The PR & Events Circuit

Globe Telecom and its fully-owned subsidiary G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI) has entered into a strategic partnership with leading regional online entertainment provider Asiasoft Corporation Public Company Limited on gaming services provisioning. The collaboration is part of the Memorandum of Understanding  with Asiasoft which Globe and GXI signed together with other members of the Singtel Group such as Singapore Telecommunications  Limited (Singtel – Singapore), Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS – Thailand),  and PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel – Indonesia).

The 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival gave out its annual award to the 8 films that was included in this year's roster. Winning BEST FILM is WALANG FOREVER topbilled by Jennylyn Mercado and Jericho Rosales with BUY NOW, DIE LATE and MY BEBE LOVE being 2nd and 3rd best. Despite the controversy, HONOR THY FATHER took home the BEST DIRECTOR Award for Erik Matti as well BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR for Tirso Cruz III.  Here's the complete list of Awardees of the 2015 Metro Manila Film Festival

Ash cloud coming from Kanlaon Volcano Photo from Skyscrapercity Bacolod One the the more active volcanoes in the country is Mt. Kanlaon on the island of Negros. And today, Dec. 27, according to a report from PHIVOLCS, the volcano let out an ash cloud reaching to about a kiloemter after it erupted for 5 minutes at around half past 1pm. It had an " explosion type earthquake with rumbling sound ". 

To cater to Iloilo residents, Geox and Butterfly Twists recently opened their branches at SM City Iloilo. They are located at the upper ground floor and the 2nd floor of the new expansion wing of SM City Iloilo, respectively. Geox is an Italian brand of shoe and clothing manufactured with waterproof/breathable fabrics. The brand name, Geox, was created from a mixture between the Greek word “ geo ” (earth), and “ x ”, a letter-element symbolizing technology. The Geox group has consistently invested in innovation. Engineers, chemists and physicists are employed in research on perspiration and human-generated heat-movement patterns, testing all materials used in their footwear and manufacturing clothing.

Craving for sisig from 35,000 feet above? AirAsia guests flying to, from, and within the Philippines are in for a wonderful treat as Philippines AirAsia today officially started serving hot meals from its newest in-flight menu concept themed “Santan” which replaces AirAsia Café as part of the airline’s latest offerings to enhance customer experience while flying.  Fresh new items include Bangus Sisig, a Filipino dish made of chunks of boneless milkfish sautéed in onions seasoned with salt, pepper and spices. Buffalo Chicken Strips and Barbeque Cola Beef are tasty versions of grilled meat with smoky sauce paired with tomato rice or roasted potatoes. Those who are watching their calories, meanwhile, must try the new Vegetarian Chickpea Curry or the classic Maan’s Pasta Arabiata. New dishes are available for on-board and pre-book purchase in all Philippines AirAsia flights to/from Manila, Kalibo/Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea. ...

Globe Telecom remained the dominant player in the country’s mobile data business as its mobile browsing and other data revenues reached P15.1 billion for the first nine months of 2015, up by a solid 48% from P10.2 billion a year ago. Mobile data users grew by 126% year-on-year, while mobile data traffic increased by 89% from previous year’s level. On a sequential basis, mobile browsing and other data revenues grew by 9% from the P5.1 billion posted the prior quarter to P5.6 billion. Mobile browsing and other data revenues accounted for 24% of total mobile service revenues. “Our mobile data revenues have once again exceeded our expectations, maintaining its robust double-digit growth in revenues and traffic, as well as triple-digit growth in user base. We are confident that we can sustain this growth momentum towards the end of the year as the demand for data connectivity during the holidays is expected to soar. This shift to the digital lifestyle is part of our commitment to...

Alongside with the launching of the Iloilo Christmas Village at the Iloilo Business Park , Megaworld launched its biggest and world-class showroom in this part of the country. Occupying around 2,745 square meters of space, the showroom will feature a modern design with an all-glass facade. The interior design of the showroom area is inspired by modern contemporary and industrial design.

