Virtualahan: Breaking down employment barriers for PWDs

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Finding a sustainable source of income is one of the biggest challenge that People with Disabilities (PWD) face on daily basis. People with medical, mental and physical limitations are not just battling for their condition but enduring the inequality in the workplace primarily because of discrimination.

Virtualahan, a social enterprise based in Davao City is changing the system using a business model that upskills, employs, and empowers people with disabilities to become productive members of society. 

(From L-R): Kickstart Ventures President Minette Navarrete; Globe Telecom Head of Innovation Mikey Garrovillo; Virtualahan co-founders Ryan Gersava, Rose Gersava- Villamor, Elsie Losala-Gersava, Josh Gersava; and Ashoka Philippines Chairman Rico Gonzalez. Virtualahan is one of the five winners of Globe Future Makers Program.

“We equip people with skills and the right mindset so they can start working online as remote employees for digital businesses around the world. We have taken advantage of the power of the internet and the growing outsourcing industry to fulfil our mission which is to promote inclusive and sustainable employment, decent and productive work for all in a workplace that treats everyone as an equal,” said Ryan Gersava, Virtualahan Founder. 

Virtualahan was recently declared as one of the winners of Globe Future Makers Program, the social innovation program of Globe Telecom held in cooperation with the Singtel Group of Companies to help enable emerging social innovators create a positive impact on society with the help of technology.

“We see a lot of potential in Virtualahan in solving the need for gainful employment of PWDs and those with medical conditions who often face discrimination. We believe that innovations like this one plays a key role in making wide scale impact to help drive social development in the Philippines,” said Chelle Gray, Director for Globe Citizenship.

“With the technology support and mentorship of the Globe Future Makers program this will help us deal with our challenges in delivering our services, optimizing the tech aspect, improving our e-learning platform, even cut other practices to save on costs by using different tools and expansion to help those with no access to the Internet,” declared Gersava.

Gersava, a Licensed Medical Technologist, put up Virtualahan when he was denied of employment due to a medical condition despite having high qualifications. With the help of two siblings, Josh an IT professional and Rose, a registered nurse, they set up Virtualahan which is a play on “virtual” and“ eskwelahan,” a Filipino term for school. The social enterprise is a 100% virtual company which keeps their operations lean and highly functional. It is a very innovative and highly scalable model that uses technology to deliver positive impact.

Virtualahan recruits, screens, and qualifies candidates to undergo an intensive six weeks’ skills and capacity building program that allows unemployed PWD to become self-earning and dependable members of the family and the community.

Successful graduates are then provided with employment support through direct hiring, referrals, and online job preparation. They are employed as virtual assistants, customer service representatives, transcriptionists, data managers, among others.

“The work from home model is the best strategy that we found to help people with mobility issues to earn a decent income. We create structure, accountability, management and the opportunities for advancement and set these people to deliver maximum value. In the process, we are building a support network that meets in person and online to nurture confidence, teamwork, and social equality among our members, “added Ryan.

For the past two years, Virtualahan served 127 beneficiaries from 20 different cities across the country. It has also represented the Philippines in major international competitions like the ASEAN Impact Challenge in Singapore, has spoken to international conference like the Social Enterprise World Forum in Hong Kong, was accepted in prestigious fellowships like The DO School in Germany, The Global Good Fund in USA, and represented the country at The Youth Assembly at The United Nations in New York.

Winning the Globe My Future Makers is an important milestone for Virtualahan in expanding its advocacy to more areas in the country and eventually to the world.

DREAM JOB ALERT! 7-ELEVEN is willing to pay someone to eat food !

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Your favorite kapitbahay, 7-Eleven, has a job vacancy that needs to be filled immediately! It might sound surreal, but this is definitely not a drill, 7-Eleven offers you your dream job where you get paid by simply eating free food!

7-Eleven is searching for someone to host a “Mukbang” video series for them. The show will feature 7-Eleven products such as Slurpee, Big Bite, and other treats from partner brands like Selecta Ice Cream. If you’ve been living under a rock, Mukbang is an online trend where a host films himself/herself while consuming large quantities of food.

Just like any other conventional job, hopeful applicants need to possess certain requirements to be considered for the position. For starters, the application is exclusively for all 7-Eleven customers that have the CLiQQ app installed on their mobile devices. Second, and more importantly, applicants need to have a big appetite and a unique way of eating that can attract and entice audiences or in Filipino, nakakatakam kumain. And to make the application process more interesting, 7-Eleven sets no age limit so anyone can apply!

