by Ferry Bayu | Jun 16, 2026 | Business
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, PHILIPPINES, 13 June 2026 — Color Your World Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Casino Plus, on Saturday in partnership with local government built a tent village in Barangay Lagao in General Santos City, providing temporary shelter to families affected by the magnitude-7.8 quake that hit Mindanao.
Powered by its flagship disaster resilience pillar, “Project Bigkis,” Color Your World provided livable tents and over 2,000 gallons of drinking water to evacuees and affected residents of Barangays Lagao and Calumpang in General Santos City as hundreds of families struggle in accessing safe drinking water and temporary shelter.
The deployment has so far faced intense localized hurdles, including heavy downpours and persistent seismic activity. Earlier Saturday, “Color Champions” experienced a sharp magnitude-5.6 aftershock that caused minor property damage in the area. Despite the rainfall and structural challenges, the team have successfully distributed life-saving resources without interruption.
“The need on the ground is immediate, and the reality facing many families in the evacuation centers is heartbreaking,” said Casino Plus Chief Executive Officer Evan Spytma.
“When you see parents worried about where their children will sleep, or families struggling to access basic necessities, it reminds you that behind every disaster are real people trying to get through each day. Our Color Champions — our employees and volunteers on the ground — are committed to standing with these communities, not only by providing immediate relief such as shelter and clean drinking water, but by helping them rebuild and move forward in the months ahead,” Spytma added.
For hundreds of families still grappling with trauma and seeking refuge in open-air covered courts and makeshift shelters, the arrival of physical shelter marks the first step toward stability.
Fernando Tatad Jr., community leader of the Purok 20 association, said their community would prioritize the elderly and children for accommodation in the tent village, emphasizing that many residents continue to stay in open areas because of the ongoing aftershocks.
“Ang laking tulong talaga, sobra-sobra. Ang laking pasalamat namin kasi ‘yung tent, magre-request sana ako kaso binigay na ni Lord at ng Casino Plus sa’min,” Tatad said.
Access to clean and safe water has also been a challenge amid disruptions to local water systems. In addition, damage to roads and bridges has hampered distribution efforts, particularly in remote communities.
Another quake survivor, Maureen Ortega, thanked Casino Plus and the Color Your World Foundation for providing water gallons, adding that obtaining clean water and hygiene supplies has been difficult over the past week.
“May dalawang maliit pa ako [na anak], sobrang hirap pag walang malinis na tubig. Siguro okay lang walang kuryente pero tubig ang kailangan namin dito. Hindi madali ‘yung nangyari sa amin. ‘Yung mga anak namin, nanginginig, sobrang takot kapag may lindol,” Ortega said.
As communities begin the difficult journey toward recovery, Color Your World Foundation will continue its mission across Sarangani, safely reaching more affected families and delivering immediate relief to those who need it most.
About IGO Digital High Technology, Inc.
Casino Plus is a trusted online casino platform in the Philippines, duly licensed and regulated by the PAGCOR. The company is committed to providing a secure, fair, and engaging digital entertainment experience, guided by the principles of responsible gaming and player protection. With its continuous expansion, Casino Plus is now regarded as one of the country’s leading online casino platforms, combining entertainment excellence with meaningful corporate social responsibility initiatives.
About Color Your World Foundation Inc.
Color Your World Foundation, Inc. is the corporate social responsibility arm of Casino Plus and Stotsenberg Leisure Park and Hotel Corporation. Through programs anchored on its four core pillars—Disaster Preparedness and Resilience; Education & Livelihood Access; Community Support for Health, Culture and Environment; and Responsible Gaming Research & Education—the Foundation is committed to creating more ‘makulay’ (colorful) lives, reflecting its philosophy: where play creates color and color creates good. Color Your World Foundation partners with public and private sector stakeholders to deliver sustainable initiatives that uplift lives, empower communities, and contribute to nation-building.
by Ferry Bayu | Jun 16, 2026 | Business
MANILA, Philippines — As Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hiring continues across major Philippine hubs, applicants are placing greater importance on transparency after submitting job applications online.
From Metro Manila to Cebu, many BPO jobseekers apply for multiple roles through social media groups, messaging apps, walk-ins, and recruiter posts. However, a common frustration remains: after submitting a resume, applicants often do not know whether their profile was received, reviewed, shortlisted, rejected, or still pending.
