iQor celebrates official opening after multi-phased expansion in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines

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iQor, a global managed services provider embedded in the flow between product, people and services, celebrated the opening of its new Santa Rosa contact center in Laguna, Philippines with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, April 27, 2018.

 iQor ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday, April 27, 2018, Santa Rosa laguna, (L-R) Saurabh Bhaskar, Senior Vice President, Operations iQor; Gary Praznik, Chief Operating Officer, iQor; Ramil Hernandez, Governor of Province of  Laguna; Tone Holmen, General Manager for Retail, iQor; Jeff Swedberg, General Manager for Finance, iQor; Marty Lhetio, General Manager for Telco, iQor

iQor opened one of the first English-speaking contact centers in the country in 1999. Since then, the company has grown to more than 22,000 employees spanning 11 facilities throughout Dasmariñas, Davao, Iloilo, Talisay, Bacolod, and Clark.

“The Philippines remains one of the fastest growing regions for our customer care services,” said Gary Praznik, iQor COO.

“The country’s continued investments in infrastructure, education, and transportation are paying off. As the complexity of customer interactions increase, we continue to find digitally savvy talent that can work across a variety of different channels, whether that is voice, social media, chat, or email.”

Santa Rosa is located just 38 kilometers (24 miles) outside of Metro Manila, and is home to a growing young, tech-oriented labor pool. iQor’s contact center opened its doors in a newly built building next to the SM City Santa Rosa Mall in October 2017 and quickly expanded to occupy the 6th – 9th floors. The center has a large rooftop and entertainment area and will provide jobs to over 3,000 Filipinos over the course of 12 months.

“iQor is very family oriented,” said Saurabh Bhaskar, senior vice president operations for iQor Philippines. “Santa Rosa is perfectly positioned outside the NCR to allow our employees to work closer to their home and their families. At the same time, the proximity to Metro Manila gives us access to a large pool of digitally native talent that we wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else.”

iQor was recently recognized for its commitment to the Philippines business community and job creation, earning first place awards for Best First-Time Nominated Company and Best Company of the Year Outside National Capital Region, presented at the 12th International ICT Awards in March 2018.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrates official opening after multi-phased expansion

The ribbon cutting ceremony was held at iQor’s Santa Rosa contact center at BPO Tower 3, SM City Santa Rosa, Laguna 4026 on Friday, April 27, 2018 from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM. 

To pursue an opportunity at iQor Philippines, please visit www.iqorphilippines.com. To learn more about growing your career at iQor, please visit: www.iqor.com/careers. 

About iQor

iQor is the only global managed services provider embedded in the flow between product, people and services, from point of customer acquisition to sustainable recycling. With 45,000 employees in 18 countries, we partner with many of the world’s best-known brands to deliver aftermarket product and customer support solutions that span the consumer value chain, from customer care and receivables management to product diagnostics and repair services. Our award-winning technology, logistics and analytics platforms enable us to measure, monitor and analyze brand interactions, improve business process and find operational efficiencies that lead to superior outcomes for our partners across the customer and product life cycles.

PH welcomes home Louie Sangalang, cancer survivor and Filipino North Pole Marathon finisher

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Welcome Home multi-sport athlete Louie Sangalang, the first Filipino cancer survivor to conquer the FWD North Pole Marathon, and was given a homecoming party by Pan-Asian insurer FWD Life Insurance after successfully completing the marathon held on April 16. 

Filipinos have another source of national pride as FWD Life Philippines representative Louie Sangalang conquered the FWD North Pole Marathon, the world’s coolest marathon.

Sangalang’s triumph is an amazing testament to the resilience of the Filipino spirit, having finished the race in 11 hours and four minutes amid severe weather conditions.

62 participants from 23 countries took part in the marathon, which marked the second year of FWD’s title sponsorship and the first region-wide participation of 11 FWD-sponsored runners, dubbed FWD Team Asia. The entire trip to the North Pole was approximately two weeks long as participants needed to acclimatize and train before the race. FWD Team Asia raised over USD32,000 as they completed the race for the organizations they support, including Special Olympics, the largest sports organization for people with intellectual disability.

The marathon participants ran on a 42-kilometer path in a terrain with temperature ranging from negative 30 to negative 33 degrees centigrade. Adding to the challenge of the race was the icy path which was in parts soft and powdery and sometimes solid and slippery. 

“Around 75% to 80% of the course was in snowy, uneven terrain which made it difficult to find firm footing. As a result, we had to walk on some parts of the race course,” Louie said. 

“We had great weather with clear skies and minimal wind. However, the extreme cold made the race very challenging.”

Louie also said that the hardest part of the race was managing the cold and running at nighttime with the midnight sun. However, despite the highly challenging marathon path and the freezing weather, not once did he ever think of giving up during the course of the race. He faced the challenges before him, embraced them as he was determined to live his life to the fullest!

FWD Life Philippines President and Chief Executive Peter Grimes extended his congratulations to Louie for completing the run. “We are very proud of Louie! His healthy lifestyle and background as a multi-sport athlete made him the perfect choice to represent FWD Life Philippines in the North Pole Marathon,” said Peter.

