Eastern Communications awarded as Asia’ Best Employer Brand

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Eastern Communications, one of the premier telecommunications companies in the Philippines, has been awarded as Asia’s Best Employer Brand at the recent Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards 2021 held in a hybrid awarding ceremony in India. 

With their exemplary support for employees amidst these unprecedented times, Eastern Communications with its internal campaign entitled “Happy Eastern Campaign” received the recognition among organizations that have used marketing communications and employee engagement activities in effectively in attracting, retaining and developing talent, and promoting overall employee welfare. 

The campaign focused on the well-being and health of Eastern Communications’ employees, reinforcing strong connections within the organization in the time of isolation. On top of financial and medical assistance, the company also provided interactive and engaging virtual activities such as digital dialogues, wellness webinars, online games, and donation activities for frontliners. Eastern Communications also created COVID-19 Task Force at the onset of the pandemic that implements guidelines, shares updates, and ensures proper sanitation. This unit also focuses on executing government protocol on the pandemic, addressing employees’ health related concerns, and developing safety guidelines and return-to-work plans.

“I would like to thank the organizers and jurors of the Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards for this recognition. Not only are we here to provide a strong connection to businesses, but we are also committed to ensuring that our employees are safe, healthy, productive, and are well-equipped to handle the challenges of the pandemic,” shared Eastern Communications Co-Coordinator Atty. Aileen Regio.

Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awards 2021 recognized the organizations who used marketing communications effectively for Human Resource Development and in developing and innovating talent. It is intensely researched by the undersigned and chaired and headed by Dr. Indira Parikh Ex-Dean of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

For more information about Eastern Communications’ initiatives, visit eastern.com.ph. 

This 22-Year-Old Shopee Xpress Rider and Student-Athlete Builds a Brighter Future Through Diskarte and Discipline

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Twenty-two-year-old Josel Sisor carries a lot of responsibility on his shoulders. He works hard as a Shopee Xpress rider, while also striving to achieve his dreams as a student-athlete.

Josel Sisor finds fulfillment in learning how to become financially independent as a Shopee Xpress rider

Josel, who is currently a fourth-year scholar, sports science major, and table tennis athlete at San Beda University, began working as a rider right after the pandemic set in a year and a half ago. After hearing about a friend who took up a side gig as a rider, he took the opportunity to earn some extra cash as well.

Though his father, a factory worker, and mother, a messenger, both work hard to provide for the family, Josel wants to lighten their financial burden by becoming more financially independent, especially during uncertain times such as these. Even before the pandemic, he busied himself with other part-time motorcycle delivery gigs to help his parents out. As the eldest in a brood of five, Josel sets an example for his siblings.

Josel wakes up before 6:00 AM each day to pick up a batch of parcels at the nearby Shopee Xpress hub and deliver them to shoppers. At noon, he goes back home for online classes and training. Whenever he has time to spare, he delivers more batches of parcels. Josel initially found it hard to focus with such a packed routine, but eventually found his groove. “Na-aapply ko ‘yung pagiging student-athlete sa pamamagitan ng disiplina at pagbalanse ng oras,” he shares.

He is determined to create a brighter future by graduating and becoming a table tennis coach someday. He also finds motivation from his sukis, fellow riders, and his family. He particularly dedicates his earnings and hard work to his beloved, ailing 78-year-old grandmother, who underwent back surgery last year. “Gusto kong magpasalamat sa lola ko sa lahat ng sakripisyo niya, sa pag-aalaga niya sakin simula nu’ng bata pa ako. Kahit walang-wala siya, lahat binibigay niya pa rin. Ang hiling ko lang, sana gumaling na siya,” he says.

Aside from his grandmother’s improved health, Josel’s only wish is for a new motorcycle. His run-down motorcycle would often break down mid-delivery, and he’d end up finishing work well into the night. After hearing of Josel’s heartening story of dedication, Shopee donated not just a brand-new motor vehicle to Josel, but accessories and groceries as well.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, says, “We are deeply humbled by Josel’s devotion to his work as a Shopee Xpress rider, but most especially to his family and dreams. To the rest of our Shopee Xpress riders, you inspire us all as well. You are indeed the true lifeblood of Shopee.”

Whether as the awesome, reliable kuya at home, the driven student-athlete at school, or the diligent Shopee Xpress rider at work, Josel inspires everyone he meets. He feels grateful for the opportunity to start securing his future and the lessons he has gained along the way from his team leads and fellow riders.

