Commentary
Traffic Warning WorldSkills ASEAN to Jam Pasay Roads
Motorists in Metro Manila are advised to brace for heavy traffic in Pasay City as the Philippines hosts the 14th WorldSkills ASEAN Manila 2025 from August 21 to 31.

The event, led by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), is expected to draw thousands of visitors—competitors, students, teachers, industry partners, and government representatives—creating bottlenecks around the Marriott Grand Ballroom, World Trade Center, and SMX Convention Center Manila.

Key schedules include the opening ceremony on August 25 at the Marriott, the main competitions from August 26 to 28 at the World Trade Center, and the closing ceremony on August 30 at the SMX Convention Center.

To keep traffic moving, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will deploy at least 85 personnel to manage congestion and ensure emergency readiness. Their coverage includes major routes from Ninoy Aquino International Airport to billeting hotels, competition sites, and official venues.

The MMDA said the effort will be in close coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP), local traffic enforcers, and other government agencies.
Officials are strongly urging motorists to avoid affected areas during event dates to prevent delays.
Commentary
Meet the Faces of Grand Theft Auto VI
Rockstar Games is building Grand Theft Auto VI around a larger cast of criminals, hustlers, musicians, business operators, police, influencers and street figures across Vice City and the wider state of Leonida.
The story starts with Jason Duval, one of the game’s two lead characters. Jason is the man chasing easy street, but trouble keeps catching up. A former Army man, he now lives in the Leonida Keys and takes odd jobs for local drug runners. His strongest anchor is Lucia Caminos, the person who appears to keep him moving even as crime closes in around them.

Lucia Caminos enters the story fresh out and ready to fight. She is introduced after her release from Leonida Penitentiary, where she served time after fighting for her family. Her father taught her to fight at a young age, and her family history includes a move from Liberty City to Leonida. With Jason beside her, Lucia appears to be chasing a new start, though Vice City rarely gives anyone a clean one.

The cast expands through Brian Heder, the marina man with a side hustle. He is Jason’s landlord and one of the local drug runners in Leonida. By day, Brian operates Brian’s Boat Works and Marina. Behind that legal front, he runs a drug business and hires Jason as extra muscle. His role could pull Jason deeper into the criminal world before the bigger jobs arrive.

Jason’s local circle also includes Cal Hampton, the bar buddy with big suspicions. Cal is Jason’s friend and drinking companion at The Rusty Anchor. Described as casually paranoid and prone to conspiracy theories, he gives GTA VI a natural opening for Rockstar’s usual satire of American culture through Leonida’s Florida-inspired setting.

Vice City’s business and entertainment scene comes through Boobie Ike, the streetwise mogul. Once tied to the streets, Boobie has turned himself into a legitimate entrepreneur with interests in real estate, nightlife and music. His recording studio is part of his push to build Only Raw Records into a larger music empire.

Working with him is Dre’Quan Priest, the dealer eyeing the elite. He is a gangster, drug dealer and businessman who wants to use music as a path into Vice City’s higher circles. His partnership with Boobie Ike and Real Dimez could raise his profile, or drag him into a bigger fight for status and control.

Real Dimez adds street heat and studio buzz to the game’s world. The hip-hop duo, made up of Bae-Luxe and Roxy, started as high school friends before turning street image, social media and music into a career. Their first hit, DWNPLY, gives them momentum as Only Raw Records tries to turn them into breakout stars.

The heist side of GTA VI comes into focus through Raul Bautista, the man who raises the stakes. Raul is a veteran bank robber and one of Vice City’s criminal masterminds. His habit of escalating jobs means his crews often face more danger than planned. If Jason and Lucia are looking for a big break, Raul could offer the kind of score that changes everything, for better or worse.

Beyond the named characters, GTA VI fills Leonida with gangsters, police officers, influencers, gun store owners, partygoers and other residents. Some only appear briefly, but they help build the game’s version of Vice City as loud, risky, watched and ready to explode around Jason and Lucia.
Rockstar has not revealed every role yet, but the known cast already frames GTA VI as more than a return to Vice City. It is a story of partners, operators, performers, hustlers and criminals trying to climb in a place where every break comes with a cost.
Commentary
GTA VI Price Check
Gamers expecting a major price jump for Grand Theft Auto VI got a more measured surprise when preorders opened Thursday.

Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive set the standard edition at about $80 in the United States, roughly $10 higher than the usual base price for many premium titles. The Ultimate edition costs $100 and comes with bonus content such as extra weapons and vehicles.

The price eased fears that the long-awaited title could launch at $100 for the base version, following reports that six years of development may have cost up to $2 billion. In Europe, the game is priced at 80 euros, while the UK price is £70. Japan’s PlayStation store lists it at 9,800 yen, with New Zealand and Australia showing similar pricing levels.

The bigger issue for some fans is the lack of a traditional disc. Physical editions sold in stores will include a download code inside the box, which likely means no game data on a disc. Some players said this could weaken or erase the second-hand market for the title. Two independent North American retailers, Video Games Plus and Loot Box Gaming, said they would not sell the game unless a disc version becomes available.

GTA VI is scheduled for release on November 19, unless delayed again. Players who preorder can download the game from November 12, but will only be able to launch it on the official release date.
The game brings players back to Vice City, Rockstar’s fictional version of Miami, inside the Florida-inspired state of Leonida. Its lead characters, Jason Duval and Lucia Caminos, are described as a Bonnie and Clyde-style pair caught in a criminal conspiracy.

Rockstar calls the title its “deepest and most immersive GTA experience yet.” It will be available only on latest-generation PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, promising higher detail and faster loading than its 2013 predecessor, GTA V.
The stakes are massive. GTA V sold 230 million copies, second only to Minecraft, and analysts expect GTA VI to become one of the biggest entertainment launches in history. Piper Sandler analysts expect around 45 million units to be sold by release.
Commentary
Mitsubishi Talks Shop
Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation strengthened its engagement with key government agencies during the Philippine International Motor Show, as the company pushes its role in the country’s automotive manufacturing sector.
MMPC President and CEO Ritsu Imaeda met with Bureau of Customs Port of Batangas District Collector Carmelita Talusan and Department of Trade and Industry Board of Investments Executive Director Corazon Halili-Dichosa during the event.

The meetings focused on MMPC’s continued coordination with agencies involved in trade, investment and industrial development.
MMPC said its partnership with the Bureau of Customs Port of Batangas remains important to its operations. The port serves as a key gateway for the importation of Mitsubishi vehicles and components.
The company also cited its work with the DTI-BOI as part of its long-term commitment to local automotive development. MMPC said this includes support for government electrification programs and plans involving the local production of hybrid electric vehicles.
“Constructive engagement with our government stakeholders remains important as we continue to contribute to the growth of the Philippine automotive industry,” Imaeda said.
He said the company values discussions with government partners as it looks for ways to support shared economic and industrial goals.
MMPC operates a 23-hectare manufacturing plant in Sta. Rosa, Laguna with a maximum production capacity of 50,000 units. The company locally manufactures the Mirage, Mirage G4 and L300.
