Asian Forum on Enterprise for Society 2023: A Resounding Success in Advancing Corporate Responsibility, Innovation, and Inclusion

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The Asian Forum on Enterprise for Society (AFES) 2023 has made a triumphant return to hosting in-person gatherings, taking place on September 26-27 at the Conrad Hotel in Pasay City, Philippines. This event reaffirms its status as the premier platform in Asia for substantive discussions revolving around corporate responsibility, innovation, and sustainable business practices.

Left to right: Dr. Anjan Ghosh- Board of Advisor, Ramon V. del Rosario Sr. Center for Corporate Responsibility; Dr Bradley Googins - Board of Advisor, RVR Center; Ambassador Jose Cuisia Jr., former Ambassador of the Phils to the United States, Chairman of the Board, RVR Center; Mr. Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman Emeritus , Nestle Group; Mr Oscar Hilado, Board of Advisor, RVR center Ramon R Del Rosario Jr, Board of Advisor, RVR Center; Susan Afan , President Ramon Magasaysay Award Foundation and Dr. Jikyeong Kang, President and Dean, Asian institute of Management

Organized by the Asian Institute of Management Ramon V. Del Rosario, Sr. Center for Corporate Responsibility (AIM RVR Center), AFES, formerly recognized as the Asian Forum on Corporate Social Responsibility, boasts a storied history of assembling in diverse Asian cities. Its unwavering commitment to the pivotal role that businesses play in shaping a sustainable future remains constant. Under the 2023 theme, "Boosting Innovation and Inclusion Together," this edition carries forward the legacy by exploring how businesses can act as catalysts for resilience and inclusivity.

Amb. Jose L. Cuisia, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Advisers of the AIM RVR Center, said, “This year, the Asian Forum will underscore the imperative of sustainable, ethical, and purpose-driven enterprise for societal betterment in an ever-evolving, increasingly complex world. Our world has been reshaped by unprecedented challenges, and it is through thoughtful conversations facilitated by visionary thought and business leaders that we can co-create a brighter, more resilient future.”

With a rich heritage of advancing progress and transformation, AFES 2023 has successfully convened a diverse audience of over 400 participants. This ensemble includes global practitioners, thought leaders, business executives, and community representatives, all united by a shared objective—to address the most pressing societal challenges of our time.

AFES 2023 features a spectrum of action-inspiring conversations, each exploring diverse topics that are pivotal to our collective future. From co-creating nature-based solutions for food security and exploring new pathways for eco-tourism to promoting greener, more resilient fintech, and the responsible use of generative AI, these discussions delve deep into the issues that will shape the world for generations to come.

Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman Emeritus of the Nestlé Group emphasized in his keynote speech: "Inclusive capitalism places people at the heart of economic progress, prioritizing their well-being over profit. It's the imperative to embed responsibility throughout the entire supply chain, ensuring that every link in the economic ecosystem contributes to a fair and equitable society."

Dr. Jikyeong Kang, AIM President and Dean, reflects on the conference, stating, "Throughout this conference, we have had the privilege of engaging with thought leaders and experts who have shared invaluable perspectives on a wide range of critical topics. From AI, food security, and sustainable tourism to inclusive fintech, supply chain due diligence, and diversity and inclusion in the workforce, our discussions have been marked by a profound depth of knowledge and a commitment to discovering innovative solutions to complex challenges."

The Itchyworms to embark on a 3-city tour in Japan this October

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The Itchyworms have recently announced their three-city tour in Japan this October 2023!

The mini tour will kick off at the LIVE HOUSE GATTACA in Kyoto on October 6, followed by two more stops in Osaka (The Blarney Stone and Sengokudaitouryou) on October 7 and 8, respectively.

Prior to the announcement, The Itchyworms performed at the Tokyo Beyond Festival on November 22, 2022. They have also participated at the Kansai Music Conference in a virtual setting while delivering an exclusive live performance at the Big Baby Studios in Manila.

“There will be a lot of Filipino fans who will travel two or three hours just to see us live, so we will still be playing some hits,” the Di Na Muli hitmakers share in a collective statement. ‘We will also be playing some other songs that we think will be appreciated by the Japanese musicians and audiences. We feel that music is universal, and whether we sing in Filipino or in English, the audience will love it.”

The acclaimed band, consisting of core members Jazz Nicolas (lead vocals, drums, piano, keyboards, keyboards), Jugs Jugueta (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), and Kelvin Yu (bass guitar, backing vocals), will be joined by their new recruits Ciudad’s Mikey Amistoso (acoustic guitar, keyboards, backing vocals, tambourine) and Weckl Mercado (lead guitar, backing vocals) for this particular tour.

