Globe holds SEA-US cable system ceremonial launch in Davao City

Globe Telecom held over the weekend the ceremonial launch in Davao City of the $250-million Southeast Asia-United States (SEA-US) submarine cable system which is part of Globe Telecom’s commitment to provide faster transmission, more efficient connectivity and greater network resiliency in Mindanao and the rest of the country.

The ceremony was led by Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar who thanked Globe in behalf of the President for the company’s “invaluable contribution to the telecom industry and for improving internet connectivity through the SEA-US submarine cable system.”

“The Southeast Asia - US Cable System will definitely reinforce the capacity and resiliency of our

information infrastructure, leading to improved communication capacities, better access to basic services,

increased competitiveness, and smarter cities. It is expected to generate more investments, jobs and opportunities in Davao region and Mindanao,” he said.

Outside of Luzon, the 14,500-kilometer undersea cable is the first direct connection of Globe to the United States via Guam, Hawaii, and California, offering faster transmission of data to the US.  It supports ongoing efforts of Globe to further enhance its services in Mindanao such as the establishment of a data center in Davao City designed to address the growing information and communications technology requirements of BPOs, financial institutions, Internet service providers and other content providers in Southern Philippines.

Globe invested USD80 million for this new undersea cable system. This is on top of the $750-million capital expenditure of the company this year to enhance its data capacities.  The annual investment is being utilized for LTE deployment using the 700 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, and 2600 Mhz frequencies.  With a more pervasive mobile LTE data, internet speeds have markedly improved based on international benchmarking studies.

“We are excited about how this new investment because of the immense benefits that the undersea cable system will bring to the Philippines.  It will enable businesses to thrive and prosper with 1^st world internet connectivity at cost-efficient rates in support of the government’s efforts to make the Philippines become globally competitive.  This will also make our network future-ready in anticipation of our customers’ growing bandwidth requirements,” said Ernest L. Cu, Globe President and CEO.

“The SEA-US cable system will augur well for businesses in Davao City. It will attract more players from major trade and industry centers in Mindanao region and expand more BPO spaces - which means the creation of more jobs in the service sector and more livelihood opportunities for not only the people of Davao but also for neighboring cities and municipalities ,” said Peter Maquera, Senior Vice President for Globe Enterprise Group.

                At the same time, the facility will ease the country's dependence on international cable systems that go through Japan / North Asia to connect to the US, and ensure the resiliency of internet connectivity.  With three domestic fiber optic backbones and several investments in international undersea cables, Globe Telecom’s network was able to provide uninterrupted internet connection to its corporate and individual customers despite the submarine cable cuts caused by the recent super typhoon in Hong Kong which severely affected services of other internet providers in the Philippines and the region.

Globe holds the SEA-US cable system ceremonial launch in Davao City led by Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu (3rd from left) and Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar (2nd from left). together with them are (from L-R) Globe Chief Commercial Officer Albert de Larrazabal, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba, Globe Head Council Atty. Froilan Castelo and Globe SVP for Enterprise Group Peter Maquera.

Palace commends Globe for contributions to telecom industry, internet connectivity

DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Friday, September 22, commended Globe Telecom for their invaluable contributions to the telecommunications industry and for improving the internet connectivity.

In his speech during the launching of SEA-US Cable Commercial System delivered by Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, President Duterte also thanked Globe Telecom for choosing Davao City to be host of the first cable submarine system connected through the South of the Philippines.

"The SEA-US Cable System will definitely reinforce capacity and resiliency of our information capacities, better access to basic services, increased competitiveness, and smarter cities," the President said.

He added that the said system is expected to generate more investments, jobs, and opportunities in Davao Region and Mindanao and would also complement the National Broadband Plan of the government which aims to improve internet connectivity in the country.

