Features

I played Jose Rizal in Civilization VII, and he’s just a perfect leader

He’s suitable for all playstyles

Published

February 4, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

As I said in my preview for Civilization VII, the first game I’ve ever played was Civilization III. Back then, you could create your own Civ with its own custom name and traits. As a Filipino, it was a no-brainer to create one modeled after the Philippines, led by then-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. I had Manila, Quezon City, Cebu, and Davao as custom cities. It was a fun game of make-believe, but it’s nothing compared to the official Civs who got their own custom art, units, and abilities.

More than two decades later, Civilization VII is introducing Jose Rizal as the first playable Filipino leader in the entire series. Now, I don’t usually fall for #PinoyPride things, but it would be remiss of me to skip out on playing Rizal the first chance I got.

What’s different in Civilization VII?

Unlike the past games, leaders are divorced from their respective nations. For the first time ever in a Civilization game, you pick both a leader and the nation they represent. Both come with their own abilities. Besides creating interesting gameplay synergies, mixing and matching leaders and Civs can create weird and wacky historical combinations, such as Confucius leading the American people in the Modern Age.

Unfortunately, the game currently does not have the Philippines as a playable Civ. Rizal can lead only the unlikeliest of nations to victory. And yes, this includes the Spanish, the Americans, and the Japanese.

Winning the game is also different. Though there are still a handful of victory options, achieving one isn’t as straightforward. That’s because the game is divided into three distinct ages: Antiquity, Exploration, and Modernity. Each age has a Legacy Path for each victory condition. Think of it like a checklist for winning in a certain way.

In this game, there are four victory options: Culture, Military, Science, and Economic. Fulfilling the Legacy Path for these options don’t automatically grant victory in the first two ages. Rather, they grant powerful boons for the next age, once completed. Only their completion during the Modern Age counts as a complete victory.

Regardless, completing these Paths throughout all three ages is ideal. Naturally, this means that the historical pacifist Jose Rizal finds himself putting on several hats which historians never imagined him donning. But this is a Civilization game, where Gandhi dropping nukes on other Civs is a normal everyday occurrence.

What can Jose Rizal do in Civilization VII?

Every leader in Civilization VII has a unique ability that can give them a slight edge over the competition. Rizal’s ability focuses on Narrative Events, or randomly generated events that give the player rewards or quests. Each event gives Rizal additional culture and gold, two valuable resources.

Additionally, he experiences 50 percent longer Celebrations and at a much more frequent pace. (Whenever a Civ keeps its people happy, they go into a period of Celebration, which gives bonuses for a set number of turns. Usually, these are percentage boosts to science, culture, or production.)

Because of lengthier Celebrations, Rizal can pair well with any Civ and any victory condition. If Rizal players can keep their Civs happy, they can enjoy increased outputs more frequently.

In my opinion, Jose Rizal is the most versatile leader in Civilization VII. It’s also just entertaining to turn the hero into a colonialist warlord or an exploitative capitalist.

Rizal, a paragon of culture

Given the very slight edge that he gives to cultural playstyles, focusing on a cultural victory seems like the most natural choice for Rizal. While a cultural victory is not new to the series, it did get a massive overhaul.

Instead of the arcane Tourism system introduced in Civilization VI, achieving cultural greatness in the seventh outing is all about accumulation. It’s no longer about being the most popular Civ; rather, it’s about having the most artifacts and wonders. This Legacy Path also eliminated religious victories by turning religion into the primary way to obtain Relics, the keys to progressing the path during the Exploration Age.

I am admittedly disappointed at the system’s removal of complexity. In the past, I had to learn and master a completely different system. It was satisfying to figure out how to entice everyone’s tourists to prefer my Civ over others. Now, in Civilization VII, it’s just about racing to build the most wonders, or rushing missionaries and explorers to reach foreign settlements and archeological digs before the AI does.

Rizal, the good doctor

Because the national hero was also a physician, a science victory is the next best thing, historically speaking. Much like other Civilization games in the past, you can obtain a science victory by becoming the most scientifically advanced Civ and launching a space-themed project. This is my favorite victory condition in the entire series. Researching technologies the fastest also meant having the stronger units compared to less advanced Civ.

In Civilization VII, the science-focused Legacy Path is less straightforward. In the first age, it’s all about accumulating the most Codices, items created primarily by researching certain technologies. It feels a bit too similar to the accumulation mechanics of a cultural path.

