EVENTS

Maynilad offers desludging services this July

written by DWIZ 882

West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) is offering septic tank cleaning services to its residential and semi-business customers this July in select parts of Caloocan, Las Piñas, Manila, Parañaque, Pasay, Quezon City, Valenzuela, and Cavite Province at no extra cost.

Maynilad’s sanitation program is one of the company’s efforts to lessen pollution loading into Metro Manila’s river systems. “We ask our customers to avail of this service, as it will help to protect community health and the environment,” said Engr. Zmel Grabillo, Maynilad’s Head of Wastewater Management.

Customers residing in Barangay 80, 89, 138, 139,142 to 146, 148, 149, 151, 160, and 162 in Caloocan; Brgy. Almanza I, Pamplona 1, Pamplona III, Pillar Village, Pulang Lupa I, Pulang Lupa II, Talon I, and Talon II in Las Piñas; Brgy. Quiapo, San Miguel, San Nicolas, and Sta. Mesa in Manila; Brgy. Don Carlos, and San Rafael in Pasay; Brgy. San Martin de Porres, and
Sun Valley in Parañaque; Brgy. Paltok, Payatas, Salvacion, San Isidro, and Sta. Lucia, Sto Niño in Quezon City; and Brgy. Dalandanan, Malinta, Maysan, and Parada in Valenzuela may avail of Maynilad’s desludging service.

Moreover, some Maynilad customers in Cavite Province, particularly Brgy. Aniban II, Habay I, Kaingin, Ligas II, Ligas III, Mabolo II, Mabolo III, Maliksi II, Maliksi III, Mambog II to Mambog IV, Malino III, Real I, Real III, Salinas I, San Nicolas III, and Sineguelasan in Bacoor City; Brgy. Anabu I-C, Bayan Luma II, Malagasang II-A, Malagasang II-B, Malagasang II-F, Tanzang Luma I to Tanzang Luma VI Toclong I-A, and Toclong II-B in Imus City may avail of the company’s
septic tank cleaning services at no extra cost. Septic tank cleaning service normally costs around Php 4,700 per truck.

Maynilad customers interested in availing of the company’s septic tank cleaning service may call the Maynilad Hotline 1626 to determine the requirements and procedures. Additional information is also available in the company’s website, www.mayniladwater.com.ph , and social media accounts (X: @maynilad, Facebook: /MayniladWater).

Maynilad operates the largest water concession by population served within a single concession area in the Philippines. It is a concessionaire of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for the West Zone of the Greater Manila Area, which is composed of the cities of Manila (certain portions), Quezon City (certain portions), Makati (west of South Super Highway), Caloocan, Pasay, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Valenzuela, Navotas and Malabon, all in Metro Manila; the cities of Cavite, Bacoor and Imus, and the municipalities of Kawit, Noveleta and Rosario, all in Cavite Province.

July 10, 2026 0 comment

SM Mall of Asia Arena and SM Seaside Cebu Arena Set the Stage for Q3’s Biggest Events

written by DWIZ 882

MANILA & CEBU CITY, Philippines, July 2026 —The biggest names in music, worship, and sports are taking over SM Mall of Asia Arena and SM Seaside Cebu Arena this third quarter. From global K-pop acts and chart-topping artists to international basketball action and inspiring worship nights, the season is packed with experiences worth marking on your calendar.

Here’s your guide to the can’t-miss events happening from July to September.

EXO PLANET # 6 EXhOrizon

The K-Pop boy group of the generation is back as they return to the Philippines for a two-day sold out concert. Group members Suho, Chanyeol, D.O., Kai, and Sehun present top vocals, electrifying choreography, and charisma.

EXO

EXO makes a comeback at the SM Mall of Asia Arena, reuniting with long-time fans.

ITZY 3RD WORLD TOUR TUNNEL VISION in MANILA | July 11

Global K-pop powerhouse ITZY returns to Manila for a night of electrifying performances, fan-favorite hits, and tracks from their latest release, Tunnel Vision. Following their successful 2024 show, the five-member group is ready to bring their signature energy back to Filipino MIDZYs.

