by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 4, 2023 | Business
The Jollibee Group continues to celebrate women by fostering an encouraging work environment that allows its female employees around the world to grow and develop.
The Jollibee Group was the only Philippine-based company to make Forbes’ inaugural list of the World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies in 2021, demonstrating its dedication to supporting and developing women to their full potential. In the Philippines, women make up the majority of Jollibee Group’s management positions.
As a testament to Jollibee Group’s unwavering support for women, several female employees have risen through the ranks and now leading their respective functions like Cynthia Castro.
Cynthia Castro (seated on the chair, middle) rose from being an entry-level accountant to now Vice President and Finance Head for Jollibee Group’s Philippine Business. With her in the photo is the Jollibee Philippines Finance Team, which she concurrently heads.
Castro began working for Jollibee in 1987 as an accountant. She was promoted to accounting supervisor for the company’s commissary and later to accounting manager for the company’s new businesses. Castro was the finance head of Jollibee Philippines’ Northern Luzon unit before being promoted to the position of Vice President and Finance Head.
“I can sum up my professional journey in two words: gratitude and pride,” she said. “Gratitude because they hired me as a fresh graduate in 1987 and saw my potential to grow in the company, and pride because I work for one of the World’s Best Employers and work with the best leaders in the industry. All of this motivated me to do more, be more, and become more.”
In 2022, Castro was among the finalists for the WeQual Awards, which recognizes female leaders in business. She was the sole Filipina cited in the Award’s Asia-Pacific Finance Category.
Thriving in a male-dominated profession
Yoly Chua thrives as a leader in a traditionally male-dominated field: information technology. She is the Vice President and Head of Business Technology for Jollibee Group’s business in the Philippines, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia (EMEAA).
Yoly Chua (seated in the middle) posted this photo on her LinkedIn account celebrating all the women who work with her in Jollibee Group’s Business Technology (BT) Division, where she is now Vice President and Head for Philippines and EMEAA Regions.
Chua was hired in 2016 to help stabilize SAP in the company and led the Information Management Enterprise Business Solutions team. After two years, she was promoted to Information Technology (IT) Head for the Philippine Region. In 2021, Chua was given the task of overseeing and governing EMEAA’s Business Technology function.
“I appreciate the growth opportunities I’ve had in my more than 6 years stay with the company. The values of the people I work with–their unwavering malasakit for the company, the trust of the management and our teams, and the stewardship of doing what is best for the company inspire me to work harder and continue doing better,” she said.
Chua strongly believes women can shine in any industry or position given the right opportunity. “Women are empathetic and good listeners. Our instinct to protect, care and support our people makes leading effectively easier,” she said.
Driving culture and engagement
Ruth Angeles began her career with the Jollibee Group as a human resources manager for Jollibee Worldwide Services. She later became the HR head for the company’s Red Ribbon and Jollibee business units.
Ruth Angeles (seated, 3rd from the left, front row) is shown with some members of the HR Team in one of their quarterly teaming activities. Ruth is now Vice President and leads the Regional HR Team in the Philippines.
Already in her 17th year with the company, Angeles is now Vice President, leading the Regional HR Team in the Philippines. She is concurrently the head of the Global Organization, Leadership, and Culture Team.
Aside from driving culture and engagement in the company, Ruth has also been instrumental in enabling the successful pivot of the HR function and was key in the organization’s transformation, resulting in a much stronger and more resilient workforce post-pandemic. She has likewise been vital in developing and building leaders in boosting organizational capabilities.
“JFC has been helpful in my development as a people manager and HR leader. The company’s devotion to providing career advancement opportunities and inclusive leadership training allows women leaders and employees to excel in their development,” she said.
Castro, Chua, and Angeles are part of a thriving community of female leaders in the Jollibee Group who are helping drive the company’s mission and its journey toward its vision of becoming one of the top five restaurant companies in the world.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 29, 2023 | Business
Leading mobile wallet GCash has expanded its money remittance service as it partners with PERA HUB, a retail brand of PETNET under Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. The partnership expands the reach of GCash Padala to more than 3,000 remittance centers that can cater to millions of Filipino recipients.
With PERA HUB, GCash users can now send money to recipients who are non-GCash users with fees of as low as P5 for P500. This saves travel time for the sender by simply using their smartphones to send money to their loved ones anytime and anywhere.
To claim the transfer, the recipient simply needs to visit the nearest PERA HUB retail outlet and present a valid ID and the Padala Reference Number they received via SMS.
