Globe and Hineleban Foundation “rainforestation” efforts underway, now covers 34 hectares in Bukidnon

Globe to step up support with 30M donation within 5-year period 

Globe is stepping up its "rainforestation" efforts in partnership with Hineleban Foundation, which now covers 34 hectares in Bukidnon. The leading telecommunications provider committed to donate P30 million within a 5-year period to cover 300 hectares of denuded primary rainforests in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur. 

A portion of land at Barangay Kalugmanan, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon being prepared for Hineleban's reforestation program.

“Our partnership with Hineleban Foundation for this initiative is supportive of our environmental sustainability policy which seeks to lessen the impact of our operations to the environment. This partnership can truly make a difference because it is a sustained effort, using the tested and successful techniques of Hineleban Foundation to increase forest cover by 2021," Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications, said.

Beyond reforestation efforts, Hineleban and Globe have been working together since 2016 to tap local communities to become guardians of the rainforests. The land area, which is the focus of the foundation's reforestation program, covers six mountain ranges, engages more than 21 barangays and is home to the indigenous people of Bukidnon and Maranaos of Lanao del Sur. 

Currently, the 34 hectares are being planted with Brazilian and Caribbean pine trees and other indigenous tree species. The reforestation benefits around 826 households of surrounding communities in Sitio Bagalangit and Baranggay Kalugmanan, Manolo Fortich. The next phase will commence this year and will benefit local families in Barangay Baylanan in Talakag, Bukidnon.

The 300 hectares of denuded primary rainforests, that will be covered by Globe Telecom’s financial support, form part of the 4,896 hectares total target area of “rainforestation” by Hineleban Foundation in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur. Hineleban Foundation’s “rainforestation” program will be implemented in five phases over a five-year period, which started last December 2016 until December 2021. It will follow the rainforestation model methodology that comprises 3 major components: reforestation, food security and sustainable livelihood development. 

Urooj Malik, chairman and chief executive officer of Hineleban Foundation, welcomed Globe Telecom’s commitment to step up support. “There is an urgent call to action in the Philippines. To date, the country is down to less than 1.8 percent of primary forest cover since the 1970s due to massive environment degradation caused by kaingin, rapid conversion of rainforest into farms, massive logging operations and forest fires. With the environmental crisis we are facing today, we are thankful that we can find individuals and companies who find sustainable ways to grow while protecting our environment," Malik said. 

Hineleban Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization based in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. The group is composed of individuals focused on the restoration of the environment and sustainable livelihood for the Lumads and the Bangsamoro through Transformational Business Partnerships, with the objective of fostering peace through inclusive development. The foundation believes that “rainforestation” of the mountains of Mindanao is the only long-term solution to reducing the effects and risks of climate change and to attaining food self-sufficiency, bringing back three crop cycles per year.

Globe Telecom’s P30 million donation to Hineleban Foundation will be funded in part by the fees collected from postpaid mobile and broadband customers who continue to use paper billing. In 2015, the company launched its paperless billing campaign to contribute to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal of Life on Land – centered on protecting, restoring and promoting sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. While majority of the company's customers have already shifted to paperless billing, there are still those who prefer to receive paper bills. These customers will help fund the reforestation program and indirectly will be able to participate in the company's green initiative. 

OPPO A71 2018 raises the bar in entry-level smartphone experience

Manila, Philippines (March, 2018) – OPPO Philippines strengthens its entry-level smartphone offering with the new OPPO A71 2018, carrying a mid-range class processor and includes OPPO’s A.I. Beauty Technology for Php7,990. Equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core processor found in smartphones at the mid-range level, the A71 2018 elevates the standard of speed and battery efficiency in its price point. 

Selfies will never be the same with the A.I. Beauty Technology infused in the 5MP front camera, for this allows more personalized selfie experience by analyzing the subject’s face in more than 220 facial points. Similar with the OPPO F5, the A71 2018 can also detect the skin tone, age and race for a natural looking selfie.

Along with a 13MP rear camera, capturing moments will be fun and easy with multiple modes such as time-lapse, panorama and even expert mode for ultra-HD 42MP shots. All these features are seen through the 5.2” HD display and compact shell body that is easy to hold and carry around. 

