Newsletter: PhilSA advances Filipino rocket expertise through hands on training in South Korea

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PhilSA engineers assembling the liquid-fueled sounding rocket in preparation for the test launch in 2027

The Philippines will launch a liquid fueled rocket in 2027, boosting Filipino expertise in rocket development and advancing the country’s launch capabilities as announced by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Newsletter: Globe marks 917 GDay 2026 with over 800 volunteers giving back to communities

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Globe marked GDay 2026 by bringing its people together through shared experiences, appreciation and giving back. Through 917 Globe of Good, more than 800 employee volunteers shared their time and skills with communities, while employees pledged over ₱2 million to support the initiative.

Newsletter: Ateneo researchers ask: Can AI help bridge the public health gap?

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Danika Geronimo, Ateneo Research Communications

An AI-assisted chest x-ray highlighting areas for further review. Ateneo medical experts are looking into whether new imaging technologies could offer a cost-effective approach to TB screening for patients. The findings have significant implications on broader public healthcare delivery, particularly with regard to the accessibility and cost-efficiency of similar AI-assisted healthcare solutions.

PHOTO: Chiu et al., 2026

In the Philippines, public healthcare remains inaccessible to many due to a variety of factors, including the high cost and limited availability of medical experts.

A new study by Ateneo researchers explores how artificial intelligence (AI) can help address this gap by looking at the cost-effectiveness of AI-assisted chest radiograph (X-ray) interpretation.

This is particularly vital for people with tuberculosis (TB), as finding the disease early can mean receiving the care they need before it becomes severe and causes irreversible damage. According to the World Health Organization, in 2024 alone an estimated 739,000 people in the Philippines developed tuberculosis, accounting for 6.8% of the 10.8 million TB cases worldwide. 

As with most other diseases, early detection is essential. In geographically isolated or disadvantaged communities and rural health units, even if a patient is lucky enough to have an X-ray taken, waiting for a radiologist or teleradiology services to interpret it may take a long time. For some, that wait can mean another trip to a health facility, additional expenses, time away from work, or a missed opportunity for continued care.

Dr. Harold Chiu, Dr. Bryan Lao, and Dr. Gloanne Adolor developed a decision-analytic model based on a theoretical annual cohort of 1,000 presumptive TB patients undergoing chest radiography in rural health units. The analysis considered costs and outcomes over five years, including AI software and operating expenses, radiologist reading fees, and confirmatory GeneXpert testing.

Based on the study’s model-based projections, the AI-assisted strategy would entail an estimated annual cost of Php 877,330, compared with Php 1.14 million for manual interpretation. Divided across the 1,000 individuals screened, this translated to about Php 877 per person with AI-assisted interpretation, versus about Php 1,142 per person using manual interpretation. The use of AI promised to be economical.

Accessibility beyond efficiency

But the researchers suggest that the significance of AI goes beyond its capability to read an X-ray efficiently.

“For resource-constrained communities, the most important question is therefore not whether AI can outperform or assist an expert reader, but whether it can extend expert-level support to places where expertise is scarce in a way that is affordable, sustainable, and equitable,” the researchers said.

The researchers note that, if properly integrated into existing TB programs through portable digital X-rays and systems that can operate with limited connectivity, AI could help bring TB screening closer to underserved communities. 

The goal, they emphasize, should not be to introduce another high-tech tool into healthcare, but to narrow existing geographic disparities.

Importance of local conditions

However, the findings also highlight the importance of local conditions. When a lower manual or teleradiology reading fee was used, or when diagnostic performance estimates from a Philippine scenario were applied, AI remained more effective but was no longer necessarily cost-saving.

The study is based on a theoretical cohort and assumptions about costs and diagnostic accuracy, while AI-assisted findings would still require confirmatory testing. Rather than immediate nationwide adoption, the researchers recommend starting with targeted pilot implementation in underserved rural health units, alongside local validation, quality assurance, monitoring, and budget assessment.

For a country that carries a significant share of the world’s tuberculosis burden and struggles to provide universal healthcare to its citizens, the question may ultimately be less about bringing the newest technology into healthcare and more about where that technology can help deliver expertise to meet the realities of people with the least access to it.

