Tag: Philippines

Philippines — Jollibee, the Philippines’ leading fast-food chain, celebrates this year’s Independence Day with a new music video entitled ‘Joy ng Pinoy’. The film aims to inspire a love for the Philippines in a meaningful and personal way.

The music video by Jollibee, made in collaboration with BetterBrandLabs Inc and Ubuntu Premium Studios, highlights how the new generation makes good use of their talent and skills, and willingness to share the joy and contribute to making a difference in society.

Set to the tune of an OPM classic, ‘Awit ng Kabataan,’ the video is headlined by three up-and-coming Gen Z artists – Francine Diaz, Adie, and Alex Bruce – as they represent the voice of today’s youth and encourage every Filipino to proclaim why they are proud to be Pinoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24-YZNutOBg

Arline Adeva, assistant vice president and head of brand PR, engagement and digital marketing of Jollibee Philippines, commented, “As the Philippines celebrates its 124th Independence Day, Jollibee looks to continue promoting Filipino pride and joy especially as the country moves toward recovery from the pandemic. Having experienced the worst part of the pandemic, we wanted this video to inspire and bring hope to people through the voice and actions of our youth. It’s not just about bringing joy to family and friends, but also about making a difference in other people’s lives.”

Simultaneously, Gina Lorenzana, chief energist of BetterBrandLabs Inc, said, “As cliché as it may sound, the youth play a really important role in giving hope and shaping our future. For our country to have a better future, we believe that we need to spread joy as Pinoy from the youngest of us.”

Meanwhile, Treb Monteras, the director of the music video, shared, “[In this video] we showcased some of the creative ways the youth are sparking change in the world. From upcycling trash to clothes, competing in new sports, and helping their communities with their skills.”

Monteras added, “This is my first time directing for Jollibee and I’m glad it’s for this particular project. I’m happy to collaborate with a company that values Pinoy culture. Our country has gone through a lot these past two years, and this video will remind us that there is still hope for our nation’s future through the joyful spirit of our Pinoy youth.”

Manila, Philippines — The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) recently sealed a pioneering partnership with Alipay+, a suite of global cross-border mobile payments and marketing solutions operated by Ant Group, to enable digital banking customers to shop globally. This makes BPI the first bank partnering with Alipay+ as a mobile payment provider to extend its payments service beyond local merchants.

Through this collaboration, BPI is now available as a payment option at regional and global online merchants supported by Alipay+, while users of BPI can make payments in these merchants with their preferred and familiar payment method.

Noel Santiago, chief digital officer of BPI, said, “We aim to better serve and engage the now digitally savvy customers, by continuously innovating and expanding our digital ecosystem of partners and merchants, for an enhanced digital experience that goes beyond banking.”

Santiago adds, “With the use of BPI Online credentials, the partnership with Alipay+ will bring a convenient and seamless payment experience to BPI customers and connect them to regional and global brands.”

According to BPI, their consistent push to adopt new technologies, 91% of their transactions is now digital, up from 85% prior to the pandemic. Their digital customer base has also grown to 4.9 million in 2021 with a 20% increase in active users compared to the previous year.

With innovative technologies and products, Alipay+ has seen strong adoption since its launch in 2020 among regional and global online merchants across e-commerce, digital entertainment and O2O. More than 1 million offline merchants in major European and Asian markets have also partnered with Alipay+ since.

CHENG Guoming, GM of Alipay+ global payment partnership of Ant Group, said, “Digital payment is not only about mobile wallets, but also includes banking apps and other digitalized payment methods. Alipay+ is working closely with digital payment providers such as BPI to alleviate cross-border payment pain points for consumers. BPI is one of the largest and most trusted banks in the Philippines with a loyal customer base. We are excited to partner with BPI to make regional and global brands more accessible to local consumers and to enhance their lifestyle.”

Philippines — The advocacy programs of the Department of Tourism (DOT) take centre stage in ‘It’s More Fun for All’, a new campaign that promotes inclusiveness and accessibility in the tourism sector.

The campaign features a video series on stories and case studies of actual tourism workers who have benefitted from the DOT’s advocacy programs. Among them is the Association of Boat Operators president, Ka Tung Samson; community tour guide, Rubelyn Sarigumba; Virginia Dominguez, a weaver from Ilocos Sur; Isang Ibrahim, a community tourism worker of Sta. Cruz, Zamboanga; Manila deaf tour guide, Emerson; and PLT. Maricel Guevarra, commander in chief of the Boracay Investigation and Detective Management Section.

