How to Enjoy Secure and Convenient Shopping This Holiday Season : PayPal gives 5 practical tips for safe online shopping

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Christmas is officially in the air. The parols are out, Jose Mari Chan is dominating the airwaves, and Filipinos are checking off items on their holiday shopping lists. The festive season also brings with it the stress of navigating heavy traffic and long lines at retail stores. That's why many opt for online shopping instead.

Ecommerce continues to gain popularity in the Philippines, with convenience and security being the key drivers for this trend. And why not shop online? The bargains are there, the selection is vast, and payment is convenient.

With online shopping expected to increase in the weeks leading up to December, opportunistic cyber criminals will be looking to prey on vulnerable online shoppers. According to cybersecurity firm Kaspersky, the Philippines was the fifth-most targeted country after Algeria, Nepal, Albania and Djibouti. This was attributed to the general carelessness and lack of online security awareness among Filipino Internet users, leading to a large number of drive-by download attacks.

But being aware of these threats can ensure that your time spent after Boxing Dayis with loved ones and not customer service representatives. PayPal, one of the world’s leading commerce enablers, offers practical tips on staying safe while shopping online this season.

1. Only shop on secure websites.Start at a trusted site. Search results can sometimes lead you astray, and sales on other sites might look enticing, but make a few checks before giving up your info to any website. 

Look out for the padlock icon on sites and ensure that they start with “https” before entering your account information and password. This means that the site is secure and any financial or personal details that you provide are encrypted.

To be extra careful, a quick check to see if this website has a social media presence can uncover reviews to see if there are concerns raised by other customers.

Also, beware of misspellings or sites using a different top-level domain (.net instead of .com, for example)—those are some of the oldest tricks in the book.

2. Use a strong password.A secure, unique password for each of your online accounts is never more important than when banking and shopping online. A strong password should be: more than 8 characters long; use upper case, lower case, a number, and a special character; not a word or date associated with you; a combination of words with unusual capitalization, numbers, or a special character; and most importantly, something you can remember.

But even a perfect password isn't perfect. Another option is to use a password manager to create virtually uncrackable passwords for you. It'll also keep track of them and enter them, so you don't have to think about it.

3. Opt for 2-factor authentication.Having 2-factor authentication can prevent loss of confidential information & can prevent data from being hacked. This security measure has been used to control access to sensitive data and systems, and online services are increasingly introducing 2-factor authentication to prevent their users’ data from being hacked. It also prevents fraudulent transactions when someone tries to transact using your data.

4. Use Trusted Online Payment Systems.Link your credit card to your PayPal account to not just shop securely, but to also enjoy rewards such as cashbacks and rebates as well. Aside from being able to link multiple credit cards to your account, using PayPal to complete your online purchases keeps your financial details more secure while still enabling you to enjoy the rewards associated with each card (contact your card issuer for details).

PayPal’s Buyer Protection policy also covers eligible purchases, should anything go wrong with your purchase.

5. Beware of Phishing Emails.During key shopping periods like the Christmas season, you are likely to be swamped with festive e-mailers from your favorite online stores telling you about their fabulous promotions. While it may be tempting to click through, keep a lookout for tell-tale signs that it could be a phishing email.

PayPal’s world-class cyber defence centre provides coverage 24/7, 365 days a year. Through coordinated efforts, the company has successfully shut down 500,000 fraudulantwebsites annually. Lookout for potential red flags, such as poor grammar or spelling, and URLs and domains that don't match the sender before clicking through the links.

About PayPal

PayPal has remained at the forefront of the digital payment revolution for more than 20 years. By leveraging technology to make financial services and commerce more convenient, affordable, and secure, the PayPal platform is empowering 300 million consumers and merchants in more than 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. For more information, visit paypal.com.

Experience a boosted holiday with the SAMSUNG Galaxy A-series!

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Filipinos are known for celebrating one of the longest—if not the longest—Christmas seasons in the world. Even as early as September, Pinoys are already hanging holiday decorations, playing Christmas carols, and looking for gifts for their loved ones. Since this is one of the most joyous times of the year, there are many moments that are shared with others and stored as precious memories. This is especially true for members of Generation Z, who are the most active online.

