Brooke’s Point, Palawan leapfrogs on improved connectivity experience with PLDT

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(Brooke’s Point, Palawan - October 18, 2021) Brooke’s Point Mayor Georjalyn Joy Quiachon highlighted the importance of a reliable internet connection to the municipality of Brooke’s Point, Palawan as a first-class and fast-growing town with a robust agri-tourism industry as PLDT, through its B2B arm PLDT Enterprise, deployed its BEYOND FIBER solution.

The initiative is a testament to PLDT’s commitment to support local government units in adapting to the new normal for the delivery of public service, governance, and extending services to their respective constituents.

“Amid our rapidly changing environment, I couldn’t stress enough the importance of staying connected to manage the negative impacts of the pandemic effectively. We thank PLDT Enterprise for offering their assistance in our bid to cope in these trying times,” Quiachon said.

PLDT Enterprise Head for SMBiz Regional Luzon Euan Rex Toralballa said that the Municipality of Brooke’s Point is part of PLDT’s new fiber-optic expansion in the Southern Part of Palawan.

“With our ongoing fiber-optic expansion, PLDT seeks to provide strong and reliable connectivity to far-flung areas to support the day-to-day activities of residents in various communities. With the BEYOND FIBER solution, we could help them overcome the challenges in connectivity and enable a seamless digital experience,” said Toralballa.

He also added that PLDT Enterprise’s BEYOND FIBER is the best-suited service for Brooke’s Point local government. It is an all-in-one solution anchored on business-grade fiber, capable of sustaining the online operations of offices, branches, and small-scale businesses.

It features the 90-90 advantage which provides organizations a minimum bandwidth speed at 90 percent of the subscribed speed at 90 percent reliability—providing a more reliable online experience, while easing the fear of downtime during peak work hours.

“The Municipal Government of Brooke’s Point will now experience a fixed-fiber optic internet service. This is for the daily administrative activities and services for their constituents,” Toralballa added.

PLDT Enterprise Vice President for Small and MicroBiz Chito Franco said that PLDT is committed to extending solutions and services to local and municipal governments to efficiently deliver COVID-19 relief.

“As the country’s leading telecommunications provider, it is our mandate to assist local and municipal governments as they realize their vision and goals for their communities. We are dedicated to helping them through technologies which could fully equip them as they cope with this ongoing crisis,” said Franco.

As a primarily agro-industrial municipality with vast productive farmlands, the local government of Brooke’s Point is investing heavily in its potential to flourish in agri-tourism.

Its strategic location and development as an open port hopes to attract the influx of tourists from the Brunei-Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) region, aside from its potential to spur exportation of agricultural products from the area due to it being now part of the nautical highway.

The improved connectivity would not only benefit its citizens but also the local government to fast-track and upgrade services as they hope to close the gap for the people in far-flung areas.

“We welcome innovative ideas and adapt in the fast-changing environment as new technology is introduced… For us, there’s no way but up – always looking forward as we drive the municipality of Brooke’s Point to a better future with intelligent and healthy citizenry,” Mayor Quiachon said.

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com. 

All Star Filipino Film Gets US Theatrical Release in 10 Major Cities

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Circle of Bones, an independent horror/action film written and directed by award-winning Filipino filmmaker Vincent Soberano is showing in US theaters starting October 22, 2021 in ten major cities. Released by Vertical Entertainment and represented by Safier Entertainment, it is produced by IndieGo Pictures Entertainment in cooperation with CMB Films and Blackburst Studios. The movie is in Tagalog and English language and was filmed in Panglao, Bohol and Cainta, Rizal.

“Circle of Bones” is based on Vincent Soberano’s unpublished book, “Yawa” - a tale of local superstitions and modern-day urban legends of the Visayas region. Set in the picturesque island of Panglao, Bohol, the story is told by a lone survivor of a mysterious cult suspected of mass murders and human sacrifices.

