Female Leaders Give Opposing Opinions on Issues Faced by Women in Web3

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Filipino-led edutech platform Bitskwela hosted its premiere Web3 debate, Bull or Bear,

at the Philippine Blockchain Week 2023

Bitskwela CPTO Camille Puentespina with the BOBPBW Debaters

The world of Web3 has opened opportunities for everyone to participate in a more transparent internet and create wealth. However, women still face tougher challenges within the industry, including lack of representation, policies, and unfavorable settings, as tackled during the Bull or Bear event held at the Philippine Blockchain Week on September 20, 2023.

Organized by edutech platform Bitskwela, the “Bull or Bear: On-Chain Inclusivity: A Debate on Women Empowerment in Web3” featured six female representatives in the Web3 space who shared contradicting views on significant obstacles that can make it harder for women to thrive in the decentralized web.

Dr. Nataliya Ilyushina, economist and a research fellow at the Blockchain Innovation Hub at RMIT University, believes the lack of regulations in Web3 exposes women to higher risks in the space, leaving them vulnerable to scams and workplace injustices without clear protective measures such as social welfare benefits. On the contrary, Belinda Lim, co-founder of Embolden Ventures, contended that regulations offer protection in traditional industries, highlighting the inclusivity of Web3, where women can experience less discrimination compared to mainstream sectors.

The poll after the debate round revealed that the audience is divided, with 50% agreeing that regulations provide essential protection and structure, while the other 50% appreciates the potential for reduced discrimination in the more open and decentralized nature of Web3.

Meanwhile, Ida Mok, president of Women in Blockchain Asia, argued that women-led initiatives are harder to foster in Web3 because they inherit the male-dominated nature of Web2 industries like finance and agriculture. She cited recent studies that show women only make up 7% of the blockchain workforce and that only 13% of Web3 projects had a female position at the founding table. “Web 3 doesn't exist in isolation… The social barriers still exist, that is why all these initiatives are extremely difficult to foster. The statistics are there, and the numbers don’t lie,” she said.

However, for Ivy Gutierrez of the Lady Traders of Global Miranda Miner Group, Web3 is a newfound niche for women to achieve financial independence, and on a later round, explained why the industry is already conducive to women’s involvement, “Web3 is young but a lot of women already made waves in the industry… and this drives more women to get involved and feel included.”

With a narrow margin, 56% of the audience perceives the male-dominated legacy from Web2 as a hindrance to women-led initiatives in Web3, while the remaining 44% believe Web3 presents a promising avenue for women to attain financial independence.

Entrepreneur and Web3 advocate Juliane Indiongco, also known as Modern Mulan, highlighted the importance of prioritizing women's empowerment in Web3. In contrast, Irene Umar, the CEO of We Guild Games (W3GG), the official guild partner of Yield Guild Games in Southeast Asia, stressed the broader concept of human empowerment within the realm of Web3.

Prior to the debates, keynote speakers including Liza Panowich, marketing manager of OctaFX; Hideki Okada, CEO of Tekkon; Nelson Lumbres, co-founder of ICP Philippines; and June Olivar, client services director of Blockceler8 PR, shared how their platforms are bringing more diversity to the Web3 ecosystem.

Empowering Women in the Web3 Industry

Bitskwela is actively advancing the Web3 education landscape in the Philippines by localizing educational content and fostering a collaborative environment that promotes understanding and awareness in the space.

Camille Puentespina, Chief Product and Tech Officer of Bitskwela, shared in an earlier interview, “We're really trying to drive towards getting the numbers up in terms of the women engaged in the space. Women are very much in business development, marketing, and executive jobs. We really want to push forward and try to recognize as well those in the backstage, those who are really developing and building.”

Jiro Reyes, co-founder and CEO of Bitskwela and Philippine Block Awards 2023 awardee, announced the firm’s strategic partnership with W3GG to support its platforms and community members in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Singapore.

“Our mission to help Filipinos own a piece of the internet continues with this debate. Part of our Web3 education mission is to build events and campaigns that provide a platform for women-led companies to build. Aside from education, Bitskwela also pushes for equal opportunities in the space,” JC Macalintal, CMO of Bitskwela, added.

The “Bull or Bear: On-Chain Inclusivity” event was co-presented by GCrypto, Tekkon, ICP Hub Philippines, and Blockceler8 by Uniquecorn Strategies PR, and supported by the Philippine Blockchain Week, OctaFX, CoinVault, and TikTok.

