Veejay Floresca wins 'Project Runway' Season 21

Veejay Floresca wins 'Project Runway' Season 21

Melanie Uson
Philstar Life
26 September 2025

Filipino designer Veejay Floresca is the winner of this year's Project Runway!

Floresca showcased a collection of metallic and knits in the finale, featuring unconventional silhouettes, wool rib knit draped dress, and a dressed made of chainmail.

"My collection represents me as a designer because it is very innovative, it's modern. I think it's the right balance of concept and wearability," she said.

She also underscored that her goal as a trans woman was to "inspire my community that they can accomplish anything that they want."

“I’ve seen you, Heidi, since Season 1, I'm just a little gay boy in the Philippines watching the show, and I’ve always been wanting to do this,” Floresca said at the latter part of the episode. “Now this is my time, so thank you. Thank you for being part of my dream.”

She bested fellow returnees Caycee Black and Jesus Estrada.

Among the highlights of her stint is winning the unconventional materials challenge, where she showcased loud yet elegant dresses made of shuttlecocks from a school gym.

The panel was composed of ELLE editor Nina Garcia, celebrity stylist Law Roach, Christian Siriano, Michael Kors, and Heidi Klum, who also returned to the show as the host.

Floresca will enjoy six months of representation by Agentry PR, the mentorship with the CFDA, the spread in ELLE magazine, and a whopping $200,000 (P11.2 million) cash prize.

Floresca first competed in the Project Runway Philippines inaugural season in 2008, where she finished in third place.

She established herself in New York and centered her craft on sustainable practices, creating unique, eco-conscious garments as she believed that fashion "should be personal, inclusive, and kind to the planet."

Among her muses were beauty queens Katrina Dimaranan, Maureen Montagne, Rabiya Mateo, trans advocate and international model Geena Rocero, and American singer-songwriter Carrie Underwood.

She also joined the Miss Trans Star International 2022 and the Dress My Tour, a reality competition series where designers create outfits for musical artists in 2024.

PH wins Mister International 2025

Philippines’ Kirk Bondad wins Mister International 2025 title

Iza Iglesias
The Manila Times
26 September 2025

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino-German model Kirk Bondad was named Mister International 2025 on Thursday, besting over 40 other candidates during the finals held at MCC Hall in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Bondad secured the crown after an impressive showing in the question-and-answer portion, where he was asked, "If you win Mister international and you are invited to speak at the United Nations, what one social or political issue would you choose to highlight and why?" 

To which Bondad answered, “Thank you for the question. If I would have the honor, I would cause the children to be protected. I would give them a chance, to provide them with more protection and cultivate education because today’s children will be tomorrow’s leaders. Ultimately, I believe that if we can collectively make the right decisions, even with small steps, we will create a big impact internationally.” 

Saadedine Hneineh of Lebanon finished as first runner-up, while Seung-ho Cho of South Korea placed second runner-up. 

Bondad’s victory was celebrated on the pageant’s official social media pages. 

“Congratulations to Kirk Bondad on making history and inspiring the world with confidence and pride,” Mister International said in an Instagram post. 

During the preliminaries, Bondad placed in the Top 3 of the People’s Choice contest and landed in the Top 5 of the National Costume competition, where he showcased “Perlas Celestia,” a look symbolizing the Philippines as the Pearl of the Orient Seas. 

This marks the Philippines’ second Mister International title after Neil Perez’s win in 2014. 

Before his latest win, Bondad represented the country at Mr. World 2024, where he placed in the Top 20. 

Fil-Am Jessica Sanchez wins ‘America’s Got Talent’

From semifinalist to champion: Fil-Am Jessica Sanchez wins ‘America’s Got Talent’

Patricia Dela Roca 
Philstar Global
25 September 2025

MANILA, Philippines — In a remarkable comeback that is 20 years in the making, Filipino-American singer Jessica Sanchez has come full circle on “America’s Got Talent,” emerging as its newest grand champion.