In addition to value for money, the OPPO A71 2018 comes with a free pre-installed screen protector and transparent protection case. The smartphone also has all-around connectivity with dedicated dual-sim slot and microSD storage for expansion. This gesture is a standard in OPPO smartphones, ensuring that customer experience is on-top of mind in every aspect. 

Running on Color OS 3.2 under Android 7.1.1, the A71 2018 runs smooth with premium features like O-Share to transfer files from other OPPO smartphones in lightning speeds. Plus, with its battery efficient processor, the 3,000mAh battery can last for more than 12 hours. 

“We keep on pushing the industry by coming up with the best smartphone in every price point. We believe the A71 2018’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 processor and A.I. Beauty Technology will elevate the smartphone experience in the entry-level arena,” said Eason de Guzman, Public Relations Manager of OPPO Philippines.

The OPPO A71 2018 will be available in all concept stores nationwide starting tomorrow. For more information, customers may visit https://www.oppo.com/ph/. 

They can also follow OPPO on Facebook via https://www.facebook.com/OPPOPH/ to see the latest updates and events from the brand.

#IShapeMyWorld : Levi’s® celebrates fearless Filipino women

MANILA, March, 2017- On International Women’s Day, Levi’s®  #IShapeMyWorld campaign is celebrating the female form, in all its forms, and highlighting stories of extraordinary, fearless women who have shaped the world on their own terms. In a series of online videos, Levi’s® revealed that three extraordinary Filipino women are adding their voices to the #IShapeMyWorld campaign: superbike racer Love-Love Tioseco, nature artist Wiji Lacsamana, and brave mom Jasmine Mendiola.

Because #IShapeMyWorld features the Levi’s® 300 Shaping Series, women with different body types are celebrated together with women from different age groups, backgrounds, and professional fields.

Phenomenal women

The new advocates of the #IShapeMyWorld had their unique battles to win on the path to debunking traditional gender roles and succeeding in their own chosen careers. 

Love-Love became the only female superbike racer from the Philippines in 2000. After 18 years, she remains the only woman racing a 1000cc displacement motorcycle in the Philippines. For Love-Love, the best competitions have been those where she landed a spot on the top five against 15-20 other men. Though she sometimes encounters disparaging comments, she does not let them put her down and stop her from winning more races.

“I have accepted that you cannot please everybody. I love my passion. Criticisms, bashers, haters, none of you guys can put me down.” --- Love-Love said of her critics. 

Artist Wiji’s love for creating things that are readily available from nature gave birth to her homegrown brand Radioactive Mushrooms in the Forest. Wiji believes that it is important to create things that make a positive impact on the environment and future generations. That’s why Wiji only uses natural ingredients for her cosmetics and scents. Even her watercolor tattoos are made of vegan ink.

“Your own little way can help change the world because if you affect one person this way, you inspire them to live this way. Then hopefully they’ll inspire another person and just pay it forward,” Wiji said. 

Mompreneur Jasmine had to go through an emergency hysterectomy when, after giving birth to her third child, she started losing a lot of blood. The doctors had no choice but to remove her uterus, rendering her unable to bear a child again. Despite encountering complications such as acute kidney failure, Jasmine recovered and went on to become a work-from-home mom, a successful bridal makeup expert, and a style and image consultant.

For women who are going through tough times, Jasmine has this advice to share: 

“When you feel that life just gets too much for you for whatever reason, don’t doubt yourself, believe in your own strength and shape your mind according to how you want to live your life.”

Levi’s® is inviting you to be part of the #IShapeMyWorld conversation! 

Share with us what people said to define your limits and what you did to prove them wrong. Tag us on Facebook @Levis.philippines and use the hashtag #IShapeMyWorld to share your story of defeating obstacles and changing perceptions when others said you couldn’t. 

City of Dreams Manila sets the bar for CSR initiatives with more than 4,000 active volunteers

City of Dreams Manila recognizes the participation of more than 4,000 of its employees or approximately 80% of its workforce who in 2017 engaged in the luxury resort’s fourth year of long-term and sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs.