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About Bitskwela

Bitskwela is a Web3 EduTech company that helps Filipinos own a piece of the internet through educational engagements, management services, products, and events that foster Web3-educated decision-makers and communities.

For more information, visit https://www.bitskwela.com/

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About Bull or Bear

Bull or Bear is Bitskwela’s flagship educational event, positioned as THE PHILIPPINE WEB3 DEBATE Bull or Bear is known in the Web3 community and is looked forward to by the Web3 community. Bull or Bear by Bitskwela has been historically part of the biggest Web3 events in the Philippines, such as last year’s Philippine Web3 Festival and Philippine Blockchain Week.

Home Credit set to empower 10 million Filipinos as it gears up for its 10th year in the Philippines

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Home Credit Philippines (HCPH), the country’s leading consumer finance company, kicks off its 10th anniversary celebration with the goals of providing more Filipinos access to credit and reaching 10 million customers within 2023.

During Home Credit’s media event. From left to right: Petr Lukosz - Chief CRM Officer, David Minol - Chief Executive Officer, Puneet Suneja - Chief Sales Officer, Shiela Paul - Chief Marketing Officer, and Zdenek Jankovsky - Executive Director & Treasurer.

As the company celebrates its decade-long service in the country this October, Home Credit continues to progressively expand its operations and provide customers with a complete ecosystem of products and service offerings suited to their individual needs and lifestyles.

In 2022, Home Credit ended the year strong with a customer base of 9.3 million. The expansion of its services to different lifestyle segments and categories played a big part in enabling Filipinos to afford a more rewarding life.

“Our goal of a financially empowered Philippines comes true every year, one customer at a time. In our 10 years of service in the country, we aim to empower 10 million customers by the end of 2023 and continue to serve more Filipinos in the years to come. More than delivering innovative and accessible financial services, we celebrate the relationships we have built with our stakeholders and customers over the past decade, and this we choose to continue above and beyond,” shares Home Credit Philippines’ Chief Executive Officer, David Minol.

Anything, anytime, anywhere

As a leading consumer finance provider, pioneering buy now, pay later (BNPL) services in the country, Home Credit has grown its local roots in the past decade and developed a much deeper understanding of the local market. The company has seen the need to expand its lifestyle offerings and finance solutions to better support the ever-evolving needs and demand of Filipinos in this new generation.

Over the years, Home Credit has expanded to a robust 15,000 partner stores across 75 provinces in the country and has aggressively grown its online presence through the My Home Credit App. The company has also forged partnerships with the country’s biggest brands and retailers, building a wide selection of 300+ lifestyle commodities ranging from gadgets and smartphones, appliances and furniture, to bicycles and motorcycle accessories, sports equipment, and many more.

From once to always

Since entering the country in 2013, Home Credit has empowered millions of Filipinos to access more financial solutions through its expanded range of product options.

 

Aside from product loans, the company also offers existing customers with good payment histories the opportunity to avail themselves of Cash Loan, which helps them to be more financially capable. To date, Home Credit has disbursed over 1.8 million Cash Loans to its customers, in which 90% of the contracts were signed digitally and 20% of the applications were processed through the My Home Credit App.

 

Home Credit boasts of having the fastest cash loan approval and disbursement in 1 minute – the best in the market. Customers can enjoy the flexibility of the Cash Loan offers ranging from Php 3,000 to Php 150,000 and repayment terms from six to 48 months.

During Home Credit’s media event. From left to right: Shiela Paul - Chief Marketing Officer, David Minol - Chief Executive Officer, Zdenek Jankovsky - Executive Director & Treasurer, Petr Lukosz - Chief CRM Officer, and Puneet Suneja - Chief Sales Officer.

Nurturing relationships, building protection

Home Credit believes that availing of its financing products is not the end of the customers’ journey but only the start of it. The company wants to further build meaningful relationships with its customers and be their ally in advocating proactive measures to keep themselves and their families safe and protected.

 

With this, Home Credit also offers solutions to give the best protection to its customers. They have the option to purchase a range of protection packages: Device Protection which can be upgraded with an extended warranty for accidental damage protection; Extra Care for flexibility in managing payments; Home Content to protect and cover home belongings from any unfortunate incidents; and an innovative Personal Payment Protection that offers unlimited telemedicine service, death and accident coverage, and medical reimbursement.

 

Serving customers, valuing communities

As the lifestyle partner of every Filipino, Home Credit remains steadfast in its mission of empowering Filipinos, Para sa Life. The company has focused on advocating financial literacy, which aligns with Home Credit’s thrust of championing environmental, social and governance (ESG).