The campaign highlights DOT programs namely: Tourism Integrates, Supports and Minds Women’s Rights and Child Safety (TouRISM WoRCS); Barrier-free Tourism (BFT); and the Filipino Brand of Service Excellence (FBSE).

TouRISM WoRCS is an advocacy program of the DOT that aims to educate tourism stakeholders on their role in eradicating women and children abuses within the tourism sector. Meanwhile, the BFT advocacy program enables travellers with accessibility needs, such as PWDs, senior citizens, and pregnant women to participate in and enjoy tourism experiences with utmost comfort and convenience while providing opportunities for physically challenged individuals to be part of the tourism industry.

Lastly, the FBSE program is envisioned to enhance and uplift the quality of tourism services in the country. It is designed to promote service excellence in all tourism establishments by capacitating the country’s tourism workforce with a unique and exceptional way of delivering customer service.

Berna Romulo-Puyat, DOT secretary, said, “Through this campaign, we believe that our advocacies on women empowerment, persons with disability, and the protection of children in tourism, will get the much-needed support from our local governments and tourism stakeholders in making our industry more inclusive, accessible, safe, and fun for all.”

Puyat added, “The DOT’s advocacy programs are envisioned to represent everything that is good about our tourism industry. They serve as a guide to all our partner agencies and stakeholders in properly dealing with all kinds of tourists, providing opportunities for all kinds of people, and protecting the vulnerable groups of the sector.”

Manila, Philippines – Local crypto and fiat currency wallet services provider Coins.ph has announced a partnership with the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) as its exclusive cryptocurrency partner in line with the PBA’s upcoming 47th season. This follows Coins.ph’s recent US$30m funding to accelerate investment in its Web3 ecosystem.

Through PBA’s first crypto partnership, Coins.ph will have brand presence featured throughout the Philippine Cup, the PBA’s premier tournament, where it will offer interactive experiences to engage fans and promote awareness of all things crypto. In addition, Coins.ph will make use of the interactive games on selected matches to allow fans to win free crypto, as well as being featured on television ads throughout the season.

Both companies aim to provide economic benefits and promote professional growth opportunities to basketball fans through crypto education and engagement. Coins.ph will use its brand presence to increase public awareness of crypto and explain concepts such as blockchain, NFTs, and Web3 to basketball fans across the nation.

“The PBA is an ideal platform for these educational efforts, with some prominent players already involved in the crypto space. This partnership will extend that empowerment to fans as well,” Coins.ph said in a press statement.

Wei Zhou, CEO of Coins.ph, said, “Basketball plays a very important part in the Filipino culture and that makes it a perfect match for Coins.ph, a proudly home-grown fintech brand in the Philippines. We are very excited to be the exclusive crypto partner of the PBA and look forward to bringing together exciting basketball games with the latest crypto trends.” 

He added, “We have seen a surge in engagement with Web3 in the Philippines and we believe that more and more Filipinos are joining the crypto community. The PBA is a great platform to educate Filipinos on the crypto-economy and we value this opportunity to expand crypto market adoption.”

Meanwhile, Willie O. Marcial, the PBA Commissioner, commented, “The PBA is the 1st professional basketball league in Asia and is already an institution in the country. It is still unparalleled when it comes to professional sports entertainment. And partnering with Coins.ph will surely take the PBA a step further as it continues to improve and strengthen its position as one of the best leagues in the region.” 

He added, “Further, the PBA is all about growth and improvement. Having Coins.ph will give fans the opportunity to engage in a new way and at the same time learn about the crypto community. We are thankful to Coins.ph for choosing us to be their partner, I am sure they will introduce new venues for fun and exciting activities.”

Philippines — The Board of Directors of Union Bank of the Philippines has approved and confirmed the largest number of executive promotions ever done by the Bank with a total of 74 executive officers. Leading the newly-promoted executive officers is fifth-generation business leader Ana Aboitiz-Delgado, from executive vice president to senior executive vice president effective June 1, 2022.

In her previous roles as the UnionBank’s chief customer experience officer and chief digital channel officer, Delgado took great strides in growing UnionBank Online in terms of user base and features, transforming and re-branding of branches even during the pandemic, and creating the business models for self-service branches and Corporate Ark.

Additionally, she was key in the seamless signing of the game-changing deal between Citi and UnionBank last December 2021 and is now at the forefront of the ongoing integration of both banks.

The Board likewise approved and confirmed the extension of Edwin R. Bautista as the president and CEOofUnionBank until December 31, 2025. Bautista was appointed as the Bank’s president in 2016 and CEO in 2018. Bautista was responsible for starting the Bank’s digital transformation six years ago and has successfully put UnionBank’s name on the global digital map. Bautista was the driving force behind the acquisition of the consumer banking business of American banking giant Citi in the Philippines.

