BDO Unibank, Inc. was named Best Bank in the Philippines by Alpha Southeast Asia

The financial publication Alpha Southeast Asia recently honors BDO Unibank, Inc by awarding the Best Bank in the Philippines and the Best Cash Management Bank in the PH. 

It also recognized the bank’s subsidiaries led by BDO Private Bank, which has won the Best Wealth Management Bank in the Philippines for the 13th straight year. Investment banking arm BDO Capital and Investment, for its part, was awarded the Best Equity House in the Philippines.

 

Alpha Southeast Asia evaluated the deals and transaction volumes of financial institutions based in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam from June 2019 to May 2020. After a “thorough and intensive” process, it arrived at this year’s list of awardees.

“These are truly important awards for BDO, especially during this time. They belong to the bank’s 38,000-strong workforce. Because of their commitment and resourcefulness to serve Filipinos amid the new normal, we are now operating at 100%—a true testament to the ‘We Find Ways’ philosophy of BDO,” said Nestor V. Tan, president and chief executive officer of BDO.

 

 

Best Bank & Cash Management Bank

 

BDO is a nine-time Best Bank in the Philippines Awardee in the Financial Institution Awards. This year, Alpha Southeast Asia noted the bank’s resiliency against a very challenging backdrop: 

 

“Despite a global economic slowdown, the resilience of the local economy has helped banks like BDO surpass previous highs including significant improvement on profitability, net income, bank’s cost-to-income ratio, asset quality as well as total shareholder returns.”

 

The financial publication also underscored BDO’s strategy in ensuring cash accessibility to its clients for the fifth time with the Best Cash Management Bank in the Philippines Award. It lauded the bank’s consultative approach and innovative solutions to meet its clientele’s constantly changing requirements.

 

Alpha Southeast Asia also highlighted BDO’s contribution to moving corporate payroll from manual cash distribution to automatic account crediting for maximum ease and efficiency.

 

 

Best Wealth Management Bank & Equity House 

 

“BDO Private Bank is a unique institution unlike any other in the Philippines, and elsewhere. In a country where the biggest exports are its own people… it has carved out a niche to service an emerging segment of wealthy individuals,” said Alpha Southeast Asia.

 

It attributed BDO Private Bank’s 13-year reign as the Best Wealth Management Bank in the Philippines to its open architecture model, which provides clients with the freedom to design their investment strategy and achieve the best returns.

 

While many global private banks experienced cutbacks combined with an all-time low confidence level among high net worth individuals, the finance magazine noted that BDO Private Bank saw improvement in its balance sheet, “which is perhaps the greatest proof why its business model inarguably works best.”

 

During the awards period, BDO Capital partnered with several small, medium, and very large firms from diverse industries and helped conclude their deals. For exemplifying its expertise throughout each successful transaction, Alpha Southeast Asia honored the BDO subsidiary with the Best Equity House in the Philippines Award for the 5th time, calling it “one of the most powerful equity market distribution platforms in the Philippines today.”

 

The financial publication predicts that with the country returning to the radar of foreign investors and the improving performance of the Philippine Stock Exchange, BDO Capital is poised to sustain the upward movement of its market share.

 

 

Recent Awards

 

Earlier this year, BDO Unibank brought home other titles from Alpha Southeast Asia in the Philippines category.

 

11th Annual Fund Management Awards:

·      Best Asset Manager (Fixed Income Bonds)

·      Best Online & Mobile Platform (Asset Manager)

·      Best Fund with the optimal Sharpe ratio 

·      Best Fund Manager for Pension Mandates & Private Retirement Schemes

 

10th Annual Treasury & Foreign Exchange (FX) Awards:

·      Best FX Bank for Structured Hedging Solutions and proprietary Trading Ideas

·      Best Corporate Treasury Sales and Structuring Team

 

The Body Shop Skin Care products is now available on Shopee!

 If youre looking for the Best Acne Kits for clearing up pimple. 

You should try The Body Shop Tea Tree  Clearer Skin Kit. The Tea Tree 123 Clearer Skin Kit is a simple 3-step routine to help reduce oiliness and target blemishes. All you need to do is cleanse, tone and target every day (yes, everyday!) for visibly clearer looking skin. The best thing is it smells good too.(at least for me!).

