Quezon City Gears Up for Landmark "More to Explore" Travel Expo led by QCTAA

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

A new era of travel and tourism is dawning in Quezon City, promising an unparalleled experience for locals and travelers alike. The Quezon City Travel Agencies Association Inc. (QCTAA) is set to host its inaugural "More to Explore Travel Expo" on August 16th and 17th at the state-of-the-art Quezon City M.I.C.E. Center. This groundbreaking event marks a significant milestone, as it is the first-ever travel expo of its kind to be held in the northern part of Metro Manila, solidifying Quezon City's ambition to become the ultimate gateway to breathtaking Philippine tourist destinations.

We have a full video coverage of all the speeches and even personal invites from most of the panel who graced the press conference, plus a video interview where we asked the Vice President of QCTAA a very significant question comparing travel agencies to online travel apps. Learn the big difference between getting your travel requirements from these sources.

These videos will be uploaded online on our social media including Facebook and YouTube.

A Vision for Northern Metro Manila

For too long, travel expos have been concentrated in the southern part of the metro. The QCTAA, in partnership with the Quezon City Local Government Unit (LGU) and the Department of Tourism (DOT), is changing this narrative. This expo is designed to bring the world of travel closer to those in the north, offering convenience and accessibility to a wide array of travel deals, packages, and opportunities. The initiative is a testament to Quezon City's commitment to promoting sustainable tourism programs and empowering local communities. As Mayor Joy Belmonte stated, "Through this Travel Expo, we want travelers and tourists to see Quezon City not just as a jump-off point to other destinations, but as a legitimate travel destination in its own right—with its own unique wonders, cultural gems, and stories to tell."

A Gathering of Leaders and Luminaries

The press conference for the expo, a precursor to the main event, gathered influential figures who share a passion for travel and community development. Ms. Margie De Castro, the dynamic President of QCTAA, spearheaded the event with her vision. She was joined by notable guests including Hon. Tany Joe “TJ” L. Calalay, Chairperson of the Committee on Tourism, Cultural Affairs and Heritage; Mr. Ivannovich Dmitriy Agote, OIC Assistant Regional Director of the Department of Tourism – National Capital Region; and Ms. Giana Aira A. Barata, Acting Chief Tourism Operations Officer of the Quezon City LGU.

The expo also received a touch of celebrity with the presence of Ms. Christine Juliane “CJ” Opiaza, Miss Grand International 2024, who was celebrated as a true representation of world-class Filipina beauty and a proud tourism ambassador. Her participation highlights the expo's dedication to showcasing the very best of the Philippines.

What to Expect at the Expo

The "More to Explore Travel Expo" promises two days of festivities and discovery. Attendees can expect to find a diverse range of exhibitors, with over 120 exhibitors from the travel and tourism sector—including travel agencies, airlines, hotels, resorts, and food and lifestyle brands—all under one roof. Visitors can look forward to exciting travel deals, destination packages, and curated leisure experiences.

More than a showcase of travel options, "More to Explore" highlights a shared commitment to revitalizing domestic tourism, empowering local communities, and creating sustainable livelihood opportunities. It also seeks to renew public appreciation for the Philippines’ diverse natural and cultural heritage.

To make the event more accessible, free rides will be provided via the QCity Bus Libreng Sakay program, with a designated drop-off point at Quezon City Hall, just a short walk from the venue.

As a special feature, the Quezon City Tourism Department will offer free guided walking tours for expo guests, starting from the M.I.C.E. Center. The tour will pass through QC Underpass, and continue on foot to the Quezon Heritage House, Bahay Modernismo, and the Presidential Car Museum — all located within the Quezon Memorial Circle. A side trip to the Tandang Sora Museum will also be included, offering visitors a deeper look into the city’s storied past.

With “More to Explore,” Quezon City reaffirms its role as a champion of inclusive, sustainable, and experience-driven tourism—inviting everyone to rediscover the joys of travel, right in the heart of the metro.

The Road Ahead

This inaugural expo is just the beginning. The QCTAA, along with its partners, is committed to making this an annual tradition, continuously building on its success to make Quezon City a pivotal hub for tourism. The "More to Explore Travel Expo" is more than just an event; it’s a movement—a bold step toward making the Philippines a more accessible and beloved destination for everyone. So, mark your calendars for August 16th and 17th and prepare to be inspired to explore! 

The Cyborg Campaign: How the Duterte Disinformation Machine is Waging a Silent War on Truth

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

August 7, 2025 | Manila, Philippines

In a nation already drowning in disinformation, a new, more insidious tide has risen — one engineered not just by trolls behind keyboards but by a hybrid political war machine: half-human, half-algorithm. This cyborg campaign is a relentless political operation designed to defend Vice President Sara Duterte and former President Rodrigo Duterte from legal and moral scrutiny — and to usher in a full-blown power resurrection by 2028.