ITZY

ITZY returns to the SM MOA Arena for their third world tour.

MITSKI ‘NOTHING’S ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO ME’ IN MANILA | July 14

Making her long-awaited Philippine debut, Mitski brings her acclaimed live show to the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Marking her biggest show in Southeast Asia to date, fans can look forward to an emotional and immersive performance featuring beloved hits such as “My Love Mine All Mine,” “Nobody,” and “If I Leave Me.”

MITSKI

Mitski makes her Manila debut at the SM MOA Arena.

PLANETSHAKERS LIVE IN MANILA | July 17 to 19

Contemporary Worship band Planetshakers returns just after a year since their five-day sold out concert in 2025. Bringing their hits such as “Nothing is Impossible,” “This is the Day,” and “Turn It Up”, the SM Mall of Asia Arena is in for a night of praise and worship.

PLANET

Planetshakers brings a groundbreaking 3-day sold-out concert.

XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE IN MANILA | July 22

Known for their bold sound, futuristic visuals, and genre-defying style, XG makes its highly anticipated Manila debut. Expect a dynamic performance that showcases the group’s unique brand of X-pop and a show packed with high-energy performances.

Japanese Girl Group XG breaks boundaries with their signature ‘X-pop’ sound.

2026 AHOF 1ST TOUR: THE FIRST SPARK IN MANILA | July 25 & 26

Fresh from their breakthrough debut, AHOF heads to Manila for its first solo concert in the Philippines. The multinational boy group brings its rising global appeal, youthful energy, and standout performances to Filipino fans.

F1RST

AHOF returns to Manila with its first solo concert at SM MOA Arena.

CXMMXNS WORSHIP WHAT A BEAUTIFUL NAME TOUR | August 7 & 8

Come together for a powerful spiritual encounter as Ben Fielding and Reuben Morgan return to Manila for two nights of worship. Led by the renowned worship leaders, CXMMXNS Worship brings beloved anthems and new songs for today’s generation, alongside performances from OPM artists including Moira Dela Torre and Ogie Alcasid.

COMMONS

A night of worship awaits with CXMMXNS.

KODALINE FAREWELL TOUR | August 10

As part of their farewell tour, Irish alternative rock band Kodaline returns to Manila for one final performance with the fans who have supported them through the years. Expect an emotional evening filled with the band’s biggest hits and cherished memories as they take their final bow.

KODALINE

Let your final goodbyes to the band reach Kodaline at their Farewell Tour.

Rosetopia Asia Tour 2026 in Manila | August 15

South Korean Indie Band ‘The Rose’ makes a stop at the SM Mall of Asia Arena as they bid their fans a short goodbye before going on hiatus. The band’s music features hard-hitting hits that highlight vulnerability and soulful melodies, perfect for those who look for catharsis and authenticity in every verse.

ROSE

‘The Rose’ makes a stop at the SM Mall of Asia Arena this August.

REX ORANGE COUNTY EXCLUSIVE ASIA SHOW | August 20

British singer-songwriter Alexander James O’Connor, better known as Rex Orange County, returns to Manila with his signature blend of indie pop and heartfelt storytelling. Fans can look forward to crowd favorites including “Best Friend,” “Loving Is Easy,” “Amazing,” and “The Shade.” REX

Rex Orange Country returns to the Philippines for an Exclusive Asia Show.

2026-27 BABYMONSTER (CHOOM) WORLD TOUR IN MANILA | September 5

One of K-pop’s fastest-rising groups, BABYMONSTER makes its Manila debut with a high-energy show featuring powerful vocals, dynamic choreography, and chart-topping hits including “Batter Up,” “Sheesh,” and “Psycho.”

BABY

Babymonster turns up the heat with their first Manila stop at SM MOA Arena.

JAPAN PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL LEAGUE | SEPTEMBER 9 & 10

Experience elite-level basketball as Japan’s premier professional league brings world-class competition to Manila. Featuring top Japanese talents and international standouts, including players from the Philippines, this matchup promises fast-paced action and unforgettable moments on the court.

