Comm&Sense wins record 9 Anvils

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In just its third year of joining the prestigious Anvil Awards, Comm&Sense won a total of nine honors at its 55th edition -- its biggest haul since first joining in 2018.

The Comm&Sense team, composed of Lorraine Lipar, Clarissa Osorio, Iah Ballesteros, Charlotte Fabian-Reyes (Managing Director), Jaeger L. Tanco (President and CEO), Toteng Tanglao (Communications Director), Alex Abordo, Patricial Sealtiel, Pol Villanueva, Hanna Larraga, Mitch Valcos, and Christian Sales with the team’s 9 Anvils for 2020

Leading the roster of winning clients for one of the country’s most exciting public relations agencies is Pru Life UK, which got a Gold Anvil under the PR Tools-Multimedia/Digital category for its’ #WhyWeRide videos, which highlighted how the campaign gave a purpose and sense of community among Filipino cyclists.

PhilLife Financial also bagged a Gold Anvil in the same category for its Teachers Helping Teachers video blog series, which built a solid online following among public school teachers by producing engaging and appealing content.

PhilCare, particularly its prepaid health card line-up, was likewise awarded a Gold Anvil in the PR Programs Directed at Specific Stakeholders category for demonstrating how the sachet insurance model helped achieve the dream of inclusive healthcare for Filipinos.

Meanwhile, Zamboanga-based Alsons Power Corporation got the Silver Anvil in the PR Programs on a Sustained Basis category for the Alsons Power-Hidilyn Diaz Scholarship Program. 

Named after the country’s first Filipina Olympic silver medalist and Zamboanga native, the program empowers local student-athletes who have the potential to compete in Olympic weightlifting.

San Pedro City, Laguna-based Westlake Medical Center also won the Silver Anvil in the PR Tools-Multimedia/Digital category for the Sabi ni Doc video series, which made the hospital more recognizable to residents living in its vicinity.

Comm&Sense’s affiliate, ROAR, also added four Anvils to its collection of honors, all of which are from BDO Unibank, which bagged one Gold Anvil and three Silver Anvils.

BDO won the Gold Anvil for its monthly employee newsletter The Wayfinder under the PR Tools-Publications category. Launched in early 2019, the new corporate newsletter of the country’s largest bank found ways to engage with its internal stakeholders. 

As for its Silver Anvils, two came from the PR Tools-Multimedia/Digital category – first, for its Valentine’s video and second, for its influencer marketing video.

Entitled Payo para sa Puso, BDO’s Valentine’s video tackled Filipino millennials’ behavior during the season of love to teach them financial literacy with the use of animation. 

Also targeted at millennials, BDO’s influencer marketing video featured Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach and former UAAP courtside reporter Angelique Manto, with the aim of inspiring the next generation.

BDO likewise bagged the Silver Anvil in the PR Tools-Exhibits and Special events category for the homecoming exhibit of global Filipino artist David Medalla. 

Organized by bank adviser Mara Coson, the exhibit featured Medalla’s Cloud Canyons No. 31 kinetic sculpture, which was brought home to the Philippines from the United Kingdom as a way to reintroduce him to fellow Filipinos.

“This is truly a feat for us. For a young, 15-year old agency like us, our efforts to go beyond expectations have certainly paid off and have definitely been noticed. We look forward to achieving more for our clients through game-changing strategies that give a bang for the buck,” said Comm&Sense founder, president, and CEO Jaeger L. Tanco.

“Considering that we were already nominated for the Agency of the Year award in last year’s Quill, this record for Comm&Sense and ROAR gives us further motivation to up the ante for our clients, and perhaps the public relations field in the country,” added Comm&Sense managing director and ROAR president Charlotte Reyes.

Established in 2005, Comm&Sense is a full-service digital PR agency which believes that data-driven content, followed by creative execution, and smart amplification are the elements clients need to build credibility with their respective customers.

From left: Charlotte Fabian-Reyes (Managing Director), Jaeger Tanco (President and CEO), Toteng Tanglao (Communications Director)

Comm&Sense, together with its traditional PR arm ROAR, distinguish themselves from other agencies through brand publishing – a strategy wherein brands come out with their own content. 

BDO Unibank: Finding ways for bank services reachable in select areas

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BDO Unibank continues to find ways for its bank services to be accessible in areas covered by the prevailing enhanced community quarantine. 

With the roving ATM on Wheels, bank clients are still able to perform various transactions like balance inquiry, cash withdrawal, cash advance, BDO cash card reload, prepaid mobile reload, fund transfer, donation, activation of online banking enrollment and 3rd party fund transfer and pin change. 

The ATM on Wheels, which is available from 11am to 6pm, accepts both local and international cards.

The ATM on Wheels recently went to Anonas in Quezon City, Bagbaguin in Caloocan, and Pasig City. 

This week, it will be deployed to Savemore Branch in Camarin, Caloocan from April 13-15, and to Savemore Branch in Novaliches from April 16-18.

“BDO is positioning ATM on Wheels in areas where our branches are closed or in areas where there are no nearby ATMs,” the Bank said.

Globe encourages customers to share inspiring stories and messages through Hope Bank

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Globe Telecom encourages its customers to share inspiring stories and messages of upliftment to those suffering from fear, stress, anxiety, and depression especially in light of the current pandemic that the world is battling.

Globe’s Hope Bank Facebook Community (http://bit.ly/hopebank_), aims to serve as an empowering channel for those who are trying to cope with the emotional and mental challenges caused by COVID-19 and to boost the morale of frontliners, patients who are being treated for COVID-19, as well as their families and friends.

Through this online space, community members may share messages of hope for encouragement, strength and inspiration. 