Eating free food in front of a camera is not a real job unless you get paid for it, so 7-Eleven also prepared a competitive compensation package for the chosen Master Eater. For a duration of 7 weeks and 11 days, the luckiest applicant will earn 711 pesos per day! Not bad just for eating food, right? And to make it more exciting, the Master Eater would get a bonus of 711,000 pesos if he/she gets 2,000,000 Filipinos to download the CLIQQ app during his/her tenure as the Master Eater.

7-Eleven is showing people how much points they waste when they don’t use their CLiQQ app, which is why they’re presenting CLiQQ Tapoints. CLiQQ Tapoints is all about making 7-Eleven customers aware of what items they can redeem with the CLiQQ points they earn with every purchase.

Aside from turning your dream job into reality, CLiQQ Tapoints also aims to spread awareness regarding the huge number of food wasted by consumers because of their inability to redeem their rewards through the CLiQQ app. The amount of food that 7-Eleven will serve to the CLiQQ Tapoints Master Eater is dependent on the number of unredeemed points in a specific store that the team will visit during the duration of the campaign.

This will serve as a visual representation of how much food 7-Eleven customers are missing out on. For example, one store in Gagalangin, Tondo has an average of 1,228 unclaimed CLiQQ reward points per day, that is equal to 32 pieces of Big Bite wasted daily. Hopefully, this will encourage the public to redeem their rewards or else, the CLiQQ Tapoints Master Eater will do his job.

So, if you are willing to take on the challenge and be part of this one of a kind campaign, auditions for the CLiQQ Tapoints Master Food Eater are scheduled on January 6, 2018, Saturday 9am to 12nn at WYD Productions, 402 Greenbelt Mansion, 106 Perea Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. Applicants are expected to bring at least one valid ID, CLiQQ app on their phones, and one big appetite! 

For more details, please visit the official Facebook page of 7-Eleven at www.facebook.com/711philippines.

GCash scan to pay rolls out in transport industry

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GCash is expanding its scan to pay feature in the transport industry through a partnership with Emotors, Inc. Emotors, Inc. is the operator of Zum e-Series which provides e-shuttle service for tenants and employees of the W Group, Globe Telecom, and Mynt.

Globe Telecom President and CEO Ernest Cu trying GCash scan to pay for Emotors e-shuttle service.  EMI CEO Elizabeth Lee holds the GCash QR sticker while Mynt President and CEO Anthony Thomas (right) and W Group CEO Francis Wee (2nd from left) look on.

"This is just the beginning of our foray into the transport sector.  Wherever cash is used, we want to offer a quick and hassle-free alternative,” said Ernest Cu, chief executive officer of Globe Telecom.  Globe, together with Ant Financial and Ayala Corp., owns Mynt, the financial technology company which operates GCash mobile wallet service.

Globe Telecom's collaboration with Emotors, Inc. is hinged on three factors: innovative technology, clean and sustainable electric transport, and the demand for services that avoid commuting pain points. 

Emotors, Inc. is a hundred-percent Filipino-owned social enterprise committed to environmental sustainability through the Zum e-Series, an electric tricycle that can seat six passengers. Compared to traditional vehicles, the electric tricycle is quiet, economical, and emits a lower carbon footprint.

Through the service, commuters can enjoy cashless payments by scanning the QR code provided by the pilots. GCash’s scan to pay feature is the only mode of payment available.

The Zum e-Series offers point-to-point transport from the WCC Building to Market! Market! and vice versa.

To use the scan to pay feature, customers must simply download or update the GCash app on their smartphone, tap or point the phone’s camera at the QR code, and input the amount to be paid.

Customers can load their GCash wallet in any of the 12,000 GCash partner outlets nationwide, including Globe Stores, SM Business Centers, Robinsons Business Centers, Puregold branches, 7-Eleven Barcode Cash In, TouchPay kiosks, and many more.

GCash aims to make cashless payments the preferred choice of payment as it eliminates the hassle of bringing money and waiting for change. Merchants don’t need to pay for expensive equipment and will only need a QR sticker linked to a GCash wallet.

To date, GCash has partnered with top establishments like Ayala Malls, Robinsons Department Stores, SM Stores, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, Ministop, Mercato Centrale, among others. GCash will soon roll out to the parking segment with a partnership with Megaworld’s Uptown Mall.

Learn more about GCash by visiting www.gcash.com and following them on their social media channels: www.facebook.com/gca shofficial,www.twitter.com/gca shofficial, and www.instagram.com/gcashoff icial.

Winners of the MMFF 2017 Gabi ng Parangal, "Ang Larawan" won Best Picture

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"Ang Larawan" won Best Picture at this year's Metro Manila Film Festival Gabi ng Parangal on Wednesday, December 27 held at the Kia Theatre.