Soberano recounts how the story was developed while he was on location hunting for a different film. “I get my inspiration for stories usually in the most unexpected ways,” he recalls. “I was location-hunting for another movie and I stumbled into a cult temple in Bohol. Curious, I started asking around and based on stories from the locals, I came up with the new plot for Circle of Bones.”

Hollywood action star Sarah Chang rounds up the cast with Filipino stars Jana Victoria, Marela Torre, Ian Ignacio and Epy Quizon, with a cameo of the iconic Joel Torre. “This movie is uniquely Filipino and features sights and stories never before seen by the US audience,” says Jared Safier, one of the executive producers and a 4-time Emmy Award-winning producer. “I’m confident it will do well in the US market, both theatrically and on streaming platforms.”

This is the first time a Filipino movie has been released theatrically in the United States, Canada and the UK by Vertical Entertainment, a top-ranked film distribution company based in Santa Monica, California, and founded by producers Richard B. "Rich" Goldberg and Mitch Budin in 2012. Following its theatrical release, the film will also be released on VOD, on platforms such as Amazon Prime, iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV, etc.

“Having a Filipino-made, independent genre film get a theatrical release throughout the U.S. is a huge achievement for me,” director Vincent Soberano says. “It gives me great pride as a Filipino filmmaker that I’ve gotten this far to represent Filipino films in the U.S. mainstream market. Next step, worldwide distribution!”

Indeed, under the brokerage of Safier Entertainment, “Circle of Bones” is poised for worldwide distribution after its North America and UK releases.

For more information, please contact: Jared@SafierEnt.com

The initial theatrical listing* for the October 22 release is as follows:

The digital platforms (TV and streaming) are as follows:

Cable/Sat/Telco:
Comcast/Xfinity
Directv
Cox
Charter / Spectrum / Time Warner
Dish
Verizon
AT&T Uverse
Frontier
Smaller regional providers

Digital:
iTunes
Amazon Prime Video
VUDU (Fandango)
Google Play

Redbox On Demand
Microsoft Movies & TV

*Additional theatrical venues will be added after the initial release.

Schooling Tips to Conquer the 2nd School Year in Lockdown

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The transition from face-to-face classes to a fully remote learning setup has been challenging, especially for the parents. From keeping their kids away from boredom to ensuring that they are focused in school, parents have never been as busy when it comes to ensuring their kids remain engaged despite the restrictions of distance learning.

Photo credit: Kara Crisostomo’s personal photo

As we are well into our second school year in lockdown, licensed psychologist, professional teacher, and mom of two Kara Crisostomo shared that among the biggest challenges in distance learning is keeping students engaged due to pandemic fatigue. Similarly, parents reporting back to their offices means they also need to have the energy to keep up with their child’s schoolwork. 

To help parents and their kids everywhere conquer another school year at home, Kara together with Nestlé Wellness Campus (NWC) and KOKO KRUNCH share four crucial tips to help make distance learning easier than ever:

1. Start the day right with a delicious, healthy and affordable breakfast.  Good nutrition, health, and wellness are essential for a healthy body and mind. Starting the day with a delicious and nutritious breakfast is vital now more than ever for kids so they have the energy they need for a great day of learning.

“A healthy breakfast will help keep kids active and engaged during online learning, especially when they’re sitting in front of a laptop without any physical interaction. Since our mornings are usually short and rushed, breakfast consists of quick and easy-to-prepare meals like cereals, sandwiches, and milk which our kids would love,” shared Kara.

One example of a delicious, healthy and affordable breakfast combo is a whole grain cereal bowl paired with milk and fruits. KOKO KRUNCH  makes a good choice as it provides the great chocolatey taste that kids love AND the energy from wholegrain cereals. This, while providing B-vitamins & Iron to help make this energy available for the body. Milk is high in protein and calcium while fruits have fiber and Vitamin C. 

2. Provide a more conducive learning environment at home. It can be as simple as setting up a table, computer, and chair for them in one part of the house or even making one room into a designated study or work place. Their books, art materials, and any other relevant school materials can be organized here. The children can also place their own decors that will keep them inspired when they work.

