Shell, PAL partnership
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. (PSPC) and Philippine Airlines – Mabuhay Miles (PAL) launched a partnership that allows cardholders to convert their points on the road with Shell Go+ to PAL Mabuhay Miles.
Inked at Shell C5 Southlink last June 24, the partnership enables Shell Go+ members to convert their points to get 1 Mabuhay Mile for every 3 Shell Go+ points, with a minimum redemption of 30 points.
“With the Philippines and the rest of the world opening its doors for travel, the opportunity to help people reach their desired destinations also opens.” said Stanley Ng, PAL president and COO. “We are optimistic that the resurgence in air travel will continue, and with support from partners like Pilipinas Shell, we can help bring more Filipinos to their destinations of choice,” he added.
Lorelie Quiambao-Osial, president and CEO of Pilipinas Shell said: “We are in the dawn of a new era and moving on to the next normal. I am excited for this partnership. We are evolving customer experiences and needs. We continue to empower the Filipino people to live their lives. In that sense, we look at innovations in everything we do.”
MSMEs confab
The International Council for Small Business Philippines (ICSB PH) and Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) is holding a three-day conference and expo for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for free this coming June 27 to 30 at Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.
Titled “MSME Fiesta SulongNegosyante,” the event is part of ICSB and UnionBank’s celebrations for United Nations’ International MSME Day, which is observed annually every 27th of June to raise awareness of the contributions of MSMEs to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
During the three-day event, a few activities will be held with the goal of helping MSMEs in every aspect of their business. There will be mentoring and coaching to be led by industry experts; opportunities to secure funding from some of the leading financing companies in the country; and learning sessions focused on a wide selection of topics including access to loans, eCommerce platforms, payment gateways, digital creatives, opening of bank accounts, logistics and supply chain, and government compliance.
Vaccine donation
Aboitiz Construction recently donated 2,000 doses of Moderna vaccines to the City Government of Parañaque.
The partnership was formally sealed in a ceremonial turnover led by the External Relations and Reputation Management teams of Aboitiz Construction, Paranaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez and Dr. Jefferson Pagsisihan, Director of Ospital ng Parañaque (OSPAR).
The vaccines that were donated will help in the mobile vaccination program which caters to citizens of specific barangays and private subdivisions in Parañaque.
Aboitiz Construction donated 3,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to the local government units of Parañaque City, province of Surigao del Norte, and Balamban, Cebu last year.
FUSO PUVs turnover
A total of 12 brand-new FUSO Canter Express (Class 3) modern PUVs were formally turned over to Cebu Provincial Operators Transport Cooperative (CPOTC) for their deployment in Carcar – Tabunok loop.
The partnership between SFP and CPOTC was facilitated by FUSO Mactan. CPOTC is the first transport cooperative to purchase FUSO units to comply with the PUV modernization program of the local government in Carcar City.
FUSO Canter Express has been assembled from the Canter FE73 platform. These are air-conditioned Class 3 vehicles with a front-facing seat configuration that can accommodate up to 24 passengers. The modern PUVs are also equipped with accessories as required by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board such as CCTVs and recorder, Wi-Fi, GPS tracking system, LED Signage, and LCD monitor.
UBX startup mixer
UBX has mounted its first regular mixer event, bringing in founders, industry players, venture capitalists, and investors.
Called the UBX Lounge 48 Mixer, the quarterly social gathers communities and organizations like JCI Manila, Alike Community, and Fintech Alliance to allow startups to meet, collaborate, and exchange ideas.
Speakers include former finance secretary Gary Teves and Gobi-Core Philippine Fund founding partner Carlo Delantar.
Teves discussed how alliances are key to succeed in the local startup scene, given the delays in the implementation of key laws and policies that support the development of startups.
Delantar talked about the funding landscape in the Philippines.
New partners
P&A Grant Thornton announced the admission to the firm’s partnership of Yusoph Maute and Edcel Costales. They will both be joining the Partnership under the Audit and Assurance Practice Area effective July 1.
