FedEx Express enhances customer experience
FedEx Express recently introduced a new suite of ancillary services aimed at providing customers with complete, end-to-end shipping support — from palletizing, crating, and fumigation to transport services such as private truck use, dangerous goods handling, Sunday delivery, and special documents processing for bulk shipments.
Businesses of all sizes, particularly retail freight customers, can receive quotes, make bookings and track shipments in real time. To help customers streamline their logistics processes, FedEx held a special virtual Master Class on February 9. The session outlined how these services can boost cross-border growth of businesses.
Reinforcing its commitment to help businesses tap into opportunities around the world, FedEx Express Philippines continues to innovate and formulate solutions and services to better serve customers through new supply chain technologies and customized solutions amid rapidly changing market conditions.
ePLDT bags multiple VST ECS awards
During the VST ECS Sales Kick-off and Thanksgiving events, leading local ICT distributor VST ECS awarded ePLDT the Most Promising Partner of the Year for Fortinet, Top Partner of the Year Award for Cisco Meraki, and Top Valued Partner Award for Dell Technologies Data Protect Suite after achieving multiple sales milestones in the past fiscal year.
The Most Promising Partner of the Year — Fortinet Award is given to a partner that has aligned its Fortinet business to VST ECS and has consistently shown and showcased a demonstrating vision, consistent progress, and clear aspiration to be one of the top partners of Fortinet. The Top Partner of the Year — Cisco Meraki Award is awarded to a partner who has helped ignite Filipino businesses by giving affordable connectivity to customers; and has full knowledge of the Cisco Meraki portfolio and can position, support, and enable their clients seamlessly.
The third award is VST ECS Top Valued Partner Award for Dell Technologies Data Protect Suite, which is a recognition of ePLDT’s performance and contribution in its Dell business in 2021.
The Great 0% interest festival
From April 11 to May 31, Filipino customers may choose from a selection of over 5,000 products of Home Credit’s partner brands available at zero interest.
These include home appliances and furniture, smartphones and laptops, bicycles and motorcycle accessories to electronics and hardware, sports equipment and apparel.
Customers may avail of their chosen items through an affordable installment plan with Home Credit. For up to three different items in one loan contract, customers may choose a flexible payment of 6, 12, 15, and 18 months at zero interest at all participating stores nationwide.
Home Credit’s Marketplace has items and existing promos through the Home Credit App. Customers can check out the nearest Home Credit partner stores at their website.
SMC program helps address barriers to education
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has rolled out a youth development program focusing on children of disadvantaged families near its planned development sites nationwide as part of its advocacy to help improve learning outcomes and increase their life chances.
SMC president Ramon S. Ang said the SMC Educational Assistance Program will benefit 292 elementary, junior high, senior high and college students around communities it serves in Bulacan, Quezon province, Batangas, General Santos City.
Ang said the program was piloted in Sariaya, Quezon, where SMC built a model sustainable housing relocation village, complete with disaster-resilient homes, recreation and learning facilities, a complementary fishermen’s dock and multi-purpose center, and a public market managed and operated by fisherfolk and farmer beneficiaries of the village.
The program is currently benefiting some 43 students in Sariaya, whose parents have also been provided by SMC with training on entrepreneurship and various skills, through a partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
SMC has also launched the SMC Education Assistance Program for 81 beneficiaries in Bulakan, Bulacan, where it is set to build the New Manila International Airport.
A total of 129 students from elementary, junior high, senior high, and college levels are also benefiting from the program in Calatagan, Batangas.
In General Santos, a total of 39 junior, senior high, and college students were included in the program.
J&J PH supports DOH
Johnson & Johnson (Philippines) Inc. (J&J Philippines) continues its support for the Department of Health’s (DOH) aggressive efforts to make COVID-19 care available to Filipinos, through the donation of the essential home recovery products.
The antiseptic gargles and lozenges for sore throat, as well as alcohol and soaps for hand hygiene will be included in Kalinga Kits for distribution to communities to prevent further transmission of the virus.
Director Beverly Lorraine Ho of the DOH Health Promotion Bureau and Disease Prevention and Control Bureau said, “Managing and containing the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is a continued fight, but one that gets a bit easier with the help of our friends in the private sector.”
