GCash provides Filipinos with over 400 billers - most extensive network of billers in the Philippines

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With over 400 billers available in the app, GCash, the undisputed leader iand preferred mobile wallet in the Philippines, is providing its users with the best digital bills payment service in the market, enabling Filipinos to do more with less especially in the time of the pandemic. 

Filipinos are now increasingly using their mobile wallets to settle their bills, reflective of how they are now embracing the cashless lifestyle, which is now a necessity in the new normal. GCash is providing the most diverse set of billers in the market, allowing users to settle payments for their electric, water, telco, credit cards, loans, insurance, and even government dues. 

“GCash has transformed from being a simple mobile wallet to a financial lifestyle super app, where all your bills payment needs are met with all billers present in one app. With GCash, we have the freedom to manage our bills and finances in the comforts of our home, especially during these trying times. This is the power Filipinos yield with GCash,” GCash President Martha Sazon said. 

As of end-August, Meralco is recorded as the top biller in the country , followed closely by non-bank fund lender Home Credit, which is not payable in all online banking apps .

Telecommunication firms followed suit due to the demand for staying connected during this pandemic. Globe Postpaid and Globe AT HOME came in at third and fourth place, while PLDT and Converge ICT landed fifth and sixth place, respectively.

August data also showed that Filipinos settle their bills digitally through GCash as it presents the convenience of having access to all billers in the country in one app.

“GCash has grown in terms of usage of our Pay Bills service, and this is attributed to the app having the most extensive network of billers in the country. We are committed to further expand our current network of partner-billers to remove the hassle for Filipinos and let them be at ease that they can settle all their bills with GCash anytime, anywhere,” Sazon said. 

The over 400 billers available in the app range from utility and telecommunications payments, government-related payments, school fees, transportation, up to financial services such as credit cards, loans and insurance.

Aside from having the largest biller network in the country, GCash removes the hassle of enrolling billers to the platform’s system, which reduces friction. It also posts payments real-time. It offers zero to low fees for settling payments as well as split payments. 

“Moving forward, we continue to improve our existing services including Pay Bills and further innovate and come up with more financial products and services to remain as the superior, reliable and convenient partner in managing finances for every Filipino,” she added.

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.

GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.

Sitel Academy Partners with Schools to Provide Students with Online Skills Training

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Top global BPO offers educational modules through webinars, Facebook

Sitel Group, a global leading business process outsourcing (BPO) company, reinforces its commitment to skills training and education by strengthening collaborative partnerships with universities, colleges and technical vocational institutions in the Philippines. Through these partnerships, Sitel provides a variety of informative online classes to students via webinars and Facebook.

 

“As we continue to adjust to the current situation brought on by the pandemic, it has become vital for our programs to be more targeted and deliberate,” shared Fatima Tigas, Senior Manager, Sitel Academy. “We quickly transitioned to online learning and through Sitel’s University and Community Partnership program, engaged our educational partners to help bring these classes to their students.”

Sitel Academy is a pioneering BPO skills development program offered for free for near-hires, far-hires, students, out-of-school youth and differently abled individuals. The program has partnered with universities and colleges in Metro Manila and in the various provincial locations where Sitel operates. Partner schools include Polytechnic University of the Philippines, ABE International Business College, Cainta Catholic College, STI, Tarlac State University, Palawan State University, Western Palawan University and MFI Polytechnic Institute, Inc. to name a few. The modules designed by Sitel are created to bolster existing school programs and prepare students for work after graduation.

 

“Before the pandemic, we had already been working closely with the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) to deploy the Service Management Program to schools in Palawan to help bridge the gap between what students learn in school and the additional skills they will need to succeed in the workplace,” explained Tigas. “The quarantine may have put this project on hold, but we have continued to pursue providing modules for these essential skills through online webinars and Facebook live events that are designed to give students proper guidance and expose them to actual work environments giving them the leg up they need to be competitive in the workforce.”

 

Sitel Academy launched its first webinar on May 1, 2020, Labor Day, and discussed what it was like to work with Sitel and the customer experience industry. This was followed by a webinar called “Destination New” giving students an overview of the BPO, hospitality, and management industries. “The Web is Your Classroom” module delving into the online shift of education came next and had over 3,000 active participants. Modules on language skills, effective communication, and proper pronunciation followed. 

