LBC ensures COVID-resilient workplace
Beyond the minimum health and safety protocols implemented in its offices and hubs, all vehicles and cargoes are disinfected at source and repeated in LBC’s Central Exchange and provincial hubs before these are sent out for deliveries.
To allow for physical distancing, LBC leased additional warehouses in NCR to decongest its facilities and most of its support functions were put on a work-from-home arrangement through digital enhancements and by providing equipment, apps, and platforms that allow logging in and out remotely, having meetings, and coordinating online. Shuttling services were provided for those who need to physically report to work.
LBC is also one of the first companies that conducted and shouldered rapid antibody and antigen testing for its manpower. So far, LBC has already carried out more than 140,000 Rapid tests around the country. The company also shoulders quarantine leaves, gives teleconsultations, and provides home care from its in-house medical team.
On top of all these measures is an intensive vaccination program the company continues to carry out targeting 100 percent inoculation of employees here and around the globe.
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UnionBank accelerates cloud transformation
VMware Inc. has announced that Union Bank of the Philippines has deployed VMware Cloud on AWS as part of its cloud-only IT transformation vision to become a leading digitally-enabled bank in the country. As cloud technologies continue to disrupt traditional banks and power the digital future of banking as an innovation catalyst, a more trusted digital foundation will support the Philippines’ financial ecosystem in accelerating innovations.
The VMware Cloud on AWS deployment will provide UnionBank with the flexibility and agility for exponential growth and faster response time to consumer needs, enabling the Bank to drive greater financial inclusion in the Philippines.
Leveraging VMware Cloud on AWS can provide UnionBank with the power of flexibility in its multi-cloud strategy, while enabling the Bank to improve agility, scalability, time-to-market and gain faster recovery from deployment failures. In addition, the bank reports that it expects to generate savings of more than 30% over five years and achieve return on investment in less than 18 months(2). Additionally, the VMware Cloud Universal subscription will allow UnionBank to gain greater flexibility, simplicity and portability from a single cloud operation.
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One carry-on baggage policy
Cebu Pacific reminds its passengers to bring only one hand carry bag during their travels to ensure a smooth and convenient flight experience.
The carry-on bag must not exceed 7 kilograms in weight and must fit in the overhead bin or under the aircraft seat.
This strict implementation of the hand carry baggage policy is in line with the airline’s goal to improve its processes for a more efficient and seamless customer experience.
Beginning September 01, guests who do not comply with this rule will be charged with a gate baggage fee of P1,000 per person for domestic flights. In the coming months, the airline will also begin charging for its international flights — P1,500 for short haul and P3,000 for long haul.
Cashless payments are also encouraged, in line with the airline’s contactless flight guidelines amidst operating during the pandemic.
Passengers who purchased additional items at the airport are exempted and will not be charged with this fee if they can show the official receipt from the store where they shopped at the airport.
Other items that will be accepted as extra free hand carry are equipment for medical needs or for infants.
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PLDT promotes culture of service excellence
In celebration of National Heroes Day, PLDT Global Corp. (PGC) is launching a new campaign to salute its employees and promote its culture of service excellence around the world.
Dubbed as #PeopleOfPGC, the social media campaign aims to uplift overseas Filipino workers by sharing the lives of PGC employees who are deployed in different parts of the world in the service of their kababayans.
Twenty percent of PGC’s employees are present in key markets across Asia, the United States, and Europe. Given the challenges posted by the COVID-19 pandemic, these employees have shifted to work-from-home setups and virtual transactions, which allowed them to cater to more business partners who service Filipino customers in different continents.
“PLDT Global is a company that knows the Filipino. We are in the best position to bring the services of international businesses closer to the overseas Filipino market. Wherever there’s a Filipino, PGC is there to serve through our products, digital platforms, and network of partners all over the world,” said PGC.
