GCASH INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2026 EMPOWERS YOUTH TO DRIVE FINTECH SOLUTIONS FOR FILIPINO MSMES

  

 The winning team for ImaGnation: GCash Innovation Challenge 2026 with GCash officials 

PHILIPPINES – GCash brought together more than 2,385 young innovators from across the Philippines at ImaGnation: GCash Innovation Challenge 2026, challenging students to develop technology-driven solutions to address real challenges faced by micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The three-day hackathon and case competition drew 477 registered teams across 10 regions, with more than half of participants coming from outside Metro Manila, including CALABARZON, Central Visayas, Central Luzon, and Northern Mindanao.

Anchored on the theme “Negosyo Nation: Powering the Rise of the Filipino Entrepreneur,” the competition challenged students to explore how GCash payments, credit, insurance, merchant solutions, and analytics can work together to address the financial and operational needs of Filipino entrepreneurs. Participants also gained hands-on experience with AI platforms, prompt engineering, and app prototyping through InnovLabs, the innovation platform of GCash.

Turning ideas into solutions

The Top 10 teams advanced to an intensive Bootcamp and Hackathon Proper at the GCash Headquarters in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, where 50 students worked with GCash employee mentors, product leaders, and technical coaches.

Through InnovLabs, participants were able to develop UI/UX prototypes without building complex backend systems from scratch. Mentors helped teams test their ideas, strengthen their business cases, and consider fintech regulations and the needs of actual MSME users.

For Rowie Zamora, Chief Strategy Officer at Mynt, Inc., the parent company of GCash, the competition gives students an opportunity to build technology around real customer needs.

“Empowering local entrepreneurs is one of the most vital economic missions in the country today, and ImaGnation offers a real sandbox for bright young minds to make an impact. Maximize this event, ground your technology in real customer problems, and help us build innovations that move both local businesses and the entire nation forward,” Zamora said.

The nationwide participation also reflects the growing reach of the program, said Robert Gonzales, Chief People Officer at Mynt, Inc.

“Seeing student teams join us from across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao shows how far the reach of ImaGnation has grown. Over half of our registered entries came from outside Metro Manila, proving that game-changing tech ideas and brilliant problem-solvers are thriving in every corner of the Philippines,” said Robert Gonzales, Chief People Officer at Mynt, Inc.

Young innovators building solutions for Filipino businesses

The competition culminated in the Challenge Finals, where five finalist teams presented their business cases to GCash executive leadership.

Their concepts addressed practical challenges faced by Filipino entrepreneurs and communities, demonstrating how existing digital financial tools can be combined and reimagined to solve specific user needs.

“We learned how to bring existing features together and build around them, and that’s something that’s new and exciting for us to figure out,” said Jezreel, a representative of one of the finalist teams.

For Faye, an Industrial Engineering student from Team Krimstix, the experience also offered a closer look at the opportunities within fintech.

“This hackathon really opened my eyes to how much room there still is to innovate in fintech. It inspired me to invest my time and skills into building a future career in this space,” she said.

The winning teams will receive guaranteed internship placements at GCash, giving them opportunities to work alongside product and technology leaders and further develop their ideas beyond the competition.

Through ImaGnation, GCash continues to connect emerging talent with real business challenges, industry expertise, and technology. By creating opportunities for young Filipinos to build solutions for the needs of local entrepreneurs, the initiative supports a broader ecosystem of innovation while advancing the GCash vision of Finance for All.

For more information, please visit www.gcash.com.

NEVER BE LEFT IN THE DARK WITH INFINIX XENERGY

PHILIPPINES – Power interruptions can affect homes, workplaces, and communities, disrupting access to electricity when it is needed most. While outages can happen unexpectedly, preparing in advance can help households respond more effectively and stay connected when essential services are disrupted.

One area worth considering is backup power. During an outage, having a reliable power source can help keep essential communication devices and equipment running, particularly when access to electricity may be limited for an extended period.

The Infinix XEnergy L1000 can be part of a household's preparedness setup, providing backup power for essential needs during unexpected interruptions.

Prepare Essential Devices in Advance

Make sure important devices such as smartphones, communication equipment, emergency lights, and other essential electronics are charged. Identify which devices will need power during an outage and prioritize them accordingly.

For higher-power requirements, the Infinix XEnergy L1000 provides 1,000W of power and features a built-in UPS with a less-than-20ms switchover. This can help maintain power for compatible connected devices when the main electricity supply is interrupted.

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UMAK PRESIDENT APPOINTED CHAIRMAN OF WORLD UNIVERSITY NETWORK OF INNOVATORS AT 2026 WURI GLOBAL CONFERENCE IN GERMANY

 PHILIPPINES - Demonstrating the University of Makati’s (UMak) expanding global presence and leadership in higher education, University President Elyxzur Ramos and Center for Quality Management and Development (CQMD) Director Henry Magat secured major international appointments during the 2026 World University Association for Innovation (WURI) Global Conference, held on recently at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology in Germany.

President Elyxzur Ramos was reelected as Chairman of the World 🎓 Network of Innovators (WUNI) for Presidents. In addition, Dr. Ramos was invited to join the pioneer team of accreditation inspectors for university presidents under the WURI system, establishing a significant benchmark for executive academic leadership.

