SMFI medical mission
The SM Foundation Inc. (SMFI) recently sent a medical mission team to the cities of Tuguegarao and Cauayan in Northern Luzon and provided services to thousands of low-income families.
Through the ongoing medical missions of SMFI, many poor individuals like Roland Bariuan and Angeline Cacanindin got lifelines—an intervention that provides immediate relief to those in need and a chance to access medical care and resources that are often unavailable or unattainable.
Bariuan received free consultation, blood tests, x-ray, and medicines—services . With the assistance extended to him, he had his scheduled checkup without worrying about the finances.
Cacanindin meanwhile brought her daughter for tooth extraction at the medical mission in SM City Cauayan.
Cebu Pacific bags Best Employer Brand
Cebu Pacific has received the Best Employer Brand, the highest award at the LinkedIn Talent Awards, in recognition of its strong commitment to engage talents in a meaningful way.
CEB was conferred the Best Employer Brand award among companies with 1,000 to 5,000 employees on LinkedIn.
Felix Dan Lopez, CEB chief human resources officer, accepted the award on behalf of the company in a ceremony held on March 22.
The LinkedIn Talent Awards is an annual event that acknowledges companies and people across the globe who have excelled in the last year at engaging with talent, creating inclusive workplaces, encouraging learning and development, focusing on employee retention, and building strong employer brands.
This year, CEB was also a finalist for the Diversity Champion category — a recognition for companies who initiated and inspired meaningful conversations around Diversity, Inclusion, Belonging & Equity.
PLDT, Smart enjoin youth to support agri
PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. recently organized a learning session that showcased potential career opportunities after graduation.
In partnership with the University of the Philippines Los Banos (UPLB) Technology Transfer and Business Development Office (TTBDO), the PLDT Group led the Digital Agriculture Working Group of the Philippines Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture (PPSA) in conducting an educational webinar, entitled: Grow with Agriculture: Career Possibilities with Agriculture. This is also part of UPLB’s 114th Foundation Day celebration.
Experts and stakeholders of the agri-value chain system came together to encourage the youth to join the movement towards addressing gaps in agriculture and becoming allies of farmers. Around 100 students joined the learning exchange online.
“Through this initiative, PLDT and Smart want to remind the youth of the vast opportunities in the agricultural sector, beyond the farm level. There is a plethora of exciting prospects in the whole agrifood space including processing, packaging, distribution, transportation, marketing, sales, and agribusiness among others,” said Stephanie Orlino, AVP and head of Stakeholder Management Team at PLDT and Smart.
Among the roster of the webinar speakers were founders and CEOs of social enterprises Agbeam Farms, GoEden, Farmvocacy, and Agrabah, which all aim to support farmers in the challenges they currently face through sustainable and inclusive technologies and innovation.
MPIC wins gold
Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) was honored as Asia’s Best Integrated Report, bagging the Gold award for First Time category at the 8th Asia Integrated Reporting Awards (AIRA), widely considered as the most distinguished accolade for integrated reporting in the region.
In a virtual awards ceremony held recently, MPIC was recognized alongside other integrated reporting leaders in Asia, celebrating best practices in integrated reporting and communications.
“This integrated annual report reflects our dedication to transparency, as well as our efforts to deliver long-term value to all our stakeholders…(This) inspires us to do even more to elevate sustainability practices, which will not only benefit our immediate stakeholders, but also the country-at-large,” said MPIC chairman, president, and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.
Integrated reporting provides a comprehensive and transparent view of an organization’s governance, performance, strategy, and prospects, enabling providers of capital to make informed decisions and assessments. Investors use integrated reports to assess the organization’s ability to create value in the short, mid, and long term.
BBDO Voices 13th edition out
BBDO Asia, one of the leading advertising networks in Asia, announced this past month the release of its 13th edition of BBDO Voices titled “Brand Purpose in Asia.”
The report looks at the growing relevance of Brand Purpose in Asia through its study of consumers from markets such as Mainland China, Japan, Korea, Thailand, India, and the Philippines.
BBDO Asia’s latest report on Brand Purpose in Asia reveals that because Filipino consumers are increasingly conscious of the environment, they want brands to champion sustainability.
Consumers are looking for brands which invest in sustainable practices and use environmentally friendly materials in their products, the report said.
Citizens also want brands to make products affordable for all, and help local communities thrive (e.g., via use of local ingredients, help on government initiatives, etc.). The report also reveals that the consumer desire for brands to advocate for the LGBTQ community is weaker than average in the Asian region. However, brands can still reinforce positive change by promoting diversity and inclusivity in their messaging, products, and actions.
With its latest study, BBDO Asia hopes to help marketers, brands and companies build effective purpose-driven brand narratives beyond their own gain.
Inclusive protection
AXA Philippines has always promoted inclusive protection through its products, while teaming up with partners with similar goals to protect the vulnerable.
It offers a Micro-Protection line of accessible and affordable products, as well as a comprehensive group insurance bundle that includes life insurance, coverage for personal accidents (PA), and daily hospitalization income.