From left: GCash Head of Fund Transfer Products Pipo Padayhag, AVP Cluster Head for Enterprise Racquel Holazo, VP & Head of Enterprise and Public Sector Luigi Reyes, PETNET President & CEO Ian Ocampo, Head of Network Operations Arnold Dellosa, and Senior AVP for Money Remittance Jun Mallo
“At GCash, our core mission is financial inclusion. Our partnership with remittance outlets is not merely for expanding our business but more importantly, to help our users connect to their loved ones and be able to support their family wherever they are in the country,” GCash President & CEO Martha Sazon said.
This partnership further cements the position of GCash Padala as the widest remittance network in the Philippines with over 130,000+ doors through more than 73,000 partner merchants nationwide, including thousands of sari-sari store “Pera Outlets”, retail giants like SM and PureGold, and remittance leaders such as Cebuana Lhuillier, Tambunting, Panalo Express, True Money, Express Pay, and PERA HUB.
“It has always been our priority to ensure convenience and accessibility of our remittance services, especially in different provinces nationwide. Through our partnership with GCash, we are able to help Filipinos send money to their loved ones more easily in over 3,000 locations nationwide,” said PETNET President & CEO Ian Ocampo
“With this partnership, we are able to continue our commitment to make sure that Filipinos all over the country have access to convenient, secure, and affordable remittance and cash services in our counters nationwide,” said PETNET Network Operations Head Arnold Dellosa.
With GCash Padala, sending money to loved ones can now be quick, easy, and hassle-free. To send money via PERA HUB, tap GCash Padala in the GCash app.
GCash is available for free in Google Play Store for Android users and the App Store for iOS.
About GCash
GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Finance App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, 79M registered users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1,600 partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 5.2M partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.), the first and only duacorn in the Philippines.
GCash was recognized by The Asian Banker (TAB) and by the IDC in 2021 for its outstanding digital financial inclusion programs.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 17, 2023 | Business
ZION Philippines presents a POWERHOUSE ensemble of well-known celebrities and influential personalities showcasing top-of-the-line massage chairs that offer comfort and complete body and mind relaxation. This is where luxury meets the utmost relaxation.
ZION Philippines is the leading brand in the industry that provides a wide array of massage chair models that are intended to fit various requirements and tailored to the needs – using cutting-edge technology to deliver therapeutic, pain-relieving, and calming effects, alleviating muscle tension, reducing stress, and promoting overall well-being.
L-R: Rico Maierhofer, Gerry Santos & Sol Mercado Libre
ZION Philippines provides THE ULTIMATE MAN CAVE NEEDS with massage chairs ranging from the most basic to the high-end models with advanced features such as zero-gravity positioning, airbag massage, and full-body health scanning. These chairs are designed to simulate the techniques of professional massage therapists. They are a unique addition to your man cave décor and a great way to start a conversation while relaxing.
Having a ZION Massage Chair in your man cave can provide a number of benefits for both your physical and mental well-being such as mood-enhancer and stress- reliever as the immersive massage experience, various techniques, and features help the release of endorphins.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 14, 2023 | Business
As the seventh Compliance Period for Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) for members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines closes in April 2023, new and exciting programs start to line up for the opening of the eighth period. Most compliant lawyers now enjoy more options as online, traditional, and hybrid learning setups comprise the interesting mix that prioritizes their convenience and personal choices.
Like law practitioners across the globe, learners in the country consider four major factors when choosing MCLE programs to enroll in — topic or content, cost, the reputation of MCLE facilitators, and the learning setup.
Always ahead of the times and leading its industry, ACCESS MCLE, a duly recognized learning institution facilitating MCLE courses for local attorneys, has started opening new programs that learners can sign up for the Eighth Compliance Period. Currently, there are nine available courses, with 16 more to be uploaded. It is the proponent of online MCLE as it presented the setup for virtual learning for lawyers to the Supreme Court even before the onset of the pandemic.
ACCESS MCLE has even introduced a new version of the online class or synchronous setup. The Flexi-Synch option makes the MCLE program schedule identical all year round. Learners who miss a session can catch that same lesson on the same day and time the following month.
Topics and carefully selected facilitators
ACCESS MCLE Co-Founder Atty. Ma. Louella M. Aranas
“We aim to make fellow lawyers realize that MCLE is worthwhile and necessary,” said ACCESS MCLE Co-Founder Atty. Ma. Louella M. Aranas. “It has always been our commitment to set the standard higher.”
