Globe-Pusod, Inc. partnership boosts Taal Volcano's ecotourism

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Taal’s ecotourism has received a big boost from the partnership between Globe Telecom and the nonprofit environmental organization Pusod Taal Lake Conservation Center (TLCC). 

The collaboration of Globe and Pusod Inc. is working together to empower communities around the lake through environment education and sustainable enterprises.

Pusod is an environmental non-profit organization which works with small fisher folk communities in Batangas and Cavite to conserve ecosystems and empower them through environment education and sustainable enterprises.

A member of Taal Volcano Protected Landscape Protected Area Management Board, in 2012, Pusod tapped Globe for the use of ICT to enhance implementation of the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (TVPL) Management Plan designed to ensure the economic and environmental sustainability of the Taal Lake ecosystem which covers 13 municipalities and 3 cities in Batangas and Cavite.

One of the key programs implemented by Globe and Pusod to address the area’s environmental issues is the promotion of ecotourism which gives a low-impact alternative to commercial tourism. This not only helps protect the environment but also provides livelihood to communities around the lake.

As the result of the partnership,  the Pusod Taal Lake Conservation Center (TLCC) has increased earnings by 1400% from P40,000 upon its establishment in 2011 to P600,000 in 2015. It now provides sustainable livelihood opportunities to the local communities surrounding the Taal Volcano Protected Landscape (TVPL). The earnings came from various sustainable tourism initiatives such as Knowledge Tours, Kayak rentals, and sales from honey, coffee, and vinegar.

“Globe creates positive societal impact by fostering connectivity for families, businesses, and the nation, providing jobs across our value chain and by developing partnerships that support sustainable livelihood and conservation as part of our sustainability strategies,” said Fernando Esguerra, Director, Globe Citizenship.

“Lakes take a long time to respond to conservation measures. Those that are still connected deeply with the livelihood that the lake provides are less and less reliant on it. It prompted us to take action because a lot of people really depend on the lake for livelihood. The goals of all protected areas should be sustainable development, preserving the characteristics and the life forms in an ecosystem,” said Atty. Ipat Luna, Executive Trustee and Founding Member of Pusod, Inc.

“The only way we can really save the lake is if they take pride in it: I live in a protected area source of pride,” said Atty. Luna.

A photo exhibit entitled “Pusod: Ang Pagkakaisa ng Pamayanan at Kalikasan”, will give you a glimpse of the Taal community through endearing snapshots of the scenic views of Taal Volcano and Lake, as well as its natural beauty. 

Photos of the TAAL Ecosystem  displayed at the Globe Art Gallery from August 3 to 31. Photos were taken by Globe Employee Volunteers (DRMHWS). Proceeds of the exhibit will support Pusod’s conservation work in TVPL.

“Together with Globe, our work entails us to work with communities and tell them more about the ecosystem where they are and to eventually help them to protect it and create enterprises around them,” said Ann Hazel Javier, Executive Director, Pusod, Inc.

“We started with the eco-tourism program. We have built capacities for the people in the volcano island, the tour guides and the boat guides, our local caterer and the community volunteers. Their main motivation is really to help conserve and protect the ecosystem,” said Javier. 

“As an organization, we hope to connect humans to nature and vice versa. Aside from the conservation work, we work a lot with communities and we see the need of the communities to have economic activities so that they can participate in the conservation activities as well,” she added.

Here are Globe-Pusod Inc. Partnership Highlights

Since 2012, Globe:

- Established a monitoring system involving 5,000 fisherfolks of the Kilusan ng Maliliit na Mangingisda ng Lawa ng Taal through the TxtConnect facility for the E-Governance Program. TxtConnect, a web-based platform that enables them to broadcast messages critical to the implementation of the TVPL Management Plan. 

- Paved the way for mobile financial services to reach almost fisher folk communities across the 13 municipalities and 3 cities in Batangas and Cavite under the TVPL by distributing 5,000 SIM cards with discounted call and SMS rates. 

- Improved productivity of 276 households in Barangay Calawit, Balete, Batangas with the provision of solar lams through the Stiftung Solarenergie collaboration 

- Helped provide employment for 131 community-based tour guides, boat operators, horse guides and hospitality practitioners for the Sustainable Tourism Program 

- Sparked citizens’ and employees’ participation through the Boat Building Activities and Knowledge Tours

Pusod, Inc. established Taal Lake Conservation Center (TLCC) in Sitio Lipute, Barangay Kinalaglagan, Mataasnakahoy, Batangas which is the central knowledge hub of the TVPL.