The Samsung Happy Home Iloilo roadshow held during the first week of December at SM city Iloilo showcase a line-up of products that will surely be the best upgrade every Filipino’s home – dream-come-true,smart, innovative, and happier home.    To create one’s dream home, families want to be able to comfortably lounge around at home, enjoying life’s simple pleasures such as watching TV, munching on comfort food, or listening to good music with the family and friends. These great bonding moments will be made much better with Samsung Consumer Electronics, which makes their new home a luxurious haven for entertainment, fun, and relaxation. 

To live a good life is a dream everyone hopes for. It is a part of your life were you finally enjoy hard work. A good life is a life that deals with simple pleasures with your family, doing things that create lasting memories and nurturing relationship and the legacy you leave behind.   Mrs. Emily Casalmer, or Tita Emily, as everybody would fondly call her, is a resident of Parc Regency Residences for 5 years now. She is an epitome of an Ilonggo living a good life and making the most out of it. She recalls her life before moving in to her dream home. Living in an area exposed to the public and bystanders, she recalls one incident that made her finally decide to move to a better and secured subdivision near the city. 

ILOILO CITY—Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) is setting a new trend in banking with its Make the Best Happen campaign. Over and above offering its slew its range of products and services, BPI first of all wants to support its clients by helping them focus on their life aspirations. BPI, the first bank in the Philippines and in the Southeast Asian region, has a wide range of consumer, corporate, and investment banking products and services. 

Topspin Ace PH together with Globe Telecom brings to the Philippines for the first time, the Rafa Nadal Academy, a high-performance academy where together with Nadal’s team, they will develop young tennis players using the same values that have been fundamental to his achievements and success.  Organized by Topspin Ace PH, the Academy’s representative in the country and exclusively presented by Globe, It will be a by-invitation only clinic that will be personally conducted by his coach and uncle, Toni Nadal, who also heads the academy. The clinic will be held at Colegio de San Agustin in Makati on December 6, 2015. “At Globe, every effort we undertake lets us bring our customers’ passions closer to them. From music to movies, and now sports, we’d like to give our customers who are also major tennis fans the best access so they can meet and see live their favorite players. Through the Rafa Nadal Tennis Clinic, not only will our customers see Nadal live, they also get to be ...

The GSM Association (GSMA) stressed the need for Asia-Pacific countries to allocate the 700 MHz band to mobile broadband use immediately, in order to take advantage of its socio-economic benefits. It found that further delays in the use of the spectrum could result in billions of dollars worth of losses in incremental GDP growth.   Utilizing the 700 MHZ spectrum, which is well suited to providing mobile broadband coverage indoors and over large areas, can potentially increase countries’ GDP impact by tenfold according to the GSMA.  Its Mobile Economy Asia study also found that the spectrum use can create 2.1 million additional jobs for the region by 2020. 

  ACE Hardware opens its 118th branch recently at CityMall in Brgy. Tagbak, Jaro, Iloilo. As the country's leading retail hardware store, it offers the latest and most innovative home improvement solutions. Sharing honors during ribbon cutting ceremony at ACE Hardware Jaro, Iloilo are Firefly Electric and Lighting Corporation's John Salcedo III (1st from left) and Akari Lighting and Technology Corporation’s Rosario Go Tiu (3rd from left) with ACE Hardware VP for Operations & Merchandising Bernard Ong and ACE Hardware SAVPs for Operations Reuben Cruz (5th from left) and Edwin Ting. Located at the mall's Ground Floor, the more than six hundred square meter store is definitely a haven for DIY enthusiasts. It has a wide range of hardware products and power tools, electrical and plumbing equipment, building materials, outdoor equipment, and items for the car and the house. It also has a lawn and garden section for gardening needs and a pet section for the animal lov...