On the other hand, the Exploration Age is focused on city management. You need to build up five districts to produce at least 40 yields. In my opinion, this is a rewarding way to teach players how to maximize their cities. It also gives an alternative option to becoming a colonialist during the Exploration Age. It’s a bit inconsistent with what a science path should look like, but I am enjoying what we got.

Space comes into play only in the Modern Age. This is when it becomes a race to launch the first manned spaceflight. Veterans of the series should enjoy the final step of this Legacy Path.

Rizal, the capitalist

Now, it’s time to get into alternative history. I don’t think any historian can imagine Rizal as a capitalist. Historical facts don’t really matter in Civilization, though. Turning the national hero into a exploitative capitalist is just par for the course.

An economic victory is entirely new for the series but not unwanted. Even before the announcement of this game, players clamored for a way to win by becoming the richest nation in the world.

Contrary to the name, achieving an economic victory means more than just hoarding the most gold. Instead, it’s all about managing the most resources. Second only to a military victory, the economic legacy path is the most consistent victory condition throughout the ages.

In the Antiquity Age, it’s about grabbing and using 25 resources throughout your entire empire. In the Exploration Age, you create Treasure Fleets, periodically spawning ships created by settling near prized resources in other continents. Finally, in the Modernity Age, you accumulate Railroad points, obtained by manufacturing resources in factories and connecting settlements with railroads.

The economic path is a worthy addition to the series. It’s the perfect playstyle for expansionists because victory can be accomplished with or without a powerful military. If you prefer building up your empire peacefully, creating early settlers and settling in unclaimed lands is viable. Alternatively, taking competing settlements by force is another option.

Rizal, the colonialist war freak

It’s time to address the elephant in the room. Can you turn Rizal into a warlord? Absolutely.

One of the most enduring victory conditions throughout the series, a military victory naturally involves building the biggest army and capturing other nations with it. However, while you can always just completely eliminate other nations from the game, it’s not the only way anymore.

To achieve a military victory, you need to accumulate enough settlement points, obtained by owning enough cities and towns. Captured settlements from other nations count as two points. This increases even further for captured cities following the same religion or a different ideology.

Combat has been revamped, too. Instead of just throwing bodies at the problem, Civilization VII makes army commanders necessary. While you can still just stockpile enough units, trainable commanders enable strategy. That’s because only commanders can earn experience by being beside units that engage in combat. In turn, these commanders provide meaningful combat bonuses.

Capturing cities is also different. Instead of a single-tile capture point, cities can wall off more than one tile. Doing so necessitates invading armies to capture all walled tiles. Invading cities is a much more involved effort, and I love it.

Plus, there’s a weirdly satisfying schadenfreude at turning Jose Rizal into a colonialist war freak intent on seeking vengeance against historical colonial powers.

While other leaders add abilities that sway your playstyles towards specific victory conditions, Jose Rizal is a true all-rounder that can fulfill any legacy path using his sparse kit. Lacking a significant focus, Rizal is the perfect leader to learn the ropes of Civilization VII.

If you’re starting off on Civilization VII as either a newcomer or a veteran, Rizal is a great option.

Related Topics:Civilization VII specials

Cameras

Inside an OCR training day with Bring Your Game

Captured on the Canon EOS R6 Mark III

Published

June 19, 2026

MJ Jucutan

The first leg of Spartan Race’s Philippine National Series doesn’t wait for anyone.

We joined an OCR team, BGY BYG aka Bring Your Game, at Bridgetowne Obstacle Park as they put themselves through an obstacle course race simulation. I brought the Canon EOS R6 Mark III to document every athlete giving their best.

Shooting under direct midday sun is its own challenge. The 32.5MP sensor handled the harshness of open daylight without blowing out detail. The 40fps electronic shutter and Pre-continuous shooting meant we were already in the frame before the moment fully happened.

Athletes were moving fast and in every direction, but the 8.5-stop IBIS kept every shot steady as we moved alongside them.

The Dual Pixel CMOS AF II stayed locked mid-sprint, mid-climb, and everywhere in between.

This is what race prep looks like up close.

Abegail Manzano, UAAP Season 85 Rookie of the Year in women’s athletics at UP Diliman, leading the warm-up session.

Jeri Vega Oro from All-female Pop-Rock Band, ROUGE.

In photo: Georgii Brisuela

In photo: JBL PartyBox Encore Essential 2

BGY BYG/Bring Your Game’s Team Captain, Aldrin Collantes

Words and photos by MJ Jucutan.

Computex 2026

Why is AI loved in COMPUTEX but hated in the rest of the world?

