Tulong Taal: GCash enables users to donate to Taal aid efforts

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With the recent eruption of the Taal Volcano, the spirit of Bayanihan became stronger and much more visible with the outpouring of donations and volunteers from the different sectors of the society to help those in need.

Various groups and individuals launched their own donation drives to collect humanitarian aid and bring them to the people who are currently affected by the volcanic eruption in Batangas.

All over the news and social media, the whole world see how Filipinos of different walks of life -- from government agencies, humanitarian aid groups, foundations, down to individuals -- strengthen one another to help those in need.

“The Filipino spirit of Bayanihan is best displayed during these times, and we at GCash inspired with the outflowing of donations and financial aid to those affected by this calamity. We have since added a new in-app feature to make it more convenient for our users to support relief efforts,” GCash President Anthony Thomas said.

To make it much simpler for individuals to support these causes, GCash, the Philippines’ leading mobile wallet, has partnered with several non-government organizations and foundations to enable its users to contribute any amount to their chosen groups or even individuals via their GCash app.

GCash users simply have to open their apps, click on the “Pay Bills” tile, select “Others,” click on “Tulong Taal,” and input the amount they would like to contribute.

“We at GCash are one with the Filipino people in helping those in need in this time of great need. Through our platform, GCash users now have a more convenient means to aid those who are affected by the Taal Volcano eruption. We have long realized the power of our platform, and we will continue to transform it as a conduit of generosity for the greater good,” Thomas said.

With the advent of financial technology, Filipinos are now more empowered to harness their innate generosity and helpfulness in times of disasters. First launched in mid 2019, GCash for Good enables users to donate monetary assistance to social causes such as disaster relief via their mobile phones. 

Proceeds of the donation drive will go directly to partner organizations such as the Philippine Red Cross, World Vision, Animal Kingdom Foundation, Ayala Foundation, the School of Deaf and Applied Studies, Hope in a Bottle, and ABS-CBN Foundation. These groups are spearheading different humanitarian aid and relief operations for the evacuees.

GCash account holders may also opt to directly send financial assistance to their chosen aid group via their own QR codes posted in social media.

“No amount is too small when it comes to helping others. Each peso is a significant step towards the betterment of the lives of the people in need,” Thomas added.

Aside from the GCash-led donation drive, individuals are also harnessing the power of digital finance to gather donations and launch their own campaigns. Over the past few days, GCash has noted various GCash users receiving money from different people as financial assistance to humanitarian aid.

“It is encouraging for us at GCash to see our platform being used for good causes. This is a huge step for us, as we transform the GCash app to a more socially-significant, responsible and sustainable platform to create an impact on millions of lives in the Philippines,” Thomas said.

Shopee rounds up exceptional 2019; envisions online shopping to be more personalized, engaging, and social in 2020

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● Shopee’s in-app games were played over 1 billion times in total in 2019

● 10,000 hours of content streamed on Shopee Live a day on average

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, sums up an exceptional 2019 and outlines three defining characteristics for online shopping in 2020: Personalized, Engaging, Social. Shopee enjoyed a landmark 2019 as it pioneered industry-leading initiatives that transformed online shopping in the region. In 2020, Shopee will take its efforts to the next level by making online shopping more fun, customized, and interactive.

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines said, “Shopee had an incredible 2019. We achieved new milestones by staying true to our vision of making online shopping engaging and social. This is proven by our successful in-app games and features which continue to delight millions of users daily. As e-commerce becomes the norm in the coming years, the next challenge is to make shopping online more personal and customized for each user. Shopee believes this to be the future of online shopping and we are committed to making it a reality.”

Shopee led the way for Southeast Asia’s e-commerce market in 2019

Shopee extended its market leadership in 2019, driven by its successful strategy to forge a social and engaging shopping experience. Fun is at the heart of the Shopee experience as its popular in-app games and features entertained shoppers across the region:

● Over 1 billion plays recorded on Shopee’s wide range of in-app games in 2019

● 10,000 hours of content streamed on Shopee Live a day on average

Sellers and brand partners also saw tremendous growth on Shopee in 2019. Sellers across the region experienced a steady increase in orders throughout the year, especially during the busy year-end shopping period. In addition, more brands and retailers joined Shopee to reach more customers, as the product assortment on Shopee Mall doubled in 2019.