Samsung wants Generation Z to enjoy the holidays even more with the latest models in the Galaxy A-series. The Galaxy A50s, A30s, A20s, and A10s are all built for this “Era of Live” that the Gen Z are flourishing in. The devices are equipped with upgraded features for these young online creators, allowing them to have better content for their loved ones.

This holiday, Gen Zs won’t have to worry about losing power when using the A-series smartphones since they’re equipped with 4000mAh battery perfect for those attending Christmas parties in just one night!

Candid holiday moments with loved ones during Noche Buena are worth capturing using the upgraded cameras of the A-series. Take photos of the most authentic reactions of relatives during exchange gifts with the multi-camera of the Galaxy A50s that consists of a 48MP main lens, an 8MP ultra-wide with Super Steady feature, and a 5MP Live Focus camera. Meanwhile, the Galaxy A30s features a triple-camera setup with 25MP main, 5MP Live Focus, and 8MP ultra-wide lens to fully capture those tender moments with family.

The Galaxy A20s, on the other hand, comes with a triple rear camera sporting a 13MP (F1.8) main camera, an 8MP wide-angle, and a 5MP Live Focus lens. While the Galaxy A10s is equipped with a dual rear camera consisting of a 13MP (F1.8) main camera and a 2MP (F2.4) live focus lens that produces artistic shots perfect in sharing Holiday photos online.

The Galaxy A-series is not only capable of providing better content all-day but it also lets the users store more files and memories, especially those Christmas carols everyone loves to listen to during the holidays. Through the 128GB storage of the Galaxy A50s, Gen Z can now download more Christmas music. The Galaxy A30s and A20s, on the other hand, are equipped with 64GB internal storage while the Galaxy A10s comes with 32GB memory. To add more to the boosted Christmas of Gen Z, the Galaxy A-series has expandable storage of up to 512GB perfect to store those Christmas and New Year videos and photos.

The Samsung Galaxy A50s, A30s, A20s, and A10s are available at any Samsung-authorized store nationwide at PHP 16,990, PHP 12,990, PHP 9,990, and PHP 6,990 (SRP) respectively.

“We know how important it is for content creators to have the best in this ‘Era of Live’ we are all living in,” says Benson Galguerra, Marketing Head for IT and Mobile. “We take our customers’ needs seriously. Given that Christmas is one of the most anticipated events of the year, with these new features and upgrades, we hope to be the one to address all of them.”

Exclusive Holiday raffle with Samsung Members

This season, A-series users can also win premium Galaxy devices when they join the bi-monthly raffle on the Samsung Members app.

Customers who purchase a Galaxy A50s, A30s, A20s, and A10s can redeem raffle entries on the app. Prizes up for grabs include a Galaxy Note 10, A10s, Buds, Tab S6, Fit e, and Watch Active2. A single account is equivalent to one raffle entry.

Samsung will announce 10 winners each on December 17, 2019 and January 2, 2020. Promo runs from November 15 to December 31, 2019.

To know more about the Galaxy A-series smartphones, visit samsung.com/ph. For more information about Samsung’s holiday offerings, visit Samsung.com/ph/offer.

Community Safety advocates group seeks TRO against unregistered motorcycle taxis

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The Community Safety and Protection (LCSP) led by Atty. Ariel Inton, Atty. Raymond Fortun and Vicente Jayme Topacio filed a petition for an injunction initially against five (5) identified app-based Motorcycle Taxi groups operating in Mega Manila outside the prescribed pilot program on the grounds of safety and fair play.

During the press briefing held Monday, Atty. Ariel Inton, speaking in behalf of LCSP, said that the commuter safety advocates have filed a petition for injunction with application for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and/or Writ of Preliminary Injunction against five motorcycle taxi companies: We Move Things Philippines Inc. (Joyride), Habal Rides Corp., I-Sabay, Sampa-Dala Corp., and Trans-Serve Corp. The petition stated that their operations are unauthorized and may cause grave and substantial damage to the public.

“The commuting public should not be used as guinea pigs by fly-by-night motorcycle taxi operators with zero track record,” said Atty. Ariel Inton of the Lawyers for Commuter Safety and Protection (LCSP) which filed a petition to restrain various groups from operating motorcycle taxis.

