The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 tips off on August 25. It offers hoops fans the ultimate experience to see the sport’s best global stars.

No less than Gilas Pilipinas will do its best to represent the Philippines proudly at home. Hundreds of thousands are expected to watch the prestigious event in-person from August 25 to September 10.

For those who do not have the luxury of attending live, there are still various ways to watch the World Cup. You can use whatever device from wherever location you’re from.

Here’s a quick rundown:

TV

For Cignal TV prepaid and postpaid subscribers, a one-time Pay-Per-View fee of PhP 650 entitles viewers to all 92 games of the FIBA World Cup in both SD (Ch. 198 and 199) and HD (Ch. 298 and 299).

They will come commercial-free and with access to exclusive FIBA content such as documentaries and highlights of previous tournaments.

For people mainly interested in Gilas Pilipinas games, TV5 is the surefire way to catch the action. The channel is accessible for free via CignalPlay and via any way you access free TV, like digiboxes.

Smartphones, tablets

For smartphone and tablet users, there are a handful of streaming apps that will show the World Cup games live and on demand.

Cignal’s novel streaming platform, Pilipinas Live will show all 92 games for a PhP 99 a month subscription.

Unlike cable subscriptions, this rate does not have a lock-in period. A month would be enough since the World Cup runs from August 25 to September 10. You can cancel afterwards.

Games will also be shown on the Smart Livestream app for FREE. To watch all 92 games, Smart subscribers simply have to connect to a Smart mobile data, TNT or PLDT WiFi while using the Smart LiveStream App. The app is downloadable on the App Store and Google Play Store.

Speaking of Gilas, Smart has a prepaid Gilas Power subscription promo which is inclusive of 78GB of total data, including a fixed allocation for the Livestream app and open access data good for a month.

More details here.

PC and laptops

For PC and laptop users, the best workaround is availing of CignalPlay Premium, which starts at just PhP 75 monthly, inclusive of most channels you’re used to seeing on cable TV from movies to sports to news channels and more.

There’s something inexplicable when you set foot inside Intramuros, also known as Manila’s walled city.

Historical buildings and landmarks continue to stand the test of time, becoming a home to cultural pursuits and a display of Manila’s rich history.

Every nook and cranny picture a story that only shows when you take the moment to walk through its cobblestone alleys.

That je ne sais quoi of the walled city is indescribable with mere words.

Yet, here are some attempts to capture its grandeur using the HONOR 90 5G, one afternoon stroll inside Intramuros.

Heritage bar

First stop: Batala Bar! This heritage bar located in Plaza San Luis has always been a staple to our Intramuros strolls. Situated in front of San Agustin Church, the bar can be easily seen while traversing the cobblestones of General Luna Street.

It’s a two-story bar serving craft beer, craft coffee, specialty ice cream, and delightful meals worth taking any time of the day.

It also shares a space with the Philippine Artisan Trade Gallery on the second level, housing unique handmade products exclusive to the Philippines.

There’s a balcony where you can enjoy the warmth of the afternoon sun while admiring the quietness of the city.

On the other side, there’s an overlooking view of the fountain in Plaza San Luis. You can also get a glimpse of Casa Manila, a living museum of what life as an affluent Illustrado looked like in the past.

It’s a glance at an opulent life from centuries ago. The architecture and intricate details served as a photo opportunity for the ‘gram.

Good food, good company

What’s good food without company? GadgetMatch’s Philippine team was out for a late lunch with our jet-setter and freelance journalist friend, Ayano Tominaga.

While waiting for our meals, we ordered a seasonal fruit shake. Batala bar served us a dragon fruit shake — which was currently in season — blended with banana and milk. It’s best to cool down from the scorchingly hot weather with a tasty, ice-cold blended beverage!

I ordered a Tinapa Puttanesca. It’s a linguine pasta savored in homemade red sauce, capers, olives, and of course, Tinapa. ICYDK, Tinapa is a smoked fish usually made from blackfin scad or milkfish.

