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Nike signature athlete Ja Morant to inspire hoopers globally through the Make Them Watch Tour

NIKE and Ja Morant are teaming up to inspire athletes around the world to bring their own creativity to the game with the launch of the Make Them Watch Tour: a four-country journey that further introduces Ja to the global basketball community.

For his first international tour as a Nike signature athlete, Ja will connect with hoopers in the US, China, Japan and the Philippines, helping the next generation shape the game in their local communities and discover their sense of style and expression on the court.

“Basketball is all about work and creativity — putting in that grind but also playing with your own style,” says Ja. “I’m excited to pull up and share a piece of my journey with the next generation of hoopers around the world, and I also want to check how basketball is played in their own communities. Getting to learn new cultures through hoops is a unique opportunity, and I’m hyped about that.”

The Make Them Watch Tour represents Ja and Nike’s commitment to giving back to the game: championing athletes, inspiring the next generation and fueling global basketball culture. The tour also reflects a shared belief in the power of basketball to build bridges between countries, challenge young athletes to chase their dreams, and create lasting impact among athletes and fans.

Further, the Make Them Watch Tour will celebrate what hoopers around the world love most about Ja: his undeniable, electric style of play; his hard work, creativity and self-expression; and his dedication to powering the future of the game.

Ja will kick off the Make Them Watch tour in Augusta, Georgia, by inspiring young hoopers at Nike Peach Jam, the brand’s premier Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) tournament.

The tour will then take Ja to New York (NY) during a celebration of summer hoops in the city, Nike’s annual NY vs NY tournament.

From New York, Ja will travel to China, where he’ll host clinics and training opportunities for local hoopers and future stars in Mission Rise 2025, a program to give talented youth a shot to become the next world-class players. He’ll then continue to Tokyo to connect with local athletes and fans while building a deeper connection with Japanese culture.

The Make Them Watch Tour will conclude in Manila, where Ja will continue to lift up the next generation, create new experiences for athletes, learn local culture and grow the game. He’ll invite local high school players to watch his workout and inspire Filipino hoopers of all levels at a Make Them Watch exhibition game while in Manila, a hotbed of basketball culture.

For Ja, connection to the game and its culture also extends beyond the court, and he will use each stop on the Make Them Watch Tour to meet athletes and fans at Nike stores; experience the culture of the city; and explore local art, food and music

Normality returns to Wimbledon as Alcaraz and Sabalenka ease through

LONDON — Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and the end of London’s tropical heatwave ensured that a sense of normality returned to the lawns of Wimbledon on Wednesday after two sweat-soaked days of shocks, although Jasmine Paolini’s exit meant the surprises did not end.

A stream of big names including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev crashed and burned in the oven-like temperatures of the first round.

So when Alcaraz walked on Centre Court to continue his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, the thought surely lurked somewhere in his mind that he could be the fall-guy in the event’s greatest upset.

The 22-year-old second seed was not at his best but after saving three break points in a nervy first service game against a college student ranked 733rd in the world, he asserted his authority to win 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

Earlier on Centre Court, women’s top seed Sabalenka battled to a 7-6(4), 6-4 win against Czech Marie Bouzkova.

“Honestly, it is sad to see so many upsets in the tournament, in both draws, women’s and men’s,” said Sabalenka, who is bidding for her first Wimbledon title.

“I’m just trying to focus on myself… I hope there are no more upsets in this tournament.”

That was not to be, as last year’s runner-up Paolini joined the mass exodus of fancied players when she crashed out 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.

However, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, the sixth seed, made it safely into round three by beating Olga Danilovic 6-4, 6-2 while unseeded four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka eased past Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 6-2.

Lower temperatures did not necessarily mean more comfortable outings as world number 12 Frances Tiafoe became the 14th of the 32 men’s seeds to fall, losing 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 against Cameron Norrie, one of seven Britons in singles action on day three.

The American was joined later on by Czech 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka, last month’s Queen’s Club Championships runner-up, who fell 7-6(4), 6-1, 7-5 to Italian Mattia Bellucci.

