BSP partners with GoTyme Bank to become the first bank to support Coin Deposit Machines

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GoTyme Bank partners with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to allow customers to deposit their coins and turn them into high-interest savings. Now integrated into the BSP’s Coin Deposit Machines (CoDMs), GoTyme Bank offers an additional deposit option for users. If you, like many Filipinos, tend to collect loose change this is your chance to convert these coins in a straightforward and hassle-free manner.

Simply visit a CoDM located at a mall near you. Here, you’ll see instructions on how to deposit your coins in your GoTyme account through the machine. Next, simply follow the same Deposit-Withdrawal procedure on your GoTyme Bank app. This will generate a secure barcode for you to scan to credit the deposit to your account. Should the barcode fail to scan, you can enter the code manually.

Turning Idle Coins Into Interest-Earning Deposits

The BSP launched the CoDM project on June 20, 2023 to address the artificial coin shortage in certain parts of the country. But apart from promoting coin recirculation, it was also a public service that allowed customers to exchange coins sitting idly at home into e-wallet credits, shopping vouchers, and now, bank deposits. It’s especially useful for individuals who do not like carrying coins or those who don’t have time to go to the bank to convert.

As the first bank partner to be integrated into CoDMs, GoTyme Bank offers the unique advantage of being able to convert coins into direct deposits that will earn 4% annual interest—60x more than the average payroll account and certainly more than if they were sitting in piggybank at home. Plus, instead of requiring your phone number, it generates a unique barcode for added privacy and security.

Robinsons Retail President and CEO Robina Gokongwei has been a huge supporter of the BSP’s CoDM initiative, citing how they support economic activity and restore balance in our monetary systems. These machines can be found at select Robinsons Supermarkets nationwide.

Visit a CoDM near you or check out your GoTyme Bank app to learn more.

Landco Pacific Corporation Named as the First “Amazing Workplace” Certified Company in the Philippines

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Landco Pacific Corporation, known for pioneering premium landscapes for more than 30 years and a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation, is acclaimed as the first company in the Philippines to be certified as an “Amazing Workplace” by Amazing Workplaces, an international integrated HR platform for employer branding. This highly-coveted recognition is a demonstration of Landco Pacific’s commitment to excellence in its latest premium resort and leisure developments through its human resources and internal operations.

The milestone certification for fostering employee satisfaction and engagement encourage creativity and innovation in Landco Pacific’s real estate developments. Its human resource drive innovative designs and effective solutions to overcome challenges and enhance new projects.

“Our workplace culture at Landco Pacific Corporation thrives on collaboration, support and camaraderie to drive collective success. Great ideas and solutions to challenges come from our employees from all levels. I make it a point to talk to our employees when I visit Landco Pacific developments throughout the country and get the insights from everyone across the ranks especially when we have new projects,” stated Landco Pacific President and CEO Erickson Y. Manzano.

At Landco Pacific, we deeply appreciate our exceptional team’s hard work and dedication to achieve this prestigious certification from ‘Amazing Workplaces’. This renews our unwavering commitment to continue to implement employee engagement activities that will foster our employees’ happiness, well-being and professional growth; and cultivate a work atmosphere of teamwork, trust and harmony,” Manzano expounded.

“Our certification as an ‘Amazing Workplace’ is a testament to the strong connection between employee well-being and financial performance. At Landco Pacific, we recognize that a positive work environment is integral to achieving our corporate objectives, as it fosters productivity, innovation, and long-term stability. This achievement underscores our commitment to creating value through our people. We are proud to prioritize both employee satisfaction and fiscal responsibility, ensuring that we continue to deliver value to our stakeholders,” added Marycris L. Panganiban, Chief Finance Officer, Landco Pacific Corporation.

The ”Amazing Workplace” Certification recognizes Landco Pacific Corporation’s thrust to creating a positive work culture where employees feel accepted and cared for, employee development is prioritized and opportunity is given to work close to their hometowns especially in the latest developments of the luxury beachfront condominium The Residences at Terrazas de Punta Fuego; BeachTowns CaSoBe (Calatagan South Beach) and Club Laiya in Batangas and Costa Azalea in Samal island, Davao; and at premium real estate legacy projects in key cities of the country.

“Our ‘Amazing Workplace’ certification is a proud achievement for us at Landco Pacific, and it’s rooted in our belief that a happy and engaged workforce is the key to success. We continuously strive to create a culture where everyone feels heard, valued, and part of a bigger mission. This recognition fuels our commitment to making Landco Pacific a place where employees thrive both personally and professionally,” said Allan Sangoyo, Senior Human Resources Manager, Landco Pacific Corporation.

