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| L-R: Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Atty. Jonas Leones; DENR Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla; SM Supermalls Assistant Vice President for Waste Management and Sustainability Solutions and SM GUUN President George Cheung; SM Investments Corporation Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability Timothy Daniels; SM Retail Inc. Vice President for Sustainability Suyin Liu; Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) President Engr. Jess G. Reyes; DENR Assistant Secretary for Environment and concurrent Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Director Jacqueline A. Caancan (Image Source: Philippines Graphic/Department Of Environment And Natural Resources) |
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recognized the SM Group for its support of the Extended Producer Responsibility Program (EPR) that aimed to reduce plastic use, recover plastic packaging, and strengthen on-ground waste systems across its diverse business units. In a recently concluded event last January 30, 2026, the DENR cited SM’s coordinated group approach that went beyond compliance under Republic Act No. 11898, also known as the EPR Law of 2022, particularly in ‘advancing recovery, reduction, innovation, and inclusive circular economy practices that support the national Zero Waste To Nature agenda’.
“This award is a credit to every part of the SM group, and we’re very grateful to receive it. From our retail business, to our banks and logistics companies, they have been reducing their plastic footprints in their packaging and influencing consumer behavior to use less plastic,” said SM Investments Corporation Head of Investor Relations and Sustainability Timothy Daniels. SM’s property arm SM Prime Holdings Inc., through its #SMWasteFreeFuture project, has partnered with Japanese waste processing firm GUUN Co. Ltd. to convert waste back into new materials at their first waste processing factory in Consolacion, Cebu. To further enhance the development of waste conversion, SM has installed RDC-labeled (recyclable, disposable, compostable) bins across various SM properties nationwide. Recyclables, such as bottles, cans, and paper, are sorted and sent to their respective recycling plants. Meanwhile, disposables such as cups, straws, and rags are converted into replacement fuel for cement kilns. Compostables, or food scraps, are converted to landscaping soil within 48 hours. “GUUN is a collaboration across the Group that ensures consumption or waste is not the end of the economic cycle,” said SM GUUN President George Cheung who is also concurrently SM Supermalls’ Assistant Vice President for Waste Management and Sustainability Solutions.
The #SMWasteFreeFuture campaign consolidates various initiatives across SM’s ecosystem of businesses into a centralized system, communicating its commitment to environmental stewardship and championing sustainable communities. Under this initiative, other SM companies such as SM Supermalls continue to lead with its long-running Trash-to-Cash (TTC) monthly recycling market held in SM malls nationwide where customers can exchange recyclables such as paper, plastic, metal or even appliances for cash. TTC facilitates the exchange of over 1.5 million kilograms of recyclables every year. Customers can also find the E-Waste Collection bins in Cyberzone areas and the Plastic Waste Collection vans in 15 malls. In addition, SM Markets, the SM Group’s umbrella brand for SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore, has ushered in greener retail practices in encouraging the use of eco-bags over single-use plastics since 2007. In 2025 alone, SM Markets sold 20.8 million Green Bags, equivalent to around 31.2 million plastic bags avoided. “When we look at plastics, which is a significant problem in the Philippines, we have looked to take quite a range of actions across the group. But what they have in common is that they are very practical, they are commercially viable initiatives, and they all have actual meaningful differences that we make to the plastics problem,” said Daniels.
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Miss Universe Philippines 2026 Makes History With First-Ever Daily Free Fan Voting, Powered By Maya
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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV/Miss Universe Philippines) |
Miss Universe Philippines (MUPh) 2026 raises the bar with the launch of its first-ever daily free fan voting experience powered by Maya, the #1 Digital Bank in the Philippines and Official Voting Partner of MUPh 2026. Through the Maya app, pageant fans can conveniently cast votes for their favorite candidates and receive free votes every day, allowing them to consistently show support throughout the competition. This makes fan participation more accessible and rewarding, enabling more Filipinos to actively take part in the journey to the crown. For the first time ever, fans will also be able to participate in live voting during the coronation night. This marks a significant step forward in making the Miss Universe Philippines experience more interactive, secure, and inclusive.