A certified public accountant (CPA), Maute has been in public accounting since he started his professional career with the firm in 2011.
He earned his degree in accountancy, magna cum laude, from Baliuag University, Baliuag, Bulacan.
Costales, also a CPA, has been with the firm since his graduation from college in 2010. He took on the helm as lead manager of one of the sub-groups of the Firm’s Audit and Assurance practice. He completed his degree in accountancy, cum laude, from the University of Northern Philippines, Vigan, Ilocos Sur.
Rebuilding Odette-struck communities
Atlantic, Gulf & Pacific (AG&P Group), recently joined hands with private group BalayMindanaw Foundation Inc. to rebuild communities in Dinagat Island, among the hardest-hit provinces in the southern Philippines devastated by Typhoon Odette last year in December.
AG&P and its employees pooled funds to help rebuild homes for the affected residents in Dinagat–specifically affected barangays of Sto. Nino Basilisa and Loreto–with the help of its on-the-ground partner, BalayMindanaw Foundation Inc.
PCPPI wins at Golden Globe Tiger Awards
Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI)—the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country—won in the Golden Globe Tiger Awards recently held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for its exemplary human resource (HR) management.
PCPPI was conferred with the Best Change Management Initiative and Excellence In The Production Of Learning Content awards, which signify the company’s commitment to improve and advance its HR practices to promote career growth and create a safe, healthy, and happy workplace for its people.
“This award is an honor not just for HR and the management team, but also to our many men, women, and leaders who embrace and enable transformational change in PCPPI to further our vision of becoming the premier Food and Beverage company in the Philippines,” said PCPPI president and CEO Frederick D. Ong.
World-class coffee onboard
Figaro Coffee and Cebu Pacific have re-invigorated their partnership to serve an upscale blend of specialty coffee just for Cebu Pacific in-flight passengers.
“Together with the Cebu Pacific team, we have created a unique coffee blend that passengers will love. We are using freshly roasted and freshly ground pure coffee beans for the formulation. Packed into a special teabag, it is very simple to prepare. We are very excited to re-launch this together with Cebu Pacific to delight onboard passengers,” said Victoria Reyes, business development manager for The Figaro Group.
Together with other inflight snacks and drinks, customers will be able to purchase this on Cebu Pacific’s flights, both domestic and international, for only P100.
Corporate name change
Online quick-commerce platform foodpanda Philippines officially announced the change of its legal corporate name to Delivery Hero Philippines, Inc., reflecting the company’s role as part of the Delivery Hero Group, while continuing to use the “foodpanda” brand name.
Berlin-based online food delivery giant Delivery Hero acquired foodpanda in 2016.
In 2019, Delivery Hero acquired a $4 billion majority stake in South Korea-based Woowa, which operates the country’s largest online food delivery service, and in the process creating a Singapore-based joint venture that will oversee all of Delivery Hero’s operations in Asia, including foodpanda.
The announcement comes as foodpanda celebrates its 8th anniversary in the Philippines in June, with month-long festivities that include carnival-themed mall caravans, outreach programs, exciting treats and promos for customers, appreciation day and other activities for riders, and other celebrations.
Small business, big impact
Viber is celebrating World MSME Day that recognizes the valuable contributions of the micro, small and medium enterprises to their communities, industries, and economies around the globe.
One of the online seller-approved Viber features is the Communities which has connected small online entrepreneurs to certain hyperlocal or specific interest groups.
Viber has also created its official food directory, FoodPH, a chatbot where users can search for a specific type of food or cuisine or look for a dish based on location.
The messaging app has introduced Channels, a feature like view-only Communities where only admins and Superadmins can post.
The multi-purpose app has partnered with GCash to give businesses on FoodPH first dibs on QR codes before it became available for all users. It is also working with Globe for the Viber Negosyo Seryewebinars.
Viber has also recently launched Raket Mo ‘To and Da Best of FoodPH programs that intend to give small online entrepreneurs the boost they need to find success in their own business.
