School in Baguio wins international award for organic farming

Baguio school wins Asia award for organic farming program

GMA Integrated News 
08 August 2025

The Happy Hollow National High School (HHNHS) in Baguio City won the 2025 AIA Outstanding Healthy Eating Award for its organic farming initiative. 

The Department of Education (DepEd) recognized the school as a model for how educational institutions can support the government’s food security and sustainability agenda.

The award honors schools in Asia that excel in promoting healthy lifestyles, active living, and environmental responsibility. 

Happy Hollow NHS was cited for its flagship program, Project O.R.G.A.N.I.C. (Offering Resources of Growing Agri-product and Nutrition in Community), and received US$15,000 (about P840,000) in prize money.

Designated as a farm school by DepEd in 2024, the Baguio-based school trains students in organic agriculture and sustainable food production while encouraging healthy eating and waste reduction. The program has taught 168 Grade 12 students under the Organic Agriculture Production (OAP) strand to grow mustard greens using organic methods and recycled materials.

Teacher Aries Busacay said the program aims to help students “live happier and healthier,” while involving the community in agricultural activities. Older students mentor younger batches, with support from barangay officials, nutritionists, and parents through backyard gardening, feeding programs using school-grown produce, planting and harvesting workshops, and nutrition seminars. Participants also prepare for TESDA NC II certification to enhance job opportunities.

DepEd said the program has contributed to lower malnutrition rates based on body mass index data, improved student engagement, and fostered a stronger culture of sustainability in the community.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative shows what can be achieved when schools, parents, and local communities collaborate. 

"Patunay itong Project O.R.G.A.N.I.C. na kapag nagtulungan ang paaralan, magulang, at komunidad, kayang buhayin ang tradisyon ng agrikultura at sabay nating mapaunlad ang kalusugan at kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” he said.

(Project O.R.G.A.N.I.C. proves that when schools, parents, and the community work together, we can keep the tradition of agriculture alive while improving the health and future of our children.) 

The farm school concept is anchored on Republic Act No. 10618 or the Rural Farm Schools Act, authored by the late Senator Edgardo J. Angara. Under the current leadership of Sec. Angara, there are now 156 farm schools across eight regions offering agricultural training, technical skills, and entrepreneurship education.

Happy Hollow NHS topped 15 other schools from across the Asia-Pacific region, including entries from Australia, Hong Kong, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. —Sherylin Untalan/KG, GMA Integrated News

Philippine GDP grows 5.5% in 2nd Quarter of 2025

 PH economy expanded by 5.5% in Q2 2025 — PSA

Ted Cordero
GMA Integrated News
07 August 2025

The Philippine economy grew marginally quarter-on-quarter in the second quarter of 2025 amid the growth seen in services, agriculture, and industry sectors, and posted a deceleration from the same period last year, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) — the value of goods and services produced in a period — grew slightly faster by 5.5% in the April to June 2025 compared to the 5.4% growth seen in the January to March 2025 period, PSA chief and National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa reported at a press conference in Quezon City on Thursday.

The second quarter GDP growth was the fastest in four quarters, however, it was still slower than the 6.5% growth rate in the same period in 2024.

All major economic sectors posted annual growth during the quarter — agriculture, forestry, and fishing with 7.0%, industry with 2.1%, and services with 6.9%.

The PSA attributed the year-on-year growth to wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles with 5.1%; public administration and defense, and compulsory social security with 12.8%; and financial and insurance activities with 5.6%.

Fixed capital investments climbed 2.6%, led by private construction which grew 11.2%, and investments in durable equipment up 10.6%.

Government spending posted an 8.7% growth rate during the quarter, slower than the 18.7% seen in the first quarter, which Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DepDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan attributed to the election spending ban.

“We expect to maintain that momentum in the spending side. I think that the next half, the second half of the year, you should see improvements in the construction, public construction spending,” he said in a briefing.

While the election spending ban hit government spending, officials said the campaigns boosted household spending which grew by 9.5%, faster than the 5.29% in the previous quarter, and the 5.4% in the second quarter of 2024.

Exports increased by 4.4%, outpacing import growth of 2.9%. Merchandise exports rose by 13.6%, driven by semiconductors which posted a 10.8% increase.

