by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 23, 2020 | Business
The Asset Magazine and Alpha Southeast Asia, two of the leading finance publications in Asia, have recognized the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) as one of the most sustainable financial institutions in the region that champions market and environment sustainability through its banking activities.
In the Asset ESG Corporate Awards 2019 of the Asset Magazine, BPI was given an award for being the Highly Commended Bank in Environmental Responsibility, citing BPI’s Sustainable Energy Finance (SEF) Program, now called Sustainable Development Finance (SDF), which helps finance green projects for the private sector.
For its part, the Marquee Awards of Alpha Southeast Asia Deal & Solution Awards measured BPI’s contributions to its clients and markets that made 2019 a standout year for the Bank, making it the Best Sustainable Finance House in the country.
Jo Ann Eala, Head of BPI Sustainable Development Finance, said BPI’s programs have integrated sustainability in its clients’ business models for energy efficiency, renewable energy, and climate resilience projects, harnessing its experience as the pioneer and one of the leading banks in sustainability in the Philippines since 2008.
Jo Ann Eala, Head of BPI Sustainable Development Finance
“We are happy that our sustainable banking efforts have been recognized by industry leaders and influencers. What makes the BPI SEF Program sustainable is our clear business model and mantra to ‘turn business green to gold.’ By ensuring that sustainability projects of clients comply with IFC standards to achieve energy, water, and materials savings, as well as lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, our clients are able to achieve overall project success and profitability,” said Ms. Eala.
In partnership with IFC of the World Bank Group, BPI introduced sustainable energy and climate finance in the Philippines in 2008. The bank has continued to lead in both the number of projects funded and portfolio size, with 333 sustainable energy projects funded and loans reaching over Php 133 Billion as of June 2019.
BPI has recognized the fact that shifting to sustainable business practices may be perceived as costly for SMEs. It has therefore provided technical consultations and advisory services free of charge to SMEs who cannot afford to set up their own engineering teams.
“It is not enough to comply with laws and corporate social responsibility targets. It is imperative that sustainability projects actually make money. In short, it is not enough that the project is green, it needs to yield gold. It needs to be successful and profitable to be sustainable,” Eala said.
As a result of these efforts, BPI’s program has been showcased in several Green Finance, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, and other Responsible Finance conferences in the Philippines and abroad. BPI belongs to the Ayala Group of Companies who has adopted sustainability in the conduct of its business—a commitment that started in the 1980s and has continued to the present.
BPI’s new Sustainable Development Finance (SDF) program expands the bank’s green finance initiatives and bolsters the bank’s commitment to enable sustainable businesses in the country and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). With SDF, BPI has consolidated its financing activities beyond renewable energy, energy efficiency, and climate resilience and included sustainable agriculture, in response to the increasing need to adopt more efficient and climate-ready food production processes that will help the country achieve lower cost of food production as well as food security.
About BPI
The 168-year-old Bank of the Philippine Islands is the first bank in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. We are a universal bank with an expanded banking license. We provide diverse financial services that include deposits, cash management, asset management, securities brokerage, foreign exchange, and capital markets investments, bancassurance, corporate lending, leasing, and investment banking. BPI has the significant financial strength, with strong Tier 1 capital adequacy ratios and profitability, underpinned by a strong risk management regime. BPI is rated investment-grade by international credit rating agencies.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 11, 2020 | Business
AXA Philippines, one of the leading insurance providers in the Philippines, provides more accessible and convenient healthcare services for its health customers through a partnership with MyPocketDoctor (MPD), the country’s first telemedicine application.
MPD offers 24/7 consultation with a doctor via phone that may be accessed anywhere. It can also help a person save time as prescriptions may be issued via email and medicine delivery nationwide may be arranged. AXA health insurance customers may now avail of this service for free.
In the photo are (L-R) AXA Philippines segment director for protection and health Grace Mallabo and chief of retail propositions Alok Rungta, MyPocketDoctor chief executive officer Mads Kjaer Larsen, and AXA Philippines chief customer officer Amor Balagtas.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 6, 2020 | Business
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Franchise Association (PFA) to serve as the exclusive banking partner of the upcoming Franchise Asia Philippines 2020 slated on March 27 to 29 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.
