Astra Guild Ventures: Investing in the future of play to earn gaming

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Astra Guild Ventures, or AGV, is one of the biggest play to earn gaming guild around, and they have begun expanding their presence in the crypto space, which, of course, you can still join in and be part of the growth that AGV plans to achieve!

AGV launched their AGV Token last December 23, 2021 in order to raise more funds for their expansion into other Play to Earn (P2E) games. Owning one of these tokens gives the holder the right to participate and vote in the direction of AGV’s growth, as it is a DAO or Decentralized Autonomous Organization Token, where each token will be equivalent to one vote. Other than that, the AGV token is a utility token - being built around the future of what AGV is building. The future goal of AGV is to be an ecosystem for various P2E games.

AGV does boast that prior to launch, they were able to undergo an audit by Certik, one of the leaders in blockchain security. They are the first gaming guild to do an audit prior to launch, as they were able to tweaks suggested by Certik.

AGV is proud that the tokens are made accessible on the Centralized Exchange BitMart and MEXC, and of course, on the Decentralized Exchange Uniswap.

WHY ASTRA GUILD VENTURES?

Astra Guild Ventures is a gaming guild wherein players and investors work together to maximize their overall yield. This organization currently has around 2035 Axie Infinity scholars, and a growing community in their Facebook, Discord, and Telegram.

AGV was conceptualized only last July 2021, and raised capital for Axie Infinity team acquisitions for the purpose of offering scholarships. By September, they focused on their growth by hiring an in-house team, even marketing themselves towards success.

Focused on transparency, AGV innovated for their members and investors by creating a dashboard of earnings and assets, all which can easily be found on their website. One can see how each of the scholars perform, what is being earned, and what assets are being lent out to them.

This, of course, brings AGV’s differentiator out as opposed to other gaming guilds. AGV executes faster than what their roadmap is, and gives more than what they promised. They are ever-evolving and growing, as they want to maximize the returns that their investors trusted them with by always being one step ahead.

And that brings one of their immediate goals nearer, where AGV aims to build an entire ecosystem of platforms centered around P2E gaming. This definitely makes AGV more than a gaming guild, once executed properly.

EARLY FAST GROWTH AND CURRENT SUCCESS

In three months, AGV and their team proved very successful in executing their plans, and are continuing to do so. On the foundation of AGV, they have gained a following, successfully raised funds in their seed rounds, fulfilled their contracts, connected to their investors, promoted the AGV token, achieved to be audited by Certik, and even acquired a stake in Blue Monster Games Inc.

The latter one mentioned is also a key in their future developments, as AGV wants to create their very own P2E game. Having a stake in Blue Monster Games Inc. enables AGV to do just that.

The current success of AGV has their team to thank. More importantly, they have the community which they created to thank, consisting of their volunteer scholars and managers.

AGV takes care of these as a manager handles 100 scholars, where each are observed, monitored, trained. As support, the managers also address any needs for their teams, revising and updating them as required. These are done to also ensure that the scholars reach their quota. As AGV puts up the capital for the teams to be used in play, the scholars use their time to play, and proper profit sharing is done so.

THE FUTURE OF ASTRA GUILD VENTURES

Looking beyond the horizon, AGV has a very healthy war chest to be deployed for investing in their own growth. They plan to continue investing in companies that develop P2E games whilst increasing the portfolio of the P2E games on hand.

Other than that, AGV wants to be a launchpad for new P2E games, creating an ecosystem of P2E games for others to access. Furthermore, AGV plans to have its own P2E games, further increasing their planned portfolio of such.

Astra Guild Ventures has set its sights into becoming one of the biggest DAOs, and with that, they see themselves as a name that everyone would know, driving innovation in the Play to Earn space. Based on their current results? AGV could definitely deliver.

Up close with senatorial aspirant Dra. Minguita Padilla, opthalmologist and health advocate

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The national community is finding better ways to confront major health threats, proposes new guidance on emerging health issues of global importance, capacities to address health concerns, to protect and promote better health for all.

Leadership and governance involves ensuring strategic policy frameworks exist and are combined with effective oversight, coalition-building, regulation, attention to system-design and accountability.

Dra. Ma. Dominga "Minguita" Padilla  during the press conference via Zoom with Cebu media and bloggers

This 2022 election, among the senator aspirants, is an advisor to the Health Department and the President of the Eye Bank Foundation.

Dra. Ma. Dominga "Minguita" Padilla

The call to vote another doctor into the Senate has grown after netizens lauded the short film “Liwanag,” which tried to capture the life and legacy of Partido Reporma senatorial candidate Dr. Ma. Dominga Cecilia ‘Minguita’ Padilla, who aims to improve the country’s healthcare system.

