Globe conducts initial relief efforts in typhoon-hit areas
Globe has mobilized its disaster relief teams in the Bicol region following the devastating impact of typhoon Rolly to several provinces in the area.
Together with its partners Rise Against Hunger and Ayala Foundation, Globe provided food packs to 600 families in Tiwi and Malinao Albay.
The company also delivered meal packs to 360 families in evacuation centers located in Sagn͂ay, Calabanga, and Lagonoy in Camarines Sur.
It has also set up the Globe WiFi Jeepney to provide Libreng Tawag, Libreng Charging and Libreng WiFi in the following areas: Baao, Camarines Sur, and in Sta. Cruz and Poblacion in Marinduque. The Globe WiFi Jeepney will be deployed in more areas in the coming days.
Globe will likewise offer free calls, text and data services to select areas to enable its customers to reach out to their loved ones across the country and even abroad. Customers may check Globe FB and Globe Icon pages for new service advisories.
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Kulay sa Tubig at SM Mega Fashion Hall
Over 100 artists participated in the Kulay Sa Tubig Invitational Competition and Exhibition held recently at the SM Megamall Mega Fashion Hall, highlighting the beauty and versatility of water color painting.
A joint project of Gallery Genesis and SM Megamall, this is the competition’s 32nd year in which only the most highly talented and skilled watercolorists are invited to participate with a mandatory pre-screening requirement. They competed for the Hall of Fame and Top Five Water Colorists awards. Winners each received a trophy, a certificate and a cash prize.
Carlo Caacbay (Utopia, We Dream as One), Jarsen Lacson (Spidermen), Julian Eymard Paquiligan (Sweet Predictions), Ronnie Pascua (Force), and Richard Romeo (A National Treasure) were named the Top Five Water Colorists.
Virgilio Pomida, Jr. on the other hand, won the Hall of Fame award with this masterpiece The Morning After. As in the previous years, artists who are able to go to the Hall of Fame are those who have won at least three times throughout the years.
Judges for this year’s competition include Metropolitan Museum Manila President Tina Colayco, NCCA Former Chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr., SM SVP for Marketing Communications Group Millie Dizon, Ayala Museum’s Senior Curator Kenneth Esguerra, Vargas Museum’s Senior Curator Patrick Flores, Art Critic and Art Writer Cid Reyes and Filipino Heritage President Armita Rufino.
Gallery Genesis established the Kulay Sa Tubig Invitational Watercolor Competition and Exhibition in 1983.
The Kulay Sa Tubig Invitational Competition aims to raise funds for the benefit of the frontliners of the UP Philippine General Hospital. 75% of the gross profit from the art competition and exhibition proceeds will be used to purchase face masks, personal protection equipment, and other essential medical items for UP PGH frontliners.
The Kulay sa Tubig Invitational Competition is one of the many exciting cultural events of SM Megamall.
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Grab expands to Dumaguete to provide livelihood opportunities
for small businesses, residents
Anchored on its Grab for Good commitment of using technology to contribute to the Philippines’ longer-term socio-economic development, Grab Philippines has teamed up with the City of Dumaguete to provide meaningful livelihood opportunities to thousands of the city’s residents, small businesses and microentrepreneurs. Through this launch, Dumaguetenos may now benefit from the safe, convenient, and valuable services that GrabFood and GrabExpress has to offer, while co-creating a positive social impact, and contributing to Dumaguete’s economic recovery.
The launch of GrabFood and GrabExpress in Dumaguete aims to help the city’s MSMEs to better reach and serve their customers through the Grab platform.
Through GrabFood, Dumaguetenos can now support their staple local cuisines through the wide array of food choices made available on the Grab app. As a start, residents can now enjoy their favorite dishes from flavor heroes like Gabby’s Bistro, Qyosko, and Tiffles Food Hub right at the comfort and safety of their homes.
To help boost Dumaguete’s food tourism industry, Grab will continue to work with more restaurants and establishments to help showcase the city’s local flavors to locals and visitors alike with the help of the Grab app.
GrabExpress will also play a significant role in helping small businesses and micro-entrepreneurs across Dumaguete to better reach and serve their customers, by providing safe, convenient, and reliable means of ferrying products and items on-demand.