 

Last year, Home Credit’s flagship financial literacy program Wais sa Home reached more than 20 million Filipinos across the country and has driven onsite financial literacy programs in various provinces, particularly in the communities of Pampanga, Iloilo, Guimaras, Capiz, Antique, and Aklan.

 

The company also commits to a greener earth with 30 million sheets of paper saved in overall transactions, an equivalent of 2,000 trees conserved due to its digitalization initiative. Aside from that, Home Credit also promotes equity by providing more substantial purchasing power for women who comprise 52% of its customer base.

 

Home Credit, as the market leader in the consumer finance sector, not only finds strength in numbers but in the strong connections it has made among stakeholders and consumers alike. In its 10th year in the Philippines, the company seeks to become a standard in the consumer finance industry with its commitment to innovation, customer satisfaction, and financial inclusion.

Home Credit Philippines is a financing company duly licensed and supervised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).  To know more about the latest updates from the company, visit its official website www.homecredit.ph. You may also follow its official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts. Customers are also encouraged to download the My Home Credit App on Google Play to learn more about the latest promos and see what’s new in the Marketplace.

WorldRemit powers long-distance love

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Love makes many feats possible. This statement rings true for many Filipinos who have been working overseas to better provide for their loved ones this Valentine’s Day.

This February, WorldRemit shares stories of love – particularly about how two OFWs have made long-distance relationships work throughout the years and how remittances have acted as a currency of care.

“Today’s rising cost of living has only pushed more Filipinos to seek better opportunities abroad, resulting in more couples living apart,” said Earl Melivo, Interim APAC Managing Director of WorldRemit. “It is also worth noting that many couples are married with children and are finding ways to provide for their families. This makes being away for longer periods of time necessary yet even more difficult.”

A 2018 study showed how Filipino husbands were more likely to be separated from their wives, with 58% of OFW children having fathers who worked abroad. Jonathan, a father of three, has been a supervisor for an oil firm based in Brunei for 25 years. There, he initially lived and worked together with his children and his wife Bam, an optometrist. After 12 years, they returned to the Philippines, where his wife put up her own optical clinic.

Jonathan chose to stay behind to maintain their family income. Now, he only sees his family once a year, which he considers as the hardest part about his extended stay. “It’s difficult to cope with their present activities,” he said.

Another case is Manny, a management assistant who has worked in the Middle East for 32 years. “Being an absentee father to my three daughters makes me regret at times being away while they are growing up,” he also echoed.

However, as a result of their sacrifices, both fathers were able to achieve significant milestones for their families together with their wives. In the years they spent apart, Jonathan and Bam have been able to acquire a house and lot, a car, and another clinic for Bam’s practice. They are currently seeing all three of their children through college.

In the long run, both OFWs share the same goal of having all their children finish their education and putting up a business that can support them after retiring. For now, their main advice for other OFW couples is daily communication.

“Constantly communicate, update the one who’s away with everything going on with the family, and always give each other assurance,” Jonathan said.

While Jonathan and Manny are now able to maximize video calls to stay connected with their families, Manny still looked back fondly at how he and his wife got by before the internet.

“Letters and voice tapes delivered through post were the only ways we could convey our affections. We would receive each other’s letters in about a week if we were lucky, or in two weeks at most. Telephone calls were an option, but were rare as they were quite expensive,” he said.

At present, Manny is thankful enough for the ease and convenience offered by technology. After all, online remittance services like WorldRemit are the reason he and his wife are able to work towards the future they’ve always dreamed of together.

“Despite challenges like difficult working conditions and homesickness, Filipinos are ultimately motivated by their love for their families. WorldRemit not only recognizes this love but empowers it, enabling reliable and real-time digital transfers which make OFWs feel like they’re right there,” Melivo said.

Read more inspiring stories from migrant workers around the world. Get to know them better through the WorldRemit community at https://www.worldremit.com/en/blog/community/.

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About WorldRemit

We’re a leading global payments company. We disrupted an industry previously dominated by offline legacy players by taking international money transfers online—making them safer, faster and lower-cost. We currently send from 50 to 130 countries, operate in more than 5,000 money transfer corridors worldwide and employ around 1,200 people globally.

On the sending side WorldRemit is 100% digital (cashless),increasing convenience and enhancing security. For those receiving money, the company offers a wide range of options including bank deposit, cash collection, mobile airtime top-up and mobile money.