 

For the City High School in Palawan, Sitel additionally launched the “Salamat sa K-12, Handa na Ako!” program for graduating senior high school students interested in the BPO industry. The class had over 80 participants who underwent training for a week. The program experienced a 100% pass rate and students who completed it and wanted to work were lined up for opportunities within the company.

 

“We’re thrilled at the overwhelmingly positive response we’ve received so far,” Tigas said. “For Sitel Academy, our goal is not just to teach skills but also to create lifelong learners. The feedback we’ve received from students who have attended the webinars is that they want to attend more and learn more. Our partner institutions have also expressed their interest in creating even more learning programs together in the future.”

 

About Sitel Group

As a global leader in end-to-end customer experience (CX) products and solutions, Sitel Group partners with the world’s best-loved brands, from Fortune 500 companies to local startups, to design, build and deliver a competitive edge across all customer touchpoints.

With 90,000 people working across the globe – at home, in contact centers and within MAXhubs – we securely connect brands with their customers over 4.5 million times every day in 50+ languages, driving our clients’ digital CX strategies forward. Powered by our global strength, local expertise and proprietary technologies, we deliver tailored solutions to fit clients’ needs through a consultative, customer-centric approach.

EXP+™, Sitel Group’s Enterprise Experience Platform, is a flexible solution with complete cloud capability, designed to simplify the delivery of end-to-end CX services, while boosting efficiency, effectiveness and customer satisfaction. EXP+ creates a robust ecosystem by harnessing the power of four connected product families: Empower, Engage, Explore and Evolve. 

With our award-winning culture built on 35+ years of industry-leading experience and commitment to improving the employee experience, we improve business results by pairing innovative design thinking and digital solutions – including self-service, artificial intelligence (AI), automation and data-driven analytics – with the expertise, emotion and empathy of our people to Create Connection. Value Conversation. 

Learn more at www.sitel.com and connect with us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

TikTok commits to transparency and accountability with the release of its global Transparency Report for January-June 2020

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MANILA, SEPTEMBER 23, 2020 - TikTok released its global Transparency Report for the first six months of 2020 on September 22, 2020. The report provides insight into content removed from TikTok for violating its Community Guidelines or Terms of Service. It also covered how the company responded to copyright content take-down requests, law enforcement, and government agencies. 

 

“We know how vital it is to build trust by being transparent with our community, and we're committed to leading the way when it comes to bringing accountability to the tech industry. It's why we release these reports to hold ourselves accountable to our community and provide transparency into the actions we take to help keep TikTok safe for everyone. It's the reason we opened our global Transparency and Accountability Centers, where lawmakers and experts can see first-hand how we moderate content, secure our platform, and prioritize user safety and content diversity as we build TikTok. At our physical centers, we've even made TikTok's source code available for testing and evaluation by experts,” said Michael Beckerman, VP, Head of US Public Policy & Eric Han, Head of Safety, TikTok US.

 

Hundreds of millions of people around the world come to TikTok for entertainment, self-expression, and connection. According to Beckerman, their focus remains on promoting a safe app experience that fosters joy and belonging among its growing global community. 

 

Here's what's covered in TikTok’s global H1 2020 Transparency Report.

 

Promoting safety and community on TikTok 

In the first half of 2020, numerous improvements in continuous effort to offer a safe and uplifting experience for people on the  platform were made, which includes the following:

• Expanded Community Guidelines, including new policies to counter misinformation and disinformation
  

• Introduction of fact-checking programs to help verify misleading content about the novel coronavirus, elections, and more
  

• Addition of in-app educational PSAs on hashtags related to important topics in the public discourse, such as COVID-19, the elections, Black Lives Matter, and harmful conspiracies, such as QAnon
  

• Launch of Family Pairing, a suite of industry-leading youth safety features that let parents and guardians connect their TikTok account to their teens' accounts to guide the type of content available to their teen, promote healthy screentime habits, and choose appropriate message settings
  

• Built global partnerships with leading safety organizations, such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and WePROTECT Global Alliance
  

• Creation of a Content Advisory Council of experts on topics like hate speech, inclusive AI, and youth safety
  

Community Guidelines enforcement 

TikTok has experienced incredible and continued user growth in 2020. As more lives moved online, people increasingly found meaningful ways to connect with each other on the platform. With significantly more content being created by its global community than ever before, TikTok content removals have increased compared to the last report. 

