For many Filipinos, year-end bonuses are often earmarked for holiday shopping, family celebrations, travel, or long-awaited purchases. But bonus season can also be an opportunity to strengthen savings and move closer to long-term financial goals.

More Filipinos are beginning to think this way. As income rises and wealth accumulates, professionals, entrepreneurs, young families, and business owners are looking beyond everyday banking and seeking more personalized ways to manage and grow their money.

Recognizing this trend, EastWest Bank introduced Horizons, a banking program that combines personalized banking, investment guidance, and preferred service for clients whose financial goals are becoming more sophisticated as they build wealth.

From extra cash to building the future

For those looking to put a portion of their bonus to work, EastWest is running a Horizons promotion until December 29, 2026. Clients who place at least ₱100,000 in fresh funds may qualify for returns of up to 3.5% per annum.

They will also gain access to Horizons benefits, including dedicated Relationship Officers, investment specialists, dedicated store lanes, a virtual card, expedited processing for select banking products, and personalized financial guidance, subject to the Bank's evaluation and approval.

The offer provides an accessible entry point for customers who are beginning to build their savings and investment portfolio and are looking for more personalized support as their financial needs evolve.

According to EastWest Chief Marketing Officer Martin Reyes, more Filipinos are reaching a stage where financial goals extend beyond everyday banking.

"For many professionals and entrepreneurs, a year-end bonus is often one of the first opportunities to set aside money not just for spending, but for future goals," said Martin Reyes, EastWest Chief Marketing Officer. "Whether they're looking to grow investments, prepare for major milestones, or build long-term financial security, Horizons gives clients access to personalized guidance and solutions that can help them make the most of those opportunities."

The rise of the emerging affluent segment

The launch comes as the country's emerging affluent segment continues to expand.

Research from Boston Consulting Group estimates that middle-class and affluent consumers already account for more than half of the Philippine population, representing roughly 60 million Filipinos. The segment's continued growth is driving demand for investment opportunities, wealth-building solutions, and personalized financial advice. For EastWest, Horizons serves as a bridge between traditional retail banking and wealth management, allowing clients to access more personalized support earlier while preparing for larger financial goals in the years ahead. To learn more about EastWest Horizons and its banking and lifestyle benefits, visit www.eastwestbanker.com/horizons. For more information about the EastWest Horizons Christmas Rewards Promo, visit https://www.eastwestbanker.com/promos/eastwest-horizons-christmas-rewards-promo.

Philippines Portrait Gallery of “Seeing Beyond Labels”

For the Philippine chapter, themed “See Beyond Labels,” Angélica Dass photographed 20 individuals in Manila whose lives intersect with solo motherhood in diverse ways. The gallery honors a powerful truth: behind every societal label is a human life shaped by many roles, deep relationships and personal ambitions, reminding us that no one should be defined by a single societal label or a single title like “solo mom”.

This creative direction is rooted in the realities of Filipino family life. According to publicly available data, the country has an estimated 14 to 15 million solo parents, with women accounting for about 95% of them. An estimated 2.19 million Filipinos worked overseas in 2024, with women making up 57.2% of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW). Behind these figures are individual lives that are far more layered. This is the space the Philippines chapter sets out to explore.

Captured on the CAMON Slim 5G with TECNO Universal Tone, the Philippines chapter of 100 Portraits of Becoming naturally connects with CAMON Slim 5G’s “Make It Lighter” philosophy, using technology to make expressive photography feel more accessible, intuitive and open to more people.

The Stories Behind the Portraits of 20 People

Through their portraits, that broader context becomes personal, revealing very different experiences of work, family, care and becoming.

Angélica Dass taking portrait photos in Manila

Some stories come from working solo mothers themselves. Others are told through the perspectives of adults raised by solo mothers, multi-generation families, Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) caregivers, and media or community advocates who work closely with women and families. These diverse narratives highlight a pervasive challenge: the social tendency to let a single label define an individual's entire life and capability.

To challenge these stereotypes, their discussions addressed core questions surrounding work, family, and identity - How does motherhood intersect with professional ambition? How do grown children raised in solo-parent families reflect on their upbringing? And what structural support, choices and personal wisdom help families navigate everyday life?

Ultimately, these stories reveal a richer, more nuanced picture of modern family life of solo mothers and women in general: women building fulfilling careers while raising children, multi-generational networks sharing caregiving responsibilities, adults drawing strength from the mothers who raised them, and individuals continuously pursuing their own ambitions.