Maya accelerates 'digi-palengke' thrust in Mindanao

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BSP-DILG’s Paleng-QR Ph launched in Davao City today

Maya, the country's only all-in-one money app, is transforming Davao City's biggest Bankerohan Public Market with the launch of the Paleng-QR PH initiative in Mindanao today.

Spearheading the "digi-palengke" program is Davao City Government with the support of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). Also supporting the launch are PLDT and Smart Communications.

BSP Governor Felipe Medalla and Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte led the ceremonies held today at the city's Bankerohan Public Market.

"By promoting the interoperable QR PH national standard codes, Paleng-QR PH creates a simple but more powerful digital finance experience at the local community level. At Maya, we fully support Davao City's vision to build a stronger digital ecosystem," said Orlando Vea, Maya CEO and Founder and Maya Bank Co-Founder.

“Basta QR PH, pwede kami sa Maya,” Vea added.

The Paleng-QR Ph program aims to digitalize transactions starting with public markets and local transportation. The program enables vendors and tricycle drivers to accept digital payments from customers regardless of their e-wallet or bank accounts via QR Ph, the national standard for QR payment. Maya's QR codes are QR Ph-compliant, and its app can scan any QR Ph-powered transaction.

Creating digi-palengkes is part of Maya’s own LGUs Embracing and Accelerating Digitalization (L.E.A.D). Through this program, Maya equips local governments like Davao City with business-in-a-box payment acceptance solutions and disbursement tools to enable faster public service delivery.

Maya is the first digital financial services platform to adopt QR Ph. More than 52 million users can enjoy a seamless experience using Maya's consumer platforms that can send and accept P2P payments from other QR Ph-participating financial institutions.

Meanwhile, non-Maya users can pay at over 800,000 QR Ph-enabled Maya merchants, which are present in 96% of the total cities and municipalities.

The BSP's OR Ph initiative is part of the overall financial services transformation roadmap of the Philippines. It aims to raise Filipinos' trust in digital financial services, as consumers and enterprises will get used to sending and receiving cashless payments for everyday transactions.

Maya's full support to QR PH is in line with the BSP's thrust to increase the share of Filipino adults with a financial account from 56% in 2021 to 70% in 2023 and grow the volume of digital payments from 20% in 2021 to 50% by next year.

"Digital payment is the entry point of Filipinos to the financial system. As they build their financial footprint, consumers and MSMEs can access more progressive digital banking services offered by Maya," said Vea.

Maya has made it easier for consumers to spend, save, get credit, and invest in crypto just by using its top-rated all-in-one money app. Its merchant partners, meanwhile, can open a business deposit account and access revolving credit lines leveraging their payment transactions.

To know more about Maya, visit maya.ph or follow @mayaiseverything on Facebook, IG, TikTok, and YouTube and @mayaofficialph on Twitter. Join the Maya Telegram community at https://t.me/TeamMayaPH

Ultimate Guide to Maya's #1111MoneyDay

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Get ready for ultimate deals on your holiday shopping with Maya's #1111MoneyDay!

We're excited to share with you the ULTIMATE GUIDE to Maya's #1111MoneyDay. Spend with Maya this 11.11 and enjoy deals up to 50% off, up to P1,111 cashback on your bills, a chance to win P1M Bitcoin, and so much more!

Check out  #1111MoneyDay cheat sheet below, for a list of all exciting offers! 

If you need more info on a certain deal, simply head to maya.ph/moneyday.

Five Things You Can Do with ShopeePay

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Send money for free, get bills cashback, and more when you use ShopeePay.

Nowadays, there are mobile apps for just about everything, even for activities like shopping or making financial transactions that we previously could not do online. With thousands of apps available for our use, it's best to choose one with different features so you don’t have to constantly switch between apps. Are you looking for versatility and convenience? Then ShopeePay is for you. To get started, simply download the Shopee app, activate and verify your ShopeePay Wallet. From paying for items on Shopee to sending money, there’s a lot you can accomplish with Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet.

Here’s a quick rundown of the things you can do with ShopeePay so you won’t miss out:

1. Avoid bank fees when you cash in via InstaPay or link your bank account

There are plenty of ShopeePay cash in channels to choose from like payment centers, e-wallets, online banking, debit cards, and more. Aside from these convenient options, did you know that you can also avoid admin fees and cash in for free? One way is to link your BPI or UnionBank account to cash in for free. For those with a different bank, cashing in is also free when you use InstaPay on your bank’s online app—get up to P25 cashback on your first two InstaPay transactions per month.

