Team Philippines wins gold, places 6th overall at first Asia-Pacific AI Olympiad

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The eight-member Philippine national team won one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals at the first Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (APOAI 2026), securing a historic tie for 6th place versus over a hundred of the best secondary school students from across 18 countries.

Locally hosted at the Ateneo Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD) of the John Gokongwei School of Management, Ateneo de Manila University, the grueling six-hour examination tested the kids’ skills in machine learning, mathematical modeling, and algorithmic problem-solving.

image.pngEight Filipino secondary school students scored a historic win for the country at the first Asia-Pacific Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (APOAI 2026), holding their own against over a hundred rivals from across 18 countries. PHOTO CREDIT: IOAI PH

On Saturday, 27 June 2026, from 2:00 PM to 8:00 PM, the Filipino students worked under strict international testing conditions, with no breaks and with independent onsite invigilators present throughout the competition. The final verified standings were released by the APOAI International Scientific Committee after a full score audit.

To ensure fairness across all participating countries and regions, all official contest sites were monitored simultaneously through live Zoom streams coordinated by the IOAI China Organizing Committee. Contestants also used the same high-performance AI GPU cloud environment, giving all students access to equal computing resources regardless of location.

All IOAI official contest sites were monitored simultaneously through live Zoom streams to ensure fairness across all participating countries and regions. The official Philippine site was at the Ateneo Business Insights Laboratory for Development (BUILD) of the John Gokongwei School of Management, Ateneo de Manila University. PHOTO CREDIT: IOAI PH Facebook Page

Leading Team Philippines was Noe Nathan Y. Arreza of Philippine Science High School–CALABARZON Campus, who ranked 8th overall and won the country’s gold medal. Troy Dylan T. Serapio of Philippine Science High School–Main Campus ranked 23rd and won silver. Daphne Eunice U. Acena of De La Salle University Dasmariñas High School ranked 42nd, while Jhareign S. Solidum of the University of Mindanao Ilang High School ranked 52nd. Both received bronze medals.

Ryan James L. Alfaro of Philippine Science High School–CALABARZON Campus ranked 88th, while Sean Marcus N. Castillo of Philippine Science High School–Central Luzon Campus ranked 95th. Both received Honourable Mentions. Completing the Philippine delegation were Ellison Matthew S. Ang of Philippine Science High School–Main Campus, who ranked 101st, and Aretha Cai Faustine M. Sy of St. Scholastica’s Academy of Marikina, who ranked 114th.

The Philippine team was selected through a rigorous, merit-based national screening process organized by the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence Philippines (IOAI PH). Participation in IOAI PH is free for students, in keeping with the program’s goal of making national representation dependent on talent, preparation, and performance rather than financial capacity.

“This historic performance establishes a powerful baseline for the country,” said IOAI PH Executive Director Martin Gomez. “This result belongs to far more than the students who sat the exam. It is a testament to the coaches who trained this team, the local staff who maintained competition integrity, and the families, schools, and communities who championed these students every step of the way.”

For the Philippines, the result marks a strong opening performance in the region’s first AI Olympiad. It also points to the growing depth of Filipino youth talent in artificial intelligence, a field that is increasingly shaping science, industry, education, and daily life. With the right support, these students show that Filipino talent can stand with the best in the region.

The Philippine participation in APOAI 2026 was supported locally by Joy-Nostalg, Times Paint Corporation, and the Tiu Family, with testing operations hosted by Ateneo BUILD. Globally, the Olympiad was supported by Taobao of Alibaba Group, Jane Street, and DP Technology.

For media inquiries, please contact the IOAI Philippine National Secretariat at press@ioaiph.org or info@ioaiph.org. Updates are also available at facebook.com/ioaiph.

The Invisible Killer: Why the World’s Most Urgent Crisis is Still Shrouded in Fog

 

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Every year, 6.7 million lives are cut short by a silent, omnipresent threat. It is the largest environmental health risk on our planet, a pervasive poison that doesn’t just infiltrate our lungs—it chokes the global economy, siphoning off $8.1 trillion annually. If the economic cost of air pollution were a nation, it would stand as the third-largest economy on Earth.

