by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 6, 2018 | Sports
Jr. NBA finalist Jam Lachica (center) with AXA chief customer officer Amor Balagtas (right) and coach Dick Gawat
If you ask Jam Lachica, 12, a young girl and an avid basketball player, how she ended up being selected among 800 players during the Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp, Jam will tell you right away that it was because of her coaches, including her dad Jaylord Lachica and school coach Joseph Rizos.
As a budding athlete, Jam was always influenced by her father’s interests, including basketball, which led to her love for the sport. Since the age of six, she would tag along with her father’s barangay leagues and closely observe the game. “Lagi akong sinasama ni Papa sa mga laro niya, kaya ginusto ko na rin matutunan yung basketball,” she said.
Fast forward to 2016 when Jam first joined the Jr. NBA Regional Selection Camp wherein she competed with several skilled female players her own age. However, she missed her chance to progress to the camp’s second day after she left to support her dad’s championship game in Quezon City.
But just like a true champion, Jam got back up and tried again in 2017. Knowing that she had been chosen on her first try, the shooting guard had a little more confidence, but unfortunately, she failed to make the cut. “Ginawa ko naman yung best ko para makuha ako ulit kaso madaming ibang magagaling,” she said.
Jam admits to feeling disappointment and in fact, did not consider joining this year’s camp. However, her dad didn’t lose faith and together with coach Rizos encouraged her to join again. Surprisingly, 2018 seemed to be Jam’s lucky year – with the help of AXA, the official insurance partner of the NBA in the Philippines, she had the support that she needed to succeed.
Jam was selected as one of the 16 girls that would represent Metro Manila and compete with peers from the provinces at the National Training Camp. All the hard work and long training hours were worth it. “Sobrang saya at thankful ako na may na-meet akong coach na nag-motivate sa akin to do my best. Buti nalang nandiyan si Papa para bigyan ako ng pag–asa,” she said. After all, third time’s the charm.
With AXA providing proper coaching and support, along with her father and coach’s help, she is now one step closer to reaching her dreams. “Si Papa ang best coach ko. Basta nandiyan siya, kaya kong abutin yung mga pangarap ko,” she said.
AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance companies, empowers people to live better lives by encouraging them to have a game plan, whether it’s in sports or in the hard court that is life.
AXA believes that preparing for the future is important so that people can live the life they choose. For more information on AXA’s wide array of life and general insurance and investment products, visit www.axa.com.ph.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 5, 2018 | Business
In 2016, a fire in Benguet made headlines as it destroyed a warehouse — one that was owned by entrepreneur Kenneth So, and one that provided stable jobs for a lot of workers. So and his team, some of them very loyal employees that had been with him for a long time, could only watch as years of hard work went up in smoke in a matter of hours.
So was grateful that the insurance company he chose — AXA Philippines through its general insurance subsidiary Charter Ping An — swiftly came to his rescue and went the extra mile to process his claim promptly so he could get back on his feet as soon as possible.
So’s business, Granville Corporation Supply Holdings, is a strong player in the competitive supply chain industry. The company plays a key role in the logistics and distribution of fast moving consumer goods across key markets. So employs 400 people to ensure prompt servicing of customers.
The fire destroyed Granville’s four-storey warehouse in La Trinidad, Benguet, and millions of pesos in inventory. Fortunately, So had the foresight to get a comprehensive fire insurance coverage from leading global insurer AXA. His loyal staff also rallied together during a truly trying time. The company is now slowly but surely recovering.
The ease and speed with which So was able to receive his insurance claims and the attentive and dedicated service he received from AXA helped ease his burden. “Now, our warehouse is being rebuilt,” So says. “This is the start of a new beginning.”
So’s experience with AXA is proof of AXA’s unwavering commitment to its customers, backed by superior financial strength and worldwide reach, to be there when it is most needed. It assures clients like So, whose employees and their families count on for their livelihood, can live the life he chooses — free from uncertainty and anxiety, no matter what challenges he has to face.
