by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 20, 2020 | Business
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), through the Business Leadership Program (BLP) of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc. (AMCHAM), facilitated the first-ever virtual session of BLP to help student leaders steer their financial destinies in the right direction amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
BPI, in support of the Business Leadership Program of the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, Inc., facilitates its first-ever virtual session, teaching select student leaders about financial responsibility and how they can jumpstart their career through BPI’s Career Development Program.
The BLP 2020: Personal Financial Wellness aims to help students better understand the concept of financial responsibility, and how this will help them achieve both their financial and life goals.
Cathy Santamaria, BPI CMO
“It is important for these young students to learn the importance of saving and managing their finances carefully as early as now. This will be greatly beneficial for them when they become older and start investing on their own,” said BPI Chief Marketing Officer Cathy Santamaria.
BPI believes these talks about managing money will benefit student leaders, especially amid the pandemic when even the young ones are not spared from the impact of this health crisis. The Bank, through lectures on leadership, financial responsibility, and other finance-related topics, hope to influence young leaders to make wise financial decisions.
“These are uncertain times and the best we can offer the younger generation are insights and wisdom on how to prepare for a sustainable, financially secure life. Pandemics and other unfortunate incidents are wake-up calls we need to heed and prepare for,” Ms. Santamaria added.
Career development
BPI Chief Human Resources Officer Gina Eala also talked about how BPI nurtures the careers of its employees. The Bank, through its BPI Career Development Program, has become an ideal institution for those who want to start their careers in banking and finance.
“In BPI, we take care of employees’ development because we believe that a BPI learner is enabled, empowered, and a value-driven professional,” said Eala.
One of its flagship programs for career development is its Officership Training Program (OTP), which is the premium management training program of the Bank. This has made BPI an employer of choice among young talents.
“While these are challenging times, we remain committed to providing the necessary training and tools that would enable future leaders to understand the dynamics of the Bank’s sustainable and inclusive business framework,” explained Eala.
The BLP is an intensive business immersion program where top students of the country are given the opportunity to learn directly from leading companies through talks, lectures, discussions, and mentorships. A total of 216 students were trained over the years, empowering them to be leaders in their chosen field of work.
BPI has been supporting this program since 2012. BLP 2020, with the help of John Clements Consultants Inc., another partner, selected 27 student participants this year.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 12, 2020 | Business
Landers Superstore, the country’s fastest-growing membership shopping establishment, kicks off its 4th-anniversary celebration by giving back exciting perks and discounts to new and renewing members.
For starters, Landers is offering a 25% off on membership fee or just Php 600 for new members and those renewing their membership. The promo is valid for in-store applications and renewals until August 31 and is open to all Premium and Business Primary cardholders.
For every new membership or renewal, Landers is also giving away FREE Php 200 gift certificates from Kuya J, Php 200 gift certificates from Isla Sugbu Seafood City, with an additional Php 200 gift certificate from either Popeyes (Manila only) or Majestic (Cebu only), amounting to a total of Php 600 worth of gift certificates.
Along with these perks, Landers Superstore members enjoy relaxed and easy shopping with its expansive shopping area, spacious well-lit aisles, and top-notch products ranging from imported products coming from as far as the US, Canada, and Australia to high-quality local and exclusive brands.
Members also get to join its famous online and in-store sale events where huge discounts and promos await members, plus access to the Landers’ website where you can shop for various items and have them delivered straight to your home.
For more information or to apply for membership, visit any Landers superstore. Follow @landersph on Facebook and Instagram for the latest deals and promos.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 6, 2020 | Business
Make your baby’s OOTDs fun and extra colorful with personalized baby bibs from Bibs Manila, a new online business that offers a selection of personalized bibs that are totally cute, quirky, and functional.
The local brand was started by Kit and Kate Joaquin, who are also proud parents to now 6-year-old Kiel.
“Bibs Manila was born out of my love for personalized items. While I was on maternity leave six years ago, I would shop for items for my baby online. Most of the personalized bibs I found were embroidered and so delivery took a while. That sparked an idea for us,” said Kate Joaquin, owner of Bibs Manila.
