Agoda and WWF Extend Conservation Partnership with Fifth Edition of Eco Deals Program and New Five-Year MOU

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

2026 Eco Deals Edition Delivers Enhanced Visibility for Accommodation Partners While Advancing Wildlife Protection and Habitat Conservation Across Asia

Digital travel platform Agoda and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have unveiled the fifth edition of Eco Deals today, celebrating five years of successful partnership and significant conservation milestones throughout Asia.

The 2026 program features Agoda’s largest funding commitment yet, pledging US$1.5 million to support conservation in 10 Asian markets and marking the signing of a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding to further their joint efforts. Eco Deals offers travelers discounts of up to 20% at participating properties during a month-long anniversary campaign, followed by year-round savings of up to 15%, with Agoda donating US$1 to WWF for every completed booking.

This partnership will also benefit Agoda’s accommodation partners through marketing support across Agoda’s platforms, including targeted marketing placements and in-app discovery. Upon completion of the program, participating properties will receive a certificate recognizing their contribution to the protection of wildlife and nature across Asia.

“The signing of a new five-year MoU with WWF is a testament to our shared vision and action for long-term conservation and industry collaboration,” said Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President, Supply, Agoda. "In the past year alone, the program has seen participating properties grow by more than 45%, with strong momentum in markets like Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. But what’s most rewarding is seeing how Eco Deals has become a platform for hotels to differentiate themselves, connect with sustainability‑minded travelers and contribute to meaningful conservation work across Asia.” 

DepEd Press Release (Stronger, safer schools for learners and teachers through DepEd–UP Disaster Resilience partnership)

 

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Stronger, safer schools for learners and teachers through DepEd–UP Disaster Resilience partnership

 

MAKATI CITY, 19 January 2026 — Public school Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) coordinators, teachers, and learners nationwide are set to immediately benefit from new disaster preparedness training and science-based tools following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Department of Education and the University of the Philippines recently in Diliman, Quezon City. 

The partnership is intended to address persistent gaps faced by schools in disaster-prone areas, particularly the lack of localized hazard data, structured training, and coordinated emergency protocols, which often leaves teachers and learners vulnerable during floods, earthquakes, and other calamities.  

Under the agreement, UP will provide technical and scientific expertise to support DepEd’s disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and emergency response efforts across public schools nationwide. 
 

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the partnership aims to ensure that schools are better prepared before disasters strike, so learning disruptions are minimized.

“Hindi dapat napuputol ang pagkatuto dahil lang sa kakulangan ng paghahanda. Sa tulong ng UP, through its research and public service mandate, masisiguro nating handa ang ating mga guro at mag-aaral. May tamang kaalaman, datos, at sistema para manatiling ligtas at makabangon agad kapag may sakuna,” Angara said.

As an immediate step of the partnership, DepEd is encouraging DRRM coordinators nationwide to enroll in the relaunched Fundamentals of Resilience Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI) in partnership with UP Open University. The free, fully online courses will run from January 26 to February 20, 2026, and will cover the basics of resilience as well as hazard and risk assessment.

UP President Angelo Jimenez said the collaboration underscores the role of UP, as the national university, in protecting learners and teachers, especially as climate-related risks intensify.  

The partnership will be implemented through the UPRI, led by Executive Director Mahar Lagmay, which will support DepEd in conducting multi-hazard risk assessments, developing localized hazard maps, integrating disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation modules into learning platforms, and designing a digital hazard risk platform and monitoring systems. 
 

For DepEd schools, the immediate impact is clearer access to training, data, and tools that make disaster preparedness more practical, reducing uncertainty for teachers and helping ensure that learners can return to safe classrooms as quickly as possible after emergencies.

Student nurse-filmmaker makes it three in a row at Sine Negrense

 

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A senior Nursing student at the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod has competed at the Sine Negrense: The Negros Island Film Festival for three consecutive years.

Chelsea Tasic’s streak began in 2023 with “Dalit sa Sala,” a social commentary produced by Dulaab Productions. Despite the ambitious nature of the project – which involved a complex two-day shoot on a moving bus – the film resonated deeply with audiences.

The film earned eight nominations and secured the People’s Choice Award and a special citation for its compelling narrative at Sine Negrense that year.

In 2024, Tasic was selected as one of ten directors for the inaugural Bacolod Film Festival. Her entry, “A Flower A Day,” competed in the Sine Negrense Open Category.

Set in a rundown cafe, the story follows a young woman who routinely visits with a different flower, sparking the curiosity of a local barista.

The film received eight nominations at Sine Negrense and won Best Musical Score at BFF in 2024, further cementing Tasic’s reputation as a rising storyteller in the region.

Tasic returned to Sine Negrense in 2025 with her latest work, “Isa ka Higayon,” competing in the Intercollegiate Category. The film explores themes of closure and the afterlife through the lens of local Bacolod culture.

Lola Sonia, a seamstress in downtown Bacolod, prepares for her chance to make up for a late loved one. But as her journey progresses, thoughts about what her decision will bring begin to hold her back. When life presents you a chance to finally achieve the closure you've always wanted, would it truly set you free or bind you to a deeper longing?

“Isa ka Higayon” was recently screened at the Dinagyang edition of the CineKasimanwa: The Western Visayas Film Festival held at the FDCP Cinematheque Centre Iloilo.

For Tasic, filmmaking is more than a creative outlet – it is a vessel for raw, genuine human experiences.

Her journey as a filmmaker began in senior high school at the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos, where she directed the award-winning shorts “Piyesa” (2021) and “Litrato” (2022).

Today, she views her success as a reminder to revisit our roots and highlight the richness and realities of life in Negros.

Balancing her calling in both nursing and filmmaking, Tasic continues to create stories and visual projects that portray raw, genuine human experiences.

Sine Negrense, an annual celebration of local filmmaking that provides a platform to showcase the works of Negrense filmmakers, ran from December 3 to 6 at the FDCP Cinematheque Centre Negros. The awarding ceremony is tentatively scheduled to be held next month.