Eastern Communications Expands Mindanao Presence with Davao Experience Center and Digital Initiatives

DAVAO CITY — Eastern Communications is strengthening its presence in Mindanao through the launch of its new Experience Center in Davao City and continued participation in major regional industry conferences, highlighting its commitment to supporting the region’s evolving business and digital landscape.

Located at Damosa IT Park in Lanang, Davao City, the Eastern Communications Experience Center officially opened on August 10, 2026. Designed as a one-stop destination for connectivity, digital transformation, and enterprise support, the center allows businesses and customers to experience Eastern’s technology and connectivity solutions firsthand.

Eastern Communications Co-Coordinator Attorney Aileen Regio said the new facility brings the company closer to the people and businesses driving progress across Mindanao. Co-Coordinator Jaeson Evangelista added that reliable connectivity and support for local enterprises can help contribute to Davao’s continued development.

The company’s regional commitment also extends to community support. Following the earthquake that affected General Santos City and surrounding areas in June 2026, Eastern Communications provided a donation to the General Santos City Chamber of Commerce & Industry to help families address immediate needs and support recovery efforts.

Beyond expanding its physical presence, Eastern Communications is actively engaging with regional stakeholders to understand their digital challenges and opportunities.

At the 18th NICP National ICT Summit 2026 in Tagum City last August 12, Eastern Communications Chief Revenue and Innovation Officer Edsel Paglinawan discussed how reliable connectivity, cybersecurity, and digital solutions can help local government units deliver more efficient and responsive public services.

On the same day, Eastern Communications Segment SME and Consumer Segment Marketing Head Suzel Lim spoke at the 35th Mindanao Business Conference in Cagayan de Oro. She highlighted the importance of technology and ICT solutions in helping Mindanao’s small and medium enterprises navigate an increasingly digital-first market.

Eastern’s regional engagement will continue at the Mindanao ICT Conference (MindaCon) in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur, scheduled for November 9–11, 2026. The event will bring together ICT leaders, policymakers, and innovators to discuss cybersecurity, smart cities, digital jobs, digital governance, and innovation.

Through its investments, industry participation, and community initiatives, Eastern Communications is positioning itself as a connectivity and technology partner for businesses, government institutions, and communities across Mindanao. As Davao and other emerging cities continue to develop, the company aims to help create stronger digital foundations that enable the region to connect, innovate, and thrive.

GCash Lending Arm Fuse Marks 10 Years of Safe, Accessible Borrowing for Filipinos

Barriers to formal credit, including a lack of valid IDs, formal documentation, and collateral, continue to restrict millions of Filipinos from securing fair and vital financial support. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), traditional financial institutions rely heavily on these requirements to evaluate creditworthiness, leaving only 16% of Filipino adults able to secure formal loans from banks and other regulated lenders. Rising financial pressure drives vulnerable Filipinos toward informal, predatory lenders to make ends meet, trapping them in cycles of extreme interest rates and abusive collection practices. Addressing these remains critical to driving broader financial inclusion across the country.

Celebrating a decade of helping Filipinos build financial security, Fuse Financing has transformed the country's lending landscape by giving millions of underserved borrowers access to dignified lending. By leveraging technology and innovation, Fuse continues to bridge the credit gap through accessible loan products such as GLoan, GCredit, and GGives that offer transparent and fair terms, without the need for collateral.

Over the past 10 years, Fuse has helped everyday Filipinos to navigate emergencies and fuel personal growth.

Supplementing daily budget

Personal loans are the most common lifeline for Filipino borrowers, who turn to them mainly to manage everyday living costs, medical expenses, and schooling fees, according to the BSP. Such is the case for 54-year-old Marissa of Tondo, Manila, and 48-year-old Irene of Alaminos, Pangasinan.

