PMA president, SECURITY BANK branches, New PMA president, TAKEDA Healthcare testing, UNIONBANK techs up MSMEs, SHOPEE partneship, PAYMONGO new CEO, SAFC  CSR arm

New PMA president for web 3.0 education, membership of Pinoys abroad

The PMA Board of Directors include Jerry C. Yao of TMSPH Trainings and Consultancy Services (Chapters/Regional Membership); Dr. Jennifer T. Ramos of St Bonaventure Right&Left Brain Solutions, Inc (Continuing Education); Mary Ann A. Cortez of Strategic Consumer & Media Incites (Research); Michelle D. Ballesteros of Exlink Management & Marketing Services  (Government and Consumer Affairs); Lea Therese Lucresia C. Chua of University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (National Marketing Conference); Kevin Edward L. Culla of Cocogen Insurance, Inc. (Director for Ways and Means); Kathy P. Mercado of Newport World Resorts(General Membership Meeting); Dr. Christina R. Corpuz of National University (Youth and Academe); Nestor T. Layderos of Zoe Broadcasting Network, Inc.(Corporate Communications); Mitchelle D. Viray (Membership – International); and Maeyeth Cadungog of Hocheng Phils., Inc.  (Immediate Past President/International Affairs).

Newly-elected Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) President Sy Bryan D. Lato will push for initiatives and collaborations that will increase Filipino marketers’ knowledge on the application of Web3 technology in marketing.

“When the economy opened last year, we saw the physical and digital worlds intersect. People who returned to work endured heavy traffic and still attended online meetings at home. The challenge for Filipino marketers is to be able to help institutions and businesses communicate their message to very preoccupied consumers,” Lato said.

Lato noted that millennials and members of Generation Z now dominate the market.

For 2023, the organization has adopted “Level-Up Metaverse Marketing” as its theme. Lato said it was inspired by past PMA President Dr. Donald L. Lim, who was the lead convenor of the recent Philippine Blockchain Week. The nine-day event highlighted the advantages and advancements in Web3 and the Metaverse.

Apart from promoting the Web3 and Metaverse, Lato shared that one of the organization’s major initiatives this year is allowing Filipino marketers from other countries to join the PMA.

PMA membership for Filipinos abroad will open by the end of the first quarter of this year.

Lato shared they would be holding a National Marketing Conference in July with local and foreign marketing experts as guest speakers. They would also have a dedicated track for micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) marketers who want to learn the basics of Metaverse Marketing.

This year will also see a refreshed Agora Awards, the most prestigious honor for professional Filipino marketers. Lato said they would soon announce the new rules of the awards.

Security Bank  transforms branches

Security Bank recently relocated its Taft-Vito Cruz branch to a better space in 2 Torre Lorenzo and opened its Uptown IT Hub branch in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Both branches have a fully transformed look and set-up consisting of an automated area where clients have access to ATMs, CAMs, and a service phone to easily contact the Bank’s customer service hotline; a self-serve area equipped with an iPad, a laptop, and a queue machine, and  a face-to-face area where clients can easily transact with tellers and speak with other branch personnel.

Access to testing

Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc.  has been working closely with non-government organizations such as the Philippine Cancer Society and Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association of the Philippines to provide support and financial assistance for patients in need of CD30 testing. The company has also provided financial support to patients through its Patient Access Programs (PAP), enabling patients to access complete courses of prescribed medication.

Since 2017, over 300 Filipino patients have been able to access and complete their course of treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma through Takeda’s PAP, which have worked with 113 hospitals, 197 physicians, and enrolled 346 patients.

“In the Philippines, we’ve channeled our efforts to providing holistic solutions to transform lymphoma care in partnership with the country’s healthcare system. We hope to bring the same patient-first, holistic and collaborative approach to broaden access to medicines for other rare diseases as well, so that we can help the country realize its goal of providing universal healthcare to Filipinos,” said country manager  Loreann Villanueva.

