BPI Foundation reopens Pagpupugay scholarship program

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The Pagpupugay scholarship program aims to help create a better future for the children and close relatives of our COVID-19 heroes.

BPI Foundation has officially reopened its “Pagpupugay” scholarship program to support the next of kin of medical front liners who contracted COVID-19 or passed away in the line of duty during the pandemic. 

“The fight against COVID-19 is far from over and our medical front liners continue to be at the forefront, highly exposed to the deadly virus while taking care of our fellow Filipinos,” said BPI Foundation Executive Director Owen Cammayo.

“The Pagpupugay scholarship program is a recognition for their heroic efforts. The program aims to help create a better future for the next of kin of medical front liners who were casualties of the COVID-19 war.”

“Pagpupugay” is a five-year scholarship program with an initial P1-million fund per school year. Five (5) scholars were chosen in 2020, to be evaluated for renewal annually. For the Academic Year 2021-2022, five (5) additional scholars will be selected. Each scholar will be provided a maximum of P100,000 scholarship fund per academic year to cover tuition fees and miscellaneous expenses.

The eligible applicants are the next of kin of the following medical front liners who contracted COVID-19 or passed away in the line of duty during the pandemic:

● Doctors 

● Nurses

● Medical technologists

● Community health workers

● Administrative, utility, and support services personnel in health care facilities

If the deceased is married, the priority beneficiary will be one of his or her children. If single, the beneficiary can be next of kin up to the 3rd degree of consanguinity.

To qualify, students must be enrolled or applying to any college or university nationwide. They must have and maintain a General Weighted Average (GWA) of 85% or its equivalent and/or prevailing University standards for the previous school year (for incoming 1st year) or semester (for incoming 2nd year to 5th year).

Interested students may apply directly to BPI Foundation’s partner schools below.

● Ateneo de Manila University     

● Cebu Institute of Technology University     

● Christ the King College – Gingoog City     

● De La Salle University (Manila)     

● Far Eastern University (Manila)     

● Holy Angel University (Pampanga)     

● Lorma Colleges (La Union)

● Mapua University (Manila and Makati)     

● Malayan Colleges Laguna     

● Malayan Colleges Mindanao    

● Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology

● Miriam College     

● National Teachers College     

● Philippine Women’s University

● PHINMA Republican College     

● PHINMA St. Jude College     

● Polytechnic University of the Philippines     

● Saint Louis University – Baguio     

● Silliman University     

● Southville International School and Colleges     

● St. Mary’s College of Baliuag (Bulacan)     

● Technological Institute of the Philippines     

● University of Batangas     

● University of Northern Philippines      

● University of Nueva Caceres     

● University of Santo Tomas (Manila)     

● University of San Carlos

● University of the Immaculate Concepcion (Davao)

● University of the Philippines (Diliman)     

● University of the Philippines (Manila)     

● Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan     

If the college or university is not included in the list, the applicant may coordinate directly with BPI Foundation through bpifoundation@bpi.com.ph or bpifoundationinc@gmail.com.

The deadline for application is on May 28, 2021, and successful applicants will be contacted in July. To know more about BPI Foundation and its programs, visit www.bpifoundation.org.

Shopee reveals 4 types of Filipino online shoppers, offers something for everyone this 7.7 Mid-Year Sale

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42% of Filipinos surveyed are Sulit Shoppers, who are driven by the best deals and prices online

A survey conducted by Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, revealed four types of online shoppers in the Philippines and their motivations for shopping online.

Shopee surveyed more than 3,000 Filipinos and found that value is the most important factor for online shoppers, with 42% of respondents stating that they are driven by the best deals and prices. 71% of them are females, ranging from 18 to 34 years of age.

There is also an emerging segment of consumers who prioritize shopping from their favored brands online. More than half of these brand lovers are around 25 years old, showing how brand loyalty is becoming key to the online shopping experience for younger demographics.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “The mid-year shopping season is an exciting time for Shopee. As more Filipinos go online to fulfill their shopping needs, we are also seeing more diverse preferences and shopping habits emerge. This is why we consistently listen to our users’ feedback and improve our features, services, and products to serve their needs. Our 7.7 Mid-Year Sale is no different and comes packed with highlights such as the Payday Sale, ShopeePay Day, and other exciting promotions to deliver more value, variety, and fun to all shoppers.”