To make the experience even more rewarding, you can join the ‘Cash In and Win with InstaPay’ promo and stand a chance to win P100,000 worth of prizes when you cash in at least P1,000 via InstaPay from June 27 to 30. Cash in as many times as you can to earn more raffle entries.

2. Send money to any bank, e-wallet, or Shopee user for free

Need to send money to your friends or family? No need to worry about paying additional fees. The best thing about sending money with ShopeePay is that it’s free, no hidden fees. Choose from different ways to instantly send money— to bank account, e-wallet, scan to send via QR, or try the new Ang Pao feature. You can use ShopeePay Ang Pao to surprise your friends and family during special occasions or to send money to multiple people at the same time without incurring additional charges. Here’s a short video on how to use Ang Pao:

On top of zero fees, you can also earn money when you participate in ShopeePay’s send money promos until June 30.

● ShopeePay Mission - From June 23 to 30, send at least P50 to any ShopeePay user or bank/e-wallet account, and earn raffle entries for every transaction. Eligible users can get a chance to win up to P1,000,000.

● Double Ang Pao promo - Get double the amount you sent when you send at least P50 to 40 friends from June 27 to 29 (capped at P200) and to 100 friends on June 30 (capped at P500).

3. Buy discounted load and data for your mobile phone

We’re used to purchasing prepaid load from reloading stations that usually add extra costs on top of the load. Why pay full price or more when you can call, text, and surf the net with discounted load and data promos from ShopeePay? Get up to 10% discount for mobile load and data from the country’s major networks when you top up your prepaid SIM. Tip: Check out ShopeePay’s flash deals and payday discounts for more offers.

4. Get cashback when you pay your bills

Whether you need to pay for daily utilities like electricity, water, and internet or personal expenses like loans, insurance, or government contributions, ShopeePay is a one-stop shop for your bills payment needs. Get the most out of your monthly budget with cashback vouchers when you use ShopeePay to pay over 60 partner billers—new users can get up to 100% bills cashback (minimum spend P180, capped at 180 coins).

5. Access amazing deals in-store and online shopping perks

Check out ‘ShopeePay Near Me’ on the Shopee app to discover deals for as low as P1 from popular food & beverage outlets, retail brands, and more. Avid online shoppers can get more value for money when you pay Shopee purchases with ShopeePay’s exclusive shipping discounts and cashback vouchers. This June 30 Payday Sale, enjoy even more rewards such as sitewide shipping discount vouchers w/ P0 min. spend, up to P1000 off on bills and 10% off vouchers when shopping.

Activate ShopeePay now and start enjoying its benefits. To learn more about ShopeePay, visit https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-pay. Follow ShopeePay’s Instagram and Facebook pages to be updated with the latest promos.

RBank’s innovation provides instant cash to payroll clients

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Robinsons Bank once again proves that they are true to their vision of fulfilling the changing needs of their customers.

The Bank launched its new product, InstaBale, which allows eligible employees to make a cash advance on their upcoming salary credits.

Employees can skip filling up forms or long waiting time since they can easily apply for an InstaBale through the RBank Digital App. There’s no enrollment needed; and funds can be received in just a few minutes.

What’s more, InstaBale also offers unlimited and multiple availments within the cash advance limit.

Instabale offers a maximum cash advance limit of up to Php 200,000, depending on the approved limit per qualified employee.

The cash availed is automatically charged on the upcoming payroll, thus no need to worry anymore about missing the due date. Easy and convenient!

InstaBale is the perfect solution that will allow employees to have the financial flexibility they need as it provides a quick, safe, and reliable access to funds whenever they need.

InstaBale is only available to qualified employees with payroll account with Robinsons Bank Corporation. Download the RBank Digital app now!

Robinsons Bank is the financial services arm of the JG Summit Group of Companies, one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines. It currently ranks 18th among universal and commercial banks in the country, with assets amounting to Php 151.215 Bn Bn as of December 2020. The Bank is recognized as the Fastest Growing Retail Bank in the Philippines for 2019-2010 by The Global Banking and Finance Review; Fastest Growing Commercial Bank in the Philippines for 2019 and 2020 by the Global Business Outlook; and the Best Commercial Bank in the Philippines for 2020 by the International Business Magazine.