Yet, despite this staggering toll, we are attempting to fight a war in the dark.

In 2024, a staggering 36% of the world’s countries lacked the basic tools to monitor the air their citizens breathe. Nearly one billion people live in 71 nations where there is no evidence of government air quality monitoring at all. In vast swathes of Central Africa, South Asia, and Latin America, 300 million people live in regions plagued by high pollution, yet not a single reference-grade station shares open data to tell them what they are inhaling.

We are facing a lethal paradox: we have the technology to measure the problem, but we lack the will to reveal it.

The Data Paradox: A Choice Between Truth and Silence

Over the last decade, the democratization of low-cost sensors has made it possible to track air quality with unprecedented granularity. We possess the hardware to map every street corner, every industrial plume, and every urban hot spot.

So, why are the data sheets empty?

Often, the barriers are not technical; they are political and commercial. Governments, fearing that transparency might deter investment or damage tourism, frequently keep data behind closed doors. Corporations, meanwhile, often lock data within proprietary platforms, forcing communities to pay to see what they are breathing.

But the tide is turning. Experience has proven that when data is liberated, change follows. In Gambia, open monitoring networks empowered local advocates to catalyze landmark legislation for air quality standards. In Uganda and Kenya, hyperlocal data is no longer just being “collected”—it is being woven into the very fabric of governance, allowing cities like Nairobi to operationalize regulation that measurably clears the air.

The Five Pillars of Progress

To move from silence to solutions, the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Clean Air has established a manifesto for change. These five guiding principles serve as a roadmap for any stakeholder ready to prioritize human life over institutional opacity:

Mandate Transparency by Design: Open data should not be a post-project consideration. From the initial procurement of sensors, governments and funders must require that data be public, machine-readable, and accessible.

Assert Data Sovereignty: If the people generating the data do not own it, their ability to drive change is strangled. We must support systems that grant ownership to the user, not the sensor manufacturer.

Bridge the Gap Between Quality and Openness: Trust is the currency of policy. Reliable, high-quality data must be shared openly; otherwise, we risk either skepticism or misinformation.

Speak a Universal Language: We need standard protocols and harmonized formats. When data from different sources can "talk" to each other, it enables regional cooperation, cross-border accountability, and powerful scientific synthesis.

Data is a Means, Not an End: We must never forget that a spreadsheet is not the goal. The goal is cleaner air. Every byte of data must be a catalyst for action, policy reform, and measurable, tangible health improvements.

The Moment for Accountability

The infrastructure for a cleaner future is already in our hands. The sensors are built, the local leaders are ready, and the evidence base is undeniable. What remains is a choice: will we continue to treat air quality data as a proprietary secret, or will we accept it as a fundamental public good?

The choices made by funders, governments, and private companies today will determine whether the "data revolution" reaches the populations who need it most. We know the cost of the status quo—6.7 million lives and $8.1 trillion in lost potential.

The time for waiting has passed. It is time to clear the air, beginning with the truth.

Asia’s Superstar Kathryn Bernardo Cements Legacy with Madame Tussauds Wax Figure Unveiling

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Asia’s Superstar and Filipina actress Kathryn Bernardo officially unveiled her Madame Tussauds wax figure, dubbed "Kath-Win," on July 9 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City, cementing her place among the world’s most celebrated personalities.




The unveiling followed earlier announcements that the figure would debut in Manila before moving to its permanent home at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong.

Model and events host Janeena Chan, hosted the event who introduced Wade Chang, General Manager of Gateway Hong Kong, Merlin Entertainments.

Chang shared that Kathryn’s induction had been in the works for more than a year, recognizing her remarkable influence as a global Filipino icon in the entertainment industry.

A Year in the Making

An emotional Kathryn Bernardo reflected on the meticulous year-long process behind the creation of her wax figure.

The Madame Tussauds Hong Kong team carefully took hundreds of measurements, including her facial geometry and physical features, to ensure every detail accurately captured her likeness.

