcare benefits, giving corporate clients another option for building a more holistic employee benefits package that addresses both medical needs and financial protection.

The partnership builds on insights from Manulife’s Asia Care Survey, which found that consumers across the region are placing greater emphasis on holistic well-being. In the Philippines, people are increasingly proactive about their health, prioritizing preventive care and healthier lifestyles. The survey also revealed that 88% of respondents view independence and financial freedom as the legacy they want to leave their loved ones, highlighting demand for solutions that support both healthier and more financially secure futures.

“Filipinos are increasingly looking for practical ways to protect their health while strengthening their financial resilience,” said Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines. “Through this partnership, we can complement iCare HMO’s healthcare solutions with life insurance protection for group clients, while exploring new ways to make relevant solutions more accessible. This supports our commitment to help more Filipinos live better for longer.”

“Employers and individuals benefit when healthcare and financial protection work together,” said Geronimo V. Francisco, President and Chief Executive Officer, iCare. “Our partnership with Manulife allows us to expand the range of protection options available to our group clients and explore convenient new channels for broader protection. We look forward to developing solutions that respond to the evolving needs of Filipino employees and families.”

Manulife and iCare HMO are co-developing integrated employee benefits solutions that bring their products into complementary offerings, including embedding group life insurance into iCare HMO’s prepaid cards starting November 2026. A two-way distribution framework will also enable each organization to reach customers through the other’s authorized channels and corporate relationships, while longer-term plans will explore coordinated group life, group medical, and broader employee benefits propositions for businesses in the Philippines.

As customers’ needs evolve, Manulife Philippines and iCare remain committed to building solutions that help more Filipinos take charge of their health and live more financially secure lives.

Mang Inasal received the Bronze Momentum Master Award at the 2026 Celebrating Relationships & Advancing Valuable Experiences (CRAVE) Partner Summit Awards for demonstrating exceptional year-on-year sales growth on the foodpanda platform during the first half of 2026.

The recognition follows Mang Inasal’s Momentum Master Award in 2025, reflecting the brand’s continued strong performance on the platform.

Mang Inasal’s off-premise business posted double-digit growth in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period last year. The growth was supported by the brand’s efforts to expand customer access through multiple channels.

Mang Inasal Channels Marketing Manager Baberly Barairo and Channels Marketing Officer Rodney Calipayan accepted the award from foodpanda Commercial Director Prateek Teotia and foodpanda Lead of Key Account Management Trixia Dichoso.

Through CRAVE, foodpanda recognizes top partner vendors for sales leadership, campaign performance, operational efficiency, and customer preference.

“This award validates Mang Inasal’s strategic execution and strong partnership with foodpanda, acknowledging the brand’s ability to consistently translate marketing strategies into actual sales growth and remain top-of-mind among delivery customers,” said Mang Inasal President Mike V. Castro.

Mang Inasal continues to strengthen customer convenience through its drive-thru stores, self-order kiosks, takeout windows, digital payment systems, and the recently revamped Mang Inasal App, making it easier for customers to enjoy their favorite Ihaw-Sarap meals beyond the traditional dine-in experience. Want more Mang Inasal exclusives NOW? Visit https://manginasal.ph for the latest news, https://manginasaldelivery.com.ph for delivery deals, and follow Mang Inasal on social media for more Ihaw-Sarap and Unli-Saya updates!

Filipino youth want stronger protections online, but most are not calling for blanket exclusion from social media, according to findings from Plan International Pilipinas’ consultations and assessment study on children’s digital experiences.

In Plan International Pilipinas’ assessment study, 63% of respondents said access for children under 16 “depends” or should come “with conditions,” pointing instead to age-appropriate safeguards, parental guidance, safer digital environments, and stronger platform accountability.

In a 2026 consultation conducted amid ongoing debates on social media restrictions for minors, 63% of respondents favored conditional access with safeguards, while 29% supported an outright ban and 7% opposed a ban entirely. The consultation gathered responses from 164 participants through an online survey and included a focus group discussion with 13 members of Plan International Pilipinas’ Youth Advisory Group.

The findings suggest that young people are not asking for unrestricted access. Instead, they are calling for stronger protections, age-appropriate safeguards, greater accountability from technology companies, and more support in developing the skills needed to navigate online spaces responsibly.

This perspective is consistent with Plan International Pilipinas’ earlier Landscape Assessment of Online Platforms Used by Children and Young People in Selected Regions of the Philippines, which examined how children and young people use digital platforms, the risks they encounter, and the protections they believe would make their online experiences safer.

The mixed-method assessment reached 590 participants, including 494 online survey respondents, 80 focus group discussion participants and 16 key informants from selected areas across the country.

The study found that digital platforms already play an important role in young people’s everyday lives. Communication emerged as the leading reason for using online platforms, followed by education and learning, leisure, and stress reduction. Young people use these spaces to stay connected with family and friends, join communities, share updates, access information, learn new skills, and participate in online classes.

Among respondents aged 15 to 17, social media and messaging platforms were used frequently for communication, education, and leisure, with young people showing greater independence in choosing and using applications. At the same time, they called for stronger safeguards, including age-appropriate content filters, improved privacy and reporting mechanisms, safer platform design, greater parental guidance, and stronger digital literacy support.

The study makes clear that young people recognize the risks associated with online spaces, including exposure to inappropriate content, cyberbullying, scams, privacy concerns, online exploitation and excessive use. The respondents called for stronger action from online platforms and government, including more effective safeguards and greater accountability for harmful content and unsafe interactions.

Taken together, Plan International Pilipinas’ findings point to a more nuanced position. Young people want to be safer online, but they also value the opportunities digital platforms provide for learning, communication, expression and connection.

“Our ultimate goal here is not to remove teens from the digital environment, but to equip them with the necessary practical skills, so they can safely navigate the online environment safely, critically, and responsibly,” said Sheila Estabillo, Project Manager of Plan International Pilipinas.

The organization has emphasized that online safety is a shared responsibility involving families, schools, government, communities, civil society and technology companies. Its assessment study points to the need for a combination of appropriate regulation, digital literacy, age-appropriate design, parental support, effective reporting mechanisms and stronger platform accountability.

Among respondents in the earlier landscape assessment, TikTok ranked highest among social media applications perceived as child-friendly at 40.7%, followed by Facebook at 32.2%, Instagram at 16.1% and Snapchat at 11%. The report, however, also identified safety gaps across digital platforms and emphasized the need for stronger protections for children and young people.

Plan International Pilipinas’ findings suggest that, when it comes to regulating social media usage, Filipinos should not be made to choose between access and safety. Young people are asking for both meaningful protection from online harms and the ability to continue benefiting from digital spaces for education, communication, creativity and participation.