Angara joins ASEAN Forum, champions PPP to accelerate classroom building program

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 







MAKATI CITY, 24 February 2026 - Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday called for stronger partnership with the private sector, emphasizing the importance of the socio-economic impact of projects to fast-track critical education reforms.



During the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum 2026 held at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City, Secretary Angara highlighted the essential role of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in leveraging private investments and expertise to address infrastructure and learning gaps.



"This administration has clearly set very clear signals that they want to work in the private sector and that they need the private sector. And I think another change that President Marcos has initiated is that we want human development and human infrastructure at the core of the PPPs, not just physical development, not just building structures,” Secretary Angara said.

With a total project cost of Php105.7 billion, DepEd is set to construct more than 16,000 new classrooms in high-need areas nationwide through the PPP for School Infrastructure Program III (PSIP III). The initiative forms part of the Marcos administration’s push to modernize school infrastructure and close critical learning gaps.

Under a Build-Lease-and-Transfer (BLT) modality, private partners will finance and construct the classrooms, ensuring on-time delivery and proper maintenance throughout the concession period. Payments will be made through availability payments sourced from DepEd’s annual budget.



To further accelerate implementation, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. issued Presidential Directive PBBM-2025-1355 on January 21, 2025, directing DepEd, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev), and the PPP Center to establish a Green Lane for education PPPs. The directive shortened approval, bidding, and review periods by an average of two months per project stage.



“Ang kagandahan kasi sa PPP, bulto bulto na yung build niya, hundreds if not thousands. You need a big type of solution to solve a big problem,” he noted.

Angara also emphasized that PPP undertakings should be assessed not only by whether the project was delivered on time and within budget, but by whether it creates jobs, develops skills, fosters innovation, and improves quality of life.


The ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum 2026 served as kick-off for the ASEAN 2026 business and investment initiatives under the Philippines’ Chairship.


The event brought together editors, economic opinion leaders, policymakers, and business leaders to align the Philippines’ trade and investment priorities with the country’s Priority Economic Deliverables for ASEAN 2026.


The forum is organized by the ASEAN Philippines 2026 Committee on Business and Investment Promotion (CBIP) led by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

Beneath the Abyss: Unveiling the Hidden Secrets of the Southern Philippine Seas

Wazzup Pilipinas 

For decades, the deep waters of the Philippines remained a silent, unexplored frontier. While the nation’s coral reefs have long captured the world's attention, the vast mysteries lurking thousands of meters below the surface were largely unknown. That changed in December 2025, when a high-stakes scientific expedition aboard the American deep-sea research vessel R/V Thomas G. Thompson ventured into the Sulu Sea, Celebes Sea, and the southern Philippine Sea.

What the team of oceanographers discovered was nothing short of revolutionary: from gas-belching submarine volcanoes to unmapped faults that challenge long-held beliefs about geological safety.

The Guardians of the Deep: Submarine Volcanoes and New Life

Led by Dr. Fernando Siringan and Dr. Daniel Orange, the joint team from the UP Marine Science Institute (MSI), the University of California - Santa Cruz, and Mindanao State University used advanced sonar to peer through the darkness.

Sulu Sea Discoveries: Scientists imaged a massive submarine volcano. Even more startling was the discovery of a 30-meter vertical anomaly rising from its peak—a plume of gas discharge suggesting the giant is active.

The Celebes Caldera: South of Balut Island, the team identified a volcanic feature shaped like a caldera, a massive crater formed by a past eruption.

Biological Goldmines: Dr. Siringan noted that these gas and hydrocarbon seeps are magnets for unique biodiversity. These "extreme" environments are more than just curiosities; they are potential sources for industrial and pharmaceutical breakthroughs, similar to how Philippine cone snails led to the development of the analgesic drug ziconotide.

Shattering the "Safe" Myth: Palawan’s Hidden Faults

For years, Palawan has been hailed as the "safest place in the Philippines," supposedly immune to the earthquakes that plague the rest of the archipelago. This expedition shattered that illusion.

Researchers uncovered previously unmapped active faults along the continental slope off eastern Palawan. One specific fault showed a 10-meter displacement that cuts directly through the seafloor surface. Furthermore, a 20-kilometer stretch of sediment near the Ulugan Bay Fault was found to be riddled with a series of fractures.

"There is a need for a reassessment of the geology of Palawan," Dr. Siringan warned, particularly as the region is being considered for a nuclear power plant.

Power from the Depths: A Renewable Energy Revolution

While the geologists looked at the floor, physical oceanographers like Dr. Charina Lyn Amedo-Repollo looked at the water itself. Their findings could redefine the Philippine energy grid through Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC).