‘It’s a Girl Thing’ - An event to inspire and unite young women

“It was an event that was created to help bring together and inspire young women and i was so honoured to be a part of this as I felt it is something I am all about, I was raised by an amazing woman who helped shape me into who I am today, and maybe in some way I could pass this along………….I’ve never believed that my race or gender have ever defined what I am capable of and I don’t think anyone should’

Claire Marshall (heyclaire), IAGT Singapore 2016

IAGT Press Conference Host and Globe Ambassador Riki Flores

GCash Scan to Pay Now Enabled in Mercato Centrale

James Mauricio Aujero, Head, Merchant Acquisition of Mynt (right) talks about the new GCash app scan-to-pay feature at  Mercato BGC.  With him are Mynt Chief Operating Officer Anthony Thomas (center) and Mercato Centrale co-founder RJ Ledesma (left).

Country’s largest food market chain embraces cashless convenience of GCash

Both consumers and merchants of highly-popular night food market Mercato Centrale do not have to worry anymore about paying smaller bills and giving out exact change as GCash, the leading mobile money service provider in the Philippines, rolls out the first QR mobile payments service at the country’s largest foodpark chain.

With this newest feature within the GCash App, customers can already use their GCash account to pay for their food and drinks by simply scanning QR codes displayed at Mercato Centrale merchants. For consumers, this eliminates the hassle of bringing money, waiting for change, or getting into a dispute with the cashier over payments. Merchants, on the other hand, no longer need expensive machines to process mobile money transactions but only a QR with a unique code that is linked to their GCash wallet.

“Mynt is dedicated to bringing the latest innovations in payments and e-commerce to the Philippines to continually enable the financially underserved, and this service is just one of many to come.” said James Mauricio Aujero, Head, Merchant Acquisition of Mynt, a subsidiary of Globe Telecom, which aims to address financial inclusion through mobile money, micro-loans, and technology.

“GCash is a great opportunity for our small-scale food business entrepreneurs to serve more clients, expand their customer base and scale up their business!”, Mercato Centrale co-founder RJ Ledesma added, pertaining to the value and convenience GCash adds to his franchise.

To use the scan to pay GCash feature, a customer with an iPhone or an Android smartphone only needs to download or update to the latest version of the GCash App, register for an account, and fund his GCash wallet at any of over 12,000 GCash Partner Outlets nationwide, including Globe Stores, SM Business Centers, Puregold branches, Robinsons Business Centers, 7-Eleven Cliqq kiosks, and TouchPay kiosks, among others. Once done, he just has to tap on Scan QR, point is phone’s camera at the partner’s QR code, and pay.

PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo highlights 10th anniversary with Family Fun Run

ILOILO City – As one of the highlights of its year-long 10^th anniversary celebration, Property Company of Friends, Inc. (PRO-FRIENDS) Iloilo held its first ever Family Fun Run on September 9.

PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo Deputy Head Tani Puyat

Over 2,000 Ilonggos converged at SM Southpoint for the early morning run which also aimed at generating funds for the programs and projects of the company’s chosen beneficiaries.

PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo General Manager Dina Estocado

Ilonggo runners gather at the PRO-FRIENDS Family Fun Run's starting point at SM Southpoint.

Proceeds of PRO-FRIENDS Family Fun Run will go to SOS Children’s Village Iloilo, Friends of Cancer Kids Iloilo Foundation, Inc. (FCKIFI) and Asilo de Molo. These charitable organizations were chosen by PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo in order to reach every sector of the society.

Over 2,000 Ilonggos join the PRO-FRIENDS Family Fun Run.

3K category (Female) Winners: Sweden Villamor (3rd Placer),
Sara Jane Marcarico (2nd Placer), Edralyn Celestial (1st Placer)

PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo General Manager Dina Estocado thanked all the attendees for showing their support to the company that has been serving the Ilonggo community for 10 years now.

“As we continue to celebrate our 10th year, we are glad that we have this opportunity to have our very first fun run in PRO-FRIENDS,” she said.

3K category (Men) Winners: Roger Molinos (3rd Placer),
Junard Garcia (2nd Placer), Ramonito Galvar (1st Placer).

