Tag: Philippines

Philippines — The Department of Tourism (DOT) presents its first podcast entitled ‘Escape: Stories from the Road,’ showcasing the best destinations in the Philippines through stories from different personalities. The podcast will be available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and other platforms.

This five-episode ‘podumentary’, a combination of podcast and documentary, infuses an element of storytelling, veering away from the usual question-and-answer formats of podcasts. Through these stories, the DOT hopes to reach out to the various audiences and inspire them to participate in meaningful tourism through unique experiences and local interactions.

Each episode follows a theme, such as adventure, identity, fiestas, music and food. Among the notable individuals interviewed for this podcast are National Artist Kidlat Tahimik; Dr Felicidad Prudente, who is one of the leading Filipino ethnomusicologists in the country today; and former tourism secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat.

The first episode on adventure features some of the best outdoor experiences in Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, and Camotes Island; while the identity episode brings the audience from Baguio to Davao to share stories of people who, in finding the path to gain their identity, found the path to greatness.

The episode on music explores the sounds of the islands, from the city to the remote forests of the Philippines, emphasizing that music not only serves to entertain but to preserve history in our soundscape. The fiesta episode discusses how Filipino festivals have evolved from honouring patron saints to highlighting the best of the towns and provinces.

For the food episode that was recorded in May, ex-tourism secretary Puyat shared her advocacy in supporting local farmers and how this led to further development of food and farm tourism in the country.

DOT’s ‘Escape: Stories from the Road’ podcast is hosted by travel filmmaker and photographer Aaron Palabyab along with guest co-hosts, national athlete Maureen Schrijvers; designer, musician, and filmmaker Kate Torralba; and the sports broadcaster and podcaster Cesca Litton. 

Manila, Philippines — The global package delivery company UPS has appointed Russell Reed as managing director of UPS Philippines.

Reed holds an extensive understanding and knowledge of the company having spent 29-year in UPS. He brings a wealth of global and cross-functional experience to the role which will see him spearhead the company’s efforts to boost cross-border growth opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the Philippines.

Reed, who will also continue his current role as managing director of UPS Thailand, began his journey with UPS in the United States in 1993 and has since gone on to accumulate almost three decades of global experience spanning strategic planning, supply chain management, new product development and launches, international marketing, sales enablement, strategic partnerships, and operations management in both developed and emerging markets.

He is distinguished at UPS for creating and managing high-performance teams across diverse cultures and countries and is passionate about mentoring and cultivating the company’s future leaders. Initiatives driven by his teams are focused on devising go-to-market strategies that meet the ever-evolving needs of UPS’s customers in a rapidly changing Asia.

On his appointment, Reeds shared, “I am very excited to lead the UPS team in the Philippines, a country which has played a key role in our Asia Pacific strategy for over 30 years, and which will continue to do so as we all look towards life beyond the pandemic.”

Reeds added, “For SMBs in particular, we know it has been a difficult couple of years, but by combining existing and upcoming international trade opportunities with UPS’s unrivalled logistics expertise, network, knowledge and customs brokerage experience, we’re here to give businesses in the Philippines all the support they need to achieve their global growth ambitions.”

Meanwhile, Michelle Ho, regional president of UPS APAC, said, “Reed is an experienced leader with a solid track record of elevating UPS’s business and operations across the region, and I am confident that the depth and breadth of his expertise will continue to drive sustainable growth opportunities and deliver a world-class logistics experience for our customers in the Philippines and across the region.”

Manila, Philippines — Cebu Pacific Air, one of the Philippines’ leading airlines, operated a mobile game-themed flight to introduce Tencent Games’ PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) MOBILE’s newest IP, Phoenix Adarna. An airport and in-flight experience featuring Adarna-inspired costumes, trivia games, and merchandise giveaways made the flight the first of its kind in Southeast Asian aviation history.

PUBG MOBILE players will embark on a series of heroic missions inspired by the Philippine mythological bird Adarna, the fabled creature that heals all ailments. Players must complete missions within a time limit to unlock rewards or purchase in-game currency to become invincible like Adarna, and dress in eye-catching items such as Agent Phoenix Set backpacks, a frame, parachute and even acquire a buggy. Phoenix Adarna-themed items will be available for PUBG MOBILE for keen gamers only until June 30. The flight replicates the adventure a hero undergoes in search of this famed fowl.

Gaming video creators Rojean Delos Reyes and Dexie Diaz represented PUBG MOBILE and Cebu Pacific as official campaign ambassadors. Both known in their gaming circles as adventurous and passionate, the ladies embody the fiery spirit of the Phoenix Adarna.

