GSIS emergency loan for members, pensioners affected by oil spill
State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President and General Manager Wick Veloso announced today that GSIS has earmarked P315 million in emergency loan for members and pensioners who were affected by the oil spill that emanated from a motor tanker that capsized off the coast of Naujan, Oriental Mindoro last February 28.
Veloso heeded the appeal of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to ensure that help is extended by government agencies to those hit by the oil spill.
“The oil spill has affected more than half of Oriental Mindoro. With our emergency loan program, we hope to alleviate the plight of nearly 13,000 GSIS members who are working or residing in the affected areas and pensioners who reside there.” Veloso said.
The municipalities of Bansud, Bongabong, Bulalacao, Gloria, Mansalay, Naujan, Pinamalayan, Pola, and Roxas in Oriental Mindoro have been declared under a state of calamity. Upon receipt of the required documents from the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro, GSIS will open the emergency loan to affected 11,024 active members, and 1,896 old-age and disability pensioners.
Qualified to apply are members in active service and not on leave of absence without pay; have at least three months of paid premiums within the last six months prior to application; have no pending administrative or criminal case; have no due and demandable loan; and have a net take-home pay of not lower than P5,000 after all required monthly obligations have been deducted.
Old-age and disability pensioners are also qualified to apply if their resulting net monthly take-home pension after loan availment is at least 25% of their basic monthly pension.
Members with existing emergency loan balance may borrow up to P40,000 to pay off their previous emergency loan balance and still receive a maximum net amount of Php20,000. Meanwhile, pensioners and those without existing emergency loan may apply for a P20,000 loan.
The loan is payable in three years or 36 equal monthly instalments at an interest rate of 6% per annum.
Fastest, best mobile network
(From left) Smart FVP Lloyd Manaloto; PLDT and Smart Network head Eric Santiago; Ookla chief operating officer Shivani York and Ookla chief commercial officer Shawn Heidel.
Ookla, the global leader in mobile and broadband network intelligence, has officially awarded PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. as the Philippine winner for Best Mobile Network, Fastest Mobile Network for five years in a row, and Best Mobile Coverage at the 2023 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Smart is the first and only Philippine mobile operator to be given Ookla’s prestigious Best Mobile Network award, an elite designation given to wireless services providers with both the Fastest Mobile Network and Best Mobile Coverage within the same reporting period.
Making the rounds
Newly designated Administrator Vicente Homer Revil (left) of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) recently paid a courtesy visit to House Speaker Martin G. Romualdez (right) and other officials of the House of Representatives.
A former vice-governor of Masbate, Revil now heads the agency tasked to promote and oversee water and sanitation services in the countryside. As of date, LWUA supervises over five hundred water districts across the country.
Most chosen retailer
Kantar, a leading data agency, recently named Puregold the #1 Most Chosen Retailer for Fast Moving Consumer Goods in 2022 based on the consumer reach points method.
The award was personally handed to representatives of Puregold at their head offices in Metro Manila.
Kantar Worldpanel CEO Guillaume Bacuvier (left) hands over the award to Puregold Price Club Inc. president Vincent Co.
Meralco commits to #EmbraceEquity
Meralco joins the rest of the world in celebrating International Women’s Day 2023 and in championing gender equity in line with this year’s theme of #EmbraceEquity.
Charmaine Angeles (in photo) is one of the first female line crew to join Meralco’s workforce back when the power distributor pioneered the training and hiring of female linecrew in Southeast Asia back in 2013.
Through its gender diversity and inclusion program #Mbrace, Meralco implements initiatives to increase women representation in the organization to 40 percent by 2030.
Watsons’ flagship store takes healthcare to the next level
The Watsons flagship store in The Block SM City North Edsa is the largest in the Philippines with almost 1,000 square meters of health and beauty products and special services.
The pharmacy area has an open layout so customers can see the widest and most extensive line-up of health and wellness products including medications, vitamins, supplements, medical supplies, mom & baby essentials, fitness, and ambulatory products.
The store also features Health Supplement Advisor, a self-help tool that creates expert content curated by medical professionals.
Watsons also has its first state-of-the-art clinic powered by The Medical City that features virtual consultation and remote physical examination. A laboratory technician is present to facilitate the use of a Tytocare gadget that will enable a remote doctor to hear abdominal and chest sounds, check the ears, mouth, throat, and skin and provide prescription and lab requests. The patient can then fulfill prescriptions at the Watsons pharmacy right beside the area. Soon, vaccination services for flu, HPV, and pneumonia will be available at the clinic.