A More Inclusive Miss Universe Philippines Experience
At the heart of this initiative is greater accessibility and participation. Through this collaboration, pageant fans nationwide can easily engage in the competition via public voting and real-time judging moments. Fans can support their favorite MUPh candidates directly through the Maya app. By upgrading their Maya account, users can unlock access to free daily votes — making it easier to stay engaged and play a more active role in shaping the outcome of the pageant.
Step Into The Judge’s Seat
Public voting through the Maya app will be open for a limited period ahead of coronation night, with the full voting timeline to be announced on the official Miss Universe Philippines social media accounts. As part of this initiative, public votes submitted through the Maya platform will be integrated into the overall selection process, alongside expert evaluation, leading up to the announcement of semifinalists on coronation night. In this way, both expert insight and public participation help shape the final results. Rather than simply watching from afar, Filipinos can now take part in a shared moment of pride, representation, and excitement.
Be Part Of History
As Miss Universe Philippines continues to evolve, this partnership with Maya signals a future where beauty, leadership, and representation are shaped not only by experts, but by the Filipino people themselves. With credibility, accessibility, and public participation at its core, the journey to the crown becomes a truly shared experience.
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Never Bitin! Unli Success With PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid
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| (Image Source: Punto! Central Luzon/PLDT Home) |
Managing internet usage often means balancing data limits with a daily budget. PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid’s new video campaign brings to life a reality that most families deal with and how affordable and unlimited fiber can offer a practical option for home connectivity. PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid’s latest video dubbed “Bitin” reflects a common reality for many Filipino households who rely on volume-capped data for home use. Whether it’s learning new skills, watching online content, or livestreaming from home, PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid highlights in the video how unlimited fiber can remove everyday limits and enable success at home.
PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid lets you enjoy unlimited and reliable internet that’s ideal for multiple device and household use. Because it runs on fiber, the connection is built for shared household activity, supporting multiple devices at once, even for heavy bandwidth activities such as video calls, online classes, streaming, and uploading large files or content. PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid also offers budget flexibility with no monthly bills or long-term lock-in contracts, so users may opt to load only when they need to. In practical terms, a 30-day unlimited fiber load works out to under ₱23.30 a day, a cost level comparable to what many households already budget for recurring data but applied to a dedicated home connection. For ₱999, PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid comes with a device and 30 days of free unlimited fiber with speeds of up to 50 Mbps. Flexible loading options are available at ₱50 for one day, ₱199 for seven days, ₱399 for 15 days, and ₱699 for 30 days. Reloading is easy and accessible via the PLDT Home website, Maya, GCash, SM, and Smart loading partners nationwide.
PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid reinforces a simple message: home internet should keep up with everyday life — without limits, without pressure, and without surprises. Families never have to deal with “bitin” moments at home because PLDT Home Fiber Prepaid delivers unlimited fiber internet with flexible loading solutions.
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Jollibee Group Exceeds EPR Recovery Targets, Receives DENR Recognition
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| Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Hon. Raphael P. M. Lotilla (second from left), congratulates Jollibee Group Vice President and Public Affairs Head Atty. Raul C. Academia who receives the Special Citation on behalf of the Jollibee Group at the Zero Waste To Nature Recognition Awards for exceeding its baseline targets under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. Also in photo are DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas Leones (leftmost); Jollibee Group Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Steve Piczon; Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) President Jess Reyes; and DENR OIC Assistant Secretary for Environment and Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Concurrent Director Hon. Jacqueline Caancan. (Image Source: Jollibee Group/Department Of Environment And Natural Resources - Philippines) |
The Jollibee Group received a Special Citation at the Zero Waste to Nature Recognition Awards, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), for exceeding its baseline targets under the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. The awards program — organized with the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) as organizer partner and technical committee head, in coordination with the National Ecology Center — recognizes obligated enterprises that go beyond regulatory compliance by demonstrating leadership in plastic waste recovery, upstream reduction, innovation, and inclusive circular economy practices.
