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Youth Leaders from 12 Countries Gather in Cebu to Tackle Housing Challenges

Around 40 young leaders from 12 countries across the Asia-Pacific have come together at Seda Hotel Ayala for the 3-day Habitat for Humanity Youth Assembly, happening from June 24 to 26. The event aims to empower youth to co-create sustainable, community-driven solutions to housing challenges in the region.

This year’s Youth Assembly shines a spotlight on 40 shortlisted youth-led projects, carefully selected from 88 applications. These initiatives are being showcased in the Youth Solutions Gallery, located at the hotel lobby, where participants proudly present innovative approaches to solving housing issues — from affordable design to community-based construction models.

Habitat for Humanity remains committed to supporting youth as change-makers. As part of this support, up to 10 projects will receive US$4,000 in seed grants to scale their ideas—focused on bold, inclusive, and replicable housing solutions.

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Cebu Pacific Launches New Seat Sale for International Travel

Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), the Philippines’ leading carrier, is making the world even closer for every Juan as it rolls out another round of seat sale highlighting its strong international connectivity from its strategically placed hubs all across the country.

With an extensive network of 26 international destinations across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East, CEB is making international travel more accessible and affordable for its passengers. CEB currently offers the most number of international routes from the Philippines.

Travelers who didn’t get a chance to secure their seats during previous seat sales may book their flights again to international destinations from Manila, Cebu, Clark, Iloilo, or Davao until May 31 for as low as PHP 699 one-way base fare, exclusive of fees and surcharges. The travel period is from May 16 to October 31, 2025.

This seat sale is part of CEB’s latest campaign “Juander Far and Wide”, aimed at encouraging passengers to explore more of the world one flight at a time across the airline’s growing international network.

Travelers can now visit the elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, experience Sapporo’s mix of natural beauty and modern city life and explore the modish skylines of Kuala Lumpur by flying direct from Manila. CEB also allows travelers to fly direct to exciting cities, including Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Tokyo, from either Clark, Cebu, Iloilo, or Davao.

CEB offers multiple payment options, including credit and debit cards, as well as e-wallets, for booking flights and purchasing add-ons.

Aside from international cities, CEB also operates in 37 domestic destinations.

Visit www.cebupacificair.com or book directly via the Cebu Pacific app to secure your seats now!

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Univers Philippines at The Mall at NUSTAR: a fashion lover’s quiet escape

I didn’t expect to find a space that felt this calm and curated inside a mall, but Univers at NUSTAR Cebu completely changed my mind. The store is clean, modern, and honestly feels like walking through an art exhibit—with clothing from Jacquemus, Casablanca, and more.

There’s a quiet confidence in the way the space is designed. It’s not flashy, but it doesn’t need to be. The clothes speak for themselves, and the staff let you explore without hovering.

It’s rare to find a luxury store that feels this personal, especially in the middle of a busy shopping day. If you’re in Cebu and you love fashion that feels thoughtful and global, go. Trust me.

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BrandSpotlight : Honda Cars Cebu

My trusty companion over the weekend — the Honda BR-V. 🚙

It was such a breeze to drive around town, with light steering and a super comfortable ride that made every trip feel easy. I especially appreciated how smooth and responsive the brakes were — stopping felt natural and effortless, even in sudden stops. The elevated seating position gave a great view of the road especially for a shorty driver like me and the spacious cabin made it all the more relaxing. A solid weekend partner for sure.

Which Honda car should we drive next?

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Global Brands Now in Cebu at SM Supermalls

SM Supermalls is bringing top international lifestyle and beauty brands to Cebu for the very first time—giving Cebuanos a world-class shopping experience without leaving the city.

New Lifestyle Stores:

• Flying Tiger Copenhagen (SM Seaside City Cebu) – Fun and quirky everyday items from Denmark

• Decathlon (SM City Cebu) – Sports and outdoor gear for over 80 sports

• Dyson (SM City Cebu) – Innovative home and beauty tech, now with its first in-line store in Cebu

New Beauty Brands at SM City Cebu:

• Estée Lauder – Classic skincare and makeup

• Bobbi Brown – Easy, natural beauty

• Jo Malone London – Elegant fragrances and gift sets

• Clinique – Dermatologist-developed skincare and makeup

• Kiehl’s – Trusted skincare from a pharmacy heritage

SM Supermalls continues to bring the best of the world to Cebu, making everyday living more exciting and world-class.

Visit SM Seaside City Cebu, SM City Cebu, and SM J Mall today!

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Beautiful snaps at Cicada by Circa 1900 here in Cebu City 📍

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Arantxa in one of her proudest thrift finds 🛍️

When I received the email confirming my graduation candidacy last March, I started thinking about how to add my personal style to my corporate attire. Naturally, I thought, ‘PINK!’ 🌸

I initially planned to wear a pink striped blazer I got from FB Marketplace, which I had worn to the Barbie Movie premiere. It wasn’t the best quality, but it was affordable. However, as graduation approached, I found myself too busy to focus on my outfit.

While decluttering, I found my black bespoke blazer from a FIFA event, which seemed more appropriate. But just two days before graduation, I stumbled upon a thrift store near my partner’s house in Mandaue. While looking for a wedding outfit, I found a beautifully tailored pastel pink G2000 blazer and, to my surprise, a matching pencil skirt! Both pieces were just ₱700, so I quickly ditched my wedding outfit plans and decided to wear pink for graduation instead.

And that’s the story of my G2000 corporate coords. 😂

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Bukilat Cave, Tudela

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List of Superstitious Beliefs About Parenting I Learned from Visayan Elders

When someone expresses their appreciation for your child's physical attributes, avoid it getting jinxed by saying, "Pwera buyag!"

Place a thread wet with the mom's saliva on the baby's forehead to get rid of hiccups.

When your baby sucks on their toes, it means they are asking for a sibling.

Feed the baby "bilat sa baboy" (a female pig's genitals) to avoid delays in speech.

Place the baby's hair from their first haircut inside a book to make them grow smart.

You may also feed your baby porridge topped with ashes from burnt book pages to make them grow smart.

Pinch the baby's nose so they will grow up with a narrow and defined nose.

A child gets their body figure from their mother when they grow up.

Letting your kids play with dolls can cause speech delays.

Children with deformities/abnormalities bring good fortune to their families.

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still alive in 2021.

It was the year 2015 and I remember being all alone in my room at around 11 in the evening being completely miserable about my life because of all the hate, and bullying I was getting from people online after my nudes were leaked. I was writing my suicide note in this blog narrating how I wasted my life over some boy who did me wrong and how much I wished I had not given everything I had to someone who only liked me superficially. Obviously, I permanently deleted it because I am now at a much better place, and I have now created a family of my own with someone who loves and respects me. I am and will forever be grateful for my partner, my friends, and everyone in my family who have fought my battles with me, remained true to me, and continued to love me unconditionally regardless of my mistakes in the past.

Sure, I still get a lot of hate and disgusting messages from strangers who had just recently found out about my nudes(yeah, they're late like dat), but being completely healed from my past makes dealing with them so much easier. If I had received them just a few years later after it leaked like years 2016-2018, I would get extremely depressed and cry my heart out defending myself one-by-one to these haters, replying to their threats.

Looking back now, I can truly say, "I am strong & I am dat bitch," and you are, too!

-Arantxa, glad to be back back back again(credits to Ms. Alyssa Edwards ily)