UnionBank attributes DX success, innovation in part to BSP's openness

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Embracing digital transformation early on, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) continues to blaze the trail and excite customers with innovative solutions driven by technology and co-creation. Henry Aguda, Senior Executive Vice President, the Bank’s Chief Technology & Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer, cites how enabling and essential it is to have your regulator’s support.

"A lot of people claim that if you're in a heavily regulated industry, you won't be able to become agile. Worse, the regulators may stand in the way," Aguda articulated as a panelist during the recently concluded IBPAP International Innovation Summit. But he was quick to say, "Strangely enough, they're the ones encouraging us to innovate."

UnionBank attributes its success in digital transformation and innovation in part to the openness of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which has been opening an environment that is conducive to thinking outside of the box. "I think regulation would normally be the blocker, but fortunately enough, the BSP has created a sandbox for experimentation, like UnionBank's API platform, and open finance experiments," Aguda said.

Another example is the BSP's push for digital payments. It was in late 2017 when the banking regulator launched the National Retail Payment System (NRPS), providing the framework for the modernization of retail payments in the country.

"Prior to the pandemic, the BSP already pushed for the NRPS. It was actually the BSP who was saying, 'hey, we should go to digital payments.' There was some resistance in the industry, but UnionBank signed up for it early. Now, BSP is looking into how to create a responsible regulatory framework for digital currency."

Aguda also mentioned a UnionBank experience with the BSP, reflecting its openness to innovation and willingness to collaborate despite tight timelines, with the customers’ benefit in mind.

"During the pandemic, we had to send out a new product that will allow us to launch an app that will enable our customers to cash out in 11,000 counters nationwide. And the framework for us to execute that, as well as the product approval -- we got that covered in a matter of two weeks. We apologized to the BSP team because we had to work with them over the weekend, up to 11 in the evening. So, talk about a regulator who's responsive to the times."

"Fortunately, our regulators don't stand in the way of moving quickly towards the goal of a more digitized financial industry," Aguda concluded.

TECNO to Deploy Sensor Shift with Latest Technical Innovations, Leading the New Trend for Android Phones

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A premium smartphone brand focused on global emerging markets, TECNO, outlined an array of its latest technologies and achievements at a webinar entitled “Global Mobile Camera Trends 2022: Innovation Talk”. One eye-catching development was the use of Sensor Shift, which will improve stability in photos and video imaging.

First Runner in Android- TECNO Built Innovation in Sensor Shift

At a moment when short-video social media and live streaming are gaining more popularity with youths around the world, a stabler camera will enable users to produce studio-quality videos and therefore have more fun with social networking sharing.

In the face of users’ growing demand for imaging stability, TECNO plans to release Sensor Shift technology in its new products in 2022, making it the first mobile phone brand in the Android system to do so.

TECNO Sensor Shift

Sensor Shift stabilizes images using sensor movements to compensate for vibrations rather than using lens movements as in existing cameras. TECNO has broken through a technical barrier via an innovative circular plane design for FPC, realizing sensor movement on the roll axis, an advanced step forward from movement on the X- and Y-axis. During the simulation, it demonstrated 30% better augmentation in stress performance than the traditional vertical design. Furthermore, TECNO R&D team realized another 60% anti-shaking effect enhancement by optimizing the test environment and software.

Compared to conventional Optical Imaging Stabilisation, TECNO’s sensor shift technology can achieve a response frequency of 5,000 adjustments per second. In addition, further algorithm optimization will be used to improve the control accuracy of the technology to 350% of the current level, relieving consumers from having to worry too much about the occasional hand jitter resulting in a blurry image.

TECNO is committed to continuous innovation, developing professional cameras for photography and videography, and empowering consumers to express their lifestyles through the power of future lens.

Achievements, future projects take the spotlight at UnionBank’s E-TalkTales year-ender event

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In celebration of its numerous accomplishments and milestones this past year, and to give a small preview of what its customers can expect in 2022, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) held another iteration of its long-running virtual media roundtable series E-TalkTales last December 15.

During the virtual event, UnionBank Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Technology and Operations Officer, and Chief Transformation Officer Henry Aguda talked about some of the Bank's achievements for the year, while the Co-Founder and CEO of UnionBank's digital-native banking arm UnionDigital, Arvie de Vera, talked about the role that the newly formed digital bank will play in UnionBank's digital transformation journey going forward.

Aguda began the discussion by recounting how UnionBank's digital transformation journey has enabled it to brave 2020 and the equally challenging 2021. "The pandemic created this shift to digital, which we now refer to as the “new digital normal”. We changed the way we live, the way we travel, the way we interact with one another, and basically we've changed forever in terms of how we transact in the financial sector."

"But even before the pandemic, UnionBank already had this forward-looking view that digital is the way for us to move forward, and when the pandemic hit, not only did we survive, but I'm happy to say that the Bank actually thrived," according to Aguda.

He then highlighted the top 10 most notable achievements of UnionBank in 2021. These include being the only publicly listed Philippine bank to be granted a license to operate a digital-native bank; the successful groundbreaking of the UnionBank Innovation Campus, the country's first-ever learning institution focused on digital innovation; and having 21 patents for its innovative offers already approved and 18 more on the way.

Other notable achievements include the integration of Instapay 2.0 into its digital banking platform; the successful launch of the UnionBank SME Banking App; the launch of wealth management educational campaigns including the NextGen Academy; significant user growths for UBX’s platforms SeekCap, Bux, and Sentro; and the significant increase in its customer base to almost 10 million to date, from just nearly 7 million as of end-2020.