The four key types of Filipino online shoppers are:

1) The Sulit Shopper - Decisive shoppers who hunt for the best deals

42% of respondents are Sulit Shoppers. They prioritize finding the best deals and prices before making an online purchase. These shoppers are patient and take the time to research products, but act quickly when they discover deals they like.

Key characteristics:

● Decisive buying: 66% browse a maximum of just five items before making a purchase

● Deals seeking: 62% don’t typically plan purchases in advance—they shop whenever they see big discounts on products they’re eyeing

● Regular shopping: Half of them buy something online at least twice a month

Sulit Shoppers can rejoice at the 7.7 Mid-Year Sale, which offers non-stop deals and discounts. They can save money on shipping, get discounts, and claim cashback at the Vouchers Sale on July 6. During the 7.7 period, they can also tap on the Vouchers button on the Shopee homepage for one-stop access to the best deals.

2) The Shop-and-Go Consumer - Shoppers who enjoy the convenience of delivery to their doorstep

For a lot of Filipinos, online shopping’s main draw is convenience. 17% of shoppers surveyed turn to online shopping for its ease and safety. More than half of the shoppers in this community are 30 years old. They know what they want to buy and do not necessarily spend extra time on the app, but will often make impulse purchases if they stumble upon good deals.

Key characteristics:

● Quick decision-making: 64% browse through a maximum of five listings before they find what they're looking for

● Proactive shopping: Almost one in two do their own research on products by either searching online or chatting with sellers

● Frequent shopping: 45% shop online twice a month on average, making them one of the most frequent purchasers

Shop-and-Go Consumers can take advantage of Free Shipping on Shopee’s home page. They’ll also love the convenience of ShopeePay, Shopee’s built-in e-wallet. On ShopeePay Day this July 1, they can enjoy ShopeePay-exclusive rewards, such as free shipping, cashback, and ₱1 deals.

3) The Budol Shopper - Window shoppers who can also be spontaneous buyers

Making up 14% of respondents, the Budol Shopper refers to window shoppers who value variety and choice of products. Compared to the Sulit Shopper, the Budol Shopper browses more items on average, and are also more likely to spontaneously check out a product that catches their eye.

Key characteristics:

● Impulsive buying: 63% will buy an item because they felt like doing so at the moment

● Frequent browsing: 27% of window shoppers usually browse up to 15 items before each purchase

This 7.7, Budol Shoppers can window shop to their hearts’ content across Shopee’s themed days such as Home Tech Sale on June 24, Home & Outdoors Sale on June 25, Kids & Babies Sale on June 26, and Apparel & Shoes Sale on June 27. Each sale offers a huge selection of discounted products from popular categories.

4) The Suki Buyer - Shoppers who have a good eye for brands

Suki Buyers make up 12% of respondents, and they shop online because they can find their favorite brands easily. Unlike Sulit Shoppers, shoppers who prioritize finding the best value, brand fans are less price-sensitive. Instead, they value having a large variety of brands to choose from, as well as accessing perks and loyalty points from brands they follow.

Key characteristics:

● Regular shopping from brands: 62% of them purchase from their favorite brands as frequently as twice a month

● Brand familiarity: About 1 in 4 follow their favorite brands on social media in order to stay informed of latest product launches

Suki Buyers will enjoy the RB Super Brand Day until June 23, Vivo Super Brand Day from June 27-28, and Olay Super Brand Day from June 28-30, which all offer exclusive deals from well-loved brands on Shopee Mall. Suki Buyers can also get exclusive perks from their favorite brands, such as 30% off vouchers, at the Shopee Mall Sale this June 29.

Have a joyful and rewarding experience with Jollibee’s new Joy Rewards card!

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Satisfying your Jollibee cravings is about to get more rewarding with the launch of the new Joy Rewards card! This new loyalty card offers exclusive promos aside from earning of points.

Customers can get their new Joy Rewards Cards in all participating Jollibee stores for only P100. Simply register in 2 easy ways – via the website at www.happyplus.com.ph or via SMS, to open the door to a world of joyful experiences. The Joy Rewards card lets you earn points as well when you purchase food products from participating stores of other brands like Chowking, Greenwich, Mang Inasal, and Red Ribbon. Every P50 spent earns a point that, when collected, can be used to purchase even more of your favorites. Earn points as well when you fill up your cars at participating Caltex stations.