Powered by its successful strategy, Shopee was crowned the number one shopping app in Southeast Asia and Taiwan by Monthly Active Users (MAU) in the second and third quarter of 2019. In addition, Shopee set new records during the year-end shopping season, highlighted by 80 million items sold in just 24 hours at its annual finale, Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.

2019 Highlights at Shopee Philippines

2019 was a fruitful and fulfilling year for Shopee Philippines, as it achieved several major milestones for users. Key highlights include:

● Provide non-stop entertainment for Filipinos: Celebrated the beginning of the Christmas season with its first-ever TV show, Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas TV Special. Millions of Filipinos joined in the fun to catch their favourite celebrities, including Alden Richards, Maine Mendoza, and Heart Evangelista. 

● Announce Filipino Popstar Royalty as new brand ambassador: Sarah Geronimo joined in the fun to celebrate Shopee 6.6 - 7.7 Lowest Price Sale as Shopee brand ambassador. Shopee recorded millions of online views for its commercial with Sarah Geronimo for Shopee 6.6 - 7.7 Lowest Price sale.

● Deepen user engagement with Shopee Live: Rolled out in-app livestreaming feature in April to provide shoppers an innovative and social shopping experience. Consumers can watch Shopee Live to score exclusive deals, connect with their favorite celebrities, and get Shopee vouchers. 

The future of online shopping: Personalized, Engaging, Social 

Shopee foresees online shopping to be even more personalized, engaging, and social in 2020. In line with this vision, Shopee will introduce new platform innovations to bring users a fun and personalized shopping experience in the new year: 

● Personalized shopping with data and artificial intelligence (AI): Shopee will deepen its use of AI and big data to curate a more personalized shopping journey for users. For example in 2019, Shopee leveraged deep learning for its recommendation engine to bring users customized shopping suggestions based on purchase and browsing data. 

● Leveling up user-engagement with new in-app games: Shopee will also innovate its collection of in-app games to bring users more fun and entertainment. In the Philippines, Shopee rolled out its latest horoscope game, the 2020 Fortune Forecast, to mark the beginning of the new year and to allow Filipinos to read their fortune for the year ahead.

● Deeper social interaction on Shopee Feed: Finally, users in all markets can expect an upgraded social experience through Shopee Feed by the first quarter of 2020. Shopee Feed offers various social functions for users to create content and interact with friends, fellow buyers, and sellers on Shopee. 

Yu closed: “I believe that online shopping should bring fun and joy to people. Everyone at Shopee is working hard to make shopping engaging, social, and personalized as e-commerce continues to evolve in our region. We are thrilled at what is to come in 2020 and we look forward to another fruitful year.”

Visa and Ayala Malls Cinemas Announce Contactless Acceptance in the Philippines

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Visa has announced that Filipinos can now use their contactless cards to make payments at 19 Ayala Malls Cinemas across the country. This is part of Visa’s goal to expand contactless acceptance at more merchant outlets in the country.

The contactless terminals have been implemented across Ayala Malls Cinemas, in partnership with Global Payments. The introduction of contactless payments at Ayala Malls Cinemas brings greater convenience and payment options for Filipinos who are embracing a cashless lifestyle.

“We’ve seen more Filipinos use their contactless cards for shopping and entertainment purchases since we introduced this secure and convenient mode of payment a couple of years ago,” shared Dan Wolbert, Visa Country Manager for the Philippines and Guam. “Contactless payments are steadily increasing and are being embraced as a payment of choice by Filipinos. Based on our data, we noted high double-digit year-on-year increase in contactless spend and transactions.

“Ayala Malls is one of the biggest shopping mall retailers in the country, and a strategic partner of Visa to help transform payment innovation in the country. Visa is excited to partner Ayala Malls on more initiatives to create seamless payment experiences for consumers and expand our merchant acceptance footprint in the country,” added Dan.