What’s unfolding before our eyes is not just a public relations strategy. It is a full-scale psychological war to seize control over public perception, hijack democratic oversight, and hardwire loyalty through manipulation. At its center is an army of hyper-partisan influencers, AI-generated content, and paid keyboard mercenaries — masquerading as “true believers.”

In this war, truth is not just the first casualty — it is the intended target.

A Flip of the Script: From Vilifying Courts to Worshipping Them

Just five months ago, the Supreme Court was under fire from Duterte’s online supporters. They hurled insults, called the institution “useless,” and demanded that it free their embattled idol, Rodrigo Duterte, from an impending ICC arrest. But after the Court ruled Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment unconstitutional on July 25, those same mobs praised it as a bastion of fairness.

This wasn't simply a mood swing — it was a coordinated rewrite of public memory.

The online floodgates opened. “Sara is innocent,” posts declared, as if the Supreme Court had cleared her of all wrongdoing. They hadn't. In truth, the Court had only ruled on the technical process of impeachment — not on her guilt or innocence. But that didn’t stop pages like OPTIC Politics or propagandists like Rigoberto Tiglao from declaring the Dutertes vindicated and ready to reclaim Malacañang in 2028.

This was no accident. It was a weaponized form of narrative distortion — a cornerstone of the disinformation playbook.

The Five Pillars of the Duterte Disinformation Campaign

As revealed by a joint PCIJ investigation, the Duterte defense mechanism rests on five sinister tactics, each as deceptive as it is devastating:

Dismiss and Distort the Facts

Deflect and Distract from the Core Issues

Emotionally Manipulate the Public

Spread Conspiracy Theories

Flood the Public Sphere with Manufactured Support

Let’s break them down — and expose how deep the rabbit hole goes.

1. Dismissal and Distortion: “Innocent Until Viral”

After being impeached for threatening the President and misusing confidential education funds — including payments to obviously fake names like Mary Grace Piattos and Carlos Oishi — Sara Duterte’s allies were quick to paint her as not just innocent, but heroic.

Their strongest argument? That the Commission on Audit had supposedly issued “clean” opinions about her budget.

But here’s the reality: a COA opinion does not equate to a legal absolution. Worse, ₱73 million of Sara’s funds were disallowed, with another ₱164 million flagged. Crucially, these “aliases” she claimed were security assets were never backed up with sealed documents required by auditing rules.

Still, influencers like Zaza Flores and Mark Lopez repeated the same talking points on loop, flooding Facebook with “proof” that wasn't proof at all — just propaganda packaged as rational discourse.

2. Deflection: “What About the Other Crooks?”

Rather than answer questions about their own misconduct, Duterte allies deftly point fingers at everyone else.

Why focus on Sara’s alleged corruption, they ask, when President Marcos himself enjoys ₱4.5 billion in confidential funds? Why worry about junk food aliases when rice prices are rising?

The problem with this logic? It’s a red herring. Two wrongs don’t make a right — and issues of public theft and unaccountability can and must be scrutinized together.

Yet by muddying the waters, Duterte's defenders aim to dull the moral outrage, scatter the narrative, and confuse a public already weary of scandal.

3. Emotional Manipulation: From Villain to Victim

The Duterte narrative has now taken a messianic turn. Sara is no longer just a public servant facing questions — she is now a martyr, betrayed by the Marcoses, persecuted by critics, and suffering for the Filipino people.

It’s a masterstroke of psychological warfare: flip the script so completely that the impeached becomes the savior. Dismiss all critics as “elitists,” paint the process as politically motivated, and compare Sara to Leni Robredo — even though Robredo was never linked to billion-peso anomalies.

The result? A hardened base that sees accountability as persecution and justice as treason.

4. Conspiracy Thinking: The World vs. the Dutertes

And then comes the pièce de résistance: global conspiracy.

In this narrative, Sara Duterte’s impeachment is not just a local political reckoning. It’s a grand plot by the Marcos camp, the American “deep state,” liberals, communists, and anyone else you want to throw into the stew of paranoia. The endgame? Supposedly to eliminate the Dutertes before 2028.

These claims, echoed by low-credibility accounts en masse, mimic the strategies used by Donald Trump’s supporters abroad — importing American-style disinformation to local shores.

It’s fiction, but it’s effective. Why? Because it feeds on fear, distrust, and a longing for simple explanations in a chaotic world.

5. The Cyborgs Among Us: AI-Powered Propaganda

Perhaps the most alarming trend is the automation of deceit.

