Globe powers the energy of MassKara 2026 with 5G

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Bacolod City – The City of Smiles comes alive every October as colorful masks, music and festivities fill the streets for MassKara. This year, Globe is adding to the energy with a month-long lineup powered by Globe 5G, giving Bacolodnons and visitors more ways to enjoy and share one of the country’s most vibrant festivals.

The activities put Bacolod’s people and places at the center, giving students, artists, musicians, families, and local communities opportunities to participate while showcasing homegrown talent throughout the festival. “MassKara reflects the creativity, optimism and strong sense of community that Bacolod is known for. We want to give Bacolodnons more ways to come together, showcase their talents and make the most of the festival with connectivity that keeps up with them,” said KD Dizon, Globe Chief Marketing Officer.

The celebration kicked off on October 10 with 5G HyperMove, which brought the local running community together for a challenge to collectively reach one million steps. Young creatives also took part in 5G Building Craft: Paint Tomorrow, using mural art and Gemini AI to develop concepts inspired by Bacolod’s digital future.

Bacolod’s well-known destinations also became part of 5G EnergyTok, a TikTok dance challenge featuring San Sebastian Cathedral and Public Plaza, Negros Museum and Art District, The Ruins, and Capitol Park and Lagoon. Participants showcased their creativity while putting some of the city’s distinct landmarks in the spotlight.

Music will take center stage at G Music Fest on October 17 at the Bacolod Government Center, headlined by December Avenue. Selected student bands from 5G EnergyJam will also perform, giving young musicians from local universities a chance to bring their talent to the MassKara stage.

From October 16 to 18, festival goers can visit the Globe 5G Pitstop booth along Lacson Street for interactive activities, 5G SIM activations and device upgrade options. The hub will give visitors a place to explore Globe 5G while staying close to the main MassKara events.

Globe’s MassKara initiatives are made possible with the Bacolod Gugma Foundation Inc., GCash, Ayala Malls Capitol Central, Jollibee, Leslie’s Chips, and Viu, together with our official beneficiary, Pawssion Project. These collaborations help bring the activities to more people while highlighting the places and local talent that make MassKara distinctly Bacolod.

Beyond the festival

Beyond the festival, Globe will bring its digital programs to local entrepreneurs and students. The Globe Caravan will help micro and small business owners explore connectivity and digital tools for social commerce, while a campus initiative at Bacolod City National High School will provide 20 5G-enabled devices and Digital Thumbprint Program sessions to support digital learning and responsible technology use.

Through its MassKara activities, Globe is combining connectivity with opportunities for Bacolodnons to create, perform, learn, and participate in the digital economy. Its community programs extend that effort beyond the festival, helping students and entrepreneurs build practical skills they can use in their everyday lives. For more information about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph

Mynt President and CEO Martha Sazon named among Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Asia 2026

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Martha Sazon, president and CEO of Mynt, the parent company of GCash, has once again been recognized among Fortune’s Most Powerful Women 2026 Asia—marking her third consecutive inclusion in the prestigious list. The recognition highlights her role in reshaping financial access in the Philippines and elevating GCash into the country’s #1 finance superapp.

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Under Sazon’s leadership, Mynt became the Philippines’ first $5B double unicorn. The company is now pursuing the largest IPO in Philippine history, structured with inclusive pricing to open investment opportunities to everyday Filipinos, further cementing its role as a transformative force in regional fintech

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Sazon assumed leadership during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, guiding GCash through a period of unprecedented demand. Her focus on customer-centricity transformed the platform into a lifeline for Filipinos, democratizing access to digital payments, savings, credit, insurance, and investments.

Under her leadership, Mynt became the country’s first and only $5B unicorn, embedding itself into everyday life and even becoming a verb across the Philippines. Building on this momentum, the company is now in the midst of its historic IPO process—the largest in Philippine history—structured with inclusive pricing that opens participation to everyday Filipinos, effectively democratizing investment across the nation. This groundbreaking move further underscores its role as a transformative force in Philippine fintech and signals strong investor confidence in its long term vision.

Her influence extends beyond GCash. Sazon has represented Philippine fintech and innovation at global forums such as the World Economic Forum in Davos, the International Monetary Fund Executive Board Retreat, the Global Summit of Women in Dubai, the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, and more recently, the UN Global Compact (UNGC) Leaders Summit 2026, which was held in New York City. By bringing the Philippine perspective to these international stages, she has helped position the country as an emerging leader in inclusive digital finance.

“I’m grateful for this recognition, which reflects the work of the whole team behind what we do. For us at GCash, “Finance for All” means using technology to make everyday life better and create more opportunities for Filipinos. There’s still so much more we can do, and that’s what keeps us going,” said Sazon.