MANILA

Witness global sporting talents at the SM Mall of Asia Arena this September.

HILLSONG WORSHIP NIGHT ASIA TOUR | September 18 & 20

Hillsong Worship returns to the Philippines with special performances at both SM Seaside Cebu Arena and the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Join thousands of worshippers for an evening of faith, music, and inspiration led by one of the world’s most influential worship collectives.

HILL

Hillsong Worship goes to SM Seaside Cebu Arena and SM Mall of Asia Arena.

From world-class concerts and inspiring worship nights to international sporting events, SM Mall of Asia Arena and SM Seaside Cebu Arena continue to deliver the maxed-out experiences fans love. As two of the country’s most preferred and most loved venues, they remain the stage for unforgettable moments that bring communities together through music, sports, entertainment, and faith. Secure your tickets and be part of the biggest events of the season.

July 2, 2026 0 comment

Google to Help PH Newsrooms Better Engage Gen Z

written by DWIZ 882

MANILA, Philippines — July 1, 2026 — Google launches Project Sigma for Philippine news organizations, a new initiative designed to help local newsrooms find creative ways to connect with Gen Z youth.

As young Filipinos change how they find, share, and talk about the news, local publishers are looking for fresh ways to meet them where they are. Project Sigma will select 10 news publishers in the country to experiment with new ideas, formats, and tools to make their news more engaging for the next generation of readers.

Today’s youth—specifically Gen Z, which currently make up nearly 29 million Filipinos, or 25 percent of the population, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2020 Census—consume information differently than previous generations.

They value visual storytelling, community-first spaces, and authentic voices. Project Sigma gives publishers the space and support to step outside their comfort zones, try new storytelling methods, and build lasting relationships with younger audiences.

The Philippines is the third country in Southeast Asia to welcome Project Sigma, following successful launches in Malaysia in 2024 and Indonesia last year. The program is built around practical, hands-on experimentation, allowing local newsrooms to test what works best for their unique audiences.

A customized path to journalistic innovation

Rather than using a one-size-fits-all training model, Project Sigma is designed as a collaborative, hands-on journey.

The program is looking for newsrooms where reaching youth is a strategic priority. Over the course of the 10-week program, the 10 selected newsrooms will work closely with Google and its partner AnyMind to experiment on innovative ways to engage with GenZ audiences.

Publishers will choose one core area to focus their experiment on, whether that means sharpening their audience analysis to decode what young readers care about, crafting highly resonant content, experimenting with new distribution formats on the platforms youth actually use, or designing fresh revenue models that Gen Z is willing to get behind.

Through this process, the participating newsrooms will gain a much deeper, data-backed understanding of young Filipino news consumers. More importantly, they will walk away with the practical experience of launching a live initiative and a lasting culture of innovation, equipping their teams to continuously test new content and product ideas long after the program ends.

The chosen newsrooms will work hand-in-hand with Google and AnyMind, starting with an in-person design thinking workshop to shape their ideas, followed by bi-monthly check-ins to track progress.

Publishers from previous batches of Project Sigma in neighboring Southeast Asian countries have already seen the impact of the program.

“Project Sigma provides news publishers with a framework to address evolving news consumption patterns for younger audiences by running targeted experiments to test out new hypotheses, allowing journalism to thrive in exciting new ways,” shared Kate Beddoe, Managing Director of APAC News Partnerships at Google.

She also shared, “The future of a resilient news ecosystem depends on the ability to engage the next generation of news consumers on their own terms. Through Project Sigma, we are proud to partner with Filipino publishers to build lasting, trusted connections with younger audiences.”

“Project Sigma helped us strengthen our target audience and boosted our visibility throughout the country and the region as well,” said Tasnim Lokman, Editor of Sinar Daily in Malaysia.

“This initiative prompted reflection on how we understand Gen Z as news audiences and will inform continued efforts to better track and engage Gen Z readers,” shared Devie Emza, Managing Director of Kompas.com in Indonesia.