Meanwhile, de Vera provided a quick introduction to UnionDigital. UnionDigital is one of only six financial institutions in the Philippines that have officially been granted digital banking licenses by the Bangko Central ng Pilipinas to date. As UnionBank's digital banking arm, UnionDigital will focus on delivering banking and financial services to underserved sectors which the parent bank is not able to optimally cater to.

"While UnionDigital aims to empower the country's digital economy, we also aim to elevate it by bringing trust and governance into the space. We embrace innovation like a fintech, but offer all the powers, experience, and track record of a fully regulated bank,” de Vera said.

“At the heart of our work will always be the desire to provide our customers with what they want and what they need, while ensuring that they have what they need in terms of security, compliance with regulation, and proper governance," de Vera added.

In terms of what customers can expect from the Bank and its subsidiaries in 2022, some of the things that Aguda and de Vera gave a sneak preview of were the Bank's possible foray into non-fungible tokens (NFTs), several new solutions aimed at helping workers in the thriving gig economy through EON, and participating in the growing interest and opportunities relating to the metaverse, just to name a few.

UnionBank Chief Marketing Officer Albert Cuadrante capped off the event with a promise that the Bank will continue to do even better in 2022 in terms of delivering great customer experience across channels and platforms. He also reiterated that "UnionBank’s goal is not just to help people survive, but to actually enable them to thrive in this new environment through the latest financial technologies; staying true to our commitment to “Tech-up Pilipinas!”

"I hope you are as eager as I am to welcome 2022. What I can promise you is that what you heard today is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s a lot more exciting news you can look forward to from UnionBank," Cuadrante concluded.

Get ready for your holiday parties with these beauty sets from FOCALLURE. Check out these top picks at Shopee's Big Christmas Sale!

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There is never a wrong time or place for a classic makeup look, but a holiday party is an especially right time and place. Makeup enthusiasts frequently look for easy-to-apply, durable and affordable products for everyday makeup. 

However, finding one that fits the bill is not an easy task. Fortunately, Shopee is growing, resulting in plenty of emerging local and international brands to choose from.

Here are products that are practical makeup easier and affordable. Check out these FOCALLURE 8 Pcs Makeup Set Cosmetic Tools Kit Gift Box at Shopee's Big Christmas Sale!

FOCALLURE 8 Pcs Makeup Set Cosmetic Tools Kit Gift Box https://shp.ee/w5xmqxr

FOCALLURE™ Cosmetic is an international fast-fashion cosmetics brand, offers the best quality and the best price to every customer, The trend into these products we are more efficient than the traditional brand, which benefited from more than 20 years of research and development experience and the latest popular data analysis of the perfect combination of tech.

FOCALLURE 8 Pcs Makeup Set Cosmetic Tools Kit Gift Box

https://shp.ee/w5xmqxr

Main products:

1. Lipstick Crayon: fashion matte texture, long-lasting, show your temperament

2. Black Liquid Eyeliner: easy to match different makeup style, no flying powder, give you beautiful eyes

3. Black 3D Mascara:long and curly,the secret of charming eyes

4. 10 Colors Eyeshadow:10 colors has 10 fashion, popular earth tone,easy to match

5. Brown Eyebrow Pencil: soft powder,easy to draw, give you a natural eyebrow shape

6. Natural Color Pressed Powder: soft and breathable powder, easily create a perfect makeup

7. Matte Lipgloss: pretty color, waterproof and longlasting, super suits for a sweet date

8. Baked Blusher:enhance your skin tone,modify and create a small V face

9. Makeup Box:make your makeup products """"home""""

If you’re in the market for your Makeup Set, check out FOCALLURE 8 Pcs Makeup Set on  Shopee!

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

Jump start your learning and productivity with an exclusive bundle from ASUS and Microsoft

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ASUS Philippines, together with Microsoft, launched their latest campaign to upskill students both in hardware and software. Both ASUS and Microsoft aims to provide empowerment for all students, whether in the face-to-face setup or continued distance learning.

The current best laptop for K-12 students, ASUS BR1100, has got even better with its exclusive Microsoft 365 Personal bundle. ASUS BR1100 is the perfect online learning solution thanks to its features such as AI noise-cancelling microphone, 3D Noise reduction web camera, and dedicated mute button to name a few. It also comes in two models: The traditional clamshell ASUS BR1100C and the premium flip ASUS BR1100F that has a touch-enabled display. The ASUS BR1100F also has a precision stylus included to get every detail just right when drawing, note-taking, or marking up documents. This can also help students let their creativity flow as well as assist them on their traditional writing skills.

The Microsoft Office 365 Personal provides powerful apps needed in school productivity with security features for their documents. Students can enjoy their theme writing with MS Word, produce excellent presentations using MS PowerPoint and complete research data with MS Excel.

The ASUS BR1100 and Microsoft 365 Personal exclusive bundle starts at PHP 18,625 and also comes with a free ASUS EOS bag as well. The promotional event started last December 01, 2021, and will last until January 15, 2022 or while stocks last.

Both ASUS BR1100C and ASUS BR1100F will have this exclusive bundle and it is currently available over at the official ASUS Expert Series Flagship Shopee store.

ASUS also launched the ASUS Edukasyon School Partnership Program, which aims to assist schools and learning institutions in the modernization of their IT facilities and to support teachers and students so they can excel more both in teaching and in learning. Partner schools will enjoy development funds, computer laboratory decoration, learning seminars for educators and students, among others.

For more information regarding the ASUS Edukasyon School Partner Program, you can head over at the microsite (https://asus.edukasyon.ph/school-partner). Also stay tuned for more news on the incredible ASU­S for Business products on the ASUS Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ASUSph/) and the ASUS for Business website (http://asus.com/ph/Business). For inquiries, you can also send us a message on ASUS for Business page (https://www.facebook.com/asusforbusinessph/).