MAYA at Paleng-QR launch, CEB Seoul flights, HAFFINESS roadshow, SHANGRI-LA Plaza for coffee lovers, SUMMIT Media ad solutions, UNIONBANK-Leon Gallery on NFT art, GRAB for out-of-school youth, MVP Group relief efforts, SECURITY Bank join food-packing

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Maya fast tracks `digi-palengke’ thrust

Maya, the country’s only all-in-one money app, accelerates the adoption of QR Ph as it joins the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the launch of Paleng-QR Ph in Baguio City on August 17.

The Paleng-QR Ph program aims to digitalize transactions at the community level, starting with public markets and local transportation. The program enables vendors and tricycle drivers to accept digital payments from customers via QR Ph, the national standard for QR payments. Maya’s QR codes are QR Ph-compliant, and its app can scan any QR Ph-powered transaction.

Even before the rollout of Paleng-QR Ph, Maya has been equipping Baguio City merchants with the QR Ph-enabled Maya QR. These include market vendors, public utility drivers, bus stations, hotels, restaurants, groceries, pasalubong centers, and tourist spots.

Cebu Pacific boosts Cebu-Seoul flights

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Cebu Pacific (CEB) continues to expand its Cebu hub, as it ramps up its direct flights to Seoul, South Korea.

Starting September 9, CEB intends to increase its flights from Cebu to Seoul (Incheon) to a daily operation from its current twice-a-week service.

Flight 5J 128 is scheduled to depart Mactan Cebu International Airport at 12:25 p.m. and will arrive at 6:10 p.m. (Korea local time). Its return flight, 5J 129 departs Seoul at 6:55 p.m. and arrives in Cebu at 10:50 p.m. (Philippine local time).

HAFFINESS roadshow

SM Supermalls, in partnership with the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) and local government units, will roll out the HAFFINESS Franchise Roadshow at SM City Sta. Rosa Laguna on Friday, August 19. The roadshow aims to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) recover from the challenges brought about by the pandemic.

With the theme “HAFFINESS, happy and radiant thoughts”, the goal of the three-day roadshow is to connect aspiring entrepreneurs, OFWs, and retirees to franchisors. SM and AFFI will invite exhibitors, expert speakers, and partners to share information and development strategies to help MSMEs expand their businesses in the post-pandemic business climate.

Franchisees can connect with the franchisors and consult with industry leaders. Attendees can also converge with business mentors and life coaches for mentoring and coaching about various franchises and other business-related topics.

Some of the exhibitors that will be present during the kick-off on Friday are: Twice Tea, Esting’s Bellychon, Cleeneco, Mr. Dagupeño, Wendeli, Shania’s Manila, Tokyo Tempura, Siomai House, MyKartero, Unified Payment Center, Ricemart, Nakuyami, Avo Bravo, Umani, Rite Tea, Manila East Travel and Tours, El Bonitos Pizza and Healthy Meals PH.

SM City Clark will host the second leg of the HAFFINESS Franchise Roadshow from September 23 to 25.

Meant to Bean at the Shang

Shangri-La Plaza lists all the places coffee lovers can get at the mall.

Toby’s Estate (L2 Main Wing) attracts many with its unique design. 26th Street Bistro by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (L5 East Wing) has a space conducive to hanging out. Darker tones and a sleek design make Bo’s Coffee Primo (L3 Main Wing) the spot to chill.

Café Lyon (L1 Main Wing) has an extensive beverage list from macchiato to the dessert-like affogato. Duck & Buvette (L2 Main Wing) from Chicago, Illinois is hailed as one of the big three leaders of the third wave coffee movement.

Mary Grace Café ’s (L4 Main Wing) comfort food is best enjoyed with a cup of their muscovado cappuccino. Lemongrass (L1 Main Wing) offers rich and flavorful Vietnamese coffee. Auntie Anne’s (L5 Main Wing) serves its famous pretzels and offers hot brewed coffee roasted by Figaro.

Cello’s Doughnuts (L5 Main Wing) has every brew from Gibraltar to a dirty latte, while Dunkin’ Donuts (LG Main Wing) takes pride in their doughnuts as their coffee. Krispy Kreme (L1 Main Wing) has coffee offerings to match their doughnut creations.

Starbucks (L6 Main Wing) prides itself with selections from caramel snickerdoodle macchiato to a Harry Potter butterbeer-inspired frappuccino. Figaro Coffee (L5 Main Wing) serves coffee made from freshly-roasted beans sourced all over the country, and shares the art of European coffee culture to Filipinos, including latte art.

Summit Media expands YouTube advertising solutions

Summit Media has announced its partnership with Bent Pixels Asia (BPA), the leading revenue accelerator for premium YouTube creators in Asia, to help the former monetize its pre-roll ad inventory for the YouTube channels of its online magazines.

