DRAGONPAY: An act of trust and persuasion

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One can say that Dragonpay’s success was built through partnerships. One can say it is because of their services. Or one can even say that it is because of the founder’s educational background. Though these remain true, Robertson Chiang, the founder of Dragonpay, says that his business’ success and legitimacy was established through honesty and integrity. It may sound cliché but in reality these traits, when tainted, are hard to form once more. Trust between or among parties can last forever, but can also disappear in a snap.

You can say that Robertson Chiang was the prodigy student of his batch in Ateneo de Manila University. Graduating top of his class with a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science, he pursued a career in Citibank as a Systems Analyst. This career path was scissored short when he flew to the US in pursuit of an MBA degree, which he deservingly received in Babson Graduate School of Business. Going back to Manila, he opened up his own Internet Service Provider (ISP), which was later acquired by the biggest private commercial ISP of that time. He joined forces with the bigger company as head of technology but he eventually left to become his own boss. The combination of his undergraduate degree, MBA degree, and work experience only made him better in all angles of his intellect – giving birth to Dragonpay.

Dragonpay started as a side business of Mr. Chiang while he was still under his previous employment. Starting up, his vision was set to processing online payments through credit card and paypal, then to online banking payments. But with the limited results from these channels, he realized that the credit and banking market would not cut his desired target. The truth is only an estimate of 5% in the Philippine population have access to credit cards and only 20% have access to Internet Banking. Knowing that the market is composed in this manner, Mr. Chiang thought of the majority, who the e-Commerce merchants have not tapped. This gave way for Dragonpay to expand their services to over-the-counter payments, which unsurprisingly rocketed the venture from a sideline to a frontline, single entity business. With this big shift in attention, he opted out from being an employee and became a full time parent to Dragonpay.

Ever since Dragonpay acknowledged this truth about the Philippine market, business has been consistently performing – although as with any business venture, barriers must be overcome. The main barrier to this venture is gaining the trust of merchants and of course, the consumers. There is no exact science to this, leaving Dragonpay to resort to the classic act of persuasion. Being a startup company themselves, there is no other way but to make other merchants understand the idea of the business. Fortunately enough, at the right place and time, merchants understood that with the statistics laid out, there is a need to acquire Dragonpay in their e-Commerce business. Along the way, Mr. Chiang was able to partner up with bigger companies who trusted their word from the very beginning. Showing that their service is full of potential and beneficial to all parties, these bigger names in different industries pursued the relationship and aided Dragonpay’s legitimacy as a full-grown business. 

Today, Dragonpay champions in three services – namely, online payment solution, mass payout, and recurring payments. These well thought-of services are steadily growing to what Mr. Chiang envisioned from the very beginning. It truly was a trial and error process for Dragonpay, but they made it to where they wanted to be one way or another. Mr. Chiang exclaimed, “Find out what went wrong, fix it; do it all over again.” This advice of his seems obvious. One could say, “I knew that.” But not everyone can say, “I made it.” 

In late 2014, GMO Payment Gateway, the biggest payment gateway in Japan, made a minority investment in Dragonpay. The partnership is expected to take the company to its next level of growth. More than anything else, the investment is also a testament to the soundness of the company’s business model and its prospect for further growth.

To know more about Dragonpay and their services, visit them at www.dragonpay.ph. This may be the missing payment solution to your business. 

Three Industry Leaders: PLDT SME Nation, Samsung Philippines and Microsoft Philippines forge a Partnership to Empower SMEs with Broadband and Digital Solutions

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The Philippines’ fast-growing digital, social and mobile users definitely creates unprecedented opportunities for the 800,000 strong small and medium enterprise (SME) market segment. However, the challenge today is how SMEs can efficiently tap and engage this community.

Today, there are over 34 million Facebook users, over 10 million Twitter followers and with over 44 million Filipino internet users and counting. 

With this, PLDT SME Nation partners with Samsung & Microsoft Philippines to create innovative business solutions that will enable entrepreneurs to run their business better, grow faster, be more globally competitive and engage with the country’s digital, social and mobile population.