This lack of visibility can make the job search more stressful, especially for first-time applicants, career shifters, and provincial candidates who need to plan interviews, prepare documents, or decide whether to travel for screening.
Status tracking becomes part of the applicant experience
In high-volume hiring locations such as Makati, Quezon City, Bonifacio Global City, Pasig, Alabang, Cebu IT Park, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, candidates often apply for customer service, technical support, healthcare, non-voice, and sales roles with major BPO employers.
These include roles associated with large outsourcing and shared services employers such as Teleperformance, WNS, Alorica, Cognizant, and other companies operating in the Philippine BPO sector. Because applicants may apply to several campaigns at once, clearer application updates can help them understand whether they should wait, follow up, attend another interview, or continue applying elsewhere.
Application status tracking is becoming one way to address this gap. Clear updates such as “application received,” “under review,” “shortlisted,” “interview scheduled,” or “not selected” can help applicants make better decisions and reduce uncertainty.
“Many applicants do not only need job openings; they need clarity after applying,” said a recruitment operations lead familiar with high-volume BPO hiring. “Status visibility helps candidates understand whether their application is moving, pending, or closed.”
Moving beyond informal job posts
Social media groups and referral-based hiring remain widely used in the Philippines, especially for urgent BPO openings. However, these channels can also create confusion for applicants when postings are duplicated, roles are outdated, recruiters are unclear, or follow-ups are difficult to track.
As a result, verified digital portals are becoming more relevant to applicants who want a more structured process. These platforms typically combine employer-authorised job postings, organized candidate profiles, and clearer communication between applicants and hiring teams.
One platform supporting this shift is MyGlit, a Philippines-focused BPO job portal that publishes employer-authorised BPO openings. The platform also provides no-fee applications, structured screening, and application status visibility for applicants.
Relevance for Cebu and provincial applicants
Status tracking is particularly useful for applicants outside major hiring centers. Candidates from Bohol, nearby Cebu provinces, or areas outside Metro Manila may need to know whether to travel for an interview, attend a virtual screening, or continue applying elsewhere.
For Cebu-based hiring, where applicants may target roles in Cebu IT Park, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, clearer status updates can reduce unnecessary travel and repeated follow-ups while helping candidates prepare for the next hiring step.
“Before, I would apply and wait without knowing if anyone had reviewed my profile,” said a Cebu-based BPO applicant. “Being able to see updates makes the process less stressful and helps me prepare for the next step.”
Better structure for employers and applicants
Recruitment teams also benefit from application tracking. BPO employers often process large numbers of applicants for customer service, technical support, non-voice, healthcare, and sales roles. Structured updates can reduce manual follow-ups, improve screening consistency, and help recruiters maintain cleaner candidate pipelines.
For applicants, the benefit is simple: a clearer and more predictable hiring process. For employers, it supports faster communication and better candidate management.
As BPO hiring continues across the Philippines, the applicant experience is shifting beyond simply finding job openings. Jobseekers are increasingly looking for safer channels, clearer processes, and better visibility after they apply.
About MyGlit
MyGlit is a Philippines-focused BPO job portal used by applicants and employers across Metro Manila, Cebu, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The platform publishes employer-authorised BPO job postings, supports structured pre-screening, provides application status tracking, and does not charge applicants placement fees.
Website: https://www.myglit.com
About Gratitude Jobs Ahead Hr inc
MyGlit is a specialized job portal by Gratitude Jobs for the BPO industry in the Philippines, connecting candidates with verified opportunities across Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. The platform features employer-authorized job postings and provides application tracking without charging fees to job seekers. Website: https://www.myglit.com
by Ferry Bayu | Jun 15, 2026 | Business
As government moves to address recurring red and yellow alert, PARE stresses that lasting solutions require more than reactive measures. The group calls for stronger oversight, accountability across the energy sector, and institutionalized consumer participation to ensure that energy policies deliver affordable, reliable, and sustainable electricity for all Filipinos.
June 9, 2026 – Partners for Affordable and Reliable Energy welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive for the Department of Energy (DOE) to address recurring power alerts.
“We welcome the President’s call to address the power situation, but recurring red and yellow alerts cannot be blamed on one agency alone. If red and yellow alerts happen almost every year, then this is no longer an energy problem but an Energy Crisis long neglected,” PARE Chief Advocate Officer Nic Satur, Jr. said.