HOME CHARGE
Ashlyn Krueger, the American 31st seed, was then beaten 7-6(4), 6-4 by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ensuring 15 of the 32 women’s seeds also went out of the tournament.

Sonay Kartal led the home charge by defeating Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-2, 6-2 to book her place in the last 32 for the second year in succession while the nation’s big hope Emma Raducanu got past 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, 6-3.

There was disappointment for Britain’s Katie Boulter, who served 14 double faults as she crashed 6-7(9), 6-2, 6-1 to 101st-ranked Solana Sierra, the Argentine who lost in qualifying but has seized her lucky loser spot with both hands.

Alcaraz, bidding to do the French Open-Wimbledon double for the second successive year, needed five sets to get past Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the opening round and set up an intriguing clash with 21-year-old Tarvet.

Tarvet, who plays on the US collegiate circuit for the University of San Diego, said he believed he could beat anyone, even Alcaraz, after winning his Grand Slam debut match against fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi of Switzerland on Monday.

He was clearly not overawed at sharing a court with a five-times major champion and had he taken any of the eight break points he earned in the first set it could have been closer.

Alcaraz proved a step too far though as he moved through the gears when required to keep an eager Tarvet under control.

Just as the Spaniard did in his first round when going to the aid of a female spectator suffering in the heat, Alcaraz again endeared himself to the Centre Court crowd.

“First of all I have to give a big congratulations to Oliver, it’s his second match on the tour. I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played,” Alcaraz said.

Play on courts without roofs was delayed for two hours by light morning rain but once the clouds rolled away the place to be for fans without showcourt tickets was Court 12 for Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca’s match against American Jenson Brooksby.

The 18-year-old is widely tipped as a future challenger to the domination of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and he showed why during a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4 win that was celebrated by a large contingent of exuberant Brazilians.

Andrey Rublev, who suffered a bruising loss to Fonseca in the Australian Open first round earlier this year, battled past Lloyd Harris 6-7, 6-4, 7-6, 6-3 before Taylor Fritz closed out the day with a 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-3 win over Gabriel Diallo. — Reuters

Commissioner’s Cup

In defeating the top-seeded Lynx 74–59 to win the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup, the Indiana Fever likewise delivered a blueprint for sustainable success without relying on sophomore phenom Caitlin Clark. Despite the latter’s absence due to a groin injury, the red, blue, and gold showcased an identity grounded in defense, balance, and mental toughness. More than anything else, the triumph provided a revealing glimpse of their bright future more in line with outsized preseason expectations than with their inconsistent play to date.

Significantly, free agent pickup Natasha Howard was at the heart of it all, boasting of a stat line — 16 markers, 12 caroms, four dimes, and two swipes in 35 minutes of exposure — that highlighted the tone she set on both ends of the court. Her capacity to neutralize the Lynx’s Napheesa Collier, the league’s leading Most Valuable Player candidate by far, underscored how elite defenders can reshape a game without dominating the ball. She walked away as the Cup’s unanimous MVP selection after being the Fever’s emotional compass and, in the process, proving their collective strength.

Indeed, the Fever’s versatility figured heavily in the Cup Final. Five players scored in double figures, shining the spotlight on an offensive engine that was certainly flashy, but likewise deliberate and disciplined — qualities that often go overlooked in highlight-driven narratives. That steadiness also exposed the vulnerability of the Lynx when their rhythm is disrupted. Long used to dictating terms under the tutelage of head coach Cheryl Reeve, they were clearly uncomfortable when forced into reaction mode — hence their anemic shooting from the field (34.9%, a whopping 1,180 basis points lower than their 2025 norm).

Perhaps most importantly, the triumph chips away at the idea that the Fever are only as good as Clark makes them. While she’s undeniably transformative, they showed they can produce under pressure, respond to adversity, and execute in big moments even with her in the sidelines. That kind of depth — and belief — matters come playoff time. The Cup may not a season make, but the way they claimed it nonetheless defines who they are, and what they are becoming.