“How Louie overcame all the challenges in his life, including this latest one, truly embodies what FWD Life Insurance stands for. FWD believes in grabbing the things you want out of life, to not let anything stand in the way of living your best life. Louie was determined to finish this marathon despite all odds, and he did it!” Peter added.

Roche Vandenberghe, FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing, said, “The FWD North Pole marathon was a great and equally unique platform to celebrate living, which is what FWD is all about. As the country’s most exciting insurance brand, we are here to encourage people to overcome their fears and fulfill their biggest dreams!”

“That may be as extreme as fulfilling their bucket list by running a marathon on the North Pole or as simple as planning for their future today with proper insurance protection. If it helps them live their lives to the fullest, FWD Life Insurance definitely has got their back!”

FWD Life Philippines launches Community Care partnership with Special Olympics Philippines

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FWD and Special Olympics Philippines celebrated the beginning of the partnership with a bowling friendship match participated by athletes from both organizations as well as members of the media, held on April 23, 2018 at The Palms Country Club in Muntinlupa City.

With its vision to empower people to live fulfilled lives, FWD's Community Care program supports the Athlete Leadership and Unified Schools programs of Special Olympics, the world's largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities.

FWD Life Insurance

Through the partnership, FWD is embracing the power of sports to let people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities.

FWD Group is donating US$1.25 million across the Asian markets where it operates: Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Pan-Asian insurer FWD Life Insurance believes there is a champion in all of us and that anybody can make a difference no matter the challenges they face. In line with this belief, the most exciting insurance brand in the country today launched its global partnership with the Special Olympics, the world’s largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities.

“Through this partnership, FWD aims to champion the dreams of young people with intellectual disabilities by creating an inclusive environment that provide equal opportunities,” said FWD Life Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes. “FWD supports the vision of Special Olympics: using the power of sports to let people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities. Through this partnership, we are excited to bring to life our Community Care vision—to empower people to live fulfilled lives.”

Asia-based FWD Group, which launched their region-wide support to Special Olympics in Hong Kong in February, is donating US$ 1.25 million across the markets where it operates: Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan.

 

Special Olympics

Special Olympics is a non-profit charitable organization that provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic- type sports for children and adults with intellectual disability. Aside from sporting activities it is the world’s largest provider of healthcare to people with intellectual disability.

- Young Athletes program for children with intellectual disabilities aged 2-7 years - Family support network encouraging family engagement - Athlete Leadership Program to promote self-advocacy - Youth Activation committee to create advocacy opportunities

- Healthy Athletes to improve the health of people with intellectual disabilities through health screening, follow up care and health education for athletes and their families. 

15% of the world lives with a disability1. Of these, more than 200 million2 have an intellectual disability making them one of the world’s biggest disability groups and one of the most underserved populations. People with intellectual disability face enormous attitudinal, structural, and logistical barriers to obtaining healthcare and getting a job. These compounding factors mean that many struggle with poverty and have significantly shorter lifespans than the general population.

Encouraging inclusion through sports

“FWD Life Philippines has always been keen about addressing the needs of people across different lifestyles by teaching them and equipping them to live life to the fullest," FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing and Community Care Lead Roche Vandenberghe noted. "Through the partnership with the Special Olympics, FWD hopes to change how society perceives people with intellectual disabilities, that despite their condition, they can make valuable contributions to society and should be given opportunities to do so," she added.

Roche Vandenberghe,  FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing and Community Care 

Kaye Samson, Special Olympics Philippines National Director, said, “We are delighted to welcome FWD to the Special Olympics family. This new partnership with FWD in the Philippines will make a difference to the lives of our athletes and young people. Together, we will collaborate to create a unified generation—people with and without intellectual disabilities working together for an inclusive society, where respect, tolerance, and human equality prevail.”

FWD to support Special Olympics’ Unified Schools and Athlete Leadership programs

To fulfill their dream of an inclusive environment with equal opportunities for people with disabilities, FWD, through its Community Care program, will support two (2) Special Olympics programs—the Unified Schools and Athlete Leadership programs.

For the Unified Schools program, FWD will partner with Special Olympics in engaging thousands of young people in workshops and unified activities to educate them about people with intellectual disabilities and train them to develop ways to create social change. FWD also plans to invite schools and communities to various sports and non-sports activities involving Special Olympics athletes, to celebrate acceptance and inclusion.

On the other hand, for the Athlete Leadership program, hundreds of athletes with intellectual disabilities will undergo training to be empowered, develop leadership skills, utilize their abilities to undertake leadership roles in the Special Olympics movement, and create inclusive communities all over the world. These activities will be done under the umbrella of FWD’s 2020 Community Care program whose goal is to improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities in Asia by promoting inclusion through rehabilitation and vocational training and generate positive change for the disabled, their families, and their communities.

“Stop the ridicule, choose to include.”

During the FWD-Special Olympics Philippines partnership launch, FWD Life Philippines also launched its support for the campaign to end "the R-Word." During the event, guests and participants of the bowling match pledged to stop using the R-Word, which is short for the word "retarded," considered exclusive, offensive, and derogatory. The said R-Word aims to drive people to stop saying the R-word and other similar words as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for a more inclusive society. 