For inquiries and concerns, you may reach Robinsons Bank through its Customer Care Center at (02) 8637-CARE (2273) or domestic toll-free 1-800-10-637-CARE (2273); or visit its website at www.robinsonsbank.com.ph. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robinsonsbank/ and join our Viber Community at www.bit.ly/RBankCommunity to get the latest updates.

i2i Mobile ATM marks first year of providing digitally-enabled access to funds to communities

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i2i, the nation’s fastest growing payments and cash disbursement network, celebrates the first anniversary since the launch of its groundbreaking Mobile ATM solution. Developed and operated by UBX, UnionBank’s fintech spin-off, the i2i platform digitally enables financial institutions and other community based financial service providers to drive financial inclusion in the country. 

 

i2i Mobile ATM was a timely response to the pandemic and the need to digitally enable distribution and access to funds. In the last 6 months of 2020, i2i Mobile ATM volumes increased 3000% monthly. In 2021, i2i kicked off the year by welcoming over 1,300 new financial service providers and agents to the network via a joint venture with the Irish financial services technology giant Fexco. 

 

Robert Serdena, the owner of Rodhess Ticketing and Travel Services, i2i Mobile ATM’s first partner, said, “Salamat nalang at nakilala ko si i2i Mobile ATM. Malaking naitulong nito sa aking pangkabuhayan. Subalit hindi lamang sa pangkabuhayan, malaking tulong din ito sa aking mga kabarangay dahil hindi na nila kailangan mag-biyahe ng lima hanggang sampung kilometro para mag-withdraw sa pinakamalapit na ATM dito sa aming lugar.”  

 

i2i Mobile ATM provided significant support to communities and businesses during the pandemic. It brings ATM services to the community while providing an additional source of income for small businesses. Reducing travel and bringing cash distribution closer to home means safer access to funds while saving ATM customers time and money. 

 

One of i2i Mobile ATM’s sari-sari store owner partners, Elsie Dizon, said “Natutuwa ako kasi kahit wala pa akong isang buwan, nadagdagan ‘yung customers ko. At siyempre dahil naka-withdraw na sila, may pera na sila, namimili din sila ng ilang items sa tindahan ko. Masaya din sila kasi merong mas malapit at kahit sa ibang barangay, dito rin sila nagwi-withdraw sa akin. Nagpapasalamat ako sa i2i Mobile ATM dahil nadagdagan ang kabuhayan ko.” 

 

As community-based financial service providers, i2i Mobile ATM partners are essential for many, including pensioners. This at-risk population cannot travel to nearby towns or the nearest ATM, either of which could be several kilometers away. i2i Mobile ATM provides safer access to DSWD 4Ps & SAP program beneficiaries closer to home in far-flung or remote areas. At the same time, small businesses directly affected by the quarantine like travel & tour operators, sari-sari stores and carinderias have found an alternative line of business in the midst of the pandemic. i2i Mobile ATM has augmented the incomes of these entrepreneurs and SMEs who may now recycle otherwise idle liquidity for an additional source of revenue.  

 

More Filipino business owners are signing up for i2i Mobile ATM for additional income. The i2i team conducts webinars every 2 weeks to assist interested business owners. 

To learn more about i2i Mobile ATM, follow i2i and i2i Mobile ATM Philippines on Facebook. You may also visit https://www.i2i.ph 

Win as much as P100,000 when you send money from PayMaya to Smart Padala

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Sending Padalove to your friends and family from the safety of your home has just become even more rewarding as PayMaya and Smart Padala give you a chance to win as much as P100,000 for your send money transactions.

Given the current quarantine measures in place in various parts of the country, sending money from your PayMaya app to your recipient via Smart Padala is the best way to transfer funds across the country – especially to those without a bank or an e-wallet account. 

Now, PayMaya and Smart Padala are enhancing your send-money experience with an exclusive reward because whenever you transfer at least P1,000 from your PayMaya account to be claimed at a Smart Padala agent, you get to earn a raffle entry that gives you a chance to win exciting prizes – from your monthly grocery budget of P10,000 to as much as P100,000 in the grand raffle draw! 

Your first send money transaction within the promo period lets you earn five raffle entries, while you get one raffle entry for your succeeding transactions until June 18, 2021. The more raffle entries you earn, the more chances you have of becoming one of the 30 lucky winners of P10,000 or taking home the grand prize of P100,000.  

