Alfamart warns consumers against survey scam
A new online modus operandi is going around asking victims to answer a survey and register to get a chance at winning Alfamart gift cards worth up to PhP 7,000.
Alfamart Philippines has firmly denied ever launching such a promotion and cautions consumers against replying to the fake survey. “We have heard reports from various concerned customers that they have received online links to an Alfamart survey and raffle,” said Alfamart Philippines Merchandising and Marketing Manager Cecille Sy. “Please know that such a promo does not exist and clicking on those links may expose you to a possible scam where either your data or your funds may be compromised,” she continued.
The dubious link is spread to random people through email or text messages.
Alfamart is currently investigating the source of the false promo. “We urge all our customers: Please do not interact with any dubious links sent to you via email or SMS claiming to be Alfamart,” Sy said. She further clarified that all official Alfamart announcements and promos are only posted or sent by their official website and Facebook accounts.
“Our official in-store promos are running, and you can verify these on our website or on our social media pages,” said Sy. “We always have more in store for the communities we serve,” she concluded.
MPIC recognized as Honored Company
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) was lauded as an Honored Company in the 11th Annual Asia Executive Team survey of the Institutional Investor Research, revealing Asia’s leading CEOs, CFOs, Investor Relations Officers, and Investor Relations programs that best uphold corporate governance standards and facilitate investment into their company.
MPIC ranked first in the following Industrials Sector (Rest of Asia) categories as voted by the sell-side analysts: Best CEO for MPIC president and CEO Jose Ma. K. Lim; Best IR professional for MPIC vice president for Investor Relations Maricris Aldover-Ysmael; Best IR program, and Best ESG.
A total of 4,084 investors and portfolio managers and analysts from 1,285 voter firms participated in this survey, nominating 1,438 companies and 2,690 individuals across 18 sectors. This included 3,503 buy-side professionals from 1,178 buy-side companies with an estimated $1,863 billion in Asia (ex-Japan) equities and 581 sell-side analysts from 107 companies. The companies were rated on several core areas, including Financial Disclosure, Services & Communication, COVID-19 responses and ESG.
CEB lowers RT-PCR test cost
Cebu Pacific makes its Test Before Boarding (TBB) process even more affordable as it cuts the price of its RT-PCR test to only P 2,500 with a guaranteed 24-hour turnaround time. This rate, exclusive for CEB passengers, is the cheapest rate offered by any local carrier.
This RT-PCR test is offered by CEB’s partner, Safeguard DNA Diagnostics Inc. (SDDI), which has facilities in Mandaluyong, Davao, and Bacolod.
Unvaccinated passengers, and those who have not yet completed the required complete dosage may still need to secure negative RT-PCR tests upon entry if their destination’s local government unit requires it.
Passengers booked on Cebu Pacific and Cebgo can easily choose and book appointments online via http://bit.ly/CEBTestOptions. CEB also offers special rates through its two other accredited partners, Health Metrics, Inc. (HMI) and Philippine Airport Diagnostic Laboratory.
PLDT assures stronger commitment to ESG goals
PLDT recently announced that it is reaffirming its group-wide commitment to align more business initiatives that contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainability Development Goals (UNSDGs) during the recently organized BusinessWorld Economic Forum on how ESG Criteria guides Leading Companies.
Joined by other panel experts in the group, PLDT Investor Relations head and newly appointed head of the Sustainability Office Melissa Vergel de Dios explained how PLDT is reinforcing its programs on sustainability, to focus on more initiatives under the Environment, Social, and Governance pillars that are closely aligned with the business and its purpose of “Connecting and Empowering Filipinos everywhere.”
For the PLDT Group, Vergel de Dios shared three guiding principles which determine the sustainability programs to pursue. First, the project should be scalable, sustainable and tightly linked to the business.
Among its green initiatives, the PLDT Group deployed the country’s first carbon fiber cell tower to start off an initial roll out in more urban rooftops. PLDT also recently announced a Green Fleet Program that includes the use of electric vehicles as part of its re-fleeting strategy.
Vergel de Dios also highlighted the group’s efforts in safeguarding its customers from the dangers of going online.
