The Philippines has an opportunity to expand its use of 5G Standalone (5G SA), but stronger cooperation among the government, telecom companies, and technology providers will be needed to make the most of the technology. “The Philippines was an early 5G frontrunner in the region and that is something to be proud of,” said Daniel Ode, head of Singapore, Brunei & Philippines at Ericsson. “Since then, several neighboring markets in the region have accelerated ahead, but with ecosystem partnerships there is a big opportunity for the Philippines to quickly move and capture the full value of 5G SA.” 5G Standalone…
Author: Marlet Salazar
“Kaka-computer” (always on the computer) has become a familiar phrase in many Filipino households. It is what parents often say when they catch their children spending too much time in front of a screen. For today’s digital-native generation, however, life without gadgets or computers is almost impossible to imagine. Technology is often seen as the culprit when students become distracted or spend too much time online. But some schools are trying a different approach. Instead of treating gadgets as a distraction, they are finding ways to turn them into learning tools that encourage creativity, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking. One…
Apple is bringing Apple Pay to the Philippines, entering a market where digital payments accounted for 57.4% of all retail payment transactions in 2024, up from 52.8% a year earlier, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. “The Philippines is among the most digitally savvy markets in Southeast Asia,” Jennifer Bailey, vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, told PhilSTAR Tech in a virtual interview. She said the country’s young, mobile-first consumers and growing contactless payment infrastructure made it the right time to introduce Apple Pay. The Philippines becomes Apple’s latest Apple Pay market in Southeast Asia, joining Singapore,…
Organizations are under pressure to strengthen data protection while keeping technology investments cost-effective as security threats and compliance requirements become more complex, according to Synology. According to Synology, businesses need infrastructure that not only stores data but also protects it against a range of risks. Organizations are looking for solutions that combine security, scalability, and efficiency rather than treating them as separate priorities. “We actually do that through some of our solutions in terms of scalable storage, not just storage, but also secure servers and ways for you to protect your data,” said Claire Huang, country manager for the Philippines…
Women in the Philippines are using Google’s Gemini AI assistant more than men, making the country the only one in Southeast Asia where female users outnumber male users on the platform, according to Google’s first Gemini Report: Southeast Asia 2026. The report looked at how people in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam use Gemini. While the AI assistant is popular with both men and women in the Philippines, Google found that Filipino women generate more prompts than men, a trend not seen in the other countries covered in the study. Google did not explain why Filipino women…
Meta has removed a new Instagram AI feature just days after introducing it, following criticism that it could be used to create fake images of people without their permission, according to a report by Reuters. The tool allows users to generate AI images by tagging public Instagram accounts as references. While Meta said the feature was designed to help people create images more easily, privacy advocates and creators warned that it could be abused to make deepfakes, impersonate individuals, or misuse someone’s likeness. After the criticism, Meta pulled the feature, just after its launch on Tuesday. The change affects only…
Businesses in the Philippines are quickly adopting artificial intelligence (AI), but many are not doing enough to protect themselves from the security risks that come with it. More companies are using AI tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini to help employees work faster and improve productivity. However, experts say many organizations have not yet put the right safeguards in place to prevent sensitive company information from being exposed or misused. “Everyone’s talking about it, everyone’s curious to know more about AI, so the adoption is really happening as we speak,” Bernadette Nacario, country director for the Philippines, Palo Alto Networks,…
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is strengthening AI readiness among its leaders and key personnel through a partnership with local AI company NMBLR.ai, which will provide its Nexus AI Training program. Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), NMBLR.ai will conduct AI workshops, hands-on training, executive sessions, and demonstrations for DOST leadership, ExeCom members, technical staff, and program officers. The training will be held at NMBLR’s Programmable Makati Office, which will serve as the learning venue for participants. The collaboration aims to help DOST personnel develop practical AI skills and better understand how AI tools can support the agency’s…
Sen. Bam Aquino opposed calls to ban violent video games after the school shooting in Tacloban City, saying games should not be blamed every time a violent incident happens. Aquino said studies have not shown a clear link between video games and school shootings. He said video games, like movies and other forms of entertainment, do not automatically make people violent. “Mas maraming studies na ginawa na nagsasabing walang correlation between video games and school shooting,” said Aquino, chair of the Committees on Basic Education and Science and Technology. “Magpi-50 years na rin iyong mga video games, pero it’s always…
Signify Philippines is encouraging businesses to rethink how they use lighting by adopting a circular approach that can help reduce waste, improve efficiency, and extend the lifespan of lighting systems. At Signify Innovation Day 2026 held recently, Signify Philippines highlighted its circularity framework, Use Less, Use Longer, Use Again, which focuses on using fewer resources, making products last longer, and keeping materials in use instead of discarding them. Circular lighting solutions can help organizations lower energy consumption, reduce material waste, and maximize the value of their lighting investments. These include solutions designed for longer use through durable design, repairability, modularity,…
