World Vision and ComCo SEA join forces for Cause Marketing for Good initiative for MSMEs

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Global development and advocacy organization World Vision and regional integrated communications agency ComCo Southeast Asia through its Citizen ComCo initiative continue their mission of giving companies and brands opportunities to give back, this time with a focus on supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) through the Cause Marketing for Good Virtual Conference.

(From top left) World Vision Donor Education Specialist Caroline Veronilla, ComCo Southeast Asia Regional Integration & Chief Executive Director Ferdinand Bondoy, Lazada Strategic Partnerships Senior Associate Yshana Wong, AirAsia Head of Branding and Creatives David Viray, World Vision Resource Development Director Jun Godornes, World Vision National Director Rommel Fuerte and IdeasXMachina Group Of Hakuhodo CEO Third Domingo

Created and organized by World Vision and ComCo Southeast Asia, the Cause Marketing for Good Virtual Conference is part of the organization’s larger initiative to orient MSMEs on the value of cause-related marketing or CRM, which is especially relevant in today’s pandemic environment, and to equip them on how to champion social issues through their marketing efforts.

Happening on July 21, 2 p.m., the online conference will include sessions on defining CRM, CRM’s impact on sales from AirAsia, and how to use e-commerce to forward your cause from Lazada. There will also be a panel discussion on how to create effective CRM campaigns featuring experts and practitioners of the field such as ComCo Southeast Asia for public relations and Ideas X Machina for creatives.

The ongoing pandemic has had a massive effect on the economy, with MSMEs taking the brunt of this as they make up 99.5% of business establishments in the Philippines and employ 62.4% of the country’s workforce according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. MSMEs are currently facing huge hurdles to keep their businesses afloat, especially in the face of quarantine regulations and economic slowdown.

But with the challenge brought about by the pandemic comes bayanihan spirit – the value of Filipino community as they work together towards a common goal. This has urged individuals, communities, organizations, and even brands and companies, to band together and help each other during this crisis. It has also shown us how Filipino consumers, especially millennials and Gen Zers, are responding positively to brands and companies who support advocacies and stand for causes and values that they believe in.

According to the Global Millennial Survey 2021 by professional services firm Deloitte, millennials and Gen Zers are concerned about the positive impact of businesses on society. These generations of consumers tend to make decisions aligned with their values, with more than a quarter of respondents saying that businesses’ impact on the environment influence their buying decisions, expecting brands to be aligned with their personal values before they invest in their products or services.

In the eyes of consumers, businesses can and have the responsibility to do good – and doing good actually makes for good business. Through the Cause Marketing for Good Campaign and Virtual Conference, World Vision and ComCo Southeast Asia look forward to helping more MSMEs build strong connections with their customers through effective and sustainable cause-related marketing campaigns – ones that allow them to sell while also creating a positive social impact in the Philippines.

Participants may register for the Cause Marketing for Good Virtual Conference at wvph.co/CauseMarketingForGood.

To know more about World Vision and ComCo Southeast Asia’s partnership, visit www.worldvision.org.ph or follow World Vision’s official social media pages /worldvisionph on Facebook, @worldvisionphl on Instagram, and @worldvisionph on Twitter. 

For more information on World Vision Philippines and its other initiatives, call the World Vision hotline number at 8372-77-77 or Ms. Wichelle Cruz of Private Sector Partnerships Manager at 0917-511-6640.

About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, their families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by its Christian faith and values, it is dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. It serves and collaborates with all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

About ComCo Southeast Asia

ComCo Southeast Asia or ComCo SEA is a trailblazing and global award-winning integrated communications agency powered by the coalition of premier brand architects, inspired storytellers, and communication trailblazers in the region. Based in the Philippines with affiliate network presence in Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia, ComCo SEA takes the lead in the innovation of premier brands and growth of up-and-coming businesses through the emerging global disciplines of New PR – a strategy based, content-driven, and channel-agnostic way of doing PR, and Smart Social – a holistic, authentic and integrated approach in the maximization of digital and social channels, to effectively reach and engage audiences and help influence change. To know more about ComCo Southeast Asia, visit www.comcosea.com.

UnionBank opens country’s first mass retail banking hub to better support PH MSMEs

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Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) recently created the country’s very first mass retail banking hub, aimed at providing support specifically to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country as part of the Bank’s goal of enabling inclusive prosperity amid the current global health crisis.