Kara explained, “Having a proper set-up prompts them to know when and where to do their school work. This can also help them alleviate distractions and be more focused when needed in completing their assignments.”

Serving delicious, healthy and affordable snacks during breaks, like a bowl of KOKO KRUNCH, may also help kids think better and concentrate on their lessons. Parents don’t have to worry with the nutrients their kids are getting because one serving of KOKO KRUNCH already provides 38% of iron1 and about 60%2 of Vitamins B3 and B6  needed for the day3.

3. Keep connected with the children’s school and teachers. Whether it’s messaging through the school’s learning platform or staying active in a parent’s group chat, establish lines of communication to stay up to date with requirements and gather support for school work.

Kara shared that in her son’s school, parents can communicate with teachers through their learning management system and can also email school admins for other concerns. They also have a chat group for parents which has been very active since the pandemic started. “Having this communication line with co-parents can also help when guiding our children with their school work,” Kara said.

4. Find time to be proactive in a child’s learning development. Despite having a long day at work, it’s crucial for a parent to be on top of their child’s learning. This can be done by being familiar with their children’s lessons, helping with assignments daily, or simply checking on them. 

Kara shared parents cannot expect the same things from their children as they did before the pandemic. “We cannot press our children to make sure that they get everything right in school. Let us give them the space they need especially when they want to relax.”

This can be supported by having a family movie night at home, ordering food from a place the kids usually enjoy, or even as simple as dancing to Nestlé Wellness Campus’ Dancercise program. Find anything that can help the children unwind and recharge. Doing so can help maintain their motivation and engagement in school.

Nestlé, as the Kasambuhay sa Kalusugan, acknowledges that nutrition, health, and wellness are all key in getting through the new school year. This also highlights the value of delicious, healthy, and affordable breakfast meals like KOKO KRUNCH as it is essential to keep children nourished for the day ahead.

These are only some of the many resources that parents can access through NWC. Join the Nestlé Wellness Homeroom Facebook Group to learn more about how you can make the new normal schooling experience more fun and engaging for you and your children.

1Iron percentage is based on the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intakes (RENI) per 30g serving. This Percent RENI value is based on FNRI reference child requirement of 7-9 years old (RENI, 2002).

2Based on percent RENI per 30g serving.

3Based on RENI reference child requirement of 7-9 years old (RENI, 2002).

Get instant cashback when you cash in to PayMaya via Instapay! Say goodbye to unwanted fees when you cash in from your go-to bank!

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Going cashless is now made more convenient as you can transfer funds from your go-to bank to your trusted e-wallet anytime, anywhere. The only thing that would make this experience even more hassle-free is taking out unwanted fees – especially for cash in. Lucky for you, PayMaya has got that covered.

Until December 31, 2021, you don't have to worry about fees when you cash in to your PayMaya account from go-to banks like BDO, Metrobank, and more via Instapay, because PayMaya is giving you a P20 cashback to cover your transaction fee. You can enjoy this perk twice every month during the promo period.

Cashing in to your PayMaya account via Instapay is easy. All you have to do is:

1. Head to the Bank Transfer page on your go-to bank's online or mobile banking platform.
2. Choose Instapay.
3. Select PayMaya from the list of banks and e-wallets.
4. Key in the amount for transfer and your PayMaya details
5. Confirm the transaction.

And you're good to go! Your PayMaya wallet now has funds that you can use to quickly pay for your bills, buy telco load, purchase groceries, or even send money to your loved ones, all with a few swipes on your phone.

Transferring via Instapay is among the convenient ways to add funds to your PayMaya account. The digital financial services leader is making digital payments accessible with over 100,000 cash in touchpoints nationwide.

What's even better is that over 90,000 of these touchpoints offer FREE cash in, including BPI Online banking, Unionbank via linked account, Ministop, Smart Padala, TrueMoney, Robinsons Supermarket, Shopwise, The Marketplace, Southstar Drug and more. You can also top up your account for free at your go-to establishments like SM Supermarket, The SM Store, Landers, Waltermart, and more for a monthly aggregate amount of up to P10,000.