“We want to rally people into becoming a community support group to make others realize that they are not alone, that there are people who are willing to provide empathy and emotional connection virtually. This is the time for each of us to reinforce one another, even if only to provide support to those who need them the most,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and SVP for Corporate Communications.

To contribute to the platform, members may post using the hashtag #SpreadHOPE, both on their personal profiles and in the group. The messages may be in the form of photos, artworks, quotes, songs/lyrics, video or anything that reflects their expression of hope and positivity. They may tag family members and friends or anyone who may benefit from such support.

Hope Bank was first introduced by Globe two years ago as a platform for people with mental health illness seeking help and support.

Cooking shows, digital fitness via Facebook live

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A glimpse on the new digital lifestyle

MANILA, Philippines, April, 2020 – Just like everyone else, social media stars, vloggers, musicians, artists, and performers find ways to cope during these trying times. Most of them raise funds to help frontline heroes in the battle against the pandemic. For some, the digital wave becomes a platform to help boost productivity from home.

Boosting the immune system

YouTuber and fitness enthusiast Wil Dasovich recently held a digital fitness campaign to help people boost their immune system.

He had a 15-minute ab-workout which consisted some fat-burning moves, including leg raises, the russian twist, side plank and reach through, and toe reach among others.

According to Dasovich, exercising and eating the right nutrients can help boost the immune system. He also shared some fitness and health tips, including intermittent fasting and autophagy.

For Dasovich, exercising is just one of the many ways to improve productivity at home especially during the quarantine period. “In a time of crisis, how we respond to situations is what defines us,” Dasovich said.

Check out his 15-minute ab-workout on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildasovichfanpage/videos/2770955372980166/. 

Kitchen innovation

A rising Instagram star and chef, Edward Bugia had a live Facebook kitchen experiment as he turned a simple pancit canton into Pad Thai.

Adding a dash of creativity, Bugia cooked a homemade Shrimp Pad Thai using two packs of pancit canton. He also made his own pad Thai sauce using the Pancit Canton packed condiments while adding a few more ingredients in the mix.

While he cooked his innovated pancit canton, Bugia engaged with his audience as he promised more live cooking sessions for them.

Bugia finished off his delicious Pancit Canton-turned-Shrimp Pad Thai with a wonderful plating as he enjoyed the taste of Thailand with his beautiful wife Trixie. 

Learn this new innovated Pad Thai recipe as seen on his Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edward.bugia/videos/10156882945097385/.

PLDT-Smart powers up work-from-home productivity 

Last March 16, the government placed the entire Luzon on lockdown in the hopes of containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Since then, Filipinos have to quickly adapt to a new lifestyle and work routine — one that requires them to live digital.

Transportation systems have been halted. Malls have been closed. Curfews have been imposed; and work-from-home arrangements have been in place.

The current crisis has forced people to go digital with work meetings held via Microsoft Office Teams or Google Hangouts and people relying heavily on fast Internet and connectivity.

As the entire nation combats the lethal impacts of the pandemic, Filipinos nationwide find better ways to cope and live this new normal. In this digital wave, everyone now relies on a fast internet for work to be done. With this, PLDT and Smart continues to enhance its networks to empower every Filipino, especially in this time of crisis.

To ensure a seamless work and study from home arrangement, PLDT provided a speed boost for Fibr subscribers in which the minimum speed is 25 Mpbs until April 30, 2020. This is applicable to residents of Metro Manila and parts of Greater Manila including Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal.

PLDT and Smart also continuously provides data connectivity, technical support, and communication aid to various frontline health workers and government response teams. Some beneficiaries include the Philippine General Hospital, Research Institute for Tropical Research and several local government units in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Pay bills in less than a minute: GCash encourages Filipinos to digitally settle bills to help flatten the curve

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has forced Filipinos to stay at home to flatten the curve, but with the enhanced community quarantine in most parts of the country, paying bills has become a burdensome task for some. 

Typically, Filipinos pay for their bills via payment centers, but due to the limitations in manpower and the strict implementation of social distancing protocols, lines at these facilities have become longer than usual. 

Aside from the stress from the long wait, this also exposes people who are lining up to pay their bills to the deadly virus. With this, health experts and even government officials encouraged people to transact -- including paying for their utility bills or even government dues -- digitally to avoid going out amid the national health crisis. 

GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, has made it easier for its users to pay for their bills at the comforts of their homes through their smartphones. In as short as a minute, GCash users have the ability to settle payments for their electricity, water, cable, internet, telecoms, credit cards, loans, government dues, insurance, rent, and healthcare providers, among others. 

“As the leader in the local financial technology landscape, we strive to provide Filipinos with the best service in the market. We have partnered with over 400 billers nationwide to make it easier for our users to transact. Our digital bills payment solution is a powerful tool that can help the government in implementing social distancing and other health protocols during these trying times,” GCash Chief Technology and Operations Officer Pebbles Sy-Manalang said.

To use the service, GCash users need only to click on the Pay Bills icon on the GCash app, choose their biller, input their accounts and the amount that they need to pay, and click on confirm.

GCash users may also save their frequently used billers and their respective accounts to make it easier to pay for their bills. For instance, one can save his Globe postpaid account by clicking on the Pay Bills icon, then tapping the Add a Biller option on the upper left portion of the screen, and inputting the billing details. The user may also set an in-app monthly reminder for further convenience. 

“We all need to stay at home during this national health crisis and follow health protocols to help flatten the curve. Using digital finance to manage bills payments is a way for us to contribute in this fight against COVID-19,” Sy-Manalang said. 

Aside from settling utilities and other transactions, the Pay Bills icon in the GCash app also houses the accounts of non-government organizations that have partnered with GCash, as well as the GCash-led digital donation drive called #FightCOVID19. GCash users may donate any amount to these accounts to support medical frontline workers as well as help provide daily necessities to those who are most affected by the virus.