The hub, a consolidation of all entrepreneur-centric solutions offered by UnionBank, will provide a one-stop center for resources that MSMEs might need in order to support their businesses regardless of size—such as financing, logistics, and a buyer-seller network, to name a few—all made accessible to mass market customers.

This was one of the topics at UnionBank’s E-Talk Tales last February 17, wherein UnionBank’s Chief Mass Market and Financial Inclusion Executive Manual G. Santiago, Jr.  focused on how the Bank addresses the typical pain points encountered by entrepreneurs, especially during the pandemic.

Santiago began the discussion by first explaining what the hub’s target market is, which he defined as “the middle-middle income level going down” which is also a mix of banked, underbanked, unbanked customers.

"I think the definition for SMEs is much more defined where we're really looking at micro, small, and medium enterprises. So, these are your businesses with, for micro, 3 million in capital, and then you have 15 million for small, and for medium, it's about a hundred million in capital," he added.

According to Santiago, UnionBank estimates this market at about 50 million customers, with the majority of them being in the lower-income segments. In addition, about 60 percent of this customer market classify themselves as self-employed entrepreneurs. “It's a large market and we think this is a segment that needs attention at this time, and we're putting our efforts into that.”

Santiago noted that a lot of entrepreneurs today are very careful about their decisions when it comes to their businesses, as a result of the uncertainties, brought about by the current health crisis. This “wait and see” mindset is evident even in those who have immediate access to financing.

“We've seen that in the way they apply for loans. You would think that because you have loans available that people are going to flock and apply,” Santiago said. “In fact, even those existing loans that we have that have reached the renewal stage, MSMEs would even say 'can you renew that at half the amount only, and I will just come back to you when things are better?',” Santiago said.

“It's a good thing because it shows a sign of maturity, and you know, in this time, you can't be very aggressive. You really need to think about your next steps to be able to survive this crisis.”

With its vision of empowering SMEs through digital initiatives, UnionBank has already laid a lot of groundwork even before the pandemic to address SME challenges.

UnionBank Business Loan via UBX SeekCap, an online Loan Marketplace where business owners and SMEs may easily browse short-term business loan products and apply digitally. SeekCap allows SMEs to get approval within hours.

The Bank has also created the SME Business Banking App, an online platform that enables SMES to manage their financial transactions by facilitating all business payments with the most extensive list of government and utility billers, transferring funds to both local and international banks, customizing complex business approval flows, enrolling all companies and subsidiaries in a single-login setup, and opening and managing payroll accounts for their employees, among others.

To know more about UnionBank's digital initiatives, visit https://www.unionbankph.com/

Hope for the Heart: Experts say heart failure is treatable if caught early

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A panel of experts discuss how the approval of AstraZeneca’s Dapagliflozin as a treatment option can make a difference in the lives of thousands of Filipinos. 

(Photo clockwise from above left: Dr. Cyril Tolosa, Head of Medical Affairs, AstraZeneca Philippines, Dr. Erlyn Demerre,  Professor David Sim, Lotis Ramin, Country President, AstraZeneca Philippines, Dr. Alberto Pamplona Jr., Dr. Norbert Uy) 

 

(Manila, Philippines)  Heart failure, commonly called “pumapalyang puso”, affects thousands of Filipinos and approximately 64 million people worldwide, with half of patients dying within five years of diagnosis 1, 2, 3, 4. 

 

Patients with heart failure experience physical and emotional symptoms. It limits their activities resulting to poor quality of life. Even when resting, some patients start experiencing shortness of breath and feeling gets heavier and heavier each day. Everyday activities are getting harder making them feel very vulnerable and hopeless. Many patients have shared that they feel as if they are merely waiting for death and feel guilty about placing a huge economic and emotional burden on their families. 

The good news is that heart failure can be treated and even prevented. To raise conversation and awareness, AstraZeneca Philippines hosted a panel of experts from the Philippines and around the world to discuss the latest developments on heart failure. 

