MPTC expressways RFID campaign on track following DOTr push for cashless toll

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The Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) declared its support for Department Order 2020-012 issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) that requires expressway-bound vehicles to enter via cashless, contactless transactions “to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and subsequently as a means to ensure a more efficient flow of traffic.”

In its statement of support, MPTC announced that its ongoing groupwide RFID sticker installation campaign is onstream.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade signed the department order last August 13, 2020 and mandated DOTr’s attached agencies to formulate procedures “to ensure the smooth implementation of the new policy.

“Our groupwide RFID roll out is on track to comply with D.O. 2020-012 and we will be ready to implement contactless toll payments consistent with the timeline,” said Rodrigo E. Franco, MPTC President and CEO. “Our expressway network that includes the North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, Manila-Cavite Expressway, and Cavite-Laguna Expressway is primed for cashless and contactless transactions within the year”, Franco further said.

Franco added that “the MPTC tollway group will now accelerate all preparations to fully implement all-RFID (radio frequency identification) transactions in our toll plazas”.

Roberto V. Bontia, concurrently heading CAVITEX and CALAX and head of MPTC’s RFID 100 Task Force, outlined MPTC’s preparations into four key elements: (1) Infrastructure Readiness, (2) Operational and Visibility Improvements, (3) Motorist Assistance, and (4) Manpower Re-equipping and Retooling.

Bontia pointed out that the MPTC tollways are technically ready to shift from manual toll collection to full RFID-enabled system. Moreover, MPTC assures that any RFID sticker installed by its provider Easytrip Corporation, will be compatible throughout the MPTC network of expressways hence, a better customer experience overall.

Preparations are also highlighted by operational and visibility improvements, chiefly with improved RFID signages to help direct motorists during the transition. Likewise, the RFID stickers are available to online and in 24x7 onsite installation sites, to ensure that they are expressway-ready. “Getting the free RFID sticker online thru Shopee, and installing it yourself, is the truly contactless and cashless way,” Bontia remarked.

For onsite options, more installation sites have been made available. There are also arrangements for specialized groups such as trucking groups, public utility vehicles, homeowners’ associations and local government-based commuters.

Franco underscored MPTC’s policy of “supporting Sec. Tugade’s programs to improve transportation convenience for our country and people, especially the programs that will help control the spread of COVID-19, and keep our motorists, our tollway frontliners, and our employees safe.”

917Ventures launches FreebieMNL, a social gateway to discounts and vouchers

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917Ventures, the country’s largest corporate incubator and wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe, has launched FreebieMNL, a one-stop platform that combines your favorite social messaging apps with amazing deals and vouchers from the country’s top brands. 

With FreebieMNL, you get full access to tons of vouchers - from discounts to established online stores like Zalora, Shoppee, BeautyMNL, Boozy and PoundIt, to coupons and special treats from famous brands, shops and restaurants such as Bo's Coffee, Shake Shack, The Red Crab Group, The Store Specialist Group, Digital Walker, GNC, Discovery Hotels and Resorts, among others. And all of these are free as long as you sign up to their channels on Facebook Messenger and Viber.

"917Ventures is constantly looking for ways to serve and delight our customers, especially under current circumstances where many people are staying at home. By providing our customers the best deals around the country, all in one page, we’re giving them a way to discover new things and enjoy life even while on quarantine,” said VInce Yamat, 917Ventures’ Entrepreneur in Residence. “When you sign up to FreebieMNL, you’re signing up to a lifetime of freebies.”

On top of the discounts, you can also expect numerous giveaways and raffles with a chance to win by simply answering surveys, referring friends or sharing posts. In the last few months alone, FreebieMNL raffled off awesome gift baskets, free prepaid load, a year’s worth of delicious pizza, and a whole year’s worth of fruits and vegetables.

To top it all off, FreebieMNL is further complemented by its awesome website - https://freebiemnl.com/ which features useful life hacks, guides to live your best digital lifestyle, and spotlights on some of the biggest trending topics of our time. It also features cool brands and up and comers that everyone should pay attention to. Of course, the website is also home to deals and vouchers. 

FreebieMNL offers users a world of vouchers, discounts and freebies all accessible through social media messaging platforms and their website. It is currently available on both Viber and Messenger. To subscribe, just click the Get Started button. Join FreebieMNL on Viber today at https://bit.ly/FreebieonViberNow and subscribe to FreebieMNL on Messenger at https://bit.ly/FreebieOnFBM.

