SMC deploys own doctors, nurses to LGUs
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has started deploying its own doctors and nurses, on “loan” to local government units (LGUs) to help implement government’s vaccination program, while it waits to start its own nationwide vaccination for some 70,000 employees in June.
“This is another way we can support government’s vaccination efforts–by sharing our resources, in this case, our employee medical professionals. Right now, we are still finalizing our plans for the rollout of our vaccination program, and still waiting for the arrival of our vaccines. In the meantime, our doctors and nurses have committed to help out short-staffed LGUS and provide their services to them for free,” said SMC president Ramon S. Ang.
The company deployed last week two doctors and 17 nurses to vaccination sites in Mandaluyong City, and is looking to send more to other LGUs in the coming weeks.
Earlier, the company vowed to boost government’s vaccination effort by committing to vaccinate for free an estimated 70,000 nationwide, consisting of its own employees and employees of its third-party providers.
The company is looking to hire up to 300 medical workers to support its vaccination effort.
Watsons Vitamin Super Saver Sale
Top health and wellness retailer Watsons wants to remind Filipinos to continue taking precautionary measures and to continue with their healthy lifestyle that includes eating right and sleeping well to stay healthy and protected against the virus.
Watsons will hold its first-ever Vitamin Super Saver Sale from April 30-May 2 with as much as 50 percent off on different vitamins and supplements.
Participating brands in the three-day sale include Watsons, Potencee, Enervon, Centrum, Conzace, Pedzinc, Neurobion, and more!
The 3-day is sale happening in any of Watsons 800+ stores nationwide or via call & delivery service.
Watsons is part of the Health and Beauty Store chain of A.S Watson, the largest health, beauty, cosmetics, and perfumery retailer in the world, which in 2002 partnered with SM Prime Holdings Inc., the Philippines’ leading shopping mall developer. Today, Watsons operates 800+ stores in the Philippines serving more than 100,000 customers per day.
Globe’s Ernest Cu joins LivePerson board
Globe President and Chief Executive Officer Ernest Cu joins the board of directors of Nasdaq-listed LivePerson Inc., a global leader in conversational AI.
Cu’s membership in the board of LivePerson will help chart the company’s course in addressing consumers’ growing demand to use conversational commerce in engaging with brands.
US-based LivePerson is a global technology firm that develops conversational commerce and AI technology. It is the developer of the Conversational Cloud, a software platform that the world’s largest brands use to build and run AI-powered automations to make it easy for customers to make purchases and ask questions via messaging.
Globe supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which believes that “inclusive and sustainable industrialization, together with innovation and infrastructure, can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces that generate employment and income.”
ASITE welcomes MSDS class of 2022 enrollees
The Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Aboitiz School of Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (ASITE) – the first graduate data science degree program in the Philippines – officially welcomed the 84 incoming students of its Master of Data Science (MSDS) Class of 2022 through a virtual convocation event last April 19.
This is the pioneering program’s largest number of enrollees since ASITE was established through a $10 -million grant from the Aboitiz Group.
In addition to the MSDS program, AIM’s Aboitiz-supported school also offers Masters in Entrepreneurship (ME), Masters of Science in Innovation and Business (MSIB), and the Philippines’ first PhD in Data Science.
Nearly a third of the program’s curriculum are business and management courses.
The incoming class is composed of people from diverse backgrounds, professions, and experiences that span the Philippines, Hong Kong, China, UK, and Canada.
The batch is made up of 42 percent female students – significantly higher than the global average of female practitioners in the field of data science, which hovers between 15 to 22 percent.
PAGCOR turns over P2.5M covid response grant to PNP
On April 26, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) formally turned over its P2.5 million grant to the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the procurement of medical supplies to be used in PNP’s hospitals and health facilities, where over 1,300 infected PNP personnel are undergoing treatment for COVID-19.
The turn-over of PAGCOR’s donation coincided with the unveiling of PNP’s newest all-recycled-metal statue of the first Filipino hero Lapu-Lapu within the PNP headquarters.
PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Andrea Domingo, who led the turn-over of the agency’s grant, said that the funding will specifically help sustain the operations of PNP’s quarantine and health facilities in Bicutan, Kiangan Hall in Camp Crame, and in different police district isolation facilities.
“We will always support the law enforcement agencies. This is our own little way of showing our gratitude and recognizing your sacrifices for the country,” she said.
To date, PNP has already lost a total of 36 personnel — including three senior officers and a pregnant officer — to COVID-19, while responding to the call of duty.
The cash grant will include a modern medical center for police officers and their families that will soon rise at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City after PAGCOR tapped its licensee’s foundation — the Resorts World Philippines Cultural Heritage Foundation (RWPCHF) — to allocate P500 million for the construction of what will be called the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Medical Center. The hospital project’s groundbreaking took place last January 22.
PNP Chief Debold Sinas thanked PAGCOR for its untiring support to the PNP.
JAZA’s legacy lauded
After the company’s Annual Stockholders Meeting, and as announced last December 2020, Ayala Corporation (AC) transitioned the position of chief executive officer from Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala to Fernando Zobel de Ayala, who has been designated president and CEO. Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala will focus on his role as chairman of the Ayala Board. Jaime and Fernando will continue to represent Ayala, retaining their current roles, as Chairman or Vice-Chairman, in the subsidiary boards of various Ayala group companies.
In his remarks, Fernando lauded Jaime for the latter’s outstanding leadership and track record of creating shareholder value in his 26 years of tenure as CEO. “Since 1995, our market capitalization expanded more than sixfold; our net income similarly grew more than six times. Since 1995, we rewarded our shareholders with dependable returns that averaged at 15 percent per annum. Over that period, we cumulatively paid P118 billion in dividends to our common shareholders.”
Beyond the stellar financial returns, Fernando also cited and thanked Jaime for his strategic five-point legacy which Fernando said will serve as a firm foundation for Ayala Corporation’s future sustainable growth.
DPWH Completes 4-Lane Angat River Bridge in Bulacan
Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar announced the completion of widening from two (2) lanes to four (4) lanes of the 2.22 kilometer section of Plaridel Bypass Road in the Province of Bulacan.
Secretary Villar said that part of the completed section is the additional two (2) lane bridge parallel to 2018 completed two (2) way two (2) lane Angat Bridge (Bridge No. 8 ) with a total length of 1.12 kilometer which at present is one of the longest bridges in the Philippines.
The Plaridel Bypass Road Project is implemented by DPWH Unified Project Management Office – Roads Management Cluster 1 (UPMO-RMC 1) and is among the game-changing infrastructure flagship projects of the government to reduce travel time.
Secretary Villar together with Undersecretary for UPMO Operations Emil K. Sadain and UPMO RMC 1 Project Managers Benjamin Bautista and Basilio Elumba, conducted final inspection on Wednesday, April 20, at the 2.22 kilometer widened section covered by contract package (CP) 3 of the Arterial Road Bypass Project (ARBP) Phase 3.
According to Undersecretary Sadain, CP-3 of ARBP-Phase 3 costing ₱1.092 Billion was funded by the derived project savings from ARBP-Phase 2 financed by a loan agreement between the Government of the Philippines and the Government of Japan (GOJ) through Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) under PH-P250 and a new loan agreement also with JICA under PH-P266.
Valenzuela LGU goes cashless
The City Government of Valenzuela has recently partnered with Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) to enable its constituents to apply for business permits and pay for taxes and other fees online.
Business-owners can now pay for their permits through UnionBank and complete the whole business permit application process from the comfort of their homes.
In addition, UnionBank account holders can pay their business taxes. Non-account holders, on the other hand, can pay for their taxes online using the payment gateway.
Taxpayers are also given the option to pay their obligations using their VISA/Mastercard credit card or debit bank accounts.