Landco Pacific also actively engages its employees with meaningful activities to take care of the environment. Employees participated in the planting of saplings for mangrove reforestation at an estuary in Laiya, San Juan Batangas and annual release of turtle hatchlings at Landco Resort Estates CaSoBe and Club Laiya.

As an “Amazing Workplace” Certified company, Landco Pacific has employees that are genuinely happy working for them and 85% or more of anonymously surveyed employees have said they are happy or very happy at their workplace.

The certification process starts with an Employee Happiness Survey, designed to measure employee happiness across critically important workplace areas: engagement, leadership, culture, productivity, job, pay & benefits, workplace, and more.

Once complete, workplaces have access to the most comprehensive online happiness improvement platform anywhere — created to empower workplaces to take action based on employee feedback. The commitment to take action based on employee feedback is the key to improving employee happiness and creating more amazing workplaces for all.

“Amazing Workplaces” is a global integrated HR platform for employer branding, dedicated to analyzing, enriching, and promoting best practices across nine core pillars of workplace excellence. These pillars encompass Hiring & Retention, Culture, Compensation & Benefits, Employee Engagement, Rewards & Recognition, Internal Communication, Diversity Inclusion & Equity, Learning & Development, and CSR.

For more information about Landco Pacific Corporation, visit their website or Facebook page.

Mangroves: Nature-Based Solutions for the Philippines Coastal and Coral Reef Sustainability

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The ocean and the coast play important roles in Southeast Asia as a residential area and a source of livelihood. The region’s coastline spans a total length of 234,000 km and its ocean supplies around 40% of the global fish supply; at the same time, it is also the home to a third of mangroves and coral reefs in the region. Out of that many, 36,289 km of coastline belongs to the Philippines, making it an integral part for the nations. However, ocean and coastlines’ conditions greatly impacted due to the rising global temperature and climate crisis, including in the Philippines.

The latest report from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) states that the world is experiencing the fourth global coral bleaching event. This coral bleaching will certainly have an impact, including in reduced livelihoods and food sources due to disturbed fish habitats. The challenges in the Philippines are exacerbated by environmental degradation, including pollution, overfishing, and destructive fishing practice.

To prevent the coastal area from becoming more deteriorated, the Philippines has several approaches, including creating a network of marine protected areas. There is also focus on community based resources management that aims at sustainable fishing practices, mangrove reforestation, and coral reef restoration. One of them is the San Vicente Mangrove Forest and Marine Protected Area in Palawan, where the community is committed to safeguarding and restoring the mangrove area for 25 years since 1999, and extended to 12 more years.

Sustainable Mangrove Management by Communities in Indonesia

In Indonesia, similar to the Philippines, there has been a sustainable mangrove management by involving the community in Bali, specifically in Budeng Village.

Since September 2023, the Wana Mertha Forest Farmer Group (KTH Wana Mertha), that’s based in Budeng Village, has been assisted by Pesisir Lestari, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on coastal area management through Community-led Sustainable Natural Resources Management model approach. The program aims at enabling the community to preserve the mangrove forests and gain livelihood opportunities from it.

Based on a study conducted by Pesisir Lestari in early 2024, the mangrove ecosystem area in the Budeng Village spans a total ​​112.51 hectare (ha). From the total area, 25 ha is managed by the community who are members of the Wana Mertha Group.

In order to ensure proper management of the mangrove area, KTH Wana Mertha conducts regular check-ups on the mangroves’ health. Additionally, KTH Wana Mertha also creates an added value to the area by turning it into an eco-tourism culinary destination through the establishment of Warung Mangrove (restaurant) in 2021.

At the restaurant, residents of Budeng Village who are members of KTH Wana Mertha jointly manage the establishment, including managing the fish farm and other seafood such as shrimp, mangrove crabs, shellfish, and even the production and sale of mangrove chips, mangrove tea, mangrove herbal medicine and mangrove nurseries. The collaborative utilization and preservation of mangroves extends the benefits beyond Budeng Village but also for its surrounding villages.

"Warung Mangrove offers a unique dining atmosphere with a view of the mangrove forest and serves a variety of menus made from the community's catch and directly cooked by the women's group of Budeng Village," said I Putu Madiasa, Chair of KTH Wana Mertha, Budeng Village, Jembrana, Bali.

Beyond its presence as a unique tourist attraction, Warung Mangrove becomes an example of how sustainable environmental management can support creative ways to preserve the environment and strengthen community livelihoods. This case also highlights the importance of legal entity such as Wana Mertha which unlock opportunities for them to receive fiscal transfers and development funds from the government.

