BPI Foundation reforests 170 hectares of land in Nueva Ecija for BPI’s 170th anniversary

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BPI Foundation, the social development arm of BPI, has started to reforest 170 hectares of land in Pantabangan, Carranglan Watershed Forest Reserve, Nueva Ecija through its Lakbay Luntian initiative as part of the Bank’s 170th-anniversary celebration in August.

Beneficiaries from the Kalanguya and Bugkalot tribes plant the seedlings on behalf of BPI employees.

“In previous years, we held nationwide volunteer activities as part of our anniversary celebrations. This year, we aligned with the Bank’s 170th-anniversary theme and reinvented how we do volunteer work and give back to our communities as one BPI,” said BPI Foundation Executive Director Owen Cammayo.

Lakbay Luntian is the first-ever virtual tree planting initiative organized by BPI Foundation, in partnership with eco-social enterprise Bambuhay and Ayala Corporation’s Kasibulan Project, a long-term program on reforestation and forest protection. This is part of the Balik-Kalikasan program, which aims to preserve and restore rainforests across the country while equipping local communities with sustainable alternative livelihood and strengthening every Filipino’s commitment to protecting the environment through reforestation.

Through the collaborative efforts of BPI employees and BPI Foundation, a total of 68,000 bamboos and trees will be planted in Nueva Ecija. This will also help offset BPI’s total carbon emissions for the year 2020, while providing sustainable livelihood to 17 Indigenous People (IP) families in the area.

“Our BPI employees have shown that amid the pandemic, the Bayanihan spirit remains very much alive in all of us,” said BPI President and CEO TG Limcaoco. “Remember that we have not survived 170 years by remaining still. It’s been 170 years of constant reinvention, progress, and thinking to do good for our friends, neighbors, clients, and colleagues.”

To know more about BPI Foundation and its initiatives, visit https://www.bpifoundation.org.

Eight singers fight for their dreams in 5th "Tawag ng Tanghalan" finals on "It's Showtime"

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The life of one of eight singers from different parts of the country will change forever as they battle it in the fifth "Tawag ng Tanghalan" grand finals this Saturday (September 18) on "It's Showtime"

Find out who among finalists Reiven Umali, Froilan Cedilla, Psalm Manalo, Gem Christian, Adrian Manibale, Anthony Castillo, Lorraine Galvez and Aixia Mallary will follow the footsteps of Noven Belleza, Janine Berdin, and Elaine Duran, and JM Yosures.

The new champion will win P1 million, a brand new house and lot from Camella worth P2.3 million, a recording contract with ABS-CBN Music, a management contract under Star Magic's Polaris, and a trophy designed by Toym Imao.

During the first round, the finalists are set to showcase their chosen 'pangmalakasang' song. At the end, only the three finalists with the highest scores from the judges will move on to the last round.

Like the past 'Huling Tapatan,' the three remaining finalists will perform a medley of their musical influences. Compared to the first round, half of the scores of the contestants will come from the votes of the viewers. The finalist who garners the highest combined scores from the judges' scores and votes from the madlang people will take home the fifth "TNT" grand champion title.

Who among the eight finalists will prevail? Don't miss the intense battle in the 'Huling Tapatan' of "Tawag sa Tanghalan" on "It's Showtime" on A2Z channel on free TV and digital TV boxes, Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV, Kapamilya Online Live on ABS-CBN Entertainment’s YouTube channel and Facebook page, and on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and on iwanttfc.com. Viewers outside of the Philippines can also catch it on The Filipino Channel on cable and IPTV.

GCash now has 60,000 cash-in partners, widest network nationwide

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GCash now has the widest nationwide network of 60,000 cash-in partners

Need to send money, buy prepaid load, or order food, but your GCash funds are running low? Now, it’s easier to cash in to your GCash account as the country’s undisputed no. 1 e-wallet app, expands its network of merchants to a total of 60,000 active cash in doors nationwide.

To reach more Filipinos nationwide, GCash has recently partnered with 9 more leading brands to establish additional cash-in kiosks at (number) of these companies’ branches: ExpressPay, DA5, Panalo Express, SouthStar Drug, Robinsons Supermarket, Shopwise, The Marketplace, Robinsons Easymart, and No Brand. In addition, customers may conveniently cash in their GCash wallets through top outlets, such as SM, Palawan Pawnshop, Villarica Pawnshop, Ministop, Puregold, and Cebuana Lhuillier.

