Carmel Pedroza

Asa ang pinakalami nga lechon sa Sugbo?

LOOK: Ten cities and municipalities across Cebu will bring their signature lechon recipes and time-honored roasting traditions to one venue as the Cebu Lechon Festival celebrates its 10th anniversary at The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City.

From Aug. 6 to 31, festivalgoers can sample hometown lechon specialties, watch culinary competitions, enjoy a month-long food fair, and experience why Cebu remains the country's lechon capital.

The celebration also pays tribute to the local lechoneros, family recipes, and communities that have preserved this iconic Cebuano tradition for generations. | Carmel Pedroza

China Consulate cites tourism, trade gains in first half of 2026

The Chinese Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Cebu highlighted stronger tourism, expanding trade, and growing Cebu-China partnerships as key accomplishments for the first half of 2026 during its Mid-Year Media Briefing on Monday, July 13, 2026.

According to Consul General Zhang Zhen, Chinese tourist arrivals in the Philippines rose by 63% from January to May, driven by the Philippines' visa-free policy and the return of direct flights by Chinese carriers.

Filipino travel to China also increased by nearly 20% from January to March.

The consulate also underscored China's position as the Philippines' largest trading partner for the past 10 years, with bilateral trade in 2025 growing by 12.9% year on year.

Cooperation in renewable energy, power, telecommunications, and agriculture continues to advance, alongside stronger local exchanges with Cebu.

Recent initiatives include Cebu's delegation to Fujian Province, firefighter training in Sanming City, youth exchanges in Guangxi, and an upcoming medical outreach by Fujian Traditional Chinese Medical University at Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center on July 23–25.

AscentHR bolsters multi-country payroll, compliance capabilities for PH businesses through acquisition of OS HRS

Manila, Philippines – AscentHR, a leading provider of HR technology, payroll, compliance, and workforce solutions, has announced the strategic acquisition of OS HRS, a trusted APAC-focused payroll outsourcing provider with over two decades of multi-country payroll delivery experience.

The acquisition was completed through a single-stage transaction under which AscentHR acquired 100% of the equity share capital of OS-HRS Malaysia, OS-HRS Japan, and OS-HRS India from BREXA Inc. (formerly Outsourcing Inc.), Tokyo, Japan. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

The merging of the two organizations strengthens the ability to serve customers operating in and from the Philippines. This latest movement will see the integration of a regional team of over 140 additional payroll and HR professionals into AscentHR's ecosystem, expanding its footprint across key markets including Japan, China, Malaysia, Korea, Singapore, and India. This also enables the introduction of two major regional delivery capabilities through Malaysia and Japan to complement existing local operations, further cementing its regional presence.

This enhanced network addresses the unique needs of the Philippine market by allowing global organizations operating in the Philippines to seamlessly navigate the country’s intricate local tax and statutory regulations, while simultaneously empowering Philippine-headquartered companies to expand overseas using a single regional partner.

"This marks an important milestone in AscentHR's vision of building a leading regional payroll and workforce solutions platform. The Philippines continues to be an important market within our regional strategy. With OS HRS becoming part of AscentHR, we are combining trusted local expertise with broader regional capabilities, enabling us to deliver greater value to customers while creating new opportunities for our employees. We look forward to supporting organizations in the Philippines with a stronger regional delivery network," said Subramanyam Sreenivasaiah, Founder & CEO of AscentHR.

While AscentHR’s immediate priority remains ensuring business continuity for existing customers, the combined organization will progressively roll out a broader portfolio of payroll, advanced HR technology, compliance, and workforce solutions to the markets it’s servicing, including the Philippines. Backed by AscentHR’s continuous investments in product innovation, including AI-enabled capabilities, analytics, automation, and rigorous information security, local businesses will gain access to a highly scalable platform for future technology enhancements.

Through a unified regional delivery model, the combined organization will offer Philippine and multinational enterprises key services, including deep local compliance expertise backed by in-country specialists, advanced HR technology and enterprise platform integration, faster onboarding and implementation timelines for regional payroll programs, and localized support with its responsive customer service equipped with native-language support across jurisdictions.

The integration of operations will be carried out in phases to ensure seamless continuity for all current clients, employees, and partners across the region.

AscentHR says it expects to create additional opportunities across its delivery network as it continues to grow its regional foothold. Looking ahead, AscentHR will continue to provide Philippine-headquartered organizations the capability to expand across APAC and the Middle East through its established delivery capabilities, enabling them to work with a single regional partner while ensuring local compliance in every country of operation. | PR

LOOK: Snapshots from Mandaue City today show students of Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School heading home after classes were suspended due to ashfall from the Kanlaon Volcano eruption.

Students were seen wearing face masks as a precautionary measure against the volcanic ash.

Mactan-Cebu International Airport Becomes First PH Airport to Join ACI Regional Operational Safety Committee

Cebu, Philippines – Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) has become the first airport in the Philippines to join the Asia Pacific and Middle East Regional Operational Safety Committee (ROSC) of Airports Council International (ACI), strengthening its commitment to operational excellence and alignment with international aviation best practices.

MCIA's participation in the committee places the airport alongside leading gateways across Asia Pacific and the Middle East in advancing regional safety initiatives, sharing operational insights, and contributing to strategies that enhance aviation safety and resilience.

The achievement reflects MCIA's continued efforts to maintain world-class airport operations while supporting the Philippines' growing role as a regional aviation and tourism hub.

For airline partners, the membership provides an avenue for closer collaboration on emerging operational challenges, safety priorities, and industry developments, while enabling MCIA to benchmark its practices against some of the region's most progressive airports.

For travelers, participation in the ROSC supports MCIA's pursuit of safer, more efficient, and seamless airport experiences, underpinned by internationally recognized standards and continuous improvement.

As one of the Philippines' leading international gateways, MCIA continues to invest in initiatives that enhance operational reliability, strengthen passenger confidence, and support the long-term growth of air connectivity in the region. | PR

📸 Aboitiz InfraCapital

Thursday Muse | Heritage Editorial Tribute

Before "Filipino design" became a global conversation, Edith L. Oliveros was already shaping it.

A pioneer of Philippine interior design, Oliveros helped establish the Philippine School of Interior Design and mentored generations of designers to embrace a distinctly Filipino aesthetic—one rooted in craftsmanship, indigenous materials, and cultural identity.

Her work on landmark projects, including the interiors of the Admiral Hotel and the restoration of the Metropolitan Theater, demonstrated that world-class design could celebrate local artistry without compromise.

Today, her legacy lives on in every designer who chooses rattan over replicas, capiz over convention, and Filipino craftsmanship over fleeting trends.

Sources

Philippine Daily Inquirer – Filipina Pioneers of Design
Philippine School of Interior Design (50th Anniversary)
Philippine Institute of Interior Designers – History

Disclaimer: Images used in the illustration are AI-generated