It operates the Taal Ecotourism Program which highlights the Taal Knowledge Tour. includes Briefing on the lake region; eruption history of the volcano;  Boat Ride from TLCC to Calauit, Balete on Volcano Island and back; Horse Ride or Trek to the crater view deck with local tour guides; Snacks and lunch of Batangas fusion cuisine and local refreshments; Conservation contribution; Boat Sailing; Kayak and Stand Up Paddle Board.

Brother Philippines launch mono laser series that means business

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Brother Philippines Sales and Marketing Deputy General Manager Mr. Masao Kasagi and Brother Philippines President Mr. Glenn Hocson 

Brother International Philippines Corp. has launched an all-new mono laser series that delivers high reliability, value and productivity for businesses. 

Designed in Japan, the four models in the new range comprise two mono laser printers, the HL-L5100DN and HL-L6400DW, and two Multi-Function Centres (MFCs), the MFC-L5900DW and MFC-L6900DW, which serve high print volume office environments.

Brother Philippines Sales and Marketing Deputy General Manager Mr. Masao Kasagi and Brother Philippines President Mr. Glenn Hocson

“The new mono laser series offers reliable performance that Brother is known for, coupled with significant innovations to meet the expectations of a modern workplace,” Brother Philippines President Glenn Hocson said. 

“Businesses are looking for user-friendly, cost-efficient solutions with outstanding high-volume, quality output that can scale as they grow. These Brother laser printers and Multi-Function Centres provide an excellent combination of dependability, versatility and security to meet office needs.”

Brother has enhanced the new series significantly based on customer feedback, achieving several firsts in the process. This family is the first mono laser range by Brother to print up to 50 pages per minute (ppm). 

This is also the first Brother mono laser series to feature a new heavy duty Automatic Document Feeder with an 80-sheet capacity, a 60 percent improvement over the previous series. Maximum input capacity has improved by 150 percent to a maximum paper input of 2,650 pages, another ‘first’, while the dual CIS supports 100 images per minute (ipm) scanner, another new introduction. 

Improved total cost of ownership (TCO)

Brother’s latest mono laser family is built for high efficiency and cost effectiveness. 

The laser printers and MFCs support monthly print cycles of up to 150,000 pages per month¹, while an ultra high-yield toner¹ enables up to 20,000^ printed pages with cost savings in mind. Compared to the previous mono laser range, the new family has raised maximum paper output capacity by 600 percent, and expanded toner yield by 66 percent for vastly improved TCO.

Superior productivity and ease of use

Productivity is a key feature of the new series. High volume print jobs are easily managed, without the need for frequent paper reloads. The default paper tray can hold up to 520 sheets, and optional upgrades of either two additional paper trays or a tower tray provide businesses with a total input capacity of as many as 2,080 sheets¹. A 4-bin Mailbox with stacker and sorter makes even easier to share a printer as bins can be assigned to individual users or groups. 

Simplified business operations

The new models are easily managed over the network with Brother’s BRAdmin Professional Software. This software includes a suite of security solutions to ensure that documents remain confidential. It is also a network management tool that supports remote configurations and the monitoring of useful information such as page count, toner and drum status. Print costs can be more controlled with the option of setting print quotas for users, while instant notification of printer downtime lets customers attend to the problem quickly. 

Customized workflow solutions

As each business is unique and may operate under unpredictable conditions, Brother has developed flexible workflow solutions that can be customized if required. Brother Special Solutions Customization (SSC) enables Brother to collaborate with a business on modifying Brother products for specific business needs. The Brother Solutions Interface (BSI¹), a web-based service platform, aims to improve customers’ productivity and efficiency by allowing software developers to create custom solutions easily.

Mobile convenience

Brother also supports the convenient integration of mobile devices into the workflow. Brother iPrint&Scan, Apple AirPrint® and Google Cloud Print™ enable users to print directly from their mobile devices. JPEG and PDF documents can be printed, while faxes and copies can be previewed. Apple products can also save documents to iCloud.