Candice Iyog, CEB VP for marketing and customer experience, said, “We are excited to create this one-of-a-kind experience for our passengers, and the PUBG MOBILE gaming community. As a proudly Filipino carrier, we continue to look for fun ways to promote Philippine culture and tourism. We anticipated this to be the first of several collaborations with industry partners such as Tencent Games.”

Meanwhile, Benj Dalmacio, senior business development manager for PUBG MOBILE Philippines, echoes this excitement for this first-of-its-kind collaboration in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, “In PUBG MOBILE, we continue to make the game relevant to our target audience: young adults. The Ibong Adarna, our country’s very own phoenix, symbolizes hope and rebirth and holds a significant place in Philippine literature.”

Dalmacio adds, “We are proud for our platform to become a place of appreciation and learning of Filipino culture as well as helping in promoting the Philippine tourism industry. We are honoured to partner with the country’s leading airline as they recognize the growing gaming community and live up to their fun brand.”

PUBG MOBILE will blast a special seat sale exclusively communicated to the Filipino gaming community and raffle free domestic and international round-trip flights, courtesy of Cebu Pacific, in various community events throughout June.

Aside from Cebu, tourist destination favourite Boracay will be the venue of offline events, with the appearance of a pop-up gaming truck for a battle royale game with top PUBG MOBILE players and meet-and-greets. The island will also become the nesting place of Phoenix Adarna, with tourists spotting from afar tour boats, parasails, giant sandcastles, beach flags, kayaks, and gliders bearing the theme.

Philippines —The Globe Group has created AdSpark Holdings Inc. to consolidate initiatives around its adtech and data capabilities. It will be part of the 917Ventures’ portfolio of industries. To lead AdSpark Holdings is Nikko Acosta, who will serve as its CEO. Acosta also retains his position as chief strategy officer of the Globe Group.

Comprising the holding company are digital and mobile marketing solutions provider AdSpark, multi-channel messaging platform M360, intelligence-powered solutions provider iNQUiRO, and adtech startup Deep Sea. This initial portfolio forms a strong base foundation where the Globe Group’s digital advertising and data business can further thrive and scale.

On the other hand, Acosta, AdSpark Holdings’ new CEO, is one of Globe’s proven, steadfast, driven, and results-oriented leaders with nearly 20 years of experience across mobile, broadband, enterprise, international, and content. He has amassed general management experience working and collaborating with people.

Ernest Cu, CEO and president of Globe, said, “Our assets and capabilities in data, advertising, and Customer Relationship Management for B2B sit in various parts of the Globe Group and render solutions to customers independently.”

Cu adds, “But it has now become imperative to synergize and capitalize on their collective capabilities, increase operational efficiencies, build compelling solutions on data and ad-tech, and innovate at a macro level to maximize opportunities.”

Vince Yamat, MD of 917Ventures, the wholly-owned corporate venture builder subsidiary of Globe, shared, “With Acosta at the helm, we are confident that he can bring AdSpark Holdings to greater heights.”

The Globe Group’s growing portfolio encompasses services around telecommunications, ICT, financial technology, health, retail, outsourcing, entertainment, digital media, ad-tech and data. These allow its customers and partners to leverage digital and technology-based products and services for their business and lifestyle needs.

Manila, Philippines – PRecious Communications, an integrated communications agency with traditional and digital capabilities, has announced that it is establishing local operations in the Philippines, as part of the agency’s Greater Southeast Asia expansion strategy. To drive its Philippine expansion, the agency has appointed Paolo Alba as client service director and country lead to drive the growth and manage operations of PRecious in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, PRecious represents Asia’s loyalty and data-focused marketing platform Society Pass, global trend forecasting company WGSN, a regional cloud-based anti-money laundering monitoring software, and more emerging companies in the fintech, insurtech, healthtech, and startup industries, to which the agency wants to bring more value to.

Lars Voedisch, MD and founder of PRecious Communications, shared, “Over the last years, we have been aggressively strengthening our presence across the region to better complement our clients’ marketing strategies in SEA. Building on this momentum, we are expanding to the Philippines to extend the same brand of strategic communications support to local and foreign brands looking to strengthen their presence across the Philippines.”

Concurrently, Prayaank Gupta, VP for growth and innovation of PRecious Communications, said, “Most of our partners in SEA have identified the Philippines as a strong emerging market and key growth area for tech-enabled industries. And with the local economy projected to grow in the next two years, PRecious Communications’ entrance reaffirms our commitment to be a strategic and responsive partner for clients as they strengthen their presence across the region.”

