J&T Express Launched “J&T Pantry”

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From offering delivery services and helping online businesses, J&T Express expanded its services to further help the Filipino people and launched their very own “J&T Pantry”. Inspired by the “Maginhawa Community Pantry”, J&T Express took the initiative on starting their own community pantry on its Muntinlupa Branch, April 21, 2021.

In this time of crisis, many Filipinos are grappling to survive the Pandemic. J&T Express believes that during these challenging times it is important to stand strong and help one another. The J&T pantry was fully supported by its employees. On top of the items prepared by J&T Express, many of its team members chose to personally donate items, such as food and other basic essentials, to share with the community. This just shows how passionate the company and its employees on helping those who are greatly affected by the pandemic through the simple act of kindness.

(J&T Express’ “J&T Pantry” launched at Muntinlupa Branch) 

The first “J&T Pantry” was launched on J&T Express Muntinlupa branch, open from 9:00 AM onwards. It will be followed by J&T Express Pilar, J&T Express Las Piñas Branch, J&T Express Bernabe, J&T Express Parañaque branch, J&T Express Taguig branches, and other branches nationwide. J&T Express will continue to create its community pantry initiatives for its various branches in different parts of the country.

A large number of items, from food to other basic essentials, are expected to be available on “J&T Pantry” for FREE to everyone who needs it.  To those who would like to visit, wearing face masks and a face shield is required. Strict compliance to IATF guidelines will also be observed.

J&T Express is dedicated to helping local online businesses grow by providing quality delivery services and is also passionate on extending its services to the needs of many Filipino people. To know more about the brand you may visit their website at, https://www.jtexpress.ph/  

Canva Brings Instagram Scheduling and Design Tools to One Platform

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Canva, the visual communications platform, announced today that Canva Pro customers are now able to design, schedule in advance, and post content on Instagram, all from the product’s built-in Content Planner. Available for Instagram Business accounts, the integration brings social media content creation and management tools together under one subscription.

“One of our company values is “make complex things simple” and with Canva’s Content Planner, planning, creating, and scheduling social media content has never been simpler,” said Cameron Adams, Co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Canva. “Instagram content scheduling has been one of our most requested features, so we’re thrilled to be launching this new product to our community. It’ll help them to share the right message at the right time, without having to be awake at 2am or sign up for yet another product.”

Canva Pro comes with a full suite of intuitive design tools, over 100 million visual and audio assets, and thousands of customizable social templates — offering an extensive source of inspiration for social content design. Content Planner also supports Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Weibo, Slack, and Pinterest, for multi-platform scheduling in one central hub.

 

Stay in Control of Social Posts with Calendar View

Upcoming posts are displayed within the intuitive Calendar View to show where and when content will be shared, months in advance. Scheduled designs can be managed and edited directly within Canva, removing the need to switch between tools when making changes. Over 2.4 million designs have been scheduled with Canva Content Planner to date.

Canva’s Magic Resize tool, available to all Canva Pro users, means existing designs can be resized almost instantly. Customers can convert an Instagram design to a Facebook banner or other format in just a few clicks.

Canva Content Planner Product Specifications:

●      All Canva Pro features, including Content Planner, are available to Enterprise and Non-Profit customers.

●      Content Planner supports Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Weibo, and Pinterest.

●      The Instagram API allows each Canva Pro account to pair to one Instagram Business account, and publish up to 25 single images per day.

●      Customers gain unlimited access to thousands of still and animated story templates

plus over 100+ million free images, video, audio, and graphics.

●      New Canva Pro customers are eligible for a 30-day free trial.

 

For more information on how you can embrace the future of visual communication, visit Canva.com.

Catriona Gray, Noel Cabangon, Juris, Keiko Necesario and more artists join forces in the star-studded “Bagani” music video

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Several Filipino artists from all over the country have banded together to record “Bagani,” the official theme song to celebrate the 500th year anniversary of Victory of Mactan and the Philippines’ role in the first circumnavigation of the world.

The music video, which is officially out today, Friday at 8:00 PM, features an all-star performance from an ensemble put together by PhilPop and The National Quincentennial Committee, with the help of Jude Gitamondoc of Kadasig and Jeremy Sarmiento of MinPop.