This year, The Itchyworms have released two new singles: “Panic In My Mind,” which was specifically written for their bandmate Chino Singson, who moved to Canada with his family to start a new life, and the Beatles-inspired “The Morning After,” which features some of their most intricate productions to date.

The Filipino alt-rock outfit has also released 2013’s award-winning album, After All This Time on vinyl last November 2022, and a repress of their 2021 album, Waiting For The End To Start on the same format. Both records are available via Backspacer Records.

For more information about the tour, visit the band’s official social media pages and revamped website: www.itchyworms.com

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The Itchyworms’ “Panic In My Mind” and “The Morning After” are available on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment.

Jessy Mendiola, the newest #yobooBestie, relies on expert Japanese brand to meet her baby’s skincare needs

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Filipino multimedia superstar Jessy Mendiola is yoboo’s newest brand ambassador!

Having built a thriving career in the entertainment industry through the years, the all-around actress, model, and vlogger is now also a loving wife and supermom. She and her husband, Filipino-American TV personality Luis Manzano, welcomed their beautiful daughter Isabella Rose into the world in December 2022.

“We are so happy to have Jessy join the yoboo family, as she navigates through the joys and challenges of motherhood,” said Chinen Rina, Pediatrician and Founder of yoboo. “The love and care she gives Isabella Rose is unconditional, and we want to give her as much support as we can through our baby skincare products. Our campaign #yobooBestie represents how a mother is also the best friend of her child and will always strive towards what’s best for them—and this commitment is something that yoboo deeply respects and cares about.”

The exciting news was recently announced on yoboo Philippines’ Facebook and Instagram pages. “It’s a wonderful honor to be part of a brand that takes excellent care of Isabella Rose’s skincare needs and wellbeing,” Jessy shared. “A baby’s skin is so fragile and delicate, and really needs special attention through a consistent skincare routine. yoboo gives me this assurance through its top-quality products, so that I can focus on bonding with my daughter and letting her enjoy life with healthy and resilient skin.”

Committed to helping every family raise children in a relaxed and scientific manner, the Japanese-based brand provides expertly crafted skincare products for babies using natural plant extracts and biomimetic essence to awaken the skin’s intrinsic vitality. yoboo’s complete range of products can help nurture the baby’s skin in any environment, whether it’s to protect it from the sun, soothe it from any discomfort or sensitivity, or sustain its moisture after a bath. Its all-natural and easily absorbed formulas reject unnecessary additives, preservatives, and allergens and follow strict quality standards for the parent’s peace of mind.

To learn more about the ultimate baby care experience, visit yoboo Philippines’ official Facebook (https://tinyurl.com/2dw82pjt) and Instagram (@yoboo.philippines) Pages, or shop in their official stores in Lazada (https://tinyurl.com/3vmk8ju9) and Shopee (https://tinyurl.com/3zhthyjx) 

#yobooBestie
#yobooAndJessy

 

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About yoboo

yoboo is a Japanese Mom and Baby Care Brand established in 2009 with bases in Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Committed to providing professional mom and baby products that cater to moms and babies' different needs, yoboo's product line consists of Nursing Essentials, Feeding Essentials, Baby Skin Care, Baby Furniture and Accessories, Bath Essentials, Outdoor Essentials, Cleaning and Disinfection, and Baby Toys.

*NSYNC releases first song together in 20 years with “Better Place”

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It serves as the lead single of the Trolls Band Together: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack

*NSYNC has finally released their first song together in two decades, “Better Place,” from the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls Band Together—out on October 20,^, 2023.

Multi-award-winning artist Justin Timberlake returns as the soundtrack’s executive music producer alongside GRAMMY award-winning producer/songwriter Mike Elizondo. Timberlake wrote and performed new original music for the film, which also includes music from the cast and some of today’s top artists including Kid Cudi, Camila Cabello, Troye Sivan, Anna Kendrick and more. Through a collection of 14 tracks, the soundtrack stays true to Trolls’ signature psychedelic joy-bomb of new and classic pop hits. 

Trolls Band Together (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) follows the 2020 Trolls World Tour Original Motion Picture Soundtrack which featured the track “The Other Side” with Justin Timberlake and SZA. It also received an American Music Award nomination for Favorite Soundtrack. The first installment and highly successful #1 children’s soundtrack for DreamWorks Animation’s 2016 musical hit Trolls featured the 4X platinum selling song, “CAN’T STOP THE FEELING!,” which became the best-selling song of 2016, debuted #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, won the GRAMMY Award for Best Song for Visual Media and secured multiple nominations including an Academy Award^®, a Golden Globe and many more.