 5K category (Female) Winners: Jezsel Ann Morales (3rd Placer),
Lyra Pajarello (2nd Placer), Jezza Mae Sustetiedo (1st Placer)

Meanwhile, PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo Deputy Head Tani Puyat highlighted that more than a celebration PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo’s 10^th anniversary, the fun run event also serves as the company’s way of giving back to the Ilonggos who became big parts of its journey.

5K category (Female) Winners: Jezsel Ann Morales (3rd Placer),
Lyra Pajarello (2nd Placer), Jezza Mae Sustetiedo (1st Placer)

10K category (Female) Winners: Jacque Lamparero (3rd Placer),
Abigail Odelmo (2nd Placer), Alexandra Ganzon (1st Placer)

“We are thankful and happy to see everyone joining our cause. We hope that with our projects here in Iloilo, we will be able to touch the lives of more Ilonggo families and provide them the dream home that they truly deserve”, she noted.

The winners each received a cash prize and medals. Consolation prizes were also given to other top 7 finishers of each category.

PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo is the developer of Parc Regency Residences and Monticello Villas which are both located in the town of Pavia, Iloilo.

10K category (Men) Winners: John Rey Onifa (3rd Placer), Aldene Doronilla (2nd Placer), Romnick Dago (1st Placer)

For more details and inquiries about its projects, call (033) 338-3656 or log on to www.parciloilo.com and www.monticelloiloilo.com. (END)

ABOUT PROFRIENDS:

Pro-Friends is one of Iloilo’s most trusted developers and is consistently one of the developers of choice among Ilonggos. In April 2007 Pro-Friends established its presence in Iloilo with the objective of building affordable yet quality homes in accessible locations with classic and timeless design.

Its first projects in Iloilo are the Parc Regency Residences located at Gorricetta Avenue Pavia, Iloilo and Monticello Villas which is situated at Balabag, Pavia Iloilo. The projects serve the needs of mid- to upper- middle market and are one of the largest master-planned communities in Iloilo. PRR and MCV are gated and secure communities with beautifully designed houses: Amanda, Stephanie, Madelyn, Olive, Palms, Isabella, Florence and Daniella. They are located on high ground and accessible to the city proper and the Iloilo International Airport.

The first ever nature-inspired community in Iloilo will soon rise in Pavia, just across Parc Regency Residences. With its green scenery, this community vf is where Ilonggo families can truly relax and have peaceful bonding moments especially after a long tiring day at work and school.

For more information about the projects, please log on to http://www.parciloilo.com and http://www.monticelloiloilo.com. Visit Pro-Friends Iloilo Office at Brgy. Inday, Gen. Luna St., Iloilo City, and the Pro-Friends SM City Office at the Lower Ground Floor, SM City Iloilo, Mandurriao, Iloilo City for more details.

AirAsia to fly Manila-Ho Chi Minh City in November

All-in promo fares from as low as P990 are up for grabs now at airasia.com

MANILA, 19 September 2017 -- AirAsia is introducing direct flights from Manila to one of the most vibrant and biggest cities of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, further strengthening the airline’s commitment as an Asean carrier.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador said, “We are thrilled to announce that we will start servicing direct flights from Manila to Ho Chi Minh in November as part of our commitment to continue bringing the Philippines closer to neighbouring cities within the Asean region.”

To celebrate the announcement, all-in fares from as low as P990 for Manila - Ho Chi Minh route are now available for booking today until 8 October 2017 on airasia.com and the airline’s mobile app.  The introductory promo fares are available for travel period from 17 November 2017 to 21 November 2018.

“AirAsia is the only airline that directly services all ten Asean countries with established operations in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Last year, the AirAsia Group carried 13.4 million people within Asean and we aim to continue bringing the region closer together via inter-Asean connectivity,” Comendador added.

AirAsia has been recently recognized for its outstanding performance in the Asean priority integration sector for tourism at the ASEAN Business Awards 2017 held in Manila with Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte personally giving the award to AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes and 11 other winners from different sectors last September 6.