Inton, a former Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) member, said that the LCSP’s main thrust is to promote commuter safety and uphold the rights of commuters, road users and pedestrians to a safe mode of transportation. As such, Inton stated, it has an absolute right to prevent respondents from organizing its fleet of motorcycles for hire and avert its operations which prejudice the riding public.

“The respondents are currently sabotaging the government’s pilot program for motorcycle taxis by unilaterally according to themselves the privilege to operate motorcycles for hire in the guise of addressing the traffic situation in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and other urban cities,” Inton stressed.

“At the outset, it should be pointed out that respondents commenced the roll-out of their motorcycle taxi business without any franchise from Congress or permit nor authority from the Department of Transportation (DOTr),” he added.

According to the petition letter that the LCSP submitted to the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City Tuesday, December 3, “Combined, thousands of motorcycles illegally booking and transporting passengers ply the roads, unduly exposing petitioners’ members to road hazards and increased risk of accidents.”

Inton stressed that motorcycle taxi operations are being conducted outside of the pilot program of the DoTr, defeating entirely the essence of the ongoing pilot testing and exposing the riding public to grave risks. 

"Di puwedeng ikumpara ang motorcycle taxi sa milk tea na nang mauso ay ang dami ng nagsulputan kahit na mababa ang kalidad. Pero higit na mapanganib kung motorcycle taxi ang pinag-uusapan dahil buhay ng pasahero, buhay ng tao ang malalalagay sa peligro kung papayagan ang mga walang experience at walang track record na motorcycle taxi na makapasada," ani Inton.

“We have requested an immediate restraining order to prevent grave and irreparable damage to the riding public in general, and to the pilot program in particular,” stressed Atty. Raymond Fortun of LCSP declared. “Moreover, any accident during this critical period will also sabotage the pilot program,” he added. 

Early this year, the House of Representatives passed Resolution No. 2449 urging the DoTr to implement a pilot program allowing, monitoring, and regulating the operation of duly registered and organized motorcycles-for-hire as an alternative public transport utility.

The DoTr then instructed various agencies to form a Technical Working Group (TWG) composed of stakeholders and experts from the government and the private sector to discuss issues attendant to the prospect of two-wheel vehicles operating as public transport. 

Atty. Inton is also a member of this TWG and participated in the assessment sessions held prior to the recommendation of the pilot run. 

The TWG was tasked to identify motorcycle types eligible to be licensed, taking into consideration factors like engine displacement, carrying capacity, operating speeds, routes, seat and helmet requirements, and training requirements for drivers, who will eventually need to obtain a public utility vehicle (PUV) registration.

Upon the recommendation of the TWG, the DoTr allowed the six-month pilot test for motorcycle taxi operations in the Philippines starting in July of this year. Since only the motorcycle ride-hailing app Angkas had been established and operating with an eight-month track record at the time, Angkas became the sole subject of the pilot program which will end in December.

The five motorcycle taxi companies who are identified as the respondents in the LCSP petition are neither accredited by the TWG nor part of the pilot program.

“It bears stressing that the pilot program was undertaken precisely in view of the absence of any legal framework currently regulating motorcycle ride-hailing apps,” Fortun declared.

“Its objective is to ‘road test’ the operation of a motorcycle ride-hailing app to enable the government agencies to ascertain the safety and viability of its operations and, more importantly, to allow the agencies to craft the appropriate regulatory framework based on the data that would be gathered during this period of experimentation,” Fortun added.

In turn, Inton stressed that the pilot period, by its very nature, cannot be considered free for all who might want to engage in the same business precisely because of the absence of any law policy regulating the activity. “It will be far too precarious to expose the riding public to the risks of allowing zero-track record entities to operate a motorcycle ride hailing app without the proper regulatory framework yet in place,” he noted.

The five motorcycle taxi companies identified as respondents in the petition were reported to have surfaced and have begun the onboarding of motorcycle bikers and commenced accepting bookings for the transport of passengers.

To date, Joyride has already onboarded 3,000 bikers and have constructed their own office where recruitment is currently done. “These bikers are also at risk of performing an illegal activity considering that Joyride, currently does not possess the necessary permit or authority from the DoTr,” the petition states.

In turn, I-Sabay 24/7 and Sampa both make use of an application for drivers and passengers and have started operations already. Transi-Serve Corp. has reportedly began onboarding efforts as well.