Coca-Cola opens Mega Manila hub in Tondo
Coca-Cola Beverages PhilippinesInc. (CCBPI), the bottling arm of Coca-Cola in the country, opened its Mega Manila Hub in Manila Port, Tondo on June 28.
The Mega Manila Hub–in partnership with Container Bridge Philippines, Inc. and Manila North Harbor Point, Inc.– is the beverage brand’s first in the country, a new milestone in its 109-year journey with Filipinos.
The hub serves as a strategic convergence point for the CCBPI shipping operations.
CCBPI ships around 6,000 containers from Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Visayas and Mindanao through the Manila Bay.
The Mega Manila Hub, which has approximately 100 employees, opened just six months after the inauguration of Coca-Cola’s distribution center in Paco.
AY Foundation donation
AY Foundation, the advocacy arm of Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC), continues its support for the government’s drive to fight covid-19.
The Foundation handed over 3-crank hospital beds to institutions coming from the government’s targeted 3rd or 5th class municipalities and provinces, which include Anawim Lay Missions Foundation Home of the Abandoned Elderly in Rodriguez, Rizal; Quezon Medical Center in Lucena, Quezon; and Maria L. Eleazar District Hospital in Tangkawayan, Quezon.
The Foundation was also part of an initiative to increase the country’s testing capacity by building confirmatory reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) modular laboratories for hospitals.
The Foundation likewise supported Project Ugnayan, which saw Philippine conglomerates come together in an unprecedented move to help the most vulnerable sector of society at the onset of the pandemic
Sta. Rosa vaccination booking portal
The local government of Santa Rosa, Laguna launched its website registration portal for its vaccination program powered by ePLDT.
This initiative is part of ePLDT’s ongoing efforts to support LGUs across the country to help curb the rising cases of COVID-19 through reliable and secure technology.
With the hashtag #LetsGetVacSANTAROSA, the city has launched an online registration portal for qualified Santa Rosa residents for its vaccination rollout. The portal is deployed in Microsoft Azure Stack which is hosted in ePLDT’s VITRO Data Center and is secured via ePLDT Cybersecurity solutions such as DNS Security and SSL-Certificates.
Microsoft Azure Stack, a partnership between ePLDT and Microsoft, is a locally-hosted, flexible, enterprise-grade and globally-renowned cloud computing infrastructure that allows users to develop, deploy and manage applications in real time.
Digital IDs for displaced Filipinos in Marawi
Microsoft recently partnered with two global organizations, software provider AID:Tech and Save the Children Philippines, to help thousands of displaced Filipinos in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur.
AID: Tech created a unique data structure for the project, product design, and solution development to ensure that Save the Children Philippines’ items could be tracked and traced at all times. The software provider also constructed digital IDs that follow the World Bank’s identification principles for individuals who need welfare benefits.
AID:Tech’s solution provides end-users with a verifiable digital identity and gives Save the Children Philippines the capability to identify end-users in the process of entitlement delivery.
These digital IDs are powered by tamper-proof blockchain technology running on Microsoft Azure for the instant disbursement of assets to beneficiaries.
The AID:Tech platform has empowered Save the Children Philippines with a more efficient and accessible method to identify and distribute aid to individuals through digital and printed IDs.
Toyota promo
From July 2 to 31 Toyota Motor Philippines is offering all-in packages, or light monthly payments, and even cash savings.
Toyota Vios is available at as low as P7,212 per month for the 1.3 J MT or for an all-in package at P112,950 for the 1.3 XE CVT which includes free insurance on the first year and LTO registration for three years. It also comes with a 5-year warranty, or for the first 150,000 kms, whichever comes first.
The New Innova starts at P12,372 per month for the 2.8 J Diesel MT, or an all-in low package of P192,750 for the 2.8 E Diesel MT. Get up to P45,000 in savings for outright cash transactions for select models.
The Toyota Corolla Altis can be had at P10,141 a month for the 1.6 E MT variant, or for a low all-in package of PHP177,750 for the 1.6 V CVT variant.
The Supra is available for a light monthly plan of P41,584.