AirAsia services Manila – Ho Chi Minh route with three flights weekly or every Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.

Vietnam offers travellers an opportunity to discover the country’s tradition that overlaps with French colonial influences and picturesque coastline. A visit first to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly known as ‘Saigon’), is the perfect starting point to explore southern Vietnam. This vibrant city is the centre of commerce and to get a good glimpse of its beauty, it is advisable to seat at a roadside café with a cup of Vietnamese iced coffee or ‘Ca Phe Sua Da’ followed by a stroll to famous architectural marvels such as the Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Opera House, Jade Emperor Pagoda and temples.

To appreciate the local culture, travellers can sample a myriad of fresh produce and food offerings from Ba Chieu Market, a local market off the beaten path for the famous baguette sandwich, ‘Banh Mi’ or some ‘Com Tam’, a ‘broken rice’ style dish topped with grilled meat; or go shopping for various types of quality fabric at affordable prices at the famed Ben Thanh Market.  If you have an interest in history, visit The War Remnants museum or the famed Cu Chi tunnels for a glimpse into what life was during the war.

Flight Schedule for Manila, Philippines (MNL) –  Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (SGN)

Flight Number	From	To	Departure	Arrival	Frequency
Z2294	MNL	SGN	10:25PM	1:05AM	Tuesday, Friday, Sunday
Z2295	SGN	MNL	1:35AM	4:10AM	Monday, Wednesday, Saturday

HealthTech Challenge Seeks Innovative Solutions in Healthcare

The deadline for the submission of entries to the HealthTech Challenge, a search for tech-based solutions (startups) ​that cover any stage of the healthcare process - from awareness, diagnosis, treatment, tracking and monitoring – has been set at September 15, 2017.

“We urge any organization or individual or teams who have a working healthtech solution that contributes to Universal Healthcare Coverage. This is an open call for individuals, businesses, teams, startups, or organizations,” said ​Melanie ​Zoref, ​Economic and Trade Officer​ of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines, Marshall Islands, Micronesia and Palau.

The Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines, in cooperation with the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) and TechTalks.ph, has embarked on this initiative to commemorate the 60-year anniversary of Switzerland-Philippine government relations.    

As a global leader in providing Universal Health Coverage to its citizens, Switzerland supports all initiatives to make UHC happen in the Philippines. It may be a long road to UHC but the HealthTech Challenge (HTC) is an opportunity to showcase existing solutions that we can use to improve healthcare today.

As defined by the World Health Organization here, “Universal health coverage (UHC) means that all people and communities can use the promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative health services they need, of sufficient quality to be effective, while also ensuring that the use of these services does not expose the user to financial hardship.”

Iloilo’s First Mother and Child Center "9 and Beyond Iloilo " Now Open

ILOILO CITY – The city’s first mother and child center, 9 and Beyond Iloilo, finally opened its doors to the public through a grand launch on Tuesday, August 29, 2017.

“This facility was created to provide quality, accessible, and evidence-based care and support for mothers, informed feeding choices for their children, and a place where basic lactation nutrition as well as mom and baby essentials can be purchased,” said Adhara Alcudia Sebuado, President and In-House Lactation Consultant of 9 and Beyond Iloilo.

The nine mothers behind 9 and Beyond Iloilo are Adhara Alcudia Sebuado (President), Anjee Otico-Vios (PR), Gem Maniwan-Alcantara (Social Media), Hazel Pillora (Operations), Ivy Espinosa-Del Rosario (Social Media), Jomai Gangoso-Caceres (Corporate Treasurer), Jorvy Jaruda-Espinosa (Marketing), Riza Bactol (Operations), and Ronaly Clavel (Corporate Secretary). They welcomed around 50 guests from the city government and the center’s partners and suppliers.

AirAsia’s Red Hot Sale is back, fly from as low as P17!

