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Save Philippine Seas and Mondelēz International host first-ever Marine Litter Learning Workshop for Media. * Media practitioners get hands-on experience in environmental storytelling to help drive solutions-oriented reporting on the Philippines' waste management crisis MANILA, Philippines - September 30, 2026 - Save Philippine Seas (SPS) and Mondelēz International in the Philippines today held the first-ever Marine Litter Learning Workshop for Media. This was an exclusive, hands-on session designed to equip journalists and media practitioners with a deeper understanding of the country's waste management challenge and the science-backed solutions being developed to address it. Held at Catering Trio in Pasig City, the three-hour workshop brought together members of the press to experience the same interactive learning modules that have trained community leaders, educators, and youth advocates across the Philippines. Participants went through two key activities: "Understanding Recycling," which teaches the science behind resin codes and which plastics are actually recyclable in the Philippine context, and "Sink or Swim?" an immersive experience that traces how a single piece of improperly disposed waste travels from a street corner, through esteros and drainage systems, and into Philippine seas. A special session on environmental reporting, facilitated by FYT Media, provided journalists with tools and frameworks for more effective and accurate environmental storytelling. Why Media Matters in the Waste Conversation The workshop was born out of a recognition that media plays a critical role in shaping public understanding of environmental issues, and that the waste management conversation in the Philippines needs greater nuance. "The stories we tell about waste shape how Filipinos understand and respond to the problem. When media gets the science right - when they go beyond the surface and explain why waste ends up in our seas - they don't just inform. They empower millions of consumers to act. This workshop is our way of partnering with the press to make that happen. Because the more accurately we tell the story, the faster we can change the culture of waste management," Anna Oposa, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Save Philippine Seas. Save Philippine Seas (SPS), co-founded by Oposa in 2011, has grown from a social media campaign into one of the Philippines' leading marine conservation organizations. SPS bridges the gap between scientists and the public, mobilizing communities toward collective action and behavior change for ocean conservation. The organization developed the Marine Litter Learning Kit - a suite of hands-on educational modules now being deployed in communities nationwide. Building on Momentum The workshop aims to help consumers - through the media, to be more informed about the issue of plastic waste management. Often pointed to as the reason for flooding and is the subject of proposed taxation by the government, the protective role of plastic is also explored in the workshop. Known for providing protection, especially for items such as food, plastic is only one material in the total chain of packaging in the Philippines. What is made evident in conversations such as the workshop is that waste, regardless of its composition, will end up in oceans and esteros if not properly managed. The proposal to impose taxes on plastic products, including sachets was also explored during the workshop. Mondelēz International provided science-based scenarios which show which environmental initiatives, other than taxation, can help the Philippines manage its waste management problem. Mondelēz International: From Policy to Practice The workshop is the latest in a series of initiatives in partnership with snacks company Mondelēz International to help address waste management in the Philippines through a combination of policy support, community education, and on-the-ground collection efforts. Mondelēz International actively supports the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act and was recognized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2026 for its efforts in collecting and diverting the plastic packaging used across its products. Through its "Trash Right" program, the company invests in information and education campaigns including the Miming and Friends animated YouTube series and partnerships with SPS on hands-on learning workshops. The aim of these initiatives is to help Filipino communities manage waste responsibly. These efforts are complemented by the company's community-based plastic collection initiatives. "At Mondelēz International, we believe that tackling the waste management challenge requires action on every front, from supporting legislation like the EPR Act, to collecting plastics in communities, to making sure Filipino consumers have the right information to make better choices. Bringing this workshop to media is a natural next step. Journalists are among the most powerful multipliers we have. When they understand the full picture - the science, the systems, the solutions - they can help us reach and empower millions more," Caitlin Punzalan, Corporate & Government Affairs Lead, Mondelēz International in the Philippines.