City of Dreams Manila’s year-round outreach program last year included provisions for basic needs, social and learning activities for orphans and the elderly; refurbishing classrooms through the Department of Educations ‘Brigada Eskwela’ campaign; annual blood donations for Red Cross; relief goods for those affected by disasters; and mangrove and tree-planting and coastal clean-up drives. The various undertakings were aptly named “Spoonful of Dreams” for the care of orphans and street children, ”Connecting Dreams” for the special time spent with the elderly, “Headful of Dreams” for educational sessions for children and elders “Hopeful Dreams“ for hospital visits to indigent patients and “Growing Dreams“ for environmental protection.

“Volunteerism is ingrained in our employees’ commitment to give back to the community in meaningful and creative ways. Various CSR activities are held at least twice a month and during these undertakings, employees throughout the ranks in different departments work together to help the less fortunate and conserve the environment,” states Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Benning.

Volunteers visited the integrated resort’s adopted orphanage in Paranaque, Bahay Aruga, monthly, providing the children with meals and creative learning activities. During the festive season, the orphans were brought to DreamPlay, the DreamWorks-inspired interactive play space at City of Dreams Manila as the volunteers assisted them in experiencing the various attractions of the popular facility, having their photo ops with Dreamworks’ animated characters and joined them at a hearty lunch at Chez Gingy.

Employees also contributed their time visiting the elders, orphans, sick and abandoned children at the Missionaries of Charity in Tondo, Manila, did general cleaning and laundry services to help provide the residents a more comfortable living space, prepared and cooked meals for the residents. In addition, to support the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela campaign with the Paranaque city government, volunteers cleaned and refurbished 12 classrooms in San Dionisio Elementary School, Paranaque.

Upon the invitation of benevolent blogger Jane Go, volunteers from DreamPlay and other departments together with DreamPlay character Puss in Boots brought gifts and cheer to children confined at the Philippine Children’s Medical Center, a government owned tertiary hospital in Quezon City that provides pediatric medical care and clinical research.

Through the Purple Center Foundation, one of the resort’s beneficiary institutions, volunteers also gave immediate assistance and relief in the aftermath of a typhoon and fire in two separate incidents in Tondo, Manila. Canned food, bottled water, and medical supplies were provided to 1,500 families affected by the typhoon. Linens, bed sheets, cutlery, plates, glasses, and other basic items were given to 700 families whose homes were gutted by the fire.

City of Dreams Manila’s team members also reached out to various non-government institutions, among them: Anawim, a sanctuary to poor and abandoned elderly in Rodriguez, Rizal, with whom they engaged in social activities, provided care and basic needs; My Father's House in Manila for children in need of special protection, parental care and spiritual nurturing; Tahanang Walang Hagdanan in Cainta, a social enterprise which provides continuous holistic development to persons with disabilities including a livelihood program and rehabilitation; and the Hospicio de San Jose and Virlanie Foundation’s orphanages.

For the employees’ participation in the integrated resort’s semi-annual voluntary blood donation drive for its blood bank, the Philippine Red Cross, presented City of Dreams with plaques of appreciation for their commitment to help save lives.

Apart from the scheduled CSR programs, the Security team of City of Dreams Manila also spearheaded various CSR activities supported by other colleagues from various departments, such as: the coastal cleanup along Manila Bay and tree-planting in Cavite, a special thanksgiving tribute to the war veterans in Paranaque’s 16th district, providing them wheelchairs, walking canes, medicines and vitamins, bed pans, adult diapers, and food packs; and its own “Drop of Hope” campaign, periodically providing bags of food, water, and basic necessities to street children and families living along the coastline of Metro Manila.

The long-term volunteering efforts of City of Dreams Manila’s employees demonstrate the staff’s commitment to be good corporate citizens and their growing awareness and contributions towards the social and economic needs of local communities – an advocacy that they are determined to uphold.

Puregold is 1st national supermarket chain to accept mobile payments via GCash scan to pay

Mobile payments pioneer GCash has partnered with Puregold, one of the country's biggest supermarket chains, to implement quick response or QR payments acceptance starting at Puregold Qi Central in Quezon City. 

This marks Puregold’s shift towards embracing modern and convenient payment methods and makes Puregold the first national supermarket chain to accept GCash QR.