According to Professor David Sim, President of the Heart Failure Society in Singapore, 9 million people in Southeast Asia have heart failure with an overall 15% mortality rate 5,6. However, pharmacological options for heart failure have increased over the last decade and guideline-directed heart failure pharmacotherapy cumulatively reduces mortality by 76% 7.  He highlighted “The approval of dapagliflozin for the treatment of HFrEF in Philippines is a major step forward  in the battle against the disease burden of heart failure. Together with the current standard of care, dapagliflozin will contribute further  to a lower mortality , less heart failure hospitalization and importantly a better quality of life for the patients suffering from heart failure”.

Professor Piotor Ponikowski of the Heart Failure Association of the European Society of Cardiology added that "heart failure is becoming a preventable and treatable disease, with medication that allows patients to live longer and live better outside of the hospital.” 

 

These current developments in the treatment options bring hope to Filipinos diagnosed with heart failure. With the approval of AstraZeneca’s Dapagliflozin as a treatment option for heart failure, Filipinos can now avail of medication that can mitigate the disease. 

 

In his presentation on Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse-outcomes in Heart Failure Trial (DAPA HF) Trial: A New Era in Heart Failure Management, Professor Piotr Ponikowski says “Dapagliflozin has the ability to reduce mortality, prevent hospital admission, improve clinical status, functional capacity, and quality of life.” 

 

As such, to further work towards improved quality care in the Philippines, AstraZeneca also announced a partnership  with the Philippine Heart Association (PHA)  to elevate the standardized care and quality improvement efforts for heart failure to promote better awareness, management and options for patients. 

 

Lotis Ramin, AstraZeneca Philippines Country President says, 

“During this COVID-19 pandemic, people with heart failure are among those at higher risk of complications. Proper disease management will help improve the condition and avoid hospitalization. With the approval of Dapagliflozin for use in adult patients suffering from heart failure with reduced ejection fraction, , we are proud to give hope to the numerous Filipinos affected by heart failure.  Through our partnership with PHA, we aim for a comprehensive cardiovascular care program from prevention, timely diagnosis, and management of symptoms for heart failure to create a meaningful difference in the lives of Filipinos.”  

 

Do not delay. Get an early diagnosis and begin treatment. Start a conversation on heart failure with your doctor today.  

 

About Dapagliflozin  

Dapagliflozin is the first and only drug under the sodium glucose transport protein 2 inhibitor (SGLT2i)  class approved to treat heart failure in adult patients with reduced ejection fraction (pumapalyang puso). 10,11,12 It is the only SGLT2i proven to significantly prevent cardiovascular death and death due to other causes in these heart failure patients.9   

 

This approval was based on the landmark trial Dapagliflozin and Prevention of Adverse-outcomes in Heart Failure Trial (DAPA HF) 1.  It is the first outcomes trial with an SGLT2 inhibitor investigating the treatment of Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF).1 The results showed a reduction of 26% in the occurence of cardiovascular death, hospitalization for heart failure (hHF) and Urgent Hospital Visit for heart failure (HF) along with a 30% reduction in hHF. 1 Dapagliflozin’s significant 18% reduction in cardiovascular death and 17% reduction on death due to other causes which were only seen in the DAPA HF study. 9 

 

Dapagliflozin has offered an additional treatment option for patients suffering from the symptoms of heart failure and are at risk of dying given the high mortality rate of the disease. Safety findings in patients were consistent with the well established safety profile of Dapagliflozin in previous studies.  It is consistent regardless of age, gender, severity of heart failure, diabetes status and kidney function1. Dapagliflozin was well tolerated and adverse event rarely led to the discontinuation of treatment1,8.  

 

In the Philippines, Dapagliflozin is now approved for the treatment of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction in adult patients. Dapagliflozin is a prescription medicine.10 Patients should not selfmedicate and should consult their physicians regarding their condition and treatment. 

 

About AstraZeneca  

 

AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/Nasdaq: AZN) is a global, science-led biopharmaceutical company that focuses on the discovery, development and commercialization of prescription medicines, primarily for the treatment of diseases in three therapy areas - Oncology, Cardiovascular, Renal & Metabolism, and Respiratory & Immunology. Based in Cambridge, UK, AstraZeneca operates in over 100 countries and its innovative medicines are used by millions of patients worldwide. Please visit astrazeneca.com and follow the Company on Twitter @AstraZeneca. 