POSTSCRIPT: The Fever were double-digit underdogs heading into the outing. This likely led to ESPN marking a wrap-up placeholder on its YouTube channel with the title “FULL REACTION: Lynx dominate Fever to win Commissioner’s Cup” while the match was still under way. Only after the final buzzer sounded was it changed to “FULL REACTION: Fever stun Lynx to win Commissioner’s Cup.”

 

Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.

Trump says US to impose a 20% tariff on Vietnam exports

A VIETNAM DONG note is seen in this illustration photo May 31, 2017. — REUTERS

WASHINGTON/HANOI — The United States will place a lower-than-promised 20% tariff on many Vietnamese exports, US President Donald J. Trump said on Wednesday, cooling tensions with its tenth-biggest trading partner days before the US president could raise levies on most imports.

Vietnamese goods would face a 20% tariff and transshipments from third countries through Vietnam will face a 40% levy, he said. Vietnam could import US products with a zero percent tariff, he added.

“It is my Great Honor to announce that I have just made a Trade Deal with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” Mr. Trump said on Truth Social after speaking with Vietnam’s top leader, To Lam.

Mr. Trump’s announcement comes just days before a July 9 deadline before he ramps up tariffs on most imports, one of the Republican’s signature economic policies.

Under that plan, announced in April, US importers of Vietnamese goods would have had to pay a 46% tariff.

Details were scant. It was not clear which products Mr. Trump’s 20% tariff would apply to, or whether some would qualify for lower or higher total duties.

Also left to later discussion was how the new transshipment provision, aimed at products largely made in China and then labeled “Made in Vietnam,” would be implemented and enforced.

The Vietnamese government did not confirm the specific tariff levels in a statement celebrating what it described as an agreement on a joint statement about a trade framework.

Vietnam would commit to “providing preferential market access for US goods, including large-engine cars,” the government in Hanoi said.

A deal between the two countries would be a political boost for Mr. Trump, whose team has struggled to quickly close deals with Washington’s biggest trading partners ahead of the deadline.

While the administration has teased a forthcoming deal with India, truces reached earlier with Britain and China were limited in scope. Talks with Japan, the United States’ sixth-largest trading partner and closest ally in Asia, appeared to hit road blocks.

The US is Vietnam’s largest export market and the two countries’ growing economic, diplomatic and military ties are a hedge against Washington’s biggest strategic rival, China. Vietnam has worked to retain close relations with both superpowers.

Shares of major US apparel and sportswear makers including Nike, Under Armour and North Face maker VF Corp closed higher on Wednesday on the news.

Mr. Lam also asked Mr. Trump for the US to recognize Vietnam as a market economy and remove restrictions on the exports of high-tech products to the country, Vietnam said. Those changes have long been sought by Hanoi.

The White House and the Vietnamese trade ministry did not respond to requests for additional comment.

GROWING TRADE TIES
Since Mr. Trump imposed tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars in Chinese goods in his 2017-2021 term, US trade with Vietnam has exploded, though almost all of it in the form of goods to the United States from Vietnam as importers sought workarounds for the China levies.

Since 2018, Vietnam’s exports are up nearly threefold from less than $50 billion that year to about $137 billion in 2024, Census Bureau data shows. US exports to Vietnam are up only about 30% in that time — to just over $13 billion last year from less than $10 billion in 2018.

“’Transshipping’ is a vague and often politicized term in trade enforcement,” said Dan Martin, business adviser at Dezan Shira & Associates, on LinkedIn. “How it’s defined and how it’s applied in practice will shape the future of US-Vietnam trade relations.”

Mr. Trump announced a wave of tariffs for countries around the world on April 2, before pausing the implementation of most duties until July 9. More than a dozen countries are actively negotiating with the Trump administration to avoid a steep spike in tariffs on their exports.

Britain accepted a 10% US tariff on many goods, including autos, in exchange for special access for aircraft engines and British beef.

Like the agreement struck with Britain in May, the one with Vietnam resembles a framework rather than a finalized trade pact.