Two sides of the same coin.

Published

June 19, 2026

Luigi Leonardo

To cover COMPUTEX 2026, I found myself staying in the Grand Hilai Taipei, a 5-star hotel right beside the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center (TaiNEX), the historical home of the annual conference. I can’t help but think of The Grand Budapest Hotel, a Wes Anderson flick about a similarly decadent hotel. But it’s not the plush hotel rooms, the hospitable staff, or the Romanesque public sauna that has me thinking of the iconic 2014 film. Rather, it’s the man of the hour himself, NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang, the king of today’s AI.

In The Grand Budapest Hotel, Ralph Fiennes plays Monsieur Gustave, the eponymous hotel’s flamboyant concierge. Always the life of the party, Gustave blends seamlessly into the hotel’s luxurious pink decor as he cavorts willy-nilly with the elder clientele. While the film flings Gustave around a thrilling chase for a deceased friend’s inheritance, the film’s subtext is one of politics, mistrust, and war. Around the hotel, the world haplessly descends into the geopolitical turmoil that brought about the Second World War. And yet, Gustave remains indifferent, content as he is to be atop his lofty pulpit while luxuriating in L’Air de Panache.

The amicable Gustave as he lures you in.

Jensen Huang, clad in his trademark leather jacket, is our story’s Monsieur Gustave. Much like Gustave, Huang revels in the fanfare around him. In COMPUTEX, he’s a hero adored by the masses. Wherever he goes, fans bend over backwards to take a selfie. His merchandise (and yes, it exists), touting AI-generated versions of him, is constantly sold out. It’s a stark contrast to the world and all its doom-and-gloom for a future bloated with AI.

The silence behind the applause

Before the official start of COMPUTEX, Huang conducted his own keynote speech for NVIDIA. If you’ve been to one of his keynotes in the past, you’ll hardly recognize what it’s become. There’s no more talks of realistic graphics or faster gaming performance. It’s all about AI.

Most of his time was dedicated to Vera Rubin, a multi-rack AI supercomputer destined to power the future’s data centers. Amid the drone of technical jargon (almost bordering on technobabble), I was quietly asking myself what I was doing here. Meanwhile, beside me, an enthusiastic woman clapped with as much fervor as if Huang was the second coming of Christ himself. Even if Huang could hear her individual applause (and he most certainly didn’t), he couldn’t have seen her Googling frantically what a multi-rack AI supercomputer was.

NVIDIA’s Vera Rubin

After what felt like forever on the Vera Rubin, Huang finally talked about a consumer-ready product: the new RTX Spark laptops. Admittedly, my interest was piqued. After all, it’s supposed to be the next evolution of PCs. Cue: more applause.

Although, the subtext here is as loud as the clamor. Though it’s certainly impressive that a single RTX Spark notebook can deliver 1 petaflop of AI performance and 192GB of unified memory, this next big thing is not for you and me. No one wanted to talk about the price of these things; not a single OEM, not even Huang himself.

All the hype is on productivity and profitability. It will make more work and more money… but not for you. If anything, you’ll probably end up worse.

The price of progress

Building a PC these days can bankrupt you just as easily as visiting an American hospital. A decent stick of RAM is no longer as accessible as it was a few years ago. And it’s all thanks to AI.

Touting them as humanity’s next evolution, the world’s biggest tech companies want you, a regular consumer, to believe that the technology is coming to your home. But first, they need acres of real estate for data centers. Several states in America have already relegated land to put up these centers, much to the chagrin of their residents. Despite assurances that newer ones can more effectively balance the load on the grid, these same data centers need a lot of space, power, and water. All three of which are coming from the communities surrounding them. At the time of this writing, some state governments are pushing back against the incoming infrastructure, perhaps realizing the mistake of unimpeded data center developments. The outside world is slowly turning on AI, but it’s not a global crackdown.

These stickers are getting more expensive.

And that’s before the effect of these data centers on regular consumer technology. Besides all that land, they need a horde of silicon. That’s why NVIDIA has stopped positioning itself as a GPU company, and that’s why all the chips just disappeared. All those data centers are buying up the world’s stock of chips. It’s all a matter of supply and demand at that point; scarcity drives prices up, and we’re left to pick up the pieces. The GPU that was supposed to go to your new PC is now inside a data center somewhere in the States.