Christmas season fills the air as Megaworld, the country’s first and largest developer of integrated urban townships, opens its first-ever Christmas Village at the 72-hectare Iloilo Business Park in Mandurriao District.  “The Christmas Village will be a magical and exciting place to visit during the Yuletide season in Iloilo. This is a way for Megaworld to thank the Ilonggos for their relentless support in establishing Iloilo Business Park as the biggest business and tourism hub in Western Visayas,” says Jennifer Ann Palmares-Fong, marketing head for Iloilo Business Park, Megaworld.

The hype is building up for AirAsia in the Philippines with the consolidation of its operation two years after its local unit, AirAsia Inc. signed a partnership agreement with home grown airline ZestAir in 2013. Philippines AirAsia CEO, Joy Cañeba said, “Efficient service to our guests and safety are at the heart of everything we do in Philippines AirAsia. We are here to provide only the best value and world-class service that every Filipino deserves.” Philippines AirAsia has replaced the AirAsia Zest brand following the approval from Philippine regulatory authorities in September by the Securities and Exchange Commission and in December by CAAP (Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) and CAB (Civil Aeronautics Board) this year.

To create one’s dream home, families want to be able to comfortably lounge around at home, enjoying life’s simple pleasures such as watching TV, munching on comfort food, or listening to good music with the family and friends. These great bonding moments will be made much better with Samsung Consumer Electronics, which makes their new home a luxurious haven for entertainment, fun, and relaxation.  The "Bautista family" showed how they enjoy the many conveniences at home made possible by Samsung products. This family experience was showcased during Samsung Happy Home roadshow featuring Samsung’s range of new products, including Television, Home Entertainment Solutions, and Digital Appliances. The roadshow kicked off in Manila last August and was followed by Mindanao leg in Davao and Cagayan de Oroand Visayas leg in Bacolod and Cebu. On their sixth run, Samsung Happy Home roadshow went to SM IloIlo and will end in Naga City for 2015, letting more families see how Samsung...

It is not co-incidental but providential that as we go nearer the season of giving,Property Company of Friends (PRO-FRIENDS) delivers happiness to Asilo de Molo, an elderly care center located in Molo, Iloilo City. Pro-Friends, known for its residential projects namely Parc Regency Residences and Monticello Villas in Pavia, Iloilo, spent an afternoon for an outreach program last December 1, 2015 to celebrate Christmas in the elderly shelter run by the Daughters of Charity of the Philippines. PRO-FRIENDS extended its thrust of “Creating Communities, Transforming Lives” this year by holding a Christmas party at the Asilo de Molo.The event, entitled “Touching Lives, a Christmas Party for the Elderly” has painted smiles on the faces of 42 senior citizens from the whole of Panay, who currently live in the shelter. The company brought good food, some dance numbers for amusement, gifts, and donations to the shelter. Pro-Friends received a warm welcome by the senior citizens as well as t...

SM City Iloilo reaffirms its commitment to be a valuable partner of the community in keeping the environment clean, by holding the Trash to Cash Recycling Market on December 4 and 5, 2015 at the car park area(near the entrance leading to BDO). The activity is held every first Friday and Saturday of the Month and engages the community to take part by bringing their recyclable items and sell it to scrap buyers—a way initiated to encourage involvement of different sectors in curbing solid waste management problems. Waste items like old car batteries, papers, old computers, and other items that can still be recycled are accepted by buyers. The Trash to Cash Recycling Market is a project of SM Cares Committee on the Environment. For inquiries on other environmental projects and how you can take part in these initiatives, you may contact telephone number 320 9609 or visit the official Facebook page of SM City Iloilo.