Portraits of 20 people connected to solo motherhood

Portraits of 20 people connected to solo motherhood from the Philippines chapter now are joining the global 100 Portraits of Becoming on TECNO’s official website, where their images and stories can be explored together.

Her Many Ways of Becoming

Among the 20 participants is Ely Haig, a solo working mother, breadwinner, advertising professional and competitive amateur padel player.

Ely became a mother just as her career was taking off. For a time, she stepped back from opportunities and focused on taking care of everyone around her. Later, she found a different kind of diskarte: knowing what matters to her, then finding ways to make room for her career, her daughter, side projects and padel.

“Being a good mother shouldn’t mean leaving yourself behind,” said Ely. “I want people to see more than a solo mom. A mother, yes, but also a creative, a career woman, an athlete, still becoming.”

The Portrait of Ely Haig

Twinkle Dimayuga Zamora raised two children as a solo mother before turning her own experience into community support. She later founded MAMA, Mothers Advocating through Ministry and Action, an initiative supporting solo mothers and their children. Her diskarte is simple: ask for help, communicate openly and build a village. “Sometimes the strongest thing a mother can do is say, ‘I need help,’” she said.

The Portrait of Twinkle Dimayuga Zamora

Eunice N. Angeles, a fourth-year nursing student, was raised by a solo mother who later became an OFW in Qatar. Growing up, she watched her mother keep finding opportunities and making difficult choices to create a better future for them both. That confidence became something Eunice feels she inherited. “I want people to see what I grew up with: confidence, determination and the courage to find my own way.”

mobile.com. The Portrait of Eunice N. Angeles

These stories reflect different expressions of their own diskarte: the wisdom, resourcefulness and choices women draw on to navigate life in their own way. More stories from the 20 portraits can be explored in the Philippines gallery of 100 Portraits of Becoming, part of TECNO’s global story archive.

An Opportunity to See Behind the Portraits

For Angélica Dass, the Philippines chapter is an opportunity to move from a shared social context to the individual lives within it. Across the 20 portraits, she encountered different ambitions, relationships, personalities and ways of navigating everyday life.

Renowned photographer Angélica Dass captures portraits using the TECNO CAMON Slim 5G in Manila, Philippines.

“What stayed with me was the realization that ‘solo motherhood’ is only one part of a person's identity. Through the stories shared with me and the moments we created during the portrait sessions, I was reminded that behind every label there is a person with their own ambitions, relationships, choices, and dreams. No single label can tell us everything about who someone is.”

To ground these stories in authenticity, the portraits were photographed on location across Manila in environments directly tied to each participant’s daily life—whether a workplace, a family home, or a familiar community space.

The creative approach echoes the campaign’s core philosophy: leaving space to portray work, ambition, relationships, humour and daily routines — the rich parts of everyday life that extend far beyond a single role or a single label.

From Kenya to the Philippines, and Beyond

All portraits in the Philippines were photographed by Angélica Dass using the TECNO CAMON Slim 5G, supported by TECNO Universal Tone technology.

TECNO Universal Tone was developed to more accurately represent a broad spectrum of human skin tones in mobile photography. Within 100 Portraits of Becoming, that capability supports a wider idea at the heart of the project: seeing people as they are, with greater accuracy and attention to individuality. “What moved us about the Philippines chapter was seeing how naturally motherhood, work, ambition and personal identity can coexist in the same life,” said Jack Guo, General Manager of TECNO. “We hope technology can play a small part in helping people be seen more fully, and their stories better understood.”

The Philippines marks the second stop of 100 Portraits of Becoming, following the project’s launch in Kenya in July 2026. Over two years, the initiative will bring together 100 portraits across multiple countries, building a story archive of people, stories and possibilities.

In Kenya, the project explored how people move beyond inherited narratives about place and the future. In the Philippines, the lens turns to family, identity and the roles people carry, looking beyond the first label to the person, the people around her, and who she is still becoming.

And with the Philippines now joining the archive, more portraits, more stories and more ways of becoming are still to be unveiled in more countries.

For any related media queries, please contact pr.tecno@tecno-

Halloween at F1 Hotel Manila BGC comes with a choice of sides. On October 31, the hotel runs two parties under one roof: The Naughty & The Nice, a trick-or-treat afternoon in the ballroom built for children, and The Wicked & The Divine, a late-night takeover of Canary where guests pick angel or devil at the door. Both sit inside Heritage Holidays at F1 Hotel Manila: Homeward for the Holidays, the season's campaign running through November 1 across the hotel's rooms, restaurants, bar and function spaces.