(Middle in Barong) UMak President Elyxzur Ramos pose with other WURI participants.

GCASH LAUNCHES GSTOCKS PH TO EMPOWER FILIPINO INVESTORS

 

 GStocks PH allows Filipinos to easily sign up and begin trading in the stock market with broker AB Capital Securities Inc. directly through the GCash app

PHILIPPINES – Finance super app GCash is expanding Filipinos’ access to investing through its in-app stock platform, allowing ordinary consumers to grow their hard-earned money directly from their mobile phones. 

 

By enabling seamless and paperless registration, GCash breaks down barriers to entry into the digital finance space through GInvest, allowing Filipinos to invest via GStocks PH and other services like GFunds, GBonds, and more directly through its platform.

 

At present, GStocks PH serves more than 2 million users through broker AB Capital Securities Inc., cornering the majority of all online retail stock market accounts with the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE). According to the PSE’s 2025 Stock Market Investor Profile report, stock market accounts jumped by 27.3 percent to 3.64 million last year, from the 2.86 million accounts recorded in 2024.

 

Broken down, 99.2 percent, or 3.61 million accounts, belong to retail investors, with 3.22 million accounts of which are held online through digital trading platforms and e-wallets. Online retail accounts also grew by 30.5 percent year-on-year.

 

Digital platforms driving inclusion

The scale-up of online investing reflects a shift toward digital platforms that reduce hurdles to market participation. With a streamlined onboarding process that allows Filipinos to invest directly through the GCash app, GStocks PH draws more retail investors to the local capital markets while promoting digital financial inclusion.

PRE‑ORDER HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 SERIES AND WATCH D3 FOR NEXT‑LEVEL WELLNESS TRACKING

 

PHILIPPINES — HUAWEI is bringing smarter sports performance and proactive health management to the wrist with the HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 Series and HUAWEI WATCH D3, now available for pre-order in the Philippines starting at PHP 14,999.

HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 Series: Smarter Training Meets Premium Design

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 Series combines intelligent performance with premium craftsmanship, featuring an aerospace-grade titanium alloy case, a nanocrystal ceramic bezel, and sapphire glass on the Pro version. It also features HUAWEI's first-ever EasyCross strap, introducing an innovative tuck-under design that creates a cleaner profile and a snug, comfortable fit throughout the day.

Accurate and Comprehensive Sports and Health Tracking

The HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 Series helps users stay on course with the Sunflower Positioning System, enhanced by AI-XDR Positioning for precise GPS tracking even when signals are temporarily blocked. Complementing this is HUAWEI TruSense, which provides accurate cardiovascular health insights and other key wellness metrics.

Beyond everyday fitness tracking, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 Series brings together advanced sports performance and long-term wellness insights in one connected experience.

It features more than 100 sports modes, including advanced cycling plans and other outdoor sports, paired with detailed metrics tailored to different activities. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 Series also delivers the Diabetes Risk Study, while the Coronary Heart Disease Study is exclusively available on the HUAWEI WATCH GT 7 Pro.

CONTROLLER AND GT NX STATION FOR A CONSOLE-GRADE MOBILE GAMING EXPERIENCE

  PHILIPPINES — Infinix, a leading global technology brand, today officially unveiled its flagship gaming peripheral of the year — the GT NX Controller and GT NX Station. While the mobile gaming market continues to expand, players are increasingly seeking a more professional and immersive experience. High-frame-rate, high-fidelity mobile games impose stringent demands on smartphones in terms of thermal management, network stability, and display output. To fully unlock this potential, Infinix introduces dedicated physical controls and industry-leading haptic feedback, providing gamers with tactile precision, ergonomic comfort, and a true console-grade feel right in the palm of their hands.

Most mobile gaming peripherals available today are fragmented and single-purpose: docking stations only handle video mirroring, cooling fans merely address overheating, and game controllers often come with high latency. Gamers have to purchase multiple separate accessories and spend time on complicated setup. To tackle these industry pain points, Infinix officially unveiled the GT NX Controller and GT NX Station multi-functional esports docking station. This integrated hardware connects control, cooling, display output and port expansion in one complete workflow, transforming a smartphone into a portable gaming console for versatile scenarios.

BALLET MANILA BRINGS IBONG ADARNA TO LIFE AT ARETÉ ATENEO

 

Ballet Manila re-stages Ibong Adarna at Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University on October 9 and 10.

PHILIPPINES – A magical story that generations of Filipinos love and know by heart is once again set to come alive in a completely different and enchanting way.

This October, Ballet Manila brings Gerardo Francisco Jr.’s Ibong Adarna back to the stage, transforming the beloved Filipino tale of an enchanted bird, royal brothers, forbidden love, and a quest for healing into a spectacle of music, movement, and dance.

One of the company’s most beloved and performed productions, Ibong Adarna will be staged at Hyundai Hall, Areté, Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City on October 9 at 7:30 p.m. and October 10 at 5 p.m.

“Ibong Adarna is one of Ballet Manila’s most requested offsite performances. This year, it already had two shows at Jose Rizal Coliseum in Laguna, and now the production is bound to return to Areté in Ateneo before continuing its way to Iloilo,” shared Lisa Macuja Elizalde, Ballet Manila’s CEO and Artistic Director.