Micro-credentials can boost employability of Filipino students, says online learning platform Coursera
1:19 p.m. May 19, 2026
Leading global online learning platform Coursera revealed a sneak peek of the report on the impact of micro-credentials in the Philippine academic and labor sectors. The report emphasized how these industry-aligned, flexible, short programs are the wave of the future and highly valued by employers, especially when stacked on top of full degrees.
Known for making professional certificates and full degrees from top universities more accessible online, Coursera highlighted in its 2026 Micro-Credentials Impact Report that 85% of Filipino graduates who earned a micro-credential secured a role aligned to their field within 12 months. In fact, 77% of Filipino employers say candidates with micro-credentials move faster through hiring pipelines.
“The Philippines is showing real leadership in building a skills-first higher education system, with CHED’s CMO creating a trusted pathway for flexible, workforce-aligned learning. This regulatory clarity is critical – aligning universities, employers, and learners around credentials that are recognized, stackable, and tied to real workforce needs,” said Anthony Salcito, Global Head of Enterprise, Coursera. “iPeople Inc. is a powerful example of this vision in action, embedding industry-recognized micro-credentials into degree programs and flexible certification pathways so students and working professionals can build practical, job-ready skills alongside academic learning. This is exactly the kind of model that can expand access, improve career readiness, and help prepare Filipino talent for a fast-changing digital economy.”
“Filipino employers no longer rely only on school reputation or degrees, but are looking for verifiable, job-ready skills—proof of what a candidate can do on day one,” explained Ana Maria Bongato, former Executive Director for Talent Development at the IT & Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP). “Micro-credentials are designed to be more focused and accessible than traditional degrees and get people job-ready faster in growing areas like AI.”
The full global report will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
iPeople’s pioneering approach to learning
Innovation-driven education group iPeople, Inc., the Yuchengcho-Ayala education partnership that includes Mapúa University, Mapúa Malayan College Laguna, Mapúa Malayan Digital College, Mapúa Malayan College Mindanao, University of Nueva Caceres, and National Teachers College, is one of the first Filipino higher education systems that recognized the value of micro-credentials. To bolster its progressive approach to learning, iPeople in 2019 became the first educational network in the Philippines to embed Coursera into its curriculum as a supplemental learning resource. Now, the network is Coursera’s third largest campus partner worldwide and together, they support the learning needs of 45,000 Filipino students across six schools. The partnership gives them access to micro-credentials, credit-bearing Generative AI content, and AI tools for self-paced learning—all designed to enrich student experience.
“Embracing micro-credentials and new educational tools and technologies through this collaboration with Coursera is part of iPeople’s commitment to complement nation-building initiatives through quality and accessible education for all Filipinos,” said Dr. Reynaldo Vea, Chairman and CEO of iPeople, Inc. “Micro-credentials are linked to real industry and workforce needs, which benefit students because it enhances their hirability.”
“With Coursera’s global credibility, this partnership further drives our mission in producing graduates with the best outcomes in employability. This is our contribution in addressing the skills gap of the Filipino workforce. By futureproofing Filipino talent with industry-recognized skills, we give them the confidence and competencies to adapt to the changing demands of the global and local labor market,” shared Dr. Dodjie Maestrecampo, President of Mapúa Education Group.
TECHNOLOGY
OPPO Reno16 Series 5G coming soon to capture every ‘barkada’ moment
7:11 a.m. July 26, 2026
Every barkada starts with a first. Your first spontaneous café hop with new college friends, your first weekend road trip together, or your first concert with people who soon become your favorite memories.
These shared experiences deserve more than a quick snapshot. They deserve photos everyone will want to save, share, and remember.
That’s why OPPO is bringing the OPPO Reno16 Series 5G to the Philippines. Built around its Pocket Studio imaging experience and the all-new OPPO Bubble with Camera Remote View, the upcoming smartphone is designed to help every barkada capture their first moments together without leaving anyone out of the story.
Professional-level imaging for every first barkada moment
The OPPO Reno16 Series 5G is designed to make everyday photography feel more effortless and expressive. At the heart of its Pocket Studio experience are a 200MP Main Camera, a 50MP Ultra-Wide Selfie Camera, and Dual View Video, giving users the tools to capture group adventures, everyday moments, and creative content with professional-quality results.
So whatever moment you are capturing, be it a barkada food crawl, a weekend getaway, or your first day on campus, the OPPO Reno16 Series 5G is designed to make memorable group photos easier to create than ever.
A smarter way to get everyone into the shot
One of the biggest challenges of group photography is making sure everyone, including the person behind the camera, gets to be in the shot.
The OPPO Reno16 Series 5G introduces OPPO Bubble with Camera Remote View, a first-of-its-kind innovation from a smartphone brand that reimagines the way people take group photos together. Working wirelessly with compatible OPPO devices, OPPO Bubble lets users preview the OPPO Reno16 Series 5G camera frame from another device and remotely trigger the shutter, making it easier to capture group shots without rushing back and forth to beat a timer.
