Join The Masters: vivo launches Imaging Academy, to premiere photography masterclass episodes online

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Ahead of the local introduction of its newest flagship smartphone series, leading smartphone brand vivo announces the launch of the vivo Imaging Academy. The academy will feature a series of online classes with renowned photographers here and abroad which aim to not only spotlight the outstanding photography features of the vivo X80 series but also impart top-notch photography techniques straight from the ZEISS masters.

There will be a total of five main episodes which will each be spearheaded by photography masters and experts. Every 35-minute episode will showcase the masters’ work and life experiences, case studies and the key imaging functions and features of the X80 series in relation to different types of photography. At the end of each session, participants are encouraged to capture images and create their own art while applying the new techniques they have just learned.

Meet the Masters

Michael Halsband

New York-based photographer Michael Halsband was determined that he wanted to become a photographer at the very young age of 10. Many years and thousands of photographs later, he has already made his mark in the photography scene as the former exclusive photographer of The Rolling Stones, AC/DC and Andy Warhol, among many prominent bands and celebrities.

His works are exhibited and archived by major art museums such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London and The Andy Warhol Museum in Pennsylvania. For the vivo Imaging Academy series, Michael will be sharing his insights about Portrait Photography: Journey to understand what defines to be an iconic image.

Peter Van Agtmael

Known for his surrealist style of photography is multi-awarded photographer Peter Van Agtmael who is also based in New York. Heavily influenced by his Yale history degree and the 911 attacks, his works usually reflect images of conflicts, history, nationalism, militarism and social classes. He works with the New York Times and his works are archived by the International Center of Photography, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Deutsche Bank and Yale University Art Gallery.

Because of his extensive work especially on the US wars in Israel and Palestine, Peter has been recognized by the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund, the Magnum Foundation, Pictures of the Year International (PoYI) and the Pulitzer Center, among others. For the vivo Imaging Academy series, Peter will be talking about Documentary Photography: Finding the beauty in the ordinary.

Issa Barte

Michael and Peter will also be joined by other renowned photographers who are also experts in their respective fields. Among them is artist and photojournalist Issa Barte. Despite picking up photography only during the pandemic, her passion and dedication to giving a platform to the existing climate crisis at a grassroots level made it too difficult for National Geographic not to notice her work. In 2021, she was recognized as one of NatGeo’s 25 Young Explorers and Changemakers around the globe. Issa will be sharing her story and some expert tips through her episode Nature Photography: empowering change through photography.

E-Jay Zhang

ZEISS Ambassador E-Jay Zhang specializes in urban architecture, night scenes and night portrait photography. All the way from China, E-Jhay will be spearheading the episode Night Shot: Capture Amazing City Landscape at Night. 

To complete the list of masters and experts is Raul Romo, a self-taught freelance photographer based in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in portraiture and fashion photography.

Raul Romo

His works include magazine cover shoots for popular celebrities like Lady Gaga, Camila Cabello and Ashanti. For the vivo Imaging Academy master class series, Raul will be talking about Commercial Photography: Leverage lights and colors for stylish portraits.

Learn From Some of the World’s Best

The vivo Imaging Academy masterclass series will be available on vivo Philippines’ official Youtube and TikTok channels starting this month. The first episode featuring Michael Halsband will be available on June 15-20 while each of the remaining episodes will be premiered individually in the succeeding months following this schedule: Peter Van Agtmael (July 15-20), Issa Barte (August 15-20), E-Jhay Zhang (September 15-20) and Raul Romo (October 15-20).

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About vivo

vivo is a technology company that creates great products based on a design-driven value, with smart devices and intelligent services as its core. The company aims to build a bridge between humans and the digital world. Through unique creativity, vivo provides users with an increasingly convenient mobile and digital life. Following the company’s core values, which include Benfen*, design-driven value, user-orientation, continuous learning and team spirit, vivo has implemented a sustainable development strategy with the vision of developing into a healthier, more sustainable world-class corporation.

While bringing together and developing the best local talents to deliver excellence, vivo is supported by a network of R&D centers in Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Beijing, Hangzhou, Shanghai and Xi’an, focusing on the development of state-of-the-art consumer technologies, including 5G, artificial intelligence, industrial design, imaging system and other up-and-coming technologies. vivo has also set up an intelligent manufacturing network (including those authorized by vivo), with an annual production capacity of nearly 200 million smartphones. As of now, vivo has branched out its sales network across more than 60 countries and regions, and is loved by more than 400 million users worldwide.

*“Benfen” is a term describing the attitude on doing the right things and doing things right – which is the ideal description of vivo’s mission to create value for society.

