DITO Telecommunity hits 2 million subscribers

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DITO Telecommunity, the country’s newest major telecommunications player has hit another milestone a few days ago, hits 2 million subscriber mark, and now expands commercial coverage.

“We in DITO are pleased to announce that as of the first of August, two-million Filipinos have joined our fast growing telecommunity,” DITO Chief Administrative Officer Atty. Adel Tamano disclosed. 

“If you may recall, DITO hit its one-millionth subscriber mark mid-June of this year as well, and these two milestones have inspired us to remain steadfast in our goal of building strong communities with even stronger connectivity in the years to come.”

In addition, new areas in various parts of the country have been announced where DITO is and will be commercially available in the next few days.

July 30 (10 Areas)

1. General Trias, Cavite

2. Trece Martirez, Cavite

3. San Pablo City, Laguna

4. Alaminos, Laguna

5. Iloilo City, Iloilo

6. Binalbagan, Negros Occidental

7. Villanueva, Misamis Oriental

8. Naawan, Misamis Oriental

9. Rosario, Agusan Del Sur

10. San Francisco, Agusan del Sur

By August 6, 2021 (17 Areas)

1. Taal, Batangas

2. San Luis, Batangas

3. Balayan, Batangas

4. Calaca, Batangas

5. Tanza, Cavite

6. Oton, Iloilo

7. Daanbantayan, Cebu

8. Jasaan, Misamis Oriental

9. City of EL Salvador, Misamis Oriental

10. Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental

11. Opol, Misamis Oriental

12. Quezon, Bukidnon

13. City of Valencia, Bukidnon

14. Island City of Samal, Davao Del Norte

15. Hagonoy, Davao Del Sur

16. Polomolok, South Cotabato

17. Monkayo, Compostela Valley

Aside from expanding its coverage in various areas nationwide, DITO also continues to make its products and services accessible to more Filipinos by opening new sales channels and partnering with more retailers. Currently, DITO has 30,000 sales touchpoints all over the Philippines and is available for purchase and top up via the DITO E-shop, DITO App, Shopee, and Lazada.

For any questions or additional information on coverage areas, point of sales, or phone compatibility, check out your DITO App, DITO's website (www.dito.ph) and @DITOphofficial social media pages.

Alleviating hunger with cashless technologies : PayMaya powers online donations for Kain Tayo, Pilipinas!

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 As part of its mission to enable "digital bayanihan," PayMaya has equipped the Kain Tayo, Pilipinas! private sector-led campaign with online donation acceptance, allowing citizens to donate using their PayMaya account and any credit, debit, and prepaid card as well as other e-wallets.  

 

Kain Tayo, Pilipinas! is a flagship program under the Pilipinas Kontra Gutom (PKG) movement, led by private corporations, media, non-government organizations, together with the Department of Education, the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute, and the National Nutrition Council. PayMaya is one of the key private sector partners supporting this effort.  

 

The campaign, launched in time for the Philippine National Nutrition Month, is another milestone for the country’s public and private sectors to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030, following the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. It aims to feed more Filipino children and equip families with nutrition information to help alleviate malnutrition, especially amongst children 5 years and below.  

PayMaya users can now donate by simply scanning the PayMaya QR in the website using their app. Anyone from around the world can also contribute to the campaign using any debit, credit, or prepaid card as well as any e-wallet through the Kain Tayo, Pilipinas! website via the PayMaya Checkout online payment gateway. Donations via PayMaya platforms for Kain Tayo, Pilipinas! are accepted by the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) as the campaign's donation acceptance partner.  

 

Funds raised through the campaign will be distributed to non-profit organizations such as ABS-CBN Foundation, Gawad Kalinga, GMA Kapuso Foundation, Kabisig ng Kalahi, PBSP, Project Pearls, Rise Against Hunger Philippines, and UN’s World Food Programme. These organizations will, in turn, distribute meals to target beneficiaries. 

 

“The Kain Tayo, Pilipinas! campaign aims to holistically address the issue of hunger and malnutrition in the country. With PayMaya's digital payment technologies, we can accept donations not just from PayMaya users but also from any cardholder, even those from overseas,” said Private Sector Lead of Pilipinas Kontra Gutom Margot Torres.  

 

“Ensuring that each Filipino is getting enough nutrition from their meals is an enormous task. We, at PayMaya, are glad to be part of the Kain Tayo, Pilipinas! campaign to help achieve Zero Hunger by 2030 for the Philippines. Enabling this campaign with our digital payment technologies is in line with our mission of using financial technologies to make the lives of every Filipino better,” said Shailesh Baidwan, PayMaya President. 

 

PayMaya has been leading the charge in enabling various non-profit organizations and communities through 'digital bayanihan' with its cashless technologies. It has provided the non-profit sector with solutions to digitalize transactions, allowing it to disburse cash to an ewallet account for emergency and relief response. Last year, under its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility program #PayMayaItForward, it launched the #OneAgainstCOVID, #OneForTaal, and #TyphoonRelief online donation campaigns to help over 50 donation partners to raise funds through PayMaya's online donation channels--the PayMaya website, donate.paymaya.com; PayMaya QR code; and through the Donation tile in the PayMaya app. 