The Watsons flagship store is part of an Offline plus Online platform that creates an integrated customer experience. With just a few clicks, a customer can order products for delivery or pick-up via the Watsons App.
Anvil awardees
The country’s largest power distributor once again exemplified communication excellence as it emerged as one of the top companies at the Public Relations Society of the Philippines’ Gabi ng Parangal held at Marriott Hotel Manila on March 8.
Meralco was among the finalists for the Company of the Year and took home one Gold Anvil and eight Silver Anvils in recognition of its campaigns and programs that light up the way in energy industry, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability communications.
Leading the Meralco contingent during the awards night is Meralco vice president and head for Corporate Communications Joe Zaldarriaga.
Basecamp opens March training schedules
Basecamp, Power Mac Center’s official training provider, is officially opening enrollment to its March training sessions. With Apple Certified Professionals teaching Apple certification courses, it’s perfect for individuals and groups seeking to reskill or upskill their tech knowhow and boost their competitiveness in the Apple ecosystem.
Courses include Apple Deployment and Management (Mar 13-14), App Development with Swift (Mar 22-24), Pages, Numbers, and Keynote (Mar 27-31), and Final Cut Pro X (Mar 29-31). Delivered through specialized training methodologies and guided exercises, these are specifically designed to help learners deploy, support, and troubleshoot devices, as well as familiarize themselves with existing powerful applications or even create their own. Customized sessions can also be arranged for groups of at least 10 participants.
Other courses include macOS Fundamentals, macOS Technical Troubleshooting, Mac and Windows Integration Basics, Professional Development for IT and School Administrators, Professional Development for Educators, iOS/iPadOS Fundamentals and Troubleshooting, and 1-on-1 tutorial. There are also VIP courses on On-site Support for Mac or iPhone/iPad, and Zoom Video Conference Support, as well as certification exams, namely, Apple Deployment and Management Exam and Apple Device Support Exam for those looking to beef up their credentials.
JobStreet advocates for fair hiring
JobStreet intends to enhance its commitment to eradicating unfair hiring practices by cracking down on the exploitation of Filipino workers across the nation.
One of the first steps JobStreet has taken to implement safer practices was the hiring of Scott Stiles, special advisor of Fair Hiring in Asia.
JobStreet has had teams focused on spotting concerning job advertisements thus making the company one of the most trusted employment marketplaces within most markets.
Led by Stiles, JobStreet along with parent company SEEK, enacts these processes top-down.
Trusted by around 30,000 employers in the Philippines and more than 12 million candidates, the platform’s commitment is also demonstrated through its dedicated online security team which regularly surveys the site for evidence of suspicious job ads and advertisers so that they can be removed immediately. The platform’s Terms and Conditions act as a means to ensure that all job ads on the site are for legitimate job opportunities.
JobStreet continuously educates the workforce on spotting potential job scams and actively screens exploitative recruitment schemes.
Converge appoints chief sustainability officer
Converge ICT Solutions Inc. has named Benjamin Azada as its chief sustainability officer, concurrent with his role as chief strategy officer, as the internet service provider steps up on the delivery of its sustainability commitment.
As chief sustainability officer, Azada will be overseeing the implementation of the company’s sustainability commitment and roadmap, as well as compliance to sustainability reporting requirements.
“We’ve been working on our sustainability program ever since we became a public company in 2020. I’m grateful for the importance that the Board is giving to sustainability by creating this new role. The ESG reporting landscape and stakeholder expectations are changing rapidly. Converge is committed to proactively managing its impacts on the economy, environment and society while we work to close the digital divide,” said Azada.
S&R Exclusives at MetroMart
This March, customers can look forward to amazing, unique and value-for-money items with S&R Exclusives via MetroMart.
Promos like discounts of up to 50 percent off and Buy 1 Get 1 are offered on select items.
These include kitchen appliances like blender, stove, food dehydrator, steam iron and ice cream maker; summer foods like cold drinks, ice cream, frozen yogurt and sorbet; cleaning gear like storage containers, Egyptian cotton bed sheet sets, bath mats, disinfecting wipes, non-scratch scouring pads, milk tea-scented air fresheners and; fresh produce like onions, lemons, leeks, broccoli, cucumber, grapes, strawberry, raspberry, and so much more.