Services exports, however, declined by 4.2%, which Balisacan attributed to the global uncertainties.

“Possibly following the overall state of the global economy in the recent months, we saw deceleration. That uncertainty that people have been talking about, uncertainty in the trade sector, including trade and services,” he said.

The country’s economic team has set a 5.5% to 6.5% target for the full-year 2025, which Balisacan said is just around the corner for the lower band, and still feasible for the upper band.

“What we need to achieve for the rest of the year is 5.6% to achieve the lower limit of the range of 5.5%. That’s already just around the corner, so to speak, but I think we’ll do better in the second half. I’m confident that inflation has gone down quite substantially and the past reductions in the policy rates are beginning to be felt,” Balisacan said.

Inflation eased to 0.9% in July, the slowest in nearly six years, mainly due to the slower increases in prices of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels.

Analysts believe this will give the Monetary Board of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) room for more policy rate cuts. BSP Governor Eli Remolona Jr. has hinted at two more cuts this year, following the 25-basis-point rate cut in June.

For the upper end of 6.5%, the Philippine economy will have to grow by 7.5% in the second half, which Balisacan said would still be feasible.

“7.5% is high, but it’s not impossible. I think that if we see continuing, for example, improvement in the confidence of our consumers and our domestic investors and the economy, we should see a greater growth, higher growth in both consumption and investment, and the services,” he said. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

Filipino-Americans rising up the ranks of stardom

Talented stars who are proudly Filipino American

StarsInsider
07 August 2025

Day by day, Hollywood becomes an increasingly diverse place, embracing stars from all sorts of different backgrounds. While Asian Americans are slowly taking center stage, a smaller group of Filipino Americans have been rising up the ranks of stardom, making the Philippines proud.

From singers to actors, TV hosts to comedians, see some incredibly talented Filipino-American celebrities.

H.E.R.

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Oscar and Grammy winner H.E.R. is a biracial Black and Filipina musician and singer-songwriter.

Hailee Steinfeld

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The actress and singer has a maternal grandfather who was half Filipino (from Panglao, Bohol) and half African-American.

Lou Diamond Phillips

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The actor and director, who famously starred as Ritchie Valens in the biopic 'La Bamba,' was born to a Filipina mother, but he's played more roles in other ethnicities (Mexican, Native American, Chilean, Inuit) than Filipino American.

Cassie

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The singer, model, actress, and dancer, who dominated the '00s with R&B songs, was born to a Filipino father.

Dominic Fike

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The musician and actor, who made his acting debut on 'Euphoria,' is of African-American, Filipino, and Haitian descent.

Nicole Scherzinger

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Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to a father of Filipino descent and a Native Hawaiian and Ukrainian mother, Nicole Scherzinger is famously known as the lead singer of The Pussycat Dolls.

Darren Criss

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The actor famous for his role on 'Glee' is actually half Filipino. His mother was born in Cebu City in the Philippines.

Tia Carrere

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The actress, singer, and former model, who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera 'General Hospital,' and later in 'Wayne's World' (1992), is Hawaiian and Filipino, but the first time she played a Filipino role was in the 2022 comedy 'Easter Sunday.'

Jo Koy

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Famed stand-up comedian and actor Jo Koy, who was a frequent panelist on 'Chelsea Lately,' loves to crack jokes about his Filipina mother. He spearheaded the film 'Easter Sunday,' which was an all-too-rare Hollywood moment for Filipino people.

Vanessa Lachey

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The actress, model, and reality TV show host, who happens to be married to Nick Lachey, was born in Angeles City, Philippines, to an American father and a Filipina mother to whom she's estranged.

Dave Bautista

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The actor and retired professional wrestler, most widely known for his portrayal of Drax the Destroyer in the MCU since 'Guardians of the Galaxy' (2014), is part Filipino, as his father is the son of Filipino immigrants.

Olivia Rodrigo

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The young singer and actress, who got her start on Disney with 'Bizaardvark' and 'High School Musical: The Musical: The Series' and later took the world by storm with her angsty songs, has a Filipino father and a mother with German and Irish ancestry.

apl.de.ap

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Apl.de.ap, real name Allan Pineda Lindo, is a founding member of the world-famous hip-hop group the Black Eyed Peas and was born in the Philippines to a Filipina mother and an African-American father before he was adopted and relocated to LA.