Manila, Philippines — The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has approved the registration of Starlink – a low latency, broadband internet system of tech multi-billionaire Elon Musk. The approval means the Philipines will be the pioneering country in Southeast Asia to experience the service.

Starlink Internet Services Philippines Inc. is registered as a Value-Added Service (VAS). The unit will facilitate its operations in the country bringing the low earth orbit (LEO) satellite internet technology into a nation fraught with unstable internet connections.

The LEO satellite technology is touted to serve up to 100 megabits per second (Mbps) to 200 Mbps of internet speed even in remote areas. Starlink is a subsidiary of Musk’s aerospace transportation, manufacturer, and designer company -SpaceX. Starlink commands over 1,600 LEO satellites that provide satellite internet access to its customers.

NTC approved Starlink’s registration only after 30 minutes when the company submitted their application alongside the complete required documents. NTC said that the swift processing of the VAS provider registration was meant to expedite the service’s immediate roll-out.

Gamaliel Cordoba, NTC Commissioner, commented, “The NTC is steadfast in helping ensure that roll-out of Starlink’s internet access services will be done expeditiously and professionally.”

Meanwhile, Bien Marquez, counsel for SpaceX, shared, “We would like to thank the NTC for issuing Starlink’s VAS license 30 minutes after we submitted our application with complete requirements. This shows the government’s seriousness in addressing the connectivity needs of our countrymen in unserved and underserved areas.”

Previously, Ramon Lopez, DTI secretary, said, “Their system will augment as well as complement existing broadband capacities. This will further capacitate micro, small, and medium enterprises, facilitate online learning, e-commerce and fintech.”

Manila, Philippines – The country’s Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has teamed up with tech giant Google to require advertisers offering cryptocurrency exchanges and wallets targeting the Philippine audience to present proof of their registration and/or license to operate in the country. 

Starting on July 7 this year, the new regulation measures by SEC and Google is part of the commission’s regulatory compliance from entities doing business online in order to protect the investing public and other financial consumers. 

Furthermore, its also adds to Google’s existing policy that requires all advertisers to comply with local laws for any area that their advertisements target. Google will take appropriate action to address any violations.

Emilio B. Aquino, chairperson at SEC, said, “This continuing partnership with Google will help the Commission fulfill its mandate as registrar and overseer of the Philippine corporate sector, as well as protector of the investing public, in the digital age.”

The SEC has consistently reminded the public to be vigilant and exercise due diligence before transacting or dealing with any entity, and those based abroad without any registration or license to do business in the Philippines. 

It has also sought to educate the public on legitimate investment options through investor protection and financial literacy campaigns online. Over the course of the pandemic, the commission has observed that several entities have taken advantage of the online space to spread investment scams supposedly engaged in cryptocurrency trading when in reality, these do not exist.

“We believe the new policy can reduce the number of Filipinos falling prey to unregistered investment schemes online, who are usually victims of aggressive online advertising and intrusive tactics that make them believe in products that are often too good to be true,” Aquino stated.

As the national government regulatory agency tasked with supervising the corporate sector, entities doing business in the Philippines must first register with the SEC, in general. Meanwhile, operators of cryptocurrency exchanges must register with the BSP as remittance and transfer companies, pursuant to BSP Circular No. 944 issued February 6, 2017. 

Discussions with Google PH started in 2019 to counter the increase of unregistered personal loan apps in the country. This year, Google has revised its policy for personal loan apps targeting users in the Philippines, requiring them to submit a Personal Loan App Declaration and other necessary documents before they could publish apps on Google Play. Failure to provide such documents will lead to the personal loan app’s removal from Google Play.

Manila, Philippines – Mediabrands, the media and marketing solutions division of Interpublic Group, has elevated Raymond Dizon, who was previously the managing director of Reprise Philippines, to step into the newly created role of chief integration officer at Mediabrands Philippines.

In his new role, Dizon, who will be based in Manila, Philippines, will be leading strategic partnerships, direction, and digital product development and integration across the Mediabrands network of agencies including UM, Initiative, and Reprise, in addition to strategic business units such as Mediabrands Content Studio, Magna, and Orion. Dizon will also be retaining his strategic leadership oversight of Reprise Philippines.

Dizon brings with him 14 years of digital and media experience, the last six of which across Mediabrands agencies UM and Reprise. Aside from his previous roles at Mediabrands, he also worked with MediaCom, PHD Singapore, and UPFRONT MEDIA.