The impact of her leadership is most evident in the country’s financial inclusion journey, with GCash pioneering inclusive lending through GScore, its AI driven credit scoring system. By recognizing digital behavior instead of traditional collateral, GCash has opened access to loans for more than 11 million borrowers, half of whom are women. Before the pandemic, only 29% of Filipinos were banked, and formal borrowing penetration stood at just 12%, with 40% relying on informal lenders. Today, largely because of finance apps like GCash, 50% of Filipino adults now have a formal financial account, a transformation that bridges the gap between the unbanked and the banked, enabling households to manage daily needs, supporting small businesses, and strengthening communities. These innovations demonstrate how fintech can drive empowerment at scale.

Sazon’s career spans three decades across industries, including consumer goods, telecom, and fintech. Prior to Mynt, she spent 12 years at Globe Telecom, where she drove growth in mobile postpaid, SME, and broadband services. She graduated cum laude in business administration and accountancy from the University of the Philippines Diliman and pursued further studies at IMD, INSEAD, and Harvard Business School.

The Most Powerful Women Asia list is one of Fortune’s most prestigious programs, honoring 150 women leaders across the region whose influence spans business, culture, and public life. Candidates are evaluated on scale, innovation, influence, trajectory, and impact—making the recognition one of the most highly competitive citations for leaders in Asia and a benchmark of leadership excellence. Sazon’s inclusion affirms not only her achievements at GCash but also her place among Asia’s most transformative leaders.

It also reflects how Philippine fintech, under her guidance, continues to redefine financial inclusion through customer centric innovation, empower communities, and earn global respect while contributing to nation building.

For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.

Final Call, Changemakers: Join Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 Before November 2

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Submit your proposal by November 2 and take the step towards building a better future for your community!

As the submission deadline draws closer, the search for the Philippines’ top Changemakers through Samsung Philippines Solve for Tomorrow 2026 enters its final stretch. The nationwide innovation competition calls on students to address local challenges and help shape a better future for their communities.

With nearly ₱2 million worth of prizes at stake, Samsung Philippines Solve for Tomorrow continues to inspire Filipino youth to use science, technology, and creativity to make a meaningful difference in their communities, even at a young age.

The challenge remains open to all Grades 8 to 10 students enrolled in government-managed science high schools across the country. Each team can have up to four (4) members, guided by one (1) teacher adviser. Together, they are encouraged to explore the issues closest to their hearts, whether championing environmental sustainability, driving social change through sports and technology, or tackling local challenges with the help of artificial intelligence, to create solutions that can make a lasting impact.

Entries must be submitted on or before 02 November, 2026, marking the last chance to be among this year’s Changemakers driving positive change.

Alongside a meaningful learning experience throughout their journey, the top teams will also receive exciting prizes. The grand champion will receive ₱400,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, along with ₱200,000 worth of gadgets for the team and adviser. They will also take home ₱100,000 in cash, with an additional ₱30,000 for the teacher-adviser.

The second-place winner will receive ₱300,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, ₱200,000 worth of gadgets for the team, ₱70,000 in cash for the members, and ₱25,000 for their adviser. The third-place winner will bring home ₱175,000 worth of Samsung devices for their school, ₱200,000 worth of gadgets for the team, ₱50,000 in cash for the members, and ₱15,000 for their adviser.

The rest of the Top 10 finalists will not leave empty-handed as each team will be awarded ₱15,000 in cash, while their dedicated teacher-advisers will receive ₱5,000 each in recognition of their guidance and support throughout the competition.

A Generation of Changemakers

Last year, Solve for Tomorrow celebrated the winning teams from Cavite Science Integrated School: Team MaHeMo for its solar-powered buoy that monitors mangrove health and Team EGGNovation for its automated egg-sorting system. Meanwhile, Team BANTALAY of Tuguegarao City Science High School proposed a solar-powered pest trap to support more sustainable farming. Together, these students showed how ideas rooted in community needs can inspire meaningful change, paving the way for this year’s aspiring changemakers to share their own ideas for a better tomorrow.

Now in its fourth year in the Philippines, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow continues to encourage young minds to apply science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

Don’t miss your shot to bring about change! Take your ideas further, make a difference, and compete for exciting prizes through Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026! Interested participants can learn more about the program and submit their entries by visiting www.samsung.com/ph/solve-for-tomorrow or following Samsung Philippines on social media via Facebook (facebook.com/SamsungPH), X (x.com/SamsungPH), and Instagram (instagram.com/samsungph).

DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-267269 Series of 2026

GrabCar Group Ride now splits the fare automatically, with savings of up to 50% per passenger

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New “GrabCar 3-in-1” campaign revives the 2000s shampoo sachet jingle to show that riding together is the more sulit choice

Riding home with friends just got easier and much more affordable. Grab Philippines has upgraded GrabCar Group Ride so the fare can now be split automatically among passengers, with each rider saving up to 50 percent compared with booking a solo ride.

GrabCar Group Ride lets the ride host and up to two friends share one GrabCar, with up to three drop-off points along the way. The more people join, the more affordable the ride becomes for everyone, and the app shows each person’s share upfront. No more awkward “magkano share ko?” after the trip.

Regular ride buddies can also be saved as a group, together with frequent pickup and drop-off pins, so repeat bookings take just a few taps. It’s ideal for officemates heading the same way after work or friends coming home from a night out.

A throwback to the shampoo sachet jingle era

To spotlight the upgrade, Grab released an online video that taps into Filipinos’ nostalgia for the catchy shampoo jingles of the 2000s, while educating commuters on how easy it is to book a GrabCar Group Ride. The campaign repackages mobility feature as the “GrabCar 3-in-1”: three passengers, one booking – the same promise that made the 3-in-1 sachet a household staple.

The idea is simple. Just like the sachet, sharing a ride with your barkada gives you more for less, both in savings and in the company on the way home.

“Filipino commuters are resourceful. They’re always finding smarter ways to make every trip with friends or colleagues more efficient and more affordable. As a committed partner to every commuter, Grab makes sure our platform keeps up with these everyday habits. ‘Hati-hati’ has always been part of how we move together, and it’s about more than splitting costs. It’s about looking out for one another. With GrabCar Group Ride, we’re building on that spirit so that getting around together becomes the easier, more attainable choice for more Filipinos,” said Grab Philippines Country Marketing Head Bea Bravo.

How to book a Group Ride

• Open the Grab app, tap GrabCar, then select Group Ride.
• Enter your pickup point and drop-off.
• Share the invite link with up to two friends.
• Your friends add their own drop-off points.
• Confirm the booking. The fare is split automatically, with each rider saving up to 50 percent

The Group Ride feature is now available in all GrabCar cities nationwide.

Filipino chef behind Dubai chocolate phenomenon teams up with Jollibee for Christmas

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Jollibee is partnering with Filipino pastry chef and culinary innovator Nouel Catis, whose work is associated with the global Dubai chocolate phenomenon, to introduce the Pistachio Choco Sundae, a limited-edition Christmas dessert that brings a globally popular flavor combination to a familiar Filipino favorite.

“Christmas is a time when people look forward to experiences that make the season more special. At Jollibee, we want to bring that joy through both the food our customers love and new flavors that surprise and delight them,” said Dorothy Ching, vice president for marketing of Jollibee Philippines. "Partnering with Chef Nouel gives us a chance to offer something new this Christmas while celebrating Filipino culinary talent on the global stage."

Based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Catis is recognized for his work in the chocolate confectionery space, particularly the Dubai chocolate phenomenon that helped popularize the combination of chocolate and pistachio flavors among consumers worldwide.

His work has also received recognition, including being named an Emerging Global Filipino Icon by The Global Filipino Magazine and receiving a Service Excellence Award in Culinary Innovation in Dubai.

“We see Chef Nouel as a partner in our mission to bring joy to Filipinos and people around the world through food. By bringing his culinary expertise together with a Jollibee favorite, we hope to give our customers a new way to enjoy flavors they love and discover something different this Christmas,” Ching added.

For Catis, the collaboration is also a personal milestone, bringing him together with a brand he has loved since childhood.

“I was so happy when Jollibee reached out to me. I grew up loving Jollibee, so I never imagined that one day, I’d get to work with a brand that’s been part of my childhood. After the Dubai chocolate experience, it’s exciting to be doing something like this with Jollibee, especially for Christmas,” said Catis. “As a Filipino, it makes me proud to be part of something that can bring joy to people here at home and hopefully introduce more people around the world to the creativity and talent of Filipinos.”

The collaboration brings Catis’s culinary expertise to Jollibee’s annual Christmas sundae offering. The Pistachio Choco Sundae features creamy vanilla soft serve coated in a pistachio shell, topped with chocolate syrup and diced pistachios.

Priced at ₱79, the dessert will be available nationwide from October 16 to December 31 through Jollibee dine-in, takeout, drive-thru and delivery via GrabFood and foodpanda.

The partnership reflects Jollibee’s continuing effort to create new food experiences for customers during the holiday season, combining familiar favorites with fresh flavors while celebrating Filipino talent whose work has reached international audiences.

Craving more Jollibee treats and exclusives? Head to www.jollibee.com.ph for the latest updates, order your favorites via GrabFood and foodpanda, and follow us on social media for more JOYful surprises.