Converge promotes a safer digital experience for children

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Committed to promoting safer internet, Converge seeks to rid the Philippines of online child sexual exploitation

Converge Information and Communications Technology Solutions Inc. (PSE:CNVRG), the country’s fastest-growing high-speed fixed broadband provider, joins forces with millions around the globe to raise awareness for better and safer internet usage. With lockdown restrictions forcing the young and old alike to study and work remotely, extra precautionary measures must be extended to the online community. 

A study released by the Washington-based International Justice Mission reveals that the Philippines is the global hotspot for online child sexual exploitation, worsened by lockdown restrictions. Increased risk of harm through the spread of false information or malicious content that is especially dangerous for children puts Converge in the position to protect the younger generation by promoting the responsible, respectful, critical, and creative use of digital technologies. 

“People stuck at home during the pandemic continue to seek human connection through the online community. In light of Safer Internet Day, we would like to remind parents and guardians of children to take proactive steps in using the internet responsibly,” said Converge Founder and CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy. “Converge will continue to implement safety and security measures such that explicit and malicious content will not continue to propagate online.”

Converge understands the urgency in creating a safe online environment for the younger generation such that the company has installed the required available technology, program, and software that is compliant with the National Telecommunications Commission guidelines. Providing a sense of security for its subscribers has pushed Converge to also provide quick access to online support while raising awareness through online channels with regard to safety measures that must be set in place by adults for their children. 

The firewall system installed by Converge is able to examine the data that flows into the network then verifies if it is safe to pass through to the business. This technology prevents unauthorized access to or from a private network, preventing the circulation of explicit or malicious content. In addition, Converge has a Secure Domain Name Solution that blocks at the domain level those websites carrying child pornography material. The tools used by Converge for Firewall and DNS Solution are from the most reputed companies in the industry.

Converge’s online channels provide positive content that includes needed information in informing the public to remain vigilant against false information or malicious content. Young internet users are given access to high-quality online experiences if they are more exposed to positive online content such as materials that enable individuals to learn and develop their analytical and creative skills. These experiences not only assist and empower them to become active and participatory citizens but also allows for the strengthening and broadening of awareness with regard to safety through positive content. Quick access to online support is offered by Converge to all its subscribers so they may all stay connected in a secured manner. Any report of inappropriate or illegal content and behavior online is taken seriously and immediately acted upon. 

“In delivering our promise to elevate the Filipino’s internet experience, security is our top priority as we seek to empower individuals to explore the digital experience with minimum risk,” said Converge Founder and CEO Dennis Anthony H. Uy. “Converge continues to invest in the right technology to ensure a better online environment for people of all age groups, but most especially for the younger generation. We believe that we are in the position to create an environment that encourages secured online services through self-regulation of content and services so that Filipinos may achieve success.”

Converge works closely with the National Telecommunications Commission in the fight to make the online environment a more secure place for all and encourages everyone to support the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of Social Welfare and Development with their Child Online Safeguarding Policy.

To report any case of online sexual exploitation of children by calling 1343 for Metro Manila and 02-1343 for outside Metro Manila. You can also report cases online at www.1343actionline.ph. To report child pornography sites, you may text DSWD <space> blockchildporn <space> URL address and send to 2327. You may also text blockchildporn <space> URL and send to 0918 912 2813. 

Through transparency and cooperation, Converge believes that the internet can be an even safer place where everyone can be empowered to voice out and seek positive change. For more information, visit the Converge website at www.convergeict.com

Shopee Kicks Off 3.3 - 4.4 Mega Shopping Sale with its Newest Brand Ambassador, Willie Revillame

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Catch Willie Revillame on Shopee's TV specials and enjoy free shipping, 20% cashback, and ShopeePay ₱1 deals at Shopee Philippines’ first mega sale of the year

MANILA, FEBRUARY 22, 2021 - Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, proudly introduces Willie Revillame as its newest brand ambassador for the 3.3 - 4.4 Mega Shopping Sale, its first mega sale of the year. The partnership comes after several successful runs of Shopee TV specials hosted by the massively popular TV personality on GMA 7’s Wowowin: Tutok to Win. Together with Willie Revillame, Shopee invites Filipinos to enjoy weeks of promotions and prizes at the 3.3 - 4.4 Mega Shopping Sale. 