Trolls Band Together (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Track List:

1. Better Place (from Trolls Band Together) - *NSYNC
2. Perfect - Justin Timberlake, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi & Troye Sivan
3. Let's Get Married - Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Zooey Deschanel, Anderson .Paak, Kenan Thompson, Kunal Nayyar, Icona Pop & Ron Funches
4. Watch Me Work - Andrew Rannells & Brianna Mazzola
5. Vacay Island - Daveed Diggs, India Carney & Ty Taylor
6. BroZone’s Back - Justin Timberlake, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs & Anna Kendrick
7. Lonely People - Troye Sivan
8. Hustle Dimension - Joseph Shirley
9. It Takes Two - Camila Cabello, Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs & Kid Cudi
10. Mount Rageous - Andrew Rannells & Brianna Mazzola
11. Better Place (Family Harmony) - Justin Timberlake, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi, Troye Sivan, Anna Kendrick & Camila Cabello
12. Better Place (Reunion) - *NSYNC, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Troye Sivan & Kid Cudi
13. Family - Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick, Camila Cabello, Eric Andre, Daveed Diggs, Kid Cudi & Troye Sivan
14. 9 to 5 - Zosia Mamet

 

 

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About *NSYNC:

*NSYNC, formed in 1995 in Orlando, Florida, is a legendary American pop boy band consisting of members Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Chris Kirkpatrick, Joey Fatone, and Lance Bass. They skyrocketed to fame in the late '90s with multi-platinum #1 albums like No Strings Attached and Celebrity, along with hit singles such as "Bye Bye Bye," which spent ten weeks atop the Pop Airplay chart in 2000 and later that year, "It's Gonna Be Me" went on to spend five weeks on the chart. Having sold over 80M records, the group has won three American Music Awards, five Billboard Music Awards, and seven MTV Video Music Awards. Known for their electrifying performances and harmonious vocals, *NSYNC left an indelible mark on the music industry and pop culture, solidifying their place as one of the most iconic boy bands of all time.

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About RCA Records:

Since its inception in 1900, RCA Records - the second oldest label in American history - has been home to some of the most iconic music artists of all-time celebrating music across all genres.  Our DNA, steeped in a rich musical history, compels us to amplify and empower the voices of our artists who continually push artistic boundaries and shape the cultural landscape on a global scale. 

 

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About Trolls Band Together:

This holiday season, get ready for an action-packed, all-star, rainbow-colored family reunion like no other as Anna Kendrick and Justin Timberlake return for the new chapter in DreamWorks Animation’s blockbuster musical franchise: Trolls Band Together. 

After two films of true friendship and relentless flirting, Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) are now officially, finally, a couple (#broppy)! As they grow closer, Poppy discovers that Branch has a secret past. He was once part of her favorite boyband phenomenon, BroZone, with his four brothers: Floyd (Golden Globe nominated electropop sensation Troye Sivan), John Dory (Eric André; Sing 2), Spruce (Grammy winner Daveed Diggs; Hamilton) and Clay (Grammy winner Kid Cudi; Don’t Look Up). BroZone disbanded when Branch was still a baby, as did the family, and Branch hasn’t seen his brothers since.  

But when Branch’s bro Floyd is kidnapped for his musical talents by a pair of nefarious pop-star villains—Velvet (Emmy winner Amy Schumer; Trainwreck) and Veneer (Grammy winner and Tony nominee Andrew Rannells; The Book of Mormon)—Branch and Poppy embark on a harrowing and emotional journey to reunite the other brothers and rescue Floyd from a fate even worse than pop-culture obscurity. 

Featuring Trolls’ signature psychedelic joy-bomb of new and classic pop hits, Trolls Band Together stars a dazzling cast of musical superstars and comedic powerhouses as new franchise characters, including four-time Grammy nominee and Latin Grammy winner Camila Cabello (Cinderella) as Viva; Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant) as Crimp; and 12-time Emmy winning drag icon RuPaul Charles as Miss Maxine. 

The returning cast includes Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Zooey Deschanel as Bridget; Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Gristle, the Icona Pop duo Aino Jawo and Caroline Hjelt as Satin and Chenille, Grammy winner Anderson .Paak as Prince D, comedian Ron Funches as Cooper, SAG nominee Kunal Nayyar as Guy Diamond and Emmy winning Saturday Night Live legend Kenan Thompson as Tiny Diamond. 