“It is great news that we are starting to see a semblance of normalcy return to our lives though this does not mean that we should let our guard down,” said president and managing director of J&J Philippines, Raghu Krishnan. “We will continue to do our part to assist where we can and hope that the donation of these self-care essentials will enable individuals batting the virus at present to manage their symptoms without having to leave their homes.”
Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brands, Personalities in PH
Reader’s Digest Asia recently hosted a physical event for the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brands and Personality Awards on April 8 at the Garden Ballroom of EDSA Shangri-La Hotel Manila, gathering representatives from various local companies that are recipients of the awards for 2022.
The event aside from celebrating the Awards’ 24th year also commemorated the 100th year of Reader’s Digest, a global brand with 23 editions across 41 countries globally.
As in years past (before and during the pandemic), Reader’s Digest commissioned market research firm Catalyst Research to conduct an independent online poll of over 8,000 respondents from the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Taiwan, who were asked to identify the brands they trust from over 50 product/service categories.
In the Philippines, the Most Trusted Brands were identified across nine consumer categories and 57 sub-categories.
Gold Trusted brands have earned outstanding scores based on consumers’ perceptions.
Some of the Gold Awards recipients in 2022 are the following: Air Conditioner — Carrier and Condura; Air Freight/Courier Service — J&T Express; Consumer Loan — BDO; Investment Fund Company — AIA and BDO; Life Insurance — AIA and Manulife; Optical Shop/Store — Ideal Vision Center; TV Network — ABS-CBN.
Platinum Trusted Brands have performed exceptionally, as indicated by their consumers’ perceptions. Some of the Platinum Awards recipients in 2022 are the following: Bank — BDO; Broadband/Fibre Internet Service — PLDT Home Fibr; Credit Card Issuing Bank — BDO; Life Insurance — Sun Life Philippines; Optical Shop/ Store — Executive Optical; Pharmacy/ Drug Store — Mercury Drug; TV Network — GMA Network
Award-winning broadcast journalist Jessica Soho top-billed the Most Trusted Personalities in the Philippines in 2022. Other awardees for the category are Mike Enriquez (Most Trusted Radio Presenter), Senator Manny Pacquiao (Most Trusted Sportsperson), and Vice Ganda (Most Trusted Entertainment/Variety Presenter).
The complete list of winners is exclusively published in the April 2022 issue of Reader’s Digest Philippines, or accessiblethrough the special Trusted Brands Asia 2022 (Philippines) online site.
Youth mentorship
Allianz PNB Life together with SOS Children’s Villages officially launched the “YouthCan!” mentorship program last April 11.
Through the ‘YouthCan!’ program, and with Allianz PNB Life’s help, SOS will be able to equip children in need with the tools, skills, and outlook to be able to rely on themselves when they pursue an independent living.
SOS Children’s Villages is a private, non-government organization that aims to provide a normal family environment for abandoned, neglected, or orphaned Filipino children.
The “YouthCan!” Program was launched globally in 2017, with the goal of presenting the youth with opportunities to be economically productive, transforming the participants into dynamic leaders and independent, self-reliant individuals through one-on-one mentoring relationships, as well as virtual training sessions and web-based learning tutorials.
Smart Balik Tuition Promo
Thirty-three-year-old medical student Ariel Abantes bagged Smart’s ‘Balik Tuition Promo 2’ in 2021.
Abantes took home the P100,000 grand prize.
On top of the cash prize, Abantes also won 50 Smart Bro Pocket WiFi kits for Our Lady of Fatima University.
Yellow Cab Pizza opens in Houston
Max’s Group Inc. (MGI) continues its international expansion with the opening of Yellow Cab Pizza Co. in Houston, Texas, USA.
The Houston branch is the 19th Yellow Cab Pizza store globally and also marks the 10th MGI international franchise opened during the COVID-19 pandemic across the North America, Middle East, and Asia Pacific markets. To date, the MGI store network comprises 14 territories, with 600 Philippine and 62 international sites situated across various locations in North America, the Middle East, and Asia.
Currently on soft opening, the 1,199- square foot space is strategically located in a Filipino-centric plaza right next to Max’s Restaurant–the Group’s flagship brand.