From L-R:  Pamela P. Co, Puregold Director; Ferdinand Vincent P. Co, Puregold President; Susan Co, Puregold Vice-Chairman; Lucio Co, Puregold Chairman; Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO; Anthony Thomas, Mynt President and CEO

The GCash QR scan to pay feature is now accepted in 233 Puregold stores in Metro Manila and nationwide. With over 300 stores nationwide, the supermarket chain has been an inspiration for close to two decades in serving all classes of Filipinos with its vast array of products, ranging from consumables, apparel, and even household equipment.

Celebrities Fourth Pagotan and Yayo Aguila shop at Puregold using GCash scan to pay

“Puregold has been in partnership with the GCash team for the past five years and we always believe in the capabilities of their people. We also know that GCash Scan to Pay is the next big thing to hit the Philippine retail market. By being a first-mover, we stand to gain competitive advantage in the market,” said Ferdinand Vincent P. Co, President of Puregold Price Club, Inc.

Co added that since they have customers who already use the GCash cash-in services in Puregold stores, GCash Scan to Pay will be very beneficial to them.  “We wanted to offer the full GCash service to our customers as a way of educating them about secure, cashless shopping. We have already tested GCash Scan to Pay in our affiliate company, My Baby Planet, and we are able to see how easy and convenient it is to use.”

“GCash is working hard to change the landscape of how Filipinos usually pay for their purchases to eliminate the pain points of payments such as the hassle of bringing money, waiting for change, or getting into misunderstandings over payments. We want everyone to experience the convenience of using GCash for their everyday needs -- from buying load, paying bills, sending money, and now with supermarkets like Puregold, you can just scan to pay using your phone,” said Anthony Thomas, President and CEO of Mynt which operates GCash.

To use the scan to pay feature of the GCash App, customers only need to download or update the GCash App in their iPhone or Android smartphone, register for an account and load their GCash wallet in any of the 12,000 GCash partner outlets nationwide, including Globe Stores and all Puregold branches. Once done, they only need to point the phone’s camera at the GCash QR code at the Puregold cashier counter, and input the amount to be paid. Goodbye coins, hello easier grocery shopping!

Celebrating its 20th year, Puregold shoppers who will use GCash Scan to Pay will be eligible to join the weekly 100% cashback promo and the grand raffle promo, wherein GCash will raffle off an iPhone X, a motorcycle, an entertainment system, an appliance package, sari-sari store package and more cell phones. On top of that, GCash users of Puregold will also be eligible for the 10 percent rebate promo when they scan to pay with GCash at Puregold until March 31, 2018.

GCash, which is operated by Mynt, a fintech company owned by Globe Telecom, Ant Financial and Ayala Corp., has been aggressively campaigning to its partners for cashless payment systems using the GCash App scan to pay feature.

Learn more about GCash by visiting www.gcash.com. 

Follow us on our social media channels:

www.facebook.com/gcashofficial 

www.twitter.com/gcashofficial

www.instagram.com/gcashofficial

Fashion for Every Woman : SM Woman Coco Cabana Summer 2018 Collection

What Woman Want! Check out all the Super chic swimwear pieces you can shop for starting today!

Sm Woman is all about honoring every woman this whole month of March with the launch of What Women Want – a Women’s Month celebration for women, by women.

For the entire month of March, Sm Woman is giving all you amazing woman the best of the best offers starting with up to 50% off on great selections, buy 1 get 1 on selected items, and get freebies when purchasing from participating brands – all this when you shop at the women’s section of the Sm store.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time we get  #WhatWomenWant.

It’s Summer Rule, great news SM Woman is serving up summer fashion,  that you can get another extra 10% off on all items for Sm Advantage cardholders every Wednesday this month, March 7, 14, 21 and 28.

5% rebate for a minimum purchase worth P5,000 – P9,999.99 for Bdo Shopmore cardholders and 10% rebate for a minimum purchase worth P10,000 for Bdo Shopmore cardholders. Both every Saturday of the month, March 10, 17, 24 and 31.

Get 2x points on all purchase for Sm Advantage cardholders ONLY on March 15 and March 30.