 

References 

 

1. McMurray JJV et al. Dapagliflozin in Patients with Heart Failure and Reduced Ejection Fraction. N Engl J Med 2019. 

2. Mayo Clinic. Heart failure; 2017 [cited 2019 Aug 14]. Available from: URL: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-failure/symptoms-causes/syc-20373142. 

3. Vos T et al. Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 328 diseases and injuries for 195 countries, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet 2017; 390(10100):1211–59. 

4. Mozaffarian D et al. Circulation. 2016 Jan 26;133(4):e38-360 and the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/data_statistics/fact_sheets/fs_heart_failure.htm. 

5. Mamas MA et al. Do patients have worse outcomes in heart failure than in cancer? A primary carebased cohort study with 10-year follow-up in Scotland. Eur J Heart Fail 2017; 19(9):1095–104. 

6. Azad N, Lemay G. Management of chronic heart failure in the older population. J Geriatr Cardiol 2014; 11(4):329–37. 

7. Study done by National University Health Center (NUHCS)   &Regional and ethnic differences among patients with heart failure in Asia: the Asian sudden cardiac  death in heart failure registry Eur Heart J. 2016;37(41):3141-3153. doi:10.1093/eurheartj/ehw331 

8. Petrie MC, Verma S, Docherty KF, et al. Effect of dapagliflozin on worsening heart failure and cardiovascular death in patients with heart failure with and without diabetes. JAMA. 2020;323:13531368. 

9. Zannad, Faiez et al. SLGT2 inhibitors in patients with heart failjure with reduced ejection fraction: a meta-analysis of the Emperor-Reduced and Dapa HF Trial. www.thelancet.com Published online August 30, 2020 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31824-9 

10. Dapagliflozin (Forxiga TM) Full Prescribing Information. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals Phils. Inc. January 2021. 

11. Canagliflozin (Invokana TM) Full Prescribing Information. Jansenn Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Revised 2020. 

12. Empagliflozin (Jardiance TM) Full Prescribing Information. Boehringer Ingelheim International. Revised 2020. 

 

 

 

Lessons in business growth and sustainability from Lark Your Way to Success

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The recently concluded Lark webinar series aimed to help businesses adapt to changes in the workplace.

Lark strengthens its position as an ally for sustainability, growth, and success among businesses in the Philippines after completing three successful tracks of the Lark Your Way to Success webinar series. The webinars, which took place throughout November and December 2020, were well-attended by small business owners and entrepreneurs who are members of Lark's partner organizations, Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines, Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI), and GoNegosyo. Representatives from partner media organizations, ABS-CBN News Channel, Business Mirror, CNN Philippines, Esquire, Inquirer.net, UnboxPH, and Yugatech were also invited to the webinars. 

Each track covered three topics and featured industry experts and key opinion leaders who shared their professional advice on how businesses can adapt, evolve, and innovate in order to thrive in the future. These are the highlighted lessons in business growth and sustainability that participants learned at the Lark Your Way to Success webinars. 

1. Businesses without a digitally-enabled workforce may be extinct by 2021

The first webinar session taught attendees the value of adapting to change, and how going digital is a key solution for this. The first speaker of the day was Joey Lim, Vice President of Sales, APAC in Lark. She discussed the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on businesses, and how a new digitally-driven work normal is the future of work. 

Entrepreneur and host RJ Ledesma was the next speaker. He talked about the importance of having an entrepreneurial mindset, and the ability to find opportunity in crisis, in order for a business to succeed. The final speaker for the day was business technology coach Joey Gurango, who shared insights on the current workflow trends. According to Joey, a digital transformation is necessary right now for any business that wants to survive.

2. Connecting and collaborating is essential for business success

The second track focused on how businesses must evolve to stay afloat in the new work landscape. The session started off with a look at best practices in adopting new ways of work through local, regional, and global case studies shared by Cat Avelino, Head of Communications, Lark Philippines. 

The second speaker was entrepreneur, business consultant, and columnist Francis J. Kong, who shared some dos and dont's for managing teams and resources remotely. He explained how a crisis can make us both better and bitter, and how it can also push us to evolve faster. The last to speak was content creator and COO of The Canton Club, Camille Co, together with Charlotte Co. They explained why it is necessary to listen to the needs of consumers, and how true connection and collaboration can yield positive results. 