As a Shopee Xpress rider, he finds fulfillment in learning how to stand on his own two feet. He adds, “Gusto kong sabihin sa tropang SPX na kahit araw-araw mahirap ang ginagawa, kalaban natin ang init at ulan, tuluy-tuloy lang. ‘Wag tayong susuko, balang araw tayo rin nasa taas.”

Watch Josel’s journey as a Shopee Xpress rider here. Visit Shopee Philippines on Facebook and Youtube, and Shopee Cares on Facebook.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

DITO opens more Experience Stores across Luzon

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DITO Telecommunity, which now has over 3 million subscribers and covers almost 300 cities and municipalities across the country, is opening more of its DITO Experience Stores in Metro Manila and other cities in Luzon in September and October.

DITO Store, Robinsons Galleria EDSA: (L-R) Nina Baradi, Retail Area Manager for NCR, Yolly Mariano, Retail Trade Manager and Mr. Faraday Go, EVP-Robinsons Land Corporation

Designed by renowned architectural firm Manosa and Company, each store proudly reflects the Philippines’ weaving traditions to represent the country’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. The interior design also stays true to DITO Telecommunity’s mission of weaving communities together.

Aside from promoting Philippine culture, every DITO Experience Store centers on providing visitors with a safe and unparalleled customer journey. Consumers are welcomed and assisted by friendly DITO personnel while following strict health protocols to ensure everyone’s well-being. Invited social media personalities will also be part of the opening days’ activities in all stores.

Visit the newly opened DITO Experience Stores in Robinson’s Galleria South, SM Bacoor, SM Marilao Bulacan, and Robinsons Galleria, Greenhills, SM North Edsa, SM Manila, Marquee Mall, Sta. Lucia East, and Glorietta and be ready to #MoveAtTheSpeedofLife with DITO’s featured products and offers.

DITO Store, Greenhills

Customers who visit the stores during the opening day will get a chance to receive premium DITO items such as limited-edition face masks, gadget organizers, and sanitation kits. Giveaways also await those who will post about their DITO Experience Store visits on social media.

More stores will be opening this October including SM City South Mall and Udenna Tower on October 17!

DITO Store, SM North EDSA

DITO Telecommunity

For more information, visit www.dito.ph or check out @DITOPhOfficial’s social media pages.

Ben&Ben team up with Taiwanese Mandopop star WeiBird on dreamlike track “Cheap Love”

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2021 has been a massive year for Filipino folk-pop collective Ben&Ben in terms of commercial and critical success. Their sophomore album, Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno has earned glowing praises from reputable music critics and publications in the Philippines and Asia, with Rick Olivares of ABS-CBN News calling it a “brilliant masterpiece” and Paul John Caña of Esquire Philippines pointing out its vital role in establishing the band as the “pre-eminent artist of their generation.” In less than two months, Ben&Ben’s recently released album has surpassed more than 30 million streams on Spotify alone—a groundbreaking feat that attests to the group’s universal appeal and enduring impact for nearly an entire decade.

After achieving records in both streaming and digital sales and sending their songs to the top of the music charts, Ben&Ben are determined to put their work on the global music map with the release of “Cheap Love,” a new collaborative single with acclaimed and best-selling Taiwanese singer-songwriter WeiBird.

Epitomizing the moment when dawn shows its first light, “Cheap Love” is the sonic equivalent of wandering between a dreamlike state and an awakened mind throughout the night. It’s about the journey of finding a long, lasting love after having experienced so much pain in the past. According to William Wei, known professionally as WeiBird, the title of the song is a play on words, and nothing more than just faint bliss and ecstasy. “It’s a temporary band-aid for a big gushing wound, but it never fills the hole inside. Moreover, it increases the feeling of emptiness. What I’m trying to say is, you can’t bargain your way into love. Love is truly hard to find.”

Ben&Ben interprets the material in the same manner as WeiBird does, aware of the reality that comes with seeking genuine love in the direst of situations. “With the chorus repeating over and over how difficult it is to find a ‘rhyme better than you and I,’ it shows how drawn and enamored we are by the idea of love but oftentimes find ourselves in a pit when trying to really make it something more.”

With its stripped-down instrumentation embracing listeners with a sense of comforting warmth, “Cheap Love” expresses the woes and triumphs of a generation caught up in romantic longing and desire. The listening experience is made more compelling by the vocal harmonies of Paolo Benjamin and Miguel Benjamin, and the earnest delivery of WeiBird, making the audience feel more hopeful than ever despite the uncertainty of the present conditions.