SOURCE: https://archium.ateneo.edu/gsb-pubs/87/ 

Harold Henrison Chiu, Bryan Christopher Lao, and Gloanne C. Adolor published their research, Cost-effectiveness evaluation of artificial intelligence-assisted chest radiograph interpretation for tuberculosis screening in rural health units in the Philippines, in the August 2026 issue of the BMC Health Services Research journal.

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Newsletter: Your friendly 7 Evelyn sari-sari store as invisible community pharmacy

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Danika Geronimo, Ateneo Research Communications

Medicine should never feel out of reach. Yet for many Filipinos, a trip to the pharmacy can mean literally crossing mountains and streams for a handful of tablets. So sometimes, they go to the sari-sari store near them. And sometimes still, they can only afford one or two tablets.

In a remote sitio in Barangay Kalawakan, Bulacan, getting to the nearest pharmacy can mean traveling almost a dozen kilometers without public transportation. A single trip to town can cost more than ₱400 one way. For some, the only alternative is to walk—a trek that takes well over an hour, even in good weather.

Common medicines, including paracetamol, flanax, alaxan, and bioflu, are sorted into individual trays at a sari-sari store, where customers can purchase them in small quantities to meet their immediate needs. PHOTO: Prieto, 2026

A new study by Ateneo researchers explores sari-sari stores as potential points of access to medicine and healthcare, leveraging their ubiquity and accessibility within local communities.

Most of the medicines sold by the tinderas or sari-sari store owners in the study were for what they considered common illnesses: headaches, diarrhea, fever, colds, and stomachaches. These included familiar over-the-counter medicines like paracetamol, mefenamic acid, ibuprofen, and loperamide. They generally stocked non-prescription medicines, often selling them in small quantities.

So familiar, it’s almost invisible

Such a scene is ordinary enough to be almost invisible: a neighbor walks up to the nearest sari-sari store; asks the tindera for a few tablets; purchases piecemeal or tingi-tingi; then goes home. Yet behind this familiar transaction is a larger story of proximity, affordability, and the gaps between communities and formal healthcare.  

“The sari-sari store, as a venue to observe interactions between the consumers, the government, and the medical and pharmaceutical world, shows us its social, political, and economic relevance,” the researchers write.

The study draws on ethnographic insights from interviews with 14 sari-sari store tinderas. The findings show that distance is a major factor in why some store owners choose to sell medicines: in communities without nearby pharmacies, keeping common medicines within reach can save residents the cost and time of traveling to town. The same is true of store hours: one tindera said that they kept the store open until midnight, making medicines available even after a nearby pharmacy had closed for the day.

Tinderas, serving as the eyes and ears of their communities, repeatedly encounter the people in those communities. They learn which medicines people ask for, what they can afford, and what their neighborhoods tend to need. Some began selling medicines after noticing demand from the people around them. They adapt to the communities they serve.

The value and boundaries of proximity

“Sari-sari stores bring valued ‘things’ in close proximity to the people who look to them for healing and comfort,” the researchers explained.

This is where the sari-sari store becomes more than just a place to buy medicine. Embedded in everyday Filipino life, sari-sari stores reveal how people rely on informal systems of care alongside formal institutions.

Yet the study also reveals the boundaries of the services these sari-sari stores offer. Tinderas do not see themselves as doctors or pharmacists; 11 of the 14 simply refuse to sell antibiotics and other prescription medicines, advising customers to directly seek care from healthcare professionals when necessary.

Viewed through the lens of the sari-sari stores as a community “myopticon”—a place where the health needs of a neighborhood become visible through everyday interactions—the study raises questions about who is close enough to notice when people need medicine, who can make it available, and who is there when formal healthcare is beyond reach.

Complementary services to institutional healthcare

There is another boundary: the law.

“Strictly speaking, the sale of pharmaceuticals through sari-sari stores is illegal, unless the outlet is duly licensed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There are, however, layers of liminalities, such as due considerations for geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs) and medicines not captured in the FDA circular,” the researchers clarify.