It also opens up new possibilities for selfies and groufies by allowing users to take advantage of the OPPO Reno16 Series 5G’s powerful rear camera system while still seeing exactly how the shot is framed. Whether you’re taking a family portrait, gathering your barkada for a travel photo, or documenting a concert or special celebration, OPPO Bubble transforms the way shared moments are captured, making professional-looking group shots easier, smarter, and more inclusive than ever before.
Designed for today’s generation of creators
Designed for today’s on-the-go creators, the OPPO Reno16 Series 5G combines a sleek, premium design with advanced camera hardware and intelligent creative tools. Together with OPPO Bubble with Camera Remote View, it is designed to make group photography and collaborative content more intuitive, whether users are meeting friends at a café, traveling with their barkada, or documenting a concert or celebration, all while delivering professional-looking results without relying on a complicated camera setup.
Because every first barkada moment deserves to be remembered.
The OPPO Reno16 Series 5G is arriving soon in the Philippines, bringing its Pocket Studio imaging experience and OPPO Bubble with Camera Remote View to help users capture every first barkada moment together.
Visit the nearest OPPO store to check it out yourself. For more details about the OPPO Reno16 Series 5G, visit OPPO Philippines’ official website at www.oppo.com/ph/ or OPPO Philippines’ official social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok for more updates and be among the first to discover the next evolution of smartphone photography.
COUNT
101 free HONOR gadgets! No follow needed
6:13 p.m. July 24, 2026
What? HONOR Philippines is giving away 101 HONOR gadgets to its growing community with its biggest giveaway yet!
Known for continuously surprising consumers with blockbuster promotions — from giving away luxury vehicles to exclusive rewards — HONOR is once again raising the bar by putting 101 HONOR devices up for grabs in a nationwide giveaway, including the latest HONOR 600 Series.
This celebrates the overwhelming support of HONOR fans while making the brand’s innovative technology more accessible to everyone. Joining is as easy as it gets. Participants simply need to comment on the official giveaway post: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18wfpQRyTc/ — no follow required!
“Our fans have always been at the heart of everything we do. This giveaway is our way of thanking them for their continued trust and support while giving more Filipinos the opportunity to experience HONOR technology,” said Stephen Cheng, Vice President of HONOR Philippines.
To stay updated on the latest news, products, and promotions from HONOR Philippines, visit the official HONOR Philippines website: www.hihonor.com, and on Facebook (Facebook.com/HonorPhilippines), Instagram (Instagram.com/honorph/) and TikTok: (Tiktok.com/@honorphilippines).
TECHNOLOGY
Alibaba Cloud unveils Agent-Native Innovations at WAIC 2026
12:19 p.m. July 22, 2026
At the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) 2026, Alibaba Cloud introduced a suite of agent-native technologies aimed at accelerating the development and deployment of AI agents across industries.
Key announcements include the Agent-Native Cloud suite, designed to govern, optimize, and orchestrate multi-agent workflows while improving large-model inference efficiency. The company also expanded its open-source efforts with the release of the T-Head SAIL software stack, alongside new products such as the team version of its AI development tool Meoo and its first Qwen-powered earbuds, Qwen Clip.
These updates reflect Alibaba Cloud’s continued focus on building a full-stack AI ecosystem spanning silicon, infrastructure, platforms, and applications.
Alibaba unveiled the Qwen 3.8-Max-Preview on its Token Plan, Qoder, and QoderWork platforms. Boasting 2.4 trillion parameters, the model delivers impressive performance comparable to leading frontier AI models, with initial tests ranking it second only to Fable 5. The company has also announced the Qwen 3.8-Max will be open weight soon.
Cloud Infrastructure: From AI-Native to Agent-Native
Alibaba Cloud is advancing toward an agent-native architecture, providing a managed environment for building, deploying, and operating autonomous AI agents.
At WAIC, the company introduced two new products—AgentLoop and AgentTeams—expanding its existing AgentRun platform. Together, these offerings support the full lifecycle of enterprise AI agents, with built-in governance and control.
AgentLoop enables real-time tracing, evaluation, and optimization of agent performance. AgentTeams supports coordination and governance across multiple agents, allowing organizations to manage complex workflows. AgentRun provides lifecycle management, covering development, deployment, and operations.
Alibaba Cloud also introduced TokenWorks within its Platform for AI (PAI), available through PAI-EAS. The new service integrates request routing, inference execution, compute reuse, and scheduling into a single system, helping improve performance, reduce costs, and increase reliability for large-model inferences.
OPPO Reno16 Series 5G coming soon to capture every ‘barkada’ moment
101 free HONOR gadgets! No follow needed
Alibaba Cloud unveils Agent-Native Innovations at WAIC 2026