To start sending money from your PayMaya app to a Smart Padala agent, all you have to do is follow these simple steps:  

1. Ask your recipient for the 16-digit account number of their nearest Smart Padala agent 
2. On your PayMaya app, tap “Send Money” 
3. Enter the 16-digit Smart Padala account number on the mobile/account number field 

4. Input the amount you wish to send and tap “Continue” 
5. Check the transaction details, make sure they’re correct, and tap “Send” 
6. Share the transaction’s reference number to your recipient. They will need this plus one valid ID to claim the money 

By sending money straight to Smart Padala, your loved ones can easily claim their remittance from any of the 37,000 Smart Padala agents nationwide. Because there’s always a Smart Padala agent in one’s neighborhood, claiming Padalove is just easy as heading to their trusted kapitbahay – no need to commute or line up at remittance centers. 

Whether you’re sending emergency funds to a family member or extra budget to buy their daily essentials, it's now easier than ever to send some love to your friends and family across the country while still keeping yourself safe at home. With this special reward, you can even earn extra funds to share with your loved ones in these critical times.  

To start enjoying safe, convenient, and rewarding transactions for your everyday needs, just download the PayMaya app at https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133 and register an account. Remember, don’t pay cash. PayMaya! ​

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country including "everyday" merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants as well as government agencies and units.   

Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 37,000 partner agent touchpoints nationwide serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to digital services.

To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

917Ventures joins The Final Pitch in search of “new heroes”

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Business reality TV show, The Final Pitch, kicks off its sixth season on CNN Philippines with 917Ventures Managing Director Vince Yamat on board to scout for ‘new heroes’ who will help rebuild the country and improve the lives of Filipinos amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

For the show’s “Heroes Edition,” Yamat joins an esteemed panel of investor-judges who will evaluate the business proposals presented by the contestants to address the economic and social impact of the global health crisis.

 

The successful venture builder may join 917Ventures’ Velocity program, a three-month Bootcamp that aims to bring out the external talent and their ideas, as well as create ventures with the growth levers and network advantage of operating within 917Ventures and Globe.

 

917Ventures is Globe’s corporate venture builder that ideates, launches, and accelerates new businesses that have the potential to grow and scale fast. Among the successful and innovative companies under its wing are GCash, KonsultaMD, AdSpark, HealthNow, PureGo, and RUSH.

 

“We offer an opportunity for talents to join an entrepreneurial program where they will be able to turn their dream idea into reality.  Not only will they be able to tap the expertise of 917Ventures but they will also be able to unlock Globe’s Unfair Advantage which consists of a user base of over 80 million, with one million distribution points, and 150,000 enterprise partners nationwide to begin with,” said Yamat.

917Venture’s Velocity, which will be fully online due to mobility restrictions, is set to start as early as May this year. The corporate venture builder will provide funding, product and technology development, operational support, and network access. The deadline for entry submission is on March 28, 2021.

 

“We are in search of what we call a venture builder, someone with grit and the right attitude who is passionate about solving a problem.  Our focus is on FinTech, E-Commerce, HealthTech, and AdTech but we also welcome great ideas in other fields,” said Yamat, who is looking forward to The Final Pitch Season 6 to be aired Sundays starting March 21.

 

The Final Pitch creator and host John Aguilar, FWD Insurance President and CEO Li Hao Zhuang, UBX President and CEO John Januszczak, and Thames International Business School President Joel Santos join Yamat in the panel of investor-judges.

 

To know more about 917Ventures and Velocity, visit https://velocity.917ventures.com/

“Why Financial Education Alone Does Not Work,” an FQ Trilogy’s book 2 by FQ Mom Rose Fres Fausto

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 Achieve the right money behavior in FQ Trilogy’s book 2

 

Finance guru Rose Fres Fausto turns the spotlight on principles affecting money behaviors in her latest book “Why Financial Education Alone Does Not Work,” the second installment in her financial intelligence quotient (FQ) trilogy published by ABS-CBN Books.

Rose Fres Fausto 

“It took a lot of courage on my part to write this book. Why? Because many people would not like to hear what I have to say,” said the bestselling author, who seeks to elucidate why financial literacy per se is not enough to guide people in making better money choices.

 

While understanding finance fundamentals remain important, the FQ mom said that people should not count on it to solve woeful behaviors that lead to poor money conditions. “In order to solve financial problems, we have to focus on our actual financial behavior,” she added.

 

“Why Financial Education Alone Does Not Work” is divided into three parts and Rose shares her detailed assessment in the first part of the book followed by a crash course on behavioral economics.