A Milestone Shared with Fans and Family



Bernardo dedicated the recognition to her loyal fans, her family led by her mother, Min Bernardo, and ABS-CBN executives who attended the unveiling, including President and CEO Carlo Katigbak, Chief Operating Officer Cory Vidanes, Star Magic head Laurenti Dyogi, and acclaimed filmmaker Olivia Lamasan.

"This is for you guys! For the fans, it's a win for all of us. I'm also glad they didn't change anything—it's exactly like Kath," Bernardo said.

Reflecting on the milestone, she added, "Every milestone has a story. I want people and my fans to know that they're all part of this. They believed in me, and I'm grateful that I get to do what I love, which is acting. Thank you for that." 

Hong Kong Holds a Special Place


Bernardo also reminisced about her cherished memories in Hong Kong, where she filmed the 2019 blockbuster Hello, Love, Goodbye.



"Joy will be there in Hong Kong very, very soon. Hong Kong will always have a special place in my heart," she said, referring to her iconic character in the film.

Joining an Elite Group of Filipinos

With the unveiling, Bernardo joins an elite cast of Filipinos immortalized by Madame Tussauds, including Manny Pacquiao, Pia Wurtzbach, Catriona Gray, Lea Salonga, and Anne Curtis.

Her wax figure will soon be displayed at Madame Tussauds Hong Kong, becoming another symbol of Filipino excellence on the global stage.





Written by: Renz Delim

Images from: Christian Gerona

Image credit: ABS-CBN Film Productions Inc. (Star Cinema)

Unified 911 launches real-time translation feature for foreign emergency callers

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Business sector, tourism to benefit best from new feature



With 400,000 to 500,000 tourists visiting the Philippines monthly and about 133,000 expats living in the country semi-permanently, the introduction of auto-translate technology to the Unified 911 emergency response system continues to revolutionize Philippine emergency communications.

NEXiS Connect, NGA 911's cutting-edge call handling system, can now automatically convert a foreigner's voice call from his or her native language into English or Filipino in real time. This enables seamless communication between callers and emergency responders, allowing Filipino call takers to instantly receive and understand conversations in English or Filipino.

The call handling system's automatic voice-to-text translation feature currently supports Spanish, Italian, German, French, Filipino, and English, with additional languages set to be added in the coming months as the system continues to expand its multilingual capabilities.

The new feature eliminates the need for third-party interpreters and speeds up the process of emergency response.

"Safety is a primary factor for global travelers," says NGA Philippines country head Robert Llaguno. NGA Philippines provides the next generation technology that gives Unified 911 its cutting-edge capabilities.

"Knowing that language barriers are eliminated by advanced AI removes the fear of being stranded during a medical issue or natural disaster while in the country. This makes the Philippines a more competitive, 'smart tourism' destination," Llaguno said.

Apart from voice calls, foreign tourists can also use familiar platforms such as the Unified 911 PH Facebook Messenger to reach local emergency services without needing a local SIM card or knowing local dial codes. Messages sent through the platform are received directly by Unified 911 call handlers, enabling them to respond through the same interface they use to manage emergency communications.

Together, NEXiS Connect and NEXiS Message help democratize public safety by ensuring that, regardless of language spoken, socioeconomic background or physical ability, every individual in the Philippines has equal, rapid access to life-saving aid.

NEXiS Message is a secure, encrypted communication and collaboration platform developed by NGA 911 that unifies emergency response systems, public safety communications, and first-responder coordination into a single, seamless digital workspace. It integrates Facebook Messenger, text messaging apps and traditional channels like landlines into a single interface at the Unified 911 command center.

NEXiS Message also enables call takers to respond in English, with their replies automatically translated back into the caller's native language to enable seamless two-way communication.

"In life-or-death scenarios like cardiac arrest, crimes in progress or blazing fires, a delay of even just 60 seconds can be fatal. NEXiS Connect’s auto-translation feature minimizes triage time because dispatchers can immediately identify the type and location of the emergency without wasting time trying to decipher a foreign language. Real-time translation also allows dispatchers to guide a foreign caller through critical procedures like CPR, applying pressure to a wound, or finding an escape route in a fire—without communication errors," Llaguno explained.

