Jollibee picks up expansion pace after slowdown in pandemic years
Jollibee is setting up in more locations nationwide as it marks its 45th anniversary.
The company has the widest store network in the quick service restaurant industry with 1,211 stores.
“While the pandemic temporarily put a hold on the growth of our store network, we continue to bounce back stronger than ever. We have been resolute in our commitment to build stores in more locations in the country, including remote provinces, so more Pinoys will be able to experience the joy of Jollibee,” said Ferns Yu Jr., Jollibee Philippines president.
The fast food giant also boasts of the largest network of drive-thru and delivery stores, with more than 450 and more than 1,100 stores respectively.
Ceremony for the 21st Batch of JDS Fellows from the Philippines
On 4 August 2023, a send-off ceremony was held at the Ambassador’s Residence for the 21st Batch of the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship by Japanese Grant Aid (JDS) Fellows from the Philippines. The twenty JDS Fellows are set to leave for Japan to pursue master’s degree courses in leading Japanese universities.
The JDS is a scholarship project launched in 2002 by the Government of the Philippines with funding from the Government of Japan through its Official Development Assistance. It is intended to support the socio-economic development of the Philippines by helping boost the capacities of young Filipino professionals.
Ambassador KOSHIKAWA Kazuhiko, in his opening remarks, stated that he looks forward to hearing the JDS Fellows’ valuable research upon their successful completion of the program and seeing the fruits of their hard work as they serve their home country in the years to come. He also expressed his gratitude to the implementing partners of the JDS, and gave his well wishes to the JDS Fellows.
Also present at the send-off ceremony were Congressman Tsuyoshi Anthony G. Horibata of Camarines Sur (1st District), Undersecretary Joseph J. Capuno of the National Economic and Development Authority, director Princess U. Tomas-Tayao of the Department of Foreign Affairs, chief representative SAKAMOTO Takema of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Philippines, and officers from the Japan International Cooperation Center (JICE) JDS Project Office in the Phillippines.
Globe is PH’s Most Reliable Network 5 times in a row
Globe has retained its acclaim as the Most Reliable Mobile Network in the Philippines five times in a row by Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.
This achievement is based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data, which showed that Globe won in reliability based on Q2 2022, Q3 2022, Q4 2022, Q1 2023, and Q1-Q2 2023.
The latest win covering Q1-Q2 2023 showed that Globe had the highest Consistency Scoreâ„¢ of 83.64% and was the most available all-technology mobile network at 92.63%.
Reliability is earned by the mobile operator who achieves the highest scores in two key metrics: All Technology Consistency and All Technology Availability.
In Q2 2022, Globe achieved a Consistency Scoreâ„¢ of 79.44% and the highest all-technology mobile network Availability at 93.11%. In the following quarter, it reached a Consistency Scoreâ„¢ of 82.55% and an Availability score of 92.03%. In Q4 2022, Globe further improved its Consistency Scoreâ„¢ to 83.13%, with an Availability score of 92.38%.
According to Globe, its victory in reliability underscores the brand’s ongoing dedication to delivering top-notch service, fortifying its position as the foremost mobile network in the Philippines. Its continued network buildup is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which fosters infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development.
The detailed findings, authenticated by Ookla’s globally accepted methodologies, can be accessed through the Speedtest Intelligence Portal.
‘Fly Ta Bai’ as Cebu Pacific launches seat sale for Vis-Min travelers
Cebu Pacific, the Philippines’ leading carrier, encourages every Juan from the Visayas and Mindanao to ‘Fly Ta Bai’ across the airline’s widest inter-island and international network as it rolls out a seat sale exclusive to Vis-Min travelers.
Starting August 3 until August 10, travelers from Visayas and Mindanao can book their flights to select domestic and international destinations for as low as PHP 399 one-way base fare. The travel period is from September 1 to December 31, giving passengers enough time to plan trips whether immediate or for the holidays.
With CEB’s widest inter-island network, travelers from Visayas and Mindanao can now reach some of the world’s most beautiful beaches and exciting tourist destinations more quickly and conveniently. The airline currently flies to the most number of domestic destinations from the Vis-Min stations: 23 from Cebu, nine from Davao, seven from Iloilo, and four from Zamboanga.
Travelers can also fly directly to five international destinations — Hong Kong, Incheon, Narita, Singapore, and Taipei — from Mactan-Cebu International Airport, serving as their gateway to the rest of the world.
With CEB’s more affordable fares, Visayas and Mindanao travelers will have greater opportunities to enjoy the white sand beaches of Boracay, savor the mouthwatering delicacies of Cebu, Iloilo, and Bacolod, explore the natural wonders of Bohol and Davao, and immerse themselves in the bustling city life of Hong Kong, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, and Taipei.
Passengers with existing Travel Funds may use these to pay for flights and other add-ons, or use other payment options such as payment centers, credit or debit cards, and e-wallets may also be used.