Typically, OTEC requires drawing water from 800 to 1,000 meters deep to get a necessary 20 ∘C temperature difference. In the southern Philippine Sea, this critical gap is reached at just 200 meters, making it a prime location for continuous, baseload renewable energy.

The Pulse of the Ocean: Internal Waves and Food Security

The expedition also captured the raw power of ocean currents. About 600–700 meters below the surface, the Mindanao Current and Mindanao Undercurrent collide, creating a "shear zone" of intense mixing.

This collision generates internal waves—massive, slow-moving underwater waves that surge through narrow passages like the Basilan Strait. As these waves break, they dredge up nutrients from the abyss, fueling the plankton that support the nation's most productive fishing grounds.

A New Era for Philippine Science

This expedition represents a landmark achievement, including the first-ever collection of water samples from a staggering depth of 5,200 meters in the Celebes Sea.

As UP MSI Director Dr. Laura David put it, "Our deep sea is just as interesting [as the Coral Triangle]". The data gathered from the RV Thompson isn't just academic; it is a roadmap for the "blue economy," guiding future decisions on energy, disaster safety, and how to feed a growing nation.

GZone Tour 2026: Understanding the Evolution of Competitive Card Gaming

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

Competitive card gaming in the Philippines did not begin in 2026. Earlier landmark tournaments such as the Tongits Champions Cup and the GameZone Tablegame Champions Cup already demonstrated strong public interest in organized play.

What changed in 2026 was structure.

Instead of running isolated, high-profile events once or twice a year, GZone Tour introduced a year-long competitive circuit. This rebrand marked a shift from episodic tournaments to a sustained ecosystem. Players were no longer preparing for a single event. They were preparing for seasons.

This distinction matters. A circuit builds continuity. It allows rankings to develop, rivalries to form, and skills to mature over time. In traditional sports, this format is standard. Applying it to Filipino card games signals institutional growth.

How the 2026 GZone Tour Was Structured

The 2026 edition followed a four-season format. Each season functioned as a competitive chapter within a larger narrative arc.

The process unfolded in stages:

1. Online Qualifiers

Beginning in January, players across the Philippines entered digital qualifying rounds. These phases emphasized consistency. Leaderboards, rankings, and repeated match play ensured that advancement required sustained performance rather than a single lucky streak.

2. Seasonal Progression

Each season operated as a self-contained competition while also contributing to broader recognition. This layered system encouraged long-term engagement.

3. Offline Finals

Top players advanced to live finals, including a major event held at the PNB Event Hall in Pasay during early March. Thirty-six finalists competed for a prize pool reportedly reaching ₱10 million.

The hybrid model—online entry with offline culmination—balanced accessibility and prestige.

Digital infrastructure allowed nationwide participation. Physical finals provided legitimacy and spectacle.

From Casual Tongits to Organized Competition

For decades, Tongits thrived in informal environments: family gatherings, community fiestas, and neighborhood tables. It required skill, yes, but it was largely social.

The 2026 Tour elevated Tongits into structured competition.

Broadcast matches, live streams, commentary, and branding partnerships reshaped perception.

What was once considered purely recreational became spectator-friendly. Players began studying statistics. Observers followed storylines. Matches were analyzed, not just played.

Competitive transformation typically requires three elements:

1. Formal rules and oversight

2. Recognized ranking systems

3. Audience engagement

The Tour delivered all three.

It reframed Tongits not by altering its core mechanics but by professionalizing its presentation.

The game remained culturally rooted. The format evolved.

The Role of GameZone Philippines in Competitive Growth

Behind the Tour stands GameZone Philippines, a PAGCOR-licensed digital gaming platform operating within Philippine regulatory standards.

Its role extends beyond hosting tournaments. It provides infrastructure.

1. Game Variety

The platform includes Filipino staples like Tongits and Pusoy, alongside internationally recognized games such as poker, baccarat, and roulette. This diversity fosters crossover participation and strategic growth.

2. Accessibility

A user-friendly interface reduces barriers for new entrants. Competitive ecosystems require inflow. If beginners cannot navigate the system, the talent pipeline collapses.

3. Localization

Rather than importing generic gaming formats, GameZone emphasizes Filipino card traditions.

Cultural familiarity strengthens engagement and participation.

4. Security and Regulation

Licensing and compliance measures ensure fairness. Identity verification systems discourage fraud and preserve competitive integrity. Without trust, tournaments lose legitimacy quickly.

5. Community Infrastructure

Before players compete in finals, they train and interact on the platform. Community chat, rankings, and informal play build foundational skill networks.