"Instead of dispatchers having to monitor separate screens for different apps, everything arrives in a single interface. The system allows citizens to send photos, live video streams and exact geographic coordinates along with their text. The secure workplace also enables the PNP, the BFP and local DRRMOs to securely view the same media files simultaneously, instantly verifying the legitimacy of an incident and reducing false alarms," Llaguno shared.

"NEXiS Message bridges the accessibility gap by integrating social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps into Unified 911 command systems," Llaguno said. "This ensures that public safety networks are designed for everyone, moving away from a voice-only framework toward an inclusive, multi-channel lifeline."

July, which is officially observed as National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM) in the Philippines, is the perfect time to introduce these latest AI-powered enhancements to the Unified 911 emergency response system. It is an active step toward building community resilience, preparedness and effective disaster response.

NGA's cloud-native technology ensures that even if a physical local command center is compromised or flooded by a typhoon, emergency routing can seamlessly fail over to another location without dropping calls.

UPD Bio Students Explore Plant Morpho-anatomy Through Art

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Plant Morpho-ARTnatomy mini exhibition. (Photo credit: Eunice Jean C. Patron)




In May 2026, the Institute of Biology (IB) of the University of the Philippines Diliman – College of Science (UPD-CS) hosted the “Plant Morpho-ARTnatomy” mini exhibition, showcasing works by its Biology 101 students.




The displayed artworks featured plant specimens and structures studied by the students, rendered in various media—such as charcoal, watercolor, pencil, acrylic, oil, and pastel—on surfaces including canvas, paper, wood, and boards. Students who participated in the exhibition received bonus points upon submitting their art.




Biology 101 faculty-in-charge Dr. Erika Marie Bascos shared that her passion for art inspired her to initiate the exhibition. “During the pandemic, my kids encouraged me to start painting. I found it relaxing and helpful for anxiety, and it came naturally to me given my background in teaching drawing-based courses,” she said.




Dr. Bascos explained that the specimens they encounter in class—whether freshly collected or preserved—require students to draw and label their parts. These serve as study plates that they can review for exams. She noted that the students are highly skilled at drawing, producing detailed work using pencil and pen. They complete these plates during class and submit them after sessions. This observation inspired her to showcase their work in an exhibition.






Some of the artworks displayed in the mini exhibition.




“I was surprised that so many students submitted, and that they each had different styles—some were crocheting, others made 3D works, and some used clay. What stood out to me was how patient they were. One student even said, ‘Ma’am, I can’t do it,’ but in the end, his work turned out to be one of the best,” Dr. Bascos added. Most of her students had no prior experience making art, so she found it impressive that their outputs already looked skilled, even though it was their first time. The students had a whole semester to explore and were encouraged to choose whatever they wanted to create.




The artworks ranged from depictions of actual plants such as ferns and pitcher plants to their microscopic structures, including trichomes, plant crystals, and tissues. “Some of them may also want to become scientific illustrators. That would be great because they already have a background in art, and they understand morphology and anatomy as students of biology,” she said.




Janine Patricia Omalin, one of the students who participated in the exhibition, said she enjoyed the activity. “I’ve been drawing ever since I was a kid. I made it during my break,” she added, while showing her drawing of Pinus echinata, the scientific name of shortleaf pine.




Another student, Althea Bernice Javier, painted stellate aerenchyma, a tissue composed of star-shaped cells with large, interconnected air spaces that allow the rapid circulation of oxygen and can be found in banana leaves. “It’s my first time painting. I used to draw before, but this is my first time to paint. It was good to have the experience,” she shared.




Dr. Bascos hopes to teach the plant morphoanatomy laboratory again next semester and to hold another exhibition of her students’ artworks. Her students are also willing to donate their works to IB to help future Biology 101 students analyze the structure of plant specimens.




“What they produced was more than just artwork—it was proof that science and art can beautifully coexist,” she said. IB’s Biology 101 course discusses the morphology and anatomy of vascular plants.