Bibs Manila has hundreds of fun designs that are available on their website. Browse and shop for designs from flowers and mermaids to dinosaurs and airplanes and many more! You can also create your own design aside from putting your baby’s name on the bibs for a personal touch.
If you have artistic leanings, you can also opt to send in your own designs that Bibs Manila can then turn into bibs just for you. Bibs Manila can also help you create a design of your choosing. What’s more, the bibs are made of high-quality fabric, durable enough for regular use.
If you happen to know a couple who is expecting a new addition to their family, these baby bibs make a great gift, too. Give them the gift of 7 bibs – one for every day of the week – and you can get an adorable gift box to go with it.
To shop and view their collection, visit their website www.bibsmanila.com or follow @bibs_manila on Instagram. Bibs Manila ships nationwide in the Philippines and internationally in select countries.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 27, 2020 | Business
Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno
The City of Manila has definitely had a resurgence under the leadership of Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso. When Mayor Isko removed unlawful obstructions and cleared illegal vendors off of Manila’s streets and sidewalks, he effectively changed how the city looked and how it moved. By cleaning up the city and bringing order to chaos, the determined mayor gave the City of Manila a fresh new feel that continues to inspire business confidence and draw consumer interest. And this hasn’t changed despite the COVID pandemic.
According to Lobien Realty Group (LRG), the City of Manila has a total of 99,874.29 square meters (sqm) of gross leasable office space and only 5,650.63 square meters (sqm) are currently vacant. LRG pointed out that this translates to a single-digit vacancy rate of 6%, which is very low and signifies that in Manila, there is a demand for office spaces, and what is supplied in the market is being taken up.
Doña Elena Tower
One of the most highly anticipated real estate developments in Manila is the Doña Elena Tower, a mixed-use building developed by Happy Coral Way Realty Corporation. This 11-storey building will soon rise in the busy district of Sta. Mesa Manila near the boundary of Mandaluyong City.
The Doña Elena Tower, which has LRG as its sole leasing agent, will provide Manila with 19,051 sqm of gross leasable area.
Built at an accessible location that’s surrounded by a wide variety of businesses and essential institutions, the Doña Elena Tower offers its tenants the chance to work in a community where most of what they may want or need is readily available.
Situated close to the entry and exit ramps of the on-going Skyway Stage 3 project and within the public transport system that connects EDSA through Shaw, LRG says Doña Elena Tower gives the added benefit of having quick access to Mandaluyong’s burgeoning business and residential areas, without having to deal with the hustle and bustle of the already crowded central business districts of Makati, BGC or Ortigas.
LRG believes that the office space market is a good barometer for the state of the economy because when office spaces are in demand and supply is being taken up, it means that businesses are expanding, jobs are being generated and money is being spent. Based on the high demand for office spaces in Manila, LRG expects that finding tenants to occupy Doña Elena Tower will not be difficult. Judging by LRG’s optimism, it can be said that Happy Coral Way Realty Corporation made an excellent decision to build the Doña Elena Tower in the City of Manila.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 19, 2020 | Business
Organized by Nippon Paint, the Asia Young Designer Awards (AYDA), will see its 13th year of empowering young, budding designers to be agents of change by creating a positive impact, through design, within their communities. Held annually, student participants go through a rigorous selection process to proudly represent their countries for the grand title of Asia Young Designer of the Year 2019/20 at an international level. Despite the Covid-19 outbreak, AYDA pushes boundaries to continue nurturing designers for a better future.
Last year saw architect Tanay Bothara from India take his place at the gold spot in the Architectural Category with his award-winning project that saw him spend six weeks attending the Design Discovery Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design; an entire experience worth USD10,000 fully sponsored by Nippon Paint, as part of his winning prize, setting the stage for more to come this July.
