CONVERGE in Boracay, OGILVY appointments, BACTIDOL for sore throat, QUEST to give, KIA dealers recognized, AVON certification, PAYONEER women’s event, RAKUTEN VIBER new chatbot, ADI appointment, SB CAPITAL lauded, DEAR SV premiers

White Sands and pure fiber

Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is ready to serve the residents and businesses of the island of Boracay by the end of the first quarter of 2023.

Converge and the Boracay IT Association (BITA) agreed on their shared goal of seeking to further elevate Boracay’s reputation through Converge Business’ wide range of business-grade connectivity solutions.

For their part, BITA expressed their enthusiasm for the company’s arrival on the island and their support and desire to acquire its services.

Ogilvy Manila appointments

Ogilvy Philippines CEO Elly Puyat recently announced the appointment of Chino Jayme to the position of the executive creative director (ECD) and Eileen Borromeo to strategy director in a move designed to deliver greater value for clients through impactful work at this stage in the agency’s continued growth.

As ECD,  Jayme will push the creative agenda for all of Ogilvy’s disciplines and will look after the creative output of the agency’s largest client business.

He joins Ogilvy after 10 years with TBWA\Santiago Mangada Puno.

Borromeo rejoins Ogilvy, her first agency.  As strategy director, she will help lead the Ogilvy Strategy team in pushing modern non-linear strategic solutions anchored on business, brand and culture that result in creative and effective campaigns.

Ready for sore throat

Hexetidine (Bactidol), as an industry leader for therapeutic mouthwash, reminds all sore-throat sufferers to protect themselves with Hexetidine (Bactidol), even at the first signs of sore throat, so their conditions do not worsen.

Hexetidine (Bactidol) Gargle contains hexetidine, a well-researched broad-spectrum antibacterial and antiviral antiseptic that gives protection against sore throat. It can protect for up to 12 hours, and it also works as fast as 30 seconds. Unlike home remedies, Hexetidine (Bactidol) Gargle is supported by established scientific evidence, and has been safely used by individuals for many years now. Its quick action and long-lasting effect against a wide spectrum of microbes makes it a gold-standard in management of sore throat.

The product comes in two formats: a gargle and a lozenge.

Quest to Give: Quest Plus Clark donates livelihood package to PWD community

Quest Plus Conference Center, Clark has taken a significant initiative for persons with disabilities in Mabalacat City. In 2022, the hotel pledged a portion of the Dito Tayo sa Pasko Holiday sales to its chosen beneficiary, the Persons with Disability Affairs Office Mabalacat Chapter. Through this project, Quest Plus was able to turnover PHP 100,000 worth of donations during a simple ceremony last February 17 at the Mequeni Lounge of Quest Plus Hotel.

As the hotel aims to contribute to the local municipality’s mission to provide sustainable programs and services centered on the overall needs of PWDs, the donation included printing equipment and supplies to support the livelihood programs of PDAO Mabalacat. Through these supplies, the organization will be able to start a printing and design business for the benefit of the local PWD community.

The event was attended by Quest Plus Clark General Manager Michael Gapin, director of Sales and Marketing Judy Sarmiento, HR Director Irene Paz, and PDAO Mabalacat chairman Michael Miranda along with his officers. During the ceremony, it was also shared that PDAO Mabalacat will continue to be the beneficiary of the hotel’s corporate social responsibility projects this year. This project includes the Abe, Your Friend in Clark bear selling, wherein for every Abe bear sold, a portion of the sales will be donated to the said organization.

Kia dealers recognized

Kia Philippines recently held a thanksgiving event for its dealer principals which helped the brand achieve significant milestones for 2022–and to also celebrate the company’s 4th anniversary as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ayala Corp.

Kia Philippines had 42 dealers at the end of 2022 all of which will share Kia’s revamped interior design aesthetic by this year.

The top-performing dealer groups are well-known industry veterans Gateway Motors, Wheels Inc., Iconic Dealerships Inc., Traders of the Laus Group, and Grand Canyon. New partners Autohub Group,  Wheeltek, and Prime Legacy were also welcomed during the gathering.

Avon Ph is top employer

Avon Philippines has been certified by the Top Employer Institute as a Top Employer in the Philippines for the third straight year.

Razvan Diratian, APAC managing director and general manager of Avon Philippines said the consecutive Top Employer Institute certifications are a manifestation of Avon’s commitment to the business of doing good.