On the other hand, Martynne ordered a Shiitake Aglio Olio. It’s an oil-based pasta cooked with tomato, paprika, and chili flakes, and topped with vegan parmesan, basil, and lemon.

Meanwhile, Vincenz ordered a Pollo Quesadilla. It’s basically chopped chicken adobo stuffed with mozzarella cheese, red onion, pickled chili, and tomato salsa.

Rodneil and Ayano ordered Bomba Longga Silog, which is loosely translated as a bomb Spanish sausage with fried rice and egg. It really is a bomb, though!

The homemade skinless Spanish sausage tasted delicious, served alongside a sunny-side-up egg, pickled vegetables, and garlic rice. It simply is a good pick-me-up order, any time of the day.

Ice cream, anyone?

Given that the Philippines is basically a tropical country that has summer weather all year round, Batala Bar is a good spot to cool down after a long walk inside Intramuros.

They serve homemade ice cream that even I, a lactose-intolerant kiddo, can’t resist.

Rodneil and Ayano shared one serving of Banana Split Sundae, which melted in just a few minutes. That’s how hot that day was.

Making my way downtown

After our merienda, we walked alongside General Luna Street to head over to Fort Santiago, a citadel where the Philippines’ national hero, Jose Rizal, was imprisoned before.

Of course, it’s not a quick walk across a few blocks. Martynne took the chance to have her photos taken by yours truly.

We also stopped by the Manila Cathedral and got some bottled water in the shade of trees situated in Plaza Roma, a public square in Intramuros.

While everyone was hydrating, Martynne posed in front of the cathedral. I played around with the wide-angle lens to make the shot somewhat touristy. Let’s pretend we’re not always in Manila.

Hidden cafe!

After queueing to get to Fort Santiago, we made our way to the hidden cafe tucked in the corners of the defense fortress. Papakape, which had its first branch as a glass house cafe in Makati, opened its doors inside Fort Santiago.

It’s situated inside a 400-year-old water cistern, extended with an al fresco garden seating.

The interiors, albeit quite small, are as cozy as any home.

Bayongs, traditional handwoven bags made of dried leaves, are displayed in the corner along with a wooden guitar.

Another corner seemed pretty for a spot to read and write, what with the cozy lamp and table facing a brick wall.

Papakape offers a few, good coffee that we thoroughly enjoyed. We tried the Black Gulaman Americano, an espresso-based drink with pandan syrup, grass jelly, and basil seeds.

The same drink that Canadian Singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen drank when she visited Papakape early this year.

Another signature drink is called Tahoat, a combination of Taho (Silken Tofu mixed with Brown Sugar Syrup and Sago Pearls) and Oatmilk.

Of course, it’s also espresso-based and instead of purely silken tofu, it used soy curds and tapioca pearls.

Capping it off

Intramuros puts on a different face when the sun sets and the night fills the street. We decided to call it a day and part ways after having good laughs and conversations inside the walled city.

But before that, we took one last glance at the outdoor seating in Papakape. It hits differently when you enjoy the drink in total silence, completely disconnected from the hustle-bustle of Manila and the hubbub of the tourists flocking the defense fortress.

We also didn’t pass up an opportunity to do a photo-op inside the ruins. For the ‘gram, remember?

And what’s a day without a sunset photo? Overlooking the Pasig River and Manuel A. Roxas Memorial Bridge, the sunset allowed us a moment to recollect our thoughts and memories.

It was a good day filled with good food, conversations, sight, story, and company.

Before we get off Fort Santiago, here’s a night shot of a tree adorned with pretty lamps at night. Maybe, just maybe, we’ll take you on another tour. Perhaps, Intramuros After Dark?

An exquisite camera

The HONOR 90 5G is an excellent midrange smartphone equipped with a superb camera system that will let any user capture sights and stories. It’s certainly a device worth using, not just for the ‘gram, but for capturing your daily life.

Pre-order HONOR 90 5G from August 16-25, 2023 for only Php 24,990 and Get a FREE JBL Flip 6 worth Php 7,499 until supplies last! Get it via Shopee, Lazada, or TikTok Shop.

This feature article is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and HONOR Philippines.