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee Philippines is excited to kick off the first mega sale of the year with its newest brand ambassador Willie Revillame, who is one of the country’s biggest TV icons. Kuya Wil, as he is fondly called by Filipinos, has brought joy to millions during these trying times with his fun-loving personality on Wowowin. Together with Willie Revillame, Shopee hopes to provide Filipinos with more meaningful and entertaining shopping experiences at our 3.3 - 4.4 Mega Shopping Sale.”

Fans can catch Willie Revillame on Shopee’s daily segments on Wowowin: Tutok to Win and Shopee’s monthly TV specials on GMA 7. From February 18 - April 4, shoppers can also look forward to daily promotions and discounts on their favorite brands, products, and categories on Shopee, which include:

Exclusive discounts and mega shopping deals 

Shopee kicks off the 3.3. Mega Shopping Sale with exciting deals such as Mega Free Shipping with no minimum spend; 20% cashback on various categories; and ShopeePay ₱1 deals from top F&B merchants like Jollibee, Dunkin’ Donuts, and McDonald's. Shoppers can also enjoy exclusive discounts and promotions from Shopee’s trusted brand partners across all categories on Shopee Mall, which include Havaianas Philippines, Huggies Philippines, Realme, P&G Beauty, Pampers, Unilever Beauty, Nestlé, Garnier, Enfagrow, and Vivo.

Daily themed mega promotions 

Mark your calendars for themed days featuring amazing deals and big discounts, including Mega Flash Deals Sale on February 24, Mega ShopeePay Day on February 25, Mega Vouchers Day on March 2, Payday Sale on March 15, and Mega Free Shipping Sale on March 27.

Big prizes at the Shopee 3.3 Shopee Milyonaryo TV Special

Don’t miss out on the chance to snag discounts and win millions worth of cash prizes at the 3.3 Shopee Milyonaryo TV Special this March 3, 5:00 PM on GMA 7 and Shopee Live. Tune in to join games such as Shopee Shake, Watch and Win, and Shopee Milyonaryo Pera o Kahon.

Additional perks at the 3.3 ShopeePay Cashless Festival

Activate and top up your ShopeePay e-wallet to enjoy daily free shipping, discounts on mobile load, up to 20% cashback on bills payment, and more exclusive rewards from February 22 to February 25. 

For more information on the best deals during the 3.3 - 4.4 Mega Sale, visit https://shopee.ph/m/3-3. Don’t forget to top up your ShopeePay for more promotions! 

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Modern ageing with grace-empowered Kaki persimmon soap

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Asia’s best kept secret of youthful and firm complexion revealed—

in the power of Japanese Persimmon.

Manila, Philippines – Numbers that indicate progress in a person’s lives can sometimes be daunting especially for women. In fact, age is often left off the table during conversations, but what if it doesn’t have to be? Fortunately, a new soap that empowers ladies to age gracefully is emerging in the Philippines.

Nonenal among ageing people is often caused by hormonal imbalance but with a pure soap that cleanses the body, smell might as well be a non-issue. This is what KAKI promises as a consumer brand.

KAKI is a new persimmon-based soap that indulges the body into a regenerated state, away from unwanted odors, discoloration, and firmness of skin.

Gina, 42, a bachelorette shares what she noticed after a month of continued use of the soap.

“I no longer feel insecure because KAKI takes care of my body. I used to be so conscious of how I smell because I easily sweat. Now because of Kaki, I feel very confident even after a long day in the sun or even working out.”

The same sentiment is also observed even in more mature ladies. Retired teacher, Angela, 56, says: “My skin feels very light and plump, and it reminds me of my younger days. My children and even my apos are not taken aback by my smell and they love bonding with me. This means a lot to me now that I can focus on my own grandchildren after teaching in a school for decades.”