In October 2021, after much soul-searching, she decided to heed the requests of various medical groups and seek an elected post.

Padilla is the founder, president and chief executive officer of the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines for 26 years.

She led the medical team of Project ARK, which aimed to widen testing coverage through the use of antibody rapid test kits, said a "call" had been building inside her "for a long time" before she finally tried for the lawmaking chamber. She also has been helping senators, district representatives, and the Department of Health for about three decades now, as a health advocate.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic the nation faces, an eye doctor has decided to run for Senate in order to bring light for the country as well as those who are literally cannot see.

Ophthalmologist, Dra. Minguita, has to give up her position and several other local and international positions to pave the way for her Senate dream in order to help more people and see her advocacies on a wider scale.

"The COVID pandemic sort of showed me that we need to do more as doctors and our presence in government, especially in policymaking positions, is important," Dra. Minguita said.

“Liwanag: The Life and Legacy of Dra. Minguita Padilla"

"Liwanag: The Life and Legacy of Dra. Minguita Padilla"

The inspiring story of opthalmologist-turned-health advocate, Dr. Ma. Dominga "Minguita" Padilla, is now a 45-minute short film entitled "Liwanag: The Life and Legacy of Dra. Minguita Padilla"

“Liwanag” is delivered as a medical drama with a touch of humor and a lot of heart-based on key moments in the life of Dr. Padilla that led to her lifelong mission to serve as many people as possible through her public health advocacy.

"Liwanag: The Life and Legacy of Dra. Minguita Padilla" shows the renowned eye doctor's journey from an unassuming medical student to a public health crusader who is now one of the country's most active medical advocates in this time of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Produced by Kapitana Media Entertainment--the company behind the comedy "The Women of TONTA Club that is now streaming on KTX and Upstream PH--"Liwanag: The Life and Legacy of Dra. Minguita Padilla.

"Liwanag" starring GMA 7 actress Valeen Montenegro. Producer and writer Rossana Hwang says, "Together with friends of Dra. Minguita, like myself, and some of her family members, we decided to create a medical drama, with touches of humor, that will shed light on what she has done for our country. 

Long before the pandemic happened, Dra. Minguita has been helping the sick, especially those afflicted with eye ailments." As Founder and President of Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines, Inc. Dra. Minguita has been leading in efforts for the procurement, processing and distribution of corneas and eye tissues since 1994 ---an endeavor that has helped restore sight to thousands of patients around the country; including indigent patients, who would otherwise remain blind. 

When Covid-19 hit the Philippines, Dra. Minguita, together with her fellow doctors, raised funds for hospitals, and for PPEs, supplies, and even washing machines that were donated to the medical frontliners who were on perpetual duty at the hospitals. 

Dra. Minguita, who is co-convenor of Doctors for Truth and Public Welfare, also served as resource person in several webinars and online forums in order to inform the public on the facts about Covid-19, the importance of vaccination and how to avoid getting the virus. She also helped the MSMEs through her work with GoNegosyo. Her efforts at training barangay health workers and other doctors at COVID-19 antigen testing, making her own home a virtual testing area, and making herself available for those who needed help in connection with the pandemic, have been recognized by the City of Makati, awarded her with the Exemplary Makatizen Makahero Award last December. 

"Actually, I never thought that there would ever be a biopic about me," says Dra. Minguita. "I am very grateful to those who put this project together. I know it was because they truly care for me and they know my heart and my reasons for taking a very big risk, leaving my comfort zone and running for public office." 

Watch "Liwanag: The Life and Legacy of Dra. Minguita Padilla," directed by the talented and sought-after Rember Gellera.

https://youtu.be/4bWqDgzMc2U

https://www.facebook.com/DraMinguita

https://www.facebook.com/DraMinguita/posts/156561790045114

Macao Imperial Tea’s Unbreakable Commitment to bringing special café experience in every cup

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The COVID-19 pandemic has driven companies to reinvent their operations to effectively deal with the changing needs of their customers. For businesses in the food and beverages industry, undergoing a digital transformation has become instrumental to ensuring business continuity and resiliency at the advent of the so-called new normal.

The café chain Macao Imperial Tea proves how innovation played a significant role in keeping the business up and running during the onset of the pandemic.

With mobility restrictions in place, customers were unable to visit stores to purchase their favorite drinks. Thus, the business dared to develop innovative ways to accomplish its unbreakable commitment of bringing customers genuine, memorable, and special café experience.