Marissa, a former house help, is grateful that borrowing money can now be done in a few taps on her phone. "Salamat sa GCash at may GLoan dahil kapag kailangan namin ng dagdag na pera, may mahihiraman kami agad. Malaking tulong ito sa pang-araw-araw, lalo na sa pambili ng pagkain, pambayad ng bills, at iba pang kailangan ng pamilya," she said. (“I’m thankful for GCash because GLoan is a great help to us whenever we need extra money. I’ve also used it before for our everyday needs, such as buying food and paying bills. It’s truly a big help in our lives.”)

The Tondo resident previously obtained a loan amounting to P20,000 via GLoan, the flagship cash loan product of Fuse, which helped her in paying for medications and dialysis treatment. She also secured credit to buy groceries and settle monthly dues.

For Irene, a barangay health worker, GLoan and GGives enable her to pay for her child's tuition and pay bills on time, as well as cover their family's grocery expenses.

"Mas pinipili ko po ang manghiram sa GCash kaysa sa tradisyonal na lending dahil mas mabilis, mas magaan, at mas maayos ang proseso," she said. (I prefer borrowing through GCash rather than traditional lenders because the process is faster, easier, and more convenient.)

GLoan enables eligible users to borrow cash through the GCash app to help pay for expenses such as emergencies, bills, school fees, or business needs. GGives, meanwhile, allows eligible users to buy now and pay in installments, making it easier to afford bigger purchases such as gadgets, appliances, travel, and other everyday needs.

Humane approach to borrowing: zero-tolerance policy against harassment and abusive practices

While online lending has expanded access to credit, regulators warn that dishonest and unregulated operators continue to exploit vulnerable borrowers. Some illegal platforms charge monthly interest rates as high as 40 percent and resort to severe harassment, including contacting borrowers' family and friends to publicly shame them and coerce payments.

Bernadette Romariate, a 25-year-old borrower in Pangasinan, said that GLoan provides the necessary terms and conditions for the benefit of the borrowers.

"Meron kasi yung terms and conditions doon sa [GLoan]. Kung babasahin, may nakalagay doon na due date. So, it's your responsibility kung kailan mo siya babayaran," she explained. (The terms and conditions are clearly stated in GLoan. If you read them, you'll see the due date indicated there. So it's your responsibility to make sure you pay the loan on time.)

For Fuse, it ensures that it adopts a fair, humane, and respectful approach to collections, treating it as a form of customer support rather than punishment.

“We enforce a zero-tolerance policy against harassment and abusive practices, while ensuring that all collection activities comply with Securities and Exchange Commission regulations and ethical standards,” Fuse Financing president and CEO Tony Isidro said.

Through this approach, Fuse aims to help borrowers manage financial difficulties while building trust in the formal lending system.

Borrowing with dignity

All these efforts are in line with the mission of empowering Filipinos to borrow with dignity.

Sheila Gomez of Iloilo City lamented the social stigma often associated with borrowing, particularly the discomfort of having to ask family or friends for financial help. GLoan provided her with a private and dignified way to access credit without relying on others.

And it paid off. She used the funds to support her journey through law school, easing the financial burden and allowing her to focus on her studies. Now a lawyer, Sheila said she continues to use GCash to manage her finances.

"Loans don't have to be a bad thing. When you borrow with a clear purpose — like investing in your education — it can actually be one of the smartest decisions you make," she concluded.

For more information on loan products, visit gcash.com.

Bring Your Brilliant Ideas to Life with the World’s Best Screen and 4-in-1 AI Productivity on the Ultra-Thin, PC-Like HUAWEI MatePad Air, Now Available

Manila, Philippines — Inspiration can happen anywhere, and you need a device that helps you capture it as soon as it strikes. The new HUAWEI MatePad Air is designed to give you the perfect canvas for all your ideas, wherever and whenever they come to you. Combining a spacious, brilliant display with 4-in-1 AI productivity in an ultra-thin form, it gives professionals and creators a versatile workspace they can bring everywhere.