Stay informed of latest vivo news at https://www.vivo.com/en/about-vivo/news

Shanti x Maya Cash Code Hunt is now extended until July 9!

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Find P1M worth of cash prizes up for grabs hidden in the Maya music video  

You've asked for it, and Maya has heard you! You now have more time to spot the hidden cash codes in the Maya music video, and more chances to win a share of 1M worth of prizes until July 9, 2022!   

   

Maya is doubling down on the winners for its Maya x Shanti Cash Code Hunt, with more prizes up for grabs – all hidden in plain sight in Shanti Dope’s Maya music video. From 10 winners for a P500,000 prize pot, there are now 20 winners who can get a chance to take home a share of the P1,000,000 worth of prizes! All you have to do is find them here: Shanti Dope - Maya (Official Music Video)    

   

This MV features 10 unique cash codes which you can key in on your Maya app, to earn raffle entries and a chance to win a share of P1,000,000 in the raffle draw.     

   

These alphanumeric codes are categorized per difficulty – you get a chance to win bigger prizes in the raffle draw for keying in the cash codes that are harder to find. To make this even more exciting, more people can win these prizes by getting the codes right!   

• EASY: Find any of these 4 hidden alphanumeric codes to get a chance to become one of the 8 winners of P27,500.     
• MEDIUM: Spot any of these 3 alphanumeric codes to get a chance to become one of the 6 winners of P50,000.   
• HARD: 6 winners can take home P80,000 in the raffle draw when they find any of these 3 alphanumeric codes in the music video.   

That's a total P1,000,000 prize pot up for grabs! Just recently, the first to spot all 10 unique cash codes hidden in the music video also won the grand prize of P500,000!   

   

Excited to spot the cash codes to win cash prizes for yourself? Here's how you can join:     

1. Watch Shanti Dope’s Maya music video here and spot the alphanumeric cash codes hidden in plain sight.    
2. On your Maya app, tap the Profile icon from the upper left side of your screen and click Missions.     
3. Tap the Shanti x Maya Cash Code Hunt promo, then tap Enter Mission Code. There, you can key in the alphanumeric code you spotted from the music video.     
4. You will earn 1 raffle entry for each correct code entered.     

 

You have until July 9 to spot these cash codes! Winners will be drawn and announced on the Maya Facebook page within the month of July so stay tuned!   

   

Formerly known as PayMaya, the top-rated finance app has evolved from an e-wallet to a powerhouse all-in-one money app Maya. It's everything and a bank, and it enables you to spend, save, grow, invest, and master your money using only your smartphone.      

    

Downloadable for free through Google Play Store and App Store, the Maya app seamlessly integrates these key components: Maya Savings which provides a massive 6% interest rate, Maya Credit which lets you borrow up to PHP 15,000.00 within the app, Maya Crypto where you can get you started on your crypto journey for as low as PHP 1.00, and Maya Wallet which enhances all the initial e-wallet features which had made PayMaya the country's leading digital financial services provider. Get your own Maya account now and enjoy a seamless experience for all things money – in just one app.     

     

Maya is the all-in-one money platform bringing Filipinos bolder ways to master their money. It is powered by a unique integrated financial services ecosystem that addresses the ever-evolving financial needs of today's generation through cutting-edge technology.      

Maya leads millions of Filipinos — consumers, businesses, communities, and government agencies alike — into a digital economy that's more inclusive, transparent, and empowering. Maya is powered by the country's only end-to-end digital payments company, PayMaya Philippines, and Maya Bank for digital banking services.  

Chefs Sau Del Rosario and Josh Boutwood join the plant-based movement

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The fast rise of plant-based alternatives has led to a cultural shift in the global food industry. This has been especially evident in Asia where a growing number of people, young and old, are turning to plant-based foods to boost their health. Another reason it has caught consumers’ attention so quickly is because the growing concerns about climate change have made them more mindful about eating sustainably. According to a recent survey by GlobalData, over 40% of consumers in the region are shifting to plant-based meat and diets, with 11% opting for vegetarian and vegan food, and a third are cutting down on their meat consumption by going ‘flexitarian’, centering their diets on plant-based foods without totally eliminating meat.