With cashing in to your PayMaya account this easy and convenient, it's a good time to be safer and more efficient when it comes to your purchases and transactions! Download the PayMaya app at https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133 and register an account to start going cashless today.

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines, with platforms and services that cut across consumers, enterprises, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is one of the leading payments processors for "everyday" merchants in key industries such as retail, food, transportation, utilities, and eCommerce.

Powering the Next Revolution: PLDT Enterprise successfully wraps up Philippine Digital Convention 2021

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PLDT Enterprise has successfully staged the Philippine Digital Convention 2021, sharing significant insights to entrepreneurs and company decision-makers to leverage on emerging technologies that will help empower their businesses.

PLDT Enterprise held REVOLUTION: the Philippine Digital Convention 2021 last October 6 to 8 which gathered global technology leaders and industry experts in one platform.

Titled “REVOLUTION,” this year’s three-day digital convention that happened from October 6 to 8, presented avenues to explore novel ways of doing business, opportunities to unlock greater possibilities through adopting relevant solutions, and how to successfully pivot amid the current economic and industry conditions.

To fulfill their goal of driving technological enablement to the delegates, PLDT Enterprise invited thought leaders and industry experts to impart perspectives that would catalyze a new wave of revolution, where businesses of all sizes can maximize the power of technology.

Given the exponentially growing business landscape, companies need to assess critical areas in their businesses to remain competitive. It has become pivotal to evolve and elevate their game by proactively identifying new ways that can help them maximize growth opportunities.

It is thus imperative for entrepreneurs to look at trends happening now and be prepared for what’s coming next.

As such, companies need to constantly reinvent themselves to remain relevant with their desired customers and achieve their desired business outcomes through the use of technology.

 The PH Digicon 2021 Virtual Event Platform

Reinvent.

The Philippine Digital Convention is the most prestigious digital thought leadership event hosted by PLDT Enterprise.

This year’s PH Digicon featured over 120 industry leaders and experts, sharing their expertise on topics such as technology predictions, industry evolution, emerging technologies, among others.

On the first day of the convention, the delegates were welcomed in an interactive virtual platform where they would discover groundbreaking opportunities to reach greater heights in their respective industries during the digital event.

The three-day convention highlighted plenary sessions, which presented a full roster of prominent and esteemed personalities from different companies and industries all around the globe.

ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise and International Business Groups Jovy I. Hernandez

ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise and International Business Groups Jovy I. Hernandez opened the plenary session by introducing what revolution means and how it will impact society moving forward.

“We need to emerge from this crisis stronger. We cannot just rebuild and recover. We have to rediscover and redefine ourselves and our businesses. To harness technology and effectively navigate the new world of business, this revolution is mandating us not only to refresh our strategies but more importantly to rethink and rewire our mindsets and attitudes,” Hernandez shared.

Hernandez added that this period would give birth to more revolutionary technologies such as artificial intelligence, genome editing, 3D printing, autonomous vehicles, and IoT.

“Now is the time to reimagine the world of business as we would like it to be. This is not pure imagination. It is up to all of us to make dreams into reality,” he said.

For the first plenary discussion, the first power panel discussed embracing revolutionary technology as an imperative for companies to thrive amid the shifting needs of customers in the post-pandemic era.

The thought leaders who took part in the plenary session include Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC); John Harrington, Nokia Senior Vice President, Head of Asia-Pacific and Japan; Nicholas Ma, President of Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise Business Group; Yasuo Suzuki, President of NTT Global Data Center, and Dave West, President of Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, And Greater China

PH Digicon 2021’s official host and moderator Cathy Yap-Yang with Yasuo Suzuki, President of NTT Global Data Center, John Harrington, Nokia Senior Vice President, Head of Asia-Pacific and Japan, Manuel V. Pangilinan, Chairman of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC), Dave West, President of Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan, And Greater China, Nicholas Ma, President of Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise Business Group

They shared valuable insights on how their respective companies had overcome the challenges of the pandemic and what it means to have a revolutionary leadership to steer businesses and organizations to success.