The HUAWEI MatePad Air is available online and in stores beginning September 18.

Give Your Ideas the Perfect Canvas, Powered by the World’s Best Screen

Whether you are reviewing important work files, finalizing a report, creating a mood board, or simply streaming your favorite show, having a vibrant display that keeps your eyes comfortable is crucial. The HUAWEI MatePad Air boasts a slim 4.69mm bezel and a 12-inch 2.8K OLED PaperMatte Display, giving you an expansive, high-resolution canvas for work, creativity, and entertainment.

For modern professionals reviewing a presentation before a meeting, the large display makes it easier to go through detailed slides and supporting materials at the same time. Meanwhile, the display’s 2.8K resolution and OLED technology deliver vivid visuals, high-fidelity colors, and crisp details, making it ideal for intricate designs and immersive viewing. Plus, with up to 1,200 nits peak brightness, the display is built to stay bright across different lighting environments, whether you’re working indoors or creating outdoors, without needing to manually adjust the screen’s brightness.

The screen features HUAWEI’s signature PaperMatte Display technology, giving the screen a more natural, paper-like feel for writing, reading, and sketching. It also reduces glare and reflections, making extended reading, writing, and creative work more comfortable and helping reduce eye strain.

Complete Every Project with AI-Powered Productivity

When developing your ideas, you need the right tools to turn your concepts into something more tangible. The HUAWEI MatePad Air brings 4-in-1 productivity with AI-powered tools that help you move from brainstorming to execution. When you have to finish an article or pitch deck while on the move, PC-Level WPS Office helps you work efficiently without weighing you down. The new WPS AI feature can summarize lengthy reading materials, refine writing drafts, and generate presentation materials to help you quickly get started. This reduces repetitive workload, so you can focus on executing your ideas.

In the middle of a meeting or brainstorming session, AI-powered HUAWEI Notes helps you capture ideas more efficiently. With speech-to-text, you can record conversations and turn them into structured, editable notes, while handwritten annotations and highlights can be synchronized with the transcription. This means less time sorting through scattered notes and more time focusing on what matters. For studying and problem-solving, HUAWEI Notes can also help solve and explain equations, making complex tasks more manageable.

For designers, illustrators, and aspiring artists, the HUAWEI MatePad Air can become a dedicated creative space through GoPaint. With its rich art tools and AI-enriched capabilities, GoPaint helps professional artists and hobbyists bring their creative ideas to life with greater freedom and precision.

Slide Your 4-in-1 Workstation in Your Bag.

Your ideas move quicker when you have the right tools. The HUAWEI MatePad Air works with NearLink-enabled accessories, which help create a more seamless productivity and creation experience. Pairing the tablet with the HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard gives the HUAWEI MatePad Air a more familiar PC-like setup. With NearLink connection, you can keep typing out notes or drafting content with low latency and a more responsive typing feel. The keyboard supports desktop-level shortcut combinations to make extended typing sessions more comfortable, even when your “office” is at a cafe or a co-working space.

Meanwhile, the HUAWEI M-Pencil Pro allows you to write or draw with better precision and enhanced responsiveness that you need as you work on your daily tasks. You can browse through your work seamlessly using the stylus as it supports intuitive gestures such as pinch, double-tap, and rotation, all without interrupting your workflow. When presenting your ideas during a meeting, the new Air Mouse feature makes the HUAWEI M-Pencil Pro a more versatile tool that lets you easily scroll through your slides and guide your presentation. This also allows the stylus to function as a laser pointer, allowing you to direct your audience’s attention to key data, concepts, or visuals on each slide. Best of all, this complete 4-in-1 setup comes bundled with the HUAWEI MatePad Air, giving you the essential tools to work, create, and present right out of the box.

