Pinay teen shines bright in Croatia

The Filipino-Croatian teen who starred at president’s inauguration 

Croatiaweek (Croatia)
February 18, 2025

ZAGREB, 18 February 2025. (Hina/CW) – Performing in a 105-year-old traditional folk costume from the Croatian region of Međimurje, 13-year-old Chriztel Renae Aceveda stole the show at president’s inauguration on Tuesday in Zagreb.

Chriztel sang a moving rendition of the folk song “Dej mi Boze oči sokolove” at the inauguration of President Zoran Milanović.

“I am very satisfied. This is really a feeling that I cannot describe at all,” said Chriztel, before adding.

“It’s a beautiful feeling to be in front of a lot of important people and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to sing in front of everyone”.

She thanked President Milanović for the invitation and said that it was an honour to perform and meet him.

The 13-year-old, who was born in the Philippines, has become a household name in Croatia after winning Supertalent in 2023.

Her victory not only captured the hearts of viewers but also marked her as the youngest winner of the popular talent show.

Raised in Angeles City, Chriztel spent much of her childhood singing karaoke with her mother. In 2020, her life took a significant turn when her mother married a Croatian from Međimurje.

The family relocated to the village of Sveti Martin na Muri, where Chriztel embraced a new chapter in her life.

Chriztel faced the challenge of learning a completely new language. With the help of her teacher, she found a creative way to learn—by immersing herself in the traditional međimurske popevke (Međimurje folk songs).

One song, in particular, “Raca plava,” captured her heart and sparked a deep love for Croatian traditional music.

Chriztel, who now speaks fluent Croatian, is continuing to pursue her musical dreams while also excelling academically. She is a student at the Music School in Varaždin, where she studies solo singing and solfeggio.

She is also an active member of her local church choir and the HKUD (Cultural Arts Society) of Sveti Martin na Muri, and frequently performs with the local majorettes.

Angeles named Asia’s best emerging culinary destination

Angeles named Asia’s best emerging culinary destination

Ghio Ong 
Philippine Star
06 October 2024

MANILA, Philippines — Angeles City in Pampanga, the birthplace of Filipino favorite sisig, was recognized as “Asia’s best emerging culinary city destination” for 2024 by the World Culinary Awards 2024.

Angeles City bested nominees for the said award such as Hanoi in Vietnam, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Kyoto in Japan and Taipei in Taiwan.

The “Asia’s best emerging culinary city destination” award conferred on Angeles City “underscores the exceptional talent, creativity and dedication of its local chefs and food artisans,” said Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Christina Garcia-Frasco.

“The city’s rich culinary heritage, led by its iconic dishes like sisig, continues to captivate food enthusiasts not only in the Philippines but across the world, showcasing the power of Filipino cuisine on the global stage,” she added.

She also said the efforts of the local government unit of Angeles City, particularly enacting an ordinance that declared “sisig babi” or pork sisig as an “intangible heritage,” helped “preserve and promote the city’s culinary legacy,” resulting in the award.

DOT’s Central Luzon regional director Richard Daenos accepted the award on behalf of Angeles City during the gala ceremony of the World Culinary Awards 2024 held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Oct. 3.

The World Culinary Awards is part of the World Travel Awards that bestowed many recognitions on the Philippines in the past.

Meanwhile, DOT’s attached agency Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) was hailed as “best national tourism organization in Asia” at the 33rd Annual TTG Travel Awards in Bangkok, Thailand on Sept. 26.

Before the award, the TPB promoted the Philippines as a destination of choice for meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions through the “MICE Philippines: We Take Your Business to Heart program” at the Incentive Travel & Conventions Meetings Asia from Sept. 24 to 26.

The presentation resulted in generation of P1.7 billion worth of initial sales leads, said Frasco.

Nine PH cities made it to Top 1000 Cities by Oxford Economics

Nine Philippine cities among top 1,000 global urban economies 2024 Oxford Economics Global Cities Index

By Chino S. Layco

Manila Bulletin

May 21, 2024 

AT A GLANCE

• Manila ranks 256th globally with strengths in economics and human capital but weaknesses in quality of life.
• Cebu City is at 436th place, excelling in the environment but lacking in quality of life.
• Other Philippine cities like Cagayan de Oro, Davao City, and Angeles City are also identified.
• Bacolod shines in the environment but struggles with human capital.
• Dagupan highlights strong environmental aspects.
• Zamboanga excels in the environment but faces economic challenges.
• General Santos thrives in the environment but faces challenges with human capital.
• The 2024 Global Cities Index by Oxford Economics provides insights into urban environments worldwide, with New York, London, San Jose, Tokyo, and Paris leading the rankings.

UK-based think tank Oxford Economics has identified nine cities in the Philippines among the largest urban economies in the world.

In the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index, which ranks the 1,000 largest cities worldwide, Manila is the biggest city in the Philippines but is not considered a major player on the global scale.

Taken from Rising Philippines Facebook Page

The Oxford Economics report did not specify if "Manila" refers to just the capital city or includes the entire metropolitan area in the National Capital Region (NCR). The report did not list any other NCR cities besides Manila. 

Oxford Economics ranks based on five categories: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment, and governance.

“By analyzing these five dimensions in depth, the Global Cities Index provides a nuanced understanding of each city's strengths and areas for improvement, empowering policymakers, investors, employers, and residents to make informed decisions,” Oxford Economics said in a statement.

Among the 1,000 urban economies worldwide, Manila is ranked 256, placing it above the global average scores, although not among the top-performing cities.

Based on the report, Manila’s strength is human capital, ranking 101, followed by economics (150) and environment (238). However, its weakest points are quality of life (461) and governance (614).

Another city that has made it to the global rankings is Cebu City, which secured the 436th spot worldwide. The Queen City of the South excels in the environment (24) but lags behind in quality of life (684).

Cagayan de Oro ranked third in the Philippines, holding the 487th position globally. Similar to Cebu City, CDO’s strong suit lies in the environment (338), while its weakness is quality of life (626).

Davao City occupied the 500th position, with its main weakness being in human capital (645) and strength in the environment (229).

Angeles City has also been listed in the global rankings, securing the 502nd place. Its strength lies in the environment (191), while its weakest aspect is human capital (634).

Bacolod attained the 538th position among the 1,000 global urban economies. Its strength is in the environment (12) but shows weakness in terms of human capital (739).

Meanwhile, Dagupan ranked 604 globally, with its environment as a key advantage (220) and human capital is its weakness (701).

Zamboanga, positioned eighth in the Philippines, held the 695th global rankings. It excels in the environment (48) but faces challenges in economics (961).

General Santos, placed at 723 globally, known as the country's tuna capital, showed strength in the environment while encountering difficulties in human capital (915).

In the 2024 Global Cities Index, the first publication by Oxford Economics, New York leads the list, which also claimed the top position in the Economics category. 

London secures the second spot, followed by San Jose, Tokyo, and Paris.