Trolls Band Together is steered by returning director Walt Dohrn and producer Gina Shay, and is co-directed by Tim Heitz (head of story, Trolls World Tour). DreamWorks Animation’s Trolls films—2016’s Trolls and 2020’s Trolls World Tour—have sung and danced their way to record-breaking success, earning an Oscar^® nomination for Best Original Song and fueling one of the largest and most beloved entertainment brands in the world.

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About Sony Music Entertainment

At Sony Music Entertainment, we honor the creative journey. Our creators shape movements, culture, communities, even history. And we’ve played a pioneering role in music history, from establishing the first-ever music label to inventing the flat disc record. We’ve nurtured some of music’s most iconic artists and produced some of the most influential recordings of all time. Today, we work in more than 100 countries, supporting a diverse and distinctive roster of talented creators at every level and on every stage. Situated at the intersection of music, entertainment, and technology, we bring imagination and expertise to emerging products and platforms, embrace new business models, and employ breakthrough tools—all to support the creative community’s experimentation, risk-taking, and growth. And we form deep, trusted, cause-based partnerships to uplift and empower communities around the world. Sony Music Entertainment is part of the global Sony family. Learn more about our creators and labels here.

 

Cebuana Lhuillier Bank joins forces with Temenos to revolutionize financial services for Filipinos

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Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, one of the Philippines’ most dynamic rural banks, announced its strategic partnership with Temenos, the world’s leading open platform for composable banking, to update its core banking platform in a significant stride toward reshaping the rural banking landscape in the country.

Formalizing the partnership (from L-R) Nick Edwards, Deputy Regional Director APAC and General Manager, ASEAN of Temenos; Philippe Andre Lhuillier, Senior Executive Vice President of Cebuana Lhuillier; Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier and Vice Chairman of Cebuana Lhuillier Bank; Dennis Valdes, President of Cebuana Lhuillier Bank; and Suchen Janjale, Head of Financial Services, Europe & Temenos Practice of Banktech

Central to this collaboration is Cebuana Lhuillier Bank’s commitment to financial inclusion. Through Temenos’ core banking platform, Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, which serves more than seven million Filipinos, can oversee customer accounts with efficiency and introduce accessible lending products such as motorcycle and salary loans, giving clients a more convenient and seamless banking experience.

“Cebuana Lhuillier’s commitment to financial inclusion remains steadfast. In a nation where access to reliable financial services is paramount, this collaboration strengthens our resolve to provide better services, products, and opportunities for Filipinos to create meaningful change,” commented Jean Henri Lhuillier, President & CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier and Vice Chairman of Cebuana Lhuillier Bank.

This partnership also ensures Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, through the Temenos solution, can adapt seamlessly to evolving market conditions and local regulatory solutions, and effectively meet the dynamic needs of its valued customers.

The financial industry is continuously evolving due to rapid technological advancements. Our clients’ needs are changing, and it is our responsibility to not only meet but exceed those expectations. This alliance marks as a testament to our commitment to embrace innovation and redefine the banking experience for our valued customers,” added Dennis Valdes, President of Cebuana Lhuillier Bank.

“We are delighted to welcome Cebuana Lhuillier Bank as the newest member of our Temenos family in the Philippines. With a robust presence in the country, our partnership with Cebuana Lhuillier Bank reinforces Temenos’ position as a compelling choice for banks across various sizes and segments, including rural and thrift banks. We are everyone’s banking platform. We eagerly anticipate supporting Cebuana Lhuillier Bank’s journey towards greater success,” said Ramki Ramakrishnan, Managing Director – APAC of Temenos.

“We are thrilled to embark on Cebuana Lhuillier Bank’s core modernization program in the Philippines. Our comprehensive offerings around Temenos, coupled with our regional presence in the Philippines, position us well to ensure a successful core banking transformation. This deal strengthens and builds on our core offering along with Temenos and aligns with our strategy to accelerate digital transformation initiatives for our clients,” added Anoop Gala, Global Head of Financial Services of Orion Innovation.

The Temenos solution will be implemented by its delivery partner Orion Innovation. Orion provides a suite of digital services and technology solutions that help banks modernize and transform their legacy systems and design and develop next-generation products that allow the banks to create new business opportunities. Being a Temenos multi-regional partner, Orion specializes in delivering full-service implementation & integration capabilities in core banking, payments and digital banking solutions to Temenos clients across the globe.