Grupo Emperador Spain S.A., a company owned by Emperador, Inc., has reached an agreement with Beam Suntory to acquire the company’s Spanish brandy and sherry business in Jerez, the brandy capital of Spain.   The acquisition includes the iconic brands of Fundador Pedro Domecq, the Philippines' largest selling premium imported brandy brand; Terry Centenario, Spain’s no. 1 selling brandy; Tres Cepas, Equatorial Guinea’s no. 1 brandy; and Harveys, United Kingdom’s no. 1 selling sherry wine.  These brands carry a unique heritage and market leadership position in their respective categories.  Andrew Tan (third from left) closed the P13.8-B deal with Beam Suntory in Spain Fundador Brandy, for example, is the largest and oldest brandy in Spain and has been an icon of Spanish culture and heritage. It has also been an iconic premium liquor brand in the Philippines for more than 150 years.  

 AirAsia would like to encourage all guests travelling during the holiday period to conduct self-check-in and arrive at the airport earlier to clear all travelling formalities and avoid the expected congestion due to the surge of passenger numbers throughout this period. Guests are recommended to arrive at the airport at least 3 hours for AirAsia flights prior to the scheduled time of departure of their respective flights and to perform Self-Check-In via Web, Mobile app or Kiosk services for their travel convenience. Self Check-In via Web, Mobile or Kiosk services are available from 14 days and up to 1 hour prior to departure for all AirAsia flights. It is also highly recommended for guests to print out their boarding passes before arriving at the airport to ease their travel process. 

Globe Telecom is looking to sustain growth momentum of its prepaid business after several quarters of strong performance with a co-branding partnership with leading mobile phone manufacturer Cherry Mobile. Consolidated Globe prepaid customer base reached 47.8 million as of end-September 2015, up 17% from previous year’s 40.7 million. Globe Prepaid customer base posted growth of 14% year-on-year, while the TM base grew by 20% on the back of offers that recognize the youth and mass market’s shift to the digital lifestyle.  Globe Prepaid has made strides in positioning itself as the digital brand for the youth with offers which are bundled with free access to top social networking and messaging apps such as Facebook and Viber, premium apps and content such Spotify, as well as top mobile games such as Clash of Clans.  Globe Prepaid also enhanced its revolutionary GoSAKTO, which now allows customers to create more than 200 million call, text, and app combos that fit thei...

The country’s fastest growing property developer Profriends, Inc. continues to redefine the real estate landscape by introducing services that is beneficial for its homeowner.  Property Company of Friends, Inc. (PRO-FRIENDS), one of the fastest growing property developers in the Philippines and developer of two big projects in Iloilo, Parc Regency Residences and Monticello Villas, recently partnered with PLDT on its newest project launched last November 20, 2015. The newest technology in broadband known as PLDT FIBER-OPTICS technology is capable to deliver the country’s fastest plan. PLDT’s most robust and widest reach of fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) facility spans to 100,000 kilometers nationwide enabling it to provide the digital lifestyle needs of Filipino homes. PLDT HOME Fibr runs on fiber-optic technology which is touted as the world standard for broadband.  “Through this service our homeowners are able to access fast and reliable communication lines. We always want...

Partnership aims to strengthen Globe position as purveyor of Filipino digital lifestyle Globe Telecom and Huawei Technologies signed a 5-year partnership deal to further enhance and expand the leading telecommunication provider’s mobile network to elevate the state of Philippine internet and strengthen its position as purveyor of Filipino digital lifestyle. Specifically, the partnership involves planning and design of a mobile broadband network utilizing latest state of the art technology trends aimed at creating a wonderful digital world for its customers. The project also involves the creation of a “mobile innovation center” to yield innovative products and solutions that would ensure Globe maintains its competitive edge and leadership in the intensely competitive local telecommunications industry. The partnership is provided for in a memorandum of understanding signed by Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu and Huawei Rotating CEO and Vice Chairman Eric Xu November 23.  ...

ALLPHONES Philippines opened its 64th branch at the newly opened expansion wing SM City Iloilo . Allphones Philippines is partnership between Allphones Australia, TAO Corporation and Globe Telecom that seek to provide gadget-crazy Filipinos with the gadgets/ products that they need with the appropriate level of service that they deserve.