The Jollibee Group was cited for surpassing its recovery commitments and for implementing additional initiatives in partnership with government agencies. These include the Jollibee x Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) Abot Kamay para sa Laguna de Bay Program and the Jollibee x Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Plastic Waste Recovery and Rewards Program. As of end-2025, these initiatives have collectively recovered 16,223 kilograms of plastic waste. In its citation, the awards body recognized the company’s “consistent progress in Extended Producer Responsibility compliance, supported by strong partnerships with local government units and recovery partners”, noting that its structured programs demonstrate how large-scale food service operations can contribute to strengthening the recycling value chain and advancing national Zero Waste to Nature goals.
The recognition underscores how sustainability, when embedded into core operations, can deliver measurable environmental impact at scale. For the Jollibee Group, these efforts form part of its Joy for Tomorrow sustainability agenda, which integrates environmental stewardship into how the company grows — reinforcing that responsible business expansion and environmental accountability must move forward together.
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Jollibee Surprises Commuters Nationwide With Glowed Up Yumburger
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| (Image Source: Jollibee Group) |
Thousands of commuters at major transport hubs and shopping centers across the Philippines were met with an unexpected treat as Jollibee launched its upgraded iconic Yumburger. The Yumburger now has a bigger beef patty and more dressing, making it more Langhap-Sarap while still priced at ₱45.
From office workers to students, many took the chance to try the improved Yumburger, making their usual trips a little more exciting. Crowds gathered at One Ayala in Makati, The Infinity in Pampanga, Paseo de Santa Rosa in Laguna, Parkmall in Cebu, and Rizal Park in Davao. Jollibee gave away 2,000 free Yumburgers at each location, plus 4,000 vouchers to try an exclusive combo in stores. “Filipino commuters have always loved the Jollibee Yumburger, so we thought this was the perfect way to bring them a little extra joy. Our Yumburger is not just a burger, but a part of Filipino life and cherished memories. With this glow-up, it is more Langhap-Sarap, giving comfort and happiness in every bite while staying affordable for everyone,” said Jollibee Philippines Vice President for Marketing Dorothy Ching.
Adding to the excitement, the Yum mascot delighted commuters at each location, posing for photos, handing out burgers, and energizing the surprise giveaways. Also, Jollibee released a new film featuring the glowed-up Yumburger and encourages customers to share their #GlowUpYUM moments on social media for a chance to be featured on the brand’s official channels. The nationwide activity highlighted Jollibee’s commitment to giving Filipinos more of what they love, making a familiar favorite even better and more enjoyable.
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Maki Announces KOLORCOASTER World Tour
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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Corporation) |
Popular rising OPM singer-songwriter Maki is set to bring the “KOLORCOASTER” concert to the global stage and champion OPM further as he goes on a tour in Singapore, Indonesia, North America, Australia, and New Zealand starting this year. The world tour announcement was made during his full-house, and successful “KOLORCOASTER: One More Ride” concert at the Smart Araneta Coliseum last February 21, 2026 where Maki expressed his commitment to bringing the same high-energy performances that thrilled audiences at his local shows to fans around the world.
“I want to give the same energy here or even better sa iba’t ibang bansa kasi I’m not only representing myself, but also OPM. Nagulat na lang ako no’ng nakita ko yung poster tapos naisip ko, ‘Grabe pupuntahan ko lahat ito?’ When we see things like these happen in OPM, I feel really proud,” said the “Dilaw” hitmaker. The vibrant world of “KOLORCOASTER” Asian tour, presented by Tarsier Records, ABS-CBN Music, ABS-CBN Global, and in partnership with Flabbergast Productions, is set to make its way across Singapore at The Theatre at Mediacorp on June 13 and in Indonesia at Bengkel Space on June 14. Fans can secure tickets and find more details via MakiKolorcoasterTour.myx.global.
Meanwhile, additional tour dates for North America, Australia, and New Zealand will be announced soon. Visit the official social media accounts of Tarsier Records and TFC (The Filipino Channel) for updates. Maki kicked off the “KOLORCOASTER” concert at The Big Dome last November 2025, followed by its Middle East leg where he toured alongside his special guest Yeng Constantino in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar.