With diners already demanding healthier and nutritious food products and making better-informed choices - putting more plant-based foods on their menus make practical business sense for food operators. Answering the call, Nestlé Philippines has made the first step into the plant-based meat alternatives market with its HARVEST GOURMET® brand. The new range provides a close similarity on taste and texture to that of meat products, while offering the nutritional benefits of plant-based proteins. The variety of options have also been adapted to the Asian palate and popular menu choices, including meat-alternative burgers, nuggets, and mince ingredients made from non-GMO soy, wheat, and other plant-based ingredients. This revolutionary line is meant to support restaurateurs, cafe owners, hoteliers, and other out-of-home industry partners by helping them opt-in to adding more plant-based menu options as it opens up more business opportunities to not only provide more choices for health-conscious consumers, but also ‘normalize’ the consumption of meat-alternatives.

“As more people turn to meat-alternatives to achieve healthier lifestyles and to satisfy their taste buds, we welcome our out-of-home industry partners to strongly start taking plant-based menu offerings into consideration as it attracts a different type of customer, while also providing exciting, new taste experiences for loyal customers. This is a recipe that makes good business sense,” said Alexander Ong Oh, Business Executive Officer, Nestlé Professional, the foodservice unit of Nestlé Philippines.

Most recently, two of the country’s esteemed chefs - Sau Del Rosario and Josh Boutwood - made the choice to join the plant-based movement. In collaboration with Nestle Philippines’ HARVEST GOURMET® brand, they both created a pair of burger dishes for their respective restaurants in an effort to test out the appeal of plant-based meat among their customers.

For Chef Sau, he created a plant-based Adobo Burger with Pinakbet Okoy & Buffalo Wings with Calamansi Aioli and a Korean-inspired plant-based Burger with Ssam Jang, Kimchi and Nori flavored fries. The latter is currently available to order from his Cafe Fleur restaurant menu. These flavorful creations were made using HARVEST GOURMET® Sensational Burger and HARVEST GOURMET® Chargrilled pieces

Chef Josh, on the other hand, made his own creation of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat Burger made with HARVEST GOURMET® Sensational Burger, Colby Jack cheese, charcoal grilled cucumber relish, burger sauce, chipotle sauce, and micro greens.

He also made a plant-based Honey Buffalo (chicken) Sandwich made with HARVEST GOURMET® Schnitzel, coleslaw, and secret sauce, available for a limited time at his renowned Test Kitchen.

Whether as a chef or a diner, both Chef Sau and Chef Josh lauded how HARVEST GOURMET® has made it easier for them to incorporate a plant-based food into their life and work.

“I keep a very busy schedule, but I make sure I eat nourishing and healthy meals to keep my body energized and ready for the long hours in the kitchen. Eating healthy has never been this easy when I started incorporating Harvest Gourmet into my diet and this is something I would like for my diners to also experience. That’s why I included it in our Café Fleur menu. You will love how it is not only good for your wellbeing but for our environment as well,” said Chef Sau.

When people hear vegetarian, vegan, plant-based alternatives, or anything related to healthy food, there is an automatic connotation that it would be an inferior product; and while some might still have reservations over plant-based food, Chef Josh can attest to the quality of HARVEST GOURMET®.

“As a diner, if I change my mindset, what’s important to me is that it has to taste good, and I have to enjoy it. Is it good enough for me to create a memory that I will remember? Yes, and that’s what’s important. With Harvest Gourmet, these are wonderful base products that we can build up on as chefs and incorporate it in our menu to give that extra option to our guests to choose from,” said Chef Josh.

For a limited time only, Nestlé Professional Philippines is offering HARVEST GOURMET® products at a special discount of up to 36% on both e-commerce and wholesale platforms.

HARVEST GOURMET® products are available through Nestlé Professional Philippines and e-commerce partners: Rare Food Shop, Lazada, Shopee, and Wholemart PH.

For more information on HARVEST GOURMET® products, please visit the official Facebook page of Nestlé Professional Philippines and follow @harvestgourmetph on Instagram.

How AI and blockchain are making banks more inclusive in the Philippines

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Dr. David R. Hardoon, Chief Data and AI Officer at Union Bank of the Philippines shares how AI and blockchain in banks can promote financial resilience.

Imagine having an AI-powered fridge that can predict what ingredients you need for the day, make purchases online automatically while helping you take a microloan at the same time. This can be the future—where banking not only occurs in ATMs or branches but also in every part of your life.

Digitalization in banking can extend banking services to everyone, everywhere. This can benefit rural communities greatly since they are traditionally excluded from accessing banking services like getting a loan.

Dr. David R. Hardoon, Chief Data and AI Officer at the Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), shares how digitalization can promote financial resilience and improve the lives of rural communities in the Philippines.

Ensuring financial resilience amongst rural communities

In the Philippines, many communities struggle to access banking services. 47 percent of Filipinos still lack a bank account in 2021, reported Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the central bank of the Philippines. This includes many farmers and those working in the informal sector, like handicraft vendors.

