Tropical Transformation: How Bananas Are Fueling Innovation and Empowerment in Southeast Asia

Women in Indonesia’s Penyandingan Village protect customary forests and advance empowerment through banana-based livelihoods.

The mothers of KUPS Anak Belai head to the Ghimbe Pramunan Customary Forest to collect bananas

More than just a global celebration, World Banana Day highlights how Southeast Asia was a pioneer in turning bananas into a tool for innovation and empowerment. In the Philippines, the banana serves as a symbol of resilience and resourcefulness, famously exemplified by Maria Orosa’s wartime invention of banana ketchup.

As global banana production is projected to reach 166 million tons by 2034, growing threats from climate change, crop diseases, and land conversion also rise. Philippine initiatives like the Barangay Calube Farmers Multipurpose Cooperative (BACFA-MPC), which transforms harvests into value-added products such as flour and chips, are one initiative to utilize the banana. 

MDPPA Shares Fuel-Saving Tips for Motorcycle Riders

With fuel prices continuing to rise, the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA) encourages riders to adopt simple habits that can help reduce fuel consumption. Whether you use your motorcycle for daily commuting, business, or weekend leisure, small changes can go a long way in making every gasoline liter count.

Here are seven practical tips to help improve your motorcycle’s fuel efficiency:

1. Ride Smoothly and Steadily

Avoid rapid acceleration and sudden braking. Maintaining a steady speed on open roads and anticipating stops by easing off the throttle early allows the engine to run more efficiently, helping conserve fuel.

DENR Takes the Lead on Philippines' Coastal and Blue Carbon Protection Plan

The National Blue Carbon Action Partnership (NBCAP) Roadmap was formally turned over by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) Philippines to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) during the Philippine Mangrove Conference 2026 held last March 26, 2026. 

According to the DENR, the immediate next step is to convene the Leadership Steering Committee and Technical Working Group in April, followed by formalization through a DENR Administrative Order or Executive Order.

Lenovo Announces Global Partnership with David Beckham

Lenovo today announced a global partnership with David Beckham, bringing together one of the world’s most recognized cultural figures and one of the world’s leading technology companies.  

The collaboration builds on Lenovo’s expanding role in global football, including its position as the Official Technology Partner of FIFA World Cup 2026™ and the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027™.  This first of its kind Lenovo partnership will see David Beckham participating in Lenovo’s work on sports-focused AI-driven solutions that are transforming the game for clubs, players, officials, and fans, specifically related to improving performance for teams, creating better experiences for fans, enabling more efficient operations, and driving new revenue streams through AI-driven innovation.

As someone who runs his own businesses, David Beckham brings a perspective that resonates well beyond the pitch. Whether it's the professional managing their day from a single device, the small business owner trying to do more with less, or the enterprise rethinking how entire teams work, David Beckham will help bring to life the idea at the heart of the collaboration: that the right technology, powered by AI, can help anyone operate at their best.

David Beckham will also feature in Lenovo’s upcoming global marketing campaign, due to go live in May, one month before the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.

Philippine Mangrove Conference 2026 Forges Accountable Pathways for Mangrove Conservation and Coastal Resilience

The  Global Mangrove Alliance Philippines and DENR-BMB convened PMC 2026 from March 24–26 in Quezon City, uniting government, science, communities, and the private sector to assess a decade of mangrove commitments and forge accountable pathways for coastal resilience.

The Conference delivered key milestones — the NBCAP Roadmap 2026–2030 under full government stewardship, the Blue Carbon Quantification Protocol as the country's first science-based carbon accounting framework, and the National State of the Coasts 2025 Report — anchoring mangrove conservation in national policy and science.

Pursuit of a more biker-inclusive SM yields Record-breaking 36 wins from DOTr, Mobility Awards

When the pandemic put the country in a standstill, many of the everyday yet vital services Filipinos had access to were revoked—one of which was transportation.

The absence of public transportation due to social distancing effectively limited every household's capability to commute for essentials, and many relied on biking as their lifeline. 

Women Entrepreneurs Shine at SM Supermalls this Women’s Month

Successful Women Strong Network event launched at SM Lanang showcasing women-led MSMEs. L-R: Irene Boey Lin Fong, Chairperson of AWEN Singapore, Toukta Chounramany, Focal Point of AWEN Laos, Rhoda Caliwaran, Chairperson of WomenBizPH, Maika Nurhayati, Focal Point of AWEN Indonesia, Baby Montemayor, Trustee of Women Biz PH Davao, Mylene Abiva, Trustee of WomenBizPH, Mr. Lin Fong and Russel Aldaba, SAVP for Marketing in Mindanao of SM Supermalls.