All-star ensemble

Lending their participation to the special project are award-winning singers, acclaimed musicians, Warner Music Philippines artists, and PhilPop finalists: Noel Cabangon, Bayang Barrios, Catriona Gray, Juris, Adelle Yu, Joemark Tumala, Jetz Tacsanan, Archie Udaundo, Chud Festejo, Ferdinand Aragon, Anthony Paeldo, Paul Pablo, Reanne Borela, Noah Alejandre, Ian Dumaplin, Angelic Mateo, Abegail Esteban, Kurt Fick, Jewel Villaflores, Kulas Basilonia, Jacky Chang, Kenneth Corvera, Nicole Asensio, Kier Franco, Nino Mas, Fernando Silva, Ava Canaceli, Giarell Apolona, Michael Cadoy, Enrique Gallardo, Novie Grace Jayme, Kenneth Reodica, Ed Miraflor Jr., Roel Rostata, Pio Dumayas, Mikhail Cansicio, Mark Armas, Michael Catarina, Juliet Bahala, Paolo Campos, Keiko Necesario, Rox Omilda, Zsaris, Dulce, Leanne Mamonong, Naara Acueza, JJ Pimpinio, Anthony Castillo, Sud Ballacer, Bayang Barrios and Nyoy Volante.

Aside from the appearances of more than 50 artists, who took their time recording and filming themselves in makeshift studios remotely or at home, the music video helmed by Josh Olasiman, also includes various footage from Medical City c/o Kevin Tristan A. Espiritu, and documentary films such as Jose Rizal sa Landas ng Paglaya and May Pagasa ang Bantayog ni Andres Bonifacio.

Commissioned by The National Quincentennial Committee (NQC) to give its audience a feeling of hope and optimism, the song was written and composed by Roel Rostata, arranged and produced by Jungee Marcelo, with Visayan lyrics in the chorus by Jude Gitamondoc.

Honoring solidarity and bayanihan spirit during tough times

According to its chief songwriter, Roel Rostata the track was written as a response to the growing challenges that the Filipino people are experiencing during the time of the pandemic, and how important it is repurpose music as a vessel to champion resiliency and bayanihan spirit. “There's no other way to rise above and make it through this pandemic other than working together,” Rostata shares in a statement. “Bagani encourages the listeners to turn fears and doubts to hope and healing, to manifest dreams into reality and to embrace victory. The song also encourages listeners to be part of the solution despite all the negativity and problems.”

“Bagani” is a by-product of PhilPop Bootcamp 2019, an initiative that aims to empower the next generations of contemporary Filipino singer-songwriters. PhilPop Executive Director Dinah Remolacio shares that the song was recorded for the Quincentennial celebration, but its inherent meaning has expanded into honoring our collective optimism and teamwork to rebuild the nation, and bring to light stories of optimism and resilience. “Eventually, the song became larger than what it was originally intended for,” Remolacio shares. “It triggers a strong commitment to the past and our future. It evokes strength and at the same time— solidarity.”

As part of the multiple virtual celebrations commemorating an important milestone in Philippine and global history, the music video marks the partnership between NQC and PhilPop to mark the 500th anniversary of  Victory of Mactan in 2021.

Under the partnership agreement, the country’s premier songwriting competition serves as the screening committee responsible for picking the official theme song, as well as co-producing its official music video with Warner Music Philippines.

The official music video of “Bagani” is out now.

Chen Pangan is poised for crossover breakthrough with the release of debut single ‘Sana’y Alam Mo’

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Filipina singer-songwriter Chen deserves to be someone to keep an eye on this year. As the lead guitarist and one of the vocalists of Unit 406, the rising pop sensation has enjoyed a bit of success with decent-sized hits such as 'Kahit Na Anong Sabihin Ng Iba' and 'Tanghaling Tapat,’ which eventually earned her band a nomination for Best Performance by a New Group Recording Artist at the 2018 Awit Awards.

This year, Chen is poised to take on a new role as a solo artist with the release of her debut single, ‘Sana’y Alam Mo’ under MCA Music Inc.

Delivered with soulful, emotive vocals and heartfelt songwriting style, the song dips into stripped-down pop territory before its colossal reveal in the chorus. “Nangangarap kung maibabalik sa simula lahat / uulitin ko, ‘di nagsisisi sa iyo,” she sings as if coming from a place of immense longing and grief.

According to Chen, ‘Sana’y Alam Mo’ is a song that speaks of one’s yearning for love. “It's about loving someone without being loved back and eventually accepting reality and choosing to let go,” says the talented newcomer. “And it’s also about deciding to turn the page and move forward.”

Chen explains that the recording process behind ‘Sana’y Alam Mo’ went smooth despite the challenges of having to internalize the emotional component of the lyrics, while allowing herself to feel its pain. “The experience working with Gab and Tiny was super chill and fun,” Chen shares. “There was never a time that we had to unplug or revise. Everything just flowed very well.” ‘Sana’y Alam Mo’ was composed, arranged, and produced by Gabriel Tagadtad, with additional production by Tiny Corpuz.