Dizon shared, “We are firmly focused on the goal to provide our clients with the most progressive solutions. As the market continues to evolve, and the array of tools, technologies, and synergies open up even more opportunities; we are looking to provide seamless synergy across crafts and a thoughtful blending of expert insights. I’m looking forward to the many possibilities that lay ahead.”

Meanwhile, Tricia Camarillo-Quiambao, Mediabrands’ CEO for the Philippines, commented that Dizon has a strong track record of commercial business building and specialised digital craft leadership which includes pioneering work in the e-commerce space.

“The creation of this new role is a testament to the evolving needs of our client partners which is reflected in the structure of our organisation. Raymond’s extensive expertise and experience across multiple craft and categories make him perfectly poised to take on the broader strategic remit across the network of agencies,” said Camarillo-Quiambao.

Just recently, Mediabrands has announced the launch of the media industry’s first major transformation of automated systems for more than two decades. To bring the 20-month project to life, Mediabrands partnered with global software company UI Path, and information and technology services company, Cognizant. The transition fully automates repetitive manual tasks across Initiative and UM using robotic technology, providing an enhanced career path for talent and a stronger value proposition for clients.

Philippines — City Savings Bank (CitySavings), the thrift subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), has appointed Henry R. Aguda, chief technology and operations officer and chief transformation officer of UnionBank, as its new chairman of the board. His expertise is expected to boost CitySavings’ digital transformation initiative as the bank envisions helping more people with moderate means.

Larry Ocampo, president and CEO of CitySavings, said, “Aguda brings with him a wealth of expertise that was also instrumental in UnionBank’s successful digital transformation. With his appointment as its new chairman, we are confident that CitySavings will be able to go further in its transformation journey, allowing it to cater to the underserved segment much better.”

On his appointment, Aguda said, “CitySavings has been helping many of our kababayans through accessible financing options, and our priority is to bring these loans to even more potential customers by optimizing the Bank’s existing customer touch points and the infrastructures that support them, powered by AI models created by our Data Science and AI Team.”

CitySavings has seen great results with its initial pilot of AI-driven solutions that utilized historical data to improve customer relevance for loans availed, achieving a conversion rate of 35 per cent in its testing phase. CitySavings also created an in-house credit scoring model to complement its AI capabilities, which resulted in improved turnaround time and enabled the bank to raise its motorcycle loans portfolio to ₱7.06b as of end-March.

CitySavings’s stronger, AI-focused digital push is seen to magnify the success of these projects, allowing the Bank to serve even more customers. With its primary goal of becoming the Philippines’ leading thrift bank, CitySavings sees digital transformation as a necessary step in achieving this goal. By utilizing emerging technologies as well as key learnings from its parent bank UnionBank, CitySavings hopes to shore up its digital capabilities, and in turn, create products and services that are more meaningful to Filipinos.

On the bank’s strives for digital transformation, Ocampo said, “This renewed commitment to digitally transforming our organization will allow us to harness innovation like never before and serve our customers better. CitySavings has always been one with UnionBank in envisioning a future where everyone is empowered by technology and this brand new chapter for us opens new possibilities toward achieving that vision.”

Manila, Philippines — Filipinos are notorious for one quirk; they are on time on their own time. The Filipino behaviour of being late is so famous that the term ‘Filipino Time’ has been coined to call the phenomenon. Due to this, 7-Eleven, the popular convenience store, has collaborated with advertising agency MullenLowe Treyna to highlight this lowlight in their stores.

7-Eleven’s latest campaign entitled ‘7-Eleven Minutes Late’ is a playful rejoinder to the concept of ‘Filipino Time,’ a cultural phenomenon of always arriving past the agreed meeting time. The series from MullenLowe Treyna features popular excuses—from traffic jams to train delays—often texted by those who are running late, yet still have the audacity to stop for an iced coffee anyway.

Placement is the series’ biggest irony. They are displayed in 7-Eleven—the country’s largest convenience store chain, and a favourite stopover for those who are running late for work.

One image shows, “MRT Na! Huhu,” from a texter presumably on the train. Another reads, “Huhu. EDSA Na!” from a texter stuck in traffic on EDSA. EDSA is the main thoroughfare, notorious for heavy traffic. The next one, “Lapit na” implies that they are close to the office, but could conceivably be anywhere, even getting a soda and a doughnut in 7-Eleven.

Whatever the excuse may be, 7-Eleven has enough of them hanging around their stores for Pinoys to pick from or for workmates to poke fun at when they see it.