SMEs can now enjoy the benefits of having PLDT SME Nation’s premium and faster fixed and wireless broadband solutions running on our latest fiber and LTE network. These broadband offerings provide unlimited access which give entrepreneurs the ability to continuously conduct online activities without the fear of bandwidth throttling. Our services also feature committed information rates or CIR, which guarantee minimum bandwidth speeds for businesses and a static IP used to power up their websites and enable faster inter-office data transfers.

Second, PLDT SME Nation boasts of its most robust network and nation-widest reach for its fixed, wireless and now satellite service, ensuring that entrepreneurs will have the best broadband service suited for their business wherever they are. 

Lastly, these new broadband packages come with supercharged flexible freebies ranging from relevant and business enabling Cloud Solutions such as Microsoft Office 365 and PLDT Cloud apps for video monitoring, asset tracking, POS, infrastructure and more. SMEs will also be able to get for free and choose the latest array of smart devices from Samsung Philippines and High Definition (HD) TV content from Cignal.

In an event entitled “Growing your Business in the Digital Age”, PLDT SME Nation together with two other industry leaders, Samsung and Microsoft, announced this partnership to create and introduce groundbreaking technologies and tools that will enable SMEs to efficiently manage their businesses anytime, anywhere. 

In his welcome remarks, PLDT Executive Vice President and ePLDT President and CEO Eric Alberto highlighted the significance of the partnership saying, “This collaboration and synergy among today’s leaders in the telecommunications industry ushers in a new era of enablement for the small and medium enterprise market segment.

Through this strategic partnership, SMEs will have access to game-changing business tools such as faster and nationwide fixed and wireless broadband solutions, latest gadgets and devices and relevant collaboration cloud applications which should ultimately lead to higher levels of operational efficiencies, expanded market reach, higher profit margin levels, and in the process create higher economic multiplier for our country” Alberto adds.

PLDT SME Nation showcased some of this technology’s capability during the event, inviting several bloggers from Cebu and Manila to virtually take part of the press conference from remote locations using Microsoft Office 365.

To signify the formalization of the partnership among the three companies Alberto was joined on stage by PLDT First Vice President and Head of SME Business Kat Luna-Abelarde, Samsung Philippines Managing Director Harry Lee, Samsung Philippines Business Manager James Kwon, Samsung Philippines Enterprise Director Irene Catane, Microsoft Philippines Director for Small, Midsize Solutions Partners Diana Tibbs and Microsoft Philippines Business Group Lead Tovia Va’aelua for the push-button inauguration. 

Abelarde pledged PLDT SME Nation’s commitment to provide SMEs with the best broadband and digital solutions saying, “PLDT SME Nation reaffirms its support for Filipino SMEs as it continues to innovate and form partnerships with industry leaders to provide our country’s aspiring entrepreneurs with only the best broadband solutions for their businesses.”

Pipelining Sustainability by Neltex, showcase their precise state-of-the-art, health-safe pipes, joints and seals at the Worldbex 2015

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Neltex Development Co. Inc., the biggest PVC Pipe Manufacturer in the Philippines with the state of the art plant, showcase their precise state-of-the-art, durable and reliable, 100% leak-free, yet environmentally-friendly and health-safe pipes, joints and seals, during the biggest construction show exhibit last March 14- 15, 2015 at Worlbex, World Trade Center Pasay City, with the theme of “Pipelining Sustainability”.

Neltex is one of the most-visited brands at the Worldbex 2015. Many curious visitors have seen eye-catching exhibit of Neltex.

A transparent presentation and features major parts of the house that points out the important role of pipes.

Neltex offers solutions to major pipeline problems. 

One of the most common problems is leakage caused by poor jointing and loose gasket resulting to non-revenue water and system loss. Pipe leak is highly caused by improper pipe fitting due to conventional installation and non-secure working condition.

For this, NELTEX offers the use of its PVC NELTEX PRESSURELINE PIPE with machine-installed fixed seal solution that leaves no margin for error.

Major infrastructures constructed decades ago can no longer adapt to climate and environmental changes. Floods and waste water still go through reinforced concrete pipes that are corroded by the hydrogen sulfide present in waste water. These should be changed to the chemically-resistant PVC PIPES of NELTEX.