Sindhuja Rai to exit WPP Media next month amid APAC leadership churn. Chief Client Officer, APAC, Rai has spent over three years with WPP, including stints as Wavemaker APAC CEO and in regional client leadership. Reading Time: 2 mins read Sindhuja Rai, Chief Client Officer, APAC at WPP Media, is set to leave the company next month after more than three years with the business. Confirming the development, a WPP Media spokesperson said: "Rai will be leaving the business next month. We're grateful for her contributions during her time with us and wish her all the very best for what's next." The company also clarified that Rai's departure is not part of any significant restructuring underway within the regional business. Her next move has not been announced. Rai took charge as chief client officer, APAC in June 2025, following the launch of WPP Media and a reshuffle of its regional leadership. Based in Singapore, she was responsible for strengthening client service across APAC, overseeing global and regional accounts and leading the client solutions team. Before moving into the role, Rai served as CEO of Wavemaker APAC from September 2023 to June 2025. She also held a regional client leadership position at WPP Media between October 2024 and June 2025. A 25-year career across client and agency sides. Rai joined WPP after 13 years at Mondelēz International, where she most recently served as senior director, global media investment and AMEA consumer experience. Her career at Mondelēz included regional roles spanning media, data, digital and consumer engagement across APAC, the Middle East and Africa. With more than 25 years of experience across agency and client-side organisations, Rai has held senior leadership roles covering media, marketing, client management and consumer strategy. Senior leadership moves reshape APAC business. Rai's exit comes amid a series of senior leadership changes across WPP Media's APAC operations. In Malaysia, former Carat Malaysia partner and head Vanitha Selvathurai recently joined WPP Media as vice president, clients, with a mandate focused on strengthening client leadership and partnerships. In Hong Kong, the agency created a new chief client and operating officer role and appointed Adrian Lee to the position. Reporting to Michael Beecroft, CEO, WPP Media North East Asia, and working alongside Silas Ho, Lee is responsible for client leadership and operational excellence in the market. Elsewhere in the region, Arshan Saha, formerly CEO of WPP Media for Singapore and Malaysia and head of media management and delivery for APMEA, recently joined Aleph as regional managing director, APAC. His remit covers operations across 15 markets and platform partnerships in the region. While WPP Media has ruled out a significant restructuring linked to Rai's departure, her exit adds to a period of continuing senior-level movement across the company's APAC leadership ranks.

Mondelēz targets micro-occasions to drive digital commerce growth. Brands can design pack formats around the occasions shoppers are searching for. Mondelēz International is looking beyond major calendar events to target more specific consumer occasions as it seeks to drive digital commerce growth, according to Kenneth Lau, global digital commerce excellence lead. "What we started to do was to look beyond those tentpole events in the calendar to look at micro occasions," Lau told Retail Asia Summit 2026 in Singapore. Join Singapore Business Review community Lau said brands have traditionally focused on major occasions such as Chinese New Year, Valentine's Day, and Diwali, but smaller occasions can create additional opportunities in digital commerce. He cited a snacking box designed around an evening occasion when families or friends are watching a movie. The product was positioned specifically for that use case rather than as part of a broader grocery basket. Lau said this approach also changes how consumers search online. "We're talking about people who are searching for afternoon snacks for my kids, you know, snacks that can go with my lunchbox, picnic snacks," he said. These category-specific searches allow Mondelēz to develop price pack architectures suited to particular occasions, he said. The company has also partnered with Meituan, a quick commerce platform in China, to use shopper data to identify micro-occasions and develop relevant campaigns for Oreo. Lau gave the example of an afternoon tea break in an office, where Mondelēz identified the specific products relevant to the occasion and designed campaigns around them. "This has actually allowed us to recruit more new users, and also get a lot more repeat purchases, because we're going after what consumers and shoppers are looking for," he said. Lau said digital commerce has become increasingly important as the post-pandemic online shopping boom has faded and competition has increased across channels including social commerce, quick commerce, live commerce, direct-to-consumer and agentic AI. He said digital commerce accounted for about 41% of sales in 2026 but contributed 61% of growth. "Digital commerce is growing a lot faster than offline and disproportionately contributing to growth as well," Lau said. For brands looking to sustain growth, Lau outlined three approaches: doing fewer things by being precise about audiences and occasions, doing things better through optimisation, and doing things bigger through larger bets that leverage existing strengths. He said micro-occasions form part of the first approach, where brands are "very precise in the audiences, in the occasions that you're going after." Lau also pointed to Cadbury Silk in India, where a Valentine's Day campaign linked a chocolate gift with 10-minute delivery. He said this created an opportunity around "urgent gifting", including last-minute Valentine's Day or Christmas gifts. For Mondelēz, he said the broader opportunity is to use digital commerce not only as a sales channel but as part of the wider brand and consumer journey. "Whatever you're doing online is actually driving growth offline, and building a brand at the same time," Lau said.