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Cebuana Lhuillier, Jean Henri Lhuillier haul awards
Cebuana Lhuillier bagged several prestigious honors for business innovation, excellence in management, and social campaign from two international award-giving bodies, recently. The country’s leading and largest microfinance service provider has again proven its excellence in the industry receiving 13 awards from the 13th Annual Golden Bridge Awards (Globee Awards) and 6 awards from the 2021 International Business Awards (Stevie Awards).
Cebuana Lhuillier president and chief executive officer Jean Henri Lhuillier was recognized for his excellence in leadership, winning five gold Globee Awards, including Innovator of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Maverick of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, and Executive Achievement of the Year. Furthermore, he also won four Gold Stevie Awards and one Silver Stevie awards in the following categories: Executive of the Year – Consumer Services, Executive of the Year – Financial Services, Lifetime Achievement Award – Business Products Industries, Lifetime Achievement Award – Consumer Services Industries, and Entrepreneur of the Year – Financial Services, respectively.
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OFLU online store
The Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) Inc. community is getting its own Smart Online Store to help students, faculty, and other personnel in the new normal for education. Called the OLFU Smart Online Store, the e-commerce platform provides Fatimanians a convenient gateway to browse through Smart Prepaid products and services tailored to their own digital learning needs.
The partnership with OLFU reinforces the PLDT group’s core value of “malasakit”, which drives PLDT’s wireless unit Smart to assist where and when necessary, this time in the connectivity needs of the education sector.
Smart, together with PLDT’s B2B arm PLDT Enterprise, has launched a customized digital marketplace featuring Smart connectivity solutions for the exclusive use of the OLFU community. Fatimanians across six campuses in Valenzuela City, Quezon City, Antipolo City, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija and Sta. Rosa, Laguna can avail of Smart Prepaid load cards and electronic loads at discounted prices when they buy from their very own OLFU Smart Online Store. Fatimanians can also avail connectivity devices like the Smart Bro Prepaid and PLDT Home WiFi. Smart is also waiving shipping costs for all transactions made via the OLFU Smart Online Store.
The platform also offers secure and convenient payment options via credit cards, and cash on delivery or COD.
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Charlize Theron to headline PH Digicon 2021
The Philippine Digital Convention (PH Digicon) 2021 will feature Oscar-winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Charlize Theron. As the celebrity headline speaker.
Theron will speak about her personal experiences in different facets of life, including relevant issues in the business industry such as women empowerment in male-dominated industries, and fostering gender equality and economic empowerment, among others.
PLDT–through its B2B arm PLDT Enterprise–will hold the most prestigious thought leadership event in the country. With the theme “REVOLUTION,” the event seeks to encourage businesses to embrace revolutionary change and explore possibilities to stay ahead in the dynamic business landscape.
Theron founded Denver and Delilah Productions in 2003, a film/tv production company that co-produced films including The Addams Family, Atomic Blonde, and Monster; and hit Netflix crime drama Mindhunter and reality television series Hyperdrive.
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Security upgrade
GCash is bringing a safer and more secure experience to customers by implementing a 6-digit Card PIN upgrade to its GCash Card product.
Coming on September 7, the feature will enable all GCash customers with GCash Card to “upgrade” to a 6-digit PIN for ATM withdrawals and direct purchases along with the 4-digit MPIN for your usual easy app transactions. This will make their GCash Card more secure, as not only would the card PIN now be different from the GCash app MPIN, but a 6-digit PIN also has 1 million combinations – separating from your 4-digit one with 10,000 combinations.
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Bukas onboards new partner institutions
Bukas, a tech-enabled education financing platform, widens its reach with new partner institutions from private universities such as De La Salle University, University of Asia and the Pacific, Panpacific University, Technological Institute of the Philippines, St. Louis University, Colegio de Dagupan, to more specialized schools like SoFA Design Institute, Enderun Colleges, De La Salle Medical and Health Sciences Institute, Avion School, and Uplift Code Camp.
Committed to serving Filipino students, Bukas is offering an affordable, complementary solution that aims to empower Filipino families to build a better tomorrow through quality education. The offering is accessible to more families and students who are not able to rely on bank loans, or scholarships.