Road construction is often slowed down due to pipe laying of reinforced concrete pipes. Concrete pipes are only one meter in length and heavy. Jointing these pipes are tedious and could be inaccurate, thus difficult to form long, straight pipes. With concrete pipes jointed in unevent slopes, water could not flow as fast as in smoothly straight pipes, and clogging often occurs.

NELTEX suggests the use of flexible, lightweight, six-meter long PVC NELTEX SEWERGUARD PIPE with SEWERLOCK SEAL that ensures fast installation and less jointing.

Urbanization requires that electrical cables should be contained in pipes and installed underground. Since electrical pipes are installed beside water pipes, it is a must for these pipes to be highly durable, non-corrosive, water tight and air tight. NELTEX meets these requirements with its impact modified PVC POWERGUARD PIPES joined together by means of a fixed seal technology called the POWERLOCK that renders the pipes to be 100% waterproof and air tight.

Climate change and urbanization have certainly affected the requirements expected form the pipeline industry.

Typhoons, averaging 20 times per year, and storm surges cause heavy flooding in thoroughfares and these put unnecessary pressure on water pipes and underground electrical pipes. Environmental wastes seep through the sewers at accelerated speeds and amounts as a result of the ever increasing population. Seemingly endless road construction and repairs that bring about heavy traffic in the metropolis and suburbs have become part of our daily lives. Then, there are also skyscrapers, buildings and houses sprouting like mushrooms almost everywhere.

Without a doubt, much is expected from Neltex. Neltex Development Corporation never stops to develop pipes that respond to the needs of the times because a pipe, after all, is an important component of life in the modern society. 

To know more about this, check the NELTEX website at www.neltex.com. 

Visit: https://www.facebook.com/neltexpipes

Photos: Arts Travel Magazine

DepEd affirms: We are ready for K to 12!

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"On this 5th year of K to 12 implementation, we are running a marathon and I can already see the finish line. We are on our last mile," said Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC after presenting a midterm report to the 16th Congress on the K to 12 Basic Education Program. 

In his presentation, Luistro outlined developments in the implementation of the K to 12 Program, specifically, the provision of fundamental education inputs from 2010 to 2014. He asserted that, “All 220 divisions of the Department of Education (DepEd) have finished planning and have figures on enrolment a year in advance. Plans were reviewed per division and against national figures then we [took results and] consulted with industry representatives.”

Since 2010 to 2014, DepEd has filled 128,055 new teacher items and constructed a total of 88,805 classrooms. DepEd expects 1.2M to 1.6M students from public high schools to enter Grade 11 in 2016 and 2017. 

Of the 7,914 public high schools, DepEd identified 5,020 as potential Senior High Schools that are expected to accommodate 1.6M to 2.2M students. The remaining 800k to 1M students are expected to go to non-DepEd schools such as private high schools, private HEIs, SUCs and LUCs offering Senior High School.

Amid criticisms, the education chief encouraged openness to dialogue and extended gratitude to partners in the legislative who were instrumental in creating the Enhanced Basic Education Act and ensuring that no learners are left behind.

“The curriculum is done and it is the first time in history that it can be accessed in its entirety in the DepEd website,” Luistro said. He added that while it is complete, the Department welcomes feedback from the public. He maintains that education is everyone’s responsibility.

Commenting on the strengths of the K to 12 Program, Luistro said, “We looked at the exits (of the K to 12 curriculum). Each Filipino should have skills in Information Technology, Learning and Innovation, Communication, and Life Skills. Mas importante po ang life skills, hindi lang ang nakukuha sa libro. Every Filipino will have the skills to be able to go to school, start their own businesses or be employed.”

Amid claims that a number of teachers stand to be unemployed because of the K to 12 Program, Luistro gave his assurance saying, "The situation is manageable. We will be hiring an estimated 30,000 to 41,000 high school teachers for 2016 and 2017 and we will give priority to the displaced teaching and non-teaching staff."

