Alas Oplas & Co. CPAs at BKR EMEA Conference in Milan
Alas Oplas & Co. CPAs (AOC) participated in the BKR International Annual EMEA Regional Conference held from June 1 to 3at the Grand Visconti Palace Hotel in Milan, Italy.
The conference, attended by over 120 delegates from diverse BKR member firms worldwide, served as a pivotal platform for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and professional advancement within the accounting industry.
AOC was represented by Marycris Oplas, current BKR xhair and CEO of AOC; chairman Donnies Alas; managing director for Business Set Up & Compliance Racquel Villarante; and managing sirector for Human Resources Jenny Catapang.
AOC’s participation in the conference highlighted AOC’s dedication to leadership and active participation in the global accounting community.
These events present opportunities for BKR members to connect, share knowledge, and foster business relationships.
Throughout the conference, AOC actively engaged in various sessions and networking events, contributing insights and expertise while building valuable connections with international counterparts.
Orix Metro appointment
Orix Metro Leasing and Finance Corp. announced the appointment of Angelo Padua as the new President, effective July 1, 2024.
Padua will replace Antonio Ocampo Jr., who will transition to a new role within the Metrobank Group as president to one of its subsidiaries and will remain a member of Orix Metro’s board of directors and the executive committee.
Padua joined Orix Metro more than 28 years ago serving in increasing levels of leadership, including as center head of Northern Luzon and the Countryside Branches Group. Most recently, Padua served as the EVP- Marketing Sector head and has played key roles in leading the Operations Group.
Padua has also been elected as a member of several important committees including the Executive Committee, where he will continue to contribute to the strategic direction of the organization.
SM Store launches Shop & Share for Education
The SM Store recently relaunched its Shop & Share for Education program to provide students with back-to-school kits, in time for the opening of the academic school year 2024-2025.
Shop & Share for Education aims to distribute back-to-school kits to 12,000 grade school pupils in more than 70 public schools nationwide. Running from July 1 to 31, the initiative encourages shoppers who make a minimum single-receipt purchase of P3,000 to sponsor a child’s school kit for only P100. The kits contain notebooks, pad paper, pencils and ballpens, envelopes and bond paper.
Now on its second year, Shop & Share for Education is SM Store’s effort to help address the lack of access to basic school supplies, one of the high-priority issues of the Philippine education sector.
This year’s initiative will have each SM Store adopt one school beneficiary.
Jollibee Group makes it to Fortune SEA 500
Jollibee Group was among the 38 Philippine companies included in the inaugural Fortune Southeast Asia 500.
Fortune, a global multi-platform media company known for their Fortune 500 list, ranked the largest companies in the region by their total revenues for the 2023 fiscal year.
The Jollibee Group was ranked 86th in the overall list, with a revenue of $4,39 billion and a profit of $157.7 million. It was also the 9th highest ranked Philippine-based company.
“Behind our business performance is our passionate commitment to providing truly delicious food coupled withexceptionally caring and warm customer service. Our recent inclusion in Fortune’s inaugural list of Southeast Asia 500 Companies reflects this deep commitment and inspires us to keep dreaming big and exceeding people’s expectations as a restaurant company,” said Ernesto Tanmantiong, Jollibee Group president and CEO.
Disability awareness & sensitivity training
As part of their commitment to enhance customer experience and promote inclusivity, PLDT Inc. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications Inc. have partnered with their respective security service providers (SSP) for the conduct of disability awareness and sensitivity workshops for SSP personnel assigned to the telcos’ facilities.
During the workshops conducted by the SSP Trainers, role-playing activities provided the security personnel with hands-on experience in managing actual situations that allowed them to test strategies for effective communication and customer care for individuals with disabilities and neurodiverse conditions. These activities are aimed at enhancing further the inclusivity and accessibility of services in PLDT’s and Smart’s facilities, including its retail spaces.
Earlier, similar workshops on disability awareness and sensitivity were respectively conducted for PLDT and Smart employees, particularly those who interface with customers and handle frontline operations in retail stores and business offices nationwide. SSP Trainers also attended a separate Train the Trainers Session conducted by PLDT and Smart which was aimed at providing general guidelines on interacting with the companies’ customers.
Converge, partners win AI Challenge award
Converge ICT Solutions Inc. recently emerged victorious in a global challenge calling for ground-breaking technology solutions – conceptualizing a project that leveraged artificial intelligence to drive up profitability by as much as 30 percent while increasing overall customer satisfaction.
“With this, Converge proves its mettle as a technology company – this Catalyst program of TM Forum perfectly showcases the innovative approach of the company (together with its partners) in resolving issues rooted in its customer journey, ultimately improving the crucial customer-facing processes. This is not just a tabletop exercise for us – this is a framework we want to implement to enhance customer experience using AI,” said Converge CEO and co-founder Dennis Anthony Uy.
Converge, together with Telecom Argentina, Vodafone GmbH, and the Vodafone Group, won TM Forum’s Moonshot Catalyst Award for its AI Challenge, with the project: “ AI-driven EBITDA Mastery : Revolutionizing Customer Journeys”. The AI-based architecture solution they came up with was created using technology from Aria, AWS, Calvi, Nespon Solutions and Salesforce.
The project consists of an “AI architecture”, or solution that leveraged on generative AI in the customer service journey to make it faster and more data-driven.
Juliana Holdings is official distributor of ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. announced the appointment of Juliana Holdings Inc. as their official distributor for Mobil-branded lubricant products and services in the Philippines.
With 44 years of experience with FMCG businesses and 13 years in transportation chemicals, Juliana Holdings will provide Mobil branded lubricant products such as Mobil 1, Mobil Super, Mobil Super Moto, and Mobil Delvac, to serve workshops and supply stores for automotive and motorcycles across Luzon and Visayas.
“Through this partnership, Juliana Holdings will serve as our extension in the local market representing the Mobil brand and providing premium products and services to consumer automotive customers in Luzon and Visayas,” said Tan Kar-Hui, VP- EXTAP, a business division of ExxonMobil Asia Pacific Pte Ltd. “