The researchers approach the issue through a medical anthropology lens and recommend against blanket prohibitions and punitive measures. They argue that policies should account for the economic and geographical barriers that shape access to medicine. 

“We see the value in recognizing the role of sari-sari stores in the health system, as well as in accounting for economic and geographical barriers before imposing top-down prohibitions,” the researchers say.

Sari-sari stores are neither replacements for pharmacies nor substitutes for the country’s healthcare system. The sari-sari store does not stand outside nor simply beside the healthcare system: it occupies an ambiguous but necessary liminal space between the household and formal institutions—a place shaped by poverty, distance, convenience, trust, and necessity.

Perhaps sari-sari stores tell us what happens when the system is too far away, too costly, or simply unavailable to those who need it.

Melissa Louise M. Prieto, Gamaliel P. Galigao, Ana Rica S. Navarra-Cruz, Louise Gabriel R. Jimenez, and Gideon Lasco published their research, Sari-sari Stores as Community Pharmacies? A Qualitative Exploration of Sari-sari Stores Selling Medicines in the Philippines, in the August 2026 issue of the Acta Medica Philippina journal.

SOURCE: https://archium.ateneo.edu/medical-anthropology/1/ 

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Newsletter: PhilSA strengthens space ecosystem, enhances space data capabilities of businesses through innovation camp

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The Space Business Innovation Camp 2026 panel discussion during the Philippine Space Week in August brought together experts from the government, industry, and startup sectors to explore opportunities for using space data to address real-world challenges and create new business ventures.

The Philippine Space Agency (PhilSA) is expanding its efforts to develop the country’s space economy by helping businesses build capabilities to use satellite-derived data, develop space-enabled solutions, and explore opportunities.

Newsletter: Sony Music Philippines leads 39th Awit Awards with 11 major wins

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Sony Music Philippines dominated the 39th Awit Awards, taking home eleven (11) honors across major categories.

Newsletter: Celebrity authors, diverse titles draw thousands to Ateneo MIBF 2026 booth

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Danika Geronimo, Ateneo Research Communications

On the opening day alone, the Ateneo booth welcomed hundreds of visitors to the MIBF. 

PHOTO: OAVP-RCWI, 2026

Ateneo de Manila University’s participation in the 2026 Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) brought together thousands of readers, authors, and members of the Ateneo community from all over the globe in celebration of books and ideas—as well as the people who bring these both to life.

Newsletter: 1 million trees for Cebu: Aboitiz, GCash team up

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From Left: Aboitiz Foundation impact lead for climate action Fred Dalumpines, president Ginggay Hontiveros-Malvar, Mynt head of corporate sustainability and communications Michelle Fernandez, and impact innovations product manager Luis Arboleda

Aboitiz Foundation and GCash are joining forces to restore 1,200 hectares of forest and coastal areas in Balamban, Cebu through the CarbonPH x GForest Project, a five-year initiative that aims to plant and grow one million trees while restoring ecosystems, supporting communities, and strengthening climate resilience.

Newsletter: AXEAN Festival 2026 draws record crowd, strengthens Southeast Asia’s music connections

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AXEAN Festival 2026 wrapped up its latest edition with a strong finish, serving consistency and growth for Southeast Asia’s first intra-regional music showcase and conference festival. Taking place at Jimbaran Hub in Bali for the third time in a row, the Bali-based annual festival brought together a formidable mix of artists, music professionals, delegates, and audiences in a setting designed to foster exchange beyond the traditional conference. More than 4,000 attendees came over the three-day run (including private events), nearly double last year's attendance.

 

The positive response from audiences and international delegates reflected the festival’s astoundingly diverse reach. According to Piyapong Muenprasertdee (also known as Py), co-founder and co-team leader of AXEAN Festival, one of the most vital measures of AXEAN’s success was seeing audiences move freely among genres and cultures.

 

“I love seeing people enjoy music regardless of genre, style, or language,” Py says. “At AXEAN someone might be moshing in a pit one minute and joining a dangdut ring dance the next, which is exactly what happened this year.”