Since Day 1, ACCESS MCLE has been prioritizing the requirements, needs, and interests of Filipino lawyers. It is continuously working with numerous law experts and legal luminaries to identify and develop programs that would further enrich local attorneys amid significant changes in the judicial landscape.
So far, ACCESS MCLE has offered numerous MCLE courses in seven different categories—updates on substantive and procedural laws, MCLE-prescribed subjects, legal and judicial ethics, alternative dispute resolution, legal writing and oral advocacy, trial and pre-trial skills, and international laws.
“ACCESS is committed to delivering new curated topics for the Eighth Compliance Period on top of the courses for the Seventh Compliance Period that remain available. Some of our current popular topics are the laws of war; hunger and the right to adequate food, and even the right to die,” Atty. Aranas said.
The institution is equally proud of its roster of lecturers, which includes legal luminaries and some of the most credible subject matter experts. ACCESS MCLE has a deliberate selection process for inviting the best lecturers who are real authorities in their respective legal practices. “We take most of our recommendations for lecturers from Dean Ada Abad of Adamson University College of Law,” Atty. Aranas disclosed.
Costs and learning setups
Being the first accredited online on-demand and synchronous MCLE provider in the Philippines, ACCESS MCLE has been instrumental in democratizing continuing legal education for lawyers. It was among the proponents of online MCLE as it had started introducing the virtual learning setup for lawyers even before the onset of the pandemic and before the Supreme Court formally endorsed online MCLE as an option for that meeting compliance.
ACCESS MCLE has even introduced a new version of the online class or synchronous setup. The Flexi-Synch option makes MCLE programs available all year round. Learners who miss a session can catch that same lesson on the same day and time the following month.
Aside from the reasonable fees per course, online sessions logically help lower compliance expenses by eliminating the need to spend on transportation. Thus, learners from all local regions don’t need to fly to the metro just to attend sessions.
“A huge factor that makes lawyers enroll in an MCLE seminar is the program schedule. It can be hard for a working professional to find time to attend a lecture that directly conflicts with their schedule. Moreover, the lineup of lecturers, topics to be discussed, and rate or pricing are other points that lawyers factor in when making the decision to enroll in a program,” Atty. Aranas summed up.
To learn more about ACCESS MCLE and its programs, visit https://accessonline.ph/.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Apr 13, 2023 | Business
Photo shows (from left): TG Limcaoco, BPI President and CEO; Mariana Zobel de Ayala, BPI Consumer Bank Marketing, Platforms, & Digital Activation Head; Ginbee Go, BPI Executive Vice President & Consumer Banking Head; and, Fitz Chee, BPI Platforms Business Head
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) launched a totally new and future-ready mobile app with innovative features and services that go beyond convenient transactions and help more Filipinos work their way toward financial well-being. This reinforces the bank’s solid footing as a digital banking leader in the country.
As part of BPI’s aggressive digital transformation journey, BPI President and CEO Jose Teodoro “TG” Limcaoco said, “We’re proud of the new BPI app, and we know there’s room to continue improving. While we look at the best technology and digital solutions to ensure that we deliver excellent service, we anchor the designed experiences to what our customers need.”
According to Maria Cristina “Ginbee” Go, BPI Head of Consumer Banking, the new BPI app is key to the bank’s “phygital” approach to make the bank accessible to more Filipinos through physical branches, and digital channels and platforms. “Our customers have the option to bank with the app in tandem with BPI branches and ATMs — giving them a choice of their preferred channel with integrated services like online booking of branch visits or cashless withdrawal.”
Getting into the core features of the new app, BPI Consumer Bank Marketing, Platforms, and Digital Activation Head Mariana Zobel de Ayala emphasized that the new app goes beyond everyday transactions and helps build Filipinos’ financial independence.
“This boasts of a new design and experience, and we look forward to exciting new features that you won’t find in the older BPI Mobile app like mobile check deposit, AI-powered insights on your savings and spending, and more. These are core retail products designed not just to be convenient and sustainable but also customer-centric even in the long-term,” Zobel de Ayala said.
The new BPI app highlights the following features:
Improved User Experience
Users can get things done in fewer taps, with top transactions that are easier to access upon login and faster to finish. Help links are now found within transaction processes for easier access to guides and FAQs.
Online Account Opening
New clients can open a BPI #SaveUp account on the app within five minutes with just one ID. They can instantly start banking via the app.