The exhibit is open to the public until July 24, 2026

GSM Bar Academy gives PH bartenders the edge here and abroad

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For many young Filipinos, especially those hoping to build a career in the service industry, bartending has quietly evolved from side job to serious profession.

More than just serving up drinks behind a bar, the work requires a unique skillset that combines knowledge of a wide selection of products, technical precision, creativity, physical endurance, and most of all, the ability to connect with people.

And as the food and beverage, hospitality, spirits, and bar industries today continue to grow and evolve, it’s these qualities that make Filipino bartenders sought after all over the world.

For over a decade, a dedicated facility on the second floor of the Technical Education and Skills Development Administration (TESDA) Women’s Center building in Taguig City has been producing job-ready graduates equipped with bartending skills that catapult them into rewarding careers both here and abroad.

Dubbed the GSM Bar Academy, this hands-on training facility was built by Ginebra San Miguel Inc . and opened in TESDA in 2014, on the occasion of its flagship Ginebra San Miguel brand’s 180th anniversary.

Over the last 12 years, the GSM Bar Academy has trained GSMI scholars and delivered waves of Filipinos serving in high-end bars, cruise ships, hotels, restaurants, resorts, and hospitality establishments in different parts of the world. Many have also ventured into their own F&B businesses.

The Academy features a professional bar laboratory, a flairtending gym, and a fully equipped bar. Its program, developed and implemented by TESDA, involves three months of rigorous training that lets students master bartending fundamentals, beverage preparation, and teaches them customer service, workplace professionalism, and responsible alcohol service.

Once graduates earn their TESDA Bartending Program National Certificate II (NC-II) from the Academy, they are considered fully ready to join the industry and meet its demands and standards.

At the recent World Gin Day celebrations led by GSMI, a number of alumni reconnected with the Academy and assisted in the micro-credential bartending program that became one of the highlights of the event. Some of them proudly shared stories of their journey of success in the field.

“I’m very thankful for the opportunities the Academy has opened for me,” said Ann Rose Tapar, a March 2025 NC-II graduate now working in some of the top bars in Bonifacio Global City.

“Before joining the program, I never imagined I would have the chance to work in these establishments. The training gave me the skills, confidence, and discipline. More importantly, it helped me uplift my life, and showed me that with the right training and determination, bigger opportunities are possible.”

JP Peñaflor, a 2022 graduate who discovered the Academy through a Facebook post after completing his hospitality management degree, said he went on to become head bartender and mixologist at an Italian restaurant, after the program. He also won the 2024 cocktail mixing competition organized by GSMI for that year’s World Gin Day celebration. Today, he works at a five-star hotel bar in BGC.

“The training gave me not only skills, but also confidence,” JP said. “It’s not just about technical skills. It also develops your attitude, professionalism, and confidence. It truly prepares you for high-end hospitality. It has helped me pursue opportunities that changed my life.”

For Cherry Galit, the Academy came at a turning point in her life. She had left school to help support her family after her mother’s got sick. Through the program’s Technopreneur track, she and two fellow scholars were given a mobile bar to start their own business.

This venture has since grown to serve major clients, including GSMI itself, and now employs other Academy graduates.

“Hindi ako galing sa mayamang pamilya at hindi rin ako nakapagtapos ng pag-aaral,” she said. “Pero hindi iyon naging hadlang para maiangat ko ang buhay ko. Malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa pagkakataong ibinigay sa akin ng Ginebra San Miguel.”

For her part, Angela Felarca left a career in corporate finance to chase a different kind of future. She and her twin sister both enrolled upon seeing the GSM Bar Academy, as it gave them “the feels” of working in a real hotel bar.

Angela has gone on to become the first female bartender at a mobile bar company specializing in high-end events. She impresses clients with her flairtending skills and speed.

“What I found here is not just a new career— but my a new passion,” she said. “Every time I return to the GSM Bar Academy, I remember that this is where my dream began.”

In 2025, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. visited and took note of the Academy. After the tour, he called it a “national model for public-private partnership in technical-vocational education.”