Tanay Bothara attending the Design Discovery Program at Harvard GSD with his course mates
Tanay was able to attain a life goal following his gold achievement at the AYDA 2018/19 – to make it to Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design ‘Design Discovery Program’. “During my time at Harvard University’s GSD, I personally had the chance to design a unique civic center project, which provided me with rare insights from design experts from around the world. It was a great learning opportunity and I’m glad my journey landed me here. I encourage students to take part in AYDA to be able to experience what I have been able to. All it takes is the courage to pursue the competition knowing you have nothing to lose and only so much to gain,” said Tanay Bothara, Asia Young Designer of the Year 2018/19 (Architectural Category).
Children Uprooted, a humanitarian project by Tanay Bothara
AYDA 2018/19 saw Tanay channel humanitarian ideals with his award-winning project “Children Uprooted”. The architect achieved his personal goal of making a noteworthy contribution that will positively impact lives around the world as he showcased an attempt to recover the lost childhood of the Syrian children as he re-adapted war-torn spaces into playgrounds while strengthening color, warmth, and normalcy in a socially conscious process.
In 2018, Nippon Paint announced the establishment of the Gennosuke Obata Fellowship Fund at the Harvard GSD – a fund that has been providing financial aid to GSD students from Asian countries for the past two years. This partnership brings an additional program that rewards the Regional Winners of AYDA a 6-weeks all-expense paid experience at the prestigious school. Nippon Paint is connected to Harvard GSD’s alumni around the world to make way for more collaboration between the prestigious school and AYDA.
Since its inception, AYDA has engaged more than hundreds of industry professionals in the Asia Pacific to mentor the student participants and expose them to first-hand knowledge in the industry. Participants will also receive coaching and attend skill-building workshops to better prepare them for the upcoming virtual competition held on July 8th and 9th this year, where finalists will present their finest works to a panel of judges to be the next Asia Young Designer of 2019/20.
“Nippon Paint conceptualized AYDA as part of the brand’s inclusive business project to empower and groom budding architects and interior designers across Asia and we are very proud to have been able to showcase the extraordinary pool of talents we come across throughout the years with AYDA. Following the 2019 A Sustainable Future theme that set the motion for aspiring designers to bring to life a sustainable future, we’re eager to see what will be brought to the table for 2020’s Human-centred Design theme,” said Wee Siew Kim, Group CEO of NIPSEA Management Company Pte. Ltd. (Subsidiary of Nippon Paint Holdings Co.)
Despite the outbreak of Covid-19 and with safety measurements in mind, Nippon Paint has made the call to present this year’s awards via a virtual ceremony attended by international judges and esteemed finalists representing their country for the grand title of categories in AYDA. The event will see finalists present their award-winning work to an esteemed panel of judges in the Interior Design Category and Architectural Category on the 8th and 9th of July respectively. The finalists will also engage in a 10-minutes Q&A session with the judges and two of the 26 finalists will walk away with the grand title of each category.
The initiative by Nippon Paint will also organize international webinars where professionals from the industry and young designers are able to bring their knowledge and talents together.
Since founded in 2008, AYDA has grown exponentially since – garnering more than 35,000 entries from more than 1,200 tertiary educational institutions across 15 geographical locations that recognize Asia Young Designers around the world and also offer sub-award prizes in each category:
- Nippon Paint Colour Award – US $1,000
- Best Design Impact Award – US $1,000
- Best Sustainable Design Award – US $1,000
About the Asia Young Designer Awards
The Asia Young Designer Awards (“AYDA”) was first launched in 2008 as part of Nippon Paint’s vision to nurture the next generation of design talents. The event serves as a platform to inspire architectural and interior design students to develop their skills through cross-learning opportunities and networking with key industry players as well as fellow architectural and interior design peers in the region.
AYDA has since grown in terms of reach and stature and has now established itself as one of Asia’s premier design award across 15 geographical locations namely Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Taiwan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam with further expansion plans in the pipeline.
Over the years, AYDA has impacted thousands of young and talented student designers, presenting them with various opportunities to engage with renowned speakers and key figures in the design industry. Not only has the exposure enabled the participants to gain first-hand industry knowledge, personalized coaching, mentoring, and skill-building through various workshops by experienced lecturers, they also learn from their fellow peers from across borders.