FreebieMNL subscribers can enjoy FREE vouchers and giveaways in their marketplace.

FreebieMNL is a brand under 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom. Visit https://freebiemnl.com/ for more information.

Shopee Powers Growth for Filipino Brands and Sellers with Enhanced Warehouse and Logistics Capabilities: Shopee offers a full range of warehouse and fulfillment support to help brands and sellers meet increased demand and to grow their e-commerce business

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Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, steps up its logistics preparations to help brands and sellers meet the increased online demand in the peak year-end shopping season. 

As e-commerce in the region continues to flourish, there is a higher demand for quicker and secure deliveries for online purchases. Shopee offers a robust logistics ecosystem to help brands and sellers meet evolving consumer needs. This year-end shopping season, Shopee commits to strengthening its warehouse and fulfillment support for brands and sellers, enabling them to increase sales and maximize customer satisfaction even as online shopping activity peaks. 

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Quality and reliable logistics are integral to the online shopping experience. As consumers turn to and rely more on e-commerce, businesses aim to deliver more quickly and efficiently to remain competitive. With this, Shopee has built up a robust logistics ecosystem designed for quality, reliable, and scalable deliveries. We want to simplify logistics for brands and sellers by providing them with solutions that support their business needs. The initiative helps them attract more customers, increase sales, and grow their e-commerce business in the long-term.”

Optimized warehouse and inventory support

Shopee has an optimized network of warehouses that form the backbone of its logistics networks in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. They are integrated with the Shopee platform and leverages data to help brands and sellers ship out orders more efficiently. 

In the Philippines, its purpose-built Warehouse Management System (WMS) uses data to make smart recommendations to trained warehouse teams, allowing increased efficiency from product picking to dispatching. The WMS uses data to forecast demand ahead of peak shopping periods so that brands and sellers can better allocate their resources. These services help brands and sellers to optimize their inventories and ship out parcels more efficiently, which translates to increased customer satisfaction and drives business growth.

Offering quality, reliable, and scalable deliveries

Shopee has over 100 logistics partners in the region who are highly familiar with local landscapes and provide quality services tailored for consumer needs. Brands and sellers on Shopee can tap on their reliable expertise and extensive coverage to reach customers.

Shopee also has its own Shopee Xpress fleet that specializes in e-commerce deliveries. It provides additional capacity and flexibility for Shopee to scale delivery operations during busy periods, allowing sellers and brands to ship quickly and reliably out parcels during peak shopping seasons. 

Shopee’s logistics partners and its own Shopee Xpress fleet are closely integrated with its platform and warehouses. It means that sellers and brands have access to quality and reliable logistics support all year round and can easily manage and track shipments on Shopee.

Driving long-term e-commerce growth for brands and sellers

Shopee’s logistics ecosystem allows sellers and brands to grow their e-commerce business with confidence. Supported by quality, reliable, and scalable logistics on Shopee, brands, and sellers can focus their attention on other vital areas of their business, such as optimizing their product assortment, marketing, and sales. 

Shopee’s robust logistics support has enabled sellers and brands to scale their e-commerce business effectively. Across the region, sellers and brands who use Shopee’s warehouse services sell more and ship up to 4 times more parcels than before. It shows how Shopee allows sellers and brands to deliver with higher speed, reliability, and efficiency.

Shopee also enabled sellers and brands to scale their delivery operations in times of peak demand. In the Philippines, the Covid-19 pandemic increased the online demand for Home & Living, Food & Beverages, and Fashion categories. Sellers and brands offering these items on Shopee were able to ship more parcels during this time, allowing them to meet their customers’ needs and grow their e-commerce business.

Yu closed, “As the year-end shopping season arrives, Shopee will continue to strengthen its logistics support and maximize growth for sellers and brands. For users, they can look forward to greater value with exclusive free shipping promotions from our trusted logistics partners across the Philippines. In line with our vision to power the future of retail, we will keep evolving our logistics ecosystem so that our users, sellers, and brands can unlock the full potential of e-commerce in the months and years ahead.”

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Quarantine creativity: 19-year-old Cebu student uses soy sauce to make art

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As the quarantine keeps everyone at home for their safety, many young Filipinos spend their time honing their skills and creativity, finding ways to express themselves. With all this free time on their hands, there are those who even go the extra mile when it comes to being creative.