 

In the book’s third part called “The Psychology Of Money,” the author introduced two main characters—Mak who is ‘makatwiran’ or rational and Emong who makes financial decisions based on his emotions. 

 

Readers will get to see themselves in these two characters facing various relatable situations as Rose tackles 16 vital principles affecting how people arrive at money decisions in everyday life, even when buying essentials, paying for repairs, and doing leisurely activities.   

 

Among the principles explained are the ‘price of free’ which attracts people to the price of zero than any other price, no matter how low; ‘ego depletion’ or the limited ability to make sound choices because of decision overload, hunger, self-restraint, and fatigue; and ‘pain of paying’ which seems to make purchases less painful depending on the mode of payment.

 

Rose is a newspaper columnist, a behavioral economist, and a Gallup-certified strengths coach. Her new manual is a follow-up to “FQ: The nth Intelligence” book where she talked about tips on how to improve one’s relationship with money.

 

Understand “Why Financial Education Alone Does Not Work” and learn about the “Psychology of Money” in this latest ABS-CBN Books’ offering available on Lazada, and Shopee for only P680. 

For more details, follow ABS-CBN Books on Facebook (www.facebook.com/abscbnbooks) and Instagram (@abscbnbooks).  

 

GCash in 2020 Catalyzing growth of the new digital economy

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2020 has been a year full of challenges, with the world still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 economically. In the Philippines, consumers have adjusted to the new normal by adopting, among others, fintech services to make their financial lifestyles more convenient and themselves safe against the pandemic.

Dedicated in its commitment in democratizing payments, GCash, the undisputed leader and preferred mobile wallet in the Philippines, shares how Filipinos have embraced digital finance through a snapshot of its performance this year.

Over PHP 1 trillion in transactions have passed through the GCash app during 2020, peaking at a PHP 7.5 billion daily gross transaction value, and with more than 6 million transactions in a day. The mobile wallet company also grew its users to 33 million, a 65% growth versus last year.

GCash Forest, the mobile wallet’s multi-awarded, gamified solution in reducing the nation’s carbon footprint, has now over 6.7 million users actively collecting carbon points, which in turn can secure the users an actual tree to be planted in select forest sheds in the country. 

“GCash has played an integral role in keeping not only the economy going this year, but keeping Filipinos safe and sane during the pandemic. We’ve seen not only heads of households and young adults use the GCash app for their financial lifestyle, but even consumers that advocate a greener Philippines, in maximizing what our platform has to offer,” said Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash.

GCash is also revolutionizing the way Filipinos handle their money. As of November 2020, 3 million GSave accounts have been opened, demonstrating how banking behavior is shifting from traditional physical branch visits, to simply transferring to a digital savings account. Lending is another example: Over PHP 8 billion have been extended to more than 900,000 Filipinos in need of funds through the app’s GCredit service, disrupting existing processes for loans in the country. 

As a force for good, GCash users have donated more than PHP 40 million in 2020 alone as relief to those who have been affected by COVID-19 and the typhoons near the end of the year through the mobile wallet’s CSR initiative GCash for Good. Gone are the days where donations are only done through banks, with donors scanning deposit slips as proof of transactions. Once again, behavior has shifted from traditional to digital. 

Shopping is another use case consumers have applied GCash to: this year alone, Filipinos spent over PHP 16 billion on popular online shopping sites such as Lazada and Shopee. Meanwhile, more than 600,000 merchants and social online sellers opened up shop during the pandemic with GCash as the primary mode of payment.

“Aside from regular financial transactions such as money transfer and bills payments, we’ve noticed shifting behaviors on how money and digital money is being used, namely on entertainment, savings, donations, and online shopping,” added Sazon, crediting the mobile wallet’s quick pivot on user needs to further expand financial inclusion in the country through digital transformation.

GCash is so pervasive in society that it’s becoming a verb: A Filipino on average mentions the word “GCash” on social media every second of every day in the country, not yet including other communication media such as personal conversations, texts, and emails. Memes have also popped up this holiday season, asking ninongs and ninangs to just send their aguinaldos using GCash.

The outlook of fintech indeed is bright in the country, especially now that the new normal is here. This year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas announced their Digital Transformation Roadmap, where the agency aims to shift at least 50 percent of retail payment transactions to digital, and to have at least 70 percent of Filipinos have their own e-wallet by 2023. GCash fully supports this endeavor, and is confident that it will be able to accelerate meeting this goal, as 1 in 3 Filipinos already have a GCash account. 

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.

GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. 

For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.