Recently, Academy trainer Shella Bawar was recognized for achieving one of the highest employment rates among programs under the TESDA Women’s Center.

“The recognition is an affirmation that we are producing job-ready professionals equipped with the skills demanded by the industry,” said Bawar, now an ASEAN National Master Trainer and National Lead Assessor.

For her and the Academy, what matters most is their commitment to the scholars: equipping them with skills, transforming those skills into livelihoods, helping those livelihoods grow into rewarding careers or thriving businesses—and becoming a source of personal fulfillment and professional pride.

Ateneo aquaculture scientist Dr. Janice Ragaza appointed to leading animal science journals

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Ateneo de Manila University's Dr. Janice A. Ragaza is the latest of a rare handful of female Filipino scholars given editorial reign at some of the world's most prestigious academic journals in the fields of aquaculture and animal nutrition. Her appointments underscore the growing international influence of Philippine scientists in shaping the future of fisheries research.


As head of the Ateneo Aquatic and Fisheries Resources Laboratory, Dr. Ragaza is known for work on sustainable fish feeds, fish biology, and environmentally responsible aquaculture.



Ateneo de Manila University Aquatic and Fisheries Resources Laboratory head Dr. Janice Ragaza is one of the first Filipinas to serve on the editorial boards of several globally-recognized academic journals. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Dr. Janice Ragaza

With her years of experience in aquaculture research, Dr. Ragaza is a welcome addition to the editorial teams of two of the most well-respected publications in the field: Animal Feed Science and Technology is among the world’s leading journals dedicated to animal nutrition, feed development, and livestock production; and the Journal of Applied Aquaculture is internationally recognized for publishing research that helps move aquaculture science and practice forward.

A true pioneer, she is no stranger to the world of academic publishing: since last year, she has been on the editorial board of Discover Animals, and also holds a seat on the advisory board of Aquaculture Research.

At the helm of the Ateneo Aquatic and Fisheries Resources Laboratory, Dr. Ragaza has made notable contributions in the areas of aquaculture nutrition, fish biology, and biotechnology. Much of her work explores sustainable alternatives to traditional fish feeds for improving fish growth and health, such as indigenous/local raw materials, plant-based proteins, and agricultural by-products. Her studies have also been widely published and cited, advancing the field of aquatic research toward more sustainable fisheries management in the Philippines and beyond.

She has continually advocated for environmentally responsible aquaculture practices, particularly for economically important species such as the Nile tilapia.

Dr. Ragaza’s roles highlight not just her individual accomplishments but also the growing influence of Filipino and Southeast Asian researchers in shaping research and scientific dialogue in aquaculture and animal nutrition.

FAP holds Visayas Guild Summit

 

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The Film Academy of the Philippines recently convened the inaugural Visayas Guild Summit at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Bringing together 37 industry delegates, film community leaders, and both established and emerging creators, the summit marked the beginning of a regional mobilization aimed at formalizing grassroots film organizations into structured professional institutions.

The underlying spark for this event is a stark legal and economic reality. According to FAP Director-General Paolo Villaluna, roughly 80 percent of the film and audio-visual workforce in the Philippines operates entirely without traditional employer-employee relationships.

Without a unified professional framework, instability has long been treated as an acceptable norm. The regional workforce remains highly susceptible to contractual inconsistencies, standard registry deficits, and volatile project-to-project employment cycles. When standards do not exist, professional protections become subjective.

To break this cycle of precarity, the FAP’s Film Worker Development Division, led by Mackie Galvez, presented a comprehensive development blueprint at the summit. This strategic roadmap is designed to transition informal creative clusters into legally recognized entities through a clear three-tiered development: organization, institutionalization, and integration.

First, identify a committed core leadership group, sharpen a specific sector mandate, and foster communal alignment around shared regional concerns. Next, establish formal by-laws, build stable membership systems, and complete legal compliance requirements such as Securities and Exchange Commission registration, Bureau of Internal Revenue documentation, local permits, and dedicated financial accounts. Finally, connect newly formed organizations directly to national policy discussions, state-backed programs, and structural inter-guild collaborations.