Buyers Laboratory (BLI), a widely-respected testing and resource company, has evaluated several of the new Brother models. BLI noted the significant business value of the new machines: “The Brother models offer competitive to lower than average cost of ownership,” BLI’s Director of Office Equipment Product Analysis Marlene Orr said.

BLI recognized the machines’ reliability, particularly in high-volume printing. “Even during peak periods, users won’t see any noticeable slowdowns in output speeds,” Orr added. 

She also noted the ease of use: 

“The smartphone-like interface on the touch-screen models reduces the learning curve, and NFC connectivity eliminates guesswork for mobile printing, offers badge authentication and a quick link to troubleshooting information.” 

In addition, BLI pointed to robust scan features that boost worker productivity, and simple and affordable sharing of content and collaboration in the cloud with Brother WebConnect+.

The new Brother mono laser series is now available in the Philippines. 

For more information, visit www.brother.com.ph or call (02) 581-9819.

Taste the Feeling, Share the Feeling as Coca-Cola and KFC bring fun to every meal with EmotiCups!

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Here’s an exciting and fun way to show how much diners really feel when eating their favorite finger lickin’ good chicken with families and friends as KFC comes out with the limited edition Coca-Cola EmotiCups.

The emoticons says it all!   #WOW #LOL #Love # Kilig #Incredible

Coca-Cola together with KFC is giving everyone a fun and creative way to share their feelings using Coke Emoticons, while enjoying the finger-licking goodness of their favorite KFC fried chicken. 

Coca-Cola EmotiCups are free for every chicken bucket meal which includes 8 pieces of chicken, 2 spaghetti, 4 rice and 4 medium drinks in collectible EmotiCups.

Diners can also avail of the EmotiCups by simply adding P20 to their combo meal with drink, Fully-Loaded meal, Fill-Up Box, 1-Piece chicken meal, or Teriyaki Pepper Steak rice bowl.

Make eating with friends more special and fun with the finger lickin’ good KFC meals and ice-cold Coca-Cola in unique EmotiCups – the latest collaboration between two of the biggest global brands, available from July 8 to September 8 at your nearest KFC branch.

 Celebrity Blogger Karel Marquez during the media launch of Emoticups 

To know more, visit the official Facebook pages of KFC Philippines and Coca-Cola Philippines. Taste the Feeling, Share the Feeling with Coke and KFC.

PayMaya, Bayad Center team up to enable bills payment

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PayMaya Philippines (formerly Smart Money, Inc.), the digital financial services unit of Voyager Innovations, and the country’s leading bills pay fulfillment company Bayad Center have partnered to provide Filipinos a more convenient, faster, and more secure option to pay their utility bills and government fee requirements via PayMaya, the leading digital payments app in the country. 

L-R: Pit Quevedo, Senior Vice President & COO, Bayad Center; Lawrence Ferrer, Vice President, PayMaya Philippines; Manny Tuason, President and CEO, Bayad Center; Oscar Reyes, Chairman of Bayad Center; Manny Pangilinan, Chairman of Voyager Innovations; Orlando Vea, President and CEO, Voyager Innovations; Benjie Fernandez, co-COO of PayMaya Philippines and COO, Voyager Innovations; Paolo Azzola, co-COO and Managing Director, PayMaya Philippines.

By simply downloading the PayMaya app from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store (or updating the app for existing users), consumers can now conveniently settle their bills on time with a simple tap on the ‘Pay Bills’ feature on the app. The billers that are now available on PayMaya’s Pay Bills include Bayad Center partners and private companies such as MERALCO, PLDT, Laguna Water, and Cignal. Soon, more partners and government agencies will be onboarded including Smart, Sun Cellular, SSS, Pag-IBIG, PhilHealth, POEA, Maynilad, PRC, and NBI among others. 

“At PayMaya, we strive to accelerate financial inclusion in emerging markets and improve lives through payment innovations. Our partnership with the leading payment fulfillment company Bayad Center is a demonstration of this commitment. Through the Pay Bills feature of PayMaya, we are proud to redefine the customer experience of Filipinos and provide a hassle-free option to pay their bills by a simple tap on their smartphone from the comfort of their home, without the need for a bank account or enroll their bills,” said Orlando Vea, President and CEO of PayMaya Philippines and Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart.