“We’re grateful that by just being our authentic selves musically, we were able to add to the song both in production, vocals, and instrumentation something that WeiBird seemed to be happy with,” the nine-piece group shares in a statement. “We took an active role in building on the magic that the song already had, and we’re happy with how it turned out.”

The song was written and produced by WeiBird himself, with co-production and mixing duties by frequent collaborators Aven Tsai and Sean Sinclair. The Mandopop and folk-pop star explains that Ben&Ben also pitched in ideas for the arrangement and music side of things, resulting into a more polished, sonically impressive output that showcases the best of both worlds.

WeiBird adds, “I wrote, played and produced the whole song on the album version. However, for this collab I haven’t had to do much because Ben&Ben was amazing. I remember listening to a demo of them playing along to my original track, and I could already imagine how it would come to be later. And the final results were not far from my imagination. It was awesome.”

“Cheap Love” is the first single off WeiBird’s first official English album. It follows the success of his fifth studio album, Sounds Of My Life, which peaked at No.1 on Taiwanese album charts in 2020, and received four nominations at the 32nd Golden Melody Awards, including Album of the Year and Best Mandarin Album. The track also serves as the second international collaboration of Ben&Ben after “Leaves,” featuring K-pop star Young K.

“Cheap Love” is out now on all digital music platforms via Sony Music Taiwan. The official music video will premiere on 10.15.21 at 10pm, PH time.

Mountain Dew brings you Battle of Bangis: Cong vs. Ivana

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Are you up for the challenge, Dewds?

Two teams—one led by Cong and the other by Ivana Alawi—will slug it out in the Mountain Dew Battle of Bangis, a series of challenges that will test their physical, mental and emotional strength, plus teamwork. 

This is the challenge to watch out for.

Team Captain Cong and Team Captain Ivana with their respective teammates take part in different bootcamp challenges for the #DewBattleOfBangis leading up to the finale dubbed Mountain Dew Battle of Bangis D’ Ultimate Showdown on November 7, 2021. Catch the finale streaming on Mountain Dew’s Facebook Page.

In the true sense of supporting adventure and activities best experienced among friends, Mountain Dew brings to the public Battle of Bangis which will see Cong, Ivana, and their respective teammates taking part in different bootcamp challenges—Pisikalan, Walang Iyakan, Mind Over Matter, and Tropahan--over three weeks from October 10 to 27 leading up to the finale dubbed Mountain Dew Battle of Bangis D’ Ultimate Showdown on November 7.

Mountain Dew Battle of Bangis started after Cong and Junnie Boy posted a video on Facebook thanking everyone for supporting their Mountain Dew TVC with James Reid. Junnie Boy said he’d love to collab with Ivana after Cong asked him who he’d like to work with next. In a video, Ivana said “bangis tayo eh”, accepted the challenge, and called on Mountain Dew to help make it happen. Immediately after, Ivana and Cong were announcing the Mountain Dew Battle of Bangis challenge!

Team Cong is composed of singer, YouTuber and influencer Mika Salamanca, vlogger Junnie Boy and actress and model Sachzna. 

Team Ivana, on the other hand, is made up of streamer and content creator Khenji Saito, TikTok superstar Yukii Takahashi and influencer and “Asian cutie” Albert Nicolas.

Dewds at home have the chance to win Mountain Dew Battle of Bangis and be part of their favorite tropa. All they have to do is upload a video doing their take of the bootcamp challenge of the week and use #DewBattleOfBangis to make it count as their official “audition” video. Dewds can send in as many videos as they want, regardless of which team they want to join! Each tropa is looking for six Dewds to be part of their team so you’ll have many chances of making it.

The three weeks of challenges will culminate in the Mountain Dew Battle of Bangis D’ Ultimate Showdown on November 7. The showdown, to be hosted by Sam YG featuring special guest James Reid, will be streamed live on Mountain Dew’s Facebook page. Chosen participants from the past online bootcamp challenges will be part of Tropang Cong and Tropang Ivana. The ultimate battleground—Call of Duty Mobile—will be the final test of the participants’ strength and cunning. During this showdown, they will be coached by playing Team Captains Cong and Ivana.

Mountain Dew will be partnering with Streets to School (Ivana’s chosen charity) and Child Hope (Cong’s choice) to power up young Dewds with new tablets for their schooling needs. One hundred tablets will be given to the winning team’s chosen charity while 50 tablets will be given to the losing team’s charity.

For more information about Mountain Dew and Battle of Bangis, check out this link BattleOfBangis or go to its official IG and FB pages and follow #DewBattleOfBangis .