 

He also emphasized that the festival’s continued presence in Bali has been instrumental to its identity and growth. “Firstly, we had more popular Indonesian artists grace the stage, which attracted a bigger local audience compared to last year,” Py shares. “Secondly, the creative communities here. Through our Bali-based correspondent, Chika, we partnered with Craft Hotel, a new hotel and art gallery in Ubud, and Amplitude, a skate park in Seminyak, to organize pre-event activities, including panel discussions with people from the scene and live music from Balinese artists.”

 

This year’s edition took pride in its solidified relevance as a platform for discovering, connecting, and championing music from Southeast Asia and beyond. The community-driven spirit in the AXEAN Festival was evident during the performance of Indonesian headliner Ndarboy Genk, whose dangdut, koplo, and Javanese pop repertoire brought audiences together in a communal dance. “That is what we built AXEAN for,” Py adds.

 

AXEAN’s conference and networking initiatives also proved to be vital in this year’s offerings, upholding its vision to amplify global and synergistic connections through speed meetings, pitching sessions, and panel discussions. The festival enabled participation from industry folks who might otherwise never find themselves in the same conversation. Partner activities included brunches hosted by Sounds Australia, programming by Korea Spotlight by the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA), and initiatives involving France’s Center national de la musique (CNM).

 

At the core of its mission, the festival recognized the importance of building spaces for organic, in-person connections. A VIP lounge supported by The Orchard and the closing after-party gave artists and delegates opportunities to connect outside formal meetings.

 

Beyond the artist- and industry-centered programming, one of the festival’s foremost highlights is the partnership with KEXP, which marked the Seattle-based music platform’s first-ever presence in Asia. AXEAN became KEXP’s first Asian festival partner for its Live at KEXP program, with twelve performances by Southeast Asian artists filmed and recorded in two Bali locations: Locca Sea House and Puri Bhagawan.

 

“Both sit on the Jimbaran cliffs above the sea, and both are run by Jimbaran Hijau, who also run Jimbaran Hub — the grounds where the festival and conference are held,” Py explains in a press statement. “KEXP reaches an international audience that Southeast Asian artists rarely get in front of. This time, twelve of them are now in it.”

 

While the program structure remained consistent with previous editions, AXEAN Festival enhanced the overall experience for attendees with a Southeast Asian street food hawker center and an arts and crafts area to engage younger attendees and families. Thanks to festival partners Tunecore and Empire, AXEAN Festival mounted a seamless three-stage setup ideal for attendees looking for music across different backgrounds and disciplines.

 

Next year’s edition intends to build on these gains while gearing towards AXEAN’s bigger purpose: promoting Southeast Asian music and bolstering its presence within the wider Asian music ecosystem. By keeping its place on the regional calendar and collaborating with complementary events across Asia, including a songwriting camp post-festival, AXEAN promises to make music discovery and export a top priority, just like in previous years, but more purposeful and intentional than ever.

 

“Our long-term vision is to raise the Southeast Asian music ecosystem and strengthen its place within the wider Asian one,” Py says, summarizing the goal.

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Newsletter: Australian Rocker Keith Holland Sends A Ghost Train Through The Afterlife On New Single "Get on Board"

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Corowa, New South Wales based singer-songwriter Keith Holland releases "Get on Board," the second single from his upcoming sophomore album, 'Castles in the Sand,' arriving this September. Where lead single "Life" wrestled with the meaning of existence in the abstract, "Get on Board" tells an actual story, a fever dream about a ghostly train, an old conductor, and a passenger who learns his time has not yet come.

Newsletter: NIKON ANNOUNCES NEXT PHASE OF THE 2026 NIKON TOUR, BRINGING IMMERSIVE CREATOR EXPERIENCES TO FIVE NEW U.S. CITIES

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Nikon announced the second half of the 2026 Nikon Tour, bringing its creator-focused programming to five additional cities across the U.S. this fall. Beginning September 25th, the Nikon Tour will roll into Dallas, followed by Nashville, Baltimore/Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Boston.