Trick-or-treat in the ballroom: The Naughty & The Nice

Children choose a side at the door — a gold halo headband for the Nice list, red felt horns for the Naughty — then work through six trick-or-treat stations set around the ballroom, including a Nice list station handing out gingerbread parol cookies from The Patisserie. A Halo & Horns photo booth, a face-painting corner, a magic show, inflatables, a bubble show and a Nice List signing wall run alongside, and each session closes with a costume parade crowning Best Little Angel, Best Little Rascal and Best Family. Every child ends up on the Nice list.

Php 2,188 net takes a child through all six stations, the photo booth, the face painting and the costume parade, with the food stations open throughout. The Php 1,422 net rate on Hot Deals has sold out; the rate now stands at Php 1,600 net. The same booking brings 20% off the Weekend Lunch Buffet and 10% off at The Patisserie that day.

Angels play, devils dance: The Wicked & The Divine

At 10 PM, the party moves to Canary, where the October edition of the hotel's monthly DJ night splits the room in two. Guests take a gold wristband for the Divine or a crimson one for the Wicked, and the night plays out as a war between them: Ascension opens in ethereal melodic house and gold light, Temptation lets the red creep in, and at midnight The Fall splits the lights gold and crimson for the costume contest — Best Angel, Best Devil — before Judgment runs both worlds at once until 2 AM. DJ Tom Taus headlines with DJ Nico Yabut and DJ Francie.

At Php 15,000 net, a table for eight comes with two premium bottles, a bar bites platter and two rounds of cocktails for Php 9,000 on Hot Deals. A table for six is Php 8,000 net, or Php 5,600 on Hot Deals, with a premium bottle and a round of cocktails. At Php 2,199 net, or Php 1,429 on Hot Deals, guests come in for two rounds of cocktails. Dress code is glamour, not gore.

Stay the night, skip the drive home

Halos & Horns Weekend turns October 30 to 31 into a one-weekend staycation built around the two parties. Couples take a Deluxe Room at Php 7,988 net with in-room breakfast, the Weekend Lunch Buffet, a one-hour massage for two, late check-out until 4 PM and a place for two at The Wicked & The Divine. Families take a City Suite for three at Php 11,988 net with breakfast, the buffet, a reserved Enigma Art Session slot, and a take-home box of Classic Cheesy Ensaymada, plus entry to The Naughty & The Nice. A Hot Deals rate of Php 7,488 net is open to couples. Promo code HALOSHORNS26.

For the rest of the season, First Nights of Christmas opens a Deluxe Room or City Suite for two at 20% off when booked directly with code FIRSTNIGHTS26, through November 1. A welcome tray of hot tsokolate and bibingka bites waits on arrival, gingerbread parol cookies appear at turndown, check-out stretches to 2 PM, and every stay earns a Php 1,000 voucher for December. Feast & Stay folds the whole weekend into one booking with code FEASTSTAY26, from Php 7,988 net for couples and Php 11,988 net for families of three. Midweek, the Bed & Breakfast Escape opens a Deluxe Room at 30% off the best available rate with breakfast for two, with code SLOWMORNINGS26.

Traditional weekends on the buffet, and a gifting counter at The Patisserie

The Weekend Lunch Buffet at F All Day Dining runs every Saturday and Sunday through November 1 at Php 2,299 net, or Php 1,379 on Hot Deals. A carver works the hamon station beside a wheel of queso de bola, lechon belly and four Noche Buena dishes join the line, and the merienda corner does what December does: puto bumbong, bibingka, leche flan, and hot tsokolate poured to order. The Christmas Craft Corner art session keeps the children busy while the adults go back for seconds, with a Halloween-themed edition on October 31. Children booked into The Naughty & The Nice take 20% off the buffet that day, and children under 6 in costume eat free.

At The Patisserie, the Bibingka Cheesecake and Classic Cheesy Ensaymada are joined this month by the Vigan Ensaymada and a new line of Almond Praline Chocolates in Belgian milk, white and caramel, from Php 78 a piece and Php 828 for the Trio Box of twelve. The Heritage Gift Box pairs a whole Bibingka Cheesecake or a box of six ensaymada with a Praline Trio Box and a gift card, with corporate pre-orders delivering November 15 to December 23.

