How a partnership with SM helped this furniture maker from Pampanga
In the 1980s, husband and wife Renato and Lolita Miclat started a manufacturing business in San Fernando producing wooden Roman shades, then supplying them to American offices and residences in Clark, Pampanga, and Subic in Zambales.
On February 10, 2006, the couple’s fourth daughter Joy officially named the business after her mother – Loly’s Blinds & Curtains. Her journey with SM began when she summoned the courage to present to the company to do headboards for Taal Vista Hotel, now one of the hotels under SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. Whose rooms are described as “spacious and fitted with modern and comfortable furniture.” These are where some of Loly’s products go.
As her company’s partnership with SM continues, Miclat realized that “SM gives equal opportunities to small businesses and to well-established companies. They constantly give us the chance as a small business to bid head-to-head with bigger companies. It has helped me personally and professionally. I was able to grow as an individual and also grow my small business slowly but surely. It helped me realize that our goal is not only to gain more business but to give back to our employees and our communities. There are also initiatives for the environment which we have been a part of. This partnership has been meaningful because we are able to look at the bigger picture. Everyone benefits.”
Sun Life’s New Mutual Fund to potentially offer dividend payouts
Understanding the Filipinos’ need for investment options with potential monthly dividend payouts, Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. (SLAMCI) has launched a new fund called Sun Life Prosperity World Income Fund (SLP WIF).
A peso-denominated feeder fund, SLP WIF was designed to help clients make the most of their investing journey in two ways. First, SLP WIF will maximize their Philippine Pesos’ potential by investing it in a Target Fund managed by BlackRock®, one of the world’s largest asset management companies. The fund’s composition adjusts according to market conditions, allowing investors to take advantage of investment opportunities.
The adaptive reallocation to a variety of asset classes worldwide maximizes potential earnings, then enabling the fund to potentially pay out monthly cash dividends to investors.
With SLP WIF, clients can enjoy the returns of their investment in the short term, while still maintaining their capital for the long term. SLP WIF is ideal for clients eager to diversify their financial portfolio or avail of investment opportunities abroad who are less worried by market volatility which can affect the value of their investments. Initial investments start at only ₱10,000 while additional investments start at only ₱1,000.
GSIS transfers Sta. Mesa property for Pambansang Pabahay project
State pension fund Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has sold its 14,000 square meter property in Sta. Mesa, Manila to the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) to pave the way for the construction of a Pambansang Pabahay high-rise condo project.
GSIS sold the property for P258 million to allow the SHFC to start building its housing projects for nearly 1,000 informal settler families living in critical zones, including members of the Ugnayang Lakas ng mga Apektadong Pamilya sa Baybaying Ilog Pasig at mga Tributaryo (ULAP-Manila).
In May, GSIS introduced a three-pronged strategy to help reduce the housing shortage in the country under the Pabahay Para sa Bagong Bayaning Manggagawa (PBBM) housing program.
The Lease with Option to Buy (LWOB) Program allows potential homeowners to acquire a GSIS property without an initial down payment wherein they can choose from 15,000 residential properties available nationwide.
Alongside this, the Housing Accounts Restructuring and Condonation Program (HARCP), which has been extended until 2025, waives all outstanding penalties and surcharges and provides extended payment terms for eligible borrowers.
In addition, GSIS will construct housing condominiums for government employees in its properties in Fairview, Quezon City, and Cogeo, Antipolo. The payment plan is tailored based on the salary grades of government workers.
NextPay empowers non-profit organizations to simplify fees, funding drives
Homegrown fintech platform NextPay continues to enable non-profit organizations to streamline their outreach, fee collections and fundraising processes. With its end-to-end digital financial operations platform, NextPay switches difficult tasks like collecting, managing and sending money into easy mode.
With digitized payments, accounting and bookkeeping becomes more efficient for non-profit organizations. Apart from crisis-related donation drives, this plays a vital role in maintaining the continuity of their day-to-day operations, programs and initiatives.
With NextPay’s automation, donors and members don’t need to provide screenshots as payment evidence. When they receive a donation or collection, both non-profit organizations, and donors or members receive an SMS and an e-mail notification as proof of payment. The platform also provides a digital ledger that allows them to keep track of their financial transactions.
Unlike complicated payment systems, non-profit organizations using NextPay only need to issue a single QR Code or Payment Link to accept donations from different payment methods: e-Wallets, direct debit, credit card or bank transfer.