In his closing remarks, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. vowed to block attempts by Congress to suspend the K to 12 Program’s implementation saying, “We in Congress have given them the law and it cannot be suspended. Based on the discussion today, I think they [DepEd] are on the right track.”

As of March 5, there are 1,116 private schools that applied for SHS permits for SY 2016. Luistro said, “By the end of March, we will be able to issue actual probationary permits (for these applicants).”

Robin Padilla, newest brand endorser of organic cough medicine

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Robin Padilla is the newest brand endorser of organic cough medicine ASCOF Lagundi, as presented yesterday (March 12) to the media, held at 55 Events Place Inc., Quezon City. 

With Robin Padilla’s new organic lifestyle, there is no better time than now for him to be the newest brand endorser of natural cough medicine, ASCOF Lagundi. 

Robin embraces organic lifestyle and promotes use of natural cough medicine. At first, the award-winning actor was hesitant about the project because he thought he would be endorsing a synthetic product, something he tries to avoid because he prefers to use herbal medicines in real life.

“Nung unang pinitch sa akin ‘to, sabi ko ayaw ko ng mga gamot kasi hindi ako uminom ng gamot kasi kami ni Mariel organic [living]… pero ‘nung nakita ko na organic talaga ang ASCOF Lagundi [pumayag na agad ako],” says Robin in an interview when he visited LAC Farms, one of the country’s biggest OCCP (Organic Certification Center of the Philippines), GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)-certified organic farm owned by Pascual Laboratories, the maker of ASCOF Lagundi.

Robin and wife Mariel Rodriguez believe that one should choose herbal medicines because it is natural unlike synthetic ones that may cause liver deterioration.

“Marami po tayong gamot na maiinom na available over-the-counter na gagamutin ‘yung sakit mo pero sisirain naman ‘yung liver mo,” says Robin.

Cough being one of the most common sicknesses in the Philippines resulted in the increase in number of cough medicines, all with claims to be the most effective in addressing it. While this is true, not all brands can claim that they are natural and organic.

ASCOF Lagundi, an herbal medicine, is one of the few that can claim that it is natural, organic, and effective against cough. It has a luwag-tunaw combo action against cough—a bronchodilating effect that widens inflamed/constricted air passageways in the lungs, giving relief to the patient, and a mucolytic action that melts phlegm for easier expectoration. 

“Yung Chairman ng aming company, si Dr. Abraham F. Pascual, ay may advocacy na mag-develop ng natural products kasi marami talaga sa Philippines na halaman na may medicinal properties so it’s his advocacy to develop products that will be good for the consumers. We find that we are aligned with Mr. Robin Padilla’s own advocacy kaya naman siya ang kinuha namin as endorser for ASCOF,” says Ayne Rili, ASCOF’s Senior Brand Manager.

“Ang maganda sa ASCOF ay sila ‘yung unang brand na gumamit ng Lagundi. Iyong ASCOF, 19 years na sila,’yung iba sumunod na lang,” says Robin.

Having produced Lagundi leaves from its own certified-organic farm, you can only expect that PascualLab uses the best ingredients, coupled with strict quality standards and modern technology.

With the couple’s newly shared interest and practice, Robin says that it brought them to different countries to really study the lifestyle. While Robin says that explaining this kind of living will be a long discussion, he says that his biggest takeaway is feeling lighter and more at ease with his body every day.

Practicing this way of living for almost three years now, the action star feels responsible to share his discovery to everyone because it is good for one’s overall wellness.

“Meron tayong moral obligation sa mga taong naniniwala sa atin na dalhin natin sila sa tama. Ito ang paraan natin to give back, [to only endorse] the truth. Itong organic medicine is the best na maibibigay natin sa tao,” says Robin.

“Kahit saan man ako makarating, hindi naman kami siguro bibitaw sa Pascual (ang makers ng ASCOF, Lagundi), siguro kahit hindi naman kami nagkita ng Pascual o kahit may Ascof o wala, tuluy-tuloy ako sa organic revolution,” Robin adds. 

Robin said that being the endorser for cough medicine is their answered prayer. “Araw-araw nagdadasal kami ni Mariel na sana may produktong organic. Ito na pala ‘yun.”