Mobile kitchen
Rise Against Hunger Philippines launched a mobile kitchen jeepney in support of the private sector program, Kain Tayo Pilipinas, mobilizing added resources to alleviate hunger in the Philippines.
The mobile kitchen is equipped with a fully-functioning kitchen that is able to serve up to 6,000 meals a month. The mobile kitchen in the form of a jeepney features a modern version of the Filipino mythical bird Sarimanok, a design conceptualized by Architect Deo Alam where the beak of the bird translates to bringing food to the people.
Throughout the course of the project, mobile kitchens and food banks will be stationed in different barangays across cities of Pasig, Taguig, and Manila thrice a week every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The program aims to prepare 500 meals for every individual everyday with its mission to address the nutritionally at risk Filipinos.
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Among world’s best employers
Ayala Corp.’s managing director JP Orbeta bared how company’s human resources units address the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and fulfill their commitment as responsible employers at the panel discussion “The New People People” hosted by The Economist.
Ayala Corp. is one of the three Philippine corporations that made it to Forbes’ 2021 list of the World’s Best Employers. This recognition follows Ayala’s merit of excellence award from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and another gold from Gawad Pandayon by PANA, the country’s biggest advertiser group.
Speaking alongside HR leaders from another ‘best employer’ Standard Chartered and tech startup Zilingo, Orbeta said Ayala has always had a people-first perspective in addressing the COVID-19, prioritizing the health and well-being of employees across the group.
Ayala rolled out a group-wide COVID response package, covering all employees, business partners, customers, and the broader population. As of October 2021, Ayala Group has allocated over P19.5 billion for this response package.
Orbeta has been recently appointed as chief administrative officer and chief HR officer of AC Energy.
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Globe webinar on digitally connected future in real estate
Globe has underscored the need for digital service providers and property developers to work hand-in-hand to create digitally-enabled communities to meet the demands of the times.
Speaking at Globe Business’ Regional Insights and Strategies for Enterprises (R.I.S.E.) webinar on “Building a Digitally-Connected Future in Real Estate Today,” Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu pointed out the importance of foresight and advanced planning to shape the future of Philippine communities.
To ensure that a building or a mixed-use community is digitally ready, planning for communications infrastructure should be done in a fashion similar to that for electrical, electromechanical, water, plumbing, sanitation, and other utilities and amenities, Cu stressed.
Emmanuel Estrada, Globe SVP for Technology and Service Integration, said that to future-proof properties, fiber should never be overlooked as essentially all networks today are fiber-based.
One property developer that already saw the importance of collaboration early on is Franco Soberano, EVP and COO of Cebu Landmasters, Inc.
Soberano has been working with Globe hands-on for more than 10 years. He said discussions with Globe start before a project is completed.
R.I.S.E. was led by Peter Maquera, SVP for Globe Business, Enterprise Group. Other speakers included Leechiu Property Consultants CEO David Leechiu, President and CEO of Robinsons Land Corporation Frederick Go, and Havitas Developments Chairman and Co-Founder Alejandro Manalac.
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COMCO SE Asia anniversary
COMCO Southeast Asia (SEA) culminated its Blazing Sapphire fifth anniversary celebration with the launch of COMCO Middle East & Africa (MEA) and the unveiling of its 10-year masterplan that gave an overview of the continued growth and evolution of the trailblazing and award-winning communications agency.
COMCO SEA held a year-long five-part celebration which includes the virtual townhall and digital unveiling of COMCO SEA’s brand evolution, the inauguration of the Camp COMCO Alumni Society “Unity Games”, the “Write to Ignite Blogging Project Season 2: Dear Survivor” and Citizen COMCO’s “5 Gifts to the Community” launch via the Cause Marketing for Good initiative with World Vision. The last leg of the celebration is the Blazing Sapphire Main Event where several major initiatives were unveiled.
COMCO MEA will be spearheaded by Tricia Cusi-Jimenea, COMCO SEA business development director.
COMCO’s 10-year masterplan includes the formation of the COMCO AOX League of Enterprises, the umbrella group for all of COMCO’s existing and upcoming ventures, initiatives and advocacies.