• 104,543,719 videos were removed globally for violating the Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, which is less than 1% of all videos uploaded on TikTok. Ninety-six point four percent (96.4%) of these videos were found and removed before they were reported, and 90.3% were removed before they received any views.
  

• Of the total videos removed globally, 9,822,996 (9.4%) were removed in the US. Diving into some of the areas of particular interest over these six months:
  

• 41,820 videos (less than 0.5% of those removed in the US) violated TikTok’s misinformation and disinformation policies.
  

Learn more on how TikTok combats misinformation and election interference

• 321,786 videos (around 3.3% of US content removals) violated TikTok’s hate speech policies.
  

Learn more on how TikTok works to counter hate speech, behavior, and groups

• In the US, 91.5% of violating videos were removed in less than 24 hours after they were uploaded to TikTok.
  

 

 

 

Legal requests 

The volume of legal requests also increased as the TikTok community grew over the first half of this year.

• 1,768 requests for user information from 42 countries/markets were received 
  

• Of those requests, 290 (16.4%) came from US law enforcement agencies.
  

TikTok received and evaluated: 

• 126 subpoenas (when a US governmental entity issues a subpoena, we may disclose user data that includes basic subscriber information)
  

• 90 search warrants (when a US governmental entity obtains a search warrant, TikTok may disclose user data that include video content and user interactions)
  

• 6 court orders (when a US governmental entity obtains a court order, TikTok may disclose user data that includes log data)
  

• 68 emergency disclosure requests
  

•  TikTok received 135 requests from government agencies to restrict or remove content from 15 countries/markets, and 4 of those requests came from US government agencies
  

• TikTok evaluated 10,625 copyrighted content take-down notices globally
  

 

The report has the full details on how TikTok evaluates and complies with the requests.

 

TikTok’s commitment to transparency and accountability

 

“TikTok strives to be the most transparent and accountable company in the industry when it comes to how we're keeping our users safe. We're proud of the progress we've made to increase visibility in these areas, and we aim to keep providing more information in each report,” Beckerman shared.

 

According to Beckerman, the full disclosure of the report is part of the company’s commitment to transparency and accountability. TikTok is also working towards being able to report this information and the progress made on a quarterly basis to increase accountability to its community. 

 

More than just skin-deep: How makeup can boost your mental wellbeing

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When one talks about makeup, some people get the notion that it can be superficial. However, to some, makeup is actually a good way to take care of their mental health, allowing them to discover another version of themselves through a fun and creative outlet.

Be confident and always look your best with beauty products from Bobbie Cosmetics.

As people spend most of their time indoors, they often find themselves with ample time to learn new habits and skills. This includes picking up one new makeup trick or two, as they do their meditative makeup sessions. By experimenting on different looks, blending, and mixing, they can immerse themselves on a personal creative journey which can help them cope better in overwhelming situations.

With this in mind, Bobbie Cosmetics has rounded up five best ways how makeup can be good for your mental health.

You’re in control of how you look

When dealing with challenges in life, sometimes we feel like we’ve lost dominance on the factors surrounding us. But when engaging in a creative activity as simple as putting makeup on, we regain this sense of control knowing that it is our hands and our brain that get to decide what we want best for ourselves.

It a good expression of self-love

Makeup is a great tool to enhance one’s natural beauty. Instead of having it as something to cover your flaws, it can be a good friend that complements the beauty that you already have. So, just by adding a pop of color on your cheeks to make you look more flushed, or swiping a lipstick that tells your mood for the day, makeup is a good way to boost your self-esteem as you enhance the beauty that already exists in you.

It’s a good break

Even if people are mostly stuck indoors, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have errands to think about. Some may be working from home, and some may be busy pursuing their studies online. That is why doing meditative makeup sessions can help! By dedicating a “makeup me time”, you can pamper yourself to be artistic and playful with different looks. It can be a good time-out from your usual daily routine and is also a great creative exercise for the brain.

