PHINMA University of Iloilo Brings CHED-Approved Tech and Hospitality Programs to Roxas City

PHINMA University of Iloilo (UI) is officially expanding its footprint to Capiz, bringing its signature brand of accessible, career-focused education to Roxas City. The expansion comes after securing official approval from the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on July 6 to open local campus operations. For its initial rollout this coming school year, PHINMA UI Roxas will focus on two high-demand sectors, offering Bachelor’s degrees in Tourism Management and Information Systems. This move aims to eliminate the need for young Capizenos to leave their hometowns in pursuit of top-tier tertiary education. By establishing a physical presence in Roxas, PHINMA UI is making it easier for local students to balance their academic aspirations with the comfort and support of staying close to their families. PHINMA UI extends its sincere gratitude to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and CHED Regional Office VI, under the leadership of Dr. Raul Muyong, for the timely issuance of the permits that made the Roxas campus expansion possible. The University values CHED's continued support in expanding access to quality higher education for more Filipino learners. "Our expansion into Roxas City is driven by a singular mission: to make quality, employability-focused education within arm's reach of every striving student," said Martin Perez, Chief Operating Officer of PHINMA University of Iloilo. "We are bringing the same standard of academic excellence and industry-aligned training that PHINMA UI is known for—backed by proven outcomes, including a 92% average first-time board exam passing rate across the PHINMA Education network and a 77% graduate employment rate." To welcome its pioneer batch, PHINMA UI Roxas is making a major investment in the local community. Every single student who enrolls for the upcoming school year will automatically grant an 80% Hawak Kamay (HK) Scholarship on tuition for their entire first year. Beyond affordability, students will benefit from PHINMA Education's holistic learning approach, which combines academic excellence, hands-on learning, student support, and strong industry partnerships. These initiatives help prepare graduates not only to succeed in licensure examinations but also to build meaningful careers after graduation. The campus is now accepting applications for its pioneer batch. Start of Admissions: July 7, 2026 Official Start of Classes: July 27, 2026 Enrollment for Academic Year 2026–2027 is open to senior high school graduates, transferees, and working students. For inquiries regarding admissions requirements and campus information, visit the PHINMA University of Iloilo Roxas Campus Facebook page or visit the admissions office at Roxas Avenue Extension, Lawa-an, Roxas City.

MORE Power hopes Visayas grid supply normalizes soon

ILOILO CITY – The continuing thin power supply in the Visayas has affected electricity rates across distribution utilities in the region, prompting the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) to place the grid under several yellow alerts since May. In Iloilo City, MORE Electric and Power Corporation said it is hoping that power supply in the Visayas Grid will return to normal as soon as possible so that electricity rates may also go down. A yellow alert means available supply is not enough to meet demand, which may lead distribution utilities to implement manual load dropping or rotational power interruptions. Based on the latest data, MORE Power recorded around 428,308.60 kWh in power losses from May 13 to June, affecting 177,727 consumers. NGCP said the tight supply situation in the Visayas was caused by the outage of three major coal-fired power plants: Units 1 and 2 of Aboitiz Power Therma Visayas Inc., which have a capacity of 169 MW each, and Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC) Unit 3, which has a capacity of 150 MW. In total, about 488 MW remains unavailable from these plants. As of June 23, NGCP data showed that 16 power plants were on forced outage, while 14 others were operating only at derated capacity. Altogether, 1,073 MW of power was unavailable. Aside from generation issues, transmission constraints have also limited the amount of power reaching the Visayas grid despite supply coming from Luzon. NGCP said the Leyte-Cebu interconnection has limited capacity to support the Cebu-Negros-Panay grid. "Nagapangabay kita nga tani earlier ang ila pagbalik sa grid para at least ma-stabilize man ang presyo sang kuryente diri sa aton sa Visayas Grid. Isa ini sa nakita naton nga big development kun tani para sa kaayuhan sang mga distribution utility kag mismo para sa mga konsumidor ilabi na nga ginapaabot ang El Niño ukon tuman kainit sang panahon nga mangin rason sa posible liwat nga pagtaas sang konsumo sang kuryente", says Raphael Dorilag, Manager of Energy Sourcing Department of MORE Power. The tight supply has also pushed prices higher in the electricity spot market or WESM. From ₱4.45 per kWh, prices climbed to ₱10.30 per kWh, while the generation rate rose by ₱2.10 per kWh to the current ₱7.735 per kWh. MORE Power said it continues to look for cheaper power sources for its consumers by buying supply from bilateral suppliers whenever these are more affordable than WESM prices. At present, 62% of its power supply is sourced through bilateral contracts, while 38% is purchased from WESM. MORE Power also set aside paying in staggered tranches to its suppliers to avoid bill shock for its consumers in the succeeding months. Wala sang pagbag-o sa presyo sang aton mga distribution charge sa MORE Power. Ginapabalo man naton nga inclusive na sang tax ang tanan naton nga rates rason nga transparent kita kag wala sang hidden charges sa mga bill nga galab-ot sa tagsa ka mga konsumidor”, says Dorilag. MORE Power likewise advised consumers to be more careful and responsible in their electricity use amid continuing challenges in power generation and transmission.

Big Ilonggo Businesses Migrated to MORE Power in Q1 2026

Pavia, Iloilo – Malls, food chains, hotels, BPOs, publication offices, and even construction firms are among the diverse sectors now served by MORE Power, as the company continues to expand its reach. In the first quarter of 2026, MORE Power accommodated the migration of several major accounts seeking reliable service, cost efficiency, and customer-friendly support for their thriving operations.