Bruno Mars

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The world-famous singer, producer, musician, and dancer was born to a Filipina mother and a half Puerto-Rican, half Ashkenazi Jewish father.

Vanessa Hudgens

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The actress and singer's mother immigrated to the US from the Philippines—a story which Hudgens says she hopes to one day make a movie about.

Rob Schneider

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The actor, comedian, and 'Saturday Night Live' veteran has a bit of Filipino in him. His grandmother was reportedly a Filipino who married his grandfather, an American Army private, while he was stationed in the Philippines, making his mother Pilar half Filipina.

Shannyn Sossamon

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The actress, who is known for films like 'A Knight's Tale' and '40 Days and 40 Nights,' was born in Honolulu and cites a mix of ethnicities as her heritage, Filipino among them.

Kirk Hammett

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The lead guitarist and a contributing songwriter for Metallica, Kirk Hammett also happens to be Filipino American.

Manila Luzon

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The famed drag queen (who appeared on 'RuPaul's Drag Race' and 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars') is, in addition to being Filipino American, also a recording artist and comedian.

Charlyne Yi

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The nonbinary actor who is best known for their roles in 'Knocked Up' and 'Paper Heart' was born to a mother who was a native of the Philippines and is of both Filipino and Spanish descent.

Sharon Leal

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The actress, whose mother is Filipino and whose father was an American military policeman, is best known for her stunning part in 'Dreamgirls' and more recently could be seen on 'Supergirl.'

Lalaine Vergara-Paras

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Lalaine Vergara-Paras found fame early as Hilary Duff's co-star on 'Lizzie McGuire,' but while Vergara-Paras' character was supposed to be of Mexican descent (Miranda Sanchez), her parents are actually Filipino.

Mark Dacascos

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The actor, martial artist, and television personality—best known as "The Chairman" on Food Network's 'Iron Chef America'—was born in Hawaii to a father of whose parents originated from the Philippines and were of Chinese, Filipino and Spanish ancestry, meanwhile his mother reportedly is of Irish and Japanese ancestry.

Mike Inez

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The famed bassist of rock band Alice in Chains was born to a Filipina mother who immigrated to the US from Manila.

Robert Lopez

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The songwriter who notably co-created 'The Book of Mormon' and 'Avenue Q,' and who's famed for co-writing the songs featured in 'Frozen' and 'Coco' with his wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, was born and raised in New York to Filipino-American parents.

Dean Devlin

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The screenwriter and producer of famous films including 'Independence Day' (1996) and 'Godzilla' (1998), Dean Devlin was born to a Jewish father and Filipina mother. His series 'Almost Paradise' in 2020 became the first-ever American TV series filmed entirely in the Philippines.

Joey Santiago

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Joey Santiago is a Filipino-American guitarist and composer best known for being the lead guitarist of the iconic alt-rock band the Pixies, whose signature style serves as a major influence in the evolution of alt-rock to this day.

Carlo Biado captures billiard crown anew

Biado dethrones Gorst to win World Pool 9-Ball crown

Niel Victor C. Masoy
Manila Times
27 July 2025

MANILA, Philippines — For a moment there, Filipino cue artist Carlo Biado looked like he was going to find himself on the short end of Russian-American champ Fedor Gorst's fightback.

Trailing early at 0-2 in the race to 15 final of the World Pool Championship (WPC) 9-Ball at the Green Halls in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia early Sunday in Manila, Biado zoomed to a 9-2 lead and stayed in control at 13-9.

Then he scratched the ball off his break in the 23rd rack and it resulted in back-to-back runouts for Gorst, 13-11.

Biado, 41, committed another blunder in the 25th rack, incurring a bad shot after he inadvertently hit the 8-ball first instead of 2 from a tough angle.  

Gorst, 25, pounced on the opportunity and proceeded for another pair of runouts to tie at 13, turning what once looked like a lopsided game into an thrilling match down the stretch.