3. Business leaders must lead by example when embracing new ways of work 

Innovation is indispensable for success in the future landscape of work, and the third track of the Lark webinar series emphasized this. Regional Lark Product Specialist, Andeed Ma started off with a talk about how businesses can make technology work for them in moving towards the future of work, and how Lark is an example of a great tool to use for this purpose.

Digital entrepreneur Carlo Ople spoke next, on the topic of managing ang measuring employee engagement and collaboration while working remotely. According to Carlo, it might be best to focus on each remote employee's key performance indicators (KPI) rather than the on-screen time when assessing productivity. The final talk was by automotive journalist, events host, and CNN Philippines Anchor, James Deakin. He stressed the need for new normal leaders to lead by example, particularly when it comes to learning how to use digital tools, and showing employees how easy they are to use for work.

At the end of the webinar series, two business owners who joined the sessions were selected as mentees for Lark's New Normal Business Council and Mentorship Program. 

The chosen CEOs are Joyce Yu of True Blends Tea & Coffee and Mark Joseph David of Pal Maritime Corporation. Both will be granted a mentorship program by Lark, along with an additional 100GB Lark cloud storage for one year, and PHP300,000 worth of PR and marketing support.

To learn more about the other features of Lark, visit www.larksuite.com.

Lark is available on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android. Click here to start using Lark today.

Mobile app Royal Canin Club launches exclusive webinar series on pet nutrition and ownership amid the new normal

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As a pet owner, access to credible healthcare information is essential, especially for those who are currently stuck in their homes. It is during these times that pet owners turn to online sites and seek convenient ways to provide proper care for their loyal pets, only to be met with dizzying amounts of information — sometimes conflicting. In response to this, Royal Canin Philippines brings valuable pet information safely to Filipino pet owners through the launch of its online educational series.

Royal Canin introduces its exclusive webinar series through its mobile application, Royal Canin Club, providing Filipino pet owners access to in-depth and engaging discussions with the company’s in-house veterinarians and partners on proper pet healthcare and nutrition. 

For November, topics will focus on two important areas relevant to pet owners: Tailored Nutrition for Different Breeds and The New Normal Life of Pets.

The first webinar, which will happen on November 27, 2PM,  will focus on pet food nutrition and the importance of tailor-made diets for different kinds of breeds. The discussion aims to educate pet owners on the unique characteristics of pets and how this affects their behaviors and various nutritional needs

The second webinar, scheduled on December 4, 2PM, will discuss insights and tips on how to help pets adjust to life in the post-lockdown world. It will touch on the proper diet, exercise, and activities of pets at home, as well as ideal vet visit schedules and how-tos in introducing a new pet to the family. With options still limited due to quarantine restrictions and pet owners being cut from seeing their veterinarians regularly, the webinars aim to help owners plan activities and routines fit for their pets’ lifestyles in their homes.

Interested pet owners may join the webinar series by downloading the Royal Canin Club mobile application, available on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store, where they can sign up to get the invitation and exclusive Zoom link invite to the webinars. The signup form will be available in the mobile application.

Recently, Royal Canin launched the Royal Canin Club mobile app in its commitment to provide access to credible pet healthcare information online, as well as bringing a community of pet owners, pet shops, veterinary clinics, and pet breeders together through various rewards systems and engaging activities in the platform. In line with the brand’s thrust of providing the best tailored nutrition for pets, the app is a complementary tool for both new and loyal Royal Canin patrons who strive only for the best, loving experiences for their furry friends.

As of November 2020, thousands of Filipino pet owners have already downloaded the mobile application and received their special gift sets, rewards and vouchers.

“Since launching the Royal Canin Club, we’ve seen a lot of pet owners download and engage with the brand for pet healthcare and nutrition information through the mobile application. We’re happy to see that Filipino pet parents are eager to provide the best care for their pets, and are keen on credible information to empower them in their decision-making,” said Adriann Eusebio, Country Director of Royal Canin Philippines. “Through these webinars, we hope to further be of service to our community and provide more insightful discussions about our loyal pets during these times. We, at Royal Canin, are excited to bring more informative and engaging activities in our platform, as well as exciting rewards and treats for our pets.”

For more information on Royal Canin’s webinar series, pet owners may download the Royal Canin Club application and receive registration invitations through the platform. One must complete registration and fill out the necessary contact information in the mobile app in order to receive the invitation. 

