Investing in community health
Healthcare has been one of the pillars of SM Foundation.
SM Foundation’s (SMFI) medical missions provide free consultations, basic laboratory tests, dental check-ups and proper dosage of appropriate medicine.
SM Foundation reached an important milestone by conducting more than 1,600 medical missions, benefiting nearly 1.3 million patients year-to-date.
SM Foundation also helps rebuild health centers for them meet PhilHealth Accreditation standards so patients could avail themselves of PhilHealth benefits such as primary care, maternity care and pharmacy needs at the barangay level.
SM Foundation’s 200th rural health center Santa Cruz Rural Health Unit (SCRHU) for example was transformed into a welcoming space, featuring comfortable waiting areas, a reception area for health workers and designated facilities for
breastfeeding mothers, the elderly, and persons with disabilities. It has a mobile play cabinet for children coping with illnesses.
In 2023, SM Foundation breathed new life into UP-PGH’s post-COVID & PulmoCare hub.
The newly refurbished facility now has a new lobby to receive patients and spacious rooms with dedicated areas for rehabilitation, ultrasound, cardiopulmonary exercise testing and virtual consultation.
SM Foundation supported the community by revamping the birthing facility in Brgy. Irawan, Puerto Princesa.
IPOPHL’s Barba is Asia’s Golden Icon Awardee
Rowel Barba, Intellectual Property of the Philippines (IPOPHL) director-general, has been selected as one of this year’s Icon for Business and Law by Asia’s Golden Icon Awards.
The Asia’s Golden Icon Awards is renowned for honoring outstanding individuals and businesses making significant contributions to their communities. The award was conferred to Barba last May 31 for his remarkable achievements in advancing the country’s intellectual property (IP) landscape.
“It is an immense honor to be recognized among the distinguished recipients of Asia’s Golden Icon Awards this year. This accolade underscores the increasing recognition of the pivotal role of intellectual property in fostering the growth of business, innovation and creativity in the country,” Barba said.
Barba also emphasized the collaborative efforts of IPOPHL with government agencies, the private sector and academia in driving progress in creating an enabling and inclusive IP system.
He reiterated IPOPHL’s commitment to serving the Filipino people with a mark of quality governance and service that inspires action and dedication across other government offices.
Smart, TNT win Stevie awards
Smart Communications Inc. and its value brand TNT have bagged four prestigious awards for their innovative and creative initiatives at the 2024 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.
TNT bagged a Gold Award for Innovation in Cause-related Videos for its viral SIM Registration campaign, which scored millions of online engagements because of its creative and humorous videos meant to encourage the public to register their SIM.
TNT also snagged a Gold Award for Innovation in Content Marketing/ Branded Editorial for its groundbreaking TNT Petmaloop Challenge, which set the Guinness World Record for the World’s Longest Travel Livestream. Under the campaign, the brand gathered local content creators to feature highlights of their hometowns that give them ‘saya’ or joy using the widely popular video-sharing app TikTok.
The value brand earned a Silver Award for Innovation in Cross-Media Marketing for its FREE TikTok For All campaign, which enabled subscribers to enjoy free access to the widely popular video-sharing app when they register to select TNT promos.
Smart also took home a Bronze Award for Innovative Achievement for the launch of the Smart Prepaid eSIM, the first prepaid eSIM in the Philippines, which brings the future of mobile communications to the fingertips of more Filipinos.
Smart and TNT’s awards add to the eight other Stevie Awards of its parent company PLDT, making the PLDT Group the most-awarded Philippine telco this year.
Pointwest teams up with AWS for Gen AI hackathon
Filipino college students proposed new ways to harness the transformative power of generative AI (GenAI) in tackling real-world challenges at the GenAI Spark Hackathon held last May 9 and May 23 at the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Office in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
The hackathon organized by Filipino-owned IT and BPM service provider Pointwest, in partnership with AWS, saw students from 11 universities develop prototypes using GenAI that can have real-life applications.
Students from the University of the Philippines-Diliman and Los Baños, De La Salle University, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Technological University of the Philippines, National University-Baliwag, University of Asia & the Pacific, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Cavite State University, Bulacan State University, and Laguna State Polytechnic University participated in the hackathon.
According to Pointwest CEO Mitch Gross, the hackathon aims to encourage college students to pursue a career that will leverage their skills in GenAI and establish the Philippines as a leader in the GenAI revolution.
University of the Philippines-Los Baños students Albrave Albayda, Angel Naguio, and Ben Bensali were named the winners of the hackathon, besting eight other teams from ten universities with their prototype of a 360-degree dashboard and chatbot for Human Resources professionals and managers. They received a cash prize of P30,000 for their winning idea.
BagoSphere secures equity investment from NWTF
Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF) and BagoSphere cofounders and board membersBagoSphere, a Philippine startup specializing in human capability training and upskilling solutions, secures equity investment from Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF), a non-government organization dedicated to providing micro-financing and developmental services for marginalized communities.
This strategic investment marks a pivotal moment for both organizations as they join forces to create impactful training programs to foster sustainable communities and advance nation-building efforts.
The new funding will drive BagoSphere’s latest innovative programs, focusing on leadership development and expansion in the Philippines and exploring strategic growth in Southeast Asia over the next two years, targeting front-liners in fast-growing industries. Furthermore, the new funding will enhance the learner community experience, aiming to reach 100,000 members.
BagoSphere has trained over 10,000 jobseekers, front-liners, and professionals.
For over a decade, BagoSphere has served as NWTF’s strategic talent partner, notably through their Loan Officers Foundation Training program, enhancing communication skills and the job of NWTF’s loan officer trainees.
DMAP’s DigiCon returns
The Digital Marketing Association of the Philippines (DMAP) will spearhead the movement towards mastering the digital landscape when it hosts the 9th edition of the annual Digital Congress (DigiCon), with the theme, REVOLUTION, on October 15 to 16, 2024, in Newport City, Metro Manila.
This major annual digital convention will gather global and local industry experts, thought leaders, and technology pioneers to drive innovation and digital transformation in the Philippines.
Attendees will have the opportunity to learn, interact, and collaborate through five focused tracks: E-commerce, Digital Transformation, Brand Building in Digital, Analytics RPA and Data Science, and Innovation Labs on AI and Metaverse. These tracks, along with various practical and immersive activities, aim to provide a roadmap for leveraging rapid digital changes, equipping attendees with tools and insights for digital agility and continuous learning.
Attendees will have access to insightful conversations in our rapidly evolving field, cutting-edge digital knowledge, and an unparalleled network of industry professionals and companies.
DigiCon REVOLUTION2024 expects to attract over 2,000 attendees from various sectors, including marketing, advertising, business, academia, media, and innovation. This event aims to foster collaboration and digital excellence among forward-thinkers and innovators.
Early registration is now open to the public at https://www.digicon.com.ph/.