“In many ways we have to adopt the revolutionary aspects of leadership, adopting abrupt changes in certain areas that are really needed but at the same time maintaining the values that are important to our company, to PLDT and the overall First Pacific Group,” he said.

PH Digicon 2021’s celebrity speaker Charlize Theron also spoke about her experiences in different aspects of life, as an award-winning Hollywood actress, film and TV producer, entrepreneur, and the UN Messenger of Peace.

PH Digicon 2021 celebrity headline speaker Charlize Theron

Theron left a piece of encouraging advice to women leaders since women’s empowerment has been a relevant issue in the business industry.

“Be resilient, find your crew, find your team, find and surround yourself by people who make you better, who challenge you, who push you… And I think understanding the value of leadership is not something that happens in a vacuum; doesn’t happen with one person.”

“It really happens with your village, it happens with constantly being hungry for that voice out there that might be of different than yours… Surround yourself with people who are like-minded but also different people that you can learn from. And never, ever, be too proud to say that you were wrong,” said Theron.

After the first plenary session, there were also tech leadership forums where significant perspectives on top technology trends and advancements in various industries were conferred.

PH Digicon 2021 Tech Leadership Forums’ official host and moderator broadcast journalist Danie Laurel

Three of the key themes discussed for the first day of the PH Digicon 2021 include adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), empowering the retail industry through an all-new digital experience, and enabling the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry through solutions and technologies.

Rediscover.

Meanwhile, the second day was opened by key executives from the private sector together with the government in an exclusive roundtable discussion to examine the prospects of priming the Philippines as the next hyperscaler destination and data center hub in the Asia Pacific.

Present during this portion include Department of Trade and Industry Sec. Ramon Lopez, Philippine Bureau of Investments Executive Director Ma. Corazon Halili-Dochosa, MPower Senior Vice President and Head Roberto R. Almazora, Yasuo Suzuki of NTT Data Center, and Structure Research Head of Research Jabez Tan.

They discussed the measures and technology investments currently done by both public and private institutions to lay the digital foundation of the Philippines for its bid to be the next strategic hyperscaler destination in the region.

The panel stressed that the Philippines has consistently increased its attractiveness to hyperscalers with critical investments in submarine cable systems in place, its stable political and business climate, increasing access to renewable energy, and the availability of a highly-educated and talented workforce and its high internet and smartphone penetration.

"The pandemic has pushed us to maximize the use of digital platforms, which accelerated the growth of our data center market. Our country's digital landscape makes it an ideal setting to support the growth of the hyperscalers as well as data center operations," said Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Mon Lopez.

PLDT VP and International Facilities Investments Management Head Gene Sanchez, on the other hand, said that PLDT is looking at all the building blocks necessary to make the Philippines the favored hub in Asia.

“The Philippines is already part of the big chain, but we need to make us more favorable. We have embarked on implementing an international submarine network—a plan that would support hyperscaler requirements. That means we will be able to scale up submarine capacity at will,” Sanchez said.

PLDT’s current international cable network comprises 15 global subsea cable systems, which will further be expanded with its investment in additional subsea cables such as Asia Direct Cable, Jupiter, and Apricot that are expected to be operational by the end of this year to 2022.

Moreover, PLDT Group also announced that it is set to build the first hyperscaler data center in the country designed to serve the hyperscale requirements of global tech giants.

Right after the incisive roundtable discussion, the delegates were engaged in the second plenary session where key PLDT executives talked about how industries adapted to the shift brought by the global health crisis and how they stayed resilient amid these unique challenges.