FWD is focused on creating fresh customer experiences, with easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD aims to become a leading pan-Asian insurer that changes the way people feel about insurance. 

For more information please visit fwd.com.ph.

Special Olympics Philippines is an accredited Program under Special Olympics, Inc. It was founded in August 1979, and provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to over 6,000 people with intellectual disabilities (also known as “athletes” in Special Olympics) in 13 official sports, delivered by over 200 trained volunteer coaches.

For more information on Special Olympics Philippines

Email: specialolympicsph@gmail.com Facebook and Instagram: Special Olympics Philippines Twitter: @SOPhils

Cathay Pacific-Citi Summer Sale is still on!

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Enjoy unbelievably affordable travel deals only from Citi and Cathay Pacific, from April 23 to May 1, 2018!

The Cathay Pacific-Citi Summer Sale—with exclusive travel deals—is now on from April 23 up to May 1, 2018!

If you were unable to drop by the Cathay Pacific-Citi Summer Sale last weekend at the Shangri-La Plaza, Grand Atrium, Main Wing, you can still book exclusive low fares with your Citi Credit Card! Travel to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Maldives, South Africa, select locales in Europe including London, Paris, and Amsterdam; select areas in the East and West coast including Boston, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco; and select destinations in Southeast Asia including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore!

Take advantage of fares for as low as USD 530 to the US, USD 106 to Hong Kong, USD 562 to London, and USD 424 to Australia!

Plus, enjoy 0% Citi PayLite for 3 months when you book via the participating travel agencies!

Conveniently book online at http://bit.ly/cathaysummersale or visit the Cathay Pacific ticketing office at the 22F LKG Tower, 6801 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. You can also call the Cathay Global Contact Center: 1800 1441 1011 (PLDT/Smart) or 1800 8739 5117 (Globe), or book through the following participating travel agencies:

• Adventure Travel*: (632) 884 9491
• Ark Travel Express Inc.: (632) 816 1999
• Baron Travel Corp.: (632) 817 4926
• Horizon Travel & Tours, Inc.: 310-2308
• Pan Pacific Travel: 02-243-6666-81
• Rajah Travel Corporation: (632) 894 0886

*Adventure Travel accepts straight transactions only.

Travel period is until December 15, 2018. Fares are exclusive of PH tax, government taxes and other surcharges. Fares are subject to change due to currency conversion rate; and all flights are via Hong Kong. Booking of discounted fares will depend on the customer’s chosen dates.

Truly with your Citi credit card, you can experience more of the world with these great travel deals!

For more information, log on to www.citibank.com.ph/cxsummersale.

HYPE, the newest ride-hailing service to be available this May

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Good News ! A truly Filipino-owned ride-sharing service app, has come to bring a new light and hype up the solution for the commuting public’s transportation life problems. 

A 100% Filipino owned, HYPE Transport Systems, Inc., a transport network company (TNC) has recently been given a Certificate of Accreditation by Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

HYPE will start its operations  and the app is available to download for iOS and Android users starting May 19. Beta testing will start May 19 and the official launch will happen at SMX Convention Center on May 27 and will present their popular celebrity endorser. 

(L-R) HYPE main executives,  Chief Technology officer, VP for information Technology, Nicanor Y. Cordoniz, Jr., President and CEO Nicanor L. Escalante and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Silang during the bloggers conference, April 26, 2018, Quezon City.

" HYPE is dedicated to uplift the daily life of the regular drivers and operators by providing a customized solution needed for their daily living, not only in the monetary form but including legal assistance and training programs among others. 

Hype is also dedicated to make the riding public’s experience more comfortable, easy and affordable. 

Hype as a Filipino company is also dedicated to abide by the government agencies’ policies and guidelines in every step." 

HYPE is the acronym for: 

H-onest
Y-outhful
P-rofessional
E-nabling / Empowering and Elite Drivers

With their theme, #PowerOfChoice, HYPE is expected to rival the operations of Grab. As compared, HYPE President and CEO Nicanor L. Escalante said, it will definitely be a lot cheaper because it will only charge per distance. 

Similar to other TNVS, riders may book using cash or cards plus other payment options plus a new feature - SMS booking for free. If the rider has no internet connectivity you can still book using SMS text. The rider would just need provide his or her name and details, and communication will be thru text. The SMS text will be free of charge for the passenger or client.

Payment options, this transport network operator is paying through Cash, Debit and Credit Card, and/or with POS that you can swipe your Credit Card. Hype will also honor SC/PWD/Student discounts. 

HYPE will have an in-app SOS button where you can enter your complaints, comments and reports. Its customer service is also multi-platform: SMS text, email, voice call and in-app messaging. 

HYPE is also encouraging the drivers to form a cooperative type of organization thru which the company with give financial assistance on a monthly basis for the benefit of the members.

The initial operation of HYPE will be in Metro Manila only, but will operate in key cities like Cebu and Davao in the coming months. 

Interested operators and drivers and may register via www.hypetransport.com. 

Visit HYPE Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HypePilipinas/ for more updates on @HypePilipinas.