Ultra-Thin and Lightweight Portability Lets You Move Anywhere Easier

Sometimes the best way to get unstuck is to change your surroundings. Setting up your workstation at a cafe, a co-working place, or even outdoors is easier with the HUAWEI MatePad Air. Featuring a slim 5.3mm frame and a 509g lightweight body, the HUAWEI MatePad Air slides easily into your bag, so you can bring it anywhere the day takes you without weighing you down.

Despite the slim build, the HUAWEI MatePad Air remains reliably tough and durable. This means you don’t need to worry about scratches or bends. The device’s elegant pearlescent finish in Airy Blue not only adds a sophisticated touch to the device; it also enhances its durability as it resists corrosion and damage from sweat or fading. This means the HUAWEI MatePad Air maintains a polished look that shimmers in the light, even as it moves with you through your daily routines.

Power Up Your Ideas and Keep Them Going

When you’re constantly on the move, you need a device that can keep pace with your day. The HUAWEI MatePad Air’s massive 10,100mAh battery supports up to 18 hours of HDR video playback. That means you can work through the whole day anywhere or enjoy entertainment during your downtime without having to plan around your device’s battery. When you do need to recharge, the 66W HUAWEI SuperCharge Turbo gets the device powered up in as little as 30 minutes, so you get fewer interruptions to your workflow or your entertainment.

With the HUAWEI MatePad Air, you feel more confident that your device is fully capable of handling all your work files, creative projects, or entertainment choices without slowing down. It comes with 12GB of physical RAM, 256GB of storage, and an additional 8GB of virtual storage, providing you with a total of 20GB of storage to ensure you have enough room for documents, presentations, apps, and other files you rely on throughout the day.

Even when you’ve been working on demanding tasks the whole day, the HUAWEI MatePad Air continues to perform reliably, thanks to its 3D heat dissipation architecture. This helps you stay productive and work on heavy-duty tasks, while the device stays cool and stable as ever to keep your workflow moving.

Take Your Ideas Further with the HUAWEI MatePad Air

Be ready when inspiration strikes with the HUAWEI MatePad Air, now available at PHP 59,999 from PHP 64,999. Enjoy vouchers worth PHP 6,500 on the HUAWEI Online Store, while vouchers worth PHP 5,000 are exclusively available on Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok.

From September 18, you can purchase the HUAWEI MatePad Air and receive an exclusive freebie bundle worth up to PHP 33,886. Freebies include a HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard (worth PHP 9,999), HUAWEI M-Pencil Pro (worth PHP 7,999), a PC-Level WPS Office (worth PHP 4,999), a One-Year WPS AI Membership (worth PHP 7,000), a Bluetooth Mouse (worth PHP 1,899), and a bag (worth PHP 1,990).

To learn more, visit your nearest HUAWEI Experience Store or check out HUAWEI’s official social media pages (Facebook | Instagram).

Built for the Daily Grind: CASIO PH Spotlights All-Weather G-SHOCK Lineup

Manila, Philippines — Philippine weather has been unpredictable lately. A commute that starts in blistering heat can easily end in a sudden downpour, so the watch on your wrist needs to keep up. CASIO Philippines spotlights five G-SHOCK models that balance durability, everyday function, and style for commuters navigating unpredictable weather and busy city routines.

These timepieces are made with the realities of daily transit in mind. With 200-meter water resistance and G-SHOCK’s signature shock-resistant construction, they can handle sudden rain, crowded trains, jeeps or UVs, and the movement that comes with getting around the city. Features like timers, world time, and LED illumination add another layer of everyday practicality—perfect for routines that rarely go as planned.

"Filipino commuters deal with a lot in a single day, whether it’s a sudden downpour or a train car that feels like an oven," said Sena Kuroda, Regional Sales Manager, CASIO Philippines. "G-SHOCK was built for exactly that kind of unpredictability. Commuters shouldn't have to choose between a watch that can keep up and one that looks good doing it."