Unravel the secret of the fountain of youth through this premium fruit found in Japan.

Unique in gentleness to the skin and purifying effect, KAKI is without harsh chemicals that promise to speed-up skin lightening or exfoliates the skin more often than it needs to.

KAKI’s Founder and CEO share her vision for the brand, “At Kaki, we truly aim to empower ladies to age worry-free. We can keep them flawless so they can have the time and energy to focus on what makes them happy. Our running joke internally is that if you use the Kaki soap, life can begin even beyond 40!”

Apart from the immediate effects on the body, KAKI also lessens the nonenal on pillowcases and bed sheets of its consumer and detoxifies without stripping the body of its natural oils. It also comes with a feminine foam wash for the sensitive parts of the ladies.

New and promising persimmon-based soap is a holy grail for ladies over 40.

Kaki keeps the side effects of ageing away and assures its users that ageing, like coming-of-age, should not have a wisp of embarrassment but a treasured phase of grace and poise.

*KAKI is available at Shopee and Lazada starting at Php 160 and foam wash at Php 350.

 

 

 

UnionBank opens country’s first mass retail banking hub to better support PH MSMEs

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Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) recently created the country’s very first mass retail banking hub, aimed at providing support specifically to micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country as part of the Bank’s goal of enabling inclusive prosperity amid the current global health crisis.

The hub, a consolidation of all entrepreneur-centric solutions offered by UnionBank, will provide a one-stop center for resources that MSMEs might need in order to support their businesses regardless of size—such as financing, logistics, and a buyer-seller network, to name a few—all made accessible to mass market customers.

This was one of the topics at UnionBank’s E-Talk Tales last February 17, wherein UnionBank’s Chief Mass Market and Financial Inclusion Executive Manual G. Santiago, Jr.  focused on how the Bank addresses the typical pain points encountered by entrepreneurs, especially during the pandemic.

Santiago began the discussion by first explaining what the hub’s target market is, which he defined as “the middle-middle income level going down” which is also a mix of banked, underbanked, unbanked customers.

"I think the definition for SMEs is much more defined where we're really looking at micro, small, and medium enterprises. So, these are your businesses with, for micro, 3 million in capital, and then you have 15 million for small, and for medium, it's about a hundred million in capital," he added.

According to Santiago, UnionBank estimates this market at about 50 million customers, with the majority of them being in the lower-income segments. In addition, about 60 percent of this customer market classify themselves as self-employed entrepreneurs. “It's a large market and we think this is a segment that needs attention at this time, and we're putting our efforts into that.”

Santiago noted that a lot of entrepreneurs today are very careful about their decisions when it comes to their businesses, as a result of the uncertainties, brought about by the current health crisis. This “wait and see” mindset is evident even in those who have immediate access to financing.

“We've seen that in the way they apply for loans. You would think that because you have loans available that people are going to flock and apply,” Santiago said. “In fact, even those existing loans that we have that have reached the renewal stage, MSMEs would even say 'can you renew that at half the amount only, and I will just come back to you when things are better?',” Santiago said.

“It's a good thing because it shows a sign of maturity, and you know, in this time, you can't be very aggressive. You really need to think about your next steps to be able to survive this crisis.”

With its vision of empowering SMEs through digital initiatives, UnionBank has already laid a lot of groundwork even before the pandemic to address SME challenges.

UnionBank Business Loan via UBX SeekCap, an online Loan Marketplace where business owners and SMEs may easily browse short-term business loan products and apply digitally. SeekCap allows SMEs to get approval within hours.

The Bank has also created the SME Business Banking App, an online platform that enables SMES to manage their financial transactions by facilitating all business payments with the most extensive list of government and utility billers, transferring funds to both local and international banks, customizing complex business approval flows, enrolling all companies and subsidiaries in a single-login setup, and opening and managing payroll accounts for their employees, among others.