Get it while it’s hot! Summer is high for style, and fashion powerhouse Sm Woman opens the season with its annual showcase of Coco Cabana’s 2018 Summer Collection featuring stylish swimwear and resort wear. Serving hot trends fresh off the runway – hyper botanical, fun, funny ruffles, classic black and white suits, sleek and sexy metallics, and suede numbers – SM Woman delivers exactly what every woman wants.

MoneyGram and GCash Partnership: Bringing financial services to every Filipino

MoneyGram announced its partnership with GCash, the mobile wallet and micropayment arm of Mynt, in a move that promises to further improve financial inclusion in the Philippines.

Through the new united system, thousands of GCash users can now receive money from over 200 countries and territories on their mobile wallet and use the funds instantly for purchasing goods and services online.

Convenience and ease at your fingertips

Between over 30 million active smartphone users and the growing Internet penetration in the Philippines, the collaboration between GCash and MoneyGram is a powerful strategy that aligns with MoneyGram's goal to offer consumers more digital money transfer options.

Yogesh Sangle, Head of Asia Pacific, Middle East and South Asia, explains that MoneyGram’s goal of equitable financial inclusion envisions a world where financial services are not only accessible, but also free or available at minimum cost. “Aside from convenience, MoneyGram ensures that there is no additional charge to use the service, although a standard charge applies for the transfer of money out of a user’s GCash wallet,” he supplies.

Providing customers with utmost convenience has always been one of MoneyGram's thrust for its customers. And with the new partnership, it further reinforces its promise by providing customers access to their remittances, anytime, anywhere. All they need is a simple touch of a button on their GCash app.

After completing the KYC process via GCash app, a customer can receive money directly on the mobile wallet. This is additional, convenient channel for the customers in the Philippines to receive money their way.

Sangle also emphasizes that MoneyGram’s global reach, consisting of over 350,000 agent locations in over 200 countries and territories, provides the groundwork for this easily accessible and reliable service.

“Apart from sending money in person, customers can transfer funds to their families and friends online (from the U.S., the UK, Germany, France and Spain). In most of destinations with The MoneyGram services are especially beneficial for OFWs and their families, providing a convenient way to send remittances from all over the world.

According to POEA 2017 data, there are 12 million OFWs spread around the world, many of whom send a significant portion of their salary to their families back home. The partnership with GCash eliminates the need for family members receiving this money to go to a MoneyGram location. They can directly receive any amount on their mobile wallet. What’s more, the money they receive is readily available for purchasing goods and services online.

Of course, the service could be used literally by anyone – it’s easy, user-friendly and convenient.

Directly impacted, however, are of course GCash users – around 1 million active users- providing a convenient solution for the users who live in remote areas and those who don’t have an easy access to the financial system. MoneyGram’s services allow them to receive money directly to their mobile wallet and use it immediately to pay for goods and services - can buy load, pay bills, scan-to-pay using QR codes at the mall and much more.

No hidden charges or extra steps

Yogesh Sangle, Head of Asia Pacific, Middle East and South Asia, explains that MoneyGram’s goal of equitable financial inclusion envisions a world where financial services are not only accessible, but also free or available at minimum cost. 

“Aside from convenience, MoneyGram ensures that there is no additional charge to use the service, although a standard charge applies for the transfer of money out of a user’s GCash wallet,” Yogesh Sangle, Head of Asia Pacific, Middle East and South Asia,

Providing customers with utmost convenience has always been one of MoneyGram's thrust for its customers. And with the new partnership, it further reinforces its promise by providing customers access to their remittances, anytime, anywhere. All they need is a simple touch of a button on their GCash app.

After completing the KYC process via GCash app, a customer can receive money directly on the mobile wallet. This is additional, convenient channel for the customers in the Philippines to receive money their way.

Sangle also emphasizes that MoneyGram’s global reach, consisting of over 350,000 agent locations in over 200 countries and territories, provides the groundwork for this easily accessible and reliable service.

“Apart from sending money in person, customers can transfer funds to their families and friends online (from the U.S., the UK, Germany, France and Spain). In most of destinations with significant Filipino communities, they can also use an ATM or self-service kiosk to perform a transaction (such as 7-Eleven stores in Australia). MoneyGram also provides the added value of compliance, having invested in a world-class compliance platform and the services of talented experts to strengthen the integrity of their services and enhance the security of customer transactions.”