The momentum shifted in the 27th rack when Gorst got himself a dry break, as Biado turned to his clutch-shot making for a runout to get on the hill and another one for the win, 15-13, and the distinction as the first Filipino player to become a 2-time WPC titlist.

The other Filipino champs were Efren 'Bata' Reyes in 1999, Ronnie Alcano in 2006, and Francisco 'Django' Bustamante in 2010.

"I'm happy because I'm a 2-time world champion now," Biado, who first won the event in 2017, said in an interview with Matchroom Pool. "I could bring this trophy back to the Philippines. I'm so happy a lot of Filipinos were watching and rooting for me (here in the venue)."

Biado added:

"This final is an unforgettable game because Fedor is one of the best players in the world and he's a monster in the table. I'm worried even when I'm leading at 9-2 because if he gets a break, he has a monster break, and that happened today but I'm still focused on the game even when he came back."

Relieved and ecstatic after pocketing the 9-ball in the 28th rack, Biado let out a yell, punched the air multiple times, and climbed to the table top for more celebratory shouting.

Who wouldn't when you make history as the first Filipino player to become a 2-time world champ, when you make $250,000 prize money or more than P14.2 million from it, and when you join the elite list of Earl Strickland, Johnny Archer, Chao Fong-Pang, Thorsten Hohmann and Gorst as multi-time World Pool champions.

Biado defeated compatriot Jefferey Ignacio, Polish Wiktor Zielinski, English Chris Melling, Taiwanese Ko Ping Chung, and another Pinoy player Bernie Regalario in the semifinal before dethroning Gorst in the final.

Gorst made $100,000 or more than P5.7 million as a finalist while Regalario bagged $50,000 or more than P2.8 million like Albanian Kledio Kaci, who lost to Gorst in the other semis bracket Saturday evening.

Filipino educators to receive award in New York

Filipino teacher to receive award in US

Antonio G. Papa
The Manila Times
24 July 2025

BERNADETH Peña, a graduate of Cavite State University (CvSU), will receive the Pre-Kindergarten and Elementary Educator Achieving Child Excellence (Peace) Award of the International Association of Multicultural and Filipino-American Educators (IAM FAME) Inc. on Aug. 22 in New York City, United States.

The event is also the launch of the Teacher Empowering Achievement and Cultural Heritage (Teach) Awards.

Peña, a faculty member in the CvSU Physical Science Department for 15 years, is one of the 10 Outstanding Educators of IAM FAME 2025.

10 Outstanding Educators Awardees of the International Association of Multicultural and Filipino-American Educators (IAM FAME). CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Teach Awards recognizes educators who inspire a love of learning, promote academic excellence, empower students, and protect invaluable cultural heritage.

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The 10 Outstanding Educators category honors teachers whose innovative practices, deep dedication, and transformative influence have significantly shaped student learning and uplifted the entire educational community. It highlights their diverse approaches and unwavering commitment to fostering a brighter future for all.

The 10 awardees include:

– Ana Isabel Espino (Teaching Excellence). A Social Studies teacher and department chairman in Odessa, Texas, recognized for her focus on equity and critical thinking;

– Everly Rose Platon (Inspiring Minds). A New York-based educator lauded for fostering curiosity, creativity and integrating mindfulness into her teaching;

– Kate Nwako (Teacher Impact). A veteran New York City (NYC) Public Schools teacher empowering students with disabilities and actively involved in community service;

– Shawn Chisty (Educational Leadership). An education leader and diversity coordinator in NYC, recognized for transforming institutions;

– Arnold Libayo (Innovative Teaching). Honored for over two decades of groundbreaking mathematics education in both the Philippines and NYC;

– Jocelyn de los Santos (Community Engagement). A preschool teacher dedicated to nurturing learning environments and fostering community partnerships;

– Arwin Alitagtag (Dedicated Service). A high school mathematics teacher in Salt Lake City, Utah, committed to fostering a strong college-going culture;

– Nadia Jackson Henry (Inclusive Teaching). A math and special education teacher in NYC, championing diversity, equity and social justice;

– Bernadeth Peña (Peace Award-Pre-K & Elementary Educator Achieving Child Excellence). Recognized for 25 years in early childhood and elementary education in the Philippines and US;

– Joel Dogelio (Pride Award-Pre-K & Elementary Recognizing Innovative Dedication to Excellence). An early childhood educator in the Bronx known for his innovative and excellence-driven approach.