Grill, glow, and the first sip of ber at the Canary Lounge

Grill & Glow pairs unlimited Korean barbecue with pool access at Php 1,488 net, or Php 899 on Hot Deals, with hamon-glazed samgyupsal and queso de bola corn cheese under the pool-deck Christmas lights. Glow Nights run Friday and Saturday, and barkada groups of eight to ten get a complimentary Christmas sangria pitcher. The First Sip of Ber line-up leads with the Starlight Spritz on buy-one-take-one every Friday from 5 PM to 8 PM — including October 30, when the Halloween Eve preview brings out Fallen Angel and Original Sin a night early.

Christmas parties in BGC, booked early

Paskong F1 Early Bird rewards Christmas party bookings confirmed by October 15 for dates from November 15 to December 30: a complimentary one-hour extension, free-flowing iced tea, and a complimentary Deluxe Room with breakfast for two on the day itself. Packages for 60 guests come down to Php 102,000 net from Php 175,000 net, with a live bibingka and puto bumbong dessert corner available as an upgrade. Blackout dates apply from December 1 to 13. Meeting, social, and weekend function packages start at Php 650 net per person.

Booking details

The Naughty & The Nice and The Wicked & The Divine both run on October 31 and are sold exclusively through the hotel's Hot Deals page, on sale until October 30 or until sold out. Children are booked into a specific ballroom session. Heritage Holidays offers run through November 1, 2026, with selected offers until October 30. Room offers are bookable on the F1 Hotel Manila BGC website. Hot Deals rates and banquet packages are exclusive to the hotel's Hot Deals page. Dining and bar experiences require prior reservation. All rates are net and cannot be combined with other promotions. Terms and conditions apply.

Reservations: (02) 8928-9888 · Viber 0919 912 4803

But have the two finally buried the hatchet? According to Jojo Mendrez, who also served as producer of the 42nd Star Awards for Movies, he and Mark had the chance to talk backstage and reconcile their differences. While this suggests that the two have already taken steps toward making peace, their onstage interaction has sparked another round of curiosity.


If they have already settled their issues, why did they still appear to maintain some distance during their duet? Was it simply part of their stage performance, or are they still taking things one step at a time? For now, their unexpected musical reunion has certainly given entertainment fans something to talk about. Whether their reconciliation marks a fresh start in their relationship remains to be seen.

A lucky fan gets the rare chance to sing alongside Ms. Sheryn Regis through Platinum Karaoke’s Sing With Me feature during the Sing It Loud event. 

 

The partnership brings together Regal’s legacy in Filipino filmmaking and BingoPlus’ digital entertainment platform, introducing five original games inspired by the franchise: Manananggal, Reyna Ahas, Triple Terror, LRT Monster, and Aswang.

First released in 1984, Shake, Rattle & Roll has spent decades entertaining and frightening Filipino audiences through stories inspired by local folklore, Philippine mythology, and unforgettable fictional characters. Its familiar monsters have remained part of conversations long after audiences left the cinema.

For Regal Entertainment, bringing the franchise into gaming is an opportunity to introduce these stories to another generation without losing what made them distinctly Filipino.

“For more than four decades, Shake, Rattle & Roll has remained part of Philippine popular culture through stories that are distinctly Filipino,” said Roselle Monteverde, President of Regal Entertainment. “Our collaboration with DigiPlus opens a new chapter for the franchise, bringing its creative legacy into digital entertainment while preserving the storytelling and cultural identity that have made it enduring.”

The collaboration also reflects how two homegrown entertainment brands can bring different strengths to the same story. 

Regal contributes the characters and creative legacy that audiences have known for years, while BingoPlus, under DigiPlus Interactive Corp., provides a platform where these familiar horror properties can be experienced through gaming.

Beyond the games themselves, the partnership celebrates Filipino creativity and the lasting appeal of local storytelling. It shows how stories rooted in the country’s culture can continue to connect with audiences even as the ways people enjoy entertainment change.

“Our goal is to give our players premium entertainment. This partnership is also an example of how we work: we put our customers first. We listen to what our players enjoy, and we keep working to give them something fresh, engaging, and made for them. The Shake, Rattle & Roll games are part of that commitment,” said DigiPlus Chairman Eusebio Tanco

He added, “Our goal is to give our players premium entertainment. That means high-quality games, thoughtful design, and worthy experiences. Partnering with Regal, one of the country's most respected names in storytelling, helps us deliver that.”