DBP eyes added support for local inventors
State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) is looking at extending financial grants to three outstanding local inventors who recently won a national competition for the most promising solutions and technologies for critical sectors of the economy, a top official said.
DBP President and CEO Emmanuel G. Herbosa said the Bank may provide additional support to the winners of the local competition with the Filipino Inventors Society (FIS) dubbed as “The Inventor’s Pitch,” to facilitate the commercialization and mass production of their products and inventions.
FIS is a non-government organization of Filipino inventors who hold patents to their works and innovations in the Philippines and overseas.
Herbosa said the winners of the competition were Rodrigo Duque for his “Portable Unihoused Water Purification and Sterilization Apparatus”, Justino Arboleda for his “Method of Producing Coco Board and Product thereof for Various Housing and Carpentry Works”, and William Chua for his “ManilaBlock: an interlocking building block.”
The three were chosen from 11 finalists by a panel of judges composed of top officials from the Department of Science and Technology, Department of Agriculture, Department of Trade and Industry, National Economic Development Authority, Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, and DBP, with each receiving a cash prize of P300,000.
In 2021, DBP partnered with FIS to consolidate support for the development of viable local projects and indigenous technologies while enabling the Bank to advance the provisions of Republic Act No. 7459, or the “Investors and Invention Incentives Act of the Philippines,” which mandates state banks to provide financial assistance to Filipino inventors.
Hydration support for Abra
West Zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services, Inc. (Maynilad) took active part in relief activities for earthquake-stricken Abra by providing safe, drinking water for affected communities in the province.
The water company deployed two 5-cubic-meter mobile tankers to the towns of Bangued, Langiden, La Paz and Pidigan, which have been rendered waterless after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake damaged their existing water distribution systems.
In addition, Maynilad also donated 1,500 pieces of bottled water to the province through its Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (PDRRMC) and the local barangays. This disaster relief activity is implemented in partnership with the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the Alagang Kapatid Foundation of the MVP Group of Companies’ “Tulong Kapatid” advocacy.
3M appointment
Global science company 3M announced that Reggie Pulumbarit has expanded his roles in 3M and its shared services hub Global Service Center (GSC) Philippines, effective July 1, 2022. In addition to his position as 3M Philippines country leader, Pulumbarit has been appointed as the new managing director of 3M Southeast Asia region and vice president of 3M Global Service Center Philippines.
Pulumbarit has 26 years of work experience at 3M in various businesses and functions. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering from De LaSalle University.
Taiwan donation for Abra earthquake victims
On behalf of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), representative Peiyung Hsu of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines (TECO) donated $200,000 to the Republic of the Philippines as a disaster relief fund at a hand-over ceremony in TECO on August 10.
The donation will assist those affected by the recent earthquake in northern Luzon.
Silvestre Bello III, chairman and resident representative of the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), accepted the donation on behalf of the government of the Republic of Philippines. Governor Dominic Valera of the Province of Abra was present to witness the donation.
Ph Airbnb hosts among the best
Airbnb is recognizing twelve outstanding young Airbnb Hosts across the Asia-Pacific region with an average rating of 4.9 and over 4,300 guest check-ins collectively, including two hosts from the Philippines — Dwyane Yra Dinglasan, 23, and Deo Dia, 26.
More Hosts under 30 like Dingsalan and Dia are now helping their families unlock new economic opportunities while spreading the Philippines’ tuloy ka hospitality with their guests and contributing to the tourism economy. As these two Hosts show, age is truly just a number.
EY expands talent base
EY, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction, and consulting services, announced the establishment of the Power & Utilities Center of Excellence (CoE) in the EY Global Delivery Services (GDS) Philippines office, including plans to expand its team of practitioners experienced in enterprise applications and digital transformation this year.
The new Power & Utilities CoE will be a pivotal expansion of the power and utilities services to support and provide innovative and strategic business services to EY member firms and assist them in their client services across the globe.
Over 600 professionals with skills and experience in power and utilities, and major industry enterprise applications are based across EY GDS locations in India, the Philippines, China, and Poland.
EY GDS in the Philippines has over 4,500 professionals that include people across technology, transformation, and strategy roles.
EY GDS in the Philippines plans to ramp up local operations to strengthen delivery of services to member firms of EY in the region and around the world.
Kathryn Bernardo joins BanKo family
BanKo, the microfinance arm of the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), welcomes Asia’s superstar Kathryn Bernardo as the newest member of its BanKo family.
This partnership signals BanKo’s renewed commitment to promote financial inclusion by providing access to easy, convenient, and affordable loan products that empower the masang Filipino and self-employed microentrepreneurs (SEMEs).
Bernardo, a young and successful actress with her own businesses, was chosen by BanKo for her reputation as a reliable personality admired by the Filipino masses. By being a ka-BanKo, Bernardo joins in the mission to encourage Filipinos to begin saving their hard-earned money or grow their own businesses with a trusted financial institution.