On Wednesday night (US time), Sanchez bested rapper Chris Turner, fellow singer Jourdan Blue, the Leo High School Choir, and dance group Light Wire after earning the highest number of public votes.

Jessica not only claimed the “America’s Got Talent 2025” title but also took home $1 million (or P58 million), a headliner show in Las Vegas, and a trip to Universal Studios Florida.

The 29-year-old singer, who is nine months pregnant with her first child, Eliana, captivated both the audience and judges Sofia Vergara, Simon Cowell, Mel B and Howie Mandel with her finale performance of fellow Fil-Am artist Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s hit single Die With a Smile, earning her a standing ovation and glowing praise.

Earlier in the competition, Sanchez earned a golden buzzer from Vergara, who was moved by her audition rendition of Benson Boone’s Beautiful Things.

Jessica’s local management, Stages Talents, expressed pride in the Pinay songstress with a congratulatory post accompanied by a heartfelt message.

“Congratulations, Jessica Sanchez! Your Stages fam is beyond proud of you and this incredible win!” the group wrote on Facebook.

According to Carlo Orosa of Stages, they plan to bring Jessica back to the Philippines after she gives birth.

Her victory completes a remarkable full-circle story two decades after first stepping onto the “America’s Got Talent” stage at age 10 during its first season in 2006, where she reached the semifinals but fell short of the finals.

Six years later, she also became one of the most memorable voices of her generation when she finished as runner-up to Phillip Phillips in “American Idol” Season 11.

The finale also featured Sanchez revisiting her semifinals performance of JVKE’s Golden Hour, accompanied by aerial stunts from fellow finalists Sirca Marea.

Ten Philippine firms made it to Time and Statista’s World’s Best Companies list for 2025

Philippine firms in 2025 World's Best Companies list

By Earl John Alfaro
Manila Times
12 September 2025

TEN Philippine firms made it to Time and Statista’s World’s Best Companies list for 2025, with Ayala Corp. the highest in 210th place.

The 1,000 firms on the list were measured on employee satisfaction, revenue growth and sustainability transparency.

Ayala, the country’s oldest conglomerate, scored an overall 86.26 out of a possible 100. It ranked high in employee satisfaction (95th) and placed 587th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank # 1; World Rank # 210

“This recognition inspires us to be an even better Ayala as we journey to our 200th year,” Ayala President and CEO Cezar Consing said in a statement on Thursday.

“We share this with our employees and partners, whose hard work and support helped Ayala earn this honor,” he added

Security Bank Corp. followed in 369th place with a score of 84.04, ranking 146th in employee satisfaction and 534th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #2; World Rank #369

SM Investments Corp., the parent firm of the SM group, placed 407th with a score of 83.46. It ranked 522nd in employee satisfaction and 747th in sustainability transparency, while its affiliate, China Banking Corp., also made the list at 882nd place with a score of 75.62, ranking 639th in employee satisfaction and 927th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #3; World Rank #407

“This recognition inspires us to keep strengthening our efforts in creating value for our stakeholders and contributing positively to our communities,” SM Investments President and CEO Frederic DyBuncio said in a separate statement.

“It also reflects our balanced approach to growth, delivering strong results for shareholders while also fostering long-term value and resilience for employees, partners and communities.”

Other Philippine companies on the list were:

– Jollibee Foods Corp. (685th with a score of 79.29), 211th in employee satisfaction and 913th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #4; World Rank #685

– Union Bank of the Philippines (764th, 78.15), 321st in employee satisfaction and 771st in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #5; World Rank #764

– International Container Terminal Services Inc. (828th, 76.87), 790th in employee satisfaction and 846th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #6; World Rank #828

– China Bank. (882nd, 75.62), 639th in employee satisfaction, 927th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #7; World Rank #882

– JG Summit Holdings Inc. (949th, 73.13), 858th in employee satisfaction, 949th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #8; World Rank #949

– Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (962nd, 72.69), 527th in employee satisfaction, 848th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #9; World Rank # 962

– Filinvest Development Corp. (995th, 71.42), 988th in employee satisfaction, 936th in sustainability transparency.