Aiming to reach “underserved” small and medium enterprises (SMEs) outside of Luzon, Esquire Finance, Inc (EFI) expands to Cebu. After building operational scale in Manila, EFI opens its doors to serve the “untapped” SMEs in the Visayas. “We are the direct response to the needs of SMEs,” said EFI President & Chief Operating Officer Navin Uttamchandani. Unlike banks who serve a low number of SMEs due to extensive collateral requirements, revenue-driven structure, and high minimum loan amounts; the firm offers non-collateral business loans which are tailor made for the client’s needs, goals, cash flows, capacity, and financial position.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the most anticipated shopping sales in the United States, are made more accessible and affordable to digital-savvy GCash customers through the international shipping provided by GCash American Express® Virtual Pay in partnership with My Shopping Box. “This is the fourth year for GCash American Express® Virtual Pay to participate in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale and once again we’re giving our customers a better way to enjoy the biggest discounts and most amazing shopping deals from their favorite international online retail stores,” said Xavier Marzan, President and CEO of G-Xchange Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, operator of GCash.

Aiming to cultivate technological entrepreneurship in Dumaguete, the first ever Startup Weekend Dumaguete 2015 will be held on November 27-29. “We want to introduce the local community to the idea that it is possible to locally grow alternative businesses that use non-traditional business models,” said Danah V. Fortunato, Executive Director of ICT Association of Dumaguete and Negros Oriental (ICT DGTE). The inaugural SW Dumaguete is a 54-hour event that begins with participants pitching startup ideas, developing such concepts into feasible businesses, and presenting them to judges on the final day. Winners will have their business ideas undergo development for possible launching to the market. SW Dumaguete will be at Audio-Visual Theater 1, Multimedia Center, Silliman University, Dumaguete City.

MANILA, 22 NOVEMBER – The highly-anticipated one-centavo seat sale by AirAsia is back, with promotional seats made available to all domestic destinations to/from Manila, Kalibo (Boracay), Palawan, Tagbilaran(Bohol), Davao, Cebu and Tacloban including international destinations from Manila, Kalibo and Cebu to Incheon (Seoul), Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, Busan, Hong Kong and Macau and vice versa now available for booking at www.airasia.com from tomorrow, 23  November, until 29 November 2015. All-in promo fares are up for grabs now until 29 November 2015 only at www.airasia.com The travel period for red hot one-centavo seats* promotion will be from 1 May 2016 until 5 February 2017, with priority redemption 24 hours ahead from 0001hrs – 2359hrs (GMT+8) on 22 November for AirAsia BIG members, AirAsiaGo users, BIG Prepaid MasterCard and AirAsia Citibank card members. 

Every child has a dream.  Since she was a little kid, Ericka Rose Monteclaro has dreamt to be a teacher. Now that she is already in high school, she is closer to her ambition because of her perseverance to put her vision into a reality. Ericka’s admiration to her teachers is making her more determined so that she will become of them someday.  To prove herself that Kaya ang Pagbabago, Ericka has been rendering volunteer work as a day care teacher in their baranggay in San Pedro Day Care Center, San Jose, Antique during afternoons when she is free, on top of her regular schooling as Grade 7 in San Pedro National High School. 

For the third straight year, Globe Telecom President & CEO Ernest Cu is on the elite list of Global Telecoms Business Power 100 for 2015.  Cu is the only Filipino executive to make it to the Power 100 and among the top 10 in Asia.  The GT Business Power 100 annually releases its list of the most powerful people in telecoms worldwide.  This year’s list of Power 100 is different from previous year’s versions as inclusion was divided into a number of different categories such as operators in various parts of the world, over-the-top and content providers, hardware companies, among others.  Cu was listed in the Top Ten Operators from Asia. 