"The existence of the Mangrove forest makes us feel protected, we can now enjoy catching shrimps, crabs, and other seafood that contributes to our local economy," said I Kadek Sudiarsa, Secretary of KTH Wana Merta, Budeng, Jembrana, Bali.

Business Analysis and Community Engagement as Key to Sustainability

The community-led development approach carried out by Pesisir Lestari can be a complement of how communities can manage coastal areas in other Southeast Asian countries, especially the Philippines, including to develop existing potential to elevate the economy.

There should also be a balance between development and community empowerment. The government plays an important role in creating regulations that can protect coastal areas and encourage community involvement in managing coastal areas. The success of sustainable mangrove management will also impact various aspects including the marine industry, tourism, and coastal area resilience.

Pesisir Lestari hopes that the work they do can inspire other coastal communities in Southeast Asia, so that more appropriate methods for sustainable mangrove management will emerge. This is needed to ensure that Southeast Asia continues to have healthy coasts and oceans in the future.

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About Pesisir Lestari (YPL)

Pesisir Lestari is a local non-governmental organization (NGO) that focuses on marine conservation by prioritizing the Community-led Model in realizing the vision of building a sustainable future for coastal communities. Some of the programs currently underway include sustainable mangrove management through social forestry in Jembrana (Budeng Village), Banggai (Uwedikan Village), West Manggarai (Golo Sepang Village) and North Minahasa (Darunu Village), developing a tool box to identify opportunities for Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECM) and advocacy for the Octopus Fisheries Management Plan (RPP) in Indonesia.

Samsung One UI 6.1.1 Expands Latest Galaxy AI Features to Even More Users Around the World

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SEOUL, Korea – – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the expansion of One UI 6.1.1[i], which will bring the latest Galaxy AI features to more Galaxy devices through a new update. With the rollout beginning in September, the update will extend the AI features of Galaxy Z Fold6 and Z Flip6 to previous models including the Galaxy S24 series, S23 series, S23 FE, Z Fold5, Z Flip5 and Tab S9 series. With the latest advanced features across communication, productivity and creativity, the updated OS will elevate every mobile experience for users to deliver greater intelligence and convenience.

Intuitive Communication Without Barriers

Communicating with someone in another language is simple and easy with Galaxy AI. Interpreter[ii] offers Listening Mode which will now be available on all expanded devices, and one-way translation that can be used while listening to a presentation.

With Chat Assist, users can easily draft emails, social media posts, and more using Composer[iii]. Users can simply input a few keywords and Galaxy AI will generate a full message based on tone and personal style[iv] for review. Suggested replies[v], previously only available on Galaxy Z Flip6, will now be available on Galaxy S24 series devices — offering quick replies from the wrist when connected to Galaxy Watch7 or Galaxy Watch Ultra.

Powerful Productivity From Anywhere

The latest expansion of Galaxy AI features can transform any Galaxy device into a powerful productivity tool. Note Assist[vi] makes time-consuming meeting notes a thing of the past, enabling translation and note summaries, while the newly added transcript feature can quickly create notes based on voice recordings. For added convenience, PDF Overlay Translation[vii] can effortlessly translate and overlay text in PDF files or even translate text in images and graphs. And Sketch to Image[viii] helps enhance photos by generating a selection of image options that perfectly complement the original image based on simple sketches. Also, the advanced search capabilities of Circle to Search[ix] with Google quickly generate search results and now offer step-by-step instructions for solving complex math problems, as well as a newly added Sound Search[x] feature.

Advanced Creativity Made Easy

Galaxy AI is enabling everyday users to create professional-grade content, whether they're an amateur photographer or aspiring content creator. Instantly create portraits in a variety of styles such as 3D cartoon or watercolor with Portrait Studio[xi]. Plus, Instant Slow-mo[xii] users can seamlessly slow a video down while maintaining smooth image quality before quickly saving and sharing in just a few simple steps.

Availability

The software update for the Samsung Galaxy S24 series will begin rolling out in Korea on September 5, followed by North America and Europe on September 9. Software updates for additional Galaxy devices and countries will be available in the coming weeks.

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[i] The updated software version will be displayed as One UI 6.1 for the Galaxy S24 series, S23 series, and S23 FE, and One UI 6.1.1 for the Z Fold5, Z Flip5, and Tab S9 series.

[ii] Interpreter requires Samsung Account login. Certain languages may require language pack download. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Availability and supported features may vary by country, region or carrier. Availability of supported languages may vary.