In short, the Tour could not exist without digital infrastructure capable of sustaining scale.

Tournament Design: Strategy, Psychology, and Progression

Educationally speaking, tournament design influences player development.

The GZone Tour structure rewards:

● Consistency over volatility

● Strategic patience

● Psychological resilience

Multi-phase qualifiers mean a single mistake does not immediately eliminate a competitor.

However, repeated underperformance does.

This encourages disciplined play.

Offline finals introduce additional psychological factors: live audiences, time pressure, and public visibility. Performance in such environments differs from private online matches. The Tour format intentionally bridges these contexts, preparing players for both.

Competitive maturity emerges when players can manage probability, risk tolerance, and emotional control simultaneously.

Expansion Beyond Tongits

Although Tongits served as the Tour’s centerpiece, expansion plans included other games such as Pusoy and poker.

Diversification serves several strategic purposes:

1. Broadening the player base

2. Encouraging multi-game mastery

3. Preventing competitive stagnation

When circuits include multiple disciplines, they sustain long-term engagement. Players may specialize or diversify, creating layered competitive identities.

Such diversification mirrors established esports ecosystems, where multiple titles coexist under unified branding.

Community Integration and Nationwide Reach

One of the Tour’s defining features was its integration of online competition with physical roadshows and activations.

Digital tournaments alone can feel isolated. By hosting events across regions, organizers reinforced community identity. Players from smaller cities experienced participation beyond screens.

This hybrid approach accomplishes three educational outcomes:

● It strengthens grassroots recruitment.

● It builds regional representation.

● It fosters cultural continuity within modernization.

Card games remain social at their core. Maintaining that social dimension prevents professionalization from erasing tradition.

Responsible Gaming in a Competitive Era

With increased visibility comes increased responsibility.

GameZone emphasized responsible play initiatives, encouraging users to treat gaming as structured entertainment rather than financial strategy.

Educational campaigns highlighted:

● Time management

● Budget awareness

● Balanced engagement

Competitive structures can intensify motivation. Clear guidelines protect participants from unhealthy behavior patterns.

Institutional growth must include ethical oversight. Otherwise, scale amplifies risk.

What the GZone Tour Means for the Future

The 2026 edition established a template likely to influence future seasons.

1. Standardized Seasonal Circuits

Four-season formats provide rhythm. Players can plan training cycles and track progress across defined timelines.

2. Long-Term Rankings

Extended circuits enable narrative continuity. Fans follow player arcs rather than isolated outcomes.

3. National Recognition

As live streams and broadcasts expand, competitive card gaming gains visibility comparable to established esports categories.

4. Cultural Preservation Through Innovation

By modernizing format while preserving mechanics, the Tour demonstrates that tradition and technology are not opposing forces.

If sustained, this model positions competitive card gaming as a recognized sporting category within Philippine digital entertainment.

Final Thoughts

The GZone Tour 2026 represents structural evolution, not novelty for its own sake.

It transitioned Filipino card gaming from fragmented tournaments to a unified competitive circuit.

Through seasonal design, digital infrastructure, live finals, and community engagement, it built a layered ecosystem that supports both beginners and elite players.

The transformation of Tongits illustrates a broader principle: when traditional games receive institutional support and thoughtful design, they adapt to modern audiences without losing cultural roots.

Competitive card gaming is no longer confined to informal tables. It now operates within organized circuits, broadcast frameworks, and regulated platforms.

That shift is not cosmetic. It is foundational.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the GZone Tour?

The GZone Tour is a 2026 nationwide competitive circuit launched by GameZone, featuring four seasons of tournaments with online qualifiers and offline finals.

2. How many seasons were included in the 2026 edition?

The Tour consisted of four seasons, each contributing to the overall competitive structure and progression pathway.

3. Who can participate in the GZone Tournament?

Eligible players across the Philippines can participate by completing online qualifiers through a verified GameZone account. Advancement depends on performance and ranking.

4. Were games other than Tongits included?

Yes. While Tongits was central, future expansions included games such as Pusoy and poker to diversify competitive opportunities.

5. Were matches streamed live?

Yes. Select matches, particularly finals, were streamed live, allowing spectators nationwide to follow competitive gameplay in real time.

Author’s Bio

Doreen Barnachea is a Filipino content writer with over six years of experience crafting content on a wide variety of subjects. She has mastered storytelling, drawing inspiration from a myriad of things—coffee, folklore, freediving spots, and why tennis balls are green (or yellow). Ms. Barnachea currently writes for GameZone and divides her time between Quezon City and Taguig. When not writing, she enjoys reading, free driving, and doing arts and crafts.