It’s a liberating experience

Wearing makeup is more than just a physical experience for many women and other beauty enthusiasts. And, with all the things we need to think about every day, sometimes all you need is to face a mirror, do a little beauty ritual, and immediately, gain an internal sense of accomplishment. We can have a bad day and pull off a great look at night and still, feel a little better about ourselves.

It allows you to thank your skin for what it can do for you

Again, makeup only enhances the beauty that exists in you. And you cannot apply makeup were it not for the skin that allows you to take on this process. Beyond every emotion, makeup, after all, is about feeling comfortable living in your own skin.

So, on your next “me time”, don’t be afraid to do a quick makeup session and discover new ways to look even more beautiful. Bobbie Cosmetics has a wide range of chic and affordable makeup products that one can use as they explore this personal creative journey.

The Bobbie Cosmetics Stippling Brush is a friendly beauty tool to pull-off a perfectly blended, airbrushed appearance with a flawless finish.

You can practice your contouring skills with the Bobbie Cosmetics Contour and Strobe Palette (P399) and find this collection of versatile shades to be one that can give you defined and flattering features. You can also frame your face glamorously with the Bobbie Cosmetics Retractable Eyebrow Pencil (P165) and fashion a stylish appearance featuring some perfectly shaped brows. To give you a flawless coverage, Bobbie Cosmetics also has a Stippling Brush (P275), which has soft bristles that can make applying foundation, blush, powder, and highlighters so smooth and easy! It also works perfectly for both liquid and cream products to set perfectly on your skin.

Explore new looks with beauty treats from Bobbie Cosmetics. To know more about Bobbie Cosmetics products, visit their Instagram page at @bobbiecosmetics.

beep™ cardholders can now earn reward points

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Started August 22 up to November 22, 2020, beep™ users can get more out of their daily commute by earning reward points that they can redeem for beep™ load using the beep™ mobile app.

To join the beep™ Rewards promo, cardholders must simply download the beep™ mobile app and register their card. A customer may register up to five (5) beep™ cards; however, points are earned per card and cannot be combined with other cards.

Each transaction using the registered cards at participating buses, PUVs, and retail stores in NCR earns points (P1 spent = 1 point). Reward points are only available for eligible transactions using genuine beep™ cards. Trains and reloading transactions are not included.

Customers must earn a minimum of 1,000 points to be able to redeem P10 beep™ load. Redemption is done in the app and may be successfully claimed via beep™ e-load stations. There is no limit to the number of points that can be earned and redeemed. Terms and conditions apply (Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-103303 Series of 2020).

 

To know more about beep™ Rewards, visit <www.beeptopay.com/news/beep-rewards>.

 

beep™ for your daily commute

Contactless is the new normal and thelocal public transportation sector has adapted cashless payments accordingly.

“Cashless payments are ideal, especially at this time, because it helps us avoid physical contact with money or transport tickets where viruses may thrive. We’d like to do our part by promoting the use of thebeep™payment system not only for the convenience of passengers and efficiency for transport operators, but as a means to prevent the spread of diseases as well. We thank the commuters for their cooperation and understanding as we support the transition to new and better systems that can address the challenges we are facing today,” said Sharon Fong, Chief Commercial Officer of AF Payments Inc.

beep™ is the only interoperable stored value card that can be used for both trains (LRT1, LRT2, and MRT3) and PUVs (P2P buses, EDSA buses, modern jeepneys, and other PUVs).Customers can buy or load their beep™ card at any LRT or MRT station, EDSA bus stops and select P2P terminals,as well as inFamilyMart and Ministop branches in Metro Manila. Price of the card varies depending on the pre-loaded Peso amount, as well as on the reseller. For safety purposes, customers should buy from legitimate and authorized resellers only.

The beep™ card can be used multiple times since it is reloadable and valid for four (4) years. Those who travel frequently by bus or train are advised, whenever possible, to load as much as they can so they can just board the bus and pay, thereby enjoying the convenience and being able to practice social distancing simultaneously.

To know where you can use your beep™ card, just look for terminals or devices that have any of the official beep™ logos below.

     

                                                         

 

More information about beep™ is also available at <www.beeptopay.com> or through the customer service desk open from 5 AM to 11 PM daily (Landline: (02) 8 737 9600; Globe line: 0917-512-1319; Smart line: 0998-581-9675).