SM City Bataan opens
The 24th mall in North Luzon developed by SM Prime Holdings, Inc., the property arm of SM Investments Corporation, SM City Bataan reflects the values of the local community with over 96 percent of the mall’s administration staff being Bataeños, including two in leadership roles.
With a workforce of over a thousand across mall tenants–and still increasing, the mall proudly showcases the skills and expertise of the community.
Located in Downtown Balanga, Bataan’s capital city, the newest mall from SM stands as a reliable community partner with its residents not only through its contribution to the local economy but by serving as a center of accessibility with the incorporation of the Bataan Common Terminal in the mall compound. is strategically located in the capital.
The mall provides a venue for visitors to conveniently explore what the province has to offer — whether it’s the stone-throw Spanish-inspired Plaza Mayor in the capital, or the hidden gem that is Dunsulan Falls behind Mt. Samat, tourists and Bataeños alike can explore to their heart’s content.
New breed of business leaders must be ‘digitally savvy warriors, risk-takers’ — MVP
Passionate, digitally savvy, risk-taking warriors — this is what next-generation leaders must be, according to businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
“More than the ability to manage the business, they must also be entrepreneurial. This country needs more entrepreneurs, more risk-takers,” Pangilinan said. “They should also be immersed in IT, be digitally savvy, and believe that tech deployed in the business will improve the business, eventually raise profitability and improve the lives of the customers that we serve,” said Pangilinan at Thought Leaders with Cathy Yang on One News on Cignal TV on May 30.
A longtime sports patron, Pangilinan also highlighted the importance of having a winning mindset. “They must also be like warriors – determined to win, determined to achieve their goals,” he said.
The PLDT chairman also highlighted financial and intellectual integrity as among the important values for any leader.
“What you communicate must not only be true, but complete,” he emphasized. “Commitment, dedication and passion for the work–these are also important. Otherwise, it’s just a job. You can’t have that. You really have to have the passion,” Pangilinan said.
Pangilinan also underscored the importance of being tough when the situation calls for it.
Metrobank hosts 7th Golf Tournament
Metropolitan Bank & Trust Co. (Metrobank) recently held its 7th Golf Tournament at Tagaytay Highlands to celebrate partnerships and reconnect with its Japanese clients.
This friendly game of golf celebrates that kind of partnership with over 45 clients participating in the tournament.
“We will not be in the business of banking if not for our clients’ trust. We believe that they are one of our greatest assets. Hosting events such as golf tournaments is our way of keeping our partnerships tight and meaningful, beyond business requirements and meetings. It is also to express our gratitude for trusting the Bank throughout the years,” said Anton Yap, newly-appointed Metrobank SVP and Corporate Banking Group head .
Since the establishment of its branches in Tokyo and Osaka almost three decades ago, Metrobank has been dedicated to nurturing mutually-beneficial business relationships with its Japanese clients. Here in the Philippines, the Bank remains to be the premier banking partner for Japanese businesses by providing a full range of financial solutions to help their businesses grow and be successful.
TELUS donation
TELUS International Philippines team members take part in the awarding of 10 bicycles equipped with first aid kits along with the youth volunteers of Padya Rescue in Pangasinan.
TELUS International Philippines has announced that the TELUS International Philippines Community Board–the company’s fund-granting foundation that looks for worthy causes to support communities with unique needs–is accepting grant applications from non-profit and charitable organizations until June 9 for Q2 and September 15 for Q3.
In 2022, the TELUS International Philippines Community Board provided over P6.2 million in grants to 14 non-profit organizations that focused on education and livelihood programs which helped more than 4,400 beneficiaries around the country.
This program is a testament to TELUS International Philippines’ longstanding commitment to helping those in need and to building inclusive and resilient communities. Since 2012, the company’s donations and volunteer activities have made a profound impact on the lives of thousands of Filipinos in areas such as education, health, and the environment.
In 2022, the TELUS International Philippines Community Board helped improve the lives of 4,492 Filipinos through the support of 14 non-governmental organizations, including PadyaRescue Incorporated and Center for Agrarian Reform and Rural Development.
COS celebrates queer club culture and safer space
In celebration of queer club culture and the safer spaces they provide, this Pride, COS presents a limited-edition T-Shirt capsule featuring unique designs created with four iconic club experiences worldwide; Horse Meat Disco, House of Yes, Sink The Pink, and Churros con Chocolate, continuing to support LGBTQIA+ communities internationally so that everyone can feel respected, safe, and seen.
Embodying the creativity and individuality of each collaborator, international music festival headliners, Horse Meat Disco’s T-shirt features a bold and colourful DISCO design representing the community coming together through the love of disco and dancing, while New York-based House of Yes, a space dedicated to connection and creativity, offers a powerful heart-shaped design with interconnected lines to represent love while creating something unique and beautiful. Alongside this, legendary UK collective and advocates of self-expression, Sink The Pink, share a playful Queen of Club’s design — a beautiful representation of their legacy, and Spain’s festival of fun, Churros con Chocolate, recreate their iconic poster designs, which illustrate dress-up and their flamboyant guests.
Shot by Brett Lloyd, the campaign features faces that form the heart and soul of worldwide LGBTQIA+ communities.
COS will donate 100 percent of the profits from sales of this collaboration to support Metro Manila Pride, a volunteer-managed organisation dedicated to educating, equipping and empowering the Filipino LGBTQIA+ community, working towards a future without discrimination and prejudice.
Warning vs job scams
Online job platform JobStreet by SEEK has rolled out #ProjectCombat, a regional educational campaign that directly tackles the important signs to look out for during a job search.
The digital initiative aims to educate job seekers by equipping them with the essential knowledge needed to distinguish legitimate job ads from fake online job offers.
JobStreet recognizes that there has been a significant rise in baneful scam alerts that job seekers have been receiving particularly via messaging apps. Fraudsters have become more creative in their tactics, disseminating more sophisticated job ads with lucrative salary offers in order to lure applicants. These schemes result in phishing, identity theft, swindling, and more.
According to JobStreet, the top sign that a job listing is fake is when an applicant is being persuaded to send money to proceed with the application. Other common red flags of online job scams typically involve generic messages that don’t include the applicant’s identifiable information, vague offers by companies that you never applied for, and no company email address, website, or other information that can be cross-checked.
When in search of job opportunities, JobStreet encourages candidates to only look at credible job platforms as these provide verified job listings, company authentication, fraud detection, and other preventive measures to prevent fake job ads.
Pitch for Hope
Security Bank lent its expertise to contestants of International Care Ministries (ICM)’s Pitch for Hope Program, where participating savings groups competed for grants of up to P100,000 to be used as working capital to fund projects and grow their investments.
Members of these savings groups fall under the ultra-poverty category, living on less than P25 per day. They are formed through the ICM’s poverty alleviation program Transform. The 12 semi-finalists were given a starting fund of P15,000 to begin executing their business plans. Pitches included a wide range of business ideas, including crab farming, coconut dehusking, and tablea and native salabat powder production.
Senior executives of the bank, Lex Cimagala of the Business Banking Segment and Emy Arceo from the Branch Banking Segment, mentored the San Isidro Native Maker, Worker, and Vendor Association (SINAMAWOVA) and the Inansagan Savings Group of Negros Occidental. To further assist the two social entrepreneurs, Security Bank extended financial grants of P50,000 to each group.
The Bohol-based SINAMAWOVA Savings Group bested over 580 other business pitches from Visayas and Mindanao, winning the P 100,000.00 grant. Part of the judging criteria at the finals was how they used their initial investment.