“All of these acts are being done by respondents without having been made part of the Pilot Program for motorcycle taxis,” Inton stressed. “Their reckless and brazen conduct of pre-empting the government agencies in hopes that they too might eventually be included in the pilot program despite lack of track record and qualifications only prove how the government and the public cannot trust these entities,” he added.

“Untested motorcycle taxi operators, such as respondents, expose commuters to the hazards posed by an unsafe mode of transportation,” Inton declared. “The unwarranted and unauthorized establishment and operation of motorcycle taxi fleet constitutes willful and blatant disregard of the rights of the commuting public in relation to safe modes of public transportation.”

Inton also raised the issue of the TWG continuing to meet without the presence of critical members, which is highly irregular. 

“It has also come to my attention that the TWG, in which I am also a member, has been deciding on certain matters without some of its members,” Inton revealed. “Since the start of the pilot run, I have never been invited to meetings and discussions and now I heard that they have been convening, which is not only irregular but rather suspicious and unacceptable,” he added. 

FWD Insurance and MCX Tollway, Inc., partnership unveils FWD - Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX) symbolizing the country’s road to progress

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FWD Life Philippines, part of Pan-Asian insurer FWD Group, launched its partnership with AC Infrastructure and announce their Expressway Sponsorship Program which unveils the newly renamed FWD-Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX) on December 7, 2019, Saturday. 

The celebration started with the FWD Orange Parade from Paseo de Magallanes in Makati, to the Grand Unveiling in MCX, and culminated with a media event at Acacia Hotel in Alabang. Through this partnership, FWD aims to elevate the MCX into a symbol of the country's “road to progress”. 

The FWD-MCX, serves as a crucial artery between Muntinlupa and Cavite—connecting the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to Daang Hari, Cavite and regularly serving thousands of motorists and commuters. With this newly signed agreement, the first of its kind for a Philippine insurer, FWD Insurance seeks to elevate the expressway as a symbol of the nation’s “road to progress”. 

Used by more than one million cars a month, the FWD-MCX has shortened what was once a 20-minute drive from Daang Hari road to SLEX to only a three-minute journey. 

Championing Economic Progress; Insuring FWD-MCX Motorists

“The FWD-MCX contributes to economic progress by enabling businesses to expand their geographic market reach outside of Metro Manila,” FWD Insurance Chairman of the Board and former Ambassador to the USA Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. said. “The expressway serves as a critical route for their operations and opens up opportunities for them to serve immediate local communities.” 

Peter Grimes, President and Chief Executive Officer of FWD Insurance, said, “This is an exciting new venture for FWD and we’re proud to pioneer a program that has never been done by a Philippine insurer.” 

As part of this initiative and to celebrate its fifth anniversary in the Philippines, FWD Insurance will be providing one-year accidental insurance to 500 customers with Php500,000 coverage to align with the insurer’s continuing efforts to protect more Filipino lives and secure their and their loved ones’ financial peace of mind.

Interested customers can go to bit.ly/SignUpForOffer and enter their details to qualify for the special offer, subject to terms and conditions. 

Noel Kintanar, Chief Operating Officer of AC Infra and President of MCX Tollway, Inc., is optimistic about their partnership with FWD Insurance. “I am confident that through this agreement, we continue to provide a safe and convenient access for residents of south Metro Manila as this part of the metro emerges as a business and lifestyle hub,” Kintanar said. “More importantly, in collaboration with FWD Insurance, we hope to contribute in efforts to drive local economies forward.”

FWD Insurance in the Last Five Years and “The Road Ahead”

“The FWD-MCX is not only a road to us at FWD, but a notable landmark that stands as a testament to innovation and how far FWD has come in the last five years,” Amb. Cuisia said. “Since starting operations in the Philippines in 2014, we have achieved numerous milestones, becoming one of the country’s fastest-growing insurance companies and, more recently, consolidating our place as a top-ten insurer.”

“We’re excited to touch more lives as we play a role in building a more connected and progressive society,” Grimes added. “Much like how the newly unveiled FWD-MCX stands as a symbol of progress—now and in the future—we aim to encourage Filipinos everywhere to progress by empowering them to live life to the fullest, covered by our customer-led product innovations as part of our vision to change the way people feel about insurance.”