On top of that, new members are entitled to a welcome gift of a free Jolly Spaghetti with a minimum purchase of P300 using the card upon card registration. Customers can use the Joy Rewards card for cashless transactions – just top-up their cards Jollibee stores and use it to pay for their food purchases for Dine-In, Take-out, Drive-Thru transactions.

Head to your nearest Jollibee store now and get your own Joy Rewards cards to take advantage of exclusive offers and start earning points with every joyful meal!

Century Park Hotel Participates in Manila Restaurant Week 2021

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After a series of successful runs, Manila Restaurant Week is holding another comeback this June 20 – July 4, 2021. Century Park Hotel is once again supporting this endeavor by giving huge discounts to its dine-in guests and customers who want to avail of the select dishes via takeout or delivery.

During the two-week period, enjoy a whopping 40% discount at the Atrium Lounge. For breakfast, (8:00AM – 10:00AM) try the tasty Korean Garlic Bun or scrumptious Chocolate Croissant (reduced from P295.00 to P177.00). Each set comes with a complimentary brewed coffee and a round of refill.

If you are in the mood for lunch (11:00AM – 3:00PM), order the Katsu Curry Udon, Gyu Curry Udon or Ebi Furai Udon (reduced from P695.00 to P417.00). Each meal comes with a glass of iced tea.

Meanwhile, dinner (5:00PM – 8:00PM) options range from Century Park Hamburger (reduced from P505.00 to P303.00) to Inihaw na Pampano (reduced from P770.00 to P462.00) and Bistek Manileño (reduced from P770.00 to P462.00).

“We are pleased to join Manila Restaurant Week once more. The local government’s program is much appreciated by participating establishments in the city as it has helped in bolstering not only the F & B industry but the tourism industry as well during these challenging times,” said Century Park Hotel’s General Manager Anthony Tan.

Manila Restaurant Week seeks to promote and revive local businesses in the city during the pandemic as well as foster the spirit of unity among big & small entrepreneurs and businessmen. Under the Manila Support Local, this initiative is being pioneered by the City Government of Manila through the Manila Bureau of Permits, Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of Manila and the Manila Public Information Office.

Century Park Hotel will enforce all stringent measures to ensure the wellbeing of its patrons during their visit. It has recently been awarded the Safety Seal Certification by the DOT as a result of its efforts to enforce strict COVID-19 protocols and good housekeeping practices. Guests are assured of a clean and safe space during their visit at the hotel.

With its participation in the gustatory festival, food enthusiasts can enjoy the hotel’s dishes at friendly rates. For more information on how to avail of these exciting offers, please check FB: Manila Restaurant Week, IG: @manilarestaurantweekofficial and website: http://manila.gov.ph/manilarestaurantweek.

Smart Padala by PayMaya makes remittances easier with new service

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Collecting your remittance has never been easier! You can now walk in and collect funds sent by your loved ones at any of the over 40,000 Smart Padala agents across the country with Smart Padala by PayMaya’s Claim Anywhere service.

With this new Claim Anywhere service, all the sender needs to do is to provide the recipient’s mobile number, and the funds can easily be claimed by their recipient at any Smart Padala agent anywhere in the country.  

This new service makes receiving money much easier and hassle-free. Best of all – customers don’t have to pay additional charges on top of the transaction fee to avail of this convenient option. Smart Padala by PayMaya customers just need to follow these simple steps:  

 

1. The sender goes to a Smart Padala agent and chooses the Claim​ Anywhere service to send money.  

2. The sender provides his ID, the recipient’s name and mobile number, as well as the funds and transaction fee. 

3. Both sender and receiver will receive a text message confirmation with the claim reference number. 

4. The receiver provides the claim reference number to any Smart Padala agent to claim the funds.  

Once customers have already claimed their remittance, they can also pay for their utility or government bills or buy prepaid load at their trusted Smart Padala agent to save time and effort in lining up at another bills payment counter. 

“The launch of our new Claim Anywhere service underscores Smart Padala by PayMaya’s commitment to providing a truly PadaLapit Lang experience to Filipinos, especially during this critical time when receiving remittances in a safe, convenient, and timely manner is of the utmost importance,” said Shailesh Baidwan, PayMaya President.  

“With Smart Padala’s extensive network of agent touchpoints covering 92% of the cities and municipalities across the country, it is now easier for our suki to claim the much-needed funds from their loved ones, wherever they are in the country,” he added.

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. As of end-March 2021, it provides more than 35 million Filipinos with access to financial services through its consumer platforms. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 250,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved access to digital services. 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.

To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.