Alba is a well-rounded strategic communicator with over nine years of experience in corporate branding, reputation management, consumer influence, and crisis management. Throughout his tenure in Fleishman Hillard and Ogilvy, he provided strategic counsel for companies across multiple sectors and industries.

Apart from leading the growth of PRecious in the Philippines, Alba often provides strategic counsel on the agency’s corporate, tech, and consumer practices. A certified crisis manager, Alba runs crisis workshops across the markets and provides counsel on issues and reputation management initiatives.

On his appointment, Alba said, “I have been working alongside Voedisch and Gupta to identify strategic ways to support our clients in the region as they grow their businesses in this market. Now that we have established our local operations and have a dedicated team in the Philippines, we can start bringing the same value to companies that wish to expand across SEA.”

In the next three months, Alba will be focused on building relationships with key stakeholders, business development initiatives with potential partners, and recruitment of top talent. By year-end, Alba envisions doubling the current Philippine headcount and bringing more value to local and regional players in the fintech, insurtech, healthtech, and startup industries.

PRecious Communications actively plans and executes client communications programmes across Asia Pacific nations. In 2019, the agency joined the GlobalCom PR Network, an association of 80 independent PR agencies in over 100 countries worldwide, serving as its SEA representative.

Manila, Philippines – The Media Specialists Association of The Philippines (MSAP) and ad-tech player, Moving Walls, have partnered to launch the ‘Video Outside’ playbook to share their knowledge and provide guidance on how to extend video advertising to the real-world using billboards and placed-based Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) media.

In digital, video has become the most popular and engaging form of content with the world’s largest advertising spenders relying on premium video formats to reach audiences. We are now seeing video advertising extend to DOOH with more venues covered by digital panels from traditional roadside billboards to in-mall signages.

Video in the ‘real world’ offers several benefits that TV or mobile videos can not – higher reach than TV and greater brand safety than online – all with targeting and measurement capabilities that digital advertising offers.

According to Jam de Guzman, president of MSAP, the partnership between the association and Moving Walls Philippines has created measurement, transparency and accountability across the Philippines OOH landscape.

“We already know that video is the most popular form of digital content that is consumed across Social, Over-the-Top (OTT) media services, and the internet. Extending this to locations ‘Outside-the-Home’ presents an untapped opportunity to reach new audiences,” De Guzman said.

The initiative was launched by former president Michael de Castro, whose stellar leadership and guidance helped accelerate the adoption of new technologies that ensure measurement, accountability and automation. With the ‘digital-like’ planning capabilities in place for the Filipino Digital OOH scene, the medium’s full potential can now be realised.

This playbook will take marketers through a step-by-step guide to building a successful video outside campaign in the real world and help marketers and advertisers learn how to leverage non-intrusive, brand-safe, and measurable advertising on physical screens.

Manila, Philippines — Philippine-based telecommunications giant, Smart Communications, has been named as the telco partner for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) tournament with MSC or MLBB Southeast Asia Cup for the fifth year. The tournament will be held in the Malaysia International Trade and Exhibition Centre from June 11 to 19, 2022.

The competition boasts a US$300,000 total prize pool, which doubled from last year. Aside from the cash prize, the winners will also be hailed as the undisputed champions of Southeast Asia. Smart’s very own esports team, Smart Omega, is the defending MSC champion and will participate in the tourney to defend their crown.

Meanwhile, RSG Philippines and Smart Omega will carry the flag and compete against the top 12 teams from the region; specifically Thailand, Laos, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia, and Myanmar.

Smart will enable mobile gamers and fans to support the Filipino esports athletes and catch them in all their matches by streaming the MSC Tournament on Smart’s official Facebook Page, aside from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang’s official social media channels.

Smart’s support for MSC is in line with its longstanding push to promote Philippine esports and cultivate the passion, skill, and talent of Filipino esports athletes and mobile gamers.

Aside from organizing the country’s biggest esports events and backing Filipino esports athletes, Smart supports gamers with the recent launch of Smart GIGA Arena, the country’s first all-in-one esports platform that aims to simply bring the total esports experience to mobile gamers who are looking to test their skills on Mobile Legends: Bang Bang and more.