“Ayala Malls is all about creating special moments for our mall-goers, as embodied by our tagline, ‘Awaken Amazing’”, said Ayala Malls Marketing Director Eunice G. Velasco. “We are happy to work with Visa to provide treats that will delight our customers who are making use of Visa's convenient and safe contactless feature. We hope this partnership will encourage our customers to appreciate the ease of contactless transactions.”

Visa and Ayala Malls Cinemas have introduced a campaign, dubbed Fri-dates with Visa. On every Friday from January 17 to March 27, movie-goers who visit one of the 19 participating Ayala Malls Cinemas can enjoy complimentary popcorn when they watch a movie. All they need to do is purchase two (2) movie tickets, and tap to pay with their Visa contactless cards.

SM distributes boxes of water relief to Taal eruption victims in Batangas, Lipa

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SM Supermalls, SM Cares, and SM Foundation Inc. head to the evacuation centers in Batangas and Lipa to distribute boxes of 6.6L bottled water to the affected residents of the recent Taal volcano eruption. 

The boxes of bottled water were given out to the victims who are temporarily residing in evacuation centers in Sto. Toribio, Banay-Banay, and Inosloban-Maraouy in Lipa and Batangas City Coliseum in Batangas. 

SM Supermalls has partnered with the Philippine National Red Cross to extend urgent relief support and assistance to affected communities through its 12 malls in South Luzon. Those who wish to donate may drop-off their in-kind donations at the designated Oplan Tulong Express booths in the following SM malls: Bacoor, Dasmariñas, Molino, Rosario, Trece Martires, Imus, Sta. Rosa, San Pablo, Calamba, Batangas, Lipa, and Lucena.

For updates and announcements, visit www.smsupermalls.com or its Facebook page @smsupermalls.

Flying Carnival 2020 in Carmona, Cavite: A Weekend of Almost Everything that Flies

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For over two decades, the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, known as “The Weekend of Everything that Flies,” has been the most highly anticipated and longest-running sports aviation event in Asia. 

Over the years, it has stayed true to its longtime objectives: to spark interest in aviation; to instill discipline in young pilots; and to impart a spirit of volunteerism to the whole community. 

Continuing to spread this advocacy across the Philippines, the organizers will be launching “The Flying Carnival 2020: A Weekend of Almost Everything that Flies,” a 3-day spectacle of hot air balloons, helicopters and air sport events, combined with aviation career seminars, fly markets, food booths and family entertainment! The event will be held at the San Lazaro Leisure Park in Carmona, Cavite on March 6-8, 2020. 

Set in a more comfortable viewing space, spectators will be treated to the sight of early morning balloon flights followed by non-stop flying exhibitions – paragliding, skydiving, helicopter demonstrations, RC control line exhibitions and kite flying.

Visitors can wander through a carnival setting, with food booths and entertainment for the whole family. Aviation souvenirs and unique finds can be bought at the Fly Market, and the weekend evenings will be capped off by a magical hot air balloon nightglow and fireworks display.

Those considering a career in aviation can attend the Aviation Career Seminars to be given by renowned aviators and industry practitioners – Fighter pilots from the Philippine Air Force; Naval Air Group pilots from the Philippine Navy; a female captain from Cebu Pacific Air, and Air Traffic Controller from the Air Traffic Service. They will be joined by FAI World Record holder from Spain, Michel Gordillo; Hot Air Balloon pilot from the United Kingdom, Pete Bish; and Capt. Joy Roa of Asian Air Safari. The seminars will be available to Business Class ticket holders. Seminar attendees will be given a certificate of completion, and can enjoy meals and gain admission to the event.

Those who wish to experience the carnival in comfort can opt to get the First Class Ticket, which allows an all-access pass to the event, including meals, private viewing areas, and access to the aviation seminars and air-conditioned bazaar.

The event is co-presented by Okada Manila, the country’s ultra luxury integrated resort, and Rewards Circle. 

For tickets and other information, visit www.philballoonfest.net or stay up-to-date with event info by following @PIHABF on Facebook, and @philballoonfest on Instagram.