China and the United States also came to a truce in a tit-for-tat tariff battle in which Beijing restored American access to some rare-earth minerals, but the two sides left most of their disagreements to later negotiations.

“Had Trump stuck with 46%, much higher than the current tariff on China, Vietnam feared it would be disadvantaged by its competitors especially in Southeast Asia,” said Murray Hiebert, a senior associate with the Southeast Asia program at CSIS, a think tank.

“This likely would have dented Vietnam’s trust in the US and it might have toned down some of its security cooperation with Washington.” — Reuters

WHO pushes countries to raise prices on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50%

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

LONDON — The World Health Organization (WHO) is pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50% over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.

The United Nations (UN) health agency said the move would help cut consumption of the products, which contribute to diseases like diabetes and some cancers, as well as raising money at a time when development aid is shrinking and public debt rising.

“Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,” said Jeremy Farrar, WHO assistant-director general of health promotion and disease prevention and control. “It’s time to act.”

The WHO launched the push, which it is called “3 by 35” at the UN Finance for Development conference in Seville.

WHO said that its tax initiative could raise $1 trillion by 2035 based on evidence from health taxes in countries such as Colombia and South Africa.

The WHO has backed tobacco taxes and price rises for decades, and has called for taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks in recent years, but this is the first time it has suggested a target price rise for all three products.

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the conference that the taxes could help governments “adjust to the new reality” and bolster their own health systems with the money raised.

Many low and middle-income countries are coping with cuts to aid spending led by the United States, which is not attending the Seville conference. The US is also in the process of withdrawing from the WHO.

FROM $4 to $10
As an example, the initiative would mean a government in a middle-income country raising taxes on the product to push the price up from $4 today to $10 by 2035, taking into account inflation, said WHO health economist Guillermo Sandoval.

Nearly 140 countries had already raised tobacco taxes and therefore prices by over 50% on average between 2012 and 2022, the WHO added.

Mr. Sandoval said the WHO was also considering broader taxation recommendations, including on ultra-processed food, after the agency finalizes its definition of that type of food in the coming months. But he added that the agency expected pushback from the industries involved.

The initiative is also backed by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), and involves support for countries who want to take action. — Reuters

Fed independence and US rule of law at risk, according to UBS reserve managers survey

A sign for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors is seen at the entrance to the William McChesney Martin Jr. building in Washington, D.C. — REUTERS

LONDON — Two in three reserve managers fear US Federal Reserve independence is at risk and nearly half think the rule of law in the United States may deteriorate enough to influence their asset allocation significantly, UBS Asset Management said in a survey on Thursday.

And 35% of close to 40 central banks that responded think that the US might ask allies to convert longer-term debt into other instruments such as ultra-long, zero-coupon bonds.

The results highlight growing concern around the safe haven status of the world’s No. 1 reserve currency and biggest bond market given US President Donald J. Trump’s confrontations with long-standing allies over trade and security, and his attacks on the Fed.

Trump’s April 2 Liberation Day tariffs hit both the dollar and Treasuries. He has also pressured the Fed to cut rates and his advisers have floated unorthodox ideas to bring the ballooning US debt pile under control.

Max Castelli, head of global sovereign markets strategy and advice at UBS Asset Management, said the concerns showed it was “very clear” how Liberation Day had changed reserve managers’ view on the dollar.

Going forward, 29% were looking to cut exposure to US assets in response to recent developments, the survey said.

Over the next year however, 25% of central banks said they expected to cut their exposure to the dollar, after stripping out those who want to increase it, slightly less than the past year.

“When you ask: do you see really a big change in the dominance of the dollar? The answer is no,” Mr. Castelli said, adding it takes time for reserve managers to move.

Nearly 80% of respondents expect the dollar, which currently accounts for 58% of FX reserves, to remain the global reserve currency.

In the coming year, gold, which UBS ranked against other non-currency assets, was the top winner, with 52% of central banks looking to add it to their holdings.