Derek Ramsay won the Best Actor award for the movie All of You, while Joana Ampil won the Best Actress for the movie Ang Larawan.

Paul Soriano won Best Director for the movie Siargao.

Here are the winners from Wednesday's Metro Manila Film Festival 2017 awards night: 

Best Picture - ANG LARAWAN

2nd Best Picture - SIARGAO

3rd Best Picture - ALL OF YOU

Best Actress - Joana Ampil, Ang Larawan

Best Actor - Derek Ramsey, All of You

Best Supporting Actress - Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Siargao

Best Supporting Actor - Edgar Allan Guzman, Deadma Walking

Best Director - Paul Soriano, Siargao

Special Jury Prize - Nick Joaquin, Ang Larawan

People's Choice Award - The Revenger Squad

Gatpuno Antonio J. Villegas Cultural Award - Ang Larawan

FPJ Memorial Award - Ang Panday

Children's Choice - Ang Panday

Best Child Performance - Baste, Meant to Beh

Best Screenplay - All of You

Best Cinematography - Siargao

Best Editing - Siargao

Best Production Design - Ang Larawan

Best Musical Score - Ang Larawan

Best Visual Effects - Ang Panday

Best Original Theme Song - Siargao

Best Sound - Siargao

Best Float - Deadma Walking

Best Short Film - "Anong Nangyari kay Nicanor Dante"

People's Choice Award (Short Films) - "Noel"

Star of the Night (Female) - Erich Gonzales

Star of the Night (Male) - Derek Ramsay

Bicol Isarog and Globe myBusiness team up to give holiday travellers a wonderful Christmas surprise

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December 17 was a wonderful day of presents and surprises for travelers journeying from Naga to Manila for the holidays as Bicol Isarog and Globe myBusiness collaborated to give passengers a Christmas they would never forget. 

Passengers of a Bicol Isarog bus from Naga were gifted with items they wished for such as flat-screen television, laptop computer, mobile phone, camera, and Christmas basket, among others, as soon as they alighted from their 12-hour journey to Manila.

Jose Marco del Pilar, Executive Vice President and owner of Bicol Isarog, said they wanted to give back to their passengers, thanking them for their consistent support which helped the company grow and flourish. Bicol Isarog is focused on giving great experience to their riders who often spend a lot of hours on the road traveling.

“A wonderful Christmas for us is bringing something new. Our passengers are the lifeblood of the company so we surveyed and surprised them with gifts and presents that they want for Christmas. We have so many blessings and we want to share these with them,” said del Pilar as he promised that Bicol Isarog will continue to give passengers first class service and comfortable travels to and from the Bicol region.

He also noted that working with Globe myBusiness was important in making the surprise possible. “Globe myBusiness is very engaged and I am happy to say that they have really helped us in more ways than one.” Globe myBusiness assisted Bicol Isarog in meeting their business objectives, both in operations and marketing their services to the customers for better travel experience.

According to del Pilar, Globe myBusiness’ team is proactive in approaching Bicol Isarog to formulate strategies to better serve their customers. “They really gave us very innovative business solutions so our bus company can connect to a computerized system and link ticketing systems nationwide. We have ticketing systems in Manila, Bicol, Masbate, Catanduanes, and the Visayas connected through our WiFi, our Internet, and phone lines.”

“Most of our air conditioned buses also have Globe WiFi. By providing that connectivity to passengers, we give them first-class service. We also have AdBlast service from Globe myBusiness when we need to send out information to our customers,” he added.

Meanwhile, Derrick Heng, Senior Adviser for Globe myBusiness, said that their work with Bicol Isarog was in line with the company’s mission to help businesses flourish by helping entrepreneurs provide great customer experience to their clients.

“Bicol Isarog always wanted to give superior service to their customers so we provide them with connectivity and solutions that will help their passengers enjoy the trip better,” he said.

Heng also noted that the plan to welcome Bicol Isarog’s passengers with presents as they arrive at the terminal is a wonderful opportunity to show how both companies care. “Christmas is the time to rejoice. To create a wonderful experience, simple gestures matter. A simple gesture of giving a present is a way to thank customers for their loyalty that will definitely put a smile on their face,” he said.

Christmas is a special time for Filipinos to spend memorable moments with their loved ones. Globe myBusiness helps make this happen through their partnerships with businesses like Bicol Isarog which have, time and again, given friends and families an opportunity to be together especially during the Yuletide Season. 

Discover more about Globe myBusiness and how it can help your business deliver a wonderful experience for your customers and their families at http://mybusiness.globe.com.ph .