Also, Anthony Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of MYNT quipped, "We’re excited about our strategic partnership with MoneyGram. Now GCash customers can enjoy the convenience of receiving money from their families abroad directly into their GCash mobile wallet. With these funds they can buy load, pay bills, scan-to-pay using QR codes at the mall and much more. Plus, customers can enjoy exclusive incentives the more funds they receive in their GCash wallet.”

March Promo

To celebrate the new partnership, MoneyGram and GCash have launched a promotion that will run for 3 months starting March 1 . New users will receive P200 for their first transaction with the new MoneyGram service powered by the GCash app.

For more information about the service, please visit moneygram.ph and http://www.gcashpromos.com/gcashmoneygrampromo/

About MoneyGram International

MoneyGram is a global provider of innovative money transfer and payment services and is recognized worldwide as a financial connection to friends and family. Whether online, or through a mobile device, at a kiosk or in a local store, we connect consumers any way that is convenient for them. We also provide bill payment services, issue money orders and process official checks in select markets. More information about MoneyGram International, Inc. is available at moneygram.com.

About GCash

GCash is an internationally-acclaimed micropayment service that transforms the mobile phone into a virtual wallet for secure, fast, and convenient money transfer. GCash can be used to buy prepaid load, pay bills, send money, make donations, shop online, and even purchase goods without the need to bring any cash. For more information, please visit https://www.globe.com.ph/gcash

About Mynt

Mynt is a partnership between Globe Telecom, the Ayala Corporation, and Ant Financial, that provides innovative and first-in-world fintech solutions to consumers, merchants, and organizations. Its vision is to enable financial access for consumers and merchants by disrupting traditional channels through digital financial technology services. It operates two fintech companies: GCash, a micropayment service that transforms the mobile phone into a virtual wallet for secure, fast, and convenient money transfer, and Fuse, a tech-based lending company that enables Filipinos to get microloans to business loans without the traditional requirements set by banks and other lending institutions. For more information, visit mynt.xyz.

Start the summer right with Jollibee’s new Royal Float and Halo-Halo Sundae!

This summer, there’s only one destination for dessert-loving Pinoys in need of a cool, refreshing treat: Jollibee!

The country’s number one fast-food brand is ready with a new ice-cold beverage and its version of a classic Pinoy favorite. As a brand that is consistently at the forefront of flavor innovations that capture the distinct Filipino palate, Jollibee’s exciting line-up of desserts and specialty beverages are not only perfect complements to delicious, satisfying meals, but also great treats to indulge in on their own.

The all-new Royal Float is a sweet and tangy citrus delight—the orange-flavored soda base is taken to a creamier level with the ice-cold vanilla soft-serve ice cream. A combination of refreshing, fruity, and creamy, the Royal Float is the beverage to enjoy this summer.

The best-selling Halo-Halo Sundae, is a delicious twist to the all time Pinoy dessert favorite. The creamy vanilla soft-serve ice cream is livened up by a medley of your favorite halo-halo toppings drizzled with ube coating.

“For decades, Jollibee has always been known for its delicious offerings that have thrilled Pinoy taste buds and captured the hearts of our diners all over the world,” said Kay Segismundo, Jollibee Senior Marketing Manager for Complementary Products.

 “As we celebrate our 40^th anniversary this year, diners can expect more exciting beverages and desserts like the Royal Float and Halo-Halo Sundae to come their way.”

Head over to the next best summer destination—Jollibee—for the season’s refreshing beverage and dessert treats! 

The Royal Float (P35.00* solo or P25.00* Go Royal with Value Meal) and the Halo-Halo Sundae (P39.00*) are available in all Jollibee stores nationwide for dine-in, take-out, delivery, and drive-thru transactions starting March 1, 2018.

For more information on Jollibee’s products and latest promos, like the Jollibee Philippines Facebook page and follow @Jollibee on Twitter and Instagram.

* Prices may vary across different locations

Samsung Unveils All-New Cordless Vacuum POWERstick PROTM

New cordless unit combines powerful performance, flexible ergonomics, and easy maintenance to deliver the ultimate solution for complete cleaning

ROME, Italy – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.  announced the release of the all-new cordless vacuum cleaner, the POWERstick PRO™ at the 2018 Samsung Southeast Asia & Oceania Forum. The POWERstick PRO™ boasts the industry-leading suction power, resolving challenges consumers experience as they vacuum their homes.