PH Rank #10; World Rank # 988

Ayala and SM Investments were said to have recorded “very high” revenue growth while Security Bank, Jollibee, ICTSI, Chinabank, JG Summit and Filinvest were scored “high.” UnionBank and Robinsons Retail revenues, meanwhile, were “moderate.”

Nvidia, which in the summer became the first public company to hit $4 trillion in market value, topped the 2025 ranking. Time said it “rose through the ranks on a wave of growing artificial intelligence (AI) demand and a well-performing gaming division.”

Microsoft, second on this list and just behind Nvidia in market value, was also said to have seen revenue surge last year due to AI and cloud computing.

Last year’s No. 1, Apple, was dropped from the list due to a decline in revenue from 2022 to 2024. Time noted that Wall Street analysts had linked the revenue drop to Apple having fallen behind on AI.

To measure employee satisfaction, Time and Statista used surveys of over 200,000 workers worldwide, while revenue growth was assessed using data for the last three years.

Companies should have generated at least $100 million in revenues in 2023 and 2024 depending on the most recent data and also needed to have recorded growth over the last three years.

As for sustainability transparency, environmental, social and governance data were considered, including carbon emissions reduction, the share of women in the companies’ boards, the existence of human rights policies, corporate social responsibility reporting and corruption/anti-corruption guidelines.

Three Australian women of Filipino heritage took home the major titles in Queens of Australia

Filipino-Aussies dominate 2025 Queens of Australia pageant

Armin P. Adina
Inquirer.net
08 September 2025

Filipino-American women emerged victorious in the recently concluded Queens of Australia pageant, earning the right to represent the “Land Down Under” on the international stage.

Three Australian women of Filipino heritage took home the major titles at the end of the national competition held at the Bryan Brown Theater in New South Wales on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 7. Nine ladies took part in the contest.

Alexa Roder from Queensland was crowned Miss Earth Australia, succeeding Jessica Lane, the first Australian woman to win the Miss Earth title.

The new queen is set to compete in the 25th staging of the Manila-based Miss Earth pageant that will be held later this year and try to post a second consecutive win for Australia.

Crowned Miss International Australia was Bella Dela Cruz from New South Wales. She had recently competed in the 2025 Miss Universe Philippines pageant, where she finished in the Top 24.

She was fielded by the Filipino community in Australia for the 2025 Miss Universe Philippines pageant to represent Sydney. But she eventually carried her Filipino hometown of Lucena in the national competition.

Dela Cruz succeeded last year’s Australian Miss International delegate, Selina McCloskey, and is set to compete in the 63rd edition of the global tilt that will be held in Tokyo, Japan, in November.

The third big winner was Adriana Gravador, also from New South Wales. She was crowned Miss Eco Australia and is set to compete in next year’s Miss Eco International pageant and try to succeed the Filipino queen Alexie Mae Brooks.

Three more titleholders were proclaimed at the pageant, all from New South Wales — Miss Earth Australia Fire Jamie Boyd, Miss Earth Australia-Water Andrea Alexis, and Miss Earth Australia-Air Tania Sheckleton.

The Queens of Australia pageant is organized by Stargazer Production and serves as the national competition for the country’s delegates to the Miss Earth, Miss International, and Miss Eco International pageants. /edv

Pinay Tennis Star wins first WTA title in Guadalajara Open

Alex Eala clinches first WTA title, rules Guadalajara 125 Open

Lance Agcaoili 

Inquirer.net

07 September 2025

MANILA, Philippines — The legend of Alex Eala continues to grow as she finally captured her maiden Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) title.