BPA and Summit Media will offer advertisers Reserved Media, an ad solution that allows advertisers to target Summit Media’s YouTube channels and enables brands to exclusively run their pre-roll video ads for 100 percent SOV roadblock for a given period, effectively owning Summit Media’s sought-after, quality audience and ad inventory on the platform.

Summit Media’s YouTube channels including Esquire Philippines, Top Gear Philippines, Cosmo.ph, PEP.ph, Yummy, Preview, SPIN.ph and Spot.ph, among others, will be onboarded onto BPA’s network of premium YouTube creators. BPA is part of Hepmil Media Group, a leading technology-driven media network that owns PGAG, the country’s leading comedy content platform.

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BPA will also provide YouTube channel development programs to Summit Media, including workshops, best practices, and tools to help them sustainably grow the reach and subscriber base of its brands’ channels and produce quality content to engage their audiences.

UnionBank, Leon Gallery tackle NFT art

Union Bank of the Philippines and The Leon Gallery, among the most prestigious auction houses in the country, recently hosted a discussion on non-fungible token or NFT art.

Focus was on how NFTs continue to reshape the art scene, and how artists and art collectors can easily navigate the emerging space.

The timely talk was held during an exhibition by Filipino abstract artist Jose Antonio Reyes, also known as JAR, whose July 18 collection was showcased and sold out on opening day at The Leon Gallery.

This was a follow up of the artist’s previous NFT art collection, JAR Heads, successfully launched on the Cardano Network with over 1 million in ADA sales in the secondary market in the span of only six months.

UnionBank’s Virtual Asset Over-the-Counter (VA OTC) Service, another industry first, was designed to help people enter the emerging NFT art space much easier. UnionBank is the first and only bank in the Philippines to offer this type of service, further strengthening the Bank’s position as the country’s leader in blockchain innovation.

Daan ng Natigil

Grab Philippines, together with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Land Transportation Office (LTO), launched the pilot run of the Daan ng Natigil, an economic empowerment program for Filipino out-of-school youths.

Through this program, Grab Philippines will provide out-of-school youths access to meaningful livelihood opportunities, upskilling initiatives, as well as perks and benefits, thus giving them a greater chance to achieve their life-long goals and aspirations.

Thirty out-of-school youth beneficiaries from the Philippine Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) will each receive a brand-new bike from Grab Philippines and will then be immediately onboarded and trained as Grab delivery-partners.

Grab leverages its technology and network to support the beneficiaries’ longer-term success by helping them make the most of their earnings while providing support and skills development.

MVP group sustains relief efforts

The MVP group sustains its conglomerate-wide relief assistance to provide communities affected by last month’s magnitude 7 earthquake with much-needed aid in the form of communication aid, food packs, hygiene kits, solar lamps and water.

PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF), Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. (AKFI), One Meralco Foundation (OMF), Metro Pacific Investments Foundation (MPIF) and Maynilad, through Tulong Kapatid, the consortium of foundations and companies led by businessman Manuel V Pangilinan, have activated their respective response teams, and provided relief to quake-hit areas in North Luzon.

The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), the country’s major private sector coordinator for disaster risk reduction and management, has also accelerated its operations and joined the MVP group in swiftly bringing more help to affected communities.

PLDT and its wireless unit Smart have set up Libreng Tawag (free calls) and Libreng WiFi (free WiFi) stations in the provinces of Abra and Ilocos Sur and provided affected customers with emergency load assistance.  Together wih PSF na AKFI they provided food packs and hygiene kits. AKFI also delivered 500 more food packs from their own donors and 200 lugaw kits.

Maynilad turned over 1,000 pieces of 6-liter drinking water to AKFI for distribution to residents of Lagangilag, Abra and 500 pieces more through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage (MWSS) to other communities. Two water tankers were deployed to bring potable water to communities with damaged distribution lines.

One Meralco Foundation, the first to reach far-flung barangays in Abra, provided 200 solar lamps that experienced power outage and gave out 200 food packs.

Security Bank joins food-packing activity

Security Bank employees took part in the “Hope Begins with a Meal” food-packing activity held by non-governmental organization, International Care Ministries (ICM), in partnership with Rise Against Hunger, to help 16,000 ultra-poor families across ICM programs in the Philippines.

Each pack contained specially formulated, ready-to-cook rice-soy to feed families in need. ICM provides ultra-poor families with the knowledge, tools, and confidence they need to create lasting change in their lives.

The organization relies heavily on volunteers to run its programs on the ground. With a network of some 10,000 pastors across the country, ICM is able to bring its programs to ultra-poor families in some of the remotest areas.

Security Bank has been a partner of ICM for its various programs that help support the community since 2021. In December last year, the Bank partnered with the organization to provide financial support to ultra-poor families heavily affected by typhoon Odette.

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