Strong Suction Power Paired with

Brand New Brush and Battery

Powered by Samsung’s Digital Inverter Motor which spins faster than a tornado¹, the POWERstick PRO™ is built for high performance. With 150W of power, it has the industry-leading suction power², providing thorough cleaning efficiency on all floor types. The POWERstick PRO^TM comes with the Turbo Action Brush, which boasts exceptional versatility in efficiently cleaning dust up from various floor types. The rotating brush bar adds more suction power, enabling it to powerfully pick up pet hairs and dust on the carpet.

POWERstick PRO™ also holds a powerful charge, running on a battery pack that offers up to 40 minutes of battery life. The pack is designed to retain 80% of its original capacity for up to 500 full charge and discharge cycles, with no decrease in the battery power for five years³. It can also be quickly swapped for a replacement when needed.  

Ergonomic Design for User Convenience

The POWERstick PRO™ takes the cleaning experience to the next level by maximising aesthetic appeal and convenience. The patented ergonomic Flex Handle folds up to 50° with a click of a button, letting users reach under low furniture with ease. The ergonomics of the handle have also been cleverly aligned, so it is light and minimises strain on wrists, muscles and back.

The POWERstick PRO™ further amplifies convenience with hassle-free maintenance and strong hygienic features. The EZClean Dustbin empties with one quick pull of the lever so contents can be disposed with minimal effort, and the entire dustbin structure can be detached and washed with water. The EZClean Brush also detaches easily. As it is pulled out from the base, it uses friction to dislodge dust and even hair tangles without getting hands dirty. 

The POWERstick PRO™ also boasts Hygienic HEPA Filtration to ensure that up to 99.9% of the dust collected stays in the canister, ensuring cleaner air. The advanced filtration system of POWERstick PRO™ received the highest level of certification from SLG, an independent testing institute, as well as from the British Allergy Foundation, for its ability to trap fine dust and other harmful particles such as household mites, pollen, and mold spores.

Additional Tools for the Ultimate Cleaning Solution

Lastly, the POWERstick PRO™ completes the ultimate cleaning solution with five additional tools. The motor driven Soft Action Brush effectively swipes even the finest dust on the hard floor and the Mini Motorised Tool allows users to clean the dust and allergens on bed sheets, mattresses and fabric furniture effectively and hygienically. The Extension Crevice Tool removes dirt from deep crevices in sofas and high areas like ceiling corners with ease. The Combination Tool enable users to pick up dirt on a wide range of surfaces, from table tops to window frames, and the Flexible Tool bends at an angle to pick up dust in hard-to-reach places like the top of the refrigerator.

¹ Based on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.

² Suction power tested on Samsung VS80M80 in comparison with leading cordless stick vacuum cleaners in the global market as of July 2017. Based on internal testing.

³Tested on the handheld in Normal Mode. Results may vary depending on floor types and usage. Based on internal testing. Maintains 80% capacity after 5 years of use at 100 cycles/year, where 1 cycle is a total use of the battery from a full charge. Results may vary depending on usage. Based on internal testing.

AirAsia Revamps Customer Care for Digital Era with Salesforce

World’s best low-cost airline teams up with Salesforce to lead the way in airline customer experience

MANILA, 7 March 2018 – AirAsia today announced it has chosen Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in customer relationship management, to be its strategic technology partner as the airline revamps its customer care for the digital era.

The airline, which has renamed its customer care team to Customer Happiness, will deploy Salesforce Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Community Cloud as part of its strategy to create faster and more personalised service for its customers.

AirAsia service agents across eight countries now have a single view of all cases from all support channels – web, phone, email, live chat, airport communications – and their complete history, allowing them to provide higher levels of personalized service.

The Salesforce Community Cloud powers the AirAsia support community in eight different languages and empowers guests to self-serve with a knowledge database, allowing AirAsia to boost service standards, raise productivity levels and the capabilities of their service agents and continue to raise the bar for the airline industry.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, “This is the year we focus on making our guests happy. This means placing customers and their needs at the centre of everything we do. Salesforce is the heart of this customer-obsessed approach as it gives us a complete view of our guests across all channels, allowing us to deliver a faster, more personalised service.