For commuters leaning into retro street fashion, the GA-140-1A1 (₱8,860) delivers a strong dose of retro character and nostalgia. Inheriting the oversized, rugged case of the original GA-100 line, its dial design nods to the classic boomboxes and portable stereos of the ‘80s and ‘90s. The result is a bold, vintage-influenced look that adds flair to everyday outfits while retaining the toughness G-SHOCK is known for.

For a more commanding look, the GA-700-1A (₱7,920) stands out with its dynamic three-dimensional face and substantial case. Its sculpted hands make the display easier to read at a glance, and a five-year battery keeps maintenance minimal. A dedicated front button also provides quick access to illumination—especially useful during evening commutes or in low-light settings.

Built for the long haul, the GA-010-1A (₱7,770) and GD-010-1 (₱7,960) combine G-SHOCK resilience with a 10-year battery, so you don’t have to worry about frequent battery changes. Both are made with bio-based resin and finished in versatile black colorways that work easily from transit to the office. A prominent front button activates a high-brightness LED, while the choice between the two largely comes down to display preference: the GA-010-1A features a textured analog-digital dial, while the GD-010-1 offers a large, high-contrast digital display for quick readability on the move.

Rounding out the lineup is the GA-100-1A1 (₱8,870), which pairs a blacked-out aesthetic with the rugged design language long associated with G-SHOCK. It combines four digital displays with aluminum hands for easy readability, while high magnetic resistance shields it from the everyday interference of phones, laptops, and transit turnstiles, exactly the kind of exposure a daily commute brings. Its utilitarian look makes it a solid choice for commuters who appreciate the classic, hard-wearing side of G-SHOCK.

Together, these five models reflect everyday commuters’ priorities—long battery life, quick illumination, easy readability, and personal style. In a city routine shaped by sudden rain, crowded transit, and long days on the move, durability becomes less of a technical feature and more of an everyday necessity.

These models are available at CASIO and G-SHOCK stores nationwide, as well as through the CASIO Philippines online store.

Lenovo & Motorola Qira Expands Personal AI Across Devices and Apps

Berlin, Germany — Lenovo is expanding its vision for personal artificial intelligence with the latest evolution of Lenovo & Motorola Qira, a personal AI designed to work across compatible devices, applications, and services.

First unveiled at Tech World earlier this year, Qira began moving toward wider availability at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in March, when Lenovo announced the initial rollout across more than 20 Lenovo devices. At Lenovo Innovation World during IFA 2026, the company announced several major expansions that aim to make the AI experience available to more users.

One key update is broader PC support. Lenovo & Motorola Qira is expanding to eligible Lenovo PCs with 16GB of memory, allowing more devices to access the platform beyond higher-memory configurations. Since its initial rollout, Lenovo says Qira has reached more than 80 supported PC configurations across its consumer and commercial portfolios, alongside select tablets and Motorola smartphones.

The experience is also expanding to eligible Motorola devices receiving the Android 17 upgrade, including select Edge, Signature, and Razr models. The rollout will happen gradually depending on device and market. Qira will also be integrated into the moto watch ultra, making it the first wearable to support the personal AI. Users will be able to interact with Qira from their wrist through voice commands or by accessing its features directly.

Another important development is deeper integration with everyday productivity applications. Through Lenovo's collaboration with Workato, supported users will be able to connect Qira with services including Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Contacts, Slack, Outlook Mail, and Outlook Calendar. This could make it easier to locate information, manage updates, and take actions without repeatedly switching between applications.

Lenovo is also expanding Qira's connections with Notion and Perplexity, giving users additional ways to work with projects, documents, research, and visual references.

Privacy and user control remain central to the platform. Lenovo describes Qira as having a hybrid, local-first architecture that prioritizes on-device processing where supported. Personal knowledge added to the system is encrypted and stored locally, while cloud processing uses secure, encrypted services when required.

With support for six languages and plans for additional device families and form factors by the end of 2026, Lenovo & Motorola Qira represents Lenovo's broader effort to make personal AI more connected, contextual, and accessible across the devices people use every day.