KUALA LUMPUR, 19 NOV 2015 – AirAsia, the world’s best low cost airline for seven consecutive years, launched its all-new mobile application offering innovative new features, smoother functionality and an improved interface to provide guests with an enhanced and seamless flying experience with AirAsia. AirAsia's mobile app is nominated as the 'World's Leading Low-Cost Airline App' at the upcoming World Travel Awards. This enhanced version is now available in 11 languages and it can be downloaded from the respective app stores of both iOS and Android devices.

MiCab, the Cebu-based tech startup that developed a low cost taxi-hailing app, will be shares their experience as a startup or innovation-driven enterprise at the Startup Weekend (SW) Iloilo olast November 12. The tech start-up which started as a pitch during Startup Weekend Cebu in 2012 will also be sponsoring the inaugural SW Iloilo at UP Iloilo. MiCab’s Chief Executive Officer Eddie Ybanez will be a judge and Chief Marketing Officer Kenn Costales will be mentoring the participants for the 54-hour startup competition and seminar.

SM started out with shoes when Founder and Chairman Henry Sy, Sr. opened his first Shoe Mart store in downtown Manila in 1958.  He thought that if he could sell a pair of shoes to every Filipino, he could be a successful man. Two-toned boat shoes in hip colors for men  He, of course, became more successful than he ever imagined. His shoe store has evolved into a retail giant, a chain of super malls, and one of the country’s largest conglomerates.  Even today, SM continues to focus on footwear to serve a new generation of shoppers– updating its iconic Parisian brand, and bringing shoe shopping to a whole new level as the ultimate shoe destination with the widest selection of footwear for all ages and occasions.  There is even the Shoe City in SM Makati, which is home to the country’s biggest shoe department.

Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGI) posted a net income of P16.2 billion in the first nine months of this year, on consolidated revenues of P99.6 billion. Net income attributable to AGI amounted to P10.6 billion.  “The group’s financial performance continues to be compelling despite challenges faced by the gaming industry. We are strengthening the building blocks of sustained profitability and shareholder value in the long term,” said Kingson U. Sian, AGI’s president and chief operating officer.

Megaworld’s subsidiary, Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI), the country’s biggest developer of integrated leisure and tourism townships, posted a 67% growth in its 9-month net income from P320-million last year to P534-million this year. GERI’s consolidated revenues amounted to P3.82-billion, 86% up from last year’s nine-month revenue of P2.06-billion. The company’s sustained growth is driven by aggressive real estate sales, contributing 79% in the consolidated revenues. 

Globe Telecom believes that the equitable distribution of the unused 700-megahertz frequency band currently held by San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will help improve Internet speed in the country, and is one of the answers to the explosion of mobile data use. “Part of the solution to the clamor for faster Internet is the harmonization of the 700 Mhz frequency,” said Globe General Legal Counsel Atty. Froilan Castelo.  “Giving active and operating telecommunications companies access to this band will allow the industry to provide broadband and data services at faster speeds and in a more cost-efficient manner,” he added.

HOOQ, Asia’s biggest premium video-on-demand service, brings you yet another same day as US telecast TV series, Supergirl. This digital exclusive is the latest addition to HOOQ’s suite of Warner Bros.’ DC Comics superheroes. Supergirl’s recent U.S. premiere attracted 12.9 million viewers, elevating Supergirl as this season's most-watched new series debut and another must-watch series on HOOQ, along with other superhero-themed series such as The Flash, Gotham, Arrow, and Smallville, and movies like Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, Iron Man, The Dark Knight Rises, and Spider-Man. 

Property giant Megaworld, the Philippines’ biggest developer of integrated urban townships and the largest lessor of office spaces, achieved a net income of P8.35-billion during the first nine months of 2015, 12.52% higher than P7.42-billion (net of P11.62-billion non-recurring gain) during the same period last year.  Property giant’s 9-month rental income soared to record 24% to P6.44-B Its bullish performance during the three quarters of the year was driven by its aggressive expansion of its integrated urban townships across the country, the company’s pioneering real estate concept in the country that synergizes residential, office, commercial and institutional components of a community. Megaworld’s consolidated revenues grew 10.85% during the first nine months of 2015 on a year-on-year basis. The growth is an increase from last year’s P30.24-billion to P33.53-billion this year.