[iii] Composer requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

[iv] Tone suggesting feature in Chat Assist requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Must meet length requirements to activate feature. Service availability may vary by language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

[v] Suggested Replies feature for Chat Assist requires network connection to receive messages. It can suggest replies with or without a network connection once the messages are received by the device. Samsung Account login required. Service availability may vary by language and app. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

[vi] Features for Note Assist require a network connection and Samsung Account login. Service availability may vary by language. Voice recording feature in the Samsung Notes app may not be supported in some countries. Summarizing feature is activated when a certain number of characters is met and is under the character limit. Audio files must be under 3 hours in duration to be processed. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed.

[vii] Overlay translation not supported for PDF files secured with password.

[viii] Sketch to Image requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Editing with Sketch to Image may result in a resized photo up to 12MP. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed.

[ix] Sequences shortened and simulated. Results for illustrative purposes only. Results may vary depending on visual matches. Requires internet connection. Users may need to update Android to the latest version. Product functionality may be dependent on app and device settings. Some functions may not be compatible with certain apps. Availability of the service varies by country and language. Accuracy of results is not guaranteed. Circle to Search is not available via FlexWindow.

[x] Sound Search will be rolled out across regions and models on an ongoing basis to ensure feature accuracy and performance.

[xi] Portrait Studio requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Supports JPG, HEIC (HEIF), BMP and PNG files. The background must not be transparent. Editing with Generative Portrait results in a resized photo up to 12MP. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed.

[xii] Instant Slow-mo feature is available on Samsung Video Player and Samsung Gallery. May not be available on certain video file types. Accuracy of results not guaranteed.

Eastern Communications Recognized and Awarded for Its Nationwide Network Infrastructure

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Eastern Communications, recognized at the 2024 Asian Technology 

Excellence Awards in Conrad, Bangkok

[From L to R:] Chris Head, Contributing Editor for Asian Business Review with Eastern Communications Team: Brand Communications Supervisor Angelou Leonardo, Co-Coordinator Vince Tempongko, AVP & Head of NPEI Delfin Lopez, Brand Communications Head Hannah Lazatin, and Outside Plant Director-NPEI Felipe Paez Jr.

Eastern Communications, the Philippines' pioneering telecommunications company and ICT solutions provider, proudly announces its victory at the Asian Technology Excellence Awards (ATEA) 2024. The telco provider won the Philippines Technology Excellence Award in the Infrastructure Technology - Telecommunications category for its groundbreaking Philippine Domestic Submarine Cable Network (PDSCN) project, a major initiative aimed at strengthening the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure amidst natural calamities.

“The Philippines is prone to typhoons and in some remote areas, connectivity is not even stable on regular days. The PDSCN project is more than just an infrastructure development and our goal is to ensure that unserved and underserved areas have access to reliable and resilient internet services, even in the face of natural disasters,” said Delfin Lopez, AVP and Head of Network Planning, Engineering and Implementation at Eastern Communications.

The award, presented by the Asian Business Review Magazine, celebrates the top technological innovators across the region, recognizing exceptional companies that are redefining industries and driving digital transformation. Eastern Communications’ victory in the telecommunications category underscores the company’s pivotal role in addressing the country’s communication vulnerabilities and supporting the ongoing digital evolution.

Apart from this, Eastern’s nationwide infrastructure and expansion efforts also gained global recognition and was previously awarded the Telecom Infrastructure Deployment category at the 2024 Carrier Community Global Awards in Berlin, Germany in June 2024.

Stronger connectivity for all

The PDSCN is the result of a strategic partnership between Eastern Communications, Globe Group, and InfiniVAN. With a PHP 4.3 billion investment, the project extended the reach of high-speed internet to underserved areas and ensured the creation of alternative routes for data transmission, minimizing the risk of service disruptions during calamities.

Through this, Eastern Communications significantly bolstered its presence in Visayas and Mindanao with 33 points of interconnection spanning multiple regions. This extensive network provides enhanced connectivity for every Filipino, laying the foundation for digital inclusion across the archipelago and ensuring that the Philippines remains competitive in the digital age.

As the telco provider celebrates its achievement at the ATEA, Eastern Communications remains steadfast in its goal to be at the forefront of the country’s digital transformation journey. The recognition not only highlights the success of the PDSCN project but also affirms the company’s role as a leader in providing resilient and reliable connectivity solutions across the Philippines.

For more information about Eastern Communications and its initiatives, contact 5300-7000 or visit www.eastern.com.ph.