The Philippines is setting a clear tone for its 2026 chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), positioning unity, continuity, and people-centered growth at the heart of its regional agenda.

Before the jets gleam and the engines roar, careers quietly clock in. At Lufthansa Technik Philippines (LTP), the real long-haul journeys are not measured in air miles but in years spent on the hangar floor—learning, leading, and staying.

Alex Eala was one point from the ASB Classic final, one swing from crossing another threshold. Instead, the Auckland night tilted the other way, and the semifinal of the season’s first WTA 250 turned into a bruising lesson in fine margins.