Deepfakes, AI-generated man-on-the-street videos, and synthetic influencers flood timelines with staged content made to look authentic. One such video, made by “Ay Grabe,” showed AI interviews supporting Duterte and mocking the impeachment process — widely shared by Senator Bato Dela Rosa and Davao’s acting mayor, Sebastian Duterte.

These videos were labeled “entertainment,” but spread like wildfire as gospel truth.

This is no longer just misinformation — it’s algorithmic gaslighting.

The Real Fight: Memory, Meaning, and 2028

Make no mistake: this campaign is not about today’s controversies. It is about shaping tomorrow’s presidency.

Through selective memory, performative outrage, and techno-enabled deception, the Duterte political machine is laying the groundwork for a 2028 comeback. Every troll post, every AI video, every distortion of truth isn’t just content — it’s strategy.

And it’s working.

Many Filipinos, overwhelmed by repetition and numbed by emotional baiting, now question the very institutions meant to protect them. The courts are biased. The auditors are blind. The media is paid. The only truth left is the one served by influencers who pretend to be patriots but are paid to lie.

Conclusion: The War We Cannot Ignore

What’s at stake here is far more than just one impeachment case or one political family. It’s the integrity of our collective reality.

When trolls become truth-tellers and AI becomes arbiter of what’s real, democracy doesn't just falter — it fractures.

The Dutertes' cyborg influence operation may be invisible to the naked eye, but it is everywhere: in your feed, in your comments, in your conversations. It lives on automation, thrives on outrage, and survives through your silence.

If we allow it to grow unchecked, 2028 may not just be another election.

It may be the end of truth itself.

Wazzup Pilipinas remains committed to exposing disinformation in all its forms.

Stay critical. Stay awake.

The Crystal Ball We Never Had: Predicting the Future of News in a Rapidly Evolving World

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In an age when trends expire in hours and news breaks in seconds, how do we, as journalists and media leaders, stay one step ahead of a constantly shifting audience?

If only there were a magic ball to gaze into—one that could divine the next digital habit, viral format, or platform revolution. But there isn’t. And perhaps that’s the point. Because in this fast-changing media terrain, survival doesn’t come from prediction. It comes from evolution.

The Great Shift: Shorter, Sharper, Vertical

Let’s not kid ourselves—this shift didn’t happen overnight.

The rise of short-form and vertical video has been well documented. From TikTok to YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels, news organizations are no longer just competing with each other. They're battling influencers, streamers, meme pages, and even pets with millions of followers. We’re all vying for the same precious commodity: attention.

Attention spans are shrinking. Swipe culture has shortened the window for capturing interest. A click, a view, a reaction—they're gone in seconds if you're not compelling from the very first frame.

But here’s the twist: this isn’t “new news.” We’ve seen this wave coming. The question that haunts every editor’s desk and every journalist’s conscience is: what comes next?

Watching the Youngest Eyes

The answer may lie in the youngest of our viewers.

Children and teens are no longer passive consumers. They're creators. They’re critics. They’re curators of their own feeds, wielding more power over trends than any newsroom. What entertains them, educates them, or engages them—that becomes the signal amid the noise.

So when we ask how the news will be consumed tomorrow, the real question should be: What are the next generation's habits today?

Are they reading headlines or watching reactions? Are they searching for depth or craving authenticity? Are they scrolling for doom or pausing for hope?

These questions are not theoretical. They’re urgent. Because the youngest consumers are tomorrow’s voters, policymakers, journalists, and audiences. Their behavior is our forecast.

The Truth About Evolution

We often hear the phrase, “change is the only constant.” But for those of us in media, that’s only half the truth.

Change is inevitable. But commitment to change—that’s survival.

To evolve isn’t to abandon principles or integrity. It’s to adapt how we deliver truth, how we earn trust, and how we serve a digitally distracted world without losing the soul of journalism.

That means more than just creating flashy content or chasing trends. It means reimagining storytelling without surrendering substance. It means empowering journalists to become digital natives without diluting their purpose. It means leading audiences not just to information—but to understanding.

No Magic Ball, Just a Mirror

In truth, we don’t need a crystal ball. What we need is a mirror—one that reflects not just the current audience, but the one growing up with devices in their hands and information at their fingertips. The one that doesn’t remember a world before algorithms. The one that still believes in truth, if we can reach them the right way.

It’s easy to fear this evolution. It’s tempting to resist it. But resistance is not resilience. Resilience is reinvention.

And as the media world spins faster than ever before, one truth remains:

Evolving is surviving.

Let that be our mantra. Let that be our mission.

Because the future of news isn't in a prediction. It's in the people we’re still learning to reach—and the stories we must never stop telling.