Lifestyle

Rock n Roll Run Manila 2025 returns with AIA Philippines at the front

It’s time to end your race season with lots of vibes!

Published

November 26, 2025

MJ Jucutan

Manila is getting ready for a weekend that blends movement and pure festival energy as the Rock n Roll Running Series Manila returns in 2025.

The city will feel alive again with runners, families, and communities coming together for a celebration of fitness and culture that feels joyful and accessible.

AIA Philippines leads the charge this year as the Title Sponsor, creating simple and enjoyable wellness moments throughout the entire race experience.

This year’s AIA 10KM and AIA 1KM Kids bring a fresh burst of excitement. AIA Brand Ambassadors Solenn Heussaff and Wil Dasovich will run the AIA 10KM with invited creators and community personalities who will connect with runners and share the day’s energy on the course.

AIA Philippines wants health to feel approachable. The brand continues to champion the idea that staying active can be something you look forward to. The run becomes a reminder that wellness fits better in our lives when it feels natural, social, and fun.

What runners can look forward to

The AIA experience will be felt from the very beginning. The morning opens with warm-ups that help runners prep with comfort and ease. Throughout the course, AIA Hot Zones will offer small boosts and themed surprises. These include reward vouchers, music-powered encouragement, and photo-ready stops for capturing each milestone.
Every part of the route celebrates Manila’s culture and community. Performances and creative on-ground entertainment will turn each stretch into a lively, high-spirited moment. Runners can expect a race that feels like a street festival that moves with them.

A space to recover and reconnect

After crossing the finish line, runners can head straight to the AIA Rethink Healthy Zone. It is designed as a calm and energizing space where everyone can rest, refuel, and recharge.

The zone features simple wellness activities, refreshments, and partner booths. MediCard Philippines, AIA’s healthcare arm, will also be present for light checks, perks, and post-run treats.

Music-filled celebration

The day closes with live performances from The Itchyworms, Gracenote, Basti Artadi, and DJ Marc Marasigan. Spectators and finishers can enjoy a relaxed space filled with music and shared stories from the course.

AIA Philippines believes in the power of showing up together. When communities gather in movement and celebration, the experience becomes meaningful and inspiring.

The AIA Rock n Roll Running Series Manila invites Filipinos to live healthier, longer, better lives in ways that feel shared and uplifting.

The AIA Rock n Roll Running Series Manila takes place on Saturday, 29 November 2025. Sunrise Events Inc. mounts the race locally. Registration and full event details are available through AIA Philippines’ official digital platforms.

Cameras

What HYROX Hong Kong looks like up close

Photographed on the Canon EOS R6 Mark III.

Published

June 11, 2026

MJ Jucutan

HYROX drew people from all over the world for a single purpose: finish the course. In Hong Kong, athletes showed up at AsiaWorld-Expo ready to run, row, and push through 8 stations of pure functional fitness.

So, we brought the Canon EOS R6 Mark III to capture one of the most demanding fitness races on the planet.

The Expo floor is a lighting nightmare, a mix of harsh overheads and deep shadows, but the 32.5MP sensor handled the contrast without breaking a sweat.

The 40fps electronic shutter and Pre-continuous shooting meant we were already capturing the moment half a second before we consciously decided to press the shutter.

Covering a race means staying mobile, and the 8.5-stop IBIS let us move freely alongside athletes without losing the shot. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF II stayed locked on athletes even when they were squinting through the final stretch.

What came out were stories of triumph and determination. Even when their bodies were screaming, they pushed through anyway.

This is what HYROX Hong Kong looked like from the inside.

Words by MJ Jucutan. Photos by Sky Rodillas.

Apps

The No-Nonsense guide to mid-year shopping

Let AI do the heavy lifting for you this Lazada 6.6 Super WOW Sale

Published

June 5, 2026

MJ Jucutan

The mid-year sale season is here, but the days of mindless impulse buying are over.

Shoppers are shifting toward intentional, value-driven decisions, focusing on quality, authenticity, and actual utility over flashy, low-quality gimmicks.

From 8:00 PM on June 5 until 11:59 PM on June 8, 2026, the Lazada 6.6 Super WOW Sale is dropping major discounts. But the real win is using the platform’s tools to maximize your budget.

Lock in the baseline discounts

Before diving into specific items, map out how to stack the core offers.

You can stretch your money by hunting down LazFlash Deals for up to 90% off, collecting up to PhP 3,000 in stackable vouchers, and ensuring every order qualifies for the free shipping offers available throughout the event.

True value comes from combining these three layers of savings on things you already need.

Jisulife: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Filter for authentic value

Shopping smart means avoiding the trap of “too good to be true” counterfeits that end up in the trash.

Data shows a massive consumer shift toward trusted quality, with LazMall growth vastly outperforming standard listings during major sales.

To ensure your money goes toward genuine products with real warranties, restrict your browsing to official, brand-certified stores.

If you are upgrading your tech, parenting gear, or wardrobe, look to trusted names anchoring the sale like UGREEN, JisuLife, ANTA, Maserati Watches, Momcozy, and O.TWO.O.

UGREEN: One of the participating, trusted brands you can get from LazMall

Outsmart the noise with built-in tech

Don’t waste hours scrolling through endless listings or guessing which product is better.

The smartest way to navigate a massive mid-year event is to let the platform’s built-in features cut through choice paralysis.

Tools like AI Lazzie and AI Picks allow you to instantly compare similar items, analyze prices, and get personalized recommendations based on actual data rather than generic marketing hype.

Smart Shopper Tip: True value is a mix of the right price, verified authenticity, and a seamless return policy. Use this sale period to stock up on everyday essentials and high-quality upgrades rather than panic-buying items you’ll regret later.

Entertainment

X-Men ’97 returns to Disney+ for second season

Emmy-nominated series to continue mutant team’s story

Published

May 30, 2026

GadgetMatch

Marvel Animation’s Emmy-nominated X-Men ’97 is returning to Disney+ for a second season, starting July 1.

Along with this announcement, a trailer and poster have been made available. The first season of the animated series was one of the most-watched Disney+ originals, and a hit with fans and critics alike.

Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home.

Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the protagonists’ absence.

The second season will be comprised of nine episodes. The voice cast includes:

Ross Marquand as Professor X
Matthew Waterson as Magneto
Ray Chase as Cyclops
Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey
Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm
Cal Dodd as Wolverine
Lenore Zann as Rogue
George Buza as Beast

The series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Julia Lewald, Eric Lewald, Larry Houston, and Beau DeMayo.

Jake Castorena serves as the supervising producer. Episodes were written by JB Ballard, Beau DeMayo, Bailey Moore, Antony Sellitti, Brian Ford Sullivan, and Mariah Wilson.

The episodic directors are Emmett Yonemura and Chase Conley.