As Grab continues to provide meaningful and essential services to the communities in Dumaguete, it will leverage its technology and innovation to provide its delivery partners the necessary tools, training, and livelihood opportunities for them to grow and succeed.
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SMC completes Taliptip relocation,
moves residents to safer houses amid typhoon
The last remaining residents of Barangay Taliptip in Bulakan, Bulacan to be relocated from the future site of the P740-billion Manila International Airport finally moved into their new, sturdier homes in a safer location over the weekend–just in time for the onslaught of super typhoon Rolly, which affected parts of Central Luzon, including Bulacan province.
Fisherman Teody Bacon and other former Sitio Kinse families occupy six houses in a 437-square meter lot provided by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) which also helped to ensure the residents have water and electrical connection, among others.
Even as Bacon admits that he will continue to rely on fishing as a primary source of livelilhood, he said that he and fellow residents will enroll in courses offered by the Technical Education Skills and Development Authority (TESDA) in cooperation with SMC.
Among the courses are Shielded Metal Arc Welding, Electrical Installation and Maintenance, and Heavy Equipment Operations. Courses like dressmaking and cookery are also offered. The first batch of TESDA students will graduate in November.
A total of 277 owners of concrete and shanty houses in Barangay Taliptip qualified for financial assistance. SMC provided owners of non-concrete houses or shanties P250,000 each, while owners of concrete houses were given the appraised value of their homes, multiplied by two, plus P100,000. SMC also provided cash assistance to 87 others who were disqualified, for a total of 364 beneficiaries.
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Grant Thornton launches Navigator
Grant Thornton has launched Navigator, a subscription-based online audit issue management tool that can help monitor audit issues of mid-size to large organizations.
Grant Thornton’s expertise and experience in audit and assurance provides for a platform that makes the monitoring of audit issues by audit committees, internal audit, compliance, and risk management teams more convenient, timely, and efficient.
The cloud-based tool aims to simplify audit issue management by allowing audit project managers, task owners, management committees, and board-level members to communicate progress with each other, making the process of tracking and reporting issue resolution more automated. Navigator removes the need for tracking spreadsheets, which are commonly in use today.
Navigator is one of Grant Thornton’s service offerings that help businesses improve their operations with the use of technology. Other solutions include the the ProActive online whistleblowing tool and the Vigil@nt cybersecurity training platform.
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Therma Visayas provides COVID-19 relief to Toledo residents
Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) recently completed the turnover of direct benefits to its host beneficiaries, helping provide timely relief to residents during the pandemic.
To date, TVI has downloaded Energy Regulations (ER 1-94) funds worth P5.9 million to Toledo City and another P4.3 million to its host community of Barangay Bato.
These funds have been utilized to support the city’s programs in its fight against COVID-19 and to provide relief goods to over 3,200 families within the host barangay.
Through these funds, the barangay was able to provide 25 sacks of rice per household to all households.
Toledo City’s 38 barangays and over 170,000 will also benefit from the ER 1-94 funds through the initiatives of the city government.
Along with the contributions for Toledo City and Barangay Bato, TVI continues to support the development of the city and its host barangay through health missions and other projects identified in its corporate social responsibility programs.
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Microsoft Launches Imagine Cup 2021
Microsoft’s premier student competition, Imagine Cup engages new technologists around the world to promote platform adaption, expand market access, and source top talent.
By participating, young science and tech entrepreneurs create new and innovative projects that highlight their passion and ingenuity, and will have the opportunity to network with professionals, gain new skills, win funding to further implement their ideas and receive mentoring from topnotch technology leaders. Through several rounds of online and in-person competition, they compete for the championship, the cash prize, and the mentorship.
To announce this year’s Imagine Cup, Microsoft Philippines held a virtual launch event recently, opening the competition up to Filipino participants.
Imagine Cup 2021 is now open to students for submission of entries and will offer a grand cash prize of up to $75,000. The winner will also get a mentorship session with Microsoft chief executive officer Satya Nadella.
The Imagine Cup is about innovations changing the way we live; about solutions and applications that save lives. The competition has become a platform for student teams to develop effective answers for improving the lifestyle of people around the globe, through the technology ideas they have created.