CEB currently flies to 35 domestic and 23 international destinations spread across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.
Ninja Van Philippines, DTI digitalization training webinar for MSMEs
Ninja Van Philippines, a tech-enabled express logistics company, held a digitalization training webinar last July 13, in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry Bureau of Small and Medium Enterprise Development (DTI- BSMED) as part of its commitment to support Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
Co-organized by Ninja Van and DTI as part of the latter’s commemoration of the annual National MSME Week, the webinar introduced free digital platforms that MSMEs across the country can utilize to enhance their digitization efforts and improve their business operations.
One such tool is Sellerwizard, a data and analytics tool by e-commerce solutions provider Sellercraft that helps manage order statuses, optimize inventory, analyze sales performance, and generate reports across multiple platforms. Whether an online seller is selling on Lazada, TikTok Shop, Shopify, Shopee, Zalora or other e-commerce platforms, Sellerwizard provides seamless API integration and conveniently organizes data into one dashboard.
The Ninja Van E-commerce Digitalization Training Program is the latest initiative in Ninja Van Philippines’ long-standing partnership with the DTI. Over the past year, Ninja Van and DTI have jointly conducted various capability-building programs for MSMEs, such as the DIGIeCONOMY, the company’s first-ever digital summit that supported SME growth and recovery. The company has also conducted financial literacy workshops with the government-owned Small Business Corporation.
State-of-the-art showroom, HQ
Ueshima Coffee Co. Ltd. (UCC) Holdings Japan, a global integrated coffee business, has unveiled a state-of-the-art showroom and headquarters for Allegro Beverage Corp. in Mandaluyong City. Allegro Beverage, one of the country’s largest importers and distributors of coffee machines, joined the UCC family in 2017.
Hubert Young, president and chief executive officer of UCC Philippines, said the addition of Allegro Beverage to the renowned UCC Group complements their business as they operate across the entire coffee value chain from farm to cup.
UCC is dedicated to transitioning to 100 percent sustainably sourced coffee for all UCC brands by 2030.
The new Allegro Beverage showroom showcases premier coffee machine brands distributed nationwide, such as Nuova Simonelli and Victoria Arduino from Italy, Crem from Sweden, FRANKE Coffee Systems from Switzerland, Mahlkí¶nig from Germany, among many others.
Additionally, the facility houses a service center for coffee machine maintenance.
Allegro Beverage products also include sauces, syrups, teas, oat milk, and top-of-the-line coffee roasted by UCC.
The company’s corporate clientele, which includes leading hotels, franchise chains, culinary and educational institutions, restaurants, and cafes, will now have access to an expanded range of coffee solutions and innovations.
Currently, Allegro Beverage has branches in Metro Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Pampanga, as well as dealerships in Bohol, Cavite, Laguna, Pangasinan, Quezon Province, and Iloilo.
West Seed Philippines pays tribute to all “Bida Magsasaka”
Global tropical vegetable seed company East-West Seed (EWS) proclaims August as “Vegetable Farmers’ Month,” with the theme “Bida Magsasaka.”
Throughout August, East-West Seed will conduct a nationwide caravan to gather and celebrate with farmers. During the caravans, farmers can receive discount coupons of up to PHP 1,000 for their seed purchases. This coupon can be used for seeds of sweet pepper, corn, pumpkin, yard long bean, tomato, hot pepper, eggplant, watermelon, bitter gourd, and cucumber.
To highlight the experiences of Filipino vegetable farmers, East-West Seed will showcase their inspiring stories through the #BidaMagsasaka social media campaign. These stories will shed light on their resilience, passion, innovative practices, and their positive contributions to their communities.
East-West Seed encourages everyone to join in honoring and expressing gratitude to our vegetable farmers by sharing their #BidaMagsasaka stories. To know more about the Vegetable Farmers Month celebration, visit East-West Seed’s Facebook page at facebook.com/eastwestseedph.
Sun Life joins celebration of Seafarers’ Day
Staying true to its commitment to the Overseas Filipino segment, Sun Life Philippines (Sun Life) joined the nation in celebrating Seafarers’ Day through festivities held recently at Robinson’s Galleria in Cebu.
Activities during the event included financial literacy learning sessions, digital and on-the-ground campaign activations, and exhibit booths showcasing financial tools that could help seafarers and their families embark on a journey towards a lifetime of financial security.
To complement the activities, Sun Life advisors from Sun Life’s Acacia New Business Offices based in Cebu were also present to provide free financial consultation.
To further inspire the participants, Sun Life also launched Kwentong Home for Good: Kapitan, a video that featured the true story of a seafarer whose foresight led him to financially prepare for his family’s brighter future.
Over 500 participants joined the event, including seafarers, maritime cadets, family members, and those deeply involved in the maritime community, including the biggest maritime organizations in Cebu such as MARINA, Seafarer Wives’ Association, various maritime schools and training centers, and manning agencies.