Formalizing regional associations serves as the primary portal for local filmmakers to access major national resources. Under its revised operational framework, the FAP highlighted Guild Initiative Grants for project-specific development and Guild Operational Support Subsidies to alleviate administrative overhead.

The summit dedicated substantial focus to immediate welfare protections. FAP also hosted a Sine-Sandigan legal consultation. Sine-Sandigan acts as a centralized institutional platform designed to directly combat contract violations, non-payment issues, and safety breaches on set. It provides an active legal framework for reporting grievances and strictly enforcing the provisions of the Eddie Garcia Law (Republic Act No.11996) along with national labor mandates.

FAP is also launching a systemic overhaul of how the country's audiovisual workforce is documented. Historically, regional specialists have remained visually and institutionally invisible within government policy planning spaces due to a lack of empirical workforce data.

To fix this gap, the FAP is rolling out a centralized national membership data pipeline. This matrix provides independent practitioners with a verifiable, official Academy Member ID and an accessible Public Professional Profile. By creating an undisputed source for active industry workers, this infrastructure streamlines direct employment verification, connects regional talent to broader production networks, and guarantees access to foundational security initiatives.

FAP will hold the Mindanao Summit on September and the National Summit on November.

The India Paradox: Why Our Future Depends on the Doughnut

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India is a nation obsessed with the scoreboard. We measure progress in kilometres of highway paved, millions of houses constructed, and hospital beds added to the tally. We are masters of the growth metric, fueled by an urgent, undeniable need to lift millions into dignity.

But as the concrete settles and the skylines transform, a haunting silence hangs over our planning departments. We are building, yes. But are we securing our future, or are we cannibalizing it?

We are currently caught in a development trap: we chase growth indicators while watching our groundwater vanish, our air turn toxic, and our landscapes buckle under heatwaves and floods. The prevailing model—that we can fix the environment after we get rich—is a dangerous delusion. Nature does not offer grace periods for economic development.

It is time for a radical shift in our national compass. It is time to look at the Doughnut.

The Safe and Just Space

Economist Kate Raworth’s "Doughnut Economics" isn't a theoretical abstraction; it is a survival map for the 21st century. Imagine a doughnut-shaped ring. The inner circle is the social foundation—the absolute necessities for a human life: food, water, electricity, gender equality, and justice. No citizen should ever fall below this floor.

The outer circle is the ecological ceiling—the hard, non-negotiable limits of our planet. When we cross it, we destabilize the climate, destroy biodiversity, and poison the soil and water that sustain us.

Development, in its truest sense, is simply the act of living in the "safe and just space" between these two rings.

Moving Beyond "Counting" to "Judging"

For decades, India has excelled at counting. We know exactly how many toilets were built, but do we know if they are connected to functioning waste-management systems? We count housing units, but do we track whether they are built on floodplains that will be underwater in a decade?

This is the failure of the siloed, box-ticking approach. When housing, agriculture, tourism, and infrastructure are planned in isolation, we inevitably create "development" that destroys the very systems it relies upon.

The Doughnut approach forces us to stop asking, "How much money did we spend?" and start asking, "Does this project pull people out of poverty without creating a climate debt that our children will have to pay?"

The Laboratory of the Future

This isn't a pipe dream. In Maniyur, a Gram Panchayat in Kerala, local leaders are already putting the concept to the test. With their 2026-27 budget, they are attempting to weave social needs directly into ecological constraints. It is an experiment in radical accountability—a proof of concept that global economics can be adapted into local action.

If India is to thrive, this experiment must scale. It requires five seismic shifts in how we govern:

Integrate the Data: Every state economic review should include a "Doughnut Annex," mapping social shortfalls against ecological pressures.

Hyper-Local Profiling: We must stop relying on broad state averages that mask the agony of a drought-stricken village or a flooded urban slum.

Doughnut Budgeting: Move away from projects judged solely on cost. Require every proposal to prove it won’t deplete water, soil, or climate health.

Sustainability Audits: Before a road is paved or a factory zoned, it must undergo an equity and impact audit. Who wins? Who loses? And what does it do to the commons?