And 39% of respondents were planning to increase the share of gold reserves they hold domestically, the survey showed.

Mr. Castelli said that reflected mainly emerging markets central banks worried about sanction risk, and mainly concerning gold stored in the United States.

Mr. Trump’s policies have also revived questions in Germany around its central bank’s gold reserves, some of which are stored at the New York Fed.

Over the next five years, reserve managers reckon the euro will benefit the most from global shifts, followed by the renminbi and crypto assets, the UBS survey showed.

The dollar dropped from top spot last year to ninth place.

But over the next year, only a net 6% of respondents plan to add the euro, while the renminbi took the top spot with 25%. The Canadian dollar, pound and yen were other currencies that a higher net percentage of respondents were looking to add.

“There is a lot of optimism about Europe. But the expectations are very high, in the sense that if Europe does not deliver on reform, I think this European renaissance will be rather short-lived,” Mr. Castelli said. — Reuters

Manga doomsday prediction spooks some tourists to Japan

A MAN wearing a protective face mask walks through red-colored wooden torii gates at the Nezu shrine in Tokyo, Japan. — REUTERS/STOYAN NENOV

TOKYO/HONG KONG — Viral rumors of impending disaster stemming from a comic book prediction have taken the sheen off Japan’s tourism boom, with some airlines cancelling flights from Hong Kong where passengers numbers have plunged.

Japan has seen record numbers of visitors this year, with April setting an all-time monthly high of 3.9 million travelers.

That dipped in May, however, with arrivals from Hong Kong — the superstitious Chinese-controlled city where the rumors have circulated widely — down 11% year-on-year, according to the latest data.

Steve Huen of Hong Kong-based travel agency EGL Tours blamed a flurry of social media predictions tied to a manga that depicts a dream of a massive earthquake and tsunami hitting Japan and neighboring countries in July 2025.

“The rumors have had a significant impact,” said Mr. Huen, adding that his firm had seen its Japan-related business halve. Discounts and the introduction of earthquake insurance had “prevented Japan-bound travel from dropping to zero,” he added.

Hong Kong resident Branden Choi, 28, said he was a frequent traveler to Japan but was hesitant to visit the country during July and August due to the manga prediction. “If possible, I might delay my trip and go after September,” he said.

Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga titled The Future I Saw, first published in 1999 and then re-released in 2021, has tried to dampen the speculation, saying in a statement issued by her publisher that she was “not a prophet.”

The first edition of the manga warned of a major natural disaster in March 2011. That was the month and year when a massive earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster struck Japan’s northeastern coast killing thousands.

Some have interpreted the latest edition as predicting a catastrophic event would occur specifically on July 5, 2025, although Mr. Tatsuki has denied this.

Situated within the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” Japan is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. In recent days there have been more than 900 earthquakes, most of them small tremors, on islands off the southern tip of Kyushu.

But Robert Geller, a professor at the University of Tokyo who has studied seismology since 1971, said even scientifically based earthquake prediction was “impossible.”

“None of the predictions I’ve experienced in my scientific career have come close at all,” he said.

Nevertheless, low-cost carrier Greater Bay Airlines became the latest Hong Kong airline on Wednesday to cancel flights to Japan due to low demand, saying it would indefinitely suspend its service to Tokushima in western Japan from September.

Serena Peng, 30, a visitor to Tokyo from Seattle, had initially tried to talk her husband out of visiting Japan after seeing the social media speculation.

“I’m not super worried right now, but I was before,” she said, speaking outside Tokyo’s bustling Senso-ji temple. — Reuters

Saudi Arabia, Indonesia sign several deals worth around $27 billion

An Indonesia Rupiah note is seen in this picture illustration June 2, 2017. — REUTERS/THOMAS WHITE/ILLUSTRATION

CAIRO — Saudi Arabia and Indonesia signed several deals and memorandums of understanding worth around $27 billion between private sector institutions in fields including clean energy and petrochemicals, Saudi state news agency SPA reported on Wednesday.