Visit Royal Canin Philippines on Facebook and Instagram for more details about the Royal Canin Club app!

 

About Royal Canin

Royal Canin is a top provider of a complete line of premium Health Nutrition products specifically formulated for cats and dogs based on size, age, lifestyle, breed, as well as jaw length, dental health, ingestion speed, and stool quality to address specific needs. Its standards remain on the cutting-edge of pet nutrition, partnering with pet experts such as vets, breeders, and other professionals to tailor precise nutritional formulations. Royal Canin products are available in almost 1000 specialized stores, pet shops, and veterinary clinics nationwide.

UnionBank translates DSAI (data science and artificial intelligence) insights into a very individualized and personalized way of banking

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Union Bank of the Philippines held the 6th virtual TalkTales on November 18, discuss more how Unionbank leverages data science and artificial intelligence to deliver data-driven, convenient, and personalized banking experiences to customers.

AI a vehicle for customers to achieve aspirations – UnionBank Senior Advisor for Data and AI

Data science and artificial intelligence (or “DSAI”) are two “tandem”-technologies that are now taking over many industries across the globe. 

Artificial intelligence has brought about many exciting prospects that have ushered more personalized, “tailor-fit” digital experiences for many of us. This has made many of the things we do in our lives simpler, more instantaneous, and, thus, more convenient.

As Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) is now in the next phase of its digital transformation journey, the country’s leading digital bank has continued to invest in talent, infrastructure, and other resources needed to innovate and co-create using data science and AI, which is led by global data science expert Dr. David Hardoon Ph. D., as the Bank's Senior Advisor for Data and Artificial Intelligence.

On the sixth installment of UnionBank’s exclusive “eTalk Tales” with Media, Dr. Hardoon discussed how UnionBank is translating data science and artificial intelligence insights into a very individualized way of banking, making sure that everyone is statistically significant and provided the ‘VIP’ treatment with a wide range of personalized services and solutions.

“DSAI is a key element within UnionBank’s digitize or perish journey. It is the differentiator between just “Digitize to survive” versus “Digitize to flourish,” Hardoon said.

Hardoon emphasized that AI is a must-have to enable scalable customer-centric finance of tomorrow, today. The goal is to make finance relevant, specific, and contextual to each individual consumer.  His use of AI is not artificial intelligence but ‘augmented intelligence’.  Reality is that humans are phenomenal in creativity that machines do not have. Machines may be able to replicate but it cannot originate. This, according to Hardoon, is where augmentation comes in. Data science uses insights from machines to operationalize and contextualize. “It’s not a question of ‘can we do it’ but ‘should we do it’.”

“AI is the engine of the digital renaissance.  It is a vehicle to achieve an aspiration. It is important to anchor AI on what truly matters—people, whether customers or employees. AI is truly about being human-centric first. The purpose is us, primarily as customers, and how do we leverage on the insight and knowledge that can be derived from AI to help shape financial services around us.”

Digital transformation is heralded as the game-changer for the banking sector in today's reality and for tomorrow's necessity. The transformation is rooted on the aspiration of inclusive and resilient financial services and is about achieving a reality where ones’ moments of life are not defined around the financial products available, but where financial services and products are created to support the milestones in life. 

 

“The Bank has been introducing and enhancing countless digital touchpoints for customer ease and fluidity of engagement. These touchpoints mean exactly that, that customers engage with the Bank on a more regular basis. It is our responsibility to...imagine. Imagine the ability to provide bridging or intra-day loans without a customer's need to submit hefty financial historical statements,” Hardoon said.

 

UnionBank uses AI to upgrade its existing strategy and accelerate further innovation, an example of which is its use as an additional layer of defense against financial crimes. AI enables the Bank to detect more instances while making sure that the existing defense and process will not be disrupted to ensure operation efficiency.  AI is also being leveraged by the Bank to predict future volume of inbound calls that can reduce some of the volatility in call management.  Through AI, the cash management solutions team are provided with data-driven relevant recommendations and proposals for customers.

Data Science and AI (DSAI) enables capabilities in understanding customers' needs through their various engagements with the bank and providers and the ability to go beyond a templatized approach to ascertain relevance, suitability, and affordability.  This makes UnionBank, Philippine banking’s best in the data science and AI field.