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.  It provides more than 38 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 of over 45,000 partner agent touchpoints 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 "every day" merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants, as well as government agencies and units.   

Meralco SUSPENDS DISCONNECTION ACTIVITIES in areas under ECQ and MECQ

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Urges customers to reach out regarding billing and payment concerns

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said on Tuesday that it is again suspending disconnection activities in the Province of Laguna beginning August 1 to 15 and the National Capital Region (NCR) from August 6 to 20, 2021. The announcement came after the Government placed NCR on ECQ from August 6 to 20 and the Province of Laguna on MECQ from August 1 to 15.

The rest of Meralco’s franchise area remains under GCQ with Heightened Restrictions particularly Bulacan, Cavite, the Province of Rizal and Lucena City from August 1 to 15, while Batangas and Quezon Province remain to be under GCQ for the month of August.

“Given the current situation, we continue to take into consideration the challenges our customers are facing amid these difficult times. Thus, we will again suspend all disconnection activities in NCR and Laguna to help ease the burden of our customers with the needed relief and additional time to settle their bills,” Ferdinand O. Geluz, Meralco FVP and Chief Commercial Officer, said.

He added, “We encourage customers, particularly those with concerns with their previous bills, to reach out, so we can discuss and help clarify their concerns and to even come up with payment terms, if really needed. We also have several platforms by which you can reach us. We hope customers will also take advantage of this period to avoid the inconvenience of having to queue long lines once the ECQ is again lifted.”

For customers in areas under GCQ, Geluz assured that Meralco will continue to be very considerate during this period and vowed to assist customers with their concerns.

Meralco reiterated that it will continue vital operations such as meter reading, following the order of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and will also continue to work round the clock to serve its customers.

“Meralco business operations, including meter reading and bill delivery activities, will continue throughout the ECQ. Our continued operations will ensure that actual consumption for the month will be billed accordingly. But rest assured there will be strict implementation of health protocols in order to safeguard the health and safety of both customers and our personnel,” Geluz said.

The ERC, in an advisory last year, encouraged customers who can pay to settle their bills within the original due date “to help manage the cash flow in the energy supply chain and ensure the continuous supply of electricity."

In minimizing the risk of exposure to COVID-19 and ensuring everyone’s safety, Geluz reminded customers to always keep safe and advised customers to use Meralco’s various digital platforms such as Meralco Online and Meralco App, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, call its 16211 hotline and book an appointment through the Online Customer Appointment (OCA) system before going to Meralco Business Centers (BCs). Meralco BCs will be on skeleton workforce, for any inquiries and concerns on billing and payments as a precaution to the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Meralco BCs will remain open to accept payments, applications and customer assistance. Business hours will be from 7am to 3pm, in compliance to IATF guidelines, from Monday to Friday and 7am to 12pm on Saturdays.

“Meralco crews will also continue to be on standby 24/7 to respond to any emergencies and reports,” Geluz added.

Meralco's customer touchpoints include the Meralco website at www.MERALCO.com.ph, and its social media accounts on twitter @MERALCO, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MERALCO, and the Meralco Hotline at 16211. Customers can also send emails to customercare@meralco.com.ph.

It’s raining deals and discounts this coming 8.8 for OPPO’s Shopee Super Brand Day Sale!

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Don’t snooze so you don’t lose! 

Calling all OPPO fans and users who are looking to score a new phone or gadget - set your alarms for the upcoming OPPO Super Brand Day Sale on Shopee. From August 8-12, score up to 40% off on bestselling A Series and Reno Series smartphones, like A12 4GB, A15s, A54 6GB+128GB, Reno4 and Reno5, as well as accessories, like Enco Buds and Band B1, and even a special offer on the all-new Reno6 Z 5G!

OPPO’s Sweetest Deal Yet

The mega sale extends OPPO’s offers beyond the usual Shopee 8.8 sale, so you can avail of more special discounts and freebies. Want to be one of the first to score the all-new Reno6 Z 5G? Get a limited time Php1000 discount on your order and a free pair of G25 Sports Earphones worth Php1499, when you purchase a Reno6 Z 5G starting August 6 until August 14.

During the five-day sale, all OPPO buyers will get FREE shipping for orders above Php3,999, as well as a FREE DITO Sim card with 10GB data for all smartphone orders. If you’re extra excited for the sale, you can start collecting Php200 store-wide vouchers from August 3, which you can use during the special OPPO sale period for a minimum spend of Php9,999.

Want more? Be one of the first 500 smartphone buyers on August 8 or checkout your new OPPO smartphone on August 11 from 8pm-11:59pm, and take home a FREE pair for G25 Sports Earphones worth Php1499! If you’re feeling extra lucky, OPPO will be having flash sales throughout the Shopee 8.8 Super Brand Day Sale to give you up to Php500 more on discounts for all participating gadgets.

