Philippines maintains spot in Global Gender Gap index 2026

Philippines retains spot in Global Gender Gap index

Louella Desiderio 
The Philippine Star 
September 17, 2026 

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines held on to the 20th spot out of 145 economies in this year’s Global Gender Gap Index released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The report, which tracks progress in closing the gender gap, showed that the Philippines maintained its ranking even as its gender parity score declined slightly to 78 percent this year from 78.1 percent last year.

It also showed that the Philippines remained one of the most consistent and higher ranked performers in East Asia and the Pacific, placing third in this year’s edition.

“Despite this, the Philippines has failed to keep the momentum that kept the economy in the top 10 on 13 prior editions,” the WEF said.

Over the last two decades, the Philippines has narrowed the overall gender gap by 2.8 percentage points from 75.2 percent in 2006.

WEF ranks economies by looking at gender parity across four dimensions: economic participation, educational attainment, health and survival and political empowerment.

In economic participation, the Philippines placed 17th with a score of 78.3 percent, down from the previous year’s 13th spot and 79 percent score.

WEF said the result also reduces the country’s two-decade advancement to a total of +2.5 percentage points over its 2006 score as economic indicators had varying trajectories.

When it comes to educational attainment, the Philippines ranked 89th with a score of 98.9 percent. The ranking is down from last year’s 87th spot, but the score improved slightly from 98.8 percent.

In terms of health and survival, the Philippines’ rank and score improved to 76th and 96.9 percent, respectively, from last year’s 85th and 96.7 percent.

The Philippines also saw its ranking and score improve in political empowerment to 27th and 37.9 percent, respectively, from 30th and 37.7 percent last year.

Overall, Iceland topped the rankings for the 17th consecutive year, with 93 percent of the gender gap closed.

This was followed by Finland and Norway, which placed second and third for the third year running.

Completing the top 10 are Namibia, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Sweden, Australia, Germany and Ireland.

WEF managing director Saadia Zahidi said that the data in the last 20 years show that gender parity is achievable, with economies at every income level making progress.

PH passport one of the world's most aesthetic

Philippines makes it in list of ‘most aesthetic’ passports in the world

John Patrick Magno Ranara
Philippine Star
26 March 2025

Here's one reason to flex your Philippine passport the next time you travel: It's among the most aesthetic passports in the world.

Hypebeast, a Hong Kong-based company focusing on contemporary culture and lifestyle, included the Philippines in their list of what they regard as some of the most eye-pleasing passports.

In the caption, they highlighted the "iconic Philippine eagle" design on the flip cover of the passport.

"From Norway’s UV-reactive landscapes to Japan’s ukiyo-e art, the Philippines’ iconic Philippine eagle, New Zealand’s sleek black cover, and more—these passports set the bar for design," Hypebeast said.

Other passports that made it to the list include Norway, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Finland, New Zealand, Hungary, and Belgium.

There are three types of Philippine passports issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs. The regular one is colored maroon and is issued to ordinary citizens for general travel purposes.

On the other hand, red passports are given to government officials and employees for official travel, while dark blue ones are designated for the Philippine diplomatic service, members of the Cabinet, and other high-ranking government officials.

As of the latest Henley Passport Index, the Philippines ranked 75th in the world's most powerful passports, slipping two spots from its 73rd slot in 2024.

PH cafes among the world's best shops

Four PH cafes among the World's 100 Best Coffee Shops

Story by Yoniel Acebuche

Philstar Life

19 February 2025

Four cafés from the Philippines have earned spots in the inaugural World’s 100 Best Coffee Shops list.

This was revealed during the Coffee Fest Madrid 2025, which took place from Feb. 15 to 17. 

The country's Yardstick Coffee clinched the 18th spot, followed by El Union Coffee at 61st, Single Origin at 83rd, and Crema & Cream Coffee Roasters at 86th. 

Yardstick Coffee is a specialty coffee company in Manila. It was established in 2013 to bring "inherent sweetness and brightness of specialty-grade coffee." The café has branches in Legazpi Village, MOA Square, Podium, Rockwell, Salcedo Village, SM Aura, Otaku Room BGC, Opus Mall, and the Corner House in San Juan.

Yardstick Coffee is a specialty coffee company in Manila. It was established in 2013 to bring "inherent sweetness and brightness of specialty-grade coffee." The café has branches in Legazpi Village, MOA Square, Podium, Rockwell, Salcedo Village, SM Aura, Otaku Room BGC, Opus Mall, and the Corner House in San Juan.

El Union Coffee, on the other hand, is located at Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union. It serves Philippine coffees, Baguio-made pastries, and its signature dirty horchata. As you sip your cup of joe, you get to enjoy a gorgeous backdrop of Itogon Valley views and a laid-back beach vibe.

Meanwhile, Single Origin serves specialty coffee, comfort food, and craft cocktails. It has branches all over the metro at Rockwell, Salcedo, Greenbelt 5 in Makati, Bonifacio High Street in Taguig, Molito Lifestyle Center in Muntinlupa, MOA Square in Pasay, and Opus Mall and Ayala Malls Vertis North in Quezon City. 

Lastly, Crema & Cream Coffee Roasters, nestled at Brgy. Sacred Heart, Diliman, Quezon City, is a specialty coffee roaster and consultancy place. 

"From roasting to brewing, to serving and even teaching, we make sure we deliver our very best not only in quality but hospitality and professionalism as well," it said. 

Meanwhile, Toby’s Estate Coffee Roasters in Australia gained the first spot. This was followed by Onyx Coffee LAB (USA), Gota Coffee Experts (Austria), Proud Mary Coffee (Australia), and Tim Wendelboe (Norway), respectively. 

Apartment Coffee (Singapore), Kawa (France), Coffee Anthology (Australia), Story of Ono (Malaysia), and Tropicalia Coffee (Colombia) were hailed at the 6th to 10th spot, respectively. 

According to its website, the organizers established a "comprehensive set of criteria" to ensure a thorough and fair assessment to identify the finest coffee shops worldwide. 

They took into consideration factors such as the quality of coffee, barista expertise, customer service, innovation, ambiance and atmosphere, sustainability practices, food and pastry quality, and consistency. 

The organizers have also implemented a robust voting system consisting of public voting, an expert panel, vote weighting, a nomination process, and a final selection. The highest combined scores from public and expert votes will be honored as the World’s Best Coffee Shops.

UST singers make history at Grieg Choir Festival in Norway

Filipino singers make history at Grieg Choir Festival in Norway

ScandAsia
by Miriam Soukaina Nenni
October 4, 2024 

The University of Santo Tomas Singers have become the first Filipino and Asian group to win the Grand Prize at the prestigious Grieg International Choir Festival in Norway.

Competing against 31 choirs from 10 countries, the Filipino singers secured top honors in the Mixed Choir category and overall Grand Prix at the festival, held in Bergen from September 26-29, 2024.

The choir, led by conductor Fidel Calalang Jr., earned standing ovations for their performances, which included Filipino compositions like Nilo Alcala’s Sagayan. Though they missed the Folk Music top prize by a slim margin, their victory marks a significant moment for both the UST Singers and Filipino choral music on the world stage.

Philippine Ambassador to Norway Enrico Fos praised the choir, calling it a “proud moment for the Philippines.”