Even if you don’t live near a data center, you’re still not safe. Companies, especially in the Western world, believe that AI can replace human workers, leading to mass layoffs. To be clear, while AI can help with productivity when used as a tool, a full replacement isn’t the most feasible option yet. In fact, according to Fortune, AI is just a convenient scapegoat when companies simply want to cut labor expenses by any means necessary.

And yet, the party goes on. Huang is adamant that you are on the ground floor of a revolution that will change the world. But, sorry, bucko; that elevator is going up without you.

The mask falls

As tempting as it is to pick on a single target, the NVIDIA CEO wasn’t the only Monsieur Gustave gallivanting around COMPUTEX. Qualcomm’s Cristiano Amon had his own keynote speech to herald the annual conference. But, opposed to decadence of Huang’s optimism, Amon lets his mask fall just a tiny bit.

To his credit, Amon didn’t extol Qualcomm’s developments exclusively. Rather, he spoke of the overall effects of AI on our world. It’s, of course, the usual optimistic accoutrements of harder, better, faster, stronger for society. Eventually, his excitement gets the best of him and lets slip some shadier effects.

“6G will turn us all into walking cameras,” he said, talking about how AI will affect connectivity.

Now, to be fair, radio frequency sensing isn’t new technology. It’s already been possible to detect objects using only radio signals. 6G, bolstered by AI, will expand this to cover a much wider area for more possible uses.

Amon himself admits that it was a controversial statement. But perhaps, he doesn’t know (or care) about any potential invasions of privacy. He remains ever-so-confident that the use of 6G for surveillance will ultimately help with public safety and infrastructure.

All I can think of is The Dark Knight‘s Lucius Fox doing the moral thing and shutting off Batman’s mass surveillance system after finding the Joker.

It’s a tiny slip, but it speak volumes. Your privacy is a sacrifice that they’re willing to take.

As if that’s not enough, Amon signs off on his diatribe with a succinct “resistance is futile,” talking to those who still oppose AI.

An odd way to start off a celebration of AI, isn’t it? Traditionally, that phrase is one oft used by villainous characters, but that’s just par for the course in today’s AI-infested world. Peter Thiel, one of the moguls of AI, infamously named his company Palantir, the same malevolent surveillance tool used by Sauron in The Lord of the Rings. For some, masks don’t really exist.

The other concierge

Speaking as someone who keeps his finger on the pulse of AI more on the Western side of the world, it’s strange to see a different side of the coin. Huang and Amon are icons. You can’t last two seconds without seeing a single mention of AI somewhere on the show floor. There’s a palpable electricity when talking about the potential of AI.

And to be fair, when I talked to a few developers and engineers, I can feel the optimism. One talked about a voice assistant that would suggest better gift ideas for her spouse based on their history. Another one passionately talked about how much gaming has been better with DLSS 4.5. They truly believe that AI can work to their (and our) benefit, and I believe them. Underneath the smarminess of tech billionaires are ordinary people who found ways to better society. That’s where the conversation about AI should start.

But that’s not what the people want. The people want the parties, the glitz and the glamor. And all these billionaires desperately want to be the next Steve Jobs, the next Great Gatsby. And everyone else wants someone to hate.

In Taiwan, it’s not easy to hate a Monsieur Gustave that wants to make you feel welcome. It’s much easier to come for a monster taking your land, your jobs, and your money.

In Taiwan, Monsieur Gustave can have his parties, his adoring friends, and his fancy leather jacket. But in the rest of the world, he finds in himself the caretaker of an entirely different hotel, The Shining’s Overlook Hotel. Beneath Monsieur Gustave is Jack Torrance, and he’s always been the caretaker.

“Here’s Jensen!”

The other concierge.

Buyer's Guide

Buyer’s Guide: TECNO SPARK 50 Pro vs SPARK 50 5G

Which afforda-phone SPARKs more joy?

Published

June 18, 2026

Vincenz

Within two months, TECNO separately launched the SPARK 50 Pro and SPARK 50 5G.

Clearly, the uprising brand aims to target consumers who want to buy a shiny new smartphone within their means. This also meant budget buyers might get confused which to get between the two.

Interested yet still confused? Read more to know which SPARK is your GadgetMatch.

Design

While design is (and will always be) subjective, the design of the TECNO SPARK 50 Pro and SPARK 50 5G are on two different sides of the coin.

The newer SPARK 50 Pro is offered in stronger color choices — from Midnight Blue to the Dynamic Orange I own. Albeit, there are the less flashy Ink Black, Titanium Grey, and Cloud White shades.