This was certainly the case for 19-year-old communication student Thea Sophia Disabelle, from Bantayan Island, Cebu, who stirred buzz on the internet after creating art not just through traditional mediums, but also using a medium no one thinks could be used for art: soy sauce. Yes, the very same soy sauce you ordinarily see in kitchens at home.

“It all started when I poured a little amount of soy sauce into a saucer, since I needed it for my fried fish,” said Thea, who made her first soy sauce artwork back in March using Silver Swan Soy Sauce, a staple in their pantry. “After that, I paused for three seconds while staring at it—something was beautifully formed. After I had my breakfast that day, I asked myself, ‘Why not make art using soy sauce?’”

Working with soy sauce

While Thea always had access to Silver Swan Soy Sauce as it was the family’s preferred brand since her childhood, it would take her a few more months before trying to make another soy sauce artwork after her first one. This time, however, people took notice.

“I posted it on Facebook and didn't expect to get many likes, comments and shares,” she said.

“Fortunately, it really went viral and I was so overwhelmed.”

Although Thea also creates art using more traditional mediums such as paint, pastels, and pencils, she likes the convenience that soy sauce allows, recommending it to artists who may have challenges getting art materials during the quarantine. Silver Swan Soy Sauce, made of high-quality soybeans, also provides artists a unique texture to work with, distinguishing it from the usual materials and providing a tamang-tamang timpla even to art.

“The texture looks so cool after a while,” she says. “Artists just need soy sauce, a large plate, and imagination. It's tricky to do this kind of artwork because one wrong move, you'll have to start all over again. It might be an ephemeral artwork but it's worth the effort.”

Quarantine Creativity: 19-year-old Thea Sophia Disabelle only had a bottle of Silver Swan Soy Sauce, large plate, and a limitless imagination to create unique works of art.

Inspiring young Filipino creatives

As some artists find new ways to make breathtaking art during the quarantine using everyday items, Thea believes that there’s really no limit to what anyone can create as long as they keep trying. She herself wants to pursue a fine arts course and eventually turn her hobby into her life’s work.

“I encourage them to be creative and make use of their time through art,” she says. “You don't need expensive art materials—you just have to go to your kitchen, get some stuff and make it your masterpiece. It's just a matter of creativity, dedication and willingness to learn something new. You just have to be creative in making nothing into something. That's how art works.”

As a token of recognition for Thea’s astounding creativity and resourcefulness, NutriAsia, makers of Silver Swan will be sending her and her family more of their products for their use—whether it’s for their food or for more of Thea’s art.

Photos from Thea Sophia Disabelle’s Facebook Account

Globe’s 5G service now available to Prepaid and TM Subscribers

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As more Filipinos embrace doing things digitally, from the way they learn to the way they make a living, the clamour for better internet connectivity is stronger than ever. The desire to serve this need is what propels Globe to bring internet connectivity, particularly the latest 5G technology, to more Filipinos. 

Back in February, Globe introduced 5G to its most elite set of customers, Globe Platinum. Shortly after, the said technology was extended to all Globe Postpaid customers. And, starting August 24, Globe Prepaid and TM customers are now able to access Globe’s 5G network in areas like Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Makati CBD, Rockwell Center, Ortigas CBD, and strategic areas along EDSA and C5. All these customers need to do is to ensure they are on a Globe LTE or TM LTE sim and have a 5G-enabled mobile phone. No additional fees will be charged to enjoy this lightning-fast connection.

“As the Philippines is largely a Prepaid market, we are thrilled to be the first telecom to expand the 5G service to them. With the vision of bringing the next generation of connectivity to all, Globe Prepaid and TM customers have now been enabled to enjoy the 5G service. And, with the goal of making high speed internet accessible to as many Filipinos as possible, we will continue to broaden our 5G coverage and make 5G-enabled devices more accessible,” says Globe VP for Strategic Platforms and Partnerships Coco Domingo. “We envision a world of impossibilities made possible by Globe 5G.” 

5G is the next generation of wireless internet connectivity. With the technology, users can stream movies and TV shows at the highest-quality; play immersive online games with fewer lags; and provide the clearest resolution for video chats.

In 2019, Globe became the first telco in Southeast Asia to launch 5G when it introduced it’s AirFiber broadband for Globe at Home subscribers. Shortly after, Globe unveiled the first 5G service for mobile and introduced the first 5G device in the country, followed by more affordable 5G-capable phones.

For more information, visit the website at https://www.globe.com.ph/5g.