Manila, Philippines – Zoho Corporation, an India-based technology company, is bringing the Zoho Creator 2022 Roadshow to Manila from June 23rd to the 24th of this year. Through this event, the company is looking to enable the digital transformation of non-profit organizations and local businesses to work better, faster, and more efficiently using Zoho Creator, the proprietary low-code platform.

According to the business management consulting company, KPMG Philippines, the ‘need for speed’ in today’s environment is forcing businesses to quicken innovation in an ever-changing environment, and low-code platforms are the key to helping businesses discover simple and fast solutions that can be automated. In fact, the report also stated that the number of C-level executives naming low-code platforms as the most important digital investment has tripled.

Gibu Mathew, VP and GM of Zoho APAC, said, “We are deepening engagement with Philippine enterprises interested in low-code developments, and we hope to bring an affordable and easy-to-use solution to help businesses stay nimble and meet present-day challenges.”

Mathew adds, “The roadshow brings together Creator developers, industry experts, and thought leaders to provide local businesses with tips and tricks on how to customize solutions to meet digital transformation needs quickly and eliminate pain points through a low-code platform.”

The two-day roadshow is expected to help businesses leverage the enhanced all-in-one solution to bridge the gap between business users and IT teams to create applications without the need for deep technical know-how. The event will host workshops to help businesses address practical challenges, analyze business data and deploy applications to meet mission-critical needs at minimal costs using Zoho Creator’s simple drag-and-drop interface.

Mathew shared that business users with specific digital challenges can schedule a dedicated one-on-one session with their creator consultants to deep dive into their current setup, and receive advice on overcoming their status quo with low-code solutions.

Interested attendants can visit and register their interest on Zoho’s dedicated event website.

Manila, Philippines — Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken and Sauce Bar, a growing restaurant chain from Shakey’s Pizza Asia Ventures, launched an art initiative project dubbed ‘Peri Paints’. In line with Peri-Peri’s mission to be a purveyor of art and creative minds, Peri Paints is a collaboration with creative, young, local artists to develop specially commissioned art pieces featured at the restaurant chains’ stores.

Peri-Peri’s outlets are known for their eclectic, bright, and colourful design and ambience, aimed at creating a special dining experience for its guests. To date, the art initiative has given birth to several wall murals such as those found at Peri Peri’s new outlets in Vermosa, Gil Fernando, and Manila Central University. Apart from the murals, several interior store frames have also been unveiled at Capitol Commons, Glorietta, and SM North, among others.

Marielle Santos, GM of Peri-Peri, shared, “We are very excited to roll out this project because it’s a great opportunity to engage local communities in the ‘Peri-Peri Way’ – fun, creative, and relevant. Through Peri Paints, we can nurture local talent and build sustainable partnerships with these young artists by elevating their careers.”

According to Santos, each artist is commissioned for several projects, all in line with Peri-peri’s expansion program. Santos said, “We hope to strengthen the partnership by engaging with more artists and designers as we open in more locations in the future and continuously support their talents and livelihood.”

The chain aims to continue its expansion as it sees more opportunities for Peri-Peri in Metro Manila and key cities in nearby provinces. Since its acquisition, Peri-Peri has more than doubled its store network in the country. The restaurant chain has 54 stores nationwide, with the latest store being opened in Subic, Zambales, a coastal tourist town in Central Luzon.

Manila, Philippines — To celebrate the Philippines’ Independence Day, SM Supermalls will be holding major events to commemorate this national holiday and encourage Pinoys to further embrace Filipino culture. Among these are the championing of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) that represent the nation’s cultural diversity and heritage, featuring of delicious Filipino cuisine, and the customary raising of the Flag ceremony to honour the Philippine Independence Day on the morning of June 12, 2022.

As a champion of local MSMEs, SM Supermalls will spoil you with Filipino cuisine options and other local products from June 1-12. Savour the diverse and rich Filipino food offerings and have a taste of different Pinoy dishes and treats from every region of the country.

Support local businesses, and buy fresh local produce and other speciality items from SM’s affiliates and tenants through the Buy Pinoy pop-up stores. Shop the best locally-made clothes, souvenirs, décor, and food brought to you by Filipino businesses from June 1 to June 12, 2022.

Steven T. Tan, president of SM Supermalls, said, “SM Supermalls has always celebrated Pinoy pride through various events where we get to appreciate our culture and express our gratitude to the heroes of past and present.”

Tan adds, “The Philippine Independence Day should never be taken for granted because holding our national pride and heritage in high regard is what makes us true-blooded Filipinos through and through. We encourage everyone to join us as we celebrate freedom at SM Supermalls.”