About FWD Life Philippines 

FWD Life Insurance Corporation (FWD Life) launched its commercial operations in September 2014. As of end-2018, FWD Life has the highest Paid-Up Capital among life insurers in the Philippines with PhP 2.3 billion.1 FWD Life now ranks 8th in the life insurance industry in terms of New Business Annual Premium Equivalent.2 

FWD Group spans Hong Kong & Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, and Malaysia, offering life and medical insurance, general insurance, employee benefits, Shariah, and Family Takaful products across a number of its markets. Established in Asia in 2013, FWD is the insurance business arm of investment group, Pacific Century Group. In the Philippines, FWD has 15 business hubs located in key cities nationwide with its headquarters in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

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. 

1 www.insurance.gov.ph > Statistics > 2018 > Based on Paid-Up Capital

2 www.insurance.gov.ph > Statistics > 2018 > Based on New Business Annual Premium Equivalent 

About AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation

AC Infrastructure Holdings Corporation (AC Infra) is Ayala Corporation’s wholly-owned subsidiary established to strategically develop projects to support the growing infrastructure needs of the public and private sectors in the areas of mass transportation, mobility, and fulfilment solutions services.

The company invests in strategic solutions, technologies, and platforms to meet the urgent need for efficient, reliable, safe, and reliable modes of transportation infrastructure and services that would connect and move people, goods, and services across the country.

5 mobile apps that help you help the planet

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With almost everything at our fingertips—from shopping, banking to food deliveries and payment of utility bills—you can’t really blame people, both young and old, for spending too much time on their mobile phones.

Though we try to our best to limit our daily interactions with our mobile device for our health’s sake, let’s put our excessive screen time to good use while we are at it by being champions of the environment.

Yes, there are several apps out there that allows you to help save the Earth and fight climate change wherever you are with just a few taps on your phone. If we can’t do a Greta Thunberg in real life, we can do our part virtually but still have real positive effects on the environment.

We’ve listed five apps that help us help save the planet.

1.      Ecosia (free)

It’s like “Googling” with a cause or the greener counterpart of Google or Yahoo. Ecosia is a search engine that allows you to plant trees with every search you make on the Internet. It uses 80% of its ad revenue to finance tree-planting programs in biodiversity hotspots across the world. So far, millions of trees have already been planted by the Ecosia community in Ethiopia, Brazil, Indonesia and Spain, among other critical areas.

2.      GCash Forest (free)

This is a special feature of the Philippines’ leading mobile wallet app GCash that allows users to help the country increase its forest cover by growing virtual trees that will have real-life counterparts at the Ipo Watershed, a critical source of Metro Manila’s water supply. It works like a personal carbon tracker, keeping tabs of how much emission users have avoided by choosing greener activities such as walking, doing cashless transactions, and bringing own bags and utensils in partner cafes. These actions or activities have corresponding “green energy” points that feed the virtual tree.

3.      Oroeco (free)

It’s an app that helps you track your carbon footprint by showing you how your everyday actions and decisions impact the climate like the food you eat, your home’s energy consumption, your spending habits and transportation decisions, among others. The app also gives tips on how to lower your carbon footprint and save money at the same time.

4.      JouleBug (free)

It’s a wellness app that helps you make your daily habits at home, work and play more sustainable through friendly competition and online sharing. It’s also a cloud platform that reinforces and rewards sustainable behavior and climate-smart choices like carpooling, recycling and composting. JouleBug hosts challenges or contests to see who is the most sustainable and eventually move users towards behavior change.

5.      Forest (P99 in Apple Store, free in Google play with optional in-app purchases)

If you want to beat your phone addiction at the same time help the environment, then this is the app for you. Forest is a productivity app that lets you grow a tree virtually and in reality through the credits you’ll earn from staying away from your phone. This is how it works: you plant a seed in your mobile phone by choosing which tree you want to grow (this has a corresponding time you should spend not using your phone). The seed will grow to become a tree as long as your screen stays off. But if you unlock the screen of your mobile phone ahead of time, the growing plant will wither. This app helps you regain your focus on the present and on what’s more important in your life.

With these apps, it’s easy to develop the habit of living a more eco-conscious lifestyle. Tapping on your phone may not seem like much but imagine millions of people becoming more aware of their carbon footprint and their impact on the environment. Little, mindful choices can create ripples, and ripples can create waves of change.