Applications for Project Sigma open on June 29, 2026, and will close on July 8, 2026.

July 2, 2026 0 comment

DepEd Honors SM Supermalls

written by DWIZ 882

WEBSITE SM

DepEd Honors SM Supermalls for Commitment to Education and Nation-Building. Center: Secretary Sonny Angara of the Department of Education; Jon Jon San Agustin, Executive Vice President for Marketing, SM Supermalls; Jocelyn Clarino, Senior Assistant Vice President for Operations, SM Supermalls; and representatives of the DepEd Executive Committee, during the recognition of SM Supermalls by the Department of Education for its continued commitment to education and nation-building. The recognition highlights SM Supermalls’ ongoing support for programs that uplift Filipino learners and strengthen communities nationwide.

June 29, 2026 0 comment

DICT and Google Cloud Partner on Multi-Year AI and Cybersecurity Initiatives to Deliver Next-Generation Citizen Services

written by DWIZ 882

DICT

MANILA, Philippines, June 22, 2026 – The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and Google Cloud today announced an expanded, multi-year collaboration to embed enterprise AI into public service delivery in the Philippines. This collaboration focuses on making government services simpler, faster, and more secure for every Filipino.

Reflecting the strategic goals of DICT’s digital transformation roadmap, this collaboration advances the government’s Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028. By spearheading an “AI Agents for Public Sector” program and a cross-agency cyber defense alliance with Google Cloud alongside national connectivity developments, DICT is facilitating the Philippines’ transition into an AI-driven digital economy that is highly productive, cyber resilient, and inclusive.

Henry Rhoel Aguda, Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology, said: “Transformation is not defined by the adoption of sophisticated software tools alone, but by facilitating sustained systemic efficiency across public institutions and widespread access to e- government services. DICT is accelerating ‘Digital Bayanihan’ with partners like Google Cloud, where AI-driven systems, proactive cyber defense, and network infrastructure operate in tandem to provide every citizen with access to public services and high-speed connectivity within a secure online environment. We’re empowering our public servants with world-class AI tools and upskilling programs to help them remove bureaucratic friction, optimize public sector productivity, and deliver seamless, next-generation services that better serve and uplift our people in every community.”

Delivering frictionless citizen services while supercharging public sector productivity

Under their “AI Agents for Public Sector” program, DICT and Google Cloud have made Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace available to public servants through the Procurement Service-Department of Budget and Management’s (PS-DBM) eMarketplace platform. Built on Google Cloud’s scalable and secure-by-design infrastructure, the eMarketplace was launched in the first quarter of 2026, serving as the Philippine government’s official e-commerce platform for transparent, streamlined, and cost-efficient procurement of enterprise-grade cloud and AI services.

Taking the lead on AI transformation in the public sector, DICT plans to use Gemini Enterprise Agent Platform to build, scale, govern, and optimize AI agents that aid citizens. This includes integrating grounded, context-aware AI agents into e-government platforms. This will allow Filipinos to simply speak or text in local languages to instantly clarify administrative procedures—such as setting up a new micro-business, checking community health center schedules, or navigating disaster relief assistance guidelines—replacing dense documentation with immediate, conversational support.

To enable rapid backend response to citizen needs, as a start, more than 50,000 public servants will be equipped with the Gemini Enterprise app, an advanced agentic ‘front door’ that empowers knowledge and frontline workers to discover, create, and use AI agents in a unified, fully governed environment.

For example, by inputting a query like “find all pending building permit applications for Barangay Central submitted in the past month” into the Gemini Enterprise app’s intuitive chat interface, a city building official can easily retrieve, synthesize, and act on relevant information across previously siloed data sources.

Through the Gemini Enterprise app, an economic analyst can mobilize an agentic taskforce via a prompt to “continuously analyze changing market prices for agricultural fertilizers, highlight supply chain anomalies, and draft a cited brief.” These AI agents will autonomously browse hundreds of verified web sources, review securely stored internal economic archives, build structural matrix charts of pricing trends, and output detailed reports and recommendations for human review and iteration, before automating communications to relevant stakeholders.