BPI has been sponsoring Asia’s biggest franchise show for 12 years now, supporting the organization’s mission to promote franchising as a powerful tool for economic development and nation-building. This is part of the Bank’s aim to empower the SME market, which the Bank is focusing on because of its significant contribution to the economy and its potential for growth. BPI Business Banking, BPI’s dedicated team for SMEs, has also recently introduced Business Franchise Financing (BFF).
This is a new product offering that provides loans specifically fit for new and existing franchisees. Photo shows, from left, PFA Chairman Emeritus Dr. Samie Lim, CFE; BPI Business Banking Division Head for Marketing and Product Management Jessymel Cruz; and PFA President Sherill Quintana.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 5, 2020 | Business
SM won seven Gold Anvil Awards for SM Cares and Global Peace Foundation’s Global Youth Summit (Tool), SM Cares’ Emergency Preparedness Forum for the Disabled and Elderly (Program), SM Supermalls’ Employee Experience Journey (Program), SM Prime’s “Pride in My Purpose” Video (Tool), SM Investments Corporation’s 2018 Sustainability Report (Tool) and Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Summit 2018 (Program), and the SM Development Corporation (SMDC) “Protect our Community” (Program).
Among the 16 Silver Anvil Award winners from SM include:
- SM Supermalls’ #VoteForMom Program and Tool), #SMforSMEs (Program), Unplugged and Play (Tool), SM City Angono’s Art Walk (Program), SM City Marikina’s Junior Firefighters Camp (Program), SM City Taytay’s Barbie in the East Wedding Edition (Tool), SM Cares’ Disaster Preparedness Forum (Tool);
- SMDC’s “Love ko si Lolo, Love ko si Lola” (Program) and “Protect our Community” (Tool); SMIC’s 2018 Annual Report (Tool), “So Many Stories” (Tool), and Sustainability Microsite (Tool);
- SM Prime’s 2018 Sustainability Report (Tool); and
- SM Foundation’s Spreading #SocialGood (Program) and 2018 Annual Report (Tool).
“We owe our success to our customers and stakeholders who continue to recognize the value of our public relations campaigns and initiatives. These wins continue to fuel our passion for innovation and commitment to taking customer experiences to a notch higher,” the company said.
Conferred annually by the PRSP, the Anvil is a symbol of excellence in public relations in the country. Considered as the Oscars of public relations and the most coveted prize in the industry, the Anvil Awards recognize outstanding public relations tools, programs, and practitioners discerned by select PR professionals and assessed by a distinguished multi-sectoral jury.
For more info about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com, or follow its social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@SMSupermalls).
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 27, 2020 | Business
The Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) is taking proactive measures to ensure the health and safety of guests and customers amidst the growing concern over the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019-nCoV ARD). On February 11, 2020, HRAP President Atty. Eugene T. Yap hosted an orientation on the 2019-nCoV ARD at the Giordino Room of the Bayview Park Hotel Manila, of which he is also the General Manager.
Members of the HRAP were invited to listen to Department of Health (DOH representatives Dr. Carmela Granada of the Department of Health (DOH) Disease Prevention and Control Service and Director Faith Albertos, Head of Health Communication Service as they provided basic facts and latest updates about the virus, basic personal care and prevention, and to discuss the contents of the Interim Guidelines for 2019-nCoV ARD Response in Hotels and Other Similar Establishments (Department Memorandum 2020-0057) recently issued by the DOH.
Among the highlighted measures to ensure the safety and health of hotel and restaurant guests and staff are:
- Implement mandatory health screenings such as temperature checks and accomplishing travel and health declaration forms at points of entry for all guests, including those who will not be checking in to the hotel (ex. guests at conferences, banquets, and special occasions in hotel function room, and those who are only availing of services in the hotel such as the restaurants, spa/salon, gym, pool, and shop customers)
- Clean all general facilities, especially frequently touched surfaces and objects like doorknobs, handrails, elevator buttons, tables, etc. using adequate disinfectants
- Encourage proper hand hygiene among guests by providing soaps and hand dryers or paper towels in bathrooms, and rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizers in common areas
“We realize the seriousness of this crisis, but at the same time, we also recognize that what’s most important now–aside from having proper hygiene–is to filter out the fake news and myths that are out there.
We are thankful to the DOH and the Inter-agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for providing us with guidelines that we can now implement in our own establishments to ensure the health and safety of our staff and guests.
Rest assured that the HRAP will remain vigilant and responsible and that we will continue to work hand-in-hand with our government to help keep our country calm and stable in these extraordinary times,” says Atty. Yap.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Feb 22, 2020 | Business
GCash President, Anthony Thomas
GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, and 7-Eleven, one of the largest convenience store chains in the country, announced today a strategic partnership that will allow GCash account holders to pay for their purchases in 7-Eleven stores via the revolutionary Scan-to-Pay (STP) via Barcode feature in the GCash app.
With the growing demand for frictionless transactions, GCash and 7-Eleven are providing greater convenience and security to their customers by introducing the new payment option for physical purchases in 7-Eleven stores across the country.
“This partnership is anchored on the shared goal of enabling more Filipinos to participate in the digital financial landscape. By allowing 7-Eleven stores to accept GCash STP via Barcode payments, we are bringing the vision of building a ‘cashless Philippines’,” GCash President Anthony Thomas said.
How to use GCash’s Scan to Pay
To use GCash’s STP via Barcode, 7-Eleven customers only need to generate their unique barcodes through the GCash app and allow the cashier to scan their barcodes to complete the transaction.
These two easy steps streamline the already-frictionless QR code system. With STP via Barcode, merchants do not need to have a QR key code, which the customer scans to transact. Merchants also need not have their own mobile devices to verify the payments, as STP via Barcode is already integrated into the merchant’s point-of-sale.
“After scanning barcodes to redeem promotions and reload accounts for over 5 years now, including taking payments from our CLiQQ wallet over the last two, we believe we have built the most convenient payment experience in the country, and that the time is right to open up our infrastructure to partners who share our vision.”
“We are pleased to partner first with GCash, whom we have been working with for several years. Many customers already visit us to cash-in their GCash wallets, now they can use those same wallets to pay for their purchases as well as participate in our CLiQQ loyalty program.” 7-Eleven President and CEO Jose Victor Paterno said.
Supporting BSP cashless vision
The partnership between the fintech leader and the convenience store chain pioneer also supports the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) goal of creating a more cashless Philippines starting this year by migrating 20 percent of the total transaction to non-cash means such as digital payments.
Already, based on a study conducted by the Better Than Cash Alliance, a United Nations-backed organization, the Philippines is close to reaching this target. According to the study, digital transactions now account for 20 percent of the total value of transactions, while 10-percent in terms of volume in 2018.
“As a strong government partner and the leader in mobile digital payments, we at GCash remain relentless in developing more products and services that will fit perfectly into the government’s plans for the country’s financial landscape. Our vision for 2020 is to continue to push for the development of the GCash platform to enable more people to participate in the digital financial revolution,” Thomas said.
photo credit goes to iconicmnl.com
STP via Barcode is now available in more than 2,800 7-Eleven stores in the Philippines. It is also available in the majority of Puregold outlets and Starbucks stores nationwide.
BPI has been sponsoring Asia’s biggest franchise show for 12 years now, supporting the organization’s mission to promote franchising as a powerful tool for economic development and nation-building. This is part of the Bank’s aim to empower the SME market, which the Bank is focusing on because of its significant contribution to the economy and its potential for growth. BPI Business Banking, BPI’s dedicated team for SMEs, has also recently introduced Business Franchise Financing (BFF).
The 
“We realize the seriousness of this crisis, but at the same time, we also recognize that what’s most important now–aside from having proper hygiene–is to filter out the fake news and myths that are out there. 
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