Avin Ong, Fredley Group of Companies’ Founder and Chief Executive Officer

"With the pandemic happening, we have sought out different solutions to be more accessible despite shutting off. We started being more proactive with our digital efforts by establishing our online store, our e-store, and by partnering with our third-party aggregators, especially for the Macao Imperial team,” said Fredley Group of Companies’ Founder and CEO Avin Ong.

To support the company's online delivery services, the business needed a robust and reliable internet for the simultaneous reception of orders from their customers. They partnered with PLDT Enterprise for enterprise-grade connectivity solutions that could sustain the business' online operations.

"Part of our company’s vision is to always serve our customers better and we will be able to do that only if we stay connected with our customers. PLDT Enterprise serves as the link between the business and the customers because we were able to listen to their feedback, identify their needs and wants, and take the necessary actions,” said the executive.

PLDT Enterprise has been empowering businesses all over the country through cutting-edge enterprise technologies suited to support businesses in maximizing their business productivity and efficiency.

“We understand the need of our partners for a strong and reliable digital foundation that will allow them to be more agile, resilient, and be always connected to their employees and customers. As we endeavor to make an impact on every single business, we are committed to assisting organizations like Macao Imperial Tea as they work to continually serve their community, especially during these uncertain times,” said Jojo Gendrano, FVP & Head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise.

PLDT Enterprise launched its Unbreakable Commitment campaign to show how partnerships have assisted companies to thrive despite challenges and in turn, contributed to the lives of Filipinos.

Likewise, the campaign highlights PLDT Enterprise’s unbreakable commitment to empowering organizations through digital solutions that empower them in the ever-changing business environment.

“We appreciate that PLDT Enterprise was here to provide us good internet connection, to provide us quality service, and they were very reachable and proactive during this time, easily addressing the challenges we’ve had,” said Ong.

As one of the fastest-growing café chains, the brand has been committed to providing products that are readily available and accessible to customers.

For their casual dining brands, the executive shared that they conceptualized a service where they bring a complete dining experience in the comforts of their customers’ homes. They launched delivery services for an in-home yakiniku and hotpot feast through their Mitasu Grill-to-Go and Nabe On-the-Go set.

“Our dining brands are very experienced-focused and we wanted to make sure that we bring the full dining experience to the homes of our customers,” Ong added.

Despite the extraordinary times, Macao Imperial Tea upholds its unbreakable commitment to serve its customers with an enriching café experience through every cup they serve.

The pandemic may have caused difficulties to the business, but what’s certain is they will keep seeking ways to bring their best-tasting drinks to customers through innovation and digital technology.

Watch Macao Imperial Tea’s interview here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2k_RBuLKkcg

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com 

Local Products Fuel Business Growth and Empower Communities

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Winners of Shopee Celebrates Local campaign share how locally-made products impact the lives of other Filipinos

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, continues to support local sellers through the #TatakPinoy: Shopee Celebrates Local campaign. During the campaign, Shopee held a contest where users voted for their favorite among 12 Filipino sellers. Uniq.mnl, Chelssydresstaytay, and Mighty Clean emerged as the top three winners, where they not only exemplified excellence in their businesses but also supported the community by providing job opportunities amidst difficult times.

Sharing their success to empower others

Sisters Ira and Ireen Cruz have been in the garment industry for five years, but when the pandemic hit in March 2020, their business was greatly affected. Instead of cutting their losses and ceasing operations, the siblings decided to try selling online through Shopee. Their business flourished and they have been consistently hitting their sales targets. The shop’s significant growth also led to more employment opportunities for skilled Filipinos specializing in garments, a point of pride for the entrepreneurs.

Ira Cruz, Owner of Uniq.mnl, said, “It was such an honor to be part of the ‘Shopee Celebrates Local’ campaign. We are happy to be able to provide job opportunities to our community. It is the most rewarding experience of all and we are truly blessed with loyal staff. Since we started, we have grown the team from a handful to now over 50 staff members. We hope to pay it forward and be able to offer more jobs to help improve the livelihood of the people around us.”

In addition, they continue to encourage their team members, resellers, and other small business owners to explore and try out e-commerce and help others find a way to earn a living during this time.

Providing locally-made quality products for the Filipino household

Second runner-up Mighty Clean has been manufacturing household chemicals that fit the needs of every Filipino home since 2004. With a desire for continuous improvement through extensive research and development, Mighty Clean stays true to its promise of providing consumers with high-quality products at affordable prices.

Mico Cruz, Brand Manager at Mighty Clean, said, “We strive to create a difference in every Filipino’s household through high quality and value for money products. With Shopee’s support, we were able to grow and provide our customers with the kind of products and services that they deserve. ”

Like Uniq.mnl, Mighty Clean pivoted to e-commerce in March 2020– a move that allowed them to thrive as they reached even more customers nationwide. Through Shopee’s extensive seller support tools and initiatives, Mighty Clean is able to grow brand awareness through innovative ways, and attract more customers by giving them deals such as flash sales, vouchers, discount promotions, bundle deals, and many more.