“Our goal is to make Filipino lives better every day,” said Martha Sazon, GCash president and chief executive officer. “Our cash in outlets is one of the essential solutions that GCash offers consumers, especially during the pandemic. With 70 percent Filipinos still unbanked, it’s always been our goal to expand our partner merchants to house more cash in outlets all over the Philippines, making topping up GCash wallets accessible to more Filipinos.”

With more cash in partners all over the country, GCash users will have lesser trouble in finding the closest outlets to them — giving them an opportunity to enjoy the many useful services on the app. For instance, for all their lifestyle and essential needs, they can browse through GLife, the e-commerce feature within the GCash app that allows users to shop exclusive deals from 35 brands across retail, food, gaming, entertainment, and transport.

GCash also aims to add more Cash In Doors in the future. Previously, GCash reached another milestone: GCash’s active user base is now at 46 million – a more than 20 million increase from January 2020.

With more Filipinos shifting to digital wallets, GCash is continuously looking for more ways to best serve its customers while staying safe.

For more information, visit www.gcash.com.

Xiaomi to Offer 3 Android System Upgrades and 4 Years of Security Patches for Xiaomi 11T Series

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Xiaomi 11T series extending access to the latest features and security measures

Beijing, CHINA --  Xiaomi is announcing that Xiaomi 11T series – Xiaomi 11T Pro and Xiaomi 11T – will offer 3 generations of Android system upgrades, along with 4 years of security patches. With this change, Xiaomi 11T series users will enjoy a better user experience, and longer-term data security. Though other devices are not included at this time, Xiaomi believes this reflects a positive change, and is catered towards the needs of Xiaomi 11T series users.

"With the continuous improvement made to smartphone hardware, the life cycle of a smartphone is gradually lengthening, meaning users aren’t required to replace their smartphones as frequently. For this reason, more consumers place great importance on receiving the latest operating system updates, along with the latest features," said Albert Shan, Head of Product & Technology, Xiaomi International. 

"Xiaomi is committed to providing users with industry-leading hardware and lasting performance. In continuation of this commitment to users, Xiaomi is further extending the life cycle of Xiaomi's smartphones by ensuring three generations of Android operating system updates. This way, users can choose to use their current devices for a longer period, and enjoy the latest features along with it. At the same time, we will also provide users with security updates that ensure their devices operate securely for a longer period of time.”

Xiaomi will also evaluate the possibility of bringing the extended Android system and security upgrades services to more Xiaomi devices. "It is not a simple task for Xiaomi and its team to provide system updates and security patches to all of its previous smartphone models. However, the prospect of this challenge and meeting the desires of our customers is exciting. On one hand, we’re once again fulfilling Xiaomi’s brand promise to its global users - to provide amazing products. On the other hand, gradually extending the service life cycle of Xiaomi smartphones is a progressive move that furthers Xiaomi’s sustainability and environmental responsibility goals," Albert Shan added.

Disclaimer:

The availability of Android operating system upgrades and features may vary from device to device and from market to market. The availability of the update will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, the complexity of the update, local regulations, market, and other factors.

PANAta Awards 2021 submission of entries EXTENDED until September 17

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Submission of entries for PANAta Awards 2021, the country’s prestigious recognition program for effective and creative marketing communication campaigns organized by brand builders themselves, has been extended until September 17. This was announced recently by its organizers, The Philippine Association of National Advertisers (PANA).

“This is an exciting time for the industry as we continue our legacy of celebrating brands which have made a difference in these challenging times. For this reason, we encourage brands, advertising and creative agencies and media companies to join us by submitting their campaigns. Now more than ever is the time for consumers to feel connected with their brands. So much talent is in the brand-building community and what best way to honor them than through the PANAta Awards 2021,” said Ken Lerona, PANAta Awards 2021 chairman.

The PANAta Award is symbolic of a brand’s inspiring leadership and vision. Navigating through this uncertainty and coming out to be triumphant is a totally remarkable feat. The highest honor it confers is the Grand PANAta Award. It is only given to the campaign that the jury believes has executed the most game-changing, innovative and effective strategies in promoting the brands to achieve outstanding results within the year of competition. Only those campaigns that have won GOLD in the Brand Builder Awards Categories are eligible to win the Grand PANAta. It is not every year that this is given. Who knows, your campaign might just be ‘it’.

To learn more about PANAta Awards 2021, visit https://pana.com.ph/panata-v2/index.php. Qualified entries are those that have been aired or used in any form of media from January 2020 to December 2020. Register now by creating a PANAta Awards 2021 account. Final deadline is September 17, 2021. For inquiries, please email alucero@pana.com.ph.