Nowadays, my stress comes from the fact that living in the Philippines can be overwhelming. Honestly, so much of my energy in the day goes to the hybrid work setup plus attending to responsibilities within the household. Not to mention, there’s not much that the metro could offer as a respite for the working professional. You’d think that short breaks will be of use when every day is just a greater grind than the day before.

So, along with the group of people I consider as my family outside home, I decided to give myself that long-needed trip overseas. Obviously, we booked the tickets way before and I needed to make sure that I would use this time to be away from home for a while; to disconnect, if you will. Of course, just to make sure I keep the memories safe, I’m bringing the Canon EOS R8 with me.

We departed from Manila, and was finally en route to a small, bustling island known simply as Taiwan.

The sights within the streets

My significant other and I had a game plan on how to completely maximize one week in Taiwan. This while also considering I still had work to do.

Part of the itinerary was to explore as much of the Taipei area. This includes every nook and cranny that presented itself. With the Canon EOS R8, this was pretty easy.

Needless to say, I looked like I was gathering memories of the simple streets that the country had to offer. 

The food we got to eat

Part of any person’s journey to another country is trying out all the food that’s out for the tasting. Fortunately in Taiwan, there was an abundance of establishments and food spots that you simply cannot miss.

Of course, as working professionals, you can’t help but try your luck at some cafes in the area, and there were a lot of them.

The EOS R8 enabled me to capture some of the food I got to try with near-perfect detail. Even the most minute detail on specialized caffeinated drinks became the highlight of the photos I took. Although, it wouldn’t be as quick and easy to get the perfect shot compared to using a powerful smartphone. 

The attractions we got to experience

It wouldn’t be a trip to another country without going everywhere and anywhere that stands out to us. In my case, apart from the streets, it’s the grand attractions that even the most typical of tourists visit. Considering that most of these are attractions even during night time, this would be the perfect opportunity to see if the EOS R8 stacks up.

During the entire time I was in Taiwan, most of the mornings were pretty cloudy so daytime shots had a dimness to them.

At some point in the day, it rained and you can imagine how difficult it is to bring a camera with a long camera lens to boot.

Still, the shots I took looked pretty decent and no details were sacrificed.

Night time shots and even photos in less than favorable lighting conditions were good enough.

Shifting to Manual Focus gave me the opportunity to create the near-perfect conditions to take quality night shots within Taiwan’s well-known night markets.

Also, since the Museum of Contemporary Art had an exhibition under rather low-light conditions, I also gave it a shot.

The company you’re with

One great thing I appreciated about this trip was the fact that I was with great company all throughout.

Sure, there was only like one full day wherein we all had one place in mind, but it was worth it!

Because I had the EOS R8 for the trip, I became the group’s photographer whenever possible.

In a way, we all needed the disconnect from going through our usual routines back in Manila. Even though most of us still had work to do during the last few days before heading home, it felt refreshing. Plus, I think it allowed us to get work done faster to enjoy the trip as much as we can!

Heading home

After one whole week of walking around, taking beautiful pictures and having delicious meals, it was time. An early morning flight back to Manila was waiting for us at the airport, which was honestly just a handful of train stops away from the main Taipei area. Unfortunately, the Canon EOS R8 was already tucked inside my luggage and I didn’t have enough time to pull it out once we got to the airport.

Although, what I do appreciate about it is how compact it can be when storing it inside. Despite having a rather wide body and with a long camera lens, it doesn’t take up too much space. In my case, it was better to tuck it inside a carry-on with bubble wrap and reinforced with soft clothing. After a few hours and a delay in our flight time, we arrived in Manila and returned to the heat of the world.

For trips like these, having both the Canon EOS R8 and a smartphone of choice allowed me to capture beautiful yet short-lived moments in time. Whether we were inside closed spaces or exploring the natural attractions, it grabs everything in full detail with the proper adjustments. I would consider this as a must-have for anybody looking to travel anywhere they want; just make sure you make space and take care of it while you’re out.

SEE: Elevate your vlogging: Canon announced EOS R8, R50 cameras