Technical Democratization: Our universities and research institutions must bridge the gap, providing local governments with the GIS data and maps they need to make informed decisions.

The Choice Ahead

The risk, of course, is "doughnut-washing"—the temptation to slap a fancy label on the same old destructive policies. To avoid this, the process must remain brutally honest. Trade-offs are real: a road brings access but increases land degradation; tourism creates jobs but drains aquifers. A true Doughnut-based plan doesn't hide these conflicts; it makes them the center of the debate.

India is not defined by its ability to replicate the industrialization of the past; it is defined by its ability to innovate for the future. We can either continue to be a nation that counts development, or we can become a nation that masters it.

The goal is clear: to build a country where every person lives with dignity, supported by a landscape that is thriving, not dying. The Doughnut is our map. Now, we must have the courage to walk the path..

The Missing Engine of the Green Revolution: Why Culture is Not a Luxury—It’s Our Only Hope

 

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We are currently sleepwalking toward climate tipping points, armed with spreadsheets, carbon taxes, and technical targets. Governments and industries treat the climate crisis as a math problem—a grim equation of parts-per-million, gigatonnes of emissions, and projected GDP losses.

But there is a fatal flaw in this technocratic approach: it fails to make a new future feel possible.

Economics can tell us why we must act, but it cannot make us want to. It cannot build the collective desire necessary to overhaul the way we live, work, and connect. For that, we need a different kind of infrastructure. As Mariana Mazzucato argues in her landmark 2026 policy brief, Climate Change and Culture, the arts and cultural sector is not a peripheral decoration to the economy; it is the essential social architecture required for a just transition.

The Great Miscalculation: Culture as a Cost

For too long, policy makers have viewed culture as an expenditure—a line item to be slashed in times of fiscal constraint. This is a profound error of logic. If we want to change the trajectory of our civilization, we must first change the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what we value.

Technocratic solutions may be the tools of the transition, but culture provides the meaning. Without the ability to imagine a sustainable life—one that is vibrant, inclusive, and deeply human—the transition to net-zero will always feel like a sacrifice rather than a liberation.

Four Shifts Toward a New Economic Reality

To bridge this gap, Mazzucato proposes four radical shifts that move culture from the fringes of policy to the very heart of economic strategy:

Directing Growth, Not Just Measuring It: We must pivot toward an economy that prioritizes creativity, inclusivity, and sustainability. Culture provides the roadmap for what this "better" growth actually looks like, moving us beyond sterile GDP metrics toward a vision of human flourishing.

Building Legitimacy from the Bottom Up: Climate policy cannot be top-down, mandate-heavy, and detached from the daily struggles of citizens. We must empower communities to shape policy through their lived experience, using cultural expression to weave policy into the fabric of local identities.

Recognizing Culture as Essential Infrastructure: Just as we invest in high-speed rail, power grids, and digital networks, we must recognize theaters, galleries, and community creative spaces as critical national infrastructure. These are the places where the social "connective tissue" of society is built and maintained.

Funding Culture as Investment: It is time to retire the "cost-cutting" mindset. We need "creative bureaucracies"—new forms of governance that act as partners in co-creation, investing in culture with the understanding that the return on investment is a more resilient, imaginative, and cohesive society.

The Future is a Collective Act of Imagination

The cost of inaction is catastrophic, but the cost of an uninspired transition is stagnation. To survive the climate crisis, we do not just need better technology; we need a cultural renaissance.

We are standing at a precipice, and the transition ahead will be one of the most complex challenges in human history. We can attempt to solve it through policy white papers alone, or we can embrace the power of the arts to build the legitimacy, the hope, and the shared vision that can carry us through the turbulence of change.

The future is not something that happens to us. It is something we build together. It’s time we treated our cultural life not as a luxury to be enjoyed after we solve the crisis, but as the very engine that will get us there.

This article is based on the 2026 policy brief, "Climate Change and Culture: Reimagining an Inclusive, Sustainable and Creative Future," authored by Professor Mariana Mazzucato for the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP).