The Asset names BDO 2020’s Best Bank in the Philippines

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BDO Unibank (BDO) was named the Best Bank in the Philippines for the 8th consecutive year during The Asset Triple A Country Awards 2020 which recognizes Asian issuers and global institutional investors for excellence in banking, finance, treasury, and the capital markets.

In the Best Adviser category, subsidiary BDO Capital & Investment Corporation (BDO Capital) brought home awards for the Best Corporate and Institutional Adviser-Domestic for the 6th time, the Best Equity Adviser for the 4th time, and the Best Loan Adviser for the 4th time as well.

In the Best Deal category, BDO and BDO Capital were individually recognized with Best Merger & Acquisition (M&A) Deal awards for their roles as sole lender and mandated lead arranger & bookrunner (acquisition financing), respectively, in the KKR-led consortium’s US$1.3 billion acquisition of a majority stake in Metro Pacific Hospital Holdings—the largest healthcare M&A in the country.

BDO was also awarded the Best Retail Bond in the same category for its P36 billion Fixed-rate Peso bond issuance, which was seven times more than the original P5.0 billion offer due to robust demand from individual and institutional investors.

Beyond the country awards, BDO Capital was bestowed with the Best Local Currency Green Bond Award under the Deal of the Year - Real Estate category in The Asset Triple A Regional Awards 2020.

The bank’s investment house was lauded for being the joint lead underwriter and joint bookrunner of the P3-billion Fixed-rate ASEAN Green Bonds of Arthaland Corporation. In line with the bank’s sustainability mission, the green bonds adhere to the ASEAN Green Bonds Standards, which require proceeds to be used exclusively for environment-friendly projects.

The Asset Triple A Country and Regional Awards have been organized by the Hong Kong-based financial publication for over 20 years. The Asset provides “authoritative, unbiased, and independent” coverage on Asia’s financial industry for corporate leaders and financial decision-makers.

The Asset’s 2020 Best Bank in the Philippines. BDO Unibank, Inc. and BDO Capital & Investment Corporation were recognized in the recent The Asset Triple A Country & Regional Awards. Among these prestigious accolades are the Best Bank in the Philippines for BDO in the country awards and the Best Local Currency Green Bond for BDO Capital in the regional awards.

Explore the best of Dubai with Emirates and enjoy a complimentary hotel stay - Fly safe and stress-free with Emirates to the vibrant and cosmopolitan city

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Passengers traveling to Dubai via Emirates can now enjoy special fares, free additional 10kg baggage allowance, and up to three complimentary nights at the 5-star JW Marriott Marquis Dubai from March 15 to June 30, 2021*. With flexible booking options and free multi-risk travel insurance with COVID-19 cover, Emirates continues to offer stellar and safe travel experiences to Dubai.

Travelers who book return Economy Class tickets to Dubai from March 8 to 28, 2021 for travel between March 15 and June 30, 2021 are eligible for a complimentary two-night stay at the JW Marriot Marquis; while Business Class passengers who book flights during the same period can enjoy three complimentary nights’ stay from the day of arrival. As one of the world’s tallest 5-star hotels, the JW Marriott Marquis Dubai features award-winning dining options, its own shopping galleria, and a world-renowned spa; and is conveniently located near attractions like the Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, and the Dubai Opera. For more information on this offer, please visit this link.

Promotional return fares to Dubai start from USD 450 in Economy Class and USD 899 in Business Class.

Passengers can also leave the problem of packing behind as Emirates has added an additional 10kg free baggage allowance when traveling back to the Philippines from Dubai, leaving even more room for shopping.

Emirates has safely and gradually restarted operations across its network. Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world-class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world's first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai's comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.

Flexibility and assurance

Emirates' booking policies offer customers flexibility and confidence to plan their travel. Customers who purchase an Emirates ticket for travel on or before September 30, 2021, can enjoy generous rebooking terms and options if they have to change their travel plans. Customers have options to change their travel dates or extend their ticket validity for 2 years. More information here. 

Travel with confidence

All Emirates customers can travel with confidence and peace of mind with the airline industry’s first, multi-risk travel insurance and COVID-19 cover. This cover is offered by Emirates on all tickets purchased on or from December 1, 2020, at no cost to customers. In addition to COVID-19 medical cover, the airline also provides provisions for personal accidents during travel, winter sports cover, loss of personal belongings, and trip disruptions due to unexpected air space closure, travel recommendations or advisories, similar to other multi-risk travel insurance products. Some limitations and exclusions apply. Policy details and more information here.

Health and safety

Customers can look forward to a safe and stress-free travel experience as Emirates has prioritized customer health and safety with a comprehensive set of measures at every step of the customer journey. For more information on these measures and the services available on each flight, visit: www.emirates.com/yoursafety.

PCR Testing

Tests should be taken not more 96 hours before the flight. Customers are encouraged to check the latest government travel restrictions in their country of origin and ensure they meet the travel requirements of their final destination.

For more information on entry requirements for international visitors to Dubai visit: www.emirates.com/flytoDubai.

My Emirates Pass

The exclusive offer that turns the Emirates boarding pass into a membership card is also back and has been extended this year giving customers even more chances to explore UAE for less. Emirates’ customers flying to and through Dubai from now to September 30, 2021 can take advantage of the exclusive offers by simply presenting their Emirates boarding pass and a valid form of identification at any of the participating outlets. The offer includes discounts in over 300 restaurants across the country and in over 35 spas in world-class hotels. It also unlocks offers at many tourist attractions including Atlantis Aquaventure and At the Top Burj Khalifa. The full list of participating outlets can be found here: emirates.com/myemiratespass.**

*Blackout dates apply

**Local terms and conditions apply

For more information, including how to book flights and a complete list of terms and conditions, customers are advised to contact their travel agent or visit emirates.com.

“Dito at Doon” with JC Santos and Janine Gutierrez will be release direct-to-digital starting March 31

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TB​A Studios’ upcoming film “Dito at Doon” will proceed with its scheduled online release this coming March 31, 2021, while its theatrical release is currently on hold. The JC Santos - Janine Gutierrez romance movie was supposed to arrive in theaters nationwide on March 17.

The change comes after careful decisions among the film’s producers with everyone’s health and safety as their utmost priority.

“We have decided to release ‘Dito at Doon’ exclusively online for the time being. This was a very difficult decision for the whole team, but one that has everyone’s best interest in mind,” said E. A. Rocha, TBA Studios’ CEO.

Contemporary Love Story

Set during the pandemic, “Dito at Doon” revolves around political science graduate Len (Janine Gutierrez) and her online/offline frenemy Caloy (JC Santos). With polarizing views and challenges of not being physically together, will their relationship survive?

Directed by JP Habac of "I'm Drunk, I Love You." fame, "Dito at Doon" also features host and stand-up comedian Victor Anastacio and theater actress Yesh Burce, with the special participation of Janine's mom Lotlot de Leon.

The film was developed and shot during the pandemic, and was slated to be the first big local movie to be released a year since the pandemic started.

“We know how much it means for a lot of people to finally share this experience together on the big screen and we feel positive that there would still be a chance for us to do so. But for now, we are happy to offer an accessible and convenient alternative for Filipino movie fans eagerly waiting to see ‘Dito at Doon’,” Rocha added.

Online Streaming

Fans can catch the much-anticipated romantic film at ktx.ph, Cinema '76 @ Home, iWant TFC, and Ticket2Me.

To avail of the on-going early bird promo and enjoy “Dito at Doon” for only Php 300. This special offer is for a limited time only. The regular price is Php 350.

Film aficionados outside the Philippines will have a chance to see “Dito at Doon” (“Here and There”) too as TBA Studios prepares a worldwide release via TBA Play, the company’s premium video-on-demand (PVOD) platform soon.

“We are so grateful to everyone who has shown love and support for this film. We hope that they would continue to extend that support not just for ‘Dito at Doon’, but the whole Philippine Film Industry as well. It has been a challenging year, but we at TBA Studios remain hopeful. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we look forward to bringing this timely yet timeless, heartwarming film to you very soon.” Rocha expressed.

To know more about the movie, visit https://www.facebook.com/TBAStudiosPH, follow TBA Studios on Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube.

Join the conversation online using the hashtags #DitoAtDoon #ProudlyTBA.

Coca-Cola celebrates a successful decade of empowering 250,000 women entrepreneurs in the Philippines

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The company’s women economic empowerment programs have reached every region and province of the Philippines

Coca-Cola believes that improving women’s economic conditions enables the creation of more empowered communities. In 2010, the beverage company made a global commitment to empower 5 million women across its value chain by 2020. Today, on International Women’s Day, Coca-Cola announced that it has surpassed its global goal, enabling more than 6 million women through 318 programs across 100 countries. Here in the Philippines, Coca-Cola announced that it has successfully supported the economic empowerment of about 250,000 women retailers all over the Philippines—this represents 21% of the total universe of small sari-sari store owners in the country.

Coca-Cola Philippines iSTAR MoA Signing :

Last October 2020, Coca-Cola Philippines and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) launched the STAR program’s digital roadmap, iSTAR. With this program, Coca-Cola Philippines is expected to reach more Filipinos to become economically empowered as entrepreneurs.

“Through this program over the last decade, we’ve seen women creating a ripple effect of change. As we move forward in this new decade, we will continue our commitment to fostering gender equality and support women as they challenge the barriers and the Kababae Mong Tao (Unlady-like) narratives in our society,” says Tony del Rosario, president of Coca-Cola Philippines and vice president for franchise operations of the East Region for Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific. “This is good for society, good for business, and good for socio-economic progress.”

Coca-Cola Philippines ReSTART Program

An additional PHP27 million fund targets to help additional 5,000 micro-retailers through Coca-Cola ReSTART program. This program aims to provide financial support and educational resources to help and educate micro-retailers on how to safely operate in times of pandemic.

A decade ago, the Philippines was selected as one of a handful of global lead markets to pilot the 5by20 initiative. Realizing that the full potential of women can only be achieved by investing and creating an enabling environment where women can succeed, Coca-Cola Philippines has made incredible strides in empowering and advancing women across its value chain. Over the last decade, the 5by20 program has reached all 17 regions and 81 provinces of the country, which includes sari-sari store owners, carinderia owners, repatriated OFWs, artisan women, and women in operations. For those in Coca-Cola’s external value chain, the company provides business skills training, financial services, and peer mentoring support.

Coca-Cola Philippines OFW RISE Program

Through Coca-Cola Philippines’ OFW Re-Integration through Skills and Entrepreneurship Program or OFW RISE, 10,000 returning OFWs can make their dream of having their own business and staying with their family come true. Currently, 2,743 OFWs are enrolled in the program.

Women as the best investment to spur economic growth

The journey of Coca-Cola towards women economic empowerment here in the Philippines started in 2011 with the pilot program of the 5by20 Sari-Sari Stores Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program. In partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the STAR program for the past decade and until today helps women overcome barriers to achieving their full potential.

Globally-referenced as a case study on effective business-sustainability initiatives and identified as one of the country’s first business training modules that provides Gender Sensitivity Training, the STAR program continues to emphasize the critical role women play in their families and communities, at the same time, in fostering economic growth.

A 2020 report of the program’s impact revealed that 97% of the women participants found the women economic programs beneficial in their business management.

“Coca-Cola Philippines wouldn’t be where it is today without the strategic role that women play as a key pillar of our business success,” says Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, public affairs and sustainability director of Coca-Cola Philippines. “Supporting women and small retailers will always be a priority for us. When women are empowered, their valuable contribution is not only seen within their families nor in the communities; but in the vibrancy of the economy as well.”

Since its inception, Coca-Cola has built many partnerships and engagements anchored in women’s economic empowerment. The STAR Program has evolved into several other initiatives in response to the prevailing needs of women and sub-sectors—working closely with various government agencies, civil society organizations, and micro-finance institutions. To date, the STAR Program has expanded to sub-initiatives such as iSTAR, STAR Ka-Asenso, ReSTART, Women Artisans of Tondo, PASCO, STAR Rebuild, Women REACH, and OFW Rise, which continue to advance the gender equality agenda.

Coca-Cola and women towards a better shared future

Even after a decade of active participation in the sphere of women empowerment, Coca-Cola Philippines understands that supporting women and communities continues to be essential for economies to thrive into the next decade and beyond.

“Since last year, we have pivoted some of our women economic initiatives to support small retailers in restarting and recovering through the pandemic,” del Rosario further added. “Though we have surpassed our 2020 goal here in the Philippines and globally, the story of resilience and empowerment will continue, and we remain committed to helping women and communities thrive in line with our purpose of refreshing the world and making a difference,” he concluded.

The initiatives of Coca-Cola Philippines have produced positive results and unlocked the full economic potential of women through the support of like-minded organizations from the government: TESDA, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) – OWWA & NRCO, the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) – an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Local Government Units (LGUs); civil-society organizations: Small Business Corporations, and USAID; and micro-finance institutions: Tagum City Council of Women (TCCWI), the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF), First Community Cooperative (FICCO), Alalay Sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), and ASA Philippines.

To learn more about the women economic empowerment vision of Coca-Cola, visit https://www.coca-colacompany.com/shared-future/women-empowerment. #

About Coca-Cola in the Philippines

Coca-Cola has been refreshing Filipinos and making a difference in the Philippines for 109 years. The Philippines was Coca-Cola’s first market in Asia to begin local bottling operations. Today, the Coca-Cola system in the Philippines has evolved into a total beverage company, offering a diverse portfolio of brands in its beverage portfolio and employing over 15,000 Filipinos in over 19 manufacturing facilities and more than 60 distribution centers nationwide. As part of its long-standing commitment to the country, Coca-Cola continues to #GOBEYONDGOOD as a business by continuously supporting safe water access programs in over 250 communities, empowering around 250,000 women entrepreneurs through training and peer mentoring, and accelerating packaging collection and recycling under its global World Without Waste initiative

UBX chief to utilize expertise in building-up start-ups as The Final Pitch Season 6 investor judge

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UBX President and CEO John Januszczak has recently joined the latest season of long-running, entrepreneurial-themed reality show The Final Pitch as an investor judge. This marks the very first that a fintech company joins the show and reflects UBX's continuous efforts in accelerating MSME success by incubating start-up businesses in the Philippines.

As an investor judge, Januszczak brings to the judging table an expansive wealth of knowledge and expertise in building start-ups from the ground up, which comes from his experience in leading UBX in its mission to support the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and help them thrive in the digital economy.

As the fintech spinoff and corporate venture arm of Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), UBX has been at the forefront of incubating start-ups and business ideas in the country by utilizing innovation and co-creation to deliver pioneering solutions that enable growth and expansion, empowering entrepreneurs and enabling their businesses to achieve their full potential.

Among these solutions is SeekCap, UBX’s online lending platform and the first online lending marketplace in the Philippines. Since its launch, SeekCap has processed over P1.5B worth of business loans and has helped more than 38,000 businesses, especially during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when many of them needed financial support just to stay afloat.

There is also Sentro, the country’s first end-to-end e-commerce builder, which allows entrepreneurs to create their very own fully-featured online store even with little to zero tech know-how. More than 29,000 businesses in the country have successfully digitized their businesses thanks to Sentro, allowing them to thrive amid the recent growth of the e-commerce sector as a result of the pandemic.

Another industry-pioneering solution that is aligned with UBX’s efforts in incubating the next big Filipino entrepreneur is Bux, an end-to-end platform provides business owners with a wide selection of payment methods and channels depending on their needs or preference. To date, Bux has helped more than 100,000 businesses streamline their e-commerce payment process.

Through these solutions, UBX has become the biggest incubator of start-ups in the Philippines, giving burgeoning entrepreneurs secure footing in an era where being digital has become a must, made even more challenging by an unprecedented global health crisis. But these solutions aren’t the only capabilities of UBX when it comes to supporting start-ups.

“We’re very interested in investing in ideas, in founders, and talented entrepreneurs. We can invest in external or stand-alone ventures through our venture fund. We also have our venture studio which could make sense for someone who has a smaller team but needs the resources of an incubator/accelerator to bring their startup to market. UBX will provide individuals who have a great idea with a framework and assistance that will validate it and give capital and resources to bring it to scale,” Januszczak said.