Manila, PHILIPPINES – Cebu Pacific (CEB), Philippines’ leading carrier, and flyadeal, Saudia Arabia’s fast growing low-cost airline, today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore joint strategic commercial initiatives. The historic agreement covers a wide range of opportunities in commercial cooperation and support in maintenance and engineering. The first phase of the MoU will see flyadeal utilize two of Cebu Pacific’s Airbus A320 aircraft on a wet-lease arrangement for the upcoming summer peak flying season in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Reciprocally, Cebu Pacific is examining wet-leasing flyadeal A320s during the busy winter period in Southeast Asia at the end of the year. The agreement was signed at a joint press conference held in Manila today at which flyadeal chief executive officer (CEO) Steven Greenway and Cebu Pacific CEO Mike Szucs outlined plans for a phased cooperation beginning with the wet-lease arrangement. Talks between the two airlines began earlier this year following a visit by Greenway and a flyadeal delegation to Manila to learn more about Cebu Pacific’s A330-900neo operations. flyadeal, the Middle East’s fastest growing airline, recently announced plans to venture into the long-haul market with an order for 10 A330 widebodies to be deployed between Saudi Arabia and the Philippines, and across southeast Asia from 2027. Greenway said: “Today’s agreement is momentous as it marks flyadeal’s first ever strategic airline partnership. It was clear and obvious that flyadeal could learn a lot from Cebu Pacific’s experience of low-cost long-haul operations given we will be inducting the same A330-900neos into our fleet in just two years’ time. There are great benefits in sharing technical knowledge, training, and best practice in preparation for our A330 induction and, of course, we are both A320 operators. “This was the starting point for wide-ranging commercial discussions covering a broad range of areas including more immediate needs of wet-leasing aircraft for flyadeal’s busy upcoming summer season. A win, win situation all round to bring in Cebu Pacific aircraft during our peak period and vice versa for Mike and his team to explore taking our aircraft for their winter peak later this year.” Szucs explained: “With Cebu Pacific’s growing fleet, we seek to maximize the potential of our increased capacity through all months of the year. The utilization of our capacity by other carriers during our lean season is a way of achieving that.” “This partnership with flyadeal highlights Cebu Pacific’s growing capability to support international carriers through wet leasing and broader operational collaboration. It diversifies our revenue streams and further expands Cebu Pacific’s presence beyond the Asia Pacific region.” Both CEOs said their respective teams will meet frequently to map out the joint commercial plans over the next few months.          

A new nationwide study reveals meaningful improvements in hunger levels among low-income households supported by the “Walang Gutom Program,” a joint initiative of Globe and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The findings highlight how partnerships like this can play a vital role in addressing food insecurity, an issue when left unaddressed, affects not only the public but also the long-term sustainability of businesses that rely on healthy, thriving communities. To better understand the impact on families, Globe commissioned Social Weather Stations (SWS), in coordination with DSWD, to carry out a two-wave study on hunger alleviation. The first wave was conducted from October 7 to 18, 2024, and the second wave from December 1 to 10, 2024. It covered a total of 3,991 household responses—2,011 in wave 1 and 1,980 in wave 2—across 33 provinces nationwide. “This study proves that when the public and private sectors work together with purpose, we can make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer. “We’re honored to support efforts that not only provide digital access, but also help shape better programs through data and insight.” Just months after implementation, the study shows that the program is making a real impact. Among program beneficiaries, the share of households experiencing hunger dropped by 4.1 percentage points—from 48.7% in October 2024 to 44.6% in December. In contrast, hunger among non-beneficiaries increased by 6.1 points during the same period. The 10.2 percentage point gap between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries shows the positive effect of the intervention. Significant regional improvements were seen in areas with high vulnerability. In the BARMM-Plus region—which includes the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, and Zamboanga Sibugay—hunger among beneficiaries dropped by 7.3 points, and in the Central-South cluster—Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Cotabato City, Zamboanga del Norte, and Surigao del Norte—the drop was at 5.7 points. A similar trend was observed in severe hunger, where beneficiary households in BARMM-Plus saw a marked decrease of 8.1 percentage points, the highest across all clusters. The improvements were especially felt in households where women or less-educated members were in charge of meal planning—those often hit hardest by hunger. At the same time, the study reminds us that many families still struggle with severe food insecurity, showing how important it is to keep strengthening programs like this. “Hunger is one of the most urgent challenges facing vulnerable Filipino families today,” said Linda Luz B. Guerrero, President at SWS. “This study provides clear, data-backed proof that when support is well-targeted, it works. Programs like ‘Walang Gutom’ help break the cycle of poverty and guide national policy toward real, measurable change.” The “Walang Gutom Program” is more than just about feeding families, it helps keep children focused on learning, and gives parents a better chance to work and provide. By reducing hunger, it builds stronger, more resilient communities. The program is set to expand to 300,000 more families in 2025;150,000 more in 2026, and reach one million households by 2027—affirming its long-term commitment to food security nationwide. Globe is also contributing to the goals of the “Walang Gutom Program” through its Hapag Movement, a flagship initiative that addresses involuntary hunger by providing both food assistance and livelihood support to vulnerable families. As of end-2024, the movement had already reached 120,455 families, surpassing its original 2025 target, with the help of ₱53 million in donations from corporate partners and Globe customers. It also enabled over 4,000 individuals to graduate from upskilling programs designed to equip them with sustainable livelihood skills. For Globe, the work doesn’t stop at connectivity. By combining innovation with compassion, the company hopes to bring meaningful innovations and programs that uplift the life of every Filipino.