The value of these outputs is amplified through built-in connectors to Google Workspace and other third-party enterprise apps like Microsoft 365. Once the Gemini Enterprise app generates a research brief, a chart, or a policy synthesis, public servants can tap Workspace Intelligence to instantly convert those files into a collaborative team document in Google Docs, spin up a presentation deck in Google Slides for an inter-agency briefing, or coordinate immediate outreach via Gmail or Google Chat.

Programmatically, DICT plans to facilitate the use of Gemini Enterprise and Google Workspace by more than 200,000 public servants over the next 18 months, while continuing to track metrics like frequency of use, productivity gains, cost savings, and user satisfaction to quantify value and ensure tangible return on investment.

WEBSITE DICT2

Reinforcing digital trust through Google Cloud Cybershield TM and multi-agency collaboration

To bolster the security of the Philippines’ digital landscape, the DICT Cybersecurity Bureau has established a cross-agency cyber defense alliance with support from Google Cloud.

At the National Security Operations Center (NSOC), the alliance has deployed Google Cloud Cybershield, which provides AI and intel-driven cyber defense at national scale with tailored and applied threat intelligence, Gemini-assisted security operations, and specialized Mandiant expertise. Security teams from 56 government agencies have been onboarded and trained to leverage the Cybershield solution, with a total of 90 agencies to be onboarded by end-June 2026.

This initiative enables centralized monitoring of security events across public sector entities and a more coordinated, streamlined response to evolving cyber threats targeting the government’s digital ecosystem and critical national infrastructure. This national defense architecture is also being used to secure the digital operations of the ongoing ASEAN Summits hosted by the Philippines from April to November 2026. By activating this multi-agency operational framework, public sector cybersecurity teams are equipped with the native capability to better detect, triage, investigate, and mitigate anomalies before they disrupt essential operations. For everyday citizens, this institutional-grade defense helps safeguard their personal data and interactions with e-government services, while enabling the Philippines' leap into the agentic AI era to be built on a foundation of digital trust.

Jennifer Ligones, Country Manager, Philippines, Google Cloud, said: “Our collaboration with DICT is designed to democratize the benefits of AI, converting global innovations into localized, conversational public services that reach and serve everyone, and where public servants are empowered to solve complex challenges in minutes rather than months. We’re building a future where best-in-class enterprise AI capabilities and high-speed data pipelines act as public utilities that unlock new job opportunities, protect critical national infrastructure, and help establish the Philippines as a leading digital economy in the Asia Pacific region.”

Supporting DICT’s national connectivity mandate in the AI era

The strategic collaboration between DICT and Google Cloud complements the integration of trans-Pacific subsea cable systems and terrestrial networks, and the deployment of air-laser wireless communications technology to bolster the Philippines digital infrastructure for the agentic AI era.

Aligned with DICT’s National Digital Connectivity Plan (NDCP), Google and the Pacific Connect initiative partners are extending the Taiwan-Philippines-U.S. (TPU) subsea cable system. With next-generation multicore fiber technology, the TPU cable is designed to handle the continuous, high-bandwidth bi-directional streams of data required by AI services including AI agents, while delivering higher total capacity at a more cost-effective rate per bit. This will translate to more affordable cloud connectivity that allows local organizations to tap advanced global AI services and scale their own AI applications into international markets, while unlocking more remote digital jobs for citizens.

Simultaneously, the Apricot subsea cable system serves as a resilient path that bypasses traditional areas of congestion, boosting the Philippines’ national network redundancy while enabling global AI services to remain accessible to local organizations and citizens.

By linking the TPU and Apricot cable systems with local commercial terrestrial networks and the DICT- managed Luzon Bypass Infrastructure (LBI) corridor, a robust ecosystem can be established to circumvent traditional domestic routing bottlenecks. As a result, DICT can channel its network resources toward more Free Wi-Fi for All sites in public schools, hospitals, community centers, and more, while underpinning the reliability and scale of e-government services.

June 22, 2026 0 comment