For more information, visit www.axa.com.ph today.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 4, 2018 | Advocacy
Aftab Ahmed, CEO of Citi at Freedom Walk 2018
More than 400 passionate volunteers from Citi Philippines led by country Chief Executive Officer Aftab Ahmed turned up in full force during the recently held Freedom Walk 2018, with the local government of Pasig as this year’s host city.
With the theme “Every Rightful Step, All Barriers We Break”, the Freedom Walk is co-chaired by non-governmental organizations, Alyansa ng May Kapansanang Pinoy (AKAP-Pinoy) and Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled, Inc. (PFRD) as an expression of the desire of persons with disabilities (PWDs) to be free from discrimination and inequality.
Shown in photo receiving Citi’s plaque of appreciation is Aftab Ahmed together with PFRD’s president Manuel V. Agcaoili.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 3, 2018 | Business
Teen star Andrea Brillantes wears the hottest “Better Than Basic’ products in Careline’s newest television commercial (TVC). Together with the new members of the Careline Gang, the video also features Bloom, Pop and Kiss, three new product concepts that celebrate beauty in diversity.
Bloom
Bloom is all about enhancing the cheeks with Careline’s Oil Control Blush-On, Lip. Cheek and Jelly Tint. The blusher blends perfectly without caking while the lip and cheek tint gives an instant glow without the sticky feel. For a lasting red shade, the Jelly Tint comes in a gel-like formula that easily dries.
Pop
The Pop concept intensifies the eyes with Careline’s Graph-Ink Liner, Best Brow Liner, Go Big and Go Long Mascara. The Graph-Ink liner produces a sharp contrast and definition to the eyes while the Best Brow retractable liner is easy to hold for a fuller and perfectly defined eyebrows. Add volume to your lashes with Careline’s Go Big and Go Long Mascara which glides through the lashes with fine bristles to increase length.
Kiss
Careline’s Kiss concept transforms the lips in various shades with Kiss Sticks, Matte Liquid and Melted Metallic lip colors. The Kiss Sticks (P175) treats the lips to a creamy kissable feel with a flawless matte finish while the Matte Liquid Lipstick (P210) gives a fully pigmented-matte coverage that dries fast and glides evenly with just one swipe.
The new TVC also features this year’s Careline gang composed of Silvana Rauch, Nykhi Arines, Keisha Jao, and Marco Vidal. The winners of Careline’s online model search, apart from their physical attributes all four represents Careline’s campaign for individuality and self-expression.
Be better than basic with Careline, the Filipina teen’s go-to cosmetic brand! For more information, visit their official website http://www.careline.com.ph/, Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CarelineCosmetics/, and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/CarelinePH/.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jul 2, 2018 | Business
I am a teacher and I use Canvas in one of the schools I teach in. In all my years odf teaching I’ve used other LMS such as Moodle and D2L. When I heard about this event I wanted to attend. 🙂
Recently, Canvas held its first community user group in the Philippines at the De La Salle University Henry Sy, Sr. Hall. The meeting connected the first Canvas customers in the Philippines to discuss their use of education technology to transform education provision in their institutions.
Principals and senior leadership from Baliuag University, University of the East, Jose Rizal University, De La Salle Lipa, Centro Escolar University and other schools were present, such as the host College of Computer Studies department at De La Salle University and EdTech leadership from Far Eastern University.
Representatives of De La Salle Lipa
Technology has allowed other industries to compete globally and education is no different, with each institution sharing their strategic visions of how they can and will use education technology to enhance teaching and learning as well as compete for students in the region.
Through their use of the Learning Management System Canvas, each of these Philippine institutions are deepening their adoption of the latest innovations in teaching and learning, such as blended and flipped classrooms, which allows for greater focus on student engagement and personalized learning.
Roselle Basa, Program Coordinator for ICT at UE, was among the attendees who were new to Canvas. UE faculty have been training with the LMS since March, and the system will be deployed in full this year. “Canvas allows us to develop courses that are geared to student-centered strategies. It pushes the envelope of teaching strategies development and helps us avoid being confined to the classroom in a very enjoyable and engaging manner,” Basa said.