At present, Chen is busy exploring her creative potential with and beyond her band, Unit 406. She’s confident with the kind of music that she wants to dabble into, and as showcased in her first solo single, ‘Sana’y Alam Mo,’ the much-buzzed star is more than ready to take any challenges that will come her way. “What separates me from other artists is the tone and personality my music brings,” she tells in a statement. “In contrast to hugot songs, ‘Sana'y Alam Mo’ has this R&B flare that is snappier than your typical love songs. It’s not as soft and gentle, but it’s very raw and true to its message of love being bittersweet.

Chen’s ‘Sana’y Alam Mo’ is out now on all streaming platforms.

Watch Chen Pangan’s ‘Sana’y Alam Mo’ Official Lyric Video HERE

About Chen Pangan:

Chen is a Filipino singer and guitarist from Manila. A musician since 2007, she started performing on stage at 16 years old and hasn’t stopped since. Chen is currently the lead guitarist and one of the vocalists of Unit 406, the band behind 'Kahit Na Anong Sabihin Ng Iba' and 'Tanghaling Tapat'. 

Inspired by Cynthia Alexander, Barbie, Armi Millare, H.E.R and Alina Baraz, Chen’s music influences can be heard through her mellow vocals in her first single 'Sana’y Alam Mo'.

UnionBank holds 10th E-TalkTales focusing on ‘People Tech’ advocacy

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Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) held its 10th E-TalkTales media event last April 21, wherein the Bank talked about its people-centric digital transformation and how this has helped not only its employees but also external stakeholders in line with the Bank's goal of enabling inclusive prosperity in the country.

UnionBank Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer Michelle Rubio opened the discussion by talking about the Bank's successful digital transformation, which she attributed to its people. She then said that for digital transformation to succeed, organizations must focus more on equipping their workforce with the right skills and helping them become more agile, as this can give them more mileage than just investing in the latest software and equipment.

"Contrary to popular belief, digital transformation is less about technology and more about people. You can pretty much buy any technology but our ability to adapt to an even more digital future depends on developing the next generation of skills, closing the gap between talent supply and demand, and future-proofing your own and others’ potential,"Rubio said.

Rubio underscored the importance of continuously upskilling employees because of the possibility of skill sets becoming obsolete in a few years as a result of the rapid advance of technology, citing a recent study by multi-national advisory firm Deloitte that reported that many skills are expected to become obsolete in five years and may even continue to shrink as the world becomes increasingly more digital.

"UnionBank continuously upskills employees true to its commitment of growing and developing its talents and the talent community," Rubio said. "Holding on to its purpose of co-creating innovations for a better world, UnionBank was able to forge a strategy that could accelerate talent at any point of interaction with the Bank. This is called People Tech: people at the core, technology at the fore. Aligned to the Bank's purpose of co-creating innovations for a better world, UnionBank focused on People to make the transformation happen."

"People Tech advocates digital delivery to build capabilities and bring it to hyperspeed, allowing accelerated talent development and capability building inside and outside the organization," Rubio added.

In line with its People Tech advocacy, UnionBank has been successfully implementing various programs aimed at equipping people with the necessary skills for them to thrive in the digital workplace. One of these programs is the Xcellerator series, which offers accessible education not only to UnionBank employees but also to anyone outside the Bank who wishes to learn more about topics that are relevant in the digital world. Since introducing the Xcellerator series, the Bank has helped thousands of learners become more knowledgeable in different topics related to digitization, including blockchain, application programming interface, project management, digital marketing, data privacy, coding, and fintech, among others.

"Through Xcellerator, we advocate digital delivery through capability building, so that innovations may happen ensuring no one gets left behind. We 'tech-up' the Philippines by educating and mentoring our community members in emerging technologies, contributing to the higher purpose of co-creating innovations for a better world, possibly opening up opportunities for Filipino tech talents," said Special Projects Head for UnionBank's Fintech Group and Xcellerator Program Lead, Nix Syjuco.

Another highlight of the discussion were UnionBank's numerous initiatives aligned with the People Tech advocacy that have benefitted various external stakeholders especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among these are the GoBeyond Communities initiative, which encourages UnionBank employees to join community centric activities that are in line with their personal advocacies; the HEROES 2021 initiative in partnership with Thames International School that aims to train educators on how to conduct classes online; and the Climathon Online Ideation initiative which encourages people to help in the creation of solutions that address the most pressing issues today.

Speaking about the Bank's efforts to help enable inclusive prosperity in the country, UnionBank Vice President for Sustainability Dave Devilles said that the goal is to continuously change the way people see technology, and help them realize its potential to create lasting positive impact and how it can be used for the greater good.

"It's really about changing the mindset and moving the behavior, and we have witnessed how UnionBank has evolved from our desire to build capabilities internally, to share these, and to help communities and ultimately our country,"

Devilles said.