PLDT Enterprise FVP and Enterprise Revenue Group Head Mitch Locsin, PLDT FVP & Enterprise Revenue Group Head Vic Tria, and Vice President and Enterprise Revenue Group Head for PLDT Enterprise Ding V. Villarino highlighted the role of innovation in various industries and how it ultimately advanced the economy forward despite the difficulties that companies had faced.

PLDT Enterprise FVP and Enterprise Revenue Group Head Mitch Locsin, PLDT FVP & Enterprise Revenue Group Head Vic Tria, and Vice President and Enterprise Revenue Group Head for PLDT Enterprise Ding V. Villarino

Furthermore, the panel discussion featured how businesses have successfully outmaneuvered the disruption brought by the pandemic and how they are continuously adapting their business models to facilitate growth and success in the better normal.

Several prominent Filipino tycoons spoke during the discussion, including Penshoppe Group Chairman and CEO Bernie Liu, Jollibee Group Chief Business Officer Joseph Tanbuntiong, JG Summit Holdings Inc. President and CEO Lance Gokongwei, Century Pacific Food, Inc. Executive Chairman Chris Po, and Alliance Global Group Inc. CEO Kevin L. Tan.

IG Summit Holdings Inc. President and CEO Lance Gokongwei, Penshoppe Group Chairman and CEO Bernie Liu, PLDT and Smart President and CEO Al Panlilio, Jollibee Group Chief Business Officer Joseph Tanbuntiong, Alliance Global Group Inc. CEO Kevin L. Tan and Century Pacific Food, Inc. Executive Chairman Chris Po

PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications President and CEO Al Panlilio also participated during this session and shared his insights and key learnings on what makes a revolutionary leader.

“It’s people-first mindset [for] both employee and customer, making sure they’re healthy, they’re safe, and decisions made around huge considerations for the people. From a leadership point of view, you have to be authentic, clear, and transparent to your people.

“In this pandemic, it is about leading bravely. We can never tell what will happen; thus, we must be more informed and, hopefully, make the right decisions… We have always pushed for a purpose, and that is to remain relevant to our customers,” said Panlilio.

In the afternoon, the tech leadership forums zeroed in on banking and e-commerce and strengthening an organization’s cybersecurity posture to stay resilient amid risks and attacks.

Likewise, key industry leaders also shared how the education sector has been adapting to these challenging times and what they could do to improve the delivery of enriched education experience to the students despite having an all-digital classroom.

Revolutionize.

The third and final day of the convention focused on the preparations for the next revolution in various industries and several business technologies that would continue to disrupt different market sectors.

The tech forum sessions focused on nurturing intelligent cities and what sustainable practices the public and private institutions must do to successfully transform urban areas into smart cities with ease and efficiency.

In addition, the convention also shared insights with regards to improving the delivery of health care services and how technology can be used to better equip healthcare facilities and healthcare workers to provide efficient, accessible, and inexpensive health care services to patients.

The closing plenary session has taught the delegates the fundamental requirements they should initiate to transform and stay competitive both locally and abroad.

PLDT Enterprise Core Business Solutions FVP & Head Jojo Gendrano underscored that to fully embrace digital transformation, companies need to have a clear and well-communicated strategy to lay the vision of what their customers want and where they want to take them in the company.

“The next step is structuring a team that is fit to transform the organization is important with clear lines of ownership and accountability set. And next is to pick partners that you can trust… On the side, if you want to be a brand and product leader, investments in resources like R&D are needed to achieve that differentiation. And lastly, things will not always go our way and this is where resilience comes in,” Gendrano noted.

Be the Revolution.

For business owners – whether of small or large enterprises - looking to be part of the digital revolution, the Philippine Digital Convention encourages you to step ahead, explore opportunities and learn how you can transform your organization to be at par with global industry leaders.

By consistently searching for insights, learnings, and being willing to embrace digital transformation, you will experience how industry players are incorporating digitalization into their business activities and how it propelled their organizations to succeed.

Relive the three-day convention like no other via the PH Digicon 2021 content on-demand exclusively available at phdigicon2021.com.

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com.