Canvas from Instructure was created in response to poor user experience of legacy LMS software by its founders as graduate students. They wanted a more flexible and personalized learning experience, one that was mobile and easy to use and extend with a wide variety of learning resources.
As an open, mobile and native cloud-based platform, Canvas allows students to easily access learning materials, take online tests, collaborate on the move, and drive their own learning journey. Teachers are able to deliver more personalized learning, choose from a wealth of learning resources to deliver a richer learning experience, grade tests more quickly, as well as use data in real time to give feedback on student progress. This approach puts teachers and students at the center of the learning environment rather than the technology.
Julian L. Yballe, Regional Director
Regional Director Julian Yballe also took to the podium to explain Canvas’ view on openness and equity of experience. Instructure envisioned Canvas as endlessly extendable open APIs and the ability to add apps via the LTI standard. This allows teachers to use the vast global resources that exist, exposing students to a huge variety of learning materials in a simple and easy way.
Along with this growing partner ecosystem, the Canvas community of global institutions, helps educators from around the world share ideas and experiences both online and at community events such as this user group session. These leading institutions in the Philippines are now contributing to the community with their founding of the first user group in South East Asia.
Yballe underlined this specific focus on student-centeredness. “The feedback for Canvas from every stakeholder in this teacher and learning environment has been positive. And a lot of it is a combination of timing and how student-centered learning is becoming more of a focus due to two reasons, workforce preparedness, so graduates can contribute immediately, and a more competitive environment for a limited number of students, both locally and globally,” Yballe said.
Troy Martin, APAC VP
What’s next on the roadmap for Canvas? APAC VP Troy Martin spoke of the company’s expansion plans in a post-conference interview.
“We’re excited with the customers that have emerged over the last two years in the Philippines, particularly here in Manila, but we are excited to welcome some new institutions from Cebu City and we look forward to hearing from new institutions contacting Instructure about working with Canvas.”
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 27, 2018 | Business
SM Supermalls scored a total of 21 Stevie Awards in the prestigious Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, bagging two Gold Stevie Awards for SM City Pampanga’s Biggest Lantern of Hope 2018 and for SM City Marilao’s E-LluminArt, under the ‘Innovation in Entertainment Events’ and ‘Innovation in Energy and Sustainability’ categories, respectively.
Silver Stevie Awards received
SM won five Silver Stevie Awards for:
- SM North Edsa’s Art Karnival (under two categories) and Tsum-tacular Christmas,
- SM Mall of Asia’s Philippine International Pyromusical Competition, and
- the Castaway Music Festival 4.
Bronze Stevie Awards received
The malls also clinched 14 Bronze Stevies for:
- SM’s Every day is Play Day (under two categories),
- SM Mall of Asia’s Happiness Day (under two categories),
- SM East Ortigas’ Urban Playground and Kid Conference,
- SM Fairview’s Q Art,
- SM Taytay’s Pet Park,
- the Frozen Factory (Manila and San Lazaro),
- SM Clark’s Pyro Fest,
- SM South Luzon’s Dinos in the Mall,
- the Food Fest (Marilao, Baliwag, Valenzuela, and Sangandaan),
- SM Marilao’s EnterToyment Fest, and
- SM Mall of Asia’s Philippine International Pyromusical Competition.
Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls SVP for marketing
“We are pleased to receive validations of our hard work and passion for creating meaningful stories in the malls. These achievements encourage us to go beyond boundaries in giving our customers a fun and extraordinary mall-going experiences,” said Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing.
Past winners in the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards include global brands such as Sony, Singapore Airline, DHL, Quantas, and Philips, while ABS-CBN Corporation, Manila Electric Company, Maynilad Water, Globe Telecom, and PLDT were notable Philippine brands that were lauded in the past three years.