So what are you waiting for? Add your favorite OPPO products to your Shopee cart and score big on infinite deals this 8.8 and beyond!

For more information on OPPO’s 8.8 Sale and Super Brand Day Promo on Shopee and a full list of discounts and offers, visit OPPO’s Official Flagship Store on Shopee.

MSMEs come together for the World Vision and ComCo SEA: Cause Marketing for Good initiative

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As part of their initiative to support MSMEs, global development and advocacy organization World Vision and regional integrated communications agency ComCo Southeast Asia held the Cause Marketing for Good Virtual Conference to give MSMEs the chance to do good for themselves and for others. Different experts from renowned brands and agencies around the country joined the event and shared information, experiences and learnings about cause-related marketing or CRM to help equip MSMEs on how to champion social issues through their marketing efforts.

It’s been over a year since COVID-19 struck and people all around the world are still trying to cope. Millions were left jobless as businesses closed down in the middle of the pandemic. In the Philippines, micro, small and medium enterprises or MSMEs were hit especially hard as they try to keep their businesses afloat while facing huge hurdles brought about by economic downturn, quarantine regulations, and the pandemic itself. But even when faced with these challenges, MSMEs from around the country have come together to find ways to give back to vulnerable communities.

(From top left) Robinsons Supermarket Marketing Manager Angela Totanes, AirAsia Head of Branding and Creatives David Viray, Lazada Strategic Partnerships Senior Associate Yshana Wong, ComCo Southeast Asia Regional Integration & Chief Executive Director Ferdinand Bondoy, World Vision Ambassador Gelli Victor, World Vision Resource Development Director Jun Godornes, IdeasXMachina Group Of Hakuhodo CEO Third Domingo, World Vision National Director Rommel Fuerte and David and Golyat President and Co-Founder Miko David

“We at World Vision together with ComCo Southeast Asia and our esteemed speakers are honored to present this online conference in hopes that it will inspire MSMEs to start or to strengthen their own cause marketing initiatives,” shared World Vision National Director Rommel Fuerte. “Likewise, we thank all our corporate partners throughout the years for working with us in various initiatives that promote children's wellbeing. As we lift each other this time of pandemic and look after vulnerable families, communities and all children, may God sustain us and be our ultimate source of strength, wisdom and peace.”

The online conference included sessions on defining CRM and developing and implementing a CRM campaign by Angela Totanes, marketing manager of Robinsons Supermarket; CRM’s impact on brand image, sales and consumer behavior by David Viray, head of branding and creatives at AirAsia; the results of their study “Cause Marketing & Driving Digital Uplift” by Miko David, president and co-founder of David and Golyat; and how to use e-commerce to forward your cause by Yshana Wong, Lazada Philippines’ strategic partnerships senior associate. There was also a panel on how to create effective CRM campaigns featuring experts and practitioners of the field such as Ferdinand Bondoy, regional integration and chief executive director, partner and co-founder of ComCo Southeast Asia for public relations and Third Domingo, founder and CEO of IdeasXMachina for creatives.

“Doing cause oriented projects is not a nice to have anymore. It is a must, especially at these challenging times. It is each one's responsibility to help rebuild the society, as business will only flourish if the economy is in place,” shared Ferdinand Bondoy. “Now more than ever, cause-related marketing is becoming an important tool because it not only lets businesses nurture deeper relationships with their consumers, but it also allows them to bring more attention to social causes, doing some good in the process. It’s a good time for businesses to start integrating social causes into their plans and help make a significant change to our country and our world when it’s needed the most.”

Mr. Bondoy also announced the upcoming Igniting Social Good Project – a competition for MSMEs that joined the virtual conference, where participants will create an original cause marketing campaign that supports people and communities that have been affected by the pandemic. The chosen enterprise will win ComCo Southeast Asia’s ignite package – an integrated communications services package for MSMEs for the chance to make their winning cause marketing campaign come to life.

“We are excited to see so many companies interested in cause marketing and promoting social causes. As part of our advocacy for MSMEs, we created this competition in partnership with World Vision to support those enterprises who want to do good and be a driving force for social change,” added Mr. Bondoy.

World Vision and ComCo Southeast Asia’s Cause Marketing for Good campaign aims to support and teach MSMEs how to make their businesses relevant through effective and sustainable cause-related marketing campaigns that can rally support from the public.

To know more about World Vision and ComCo Southeast Asia’s partnership, visit www.worldvision.org.ph or follow World Vision’s official social media pages /worldvisionph on Facebook, @worldvisionphl on Instagram, and @worldvisionph on Twitter. For more information on World Vision Philippines and its other initiatives, call the World Vision hotline number at 8372-77-77 or Ms. Wichelle Cruz, Private Sector Partnerships Manager, at 0917-511-6640.