The company has an established history of impactful workplace initiatives. Through the years, Avon has introduced mental health and wellness benefits, paid menopause leaves, volunteer efforts for various social and environmental causes including ‘empties’ drop-off points that would be repurposed as ‘ecolumber’ bricks, service awards, and mentorship opportunities with organization leaders across the Asia Pacific region.

Avon’s people-first approach to creating the ideal workplace stems from the company’s commitment to empowering women,  reflected in Avon’s diversity, equity and inclusion numbers as well.

Payoneer meetup event

Payoneer is set to host the very first Payoneer WOMENtrepreneurs Meetup: Connect with women leading the PH outsourcing sector event on March 9 at WeWork Menarco Tower in Bonifacio Global City.

The discussion will be headlined by two distinguished women leaders-Gina Romero and Tonichi Achurra-Parekh.  Romero is the CEO and co-founder of Connected Women, a social impact tech startup that offers online skills training, development, and remote work opportunities to women in the Philippines while Achurra-Parekh is the vice president of Concentrix, a leading global provider of customer experience solutions and technology.

The event will also feature a panel discussion with Marge Aviso, Founder and CEO of Telework PH, a homegrown BPO based in Bulacan; Vanessa Janssen, the CEO of an all-female service provider firm based in Clark; and Pamela Ann Baluyo, Founder and CEO of Scale Experts Inc., a Marikina-based business process assistance company that helps startups grow their businesses.

Rakuten Viber new chatbot

Rakuten Viber, the global leader in private and secure messaging and voice-based communication, has launched a new chatbot, AI Chat & Create, providing users easy access to AI text and image generators.

By integrating advanced models of generative AI, such as DALL-E and Davinci, the Viber app allows users to ask the chatbot any question or test the chatbot’s creativity by designing unique images.

With an influx of interest in AI, Viber’s goal is to make AI more accessible and easy to employ for its users. Viber acts as the interface between the complex technology and the user, allowing everyone to take part in the fun without having to provide access to their email or create a separate account for each service. With just a few taps, users can transition between chatting with friends to using the bot, sharing their art, or answering a question effortlessly.

Due to organic growth, the chatbot has over 86,000 subscribers and over 250,000 viewers and is constantly growing.

ADI appointment

Aboitiz Data Innovation (ADI) officially announced the appointment of Felicia Li-Gaillard to the role of chief marketing officer, where she will oversee the planning, development, and execution of ADI’s marketing initiatives to bolster their presence and growth within the region.

With over 16 years of B2B marketing experience across media agencies, ad tech start-ups, and big tech, Li-Gaillard has a deep understanding of the APAC markets and was selected as one of Campaign Asia’s Women to Watch in 2018.

An inclusive leader and connector, Li-Gaillard holds a Master’s degree in business from EDHEC Business School.

SB Capital lauded

SB Capital Investment Corp. (SB Capital) was recognized by Hong Kong based financial publication, The Asset, at the 2022 The Asset Triple A Country Awards for Sustainable Finance for its participation in various fund-raising activities for refinancing and capital expenditure needs.

The magazine awarded the investment house with the “Best Transition Bond” award for its participation as a joint lead underwriter and joint bookrunner for SMC Global Power Holdings Corp.’s P40-billion fixed rate bond and the “Best Local Currency Green Bond” award for being a joint lead underwriter and joint lead bookrunner for ACEN Corp.’s P10-billion Asean Green bond. These awards recognize SB Capital’s ability to thrive amid the complexity of the past 12 months.

TV show of giving and hope premieres on CNN Philippines

“Dear SV,” a public affairs program hosted by Tutok to Win partylist Representative Sam Verzosa Jr., premiered last February 18 on CNN Philippines. The program will feature inspiring stories of ordinary Filipinos who never lose hope and remain resilient despite the struggles and challenges they face every day. Communities that hurdle all the hardships to improve and uplift their predicament are given the spotlight in this show.

According to Versoza, Tutok to Win partylist “represents the urban poor sector and aims to advance the welfare of the indigent population residing in urban areas” by promoting sustainable livelihood, progressive education, accessible healthcare, affordable housing and other social services to aid the marginalized elderly and youth.

He said that “Dear SV” will serve as the guiding light and hope for individuals and communities across the country through sustainable livelihood, scholarships, employment and financial assistance.