The Stevies, previously known as The American Business Awards and then The International Business Awards, is the only business awards program that recognizes innovation in the workplace in all 22 nations of the Asia-Pacific region. The Stevie Awards are widely considered as the world’s premier business awards that confer recognition for outstanding programs, such as The International Business Awards which is already on its fifteenth year.
For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat. Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your photos about your memorable moments at SM, then use its official hashtag #EverythingsHereAtSM.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 23, 2018 | Events
Mayor Sara Duterte was the guest of honor during the second leg of the highly anticipated KTM Dukehana event held in Davao City. This event is a motogymkhana, a time trial sport wherein riders navigate to a challenging street course.
The first leg happened in Manila and then the KTM Dukehana event heads to Cebu for the third and final leg that will determine the ultimate winner to represent the Philippines in the Dukehana Asia Finals.
Joining Mayor Sara Duterte at the opening were (L-R) KTM Philippines after sales manager Nani Juarez, marketing head Ana Lumban, dealer development specialist Abby Nicomedes, marketing associate Jeanna Zimmerman, events associate Mico Lizardo and KTM stunt rider, Ram Teves.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 22, 2018 | Health and Wellness
SM Supermalls is ending the month of June with a bang as everyone is invited to visit their favorite SM mall to experience another weekend of exciting deals and discounts on men’s wear and gift items from June 22 to 24.
“SM has always been the Filipino’s go-to for finding fun and exciting deals. This coming weekend, bring your family and friends to SM for an extended celebration of Dad’s Day as we offer big discounts on men’s fashion and collectibles,” said Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing.
Mallgoers can avail of SM’s #AweSM deals and thrills as SM celebrates 60 #AweSM years in its malls with exciting promos that laud the number 60, such as pay 60% off, pay only P60, pay P60 less, or pay only 60%.
Awesm discounts
The 60-themed discounts are part of SM’s 60th anniversary celebration. The celebration continues until October with weekends of #AweSM experiences and sale events for SM shoppers.
For more info about SM’s #AweSM 60 years, visit SM Supermalls Facebook page or check out www.smsupermalls.com.
For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat. Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your AweSM moments at SM, then use the 60th anniversary’s official hashtag #AweSMoment.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 21, 2018 | Female Empowerment
Gender inclusiveness and women empowerment are areas of focus in the workplace. A growing number of women are assuming leadership positions in varying industries.
In the business process outsourcing or BPO space, Concentrix is at the forefront of empowering women for growth and leadership. Headquartered in the United States with operations around the world, the multinational company implemented a program called Concentrix NOW (Network of Women), an initiative that can serve as a model for other BPO firms and other businesses.
Through multi-dimensional development activities, including local events, speed mentoring and leadership courses, Concentrix NOW supports various programs that help women highlight their skills and move their careers forward. While the program focuses on providing support and inspiration for women, all staff are welcome to take advantage of the opportunities it provides.
Across the global network, Concentrix staff in the Philippines have taken the lead in executing this effort.
Jyllene Miller, Senior Vice President
“Concentrix Philippines has done an incredible amount of work to help develop our initiative and was one of the first regions to adopt and embrace this movement in Concentrix,” said Jyllene Miller, senior vice president, marketing and client engagement strategy.
“We have a very high percentage of women here. This is one of our larger countries, and the momentum that has developed is fantastic.”
Concentrix NOW activities in the Philippines include gender equality symposiums, self-defense training, and personal finance management.
“We’ve taken a lot of the best practices of NOW from the Philippines and integrated them into the Americas, Europe, and India as well,” Jyllene said.
“We are able to continually identify what can be applied to the rest of the world thus creating a center of excellence and shared best practice process.”
When asked why it’s vital for a company like Concentrix to invest in something like NOW, and if there have been any material benefits to the company’s operations or even the bottom line, Jyllene said, “It’s important as a global organization to ensure that we continually foster a culture where everyone has a voice and equal opportunity. We’re proud of our overall diversity and inclusion initiatives, and we witness daily how they benefit our people, our business, and our clients.”