Up to 5 million promotional seats are up for grabs now at airasia.com

 MANILA, 10 September 2017 – Up to 5 million promotional seats are up for grabs in AirAsia Group’s red hot seat sale campaign.

Book seats via airasia.com or the AirAsia mobile app from 11 to 17 September 2017 for travel between 1 March to 21 November 2018 to enjoy fares from as low as P17.00* for flights from/to Manila, Clark, Cebu, Davao, Palawan, Bohol, Kalibo, Caticlan/Boracay, Tacloban and Iloilo.  

Also up for grabs from as low as P1,290* are promotional flights to international destinations from the Philippines to Taipei, Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Incheon/Seoul, Canton/Guangzhou, Shanghai, Macau, Singapore and Hong Kong.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador said, “Now is the perfect opportunity for our loyal guests and Filipino travellers to connect from many places conveniently as we continuously add new routes and increase frequencies into our network. Exciting red hot deals await those who would like to travel overseas to over 120 destinations across all Asean countries, Asia, Australia and beyond.”

AirAsia is set to fly between Manila and Iloilo starting October 1 while direct flights between Davao and Kuala Lumpur will commence on December 21.

Promotional flights from the AirAsia group’s hub in Kuala Lumpur to Australia, Japan, Maldives and other destinations are also available. 

Animated video competition gives “Hope in 40 seconds”

For the second straight year, the Natasha Goulbourn Foundation (NGF) with support from Globe Telecom, is holding the Hope in 40 Seconds animated digital video competition to raise mental health awareness and help those suffering from it realize that they are not alone in the struggle. It also encourages everyone who needs guidance to call HOPELINE, NGF’s free 24/7 hotline.

            The competition, which is being conducted in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH) and the School of Design and Arts of De La Salle - College of St. Benilde, will run until end of September 2017.

GCash App becomes 1st integrated payments and entertainment app in PH with GMovies booking feature

GCash customers can now easily buy their movie tickets using the GCash mobile app which already includes the GMovies booking feature for an easier and hassle-free experience.

The feature enables users to select cinema locations, movie showing dates, and seat numbers as well as pay on the spot with GCash, thereby, cutting down the time falling in line to buy physical movie tickets. This can be done by just tapping on the “Buy Tickets” tab inside the GCash App.

“Combining payments with entertainment means making finance fun and convenient for everyone. Being able to purchase digital tickets is in line with our goal of building a cashless ecosystem, and this is just one of many solutions we’re planning to implement using GCash,” said John Rubio, CEO and President of Mynt, a subsidiary of Globe Telecom dedicated to developing payments solutions using GCash.

"Our goal has always been to extend convenience to our valued users. The synergy of GMovies which is the only aggregator of movie ticketing in the country and GCash,  the Philippines’ leading mobile payment service,  widens our reach in serving our customers better. We are excited to take this venture forward in the coming months ahead," said Glenn Estrella, Vice President of Globe Digital Ventures.
 

To make the most of the integrated payments and entertainment app experience which is a first in the country,  GCash users only need to download or update to the latest GCash App version from iTunes or Google Play, and cash-in to their accounts for free by going to over 12,000 GCash Partner Outlets nationwide. Customers that book movies using the GCash App from September 1 - 31, 2017 will get a P100 cashback for their first transaction. The feature is currently available for SM Cinemas with Ayala Cinemas to follow soon.

Aside from booking and paying for movies, the GCash app can be used to buy prepaid load, pay bills, send money, make donations, shop online, and purchase goods.

Earlier, GCash also announced the availability of the nation’s first QR code payments service which allows GCash users  to pay using their smartphones just by scanning a QR code on a merchant’s signage.  This eliminates the need for cash or cards and provides a more secure payment experience.

Tell your story and join Singtel’s The 5-Min Video Challenge

Get the chance to compete with the best in Asia, Africa and Australia and win as much as $30,000

What can you do in five minutes? Not many would claim to watch a film, but it’s a challenge that Singtel would like to make to seasoned and budding content creators with The 5-Min Video Challenge, a regional film competition where participants must create compelling content in a limited time frame.