Consistent with its commitment to make banking simpler and more inclusive via best-in-class digital and mobile capabilities, UnionBank President and CEO Edwin Bautista believes that leveraging Data and AI is a key driver to the next-level of its digital transformation as the Bank continues to put the customer—both individuals and corporates, at the heart of its business.

About Dr. David Hardoon

Dr. David Hardoon is Senior Advisor for Data and AI at UnionBank of the Philippines. As part of his responsibilities, he works with various centers, groups, and units to reinforce data infrastructure and governance, behavior modelling, machine learning, and AI capabilities as well as applications in the Bank.

In addition to his responsibilities at UnionBank, Dr. Hardoon also serves as advisor for a number of other institutions on matters related to data and AI.

UnionBank Talks Digitizing Corporate Clients in the New Normal at 5th E-TalkTales

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Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) held the fifth installment of its E-TalkTales series last October 20.

The Head of Transaction Banking Mon Duarte discussed the Bank’s various transaction banking solutions, particularly The Portal, its all-digital banking platform for corporate clients.

Duarte began the discussion by differentiating UnionBank’s Transaction Banking solutions, which he defined as simply offering customized solutions to help digitize our corporate clients. Traditional transaction banking helps manage flow of funds by facilitating collections and payments, over-the-counter check deposits, to the provision of armored car services for high cash transaction situations, among others.

The main focus of Duarte's discussion was UnionBank's The Portal, its digital banking platform specially designed for corporate clients. Offering a host of solutions that include bills payments, payroll, fund transfers, check writing services, merchant payment gateway systems, and credit facilities, The Portal provides corporations with all their essential banking needs in a single platform.

Knowing that each corporate entity has needs and priorities that are uniquely theirs, UnionBank designed The Portal in a way that allows it to provide utmost flexibility to clients, making it the preferred platform for those who don't want the one-size-fits-all approach of most competitors when it comes to the corporate banking solutions they offer.

Part of the flexibility offered by The Portal comes by way of various customization options available to clients. Depending on the current needs of their organization, clients can choose only the solutions that they want to avail of at the moment, and then adjust later on. To make it easier, the Bank created a number of packaged solutions based on what it thinks would make sense for clients, which they can avail of anytime via The Portal website.

Another key feature of The Portal in terms of flexibility is the possible configurations for transaction approvals. With this feature, corporates will be able to establish a specific maker-checker process for each transaction made by their team members. This will give them free control over who can make which transaction, as well as the maximum amount for each transaction depending on who makes it, among others.

With The Portal, UnionBank aims to make transaction banking as seamless for users as possible, and the Bank wants to make this very clear right from the moment a client starts using the platform—the onboarding process.

Onboarding is typically one of the most stressful phases of using a new platform for many corporates, since it involves learning a new set of interfaces and processes. This phase can take a few days or weeks or even a few months to finish. With The Portal, however, UnionBank also digitized the onboarding processes so that clients can get into the platform in less than a day, usually within a few minutes, with no further training needed.

These are only a few innovative features of The Portal. As the Bank continues its digital transformation journey, more services will become available in the coming months.

The Portal is not based on any third-party digital framework. Instead, it was built from the ground up. In creating The Portal, UnionBank was guided by the principle of having a simple integrated platform in order to ensure the best user experience for customers. For the Bank, providing superior transaction banking experiences to users is a top priority, and The Portal is the perfect representation of what it believes transaction banking should be.

Globe At Home with free webinar for parents on online schooling

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The transition of the country to distance learning is a big adjustment not only for learners but for their parents as well. The usual routine of bringing and fetching their kids to and from school, preparing their lunch, and helping them with their homeworks has all changed. Now, parents have the responsibility to oversee and guide their children as they learn from home and navigate this new landscape of digital education

To assist them in the preparation for the start of classes and dealing with the challenges of online schooling, Globe At Home hosted the Learn@Home: Parents’ Online Schooling Essentials webinar on August 15, 2020.

The one-hour free webinar was conducted by Teacher Gabby Limjoco, owner of Playworks Early Childhood Center, and celebrity mom and content creator Bianca Gonzalez-Intal. Through this session, parents learn the essentials on how to make their homes a conducive learning environment for their children as well as useful tips and hacks to ease them in the new process. Developing new habits to support online schooling needs and how to easily adjust to the new environment will be covered by the guest speakers.