With that, AYDA has established a close-knit design community comprising professional architects, interior designers, industry associations, partners, design schools, alumni, and design students.
AYDA welcomes all applications and those shortlisted will be notified. For more information, please visit https://www.asiayoungdesignerawards.com/.
About NIPSEA Management Co Pte Ltd (Subsidiary of Nippon Paint Holdings Co.)
NIPSEA was founded by entrepreneur Mr. Goh Cheng Liang in Singapore in 1962. NIPSEA has established its position as one of the largest coating and paint specialists in Asia, known in the marketplace by its brand as “Nippon Paint” and is responsible for expanding its operation and development of Nippon Paint in Asia. It has become the best coating partner for architectural, automotive, industrial, marine, O&G, specialized clients, and millions of families across the world. The brand is recognized for its dedication to quality, dazzling innovation, and excellent customer service.
With more than 70 NIPSEA companies spread throughout Asia, NIPSEA understands the local needs of its customers in every community. The company embraces diversity and operates as a multinational corporation. NIPSEA Group has over 23,000 employees with over 80 manufacturing facilities and operations in 17 geographical locations with its headquarters in Singapore, efficiently serving all aspects of the business, from production to customer satisfaction.
For more information about NIPSEA Group http://www.nipponpaint.com/.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 4, 2020 | Business
Acer Philippines, the country’s leading brand in the PC market, has formalized its partnership with APEC Schools is launching an online enrollment program to foster a safer and more efficient enrollment experience.
Sharing the same initiative to promote innovation in education, APEC Schools has moved to digitize its students’ records by making enrollment available online. This allows students to complete their enrollment process for SY 2020-2021 without visiting any APEC Schools branch.
APEC students using an Acer laptop
“As we prioritize the safety of Filipino students and their families, this partnership allows us to further improve the capacity of the education sector by developing a contactless enrollment solution to ease their worries during this uncertain time,” said Sue Ong-Lim, General Manager of Acer Philippines.
“At the height of the implementation of the Luzon-wide quarantine to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections, parents can harness the use of digital technology. They will no longer have to go through the old tedious enrollment process, and just stay home with their families and be safe,” she added.
APEC Schools announced that the online enrollment will begin in April. Forms such as the online admissions checklist, student questionnaire, and enrollment policies agreement can be easily downloaded from their website.
Students can enroll for junior or senior high school programs using their own tablet, laptop, or mobile phones through APEC Schools’ enrollment panel: http://enroll.apecschools.edu.ph/.
“Having the online enrollment system in place allows us to continue our commitment to parents and students even during this pandemic. A time like this is uncertain and challenging but securing their child’s future doesn’t have to be. This is all possible thanks to our partnership with Acer,” said Joie Lopez, CEO of APEC Schools.
The computer company has been supportive of redefining education through various initiatives that promote technological transformation in the workplace and enhance digital literacy in the academe.
APEC Schools offers the use of Chromebooks, one of Acer’s laptop models, in the classroom as a supplementary tool in education that lets the students learn more and do more. With over 20 branches across Metro Manila and Calabarzon, APEC Schools offers accessible and innovative education from junior to senior high school. The institution prepares college-ready and employment-ready individuals by creating their future #BetterEachDay.
For admission-related inquiries, you may visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/APECSchools, email ad********@*************du.ph, or call 0917-258-7621 and 0998-846-2120.
BPI Chief Human Resources Officer Gina Eala also talked about how BPI nurtures the careers of its employees. The Bank, through its BPI Career Development Program, has become an ideal institution for those who want to start their careers in banking and finance.
Landers Superstore, the country’s fastest-growing membership shopping establishment, kicks off its 4th-anniversary celebration by giving back exciting perks and discounts to new and renewing members.
The Asia Young Designer Awards (“AYDA”) was first launched in 2008 as part of Nippon Paint’s vision to nurture the next generation of design talents. The event serves as a platform to inspire architectural and interior design students to develop their skills through cross-learning opportunities and networking with key industry players as well as fellow architectural and interior design peers in the region.
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