“Bayad Center has always been committed to bringing the payment collection service closer to every Filipino. Through PayMaya, we make it even more convenient for the paying public to settle their bills since they can easily access the facility through their mobile phones. What is even better is that our OFWs can now pay for their bills back home without having to send money and pay charges. It is payment made available anytime, anywhere,” said Oscar Reyes, Chairman of Bayad Center.

On top of the PayMaya virtual account that can be used to pay for online transactions, customers can also request for their own PayMaya physical prepaid card which can be used in brick-and-mortar stores worldwide that accept Visa. A variant also comes with its own beep™ wallet, allowing users to ride the MRT, LRT, BGC buses, and other point-to-point (P2P) transportations powered by beep™ for their daily commute. Users who link their PayMaya app and card, and upgrade their PayMaya account can facilitate peer-to-peer money transfers and ATM withdrawals.

The PayMaya difference 

Apps by leading banks enable users to pay their bills once enrolled in their app. Originally meant to manage and track deposit money, these apps will be useful if you have a bank account. This remains to be a challenge in the Philippines as roughly only 31% of the population have bank accounts. 

With PayMaya, access to financial services is made easier with just a smartphone and a mobile number. To be able to pay your bills, all you need to do is download the PayMaya mobile app, register and activate your account with basic information such as name and mobile number—no need for a bank account or enroll your bills. 

For existing users, all they need to do is update their app to enable the Pay Bills feature of their PayMaya. Once your account is activated, you can load your PayMaya at any of the 15,000 reloading stations nationwide that include SM Malls Business Centers, Robinsons Department Stores, Bayad Centers, 7-Eleven stores with Cliqq kiosks, TouchPay Kiosks, and Smart Padala Centers, on top of online banking via BDO. PayMaya is bank-agnostic and this means you do not need to go to bank branches just to load your account. For more details, visit www.paymaya.com.

Find us on social media: facebook.com/PayMayaOfficial, twitter.com/paymayaofficial, and instagram.com/paymaya_official. 

Home Credit and Samsung Bring Back its Samsung Galaxy J Series Promo

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Due to popular demand, Home Credit Philippines and Samsung Philippines have decided to bring back the Samsung Galaxy J Series Promo where consumers can get a hold of the latest Samsung Galaxy J5 2016 and J7 2016 at 0% interest from August 5 to September 4, 2016.

Home Credit Philippines is a consumer financing company that offers easy, simple, and fast loan installment plans to Filipinos. The company only requires two valid IDs and an initial cash-out for the loan application. The approval process can take as little as 15 minutes, after which the consumers can take their Samsung J Series phones home.

"Our first 0% promo with Samsung for the J Series smartphones last summer was a huge success, and there is demand from customers even after the promo was over,” remarked Home Credit Philippines’ Head of Sales, Adam Bernasek. 

“So it was a very easy decision for us to bring back the promo with Samsung, and help more people get their hands on the amazing J Series phones.”

Customers may avail of the Samsung Galaxy J5 2016 for as low as ₱1,199 per month, or the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 at ₱1,499 on instalment-basis for 6 months, through any of Home Credit’s retail partners.

The all-new Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 2016 both feature 48GB memory, which can store thousands of selfies. At the same time, both units feature two new technologies, Signal Max and Ultra Data Saving, both first launched in the Philippines through the J5 and J7 2016. Signal Max provides for wider signal coverage and enhanced call quality. While its Ultra Data Saving feature enables consumers to save up to 50% on their mobile data consumption. 

Imagine how many more additional hours of internet browsing, video and music streaming, and photo uploads you can do with these savings. They also feature HD Super AMOLED displays, for true-to-life colors and clearer and deeper images. They even have improved cameras, with a 13MP back and 5MP front camera, f/1.9 aperture and LED front flash, both units produce high-quality pictures even in low-light conditions. They also come with 3,100 mAh and 3,300 mAh, for J5 and J7 2016 respectively. On top of these, they also feature Ultra Power Saving to help extend battery life, as well LTE Dual SIM, for added convenience. 

"We are happy to be providing Filipinos the option to purchase the gadgets, appliances, and electronics they need via affordable loan installments, allowing them to manage their finances better. And we are very fortunate to have partners like Samsung who share the same vision," said Bernasek. 

For more information, please visit www.homecredit.ph.