On the other hand, the SPARK 50 5G has classier colorways: Champagne Gold, Mint Green and Fantasy Purple. That’s alongside the subdued Ink Black and Titanium Grey options.

Personally, the SPARK 50 5G’s clean-looking horizontal camera bar design was the clear giveaway. While the SPARK 50 Pro is a bit slimmer at 7.8mm, the SPARK 50 5G is still comfortable to hold despite being thicker at 8.18mm.

Furthermore, the Champagne Gold unit I rock looks more premium and doesn’t try to be in with the unnecessary “orange” trend.

Editor’s Choice: SPARK 50 5G

Durability

Usually, design and durability coincide with one another. But, that’s not always the case.

Despite the SPARK 50 5G having an aviation-grade body, it only has an IP64 rating. It can withstand dust particles but, only water splashes and light sprays. Good to note though that it is MIL-STD-810H compliant.

Meanwhile, the less premium-looking SPARK 50 Pro actually boasts the sturdier IP68 and IP69 water and resistance ratings. This means it can withstand dust, water immersion, and even stronger, high-pressure sprays.

This makes the SPARK 50 Pro one of the few phones to have an IP rating previously limited to flagships and higher-end midrangers.

Editor’s Choice: SPARK 50 Pro

Audiovisual

Both the SPARK 50 Pro and SPARK 50 5G share a 6.78-inch IPS LCD display. Both are also 720p in resolution and refresh rate maxes out at 120Hz.

Obviously, these phones don’t have the best in class displays. But, for such segment and price, having such display tech alongside a punch-hole cutout (instead of a raindrop notch) means a lot.

Stereo speakers are also powered by DTS sound. Undoubtedly, these two phones are like identical twins in this segment.

The only thing that the SPARK 50 5G has the upper-hand is none other than its inclusion of 3.5mm audio jack that the SPARK 50 Pro lacks. Still beneficial for people who fully rely on wired audio.

Editor’s Choice: SPARK 50 5G

Performance

While the front part is harder to distinguish from one another, each inner core is what separates these phones apart.

The TECNO SPARK 50 5G is powered by the MediaTek’s Dimensity 6400 SoC.

Of course, it’s not the most powerful out there. But, for its league, it’s a capable chipset that can multitask and run most game titles. Even 5G support never forgotten.

Meanwhile, the SPARK 50 Pro, despite having that “Pro” superlative, only runs the Dimensity G100 Ultimate. CPU speeds are obviously lower. Worse? It’s only limited to 4G speeds.

On the positive note, it gives better camera support.

Memory sizes are available in 4,6, and 8GB with storage options in either 128 or 256GB. Fortunately, these phones still have a dedicated microSD slot.

Editor’s Choice: SPARK 50 5G

Camera

With the camera talk already mentioned, most would think that the 50MP main rear camera of the SPARK 50 Pro and SPARK 50 5G are just the same. Well, they’re not.

Photography duties of the SPARK 50 Pro are mainly handled by Sony’s LYTIA 600 (or LYT-600) image sensor. For reference, that’s the same image sensor found on most modern midrangers.

The SPARK 50 5G uses an older Sony Exmor sensor. Aperture slightly differ at f/1.9 and f/1.8 respectively.

For further context, here’s how the two smartphones produce photos.

To compensate for that, the SPARK 50 5G tends to over-sharpen and color boost its photo output over SPARK 50 Pro’s natural image rendering.

The SPARK 50 Pro also has a better-looking bokeh falloff than its 5G counterpart.

Editor’s Choice: SPARK 50 Pro

Power

Finally, the highlight of both phones: battery capacity.

ICYMI, the TECNO SPARK 50 Pro has two versions: a single-cell 5600mAh model and a bigger 6000mAh dual-cell version.

The SPARK 50 5G takes it up a notch with an even bigger 6500mAh capacity.

Although that is only a 500mAh (or 900mAh) discrepancy, that battery boost still means a lot for an every day user.

Charging-wise, the SPARK 50 Pro has a faster 60W speed over the regular 45W charging in the 5G version.

IMHO, I would still choose a bigger battery over faster charging speeds. Still, it’s great to have both in a single package.

Editor’s Choice: SPARK 50 5G

Which afforda-phone SPARKs more joy?

If we are going to tally the scores, the clear afforda-phone winner is none other than the TECNO SPARK 50 5G.

It ticks 4 out of 6 boxes — from that classier design to its beastly battery despite that thin chassis. Even better, a 5G-capable chipset and 3.5mm audio jack inclusion that the “Pro” variant simply lacks.