The latest to make the migration is Waffle Time Inc., a prominent Ilonggo business franchise, for its commissary in Brgy. Pagsangaan, Pavia, Iloilo. The company successfully transferred its load to MORE Power as its primary power source. Just last month, Taytay sa Kauswagan (TSKI), a major finance firm and hotel operator, along with Gateway Hotel, completed their migration on March 27, 2026. TSKI CEO and President Mr. Peter Talbanban and Gateway Hotel Chief Operating Officer Mr. Wendell Hofanda led the migration ceremony. “The primary expectation is better service and lower costs, especially amid the current Middle East crisis. All expenses are rising, making this the ideal time to migrate to MORE Power and reduce our electricity bills. Our TSKI main office is here in Pavia and serves all branch needs. If we experience a brownout, it disrupts our entire digitalized system, so reliable power is crucial,” said Mr. Peter Talbanban, TSKI CEO and President. “I’d like to thank MORE Power for reaching out to us. We were surprised by their initiative, and we’re thrilled about this partnership, which promises lower electricity costs and superior service,” he added.

This migration underscores the trust these companies place in MORE Power to deliver long-term reliable electricity for their establishments. “This marks a win for consumers who seek better quality of electricity, fair pricing, and improved service. MORE Power’s values have always been centered on the welfare of its consumers. We have heard the clamor and understood the needs of the consumers—this is why we have expanded to the province of Iloilo. I am truly grateful for the trust of the consumers in Pavia, Iloilo”, said Mr. Roel Z. Castro, President and CEO of MORE Power. MORE Power launched operations in Iloilo Province this year after finalizing its facilities. This was enabled nearly five years ago on September 20, 2021, when 2nd District Representative Michael Gorriceta and 4th District Representative Braeden John Biron filed for the company’s franchise expansion to deliver modern, reliable power distribution to towns in their districts. The well-timed migration ceremony highlighted MORE Power’s readiness to support consumers’ needs for dependable, modern power distribution.

LG UNVEILS THE POWER OF SMART APP WITH THE LAUNCH OF LG LAUNDRY LOUNGE

 

L-R: Mr. Dominic Mag-isa, LG PH Product Manager for Commercial Laundry; Ms. Marylouie Gatuz, Product Marketing Manager for Commercial Laundry; Mr. Jun Lee, LG PH Product Director for Commercial Laundry;

Ms. Myrtle Sarrosa, LG Ambassador; Mr. Arles A. Uy, Jr, CEO and President of Express Clean Consultancy/AAU Corporation; Mr. Philip David Lee, BigWash Director; Ms. Mylene Manzano, President, BigWash 

One of the least talked about parts of traveling is the issue of laundry. Sure, you can post your OOTDs, but eventually you’ll run out of clean clothing. In these cases, it’s important to quickly and efficiently find a trustworthy laundry shop to take care of your washing needs. However, this can be hard if you’re in an unfamiliar area as a tourist.

Seeing the need to locate laundry shops in an instant, LG recently launched the Laundry Launch App together with the opening of its second Laundry Lounge branch in the country. Located in La Paz, Iloilo, the new Laundry Lounge seamlessly integrates the app into its operations, offering quick location services, machine reservations, and cashless payments courtesy of Gcash. 

Popular content creator and LG brand ambassador Myrtle Sarrosa, who hails from Iloilo, showed how fast and efficient the LG Laundry Lounge app is. She demonstrated how with the app, it’s easy to find laundry shops nearby, check if machines are available, monitor and time wash cycles, and pay remotely via Gcash. The app can be downloaded via Google Play and App Store and services more than 600 Laundry Lounge shops nationwide.

Ms. Myrtle Sarrosa, LG Ambassador

Mr. Jun Lee, LG PH Product Director for Commercial Laundry, was present during the launch. “The LG Laundry Lounge App is a gamechanger for both consumers and business owners because it streamlines and simplifies the whole laundry experience.” The Laundry Lounge in Iloilo serves as the model for things to come.

Mr. Jun Lee, LG PH Product Director for Commercial Laundry

Mr. Arles A. Uy Jr, CEO and President of Express Clean Consultancy/AAU Corporation, the proprietor of the new Laundry Lounge, shared “Laundry shops are fast becoming one of the most popular start-up businesses. If you’re going to invest, it’s crucial that you have a partner you can trust… The technology is world-class, aftersales is topnotch, and the user experience is seamless.” The Laundry Lounge in Iloilo boasts 3 sets of Onyx Titan C Max and 6 sets of Onyx Giant C Max Commercial Washers and dryers that he is extremely confident in investment and performance. The Laundry Lounge app is also a big help o​n the business, that helps him monitor the shop’s operations, navigate through the machines’ conditions and check on his revenues.

Mr. Arles A. Uy Jr, CEO and President of Express Clean Consultancy/AAU Corporation

 

Find out more why business owners and entrepreneurs put their trust in LG Commercial Laundry by visiting www.lg.com/ph. Want to open your own business? Send a message to LG Commercial Laundry PH on Facebook or fill up the form at https://b2bmkt.lge.com/LP=7678  to get started.

 

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About LG Commercial Laundry

LG has a wide range of commercial laundry systems to meet your needs. Combining stylish design, sophisticated energy efficient technology and heavy capacity for even the most demanding of commercial laundry needs. LG's commercial laundry systems include washing machines and washers that will make your life a little easier. It's all possible with LG.