Humanitarian organizations may use NextPay to pay their suppliers, disburse funds directly to beneficiaries in batches, and distribute their employees’ salaries.
NextPay is backed by Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator Y Combinator, Singapore-based VC firm Golden Gate Ventures, the Ayala Group’s Kickstart, and Gentree Fund, the private investment vehicle of the Sy Family of the SM Group conglomerate, and other investors.
Ayala Foundation expands U-Go scholarship program
Inset, Dona Mae Oco is the first graduate from the inaugural batch of U-Go scholars, earning her bachelor’s degree in Values Education at Philippine Normal University
Bottom, Foundation education team, together with the U-Go Global board host a thanksgiving dinner for U-Go program donors
Ayala Foundation continues to grow the reach of its scholarship program in partnership with U-Go, adding 300 scholars to the 120 current scholars, all of whom are promising young women.
Education start-up U-Go, an international non-profit with which Ayala Foundation has an existing program partnership, operates in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Vietnam. The U-Go scholarship aims to help young women from poor backgrounds pursue higher education, seeking out students who not only excel in academics but also in community engagement and student leadership.
The U-Go program has produced its first graduate, Ma. Dona Mae Oco, who graduated cum laude from Philippine Normal University in August.
Since its launch in the Philippines in 2022, U-Go has been helping 120 scholars who go to 70 schools located in 30 provinces, from the northernmost province of Cagayan to the southernmost province of Davao del Sur. The addition of 300 scholars this year brings the total scholarship grants to 420.
Ayala Foundation is gearing up for onboarding more scholars in the coming years to reach 1,000 scholars by 2026.
GCash, HOPE, Century Pacific Food, Inc., celebrate one million coconut trees planted
The Philippines is one of the world’s largest exporters of coconut products. This industry, however, faces multiple challenges such as low productivity due to a host of social, financial and logistical factors. To further support and promote the country’s coconut industry, leading fintech superapp GCash, through its in-app sustainability feature GForest, in partnership with HOPE and Century Pacific Food, Inc. (CPFI), has planted one million coconut trees in Mindanao alone, uplifting the lives of over 7,600 smallholder farmers, of whom 32% are women.
GCash and its partners recently attended the World Coconut Congress, which was held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City, where GForest sustainability head CJ Alegrem, along with Nanette Medved-Po, founder and chairwoman of HOPE, and Noel Tempongko, vice president and general manager of Century Pacific Agricultural Ventures, Inc. (CPAVI), CPFI’s OEM-Coconut business, proudly shared the positive impact of their partnership.
The partnership was initially launched in August 2021 through GForest, an environmental protection feature on the GCash app that allows users to take an active role in the country’s reforestation efforts. Through the platform, GCash users earn green energy points, which can be used to plant virtual trees. In turn, GCash, together with its partners across the Philippines, plant an actual tree for every virtual tree in the app.
The Best Of Anime 2023 Shows Off The Quirky Side Of Japanese Culture
After 3 years of hiatus due to the pandemic, The Best of Anime (BOA) is coming back this 2023 with a vengeance. This year, BOA will be featuring a number of exciting events like the Anime Idol Dance Battle, Anime Sing-Off, All-Star Cosplay Competition, and Lolita Fashion Show – complete with special guests, performances by fan-favorite cosplayers, and more. Of course, an anime event is never complete without merchandise, so don’t forget to drop by the shops and grab some anime merch and manga or comics.
For those unfamiliar with cosplay, the term originates from the combination of the words “costume” and “play”, and refers to activities related to dressing or acting as a character from anime, manga, or any other form of media. Cosplayers don’t simply dress as them, but spend all their time conceptualizing, creating their costume masterpieces, and building their own definition of the character. As one of the biggest cosplay events in the Philippines, cosplayers from all over the country will be gathering at BOA to show off their amazing creations and have a great time as they celebrate this art. Of course, BOA isn’t limited to just cosplayers. The event welcomes everyone who loves cosplay, anime, manga, and Japanese culture.
With anime, manga, and cosplay having a huge cultural significance in Japan and a large impact all over the world, the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines and the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Manila Office are excited to support this event. Both organizations will be at BOA to share more about the fascinating aspects of Japan and its culture, as well as provide engaging activities and informative material about Japan for event goers.
If you love anime, manga, cosplay, and Japanese culture, then make sure not to miss The Best of Anime 2023: The Reunion! Head on over to the SMX Convention Center at the SM Mall of Asia Complex on September 16 for an anime extravaganza.
