The Grandest Opening of Innovative, Culinary, and Tourism Excellence is Finally Here at Iloilo City!

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Iloilo City, Philippines - A wonderful combination of innovative sustainability, culinary goodness, and wonderful sights is here at the heart of the Philippines--Iloilo City. Worldbex Services International is proud to be back with three of its premier events happening at the same time at the Iloilo Convention Center (ICON). The Philippine Building and Construction Expo Iloilo (PHILBEX), MAFBEX ILOILO, and the Travel and Leisure Expo (TLEX) are up to make your heart beat in Iloilo!

Starting today until Sunday, July 20, experience the full potential of Iloilo and see what’s in store for the Western Visayas region with our world-class premier events. The Iloilo Trio events offer some unique ways of showcasing the region’s finest industries:

PHILBEX Iloilo 2025 goes “beyond sustainnovation” by showcasing Iloilo’s building and construction industry. You can see innovations in sustainability from the different exhibitors, architects, and interior designers that are local to the region, bringing inspiration to visitors anddreamers alike. Businesses can also choose to network with other businesses and make long-lasting connections and deals. Visitors will also have the chance to explore the event highlights, such as the World of Interior Design, World of Architecture, PHILBEX Lab, and Projeto: Ideas and Design Competition Iloilo Edition.

MAFBEX Iloilo 2025 is the next big culinary stop for food lovers to experience the culinary flavors of Iloilo City. Visitors will have a taste of the unique dishes and food products straight from the freshest waters and land of Iloilo. There are many activities and competitions in MAFBEX Iloilo that will introduce you to the food and beverage industry of Iloilo, such as the Fruits and Vegetable Carving Competition, Table Setup with Centerpiece Contest, MAFBEX Iloilo Flair Cup, Cake Decorating Competition, and the Iloilo Coffee Fest.

And lastly, TLEX Iloilo 2025 will highlight the best of Iloilo’s tourism and hospitality industry. Visitors will be able to explore the best travel agencies, hotels and resorts from across the region to avail of their exclusive deals and packages for your future travel destinations!

The Iloilo Trio Events held its Opening Ceremony on July 17 at the ICON - Iloilo Convention Center. Key people from Iloilo and VIPs attended the ceremony and witnessed how WSI makes every opening ceremony a show to remember. The Founding Chairman of WSI, Mr. Joseph L. Ang, delivered his opening remarks and extended his gratitude to the people of Iloilo for their hospitality. Guest speakers for this year’s opening ceremony include Hon. Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace “Lovelove” Baronda, Vice Governor Nathalie Ann Debuque, and Hon. Congresswoman Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda. The ceremony also had keynote speakers such as Hon. Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu, and Hon. Governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor, Sr.

Set your sights on Western Visayas and get ready to fly to Iloilo City, as we present to you the Iloilo Trio Events, WSI’s premier events happening in one place! Come to the ICON - Iloilo Convention Center starting today until July 20, 2025! You may register for free at https://register.worldbexevents.com/ and follow our Facebook page, Worldbex Events, for more details about our events.

The Iloilo Trio Events are organized by Worldbex Services International. For inquiries and concerns, you may reach them at (02)8656-96-39, or email inquire@worldbexevents.com for more info.

Planetary Pulse: Southeast Asian Journalists to Converge in Malaysia for Groundbreaking Climate and Health Reporting Workshop

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

This coming September, in the vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur, a powerful wave of purpose-driven storytelling is set to rise. The Capacity Development and Training Workshop Series for Media Professionals: Intergovernmental Processes and Planetary Health will bring together some of the most passionate and promising journalists from across South and Southeast Asia for two days of transformative learning, collaboration, and empowerment.

Organized by the Sunway Centre for Planetary Health, the Global Climate and Health Alliance, Health Care Without Harm – Southeast Asia, and Monash University Malaysia, the workshop aims to equip media professionals with the tools, insights, and cross-disciplinary knowledge needed to report more effectively on the critical intersection between intergovernmental policy processes and planetary health.

A Rare Opportunity to Bridge Journalism and Global Policy

As the world teeters on the edge of climate catastrophe and health crises grow more frequent and complex, this workshop could not come at a more critical time. Media professionals are being called upon not just to inform—but to inspire action, foster understanding, and translate complexity into clarity.

Over the course of September 3 and 4, selected participants will engage in:

Interactive Sessions with leading experts on planetary health and climate negotiations

A high-impact simulation exercise that mirrors real-world reporting challenges on global policy

Networking opportunities with fellow journalists, environmental scientists, and decision-makers across the ASEAN region

The aim: to build journalistic capacity that can make sense of complex intergovernmental discussions, uncover the human stories behind them, and report with depth, accuracy, and ethical clarity.

Beyond the Workshop: Building a Community of Change-Makers

But this isn’t just about skill-building—it’s about movement-building. Participants will join a Community of Practice that continues long after the workshop ends. Through this network, they will:

Share stories, resources, and lessons learned

Collaborate on cross-border reporting initiatives

Support each other in tackling the challenges of covering climate and health

With the rise of misinformation, political greenwashing, and science skepticism, truthful, informed journalism is more important than ever. This workshop positions journalists as key players in the planetary health movement—amplifying voices from the most climate-vulnerable regions of the world.