Personal Finance Management (Coming in May)
BPI will be the first bank app to feature AI-powered tracking and insights. The app will offer financial advice, payment reminders, and actionable tips to help millions of Filipinos improve their financial wellness.
Other exciting features that are coming soon are mobile check deposit, real-time bill payment, cash withdrawal via QR, save favorite transactions, and more product applications.
Old to New
BPI Consumer Platforms Head Fitzgerald Chee pointed out that BPI Mobile app users do not have to delete their old app yet. “You can continue to log in to the older BPI Mobile app with your current username and password. Users that want to start enjoying the new BPI app can find easy-to-follow guides on our Facebook and YouTube channels,” he said.
He also explained that QR codes generated on the older BPI Mobile app are still going to work on the new BPI app. “You can also view all your personalized settings, previous transactions, and statements right away on the new BPI app,” he noted, clarifying, “For your security, the Mobile Key works within the new BPI app or the older BPI Mobile app. Users can choose which app version to activate their Mobile Key.”
All these form part of the bank’s goal to further enable high-quality customer experiences in line with one of its core values to be a customer-centric organization. “Customers are looking for banks that can serve them well. We assure our clients that BPI will continue to constantly change with the times to meet their evolving needs,” Limcaoco said.
The BPI App is now available for download on the App Store and on Google Play.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 20, 2023 | Business
Water remains the world’s top resource, as industry and community benefit from having access to clean, sustainable supply. Among the environmental commitments of Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines, Inc. (PCPPI), the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country, is practicing sound, responsible methods that help manage its use of water in collaboration with its various stakeholders.
The 22nd of March marks the commemoration of World Water Day, and aside from implementing industry best practices and policies, PCPPI encourages process improvement to further optimize how water is utilized across all areas of operations.
“Upholding our commitment to responsible water stewardship goes beyond having the systems and protocols in place that allow our teams to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Our employees are encouraged to embrace innovation as part of our advocacy,” said PCPPI president and chief executive officer Frederick D. Ong.
Strategic Plans Supported by Strong Partnerships
The water resource management policies of PCCPI are embodied in the Luntiang Yaman program, which covers the organization’s sustainability efforts. These include the 3Rs approach to managing water consumption: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Other than reducing water use, PCPPI also has protocols in place to optimize electricity use, optimize fuel yield, manage solid waste output, and community engagement.
PCCPI also works with government authorities in the communities where it operates. For example, the organization actively works with the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) to periodically assess the health of the waterways in the communities they operate alongside multi-sectoral groups.
Sto. Tomas: Shifting the Traditional Mindset
PCPPI’s commitment to responsible water management is demonstrated in its manufacturing facilities, particularly in Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The plant has twice received PCPPI’s Galing at Sikap Plant Excellence Award in Sustainability in 2021 and 2022. This recognition is given to the business units with the highest performance ratings on key focus areas of operations, including environmental resource management. “The Sto. Tomas facility was lauded for its efforts in consuming water and energy most economically, thereby minimizing environmental impact,” Ong added.
According to Plant Manager Chrysler Salcedo, one of the best practices at work at the Sto. Tomas plant includes setting definitive operating hours for the optimum target volume of water required, both for the products to be manufactured and for its manpower’s daily water consumption. This encourages all employees to become more mindful of their water use in daily operations. Regular training sessions on resource conservation are also scheduled and serve as checkpoint meetings where employees can proactively address potential areas of concern.
“Open communication and collaboration make even the most complex policies work. In Sto. Tomas, it remains important for our team to engage in discussions about how we can best manage the resources we look after water, electricity, and oil, among others,” said Salcedo. “To become more effective in our industry, we recognize the value of implementing more creative, cost-efficient policies so that we can better serve our communities,” he added.
Strategic and planned updates in the Sto. Tomas plant has also been implemented to further manage how the facility consumes water, one of which involves decreasing the frequency of production line Clean-in-Place (CIP) procedures. These pertain to the overall cleaning of equipment used after continuous production. “We shifted to a 72-hour cycle, which will allow us to save 780 liters of water a week. Combined with our stringent sanitation protocols, we are confident that our operations will continue to meet internal and industry standards while maximizing financial and resource savings,” Salcedo explained.
PCPPI is the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country. It distributes well-loved brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Sting, Tropicana, Lipton Iced Tea, Milkis, Chum Churum Soonhari, and Premier. For more information about PCPPI and its products, please visit www.pepsiphilippines.com.
GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Finance App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, 79M registered users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1,600 partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 5.2M partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.), the first and only duacorn in the Philippines.
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