The group stressed that solving the country’s energy problems requires more than reactive measures whenever red and yellow alerts occur.
“This is a shared accountability issue involving Congress, the Senate, energy companies, NGCP, and both Private and electric cooperatives. Perhaps it is time for all of them to explain why consumers continue to suffer the same problems year after year. Accountability must extend across the entire energy sector,” Satur said.
Regulators such as the DOE, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), and National Electrification Administration (NEA) play a critical role in planning and policy. Still, they are equally responsible for ensuring that energy players comply with laws, standards, and performance obligations.
Beyond regulators, Congress and the Senate must exercise diligence when granting franchises and oversight powers to the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) and distribution utilities. Transmission operators, generation companies, distribution utilities, and electric cooperatives must also answer for failures that contribute to recurring supply shortages, brownouts, high systems losses and expensive electricity costs.
“If the President is serious about solving the energy crisis, accountability must extend beyond the DOE. Regulators, lawmakers, energy companies, and all institutions entrusted with consumer protection share this responsibility,” Satur said.
PARE emphasized that consumers should no longer be treated as passive observers during energy crises. The group called for active consumer participation in technical working groups, task forces, regulatory proceedings, and independent audits involving all energy players.
“Consumers ultimately pay for every inefficiency, delay, outage, and pass-on charge in the system. They deserve a meaningful role in shaping reforms and monitoring industry performance,” Satur said.
“We pay for every outage, every delay, every inefficiency, and every pass-on charge in the system. If consumers are expected to shoulder the costs, then we deserve a seat at the table where energy policies, reforms, and accountability measures are being discussed,” Satur said
This press release has also been published on VRITIMES.
by Ferry Bayu | Jun 13, 2026 | Business
IN LINE with the government’s efforts to make quality home ownership affordable and alleviate the country’s ever-growing housing backlog, a series of actual deliveries of housing units kicked off in the Southern Luzon Region yesterday.
More than 20 Filipino families officially received the keys to their new homes as P.A. Alvarez Properties and Development Corporation (P.A. Properties), in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and Pag-IBIG Fund, conducted a housing unit turnover ceremony and project inspection at Nuvista Homes Lipa under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program.
The event was led by DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon P. Aliling, Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene B. Acosta, P.A. Properties Chairman of the Board Romarico T. Alvarez, and P.A. Properties President and CEO Atty. Marianne Reyna Lina-Cruz.
The ceremony highlighted the continuing collaboration between the government and private sector to address the country’s housing backlog and provide affordable, quality housing opportunities for Filipino families.
During the visit, officials conducted a project inspection of completed housing units, including the Solida and Marya house model, which is eligible for the subsidized interest rate under the Expanded 4PH Program.
In his remarks, Alvarez emphasized the importance of strong public-private sector collaboration in addressing the nation’s housing needs.
“Today’s turnover is a testament to what can be achieved when government institutions and the private sector work together toward a common purpose. It reflects our shared commitment to addressing the housing needs of our people and contributing to the national goal of providing decent, affordable, and resilient housing for every Filipino family,” said Alvarez.
He reaffirmed P.A. Properties’ commitment to supporting the government’s housing agenda and expanding homeownership opportunities for more Filipinos.
“P.A. Properties stands firmly alongside the government in this mission. We reaffirm our support and our readiness to be a partner of the government in advancing the country’s housing programs for the benefit of every Filipino,” he added.
For the new homeowners, the event marked more than the receipt of a housing unit—it signified the beginning of a new chapter defined by stability, security, and opportunity. Through continued collaboration among DHSUD, Pag-IBIG Fund, and private sector partners such as P.A. Properties, the vision of providing every Filipino family with a decent and affordable home moves closer to reality.
As one of the country’s leading mass housing developers, P.A. Properties continues to support national housing initiatives through the development of sustainable and affordable communities across the Philippines. The turnover of homes to more than 20 beneficiaries at Nuvista Homes Lipa represents another milestone in helping bridge the country’s housing gap while creating thriving communities where Filipino families can build brighter futures.
The government delegation also visited the nearby Idesia project, a residential development offering housing units priced from ₱3.5 million to ₱7 million, now also eligible for financing through the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan following the increase in the Fund’s maximum loanable amount to ₱10 million per member.
