BDO exec facilitates Indo-Pacific Business Forum
Marla Garin-Alvarez (4th from left), VP and head of Sustainability Office of BDO Unibank Inc. served as the moderator of the climate panel at the recent Indo-Pacific Business Forum. She led an engaging discussion with Asian Development Bank panelists on ADB’s key approaches and projects on climate change mitigation, public-private partnerships, private sector involvement, and decarbonizing transportation in the region. These tie in well with the initiatives of BDO, a pioneer in sustainable finance, in driving economic development through strategic investments in critical infrastructure and social financing to promote financial inclusion. Photo shows (from L-R): ADB’s Kanzo Nakai, Toru Kubo, Suzanne C. Gaboury, and Cleo Kawawaki, and USTDA’s Brent Harrison.
QC gov’t, Ninja Van support local businesses
The Quezon City government and tech-enabled express logistics company Ninja Van Philippines have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to extend vital support to the city’s local businesses, particularly those in e-commerce.
Under the MOU, Ninja Van and the SBCDPO will explore and develop programs aimed at building capacity among the city’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME). This partnership will help bolster local businesses and upskill local entrepreneurs by leveraging Ninja Van’s expertise in harnessing e-commerce and logistics.
Ninja Van’s comprehensive logistics solutions include Ninja Fulfillment, which offers all-in-one manpower, warehousing, and inventory management, enabling online sellers and business owners to save on additional operational costs. Newly launched business-to-business delivery solution Ninja Restock supports the timely restocking of medium-sized businesses from a centralized warehouse, eliminating exorbitant fees and long waiting times.
PLDT, Smart recognized as AI Pioneers
LinkedIn has recognized PLDT Inc. as AI Pioneer of the year, at the recently concluded LinkedIn Talent Awards, held at the Fairmont Hotel, Makati City.
This citation is given to organizations that have shown exceptional implementation of training and development programs in the field of AI or artificial intelligence, to increase the percentage of AI-skilled employees and stakeholders.
PLDT has enabled the group’s operations and workforce with AI capabilities, beefing up platforms and resources across the group and the communities it serves. Smart was also cited as finalist in the same category.
PLDT was also named a finalist for the Talent Insights Pioneer category, for companies with over 10,000 employees.
Metro Pacific Health, Cebuana Lhuillier partnership
Metro Pacific Health (MPH) has parthered with Cebuana Lhuillier where through the Alagang MVP (Most Valuable Patient) program where the former will deliver a comprehensive healthcare experience tailored specifically for Cebuana Lhuillier’s executives, employees, and their dependents.
This strategic alliance marks MPH’s second network-wide collaboration, following the successful partnership with PLDT-Smart, and underscores its continuing commitment to becoming the preferred healthcare provider for corporate partners across the nation.
This collaboration ensures they will have priority access to MPH’s extensive network of hospitals, including exclusive benefits such as Executive Check-Ups (ECU), Annual Physical Exams (APE), Inpatient (IP) and Outpatient (OP) services, and Emergency Room (ER) care.
The partnership was officially launched with a signing ceremony on August 13 at the Leadership Boardroom of MPH.
With a network of 24 hospitals across the country, Metro Pacific Health continues to lead the way in delivering world-class medical care.
TAYO awardees
The Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards Foundation recognized and awarded the ten most accomplished youth organizations in the areas of Culture, Arts, and Heritage; Education and Technology; Environment, Disaster Risk Reduction, and Climate Change Adaptation; Health, Wellbeing, and Human Development; as well as Livelihood and Entrepreneurship during its 21st National Awarding Ceremony held on August 19, Monday, at the Metropolitan Theater, Manila.
Under the theme “Makabayani,” a blend of the words makabayan(love for one’s country) and bayani (hero), this year’s awards shine a spotlight on the extraordinary contributions of young leaders and their positive contributions to nation building.
The 21st Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations Top 10 Awardees are Salumayag Youth Collective for Forests, Second Chance Philippines, Achieve Minarog Youth Organization, MSU – Iligan Institute of Technology Youth Chain of Peace, Sidha – San Jose City ;
Therawee Health Innovation Inc., ADHIKA PH Inc. , Project Barako, Philippine Anti-Discrimination Alliance of Youth Leaders, Inc. and Negrosanon Young Leaders Institute Inc.
The Top 10 awardees and 10 finalists received a TAYO trophy by national artist, Toym Imao, as well as P50,000 and P 20,000 seed grants, respectively, to help fund their ongoing projects or start new ones.
The TAYO Foundation also gave special awards to select groups. These special awards were chosen by their partners and were given to organizations that will further their individual missions as institutions, corporate organizations, or public offices.
Packworks wins Global Stevie Award
Packworks, a Filipino startup that provides a business-to-business (B2B) open platform to sari-sari stores, has been announced as the Bronze Stevie Award winner “Company of the Year – Computer Software – Medium-size” category in the 21st Annual International Business Awards.
The prestigious honor recognizes Packworks’ significant contributions to the tech and retail sectors in providing cutting-edge solutions that support local micro-entrepreneurs.
“This award reflects how our mission resonates with business leaders globally and validates the significance of our work. At Packworks, we are committed to empowering sari-sari stores through our open platform, driving innovation in the e-commerce and retail sectors,” said Bing Tan, co-founder and CEO of Packworks.
Out of more than 3,600 nominations submitted by organizations in 62 nations and territories, Packworks was as one of the winners this year. Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 300 executives worldwide who participated in the judging process in June and July.
Through Packworks’ platform, over 270,000 sari-sari stores nationwide are able to digitize their day-to-day operations from pricing tools to inventory management and sales and revenue tracking, as well as give them access to working capital loans. Its partner stores are also able to reap more income through discounts from partner FMCG brands and companies.
Mober recognized in Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch List
Mober, a frontrunner in green logistics services in the Philippines, has been recognized in Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch List of 2024 for its significant impact in the industry and consistent financial growth in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Forbes Asia’s 100 to Watch List this year focuses on companies and startups that have achieved steady growth, even as venture capital funding in the region hit a seven-year low last year.
This year, Mober secured an additional $6 million in funding from the South East Asia Clean Energy Facility II (SEACEF II), managed by Clime Capital, building on the $2 million investment received from RT Heptagon Holdings (RTHH) last year. This funding advances Mober’s mission of providing greener logistics solutions in the Philippines.
Mober is one of only three companies from the Philippines that have made it to the list. It is also one of the five listed companies from the construction and logistics industry.
To qualify for the list, companies must be headquartered in the Asia-Pacific region, be privately owned and for-profit, have an annual revenue not exceeding $50 million, and have received no more than $100 million in total funding as of August 7.