A reason is that some rural residents do not have the documents needed to open a bank account, like identification or income statements. Without a bank account, it is harder for them to receive or transfer money.

But giving rural farmers a bank account does not solve all problems, says Hardoon. It might seem like financial inclusion, but they still cannot access services like getting a loan if they lack the necessary documents.

Banks need to go beyond financial inclusion, Hardoon emphasizes. This means promoting financial resilience—giving rural communities continuous opportunities to improve their finances.

AI helps excluded communities access banking services

Banks can use AI to help citizens achieve financial resilience. UnionBank’s MSME Business Loan project was created with the aim of extending credit access to the bank’s Mass Market clients—including rural communities—through the enhanced, alternative AI-powered credit scoring and risk models. UnionBank Business Loan is being offered in SeekCap, an online lending marketplace managed by UnionBankthe bank’s fintech arm UBX.

Many rural residents struggle to get a loan to start a business or go to college as they need credit scores. Farmers or vendors mainly use cash instead of credit cards, Hardoon explains. As it is harder for banks to assess their credit score worthiness, they might not be eligible for a loan.

The enhanced, alternative AI-powered credit scoring and risk models calculate and evaluate credit scores based on alternative data such as macro and socio-economic data, geographical attributes such as points of interests and land elevation, and internet footprint.

TheseWith the help of data analytics and machine learning, tools can generate data-driven recommendations are generated on whether to extend the loan to the customer in a few seconds. This makes it faster and more flexible for rural residents to get loans.

Connecting rural banks using blockchain

Blockchain technology in banking can “rapidly connect institutions that were previously not connected,” says Hardoon. Blockchain allows transactions to occur immediately without going through a third party.

53 percent of Filipinos in 2020 live in rural areas, reported the World Bank. But rural banks are disconnected from major banks and each other because they do not have the tools to provide electronic banking services. This makes it hard for rural residents to receive or transfer funds quickly.

Bank connectivity is also important for overseas workers to easily transfer money to families in rural villages. In the Philippines, overseas remittances make up 10 percent of the GDP, shared UnionBank.

UnionBank’s Project i2i uses blockchain solutions that remove manual processes in transferring money, making it faster. When you transfer money to and from rural banks without blockchain, it might take hours or a few days because the banks need to verify the transaction without blockchain tech.

But blockchain is very secure. It is additionally, as blockchain technologies are not centrally controlled, so it is hard for cyber attackers to access the data through a single-entry point. Others cannot change transactions made via blockchain, so they can be verified and processed in real-time. As transactions in blockchain are very secure, they can occur even outside of the bank’s business hours.

The hyper personalisation of banking

UnionBank is also using digitalization to make banking engage more closely with the citizens’ lifestyles. They launched The ARK, a fully -digital branch in the Philippines, which uses technology to align banking services to the individual’s needs.

Virtual reality headsets allow customers to check out the car or house that they are applying to get a loan for. This can help them make better and more informed decisions. “It’s almost like a gamification of banking,” says Hardoon.

Meanwhile, a virtual teller machine provides virtual customer service, cash deposits, and withdrawals. This makes it more convenient for customers who are rushing to work or do other activities.

The whole narrative of banking doesn’t need to be just in terms of finances, but a lifestyle, Hardoon highlights. People don’t just open their wallets and say, “I’m missing a credit card,” he explains. Instead, they are motivated by certain lifestyles and needs. They might be taking a loan to buy a house or to attend college, for example.

To better address their needs, banks need to be hyper-personalised, Hardoon says. It’s not just about showing customers the wonderful range of loans, but why they are relevant to them by meeting some of their needs, he adds.

The future of AI and digital banking

What excites Hardoon the most about AI is how widespread it has become. “There is AI, but no one realizes it,” he notes. From getting our food delivered to using a carsharing app, AI is everywhere in our lives. But we never notice it.

When people in the streets access financial services, they don’t know that the system is using AI, says Hardoon. They only focus on the benefits AI offers: an easy and convenient way to assess banking services.

For example instance, with an AIthe enhanced, alternative AI-powered credit-scoring and risk models enable a same-day approval process provided that system, they just have to submit the required details are submitted before they can access the loan within minutes. “It’s the practicality—in fact, the simplicity—that I find very exciting,” shares Hardoon.

When it comes to unlocking the potential of AI, it’s just a matter of doing it. “Ai is an investment that pays for itself,” Hardoon says. AI is a learning process—and it’s a process that will only get better, he adds.

Financial inclusion is one of the key elements of eliminating and reducing poverty, as outlined in the Global Goals set by. It is present in seven of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. With the help of AI and blockchain, banks can help more rural residents access financial services and build a better life for themselves.