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Puhunang Pangkabuhayan
Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF) took its PuhunangPangkabuhayan program to its coastal community partner in Alaminos, Pangasinan, donating bicycles, pocket Wi-Fis, Smart retailer kits, and sewing and edging machines for the establishment of alternative livelihood programs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alaminos marks the fourth leg of Puhunang Pangkabuhayan, contributing to alternative livelihoods in Batangas, Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, and Del Carmen, Siargao.
In a turnover event last October 12, MPIF president Melody del Rosario presented 10 bikes, 10 Smart pocket Wi-Fi units, 10 Smart retailer kits, three sewing machines and two edging machines to beneficiaries in the municipality. Beneficiaries were primarily displaced tourism workers such as tour guides, hotel staff, and small store operators, as well as marginalized families and persons with disabilities.
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Viable solution for mass testing
Biologic Life Sciences (BLS) has earned the exclusive distributorship for high-quality and competitively-priced rapid antigen diagnostic test kits from Global Access Diagnostics (GAD), a social enterprise recently acquired by the Global Access Health (GAH) initiative backed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and several philanthropic investors.
This global initiative was launched to provide access to affordable medical technology in the global south.
BLS will also be offering its institutional clients the BEACON Health System — the country’s first antigen testing-as-a-service solution.
BLS has developed its proprietary BEACON Health Pass app, an end-to-end cloud based system designed to capture the results of antigen test kits on users’ smartphones while providing real-time data and analytics to businesses and community leaders.
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P10M subsidy for food service trainees
The internationally-recognized cloud restaurant start-up CloudEats opens 500 culinary on-the-job (OJT) training positions for Filipino youth through its partnership with YouthWorks PH, a private sector-led initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Philippine Business for Education (PBEd).
In a virtual launch on October 20, CloudEats announced it will collaborate with YouthWorks PH on the Flexible Training for Work (FTW) program, which provides real-world training to young candidates as kitchen operations and commissary staff in their branches around the country. CloudEats has been lauded by Forbes Asia as one of the ‘100 to Watch’ startups across the Asia-Pacific region.
CloudEats is also set to allocate support for training subsidies equivalent to at least P10 million ($ 200,000), accident insurance, and prioritization of YouthWorks PH FTW Trainees for employment.
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Cash-in in sari-sari stores
Blockchain-backed digital wallet Coins.ph is making cash in available in practically every corner of the Philippines with its new partnership with leading payments and remittance network TrueMoney.
With an estimated 20,000 TrueMoney Centers which are mostly sari-sari stores nationwide, the partnership makes it more convenient for millions of Coins.ph customers to fund their Coins Wallet so they can enjoy access to digital financial services.
This includes prepaid loading for Philippine and international mobile numbers, bill payments, local and international remittances, game credits purchase, online shopping, topping up their RFID and beep card and even buying and selling cryptocurrencies anytime, anywhere.
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Aboitiz ramps up Covid-19 response
Aboitiz Foundation Inc. donated 7,600 AstraZeneca vaccines to the City Government of Taguig last October 14.
The partnership was formally sealed in a ceremonial turnover via zoom led by Maribeth Marasigan, president of the Foundation and Taguig City Mayor Lino Cayetano.
The Aboitiz Group is also doing its own contribution in helping achieve herd immunity through its ongoing internal vaccination program. The Group is on track to vaccinate Aboitiz team members and subcontractors nationwide, exemplifying its strong commitment to prioritise the health and safety of every team member as the nation moves towards a “better normal.”
To date, the Aboitiz Group’s total contribution to the national Covid-19 response effort has reached over P2.2 billion (excluding various payments waived, reduced, extended, or restructured to help customers cope with the impact of Covid-19).
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Go-to partner in digital commerce
Payoneer, which recently undertook a brand refresh to reflect their promise “to be for everyone everywhere,” has seen volumes growing more than a thousand percent in the Philippines, translating to triple digit growth in the last three years.
Since setting up shop locally in 2009, the company has helped millions of freelancers and small businesses tap into the global economy, enabling them to send and receive hundreds of millions of dollars in payments between different countries.
Payoneer has been actively working with local businesses of all sizes–from emerging business process outsourcing companies, small businesses that provide services to customers in different countries, to sellers who sell on Amazon and on eBay.
Users simply have to connect their Payoneer account which will then allow them to receive money on their account.