“Complaints are free market research. Someone took the effort to write to you to tell you where things went wrong and how they should be improved. These are things that companies pay a lot of money for consultants to tell them that same thing so we treat every complaint preciously. I strongly urge our guests to make full use of the official support channels below for the fastest resolution by our amazing customer happiness team led by Mimi Phua.”

“In today’s competitive landscape, airlines need to be attuned to customers’ needs, sometimes before they know it. AirAsia is a shining example of a customer-centric company constantly pushing the envelopes of innovation,” said Mark Innes, EVP and General Manager, Salesforce Asia Pacific. “Salesforce is uniquely positioned to help AirAsia on its journey to customer centricity and is proud to be its strategic technology partner.”

Guests can contact AirAsia customer support via Live Chat, Twitter, email and call centres listed on https://support.airasia.com.

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Knowing cybersecurity threats a must for all businesses - Globe Business’ #makeITSafePH provides useful tips and info for all organizations

Expanding a business’ digital footprint has its tremendous advantages. However, it also comes with inevitable risks. Knowing these risks and cybersecurity threats together with the proper solutions can help organizations be properly educated to ensure the safety of all its sensitive data and resources.

As part of its #makeITsafePH cybersecurity campaign, Globe Business, the information and communications technology arm of Globe Telecom shares the top five cyber threats that business should be looking out for:

Ransomware is a threat that has evolved from invading home or office systems to the cloud. According to MIT Technology Review (www.technologyreview.com), "One big target in 2018 will be cloud computing businesses which house mountains of data for companies. Some also run consumer services such as e-mail and photo libraries.”

Ransomware growth in 2017 topped 2,500 percent, hitting hospitals, private businesses, and individual users. A major concern about ransomware attacks is that it is not limited to personal computers running Windows. Hackers are also targeting Macs and Linux PCs.

Phishing attacks through social engineering is another major threat, this time with individuals as main targets. Hackers use more complex manipulation methods in getting vital information from people who are already confident of their company's IT security. Continuous security education and awareness should also evolve in the workplace.

The rising popularity of cryptocurrencies is another trend that concerns online security officers of big businesses. The threat brought about by it is stealing a hardware's computing power. Hackers will compromise vulnerable systems by targeting its processing capabilities and mining them for cryptocurrencies.

Another threat involves cyber-physical attacks or the hacking of electrical grids, transportation systems, and critical infrastructure in many countries worldwide. 

Meanwhile, the use of password alternatives like multi-factor authentication (MFA) or risk-based authentication will become a trend among many companies. According to International Data Group's companion website CSO Online (www.csoonline.com), many breaches of sensitive online information is due to password-only authentication that's becoming easy targets for hackers. Companies want to increase online security by implementing MFAs or risk-based authentication and this may lead to the decline of password-only authentication use. 

"These days, it is hard to think of a business that is not present online. Advancements in technology have opened doors for enterprises to rely heavily on the internet. However, with almost everyone having access to the Internet, risks of being breached are at an all-time high. This is why we aim to assist enterprises in providing client protection by offering cutting-edge online security solutions," says Peter Manquera, SVP for Globe Enterprise Group.

"Businesses need to be proactive in combatting threats not only to protect their data, but also to make customers feel safe. Security never ends after an attack," he added.

To prevent becoming victims of cybersecurity threats, Globe myBusiness has come up with cost-effective tailor-made solutions which allow businesses to mitigate security threats before they happen. Among these solutions are: Anti-DDOS (distributed denial-of-service) which protects online services by keeping servers up and running; Managed Enterprise Firewall for real-time visibility that allows quick identification and validation of potential threats to the network; and Secure Email Gateway Cloud which eliminates threats before they reach the network and provides centralized email security for all environments, among others.

Also, through the #makeITsafePH campaign, the company provides practical tips and easy-to-digest information about the various threats an organization may face. With this, every client is fully informed and aware of the responsibilities to protect their organization. 

To know more about cybersecurity efforts of Globe Business, please visit  http://business.globe.com.ph/solutions/cybersecurity.html.