When employees are given a voice, they bring valuable insights forward with regards to how to serve clients and clients’ customer better, how to be a better business, and how to meet the needs of employees in different ways, all resulting in the rapid growth and development of the organization.
This shows how Concentrix provides a working environment that nurtures people for succession and next level of their careers.
“We’re seeing an exciting energy present in our employee engagement,” Jyllene said. “It helps us propel forward. Connections between staff members are made across the world. More and more communication occurs to everyone’s benefit!”
Ultimately, Concentrix NOW is all about a movement geared towards employee development while continuing to foster diversity and inclusion within Concentrix.
“As company, we are only as good as the people that are in it,” Jyllene said. “Developing people — their skills, their perspectives, and the ability to understand different cultures — and by helping our staff broaden their knowledge base and think differently to solve problems differently, that benefits everybody.”
About Concentrix
Concentrix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SYNNEX Corporation (NYSE: SNX), is a leading business services company. We focus on customer engagement and improving business outcomes for over 450 global clients across many continents. Our 100,000+ staff deliver technology-infused, omni-channel customer experience management, marketing optimization, digital, consulting, analytics and back office solutions in 40+ languages from 125+ delivery centers.
We serve automotive; banking and financial services; insurance; healthcare; technology; consumer electronics; media and communications; retail and e-commerce; travel and transportation; and energy and public sector clients. Visit www.concentrix.com to learn more.
About SYNNEX
SYNNEX Corporation is a Fortune 500 corporation and a leading business process services company, providing a comprehensive range of distribution, logistics and integration services for the technology industry and providing outsourced services focused on customer engagement strategy to a broad range of enterprises.
SYNNEX distributes a broad range of information technology systems and products and also provides systems design and integration solutions. Concentrix, a wholly-owned subsidiary of SYNNEX Corporation, offers a portfolio of strategic solutions and end-to-end business services around customer engagement strategy, process optimization, technology innovation, front and back-office automation and business transformation to clients in ten identified industry verticals.
Founded in 1980, SYNNEX Corporation operates in numerous countries throughout North and South America, Asia Pacific and Europe. Additional information about SYNNEX may be found online at www.synnex.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
Statements in this news release that are forward-looking involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may cause the Company’s actual results in future periods to be materially different from any future performance that may be suggested in this release. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release.
Copyright 2018 Concentrix Corp. All rights reserved.
SYNNEX and CONCENTRIX are registered trademarks of SYNNEX Corporation, used under permission. Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. DIFFERENT BY DESIGN is a trademark of Concentrix Corp. Other names and marks are the property of their respective owners.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 20, 2018 | Discounts, Sales, and Giveaways
One of the biggest advantages of online shopping is its capacity to bring to customer’s doorsteps products which could come from any part of the globe. With many brands and sellers utilizing online platforms to sell their products, customers not only get a wide assortment of products; they also get them at competitive prices. Lazada offers this wide assortment and competitively-priced selection of internationally-sourced products through its Crossborder and Taobao Collection.
Lazada’s 618 Shopping Festival coincides with Tmall’s and Taobao’s biggest sale for the first half of the year. From June 18 to June 20, Lazada’s 618 Shopping Festival highlights amazing discounts not only on Taobao Collection and crossborder products but also on many participating local brands. With the 618 Shopping Festival, Lazada gives customers an effortless shopping experience through the access of internationally-sourced selection, without the hassle of worrying about shipping fees and taxes. This helps bridge the assortments gap locally all while offering competitively-priced products.
See how diverse your options are through Lazada’s 618 Shopping Festival and bring products from Hong Kong, China, Korea, and USA straight to your doorstep!
AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance companies, empowers people to live better lives by encouraging them to have a game plan, whether it’s in sports or in the hard court that is life.
Canvas from Instructure was created in response to poor user experience of legacy LMS software by its founders as graduate students. They wanted a more flexible and personalized learning experience, one that was mobile and easy to use and extend with a wide variety of learning resources.
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