Cultural Heritage Awards

Likewise, five Filipino-American leaders and one organization received Cultural Heritage Awards for their exceptional contributions to preserving and promoting cultural identity:

– Elton Lugay (Gawad Bandila Dangal ng Lahi-Pride of the Nation Award). A Filipino-American journalist and community leader, founder of The Outstanding Filipinos in America (TOFA);

– Cristina Pastor (Yaman ng Lahi Award-Treasure of the People Award). Founding editor of TheFilAm.net and co-host of Makilala TV, dedicated to enriching Filipino cultural identity;

– Francisco Sy, MD, MS, DrPH (Gawad Tanglaw-Beacon of Light Award). A distinguished professor of environmental and global health, recognized for visionary leadership in public health;

– Maureen Johnson (Gawad Lingkod Bayani-Servant Hero Award). Deputy senior director at Friends of Crown Heights Educational Centers, honored for selfless service in early childhood education;

– Judilyn Cañete (Gawad Makabayang Kababaihan-Patriotic Women’s Award). Founder of MedStar Billing Technology and Resources, recognized for empowering women and pioneering health care training;

– Talisay Association, USA (Tausa), led by president Manuel Balazon (Gawad Bayanihan-Spirit of Solidarity Award). Honored for embodying communal unity and cooperation within the Filipino-American community and in the Philippines.

Jocelyn de los Santos, a Filipino-American community leader in NYC and one of the awardees, said the awards serve as a “driving force to amplify the dedication and work that each educator is doing in the community, whether inside or outside the classroom.”

IAM FAME is a US-based organization whose mission is to address the needs of the Filipino-American community and educators advocating for multicultural education.

Jollibee is America's best fried chicken year 2

America’s Best Fried Chicken Is Filipino—Again

Metro.Style Team
July 22, 2025 

At this point, Chickenjoy doesn’t need an introduction.

The crispy, golden fried chicken from Jollibee—known for its sweet, savory flavor and cult following—has once again beaten out America’s biggest fried chicken brands to claim the top spot in USA Today's 10 Best Fast Food Fried Chicken list. For the second year in a row, Jollibee outranked fan-favorites like Popeyes, Chick-fil-A, and KFC.

Because for many, Chickenjoy has always been more than just fried chicken.

It’s Filipino flavor wrapped in crispy skin, deep-fried with nostalgia, and often served with rice and gravy. For millions of Filipinos around the world, it's a taste that carries memory, comfort, and home.

A bee outflies the birds

This year’s USA Today Readers’ Choice poll, voted on by thousands of Americans, confirms just how far Jollibee has come. Since opening its first U.S. store in Daly City, California in 1998, the Filipino fast food chain has expanded to over 90 locations across North America, drawing long lines and loyal fans wherever it lands.

The top 5 winners in the 2024 list were:

1. Jollibee
2. Pollo Campero
3. Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken
4. Church’s Texas Chicken
5. Guthrie’s Chicken

Meanwhile, major U.S. brands KFC (#8), Chick-fil-A (#9), and Popeyes (#10) found themselves edged out by regional favorites and, at the very top, a Filipino juggernaut.

Jollibee’s staying power lies in its flavor profile: unapologetically Filipino. Where most American fast food chicken leans heavily into salt and spice, Chickenjoy balances crisp texture with a subtle sweetness and umami depth that speaks to Filipino culinary tradition.

The joy that travels

For Filipinos abroad, Jollibee often carries deep emotional resonance. It's not uncommon to see long lines at openings across the U.S., Canada, or even the U.K.—many waiting not just for a meal, but for a connection to home.

The brand’s growing international presence has helped introduce Filipino cuisine to wider audiences, often starting with Chickenjoy as a gateway.

Filipina-led group shines bright in global agriculture stage

Filipina-led group shines bright in global agriculture stage

Jasper Emmanuel Arcalas
Philstar Global
20 July 2025

A Filipina-led advocacy group seeking to educate the Filipino youth on how to address hunger and improve the nation’s food security recently made waves abroad after being recognized by two international organizations, including a unit of the United Nations.