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto visited the Gulf kingdom on Wednesday and met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The two sides also agreed to bolster cooperation in the supply of crude oil and its derivatives, improve supply chains and their sustainability in the energy field and strengthen cooperation in mineral resources, the Saudi state news agency said.

Trade between the two countries amounted to around $31.5 billion in the last five years, according to SPA.

Saudi Arabia’s ACWA Power signed initial agreements to explore investment opportunities into renewable energy projects with sovereign wealth fund Danantara Indonesia and state energy firm Pertamina, according to a statement from Danantara.

The companies are expected to explore potential investments with up to $10 billion worth of project funding, Danantara added. — Reuters

Climate and empowering women must be a priority, development bank bosses say

STOCK PHOTO | Image from Freepik

SEVILLE — Multilateral development banks (MDB) need to sharpen their focus on delivering climate action and on empowering women, the heads of two major MDBs in Asia and Europe told Reuters, as they face calls to be bolder, more flexible and inclusive.

The president of the European Investment Bank (EIB), Nadia Calvino, and of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Jin Liqun, spoke on the sidelines of the once-a-decade United Nations (UN) development financing summit taking place in Seville.

The event is overshadowed by criticisms it has shown a lack of ambition and by the absence of the United States, the biggest provider of international aid until US President Donald J. Trump returned to office early this year.

Mr. Trump has also withdrawn the United States from UN efforts to counter climate change and sought to reverse policy on inclusivity, making many companies and institutions across the globe reticent about championing diversity and sustainability.

The AIIB’s Jin welcomed civil society’s push for MDBs to do more on climate as a “positive force for innovation and greater impact.”

The AIIB supported “climate-resilient” infrastructure under a broader definition that includes digital, health, and education infrastructure, he said.

The EIB’s Calvino said high-level climate commitments must translate into tangible investments and projects, naming as an example an initiative for climate-related debt clauses that allows vulnerable countries to pause repayments after disasters.

The pre-summit outcomes agreement between UN members included a pledge to triple multilateral lending capacity. The US said that crossed one of its red lines as it interfered with the MDBs’ independence.

Asked about French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for MDBs to sacrifice stellar credit ratings to hit those new targets, Mr. Jin proposed rating agencies apply different standards to MDBs instead of those used for commercial banks or private companies.

Ms. Calvino said the current system worked well, with the EIB’s AAA rating enabling it to take on higher-risk investments and leverage European Union guarantees.

The US also objected to the use of the word gender in the outcomes document, saying it did not support “sex-based preferences.”

Ms. Calvino, the EIB’s first woman president, said empowering women was “both the right and the economically smart choice… a no-brainer.”

Mr. Jin said female empowerment was key in the AIIB’s investment decisions, pointing to a rural road project in Ivory Coast connecting female agriculturalists in previously isolated villages to main markets to sell products such as cashews and coffee beans. — Reuters

When the pandemic gave lemons, Sonya’s Garden chose to reinvent

“Sonya’s Garden did not sit back during the pandemic and the 2020 Taal Volcano eruption; instead, they chose to reinvent, said owner Sonya Garcia.

Interview by Edg Adrian Eva
Video editing by Arjale Queral

Tenable flags AI cloud threats with Southeast Asia in the crosshairs

STOCK IMAGE | Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) systems are more vulnerable to cyber threats than traditional cloud setups, prompting regulators in Southeast Asia, like the Philippines, to be on heightened alert, according to US-based cybersecurity firm Tenable. 

In a report released on Tuesday, Tenable said that 70% of AI cloud workloads have at least one unpatched critical vulnerability, compared to 50% in their non-AI counterparts. 

The findings were found on AI workloads across Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), posing increased security risks for organizations in Singapore and Southeast Asia amid accelerated AI adoption in the region. 

“AI workloads, with their vast training datasets and model development processes, are an increasingly attractive target for threat actors,” Tenable said in a statement.  

It added that 77% of organizations using Google’s Vertex AI Workbench had at least one notebook instance with an overprivileged default service account, which could allow attackers to gain more access and move across cloud systems. 