Catering to the Filipina’s fashion needs

First runner-up Rochelle Estandarte started joining bazaars and night markets when she was still in college. Armed with her love for fashion and the help of her mother who has been in the industry for 20 years, she began her own clothing business in 2005.

Rochelle’s keen eye and ability to keep a pulse on Filipinas’ evolving fashion needs led to the growth of her sales and orders, as well as an increase in followers. After taking her business online in 2020, she was also able to hire more employees, giving other Filipinos an opportunity to earn and provide for their families amid the pandemic. She attributes her success to Shopee’s marketing tools, campaigns, and support from relationship managers who helped her and her team understand the industry easily.

Rochelle Estandarte, Owner of Chelssdresstaytay, said, “ We are very proud to market our locally-made apparel. We design our clothes with Filipinos in mind and are happy to say that our products are also well-loved by shoppers overseas as well. Since my mother has been in this business for the past 20 years, I picked up a few lessons on ladies’ fashion trends, allowing me to provide a wider variety of clothing pieces that Filipinas can enjoy wearing. We are also grateful for all the support we have received from Shopee and we strive to scale our business further on Shopee.”

These entrepreneurs are only three of the many MSMEs who found success and thrived on the e-commerce platform. At Shopee, sellers can leverage the extensive marketing tools, participate in monthly campaigns, and learn how to maximize the e-commerce landscape through proper guidance and support through the Shopee Seller Education Hub. For current and aspiring entrepreneurs looking to grow their business online, learn more about Getting Started on Shopee here.

VSTECS becomes the first Amazon Web Services Distributor in the Philippines

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VSTECS, Phils. Inc., a leading ICT distributor in the country, has joined the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Distribution Program in the Philippines as an AWS Distributor. 

VSTECS, Phils. Inc. will offer AWS’s portfolio of highly scalable and cost-effective cloud services to technology and system integration partners in the country, helping them access and use AWS capabilities, resell solutions, and expand customer reach, locally and globally.

The AWS Distribution Program enables AWS Partners to grow revenue opportunities by reselling AWS products and solutions. AWS Partners work with AWS Distributors to leverage their go-to-market support, offload billing and operations, receive funding benefits, and gain technical expertise.

Through the AWS Distribution Program, VSTECS Phils. Inc. will be able to guide and provide support to its partners on go-to-market strategies, customers’ cloud adoption journeys, gap analysis, cloud operating models, cloud business value, billing, and assistance, among other benefits. This support is expected to bring a new wave of cloud adoption among partners as they will learn how to effectively sell cloud solutions, understand the cloud billing process, and tap into needed resources to upskill or reskill their workforce. Customers can leverage VSTECS Phils. Inc. and its strong technical capabilities, along with the AWS services it provides, to scale their own businesses in a simple, flexible, and cost-effective way.

“Becoming an AWS Distributor is a great opportunity for us and our channel partners to use AWS cloud technologies and capabilities in architecting digital transformation journeys. Being part of the AWS Partner Network (APN) Program, we can provide our partners with access to a global knowledge base, consulting services, skillsets, and AWS expertise to guide customers on their cloud readiness, architect the appropriate migration strategy, maximize cloud investments, and most importantly grow their cloud business,“ says Jimmy D. Go, president and CEO, VSTECS, Phils. Inc.

The addition of AWS further expands VSTECS’ portfolio of cloud offerings to address private, public, and hybrid cloud requirements.

To learn more about AWS’s cloud offerings and accelerate your digital transformation journey, contact VSTECS Phils. Inc. at rsgonzales@msi-ecs.com.ph.

About VST-ECS

Ranked in the Top 100 companies in the country, VST-ECS Phils. Inc. offers an impressive breadth of offerings for mobility, retail, commercial and enterprise markets. Its wide spectrum of products and solutions include smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, virtual desktops solutions, printers, copiers, gadgets and accessories, gaming, power management, 3D printing, networking, software-defined network, network security, data back-up and protection, big data, hyper-converged infrastructure, software, commercial digital displays, I.P. surveillance, POS solutions, AIDC, document imaging, CAD and graphics, collaboration solutions, cloud computing, containers and micro-services, IoT, AI, Robot Process Automation, data center solutions and managed services, everything as a service, and training.

A member of the VST-ECS Group, one of the largest IT distributors in the region, VSTECS continues to partner with the leading brands in the industry to offer its channel partners best-in-class IT solutions.