To know more about UnionBank's digital initiatives, visit https://www.unionbankph.com/

Get the best deals in mobile and cashless shopping at the newly launched PayMaya Mall

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Shop for your everyday essentials and more at the PayMaya Mall!

Filipinos now have an easier way to shop for their everyday essentials and more and pay cashless for their purchases with the launch of the PayMaya Mall -- a one-stop shop for your mobile shopping needs all within your PayMaya app!

Whether you’re craving for your favorite meals at Jollibee or McDonald’s, looking to buy your groceries at Landers, or shopping for cool new sneakers at Nike, you can find everything you need and get the best deals at the PayMaya Mall. 

With your favorite brands housed inside this virtual mall in your PayMaya app, going cashless for your everyday needs is now easier than ever. All you have to do is open your PayMaya app, tap PayMaya Mall and browse through over 100 of PayMaya's partner brands featured inside including Jollibee, McDonald's, Goldilocks, Rustan's, Park Outlet, Mercury Drug, Rose Pharmacy, Landers, AllHome and Boozy, among so many others.

And because you're transacting with PayMaya's trusted partner merchants, you can rest assured that you're only purchasing from legitimate sellers--whether it's a big lifestyle brand, a multinational merchant, or even local businesses.

“In the past year, PayMaya has enabled millions of Filipinos to utilize safe and convenient contactless payment for their everyday needs as we accelerated our push to build a 'Cashless Philippines'. With the launch of PayMaya Mall today, we’re taking this cashless convenience to the next level by bringing consumers the unique mall experience they have grown to love inside the PayMaya app. Now, on top of settling their bills or sending money to their loved ones, they can also pay for their groceries, order lunch, or shop for beauty products, all in one convenient mobile and cashless shopping experience,” said Mark Jason Dee, Head of Growth Marketing and Partnerships of PayMaya.  

 

Enjoy the best shopping deals at PayMaya Mall

Shopping at PayMaya Mall isn’t just convenient and safe—it’s also the most rewarding way to go cashless. Whatever item you want to purchase, you can find it at the PayMaya Mall and enjoy the best deals through PayMaya’s Balik Bayad promos and exclusive offers from partner merchants.

To kick off your rewarding PayMaya Mall experience, PayMaya is bringing in the good luck this Chinese New Year of the Ox as it offers up to P880 cashback for your purchases inside PayMaya Mall. For a minimum spend of P300 paid using your PayMaya mobile number, you can get a 20% cashback of up to P88 per transaction. You can enjoy this offer up to 10 times until March 15, 2021, or a total of P880 in Balik Bayad savings!

Availing of PayMaya's Balik Bayad offers at the PayMaya Mall is easy, all you have to do is shop at any of the brands featured at this virtual mall, choose the Pay with PayMaya option upon check out and key in your mobile number to complete your contactless payment transaction. 

On top of this Chinese New Year treat, you can also enjoy exclusive deals from your favorite brands at the PayMaya Mall. You can enjoy free delivery on your first Pick.A.Roo order (minimum of P500) just by entering the code PAYMAYAROO upon checkout; enjoy 12% off on your Rustans purchases, perfect for Valentine’s Day gifts; and even score a 5% discount on your Boozy haul for a chill Friday night at home.  

“At PayMaya Mall, we want to make sure that our users get the best cashless shopping experience, and that includes bringing them the best deals from the brands they love. With these exclusive promos and cashback offers, it’s easy to say that whatever you’re planning to buy – be it grocery items or your favorite fastfood meal – talagang mas sulit ‘yan sa PayMaya Mall!” Dee added.

Getting your own PayMaya account and enjoying the convenience of PayMaya Mall is very easy. Just download the PayMaya app at https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133 and register an account to find out what it’s like to go cashless with the fastest, safest, and most rewarding way to pay for anything online and in stores! Remember, for your everyday needs, don’t pay cash. PayMaya!  

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country including "everyday" merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants as well as government agencies and units.   

Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 37,000 partner agent touchpoints nationwide serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to digital services. To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.