About P.A. Alvarez Properties and Development Corporation
Nestled in San Pedro, Laguna, P.A. Alvarez Properties and Development Corporation (P.A. Properties) is a leading developer of low to medium-cost housing communities in Southern Luzon. Since its establishment in 1994, the company has crafted over 30,000 homes across key Philippine provinces, with plans to build an additional 20 communities in the next 5 years. P.A. Properties, guided by the tagline “Behind Every Home is a Story,” not only addresses the nation’s housing backlog but also actively contributes to economic growth. Through philanthropic initiatives, such as hospital donations in Cabuyao, the provision of right-of-way in Pampanga for civic centers, and the establishment of SanJo’s markets in provinces like Laguna and Bulacan, the company weaves a narrative of community development and nationwide impact.
by Ferry Bayu | Jun 12, 2026 | Business
GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — June 2026 — Carziqo has extended relief support to families affected by the recent powerful earthquake in southern Mindanao, as part of the company’s continuing commitment to corporate responsibility, community care, and long-term development in the Philippines.
The relief initiative focused on residents in General Santos City and nearby affected communities, including areas connected to Maasim, Sarangani, where many families have been dealing with uncertainty, structural damage, aftershock concerns, and the urgent need for basic supplies.
In the days following the earthquake, Carziqo monitored the situation closely and began organizing a response through its local network. The company prepared and distributed essential relief goods, including rice, food packs, canned goods, noodles, and other daily necessities for affected residents.
The distribution was supported by Carziqo team member Ricky Sendiong Lumapas, a teacher who helped coordinate assistance on the ground, together with Loradel D. Acosta B and other local supporters. Their involvement helped ensure that the relief goods reached residents directly and that the activity was carried out with care, order, and respect for the affected community.
For Carziqo, the relief effort was not treated as a one-time public relations activity, but as a practical expression of the company’s responsibility toward the communities it serves.
“Carziqo believes that business growth must be connected with responsibility,” the company said. “When communities face hardship, companies must respond not only with words, but with real action. Every food pack, every bag of rice, and every act of support represents care, solidarity, and hope.”
The recent earthquake caused fear and disruption across parts of Mindanao. In affected areas, families were forced to assess damage to homes, schools, business establishments, and public facilities, while also dealing with the emotional impact of aftershocks and uncertainty. For many households, access to basic goods became one of the most immediate concerns in the early stage of recovery.
Carziqo’s response was designed to provide simple but meaningful assistance. Relief goods were prepared in organized packs and distributed to residents, including families, elderly individuals, workers, and other community members who needed support after the disaster.
The company said the participation of local team members was important because effective relief work requires understanding of the community. By working through people who know the area and are connected with residents, Carziqo aimed to make the relief effort more personal, practical, and responsive to real needs on the ground.
Ricky Sendiong Lumapas, who is also an educator, played a meaningful role in helping support the initiative. As a teacher, his connection to the community reflects the importance of local leadership during disaster response. Education, public service, and community care often become deeply connected in times of crisis, especially when families and students are among those affected by natural disasters.
Loradel D. Acosta B also helped support the distribution effort, working with the local team to assist residents and help manage the delivery of supplies. Together, their participation demonstrated how local members can become an important bridge between corporate support and community recovery.
Carziqo said it recognizes that technology companies must not separate innovation from humanity. While the company continues to build its platform and develop its presence in intelligent mobility and future transportation services, it also believes that corporate responsibility should remain part of its identity.
“Technology may help move people forward, but compassion keeps progress meaningful,” the company said. “Carziqo’s mission is not only to build the future of mobility, but also to stand with people and communities when support is needed most.”
The company added that the Philippines remains an important part of its long-term development. Carziqo’s relief activity in General Santos City and Maasim reflects its belief that business presence should come with social responsibility, especially in areas where communities are rebuilding after disaster.
Beyond the immediate distribution of goods, Carziqo said it hopes the relief initiative can send a message of solidarity to affected families: they are not alone, and recovery is a shared effort. The company also expressed sympathy to families who lost loved ones, suffered injuries, experienced property damage, or had their daily lives disrupted by the earthquake.
As recovery work continues across affected parts of Mindanao, Carziqo said it will continue to pay attention to local conditions and look for ways to support communities where possible. The company also thanked its local team members, volunteers, and residents who helped make the relief distribution possible.
In a time of uncertainty, Carziqo said its message to affected families is simple: the company stands with the people of Mindanao and remains committed to supporting communities with care, responsibility, and action.
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