Youth Uprising, led by 24-year-old Robyn Mijares, was awarded with a Special Mention by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in its Champion Award category.

The FAO said it recognized the non-profit organization for its “intense engagement of young people in transforming agrifood systems.” The recognition was made during the week-long 44th FAO Ministerial Conference in Rome last June 28 to July 4.

The Champion Award is considered as the highest honor given by the FAO to its member-states, institutions or individuals whose actions have contributed in improving food security.

This year, the FAO conferred the Champion Award to Colombia’s Confederación Mesa Nacional de Pesca Artesanal de Colombia for its efforts in championing social protection measures for fishers and playing a key role in drafting laws against illegal fishing.

“These awardees remind us that transformation is already happening and must accelerate. Let us continue working hand in hand for the transformation of global agrifood systems to be more efficient, more inclusive, more resilient and more sustainable,” FAO director general Qu Dongyu said.

Mijares was also recently recognized as one of the young global innovators in agriculture this year by the prestigious World Food Prize Foundation.

Mijares, along with 38 other individuals which include scientists, farmers, policy advisors, entrepreneurs and humanitarians across 27 countries, was named to the 2025 Top Agrifood Pioneers (TAP) list by the foundation.

The awardees will be formally recognized by the World Food Prize Foundation at the 2025 Borlaug Dialogue in Iowa, US in October.

She is the lone awardee from the Philippines in this year’s TAP list. Mijares is also the second Filipina to be named to the TAP list by the World Food Prize Foundation since it was launched last year.

The foundation recognized Mijares’ efforts in “empowering” Filipino youth “to lead the fight against hunger through sustainable agriculture and education.”

“Her innovative model blends education, sustainability and youth empowerment making her a transformative force in food systems and a compelling candidate for the TAP recognition,” the World Food Prize Foundation said.

Mijares is the founder and CEO of Youth Uprising and Grow School Philippines that provides public school students with holistic and accessible agricultural and environmental education.

Mijares said she could not believe that what started as a school paper in her high school turned out to be an internationally acclaimed organization and a “vision” for the entire country.

The recognition by the two international bodies of Grow School’s mission of ensuring that Filipino youth will never go hungry is both “groundbreaking” and “powerful,” Mijares said.

“This moment does not feel like a personal achievement. It feels like a shared victory – for the Philippines and for the thousands of Filipino public school youth who have become a testament to what’s possible when young people are mobilized to lead our agriculture and farming sectors,” Mijares told The STAR.

Mijares said she remains committed to expanding the reach of her organization and works to more young people to drive change that creates long-term, lasting impact toward sustainable and innovative food systems.

“I hope to continue making my fellow Filipinos proud and to keep uplifting more youth, not just to feed themselves, but to have the deep desire to feed others as well,” she said.

“To revolutionizing agriculture in the Philippines — one school at a time, one student at a time,” Mijares added.

Grow School, which is considered as the country’s first bamboo-built, solar-powered farm school, has trained over 98,000 students across 42 public schools nationwide about climate-smart agriculture, agriculture technology and food security.

The farm school takes an “innovative” hands-on approach in teaching the students on how to address the country’s food system woes that is both “fun” and “engaging” for the youth.

The non-profit organization’s efforts are focused on achieving the sustainable development goals particularly zero hunger, sustainable cities, quality education and climate action.

Lionel Dabbadie, FAO representative in the Philippines, said the awards received by Mijares and her organization are “powerful” tools to inspire, connect and mobilize action toward achieving food security and nutrition.

Dabbadie shared that Mijares’ works were unknown to him when she sought his endorsement for the FAO Champion Award.

“I took the time to carefully review her work and I was immediately struck by the strength and potential of her initiative,” Dabbadie told The STAR.

The FAO official described Grow School as a “movement” that has the capacity to “reshape” Philippine agriculture as a “space of innovation, empowerment and relevance” for the Filipino youth. Unfortunately, Dabbadie said, agriculture is “too often” perceived as “outdated” or “unattractive” today.

“That is why Robyn’s recognition is so meaningful: it offers a new narrative. It shows that agriculture can be modern, meaningful, and deeply rewarding for the younger generation,” he said.