Recovering from a first-set rout, Eala never wavered against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy to complete an epic comeback, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, and rule the Guadalajara 125 Open early Sunday (Philippine time) at Grandstand Caliente in Mexico.

The 20-year-old Filipino tennis ace showed nerves of steel, surviving extended games in the second set to drag Udvardy into a decider before pulling away in the third.

Up 4-2, Eala momentarily stumbled when her forehand was called out in the seventh game, but she regrouped and closed out the last two games to become the first Filipino to win a WTA championship.

The World No. 75 Eala bounced back in the second set with a 4-1 start en route to a commanding 5-3 lead, but the World No. 134 from Hungary managed to rally to tie it at 5-all. She then dug deep in the last two games, erasing 15-40 and 0-40 deficits to force a decider.

She needed to overcome a lethargic start, as she was dominated in the first three games before scoring in the fourth game. Udvardy quickly regained control, however, to take the first set in dominating fashion.

Eala’s breakthrough triumph capped an already stellar season highlighted by her dream run at the Miami Open and her runner-up finish in the Lexus Eastbourne Open last June, where she fell to Maya Joint in three sets.

The Guadalajara title was added to her growing collection, which includes five International Tennis Federation (ITF) singles titles and the 2022 US Open girls’ trophy.

The last time she held a trophy was July 2024, when she won the singles and doubles in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain.

Eala has since been playing in bigger tournaments, with three Grand Slam main draw appearances — the most recent her historic first-round win in the 2025 US Open.

Her title run came after a grueling stretch, including a 6-2, 6-3 semifinal win over American Kayla Day. On Friday, she survived two matches in one day: a rain-delayed Round of 16 comeback over Varvara Lepchenko, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-3, and a 7-6 (2), 6-2 quarterfinal victory over Italy’s Nicole Fossa Huergo.

Eala could win another title in Brazil for the Sao Paulo Open from September 8 to 14.

Moody's: Philippines among Southeast Asia’s rising semiconductor hubs

‘Philippines among Southeast Asia’s rising semiconductor hubs’

Keisha Ta-Asan
Philstar Global
03 September 2025

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines is emerging as one of Southeast Asia’s growing hubs for semiconductor assembly and testing, with the industry now accounting for about 32 percent of the country’s total goods exports in 2024, according to Moody’s Ratings.

In its latest sector review, Moody’s said the Philippines, alongside Malaysia and Vietnam, is playing a bigger role in the global chip supply chain as multinational firms diversify operations amid United States-China trade tensions and calls to strengthen supply chain resilience.

While Southeast Asia is gaining ground in back-end processing – particularly assembly, testing and packaging – Moody’s cautioned that economies like the Philippines face hurdles in moving up the value chain.

“Technical gaps constrain their ability to capture greater economic value,” the report said, pointing to weaknesses in research and development, talent and infrastructure.

According to Moody’s, Asia continues to dominate global semiconductor manufacturing, commanding more than 75 percent of overall chipmaking capacity, spanning advanced wafer fabrication, materials and assembly.

Despite US-led efforts to reshore production and the intensifying push for self-sufficiency in China, large-scale relocations of chipmaking out of Asia remain “commercially challenging” due to cost advantages and established ecosystems.

In the Philippines, semiconductors remain the backbone of electronics exports, supplying components used in consumer devices, automotive and industrial applications.

However, Moody’s warned that chronic issues such as power supply reliability, logistics bottleneck and limited investment could weigh on the country’s ability to attract higher-value operations in fabrication and design.

Still, the credit watcher said the region is on track to capture around 24 percent of global semiconductor back-end capacity by 2032, up from current levels. Malaysia leads the pack, but the Philippines and Vietnam are expected to expand their roles as cost-competitive alternatives for multinational players.

“Securing a competitive edge will hinge on workforce development, innovation and stronger public-private partnerships,” Moody’s said, adding that without such reforms, Southeast Asian economies risk remaining concentrated in low-margin, labor-intensive segments of the semiconductor chain.