Globe Telecom, through its IT Enabled Services Group, has forged an agreement with ADP, a pioneer in outsourced payroll services with over 65 years of experience, to launch Globe Managed Payroll, the latest expansion to the roster of business solutions offered by the telecom company to its enterprise clientele.  (L-R) Globe Senior Advisor for Enterprise and IT Enabled Services Group Mike Frausing, ADP Senior Vice President and General Manager for Asia Pacific Don McGuire, and Globe  Chief Technology and Information Officer   and Chief Strategy Officer  Gil Genio seal the agreement between Globe and ADP to offer payroll solutions to Philippine enterprises. Globe Managed Payroll provides an end-to-end solution that includes Time and Attendance, Payroll, and eventually a Human Resources Information System, providing customers a specialized outsourced team to manage payroll and human resource requirements that will let the organization focus on its core busine...

Emperador Inc. generated 45% more in revenues from January to September this year compared to the same period of 2014. Consolidated revenues this year amounted to PHP29 billion, inclusive of foreign operations.  Net income reached PHP4.7 billion this year, up about 3% year on year. Domestic volumes in the second and third quarters of this year were better than the first quarter, reflecting a 4% year-on-year increase in the combined sale of goods in the second and third quarters of 2015. 

Globe Telecom is advocating responsible use of mobile devices in school campuses for the country’s learning institutions to effectively leverage advancement in information and communications technology. “Internet is a valuable source of information and an important additional teaching tool.  As internet now plays a major role in the lives of young people, learning institutions should take the opportunity of motivating students with the use of ICT-tools to make their learning experience more enjoyable and sustainable,”  Globe Director for Corporate Social Responsibility Fernando Esguerra said.

Filipinos are now increasingly adopting mobile and digital technologies for salary loan applications and disbursements. This changing behavior corresponds to the digital shift of consumers and improving confidence in using digital financial services.  Over PhP4-B disbursed via LANDBANK Mobile Loan Saver in less than a year "We're seeing a positive shift to mobile and digital for the consumer loan market as they provide convenience and easier access to financial services. Our successful experience with the LANDBANK Mobile Loan Saver in less than a year is reflective of this progress and we are seeing this accelerate in the coming months," said Orlando B. Vea, president and CEO of Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart).

SM City Iloilo brought the Yuletide cheers by sharing a  MerrySMChristmas   with the Ilonggos  as it unveiled its 2015 holiday   centerpiece with sweet and musical spectacle last Saturday, Nov.7 It ushered in enthusiasm for this time of the year when excitement builds up as everyone prepares to " deck the halls with boughs of holly ", or waiting for someone who " is coming to town ". W hile some are getting ready to " rock the night away " or just do some " pa rum pum pum pum ", other just prefer a " silent night ". No matter what the choices are, it only means one thing - Christmas is really just around the corner!

Globe Telecom said its board approved the declaration of a fourth quarter cash dividend of P20.75 per share for common shares following the strong financial performance in the January-September period. The dividend will be paid to shareholders on record as of November 24, 2015, with payment date on December 4, 2015.  Payment date set on  Dec. 4  for shareholders on record  Nov. 24 . The aggregate fourth quarter cash dividend payment is aboutP2.75 billion and on an annualized basis, represents about 76% of2014 core net income, said newly-appointed Globe Chief Commercial Officer Albert de Larrazabal, previously the company’s Chief Financial Officer.

McDonald's is making Christmas a season of sweet swirls! Enjoy its  New Holiday Desserts available in KIT KAT® McFlurry with Caramel Crispies, KIT KAT® McFlurry with Choco Bits, Hazelnut Brownie Sundae, and Peanut Butter McDip