Learn @Home webinar #GlobeAtHome

To help parents and kids navigate through the new distance learning set-up, Globe At Home is held a special webinar with Teacher Gabby Limjoco of Playworks Early Childhood Center and celebrity mom, Bianca Gonzales-Intal via Shoor, through this exciting webinar, made specially for moms and dads:

💙 Online Schooling Essentials

💙  Hacks for parents to support your child’s online schooling needs

💙  Tips on how to ease your kids in

💙  Setting up your home’s tech needs & Importance of strong connection at home

The session also tackle the importance of having a strong and reliable broadband connection and the appropriate tools and tech set-up at home for optimized learning.

Globe At Home customers whoregistered via bit.ly/LearnAtHome_GlobeAtHome get the VIP access to the webinar while a livestream also been available via Globe At Home’s Facebook page for everyone who wants to learn a thing or two on how they can make online schooling fun and hassle-free for their children and everyone in the family.

As we move forward and embrace the changes brought by the new normal, Globe At Home is committed to provide a smooth and fast internet connection that will minimize learning disruptions and social challenges as students continue learning at home. Customers can avail or upgrade to UNLI Plan 2899 with speeds of up to 100 Mbps. The plan also comes with a pair of TP-Link Deco M5 WiFi Mesh devices which expand the WiFi coverage to more areas of your home so everyone can stay connected, especially those who have turned their home into an office and learning space for kids.

Empowering teachers and students for blended learning PLDT ramps up its Infoteach Outreach Program with a webinar series

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MANILA, Philippines – To enable various sectors in the new normal of online teaching and learning, leading telco PLDT, through its Infoteach Outreach Program, is conducting a webinar series called "Gearing up for the New Normal in Teaching and Learning.” 

The webinar series recently kicked off with the topic “Preparing your course for online delivery,” and was attended by almost 15,000 registered participants. These include teachers and students who were selected by PLDT in coordination with the Department of Education (DepED) Schools Division Superintendents, while the program’s long-time partner UP Open University (UPOU) provided the learning modules. The session was also extended to the public through the UPOU Networks’ Facebook Live and YouTube streams, with peak views reaching over 8,000 individuals. 

"We echo our Chairman's commitment that there should be no learner left behind. Amid the pandemic, we continue to empower our teachers and students by providing them with digital capabilities. Our webinar series aims to equip them for a smoother transition to a blended learning set-up,” said PLDT Public Affairs Head Ramon Isberto. 

"Through the webinar series, we advocate the culture of sharing. We become architects as we design our own modules. Through this, we enable our fellow teachers to learn from our best teaching and learning practices,” said UPOU Chancellor Dr. Melinda Bandalaria during the first session. 

There are several topics educators can watch out for, including engaging learners online (August 3), assessment of online engagement tools (August 7) and supporting online learners (August 10). Students will be given an online course on preparing to be an online learner (August 5), while parents will be offered a special webinar on how to support their children as online learners (August 18). There will also be a webinar session on cyber security open to the general public (August 14), led by PLDT Chief Information and Security Officer Angel Redoble. 

“This webinar series in partnership with the UPOU is a milestone that aims to uplift our country’s new digital education system. We continue to take strides in ensuring that we utilize our resources in helping the teaching and learning community," he said. 

Recognizing the vital role that the local government units (LGUs) play in supporting the education sector’s transition to digital learning, PLDT will also hold a special webinar session for them on August 12. 

For more details on how to participate, visit the UPOU Network’s Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/UPOpenUniversityNetworks/

Through the shared goal of enriching the country’s education sector, PLDT and UPOU are dedicating this webinar series not only to the teachers, but also to the whole ecosystem of the teaching and learning process: the students, their parents, and their communities. 

About the Infoteach Outreach Program 

Now on its 16th year, the PLDT Infoteach Outreach Program started in 2004 as a barangay-based initiative on digital literacy training, and was later transformed into a school-based program. As the company’s flagship educational program, it champions digital literacy by empowering public school teachers and students nationwide. Its partnership with UPOU started in 2012 and has already produced over 30,000 graduates from different public schools all over the country. 

For more details on PLDT’s efforts for the education sector, please visit http://pldt.com/about-us/corporate-citizenship