Regulators across Southeast Asia are placing greater attention on addressing these risks. In the Philippines, the Data Privacy Act and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) regulations emphasize data classification, strong authentication, and robust third-party governance.  

Similarly, Singapore’s Cybersecurity Act and the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s (MAS) Technology Risk Management Guidelines mandate strict cloud and AI security controls. 

Despite the risks, the report also shows progress in addressing so-called “toxic cloud trilogies,” which refer to systems that are publicly exposed, critically vulnerable, and highly privileged. The number of surveyed organizations affected dropped to 29%, down from 38% the year before. 

“Tenable’s researchers attribute the nine-point decline to sharper risk-prioritization practices and wider use of cloud-native security tooling,” Tenable said. 

The report warns that even a single toxic cloud trilogy can give attackers quick access to sensitive data. 

The cybersecurity firm also reported that 83% of AWS users have configured at least one identity provider (IdP), yet credential abuse still accounts for 22% of breaches, highlighting the need for strong multi-factor authentication and least privilege access. 

“Organizations have made real strides in tackling toxic cloud risks, but the rise of AI workloads introduces a fresh wave of complexity,” Ari Eitan, Director of Cloud Security Research at Tenable said.  

He added that AI’s large data requirements and common security flaws require greater caution, and that exposure management helps security teams protect important data within AI systems. – Edg Adrian A. Eva

Albert Martinez joins Assurance Philippines as BoD, CMO to drive insurance accessibility

From left to right: Assurance PH Sales Manager Angelica Megui, Assurance PH Soliciting Officer Jeffrey Ejercito, Assurance PH President Melody Antonio, Assurance PH Chief Marketing Officer & Board of Director Albert Martinez, Assurance PH Business Development Manager Joyce Lazaro, and Assurance PH Claims Officer Sam Sangalang

In a strategic move signaling the evolution of the Philippine insurance industry, veteran actor and seasoned marketing professional Albert Martinez has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and Board Director of Assurance Philippines, a rising player redefining non-life insurance for the Filipino market.

Assurance Philippines leverages technology to challenge the industry’s traditional structures, offering flexible, usage-based insurance coverage that empowers consumers to pay only for what they use. By breaking away from rigid, fixed annual premiums, the company aims to bring insurance within reach for millions of underserved Filipinos — a demographic historically excluded by cost and complexity.

“I’m thrilled to help make insurance simpler, more relatable, and ultimately more attainable for every Filipino,” said Mr. Martinez, whose appointment reflects the company’s commitment to merging innovation with inclusivity. His broad public influence and strategic marketing insight are expected to accelerate Assurance’s efforts to reshape public perceptions of insurance as a necessity rather than a luxury.

Industry analysts view Mr. Martinez’s entry as a key inflection point for Assurance, positioning the company as a formidable force in a market where insurance penetration remains significantly below global averages. The company’s tailored, digital-first products directly address the financial realities of Filipino consumers, especially amid an increasingly dynamic economic landscape.

Joining Mr. Martinez on the board are Assurance Founder Christian Bradley and Board Director Jomel Paradero, forming a dynamic leadership team with a bold vision: to close the country’s protection gap and redefine financial resilience for everyday Filipinos through smarter, fairer coverage. With their combined expertise, they are dedicated to transforming the landscape of insurance in the Philippines.

Assurance Philippines also strategically partnered with Milestone Guarantee and Assurance Corp. and FPG Insurance to further strengthen their service capabilities towards their growing client base. The key partnerships will ensure that Assurance will be able to cater to the demands for their services nationwide.

As the Philippine insurance sector undergoes much-needed disruption, Assurance Philippines stands at the forefront, delivering accessible, tech-enabled solutions that make peace of mind more accessible for all Filipinos. With these innovations, Assurance is poised to redefine the future of insurance in the country.

Assurance is also preparing to launch its mobile app to enhance accessibility and provide a more convenient, user-friendly platform for customers to manage their insurance needs.

 

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