Credit to: GovInsider

Takeda partners with CARE PH to improve and expand cancer research

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Biopharmaceutical leader Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc. has forged a partnership with Cancer Care Registry and Research Philippines Foundation (CARE PH) to expand cancer research efforts with the ambition to provide a comprehensive range of support for Filipino cancer patients.

(From left to right) Loreann Villanueva, Country Manager, Takeda Healthcare Philippines together with Igor Gomes, Takeda’s Cluster Head and General Manager for Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore (VMAPS) hands over Takeda’s grant to Dr. Beatrice Tiangco, Founder of CARE PH and Mr. Jojo Flores, Program and Administrative Officer of CARE PH

CARE PH is a non-government organization founded by Dr. Beatrice Tiangco in 2017 in response to the Department of Health’s (DOH) initiative on establishing a unified registry system in the country for non-communicable diseases such as cancer, stroke, diabetes, and heart disease. One of their main goals is to create and populate a hospital-based cancer registry to supplement existing population-based registries in Rizal and Metro Manila.

Through this partnership, Takeda will provide CARE PH a grant of Php 1,000,000 pesos with a goal of supporting the organization’s mission of “every preventable cancer averted, every screen-able cancer detected, and every cancer patient counted.” 

“This partnership with CARE PH ensures that we improve diagnostic rates for blood cancers such as myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma, as well as other cancers, to increase the chances of prevention and cure in the Philippines. This will help Filipino cancer patients gain accelerated access to life-changing treatments,” shared Igor Gomes, Takeda’s Cluster Head and General Manager for Vietnam, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore (VMAPS). 

Together for better oncology research and care 

According to DOH, non-communicable diseases are the top causes of death worldwide.  In the Philippines, cancer affects 189 out of every 100,000 Filipinos, with four Filipinos dying of cancer every hour or 96 cancer patients every day . As such, cancer ranks fourth (4th) as the leading cause of death in the Philippines with 48,937 recorded cases from January to October 2021 as stated by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). 

Further, based on the research by the Global Cancer Observatory (Globocan), over 4,000 new patients were diagnosed with lymphoma, making it one of the top 30 cancers in the country. Approximately 300,000 deaths from this disease was recorded in 2020 alone, 2,500 of which occurred in the Philippines.

Representatives from Takeda Philippines and Care PH doing the symbolic gesture of Takeda’s Spot Lymphoma, Stop Lymphoma campaign. (From left to right) Loreann Villanueva, Country Manager, Takeda Philippines; Igor Gomes, Cluster Head and General Manager, VMAPS; Dr. Beatrice Tiangco, Founder of Care PH; and Mr. Jojo Flores, Program and Administrative Officer of Care PH

“We appreciate the liberty that Takeda has given to us in terms of how we can further improve our operations–from recruiting volunteers, hospitals, and towards initiating more cancer-related studies. Our main focus in this initiative are the Filipino cancer patients. We want to be able to provide them with registry and research outputs on the epidemiology of cancer in the country, which in turn will help prioritize screening, prevention and therapeutic initiatives, on the road to better healthcare for the Filipino cancer patient,” said Dr. Beatrice Tiangco, Medical Oncologist/Epidemiologist and Founder of CARE PH.

With a standardized and consolidated hospital registry, more robust data can be gathered, more scientific research using local data can be published, and constructing evidence-based clinical practice guidelines will be facilitated.

The Takeda grant will also allow CARE PH to donate computers to be able to train more data encoders at various hospitals throughout the country, and spearhead additional site-specific cancer registries and studies, maybe even contribute to the research and development of newer therapeutic agents for the nation’s common cancers.

“This partnership with CARE PH is something that we are very enthusiastic about since we share the same value and commitment towards bringing better health and brighter future to cancer patients,” shared Loreann Villanueva, Country Manager, Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc.

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About Takeda

Takeda is a global, research and development-driven pharmaceutical company committed to bringing better health and a brighter future to patients by translating science into life-changing medicines. Takeda focuses its research efforts on four therapeutic areas - Oncology, Rare Diseases, Neuroscience and Gastroenterology - to develop highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives.

About Takeda Philippines 

Takeda Healthcare Philippines, Inc. (THPI) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited. Founded in 1968 and headquartered in Makati City, THPI aims to broaden patient access to treatment across the country through sustainable access programs enabling affordable and integrated access solutions for disease areas such as oncology, gastroenterology, rare diseases and by strengthening the healthcare system guided by our commitment to Patients, our People and the Planet.