Who Can Join?

The workshop is open to journalists from South and Southeast Asia, with special priority given to those from the ten ASEAN Member States. Applicants must demonstrate a clear interest in health or environmental reporting.

Those selected will receive full financial support, including:

Roundtrip airfare

Accommodation for September 2–4

Meals throughout the program

The Stakes Are High—And So Is the Potential for Impact

Planetary health is no longer just a niche topic for scientists and policymakers—it’s a survival issue that touches every family, every community, and every future. This upcoming workshop will empower journalists not just to report the crisis, but to catalyze change through the power of the written word and digital storytelling.

As the world watches, the storytellers of Southeast Asia will gather—not just to learn, but to lead.

For updates and insights from the frontline of sustainability, health, and climate justice, follow Ross Flores Del Rosario, the founder of Wazzup Pilipinas, as he champions journalism with purpose.

Revolution from the Lab: UP Scientists Unlock Affordable Future for Terahertz Technology

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In an astonishing scientific breakthrough that may soon revolutionize how we see, communicate, and diagnose, scientists from the University of the Philippines – Diliman College of Science (UPD-CS) have defied expectations—and scientific limitations—to engineer a radically new semiconductor structure. This innovation, which could dramatically lower the cost of terahertz (THz) devices, holds promise for life-changing applications from high-speed wireless communication to advanced medical imaging.

And it didn’t come easy. It took 11 years of relentless research, grit, and Filipino ingenuity.

Cracking the Code of Terahertz Barriers

The race toward practical THz-Time Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS)—a technology that harnesses the electromagnetic spectrum between microwaves and infrared light—has long faced two stubborn challenges: cost and complexity. THz devices require high-performance materials that are notoriously expensive and hard to manufacture. But Dr. Cyril Salang of the UPD-CS Materials Science and Engineering Program, together with a powerhouse team of physicists and engineers, has turned the tide.

In collaboration with Dr. Arnel Salvador, Dr. Armando Somintac, and Dr. Elmer Estacio of the UPD-CS National Institute of Physics, as well as Dr. Joselito Muldera of RIKEN in Japan, Dr. Salang and her team have engineered a semiconductor design unlike any other.

Their weapon? A deliberately mismatched buffer layer—a move that most scientists would consider risky, if not outright unworkable.

The Beauty in Mismatch

In the high-precision world of semiconductors, alignment is everything. Each layer of material must fit like a glove over the other—matching in atomic structure, or what scientists call “lattice constant.” Any misalignment often leads to faulty performance or device failure.

But this team intentionally used materials with mismatched lattices—specifically, layering p-type indium arsenide (p-InAs) over an intricate architecture that includes a superlattice, a GaAs buffer, and finally a cost-efficient gallium antimonide (n-GaSb) substrate.

The result? A resilient and reliable THz emitter that not only works—but works impressively well.

Using the Riber 32P Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) equipment, they grew their multilayered invention atom by atom, like building a microscopic city with near-perfect alignment through expert engineering. The addition of a growth-interrupted region and an alternating superlattice stabilized the entire structure, even with the lattice mismatch.

When tested with lasers commonly used in THz research—including a 0.80 μm and a more affordable 1.55 μm fiber laser—the new structure delivered performance on par with, and in some cases better than, traditional materials. That 1.55 μm compatibility is particularly exciting: it's a mainstream, budget-friendly option, making the technology more viable for mass adoption.

From Patent to Possibility

It’s a journey that began in 2013 with a simple idea, led to a 2015 paper, and finally culminated in a national patent granted in 2024. A decade-long wait—fueled by perseverance, visionary leadership, and the backing of the UP Diliman Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Development (OVCRD).

“Receiving a national patent means that the originality of our work is recognized. It encourages me to do further innovation,” shared Dr. Salang.

With the patent in hand, the team is poised to enter deeper into the terahertz industry, potentially placing Filipino science at the heart of a global tech revolution.

Beyond the Lab: A Glimpse into the Future

Terahertz waves are already known to hold transformative potential in fields like:

Medical Diagnostics – enabling real-time, non-invasive imaging without the risks of ionizing radiation

Security Scanning – detecting concealed weapons or hazardous materials

Pharmaceutical Quality Control – analyzing chemical compositions with ultra-precision

High-speed 6G Wireless Communication – offering bandwidths hundreds of times faster than current technologies

But these applications have remained largely in the realm of expensive prototypes and lab-scale trials. The UPD-CS breakthrough could push them into real-world deployment—fast.

Pride of the Philippines, Hope for the World

This landmark invention is more than a technological feat—it is a statement. That Filipino scientists are not just contributors, but trailblazers in the world of frontier science.

From the bustling academic corridors of UP Diliman to the high-tech labs of RIKEN in Japan, this collaboration proves what can happen when talent meets determination, and when innovation is supported by belief.

As the world looks toward the terahertz future, it may well be riding on a beam built in the Philippines.

Wazzup Pilipinas salutes the scientific minds changing our world—one layer at a time.