Takeda Philippines worked with UP-PGH’s Cancer Institute, led by Dr. Jorge G. Ignacio, in raising awareness about lymphoma and promoting access to testing.

Takeda has also launched its Takeda Center for Health Equity and Patient Affairs, where the company is collaborating with a diverse global network of health equity partners, including patients, communities, and organizations both public and private, to empower communities to identify and address health inequities sustainably, leading to improved care at every stage of the patient journey.

UnionBank techs up  MSMEs

Union Bank of the Philippines  expressed its continued support for the country’s micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by joining the launch of PalengQRPH at the Tagbilaran Market in Tagbilaran City, Bohol last January 10.

The launch of PalengQRPH Plus at the Tagbilaran Market will facilitate the wider adoption of digital payments there, allowing vendors to transact with customers without worrying about always having loose change ready. At the same time, shoppers will enjoy convenient transactions without the need to bring cash with them.

UnionBank’s MSME Business Banking app is one of the first to activate the person to merchant transaction (P2M) feature. Aside from the person-to-person (P2P) transactional features that are common with other digital banking apps, this feature is meant to enhance and elevate the digital transaction experience of small businesses and micro entrepreneurs like the Tagbilaran market vendors

Shopee, DLSU team up

Shopee has partnered with the De La Salle University (DLSU) Industrial & Systems Engineering (ISE) department to educate graduating students on the current industry landscape and generate studies to further improve the field.

Through the partnership, Shopee and DLSU designed capstone and thesis projects for senior IE students. These projects revolved around conceptualizing ideas to increase productivity and maximize the current infrastructure to improve overall efficiency. As part of the partnership, students who participated were able to directly consult with Shopee leaders to gather data and insights for their research.

To educate even more students across the Industrial Engineering department, Shopee also took over a Retail IE class to facilitate a session on the E-commerce landscape, evolution, and ecosystem in the Philippines.

Karen Perez, head of People at Shopee Philippines, said “As the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, Shopee remains committed to supporting local tech talent and the development of the e-commerce industry in the Philippines. We believe in enabling local tech talent as the digital economy continues to grow so they can access more opportunities to become future leaders. Through this partnership with DLSU ISE, we are glad to make a difference in shaping these young minds and we hope that they will apply what they have learned to make an impact to the industry in years to come.”

Charlle Sy, DLSU ISE department chair, said “Because of Shopee’s efforts in exposing ISE students to the entire ecosystem, our students have been eyeing careers in e-commerce after they graduate. Some even have a clear sense of which departments they would like to get into in Shopee already. We hope that more of our students will be inspired to contribute to the growth of this industry through our partnership with Shopee.”

PayMongo names new CEO

PayMongo  announced the appointment of Jojo Malolos as president and chief executive officer  of PayMongo, effective Feb. 1.

As  CEO, Malolos will be responsible for re-shaping PayMongo’s plans for the company’s next phase of growth.

Malolos brings significant experience in M&A, organizational transformation and a track record in the fintech, venture capital, digital banking and innovation ecosystems.

He will also lead the introduction of PayMongo’s next generation of products and services with a view to better serve its existing client base and drive the advancement of the internet economy in the Philippines and more broadly, Southeast Asia. With the company’s newly issued EMI license, Malolos will continue to focus the organization on driving significant impact in the digital financial services sector.

SAFC rolls out CSR arm

SAFC recently kicked off the first phase of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm, SAFC HEROES, in partnership with the local government of Pasig.

As part of this CSR initiative, SAFC donated 150 school kits for young Pasigueños and 150 vitamin kits for the city’s senior citizens. Aside from gifts such as school kits for children and vitamins for seniors, SAFC will also provide job opportunities for those who want to work as loan consultants.

SAFC is set to launch a startup business loan to qualified micro, small, and medium enterprises  in Pasig to further strengthen the city’s robust economy.