The challenge’s theme is “Connecting Lives,” which aims to explore how the connections in life can bring the world together. The competition is open to creators from Singtel Group's markets across Asia, Africa, and Australia.

EMQ and GCash Partnership to Boost Remittance Services across The Philippines

HONG KONG and MANILA, September 5, 2017: EMQ and Globe Telecom's mobile commerce subsidiary G-Xchange Inc.(GCash), today announced a partnership that would further expand EMQ’s reach in the Philippines as well as offer greater flexibility and convenience to overseas workers

“Remittances provide a lifeline for millions of households and drive financial inclusion in the developing countries such as the Philippines, currently the third largest recipient of remittances according to the World Bank,” said Max Liu, Co-founder and CEO of EMQ. “Our expansion with GCash complements our existing capabilities in the Philippines, while offering the best possible choices and flexibility for the overseas workers to send money home effortlessly within minutes.”

With the partnership, EMQ users can now send funds to GCash account holders who in turn can use their mobile money to pay bills and make online purchases, buy load or cash out at over 12,000 GCash Partner Outlets across the Philippines.

“We always strive to create the highest customer value with our innovative solutions and EMQ shares our passion,” said GCash President and CEO Abet Tinio. “Our strategic partnership with EMQ would further boost mobile wallets usage and accelerate local economic growth. But most importantly, we want to ensure that Filipinos who rely on remittances from their loved ones overseas will receive their money fast and securely without any hassle.”

EMQ currently has footprints in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines, with plans underway to expand across other key business markets first in Asia and then globally, covering North America, Europe, and the Middle East. GCash international partners have over 1,000,000 outlets worldwide with over 12,000+ GCash Partner Outlets across the Philippines.

iVolunteer, Milktrack, The Spark Project, TULA, and Virtualahan lead Globe Future Makers program

Globe Telecom announced recently the five startups whose game-changing digital solutions bested 130 other entries to make it to Globe Future Makers (GFM) a social innovation program that seeks to address the various causes of poverty in the country through information and communications technology (ICT).

The Top 5 winners include two that centered on Learning and Education, another two on Health and Well-being and one about Climate Change and Displacement. The winners, who came from different parts of the country, presented a diverse set of creative programs which are exceptionally unique and pioneering.

        “Now that the Top 5 winners are revealed, we can all watch them create the impact to society’s ills that we anticipated their programs will address. These initiatives are all very remarkable and significant.  If they succeed, they would be of great help to the society,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe SVP for Corporate Communications who noted how GFM is aligned with the company’s sustainability commitment to create positive societal impact.

One startup, The Spark Project (www.thesparkproject.com),  falls under the Displacement category.  The Spark Project is a Filipino crowdfunding website and community founded by Patch Dulay which aims to empower local entrepreneurs and changemakers through an online platform that showcase their ventures and projects. It's a place for like-minded people to discover, support and fund socially meaningful projects.

For Learning and Education, one of the entries which caught the attention of the judges is The Ultimate Learning Accelerator or “TULA” (www.tulaeducation.com) of creator James Centenera.   TULA is on a mission to transform and modernize learning for young children by helping them improve academic performance and instilling character traits and values that are not taught in most schools but are essential for success in the 21st century.

Another Learning and Education standout is “Virtualahan” (www.virtualahan.com ) of Ryan Gersava. This online platform breaks down employment barriers for people with medical, physical, and mental disabilities through an intensive training to help them start working as online service providers.

(L-R): Glenn Estrella: VP for Digital Ventures Globe Telecom; Laurindo Garcia: Founder of B-Change; Joan Yao: VP of Kickstart Ventures; Mikey Garrovillo: Head of Innovations Globe Telecom; Erika Gatmaitan: Program Expert, Citizenship Globe Telecom; Danielle Goldstone: Senior Advisor, Ashoka Global; Terri Jayme-Mora: Country Manager, Ashoka Philippines