AXA also provides a micro-property insurance product for micro-business owners who want to protect their property and business assets. This product provides a lump sum cash assistance benefit for micro, small and medium enterprises when their business property gets damaged by natural calamities. It also comes with personal accident insurance, robbery cover, and allows access to the Emma by AXA PH platform and its suite of convenient services.
AXA Philippines also partners with groups with similar objectives, such as Bixie, an online financial literacy platform that supports women entrepreneurs, and Packworks, which seeks to assist micro-entrepreneurs in improving their processes through their app.
AXA also made insurance more accessible through partnering with GCash for its SMS Insure product, which can be easily purchased in-app, and with Cebuana Lhuillier for MicroBiz Protek Jr., a property microinsurance product for MSMEs. It also teamed up with Growsari, a tech-enabled ordering platform for micro-entrepreneurs, to provide life insurance to sari-sari store owners through their Loyalty Program.
foodpanda partners with cooperative
foodpanda has partnered with Online Food Vendors Marketing Cooperative (OFVMC) giving access to micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to the platform.
With the partnership, OFVMC members have a wider reach while making their operations more efficient.
According to foodpanda, the fees paid by MSMEs to be on the platform are commensurate with the benefits they receive, including promotional programs, delivery subsidies, and platform development, which aims to help them increase their revenue or boost their sales.
Bacolod-based Mom Rose Lechon Manok and Chayim Tea House are among members of OFVMC which joined foodpanda.
Future scaffolders
Aboitiz Construction (ACI) recently signed a memorandum of agreement with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Provincial Office – Bukidnon and Maces Skills Training Institute Inc. to train 25 community residents of Malaybalay City, Bukidnon on scaffolding.
Most of the trainees are indigenous Filipinos from the Talaandig tribe.
Once the trainees pass the assessment and earn the necessary certifications, they will be hired and deployed in Aboitiz Construction’s maintenance services project in Surigao del Norte.
Last year, Aboitiz Construction partnered with TESDA-accredited training centers in Cebu (School for Primary) and Batangas (Excelsior Center for Excellence) to upskill a total of 64 individuals in scaffolding and shielded metal arc welding. Most of the graduates were hired and deployed in the firm’s project sites while others are reserved for future projects.
Takeda PH among best workplaces
Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc. has been recognized as one of the country’s Best Workplaces 2023 with an award given during the in-person recognition gala night recently held at Hilton Manila.
The biopharmaceutical leader ranked 8th in the small business category with 100 percent of its employees saying that the company is a great place to work for compared to 53 percent of employees at a typical global company.
Employees cite that they are collectively proud to tell others they work in Takeda Philippines and that they feel physically safe to work there. They also think that management genuinely seeks and responds to suggestions and ideas, and that they are treated with respect regardless of position, age and gender.
Over the years, Takeda Philippines has invested in its employees by providing a healthy and holistic working environment through efforts that allow them to collaborate with one another and grow through various training and development initiatives. The company also conducts onboarding programs for the new employees to drive an access to medicines mindset.
TP Women Summit
In celebration of International Women’s Day, Teleperformance Philippines, the first and only five-time Great Place to Work certified company in the country, through its TP Women initiative, came back to meeting face-to-face for the TP Women Summit 2023.
Teleperformance organizations gave testimonials on how an inclusive and equitable workplace enabled them to thrive.
The event also aimed to articulate the difference between equality and equity and present equity-based applications to women’s advancement at Teleperformance including the TP Cloud Campus solution for mainstreaming flexible work among employees, the #IamRemarkable campaign that focuses on self-promotion skills, the LUNAS Helpline that addresses Gender Based Violence, and the upcoming Program for Solo Parents that includes mentoring, sponsorship, and professional development activities.
The TP Women Summit was also executed to represent TP Women’s advocacies and activities, and invite active participation of women and allies, not just in the TP workplace, but also in their communities.
FUSO Ph opens dealership in Carmona
Sojitz Fuso Philippines Corp. inaugurated its newest dedicated dealership in Carmona, Cavite under Alpine Motors Corp.
Situated on Governor’s Drive in Barangay Mabuya, the dealership is approximately 1,870 square meters (sq.m.) with 347 sq.m. five-vehicle showroom area, service work bays that can accommodate two commercial vehicles and includes one inspection pit. It also highlights modern interior and exterior facilities focusing on providing customers with a better FUSO experience.
Reading proficiency campaign
City Savings Bank Inc. spearheaded Brigada Pagbasa programs in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao as the bank’s contribution to National Reading Month and to support the Hamon: Bawat Bata Bumabasa (3Bs Initiatives) program of the Department of Education (DepEd).
CitySavings in partnership with DepEd donated laptops, a TV set, a projector, ukuleles, sanitation essentials, reading materials, and learning and teaching kits to last mile schools.
The beneficiaries included Cardenas Elementary School in Nueva Ecija; Division of Camarines Sur in Bicol; Pinamuk-an Integrated Farm School in Aklan; Cantiguib Elementary School, Canlimpong Primary School, Cambanac Primary School, and Tunga Elementary School in Bohol; Districts of Hindang, Hilongos, and Inopacan in Leyte; Divisions of Dipolog City, Pagadian City, Zamboanga City, and Davao del Norte.