Newsletter: ALPHA CENTAURI Arrives As Hip-Hop's Next Rising Star With Debut Album 'The Future Right Now'

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After five years of work, six singles, and a rollout that has steadily built him into one of the most electrifying new voices on the West Coast, ALPHA CENTAURI is here with his full debut album, 'The Future Right Now,' out now via Rogue Planet. "Never Be," "Grow," "Get Your Money Up," "I'll Fly," "Higher Up" and "We Rise" each landed with their own moment in the spotlight. The ten-track album is a genre blending, funk soaked, Afrobeat charged, jazz-tinged hip-hop statement recorded entirely live off the floor with his eight-piece band.

Newsletter: Fresh Business Ventures Returns to Philippines as Private Wealth Interest Grows

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Fresh Business Ventures Ltd is returning to the Philippines in October, with CEO Ray Leary set to visit Manila, Davao and Cebu amid growing interest from Filipino families and business owners in international wealth protection, succession planning and long-term financial structuring. The visit follows FBV’s growing engagement in the region since Leary’s first Philippines visit in 2025.

Newsletter: Rol3ert Confirms Debut Album “meet me in my head,” Out October 21, and Reveals Cross-Border Collaboration with UK’s King No-One

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Japanese singer-songwriter Rol3ert has announced his debut full-length album, “meet me in my head,” arriving October 21, surprising fans by revealing the news live on stage at SUMMER SONIC 2026 TOKYO. The album marks his first-ever release on CD, alongside digital formats. The reveal capped a milestone summer that saw Rol3ert take the stage at both SUMMER SONIC 2026 TOKYO and OSAKA, delivering a 30-minute, full-band set in Tokyo on August 14 before dropping the album news at the very end of the show.

Newsletter: Pag-IBIG Fund and PHILERGY German Solar Join Forces to Make Premium Solar More Accessible to Filipino Families

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Pag-IBIG Fund and PHILERGY German Solar have officially joined forces to bring the benefits of solar energy closer to Filipino families through the Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card Program. The partnership was formally marked through a signing ceremony between Pag-IBIG Fund and PHILERGY German Solar last September 9, 2026, opening access for eligible Pag-IBIG Loyalty Card holders in NCR to exclusive discounts on selected PHILERGY solar packages and services.

Newsletter: Cebu-Based Dr. Donna Borres Eramis Advocates for Better Patient Education Before Cosmetic Surgery

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For Dr. Donna Borres Eramis, founder of D’Sculpt Face & Body Center, cosmetic surgery should begin with understanding the process—not simply choosing a procedure.

As cosmetic surgery information becomes increasingly accessible online, patients can arrive at consultations already familiar with procedure names, before-and-after photos, and aesthetic trends. But Dr. Donna emphasizes that knowing about a procedure is different from knowing whether it is appropriate for an individual patient.

Newsletter: Palmetto Publishing Releases David Cook's Coming-of-Age Novel About a Boy Sent to Military School in 1964

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Debut literary novel The Humming Boy, newly published by Palmetto Publishing, traces a twelve-year-old's struggle with family fracture and identity in mid-century Minnesota.

Newsletter: AFTER 2049 Confirms Headliners Claptone and Crusy for Singapore Grand Prix Weekend Kickoff

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TOKEN2049, the world's largest digital assets conference series, announced the line-up for AFTER 2049, the official closing event of this year's Singapore edition. Global house icon Claptone headlines, joined by Madrid's Crusy. Taking place on 9 October 2026 at the Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Observation Deck, the night's lineup is completed by returning acts ANONM and Hong Kong's Leon (FR), along with Milam and Mo-Shi.

Newsletter: SSS-CLASS REVIVAL HUNTER ANIME ADAPTATION ANNOUNCED FOR JANUARY 2027

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The climb begins. The popular Korean webcomic and web novel SSS-Class Revival Hunter is officially receiving an anime adaptation. The series will premiere in January 2027 and stream on Crunchyroll worldwide, excluding Asia, with availability in the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaysia. 

Newsletter: Filipino Child Singer Kara Lopez Performs Original Songs for Little Elara: The Butterfly Feeling

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 Young Filipino singer Kara Lopez is bringing her voice to Little Elara: The Butterfly Feeling, performing two original songs created specifically for the newest installment of the Little Elara series, a bedtime storytelling project created for mothers and their young daughters.