After drying up pimples, the kit helps in brightening your skin too. I should know, I have one. This is best for gifting too. Every product is enriched with Community Trade tea tree oil from Kenya. 

The Body Shop skin care products are now available on Shopee and get up to 50% off on these Tea Tree range. Its free shipping too. 

My Top Picks from The Body Shop Skin Care: 

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Are you ready for the Greatest Samsung TV Sale yet?

The holidays are just around the corner, and with the COVID-19 pandemic, families will have to celebrate the holidays indoors. The good news is that spending the holidays at home can be even better with an upgraded home entertainment system -- thanks to the Greatest Samsung TV Sale yet.

 

Starting this October until December 31, 2020, the world’s no. 1 TV brand for 14 consecutive years returns with its biggest promotional event of the year, with up to 40% discounts on Samsung 4K TVs, free Samsung premium items for select QLED TVs, and a free AnyCast device for screen mirroring are also up for grabs for participating TVs. Samsung is also offering discounts on its Soundbar products to complete your home entertainment experience.

 

This year’s Samsung TV lineup would serve as a smarter choice for home entertainment with some of the greatest features in TVs today, such as the Ambient Mode, which enables users to have the TV blend in with the home decor or project their photos onto the screen. With the Bixby Voice Assistant, people can easily control their TV in an intuitive and hands-free way. 

 

Another remarkable new feature of this year’s Samsung 4K TVs is the Tap View* that allows users to mirror their phone’s screen on the TV with just a tap. Now, anyone can easily connect and view photos and videos on a larger screen. The Multi-View feature, which is exclusive to this year’s QLED TVs is also a notable addition. This feature lets users who like to multitask enjoy both their TV content and mirror their mobile phone through a split screen.

With the Great Samsung TV Sale, homeowners can buy a stylish and functional TV and soundbar that the whole family would enjoy. The promo runs until December 31, 2020. For more details about the Great Samsung TV Sale, go to www.samsung.com/ph/.

Popeyes opens new branch during quarantine at Eton Centris Walk

It’s time to wash the quarantine blues away as Popeyes opens its newest branch in Eton Centris ready to serve its world-famous Cajun-inspired flavors.

 

This marks Popeyes' first store opening since the country implemented strict lockdown, making it one of the few restaurants in the Philippines to do so. The opening of Popeyes in Eton Centris provides support to the gradual reopening of the Philippine economy.

 

"As we pivot into the new normal, this store opening is a significant one for us. Aside from bringing  Popeyes' delicious treats to everyone around Quezon City,  this new branch will also generate jobs and income that is imperative for the community and the economy especially now," said Ton Gatmaitan, the Marketing Director of Kuya J Group, the parent company of Popeyes Philippines.

 

Popeyes will be welcoming the new branch with a week-long celebration from its opening until October 7 where fun games, freebies, and countless surprises await all customers who now have the chance to enjoy Popeyes’ irresistibly tasty menu items such as the light, buttery, and flaky Honey Biscuits, the meaty and cheesy Popeyes Spaghetti, the crispy Cajun fries, hefty Chicken French Quarter Burger, and, of course, America's Famous Fried Chicken! 

(L-R): Popeyes Philippines chief operating officer Rami Chahwan, Eton Properties Management Corporation general manager Engr. John Paul De Jesus, and Kuya J Group marketing director Ton Gatmaitan at the newly opened Popeyes Eton Centris

 

To ensure the well-being of the customers, health measures and safety protocols are strictly implemented in the store.

 

If those opening treats aren’t enough, Popeyes still has one more poppin' treat for diners! Join the Drop ‘N Pop Raffle by buying  an Eton Centris Opening Ticket for only Php 92 available at all Popeyes branches until October 7. With the ticket, you'll get a one-piece Chicken Meal with a free toy and a chance to win P5,000 worth of Popeyes gift certificate and other cool giveaways.

 

The new Popeyes branch is located at C2-16 and C2-17, Cluster 2, Centris Walk, EDSA Corner Quezon Ave. Pinyahan, Quezon City. Popeyes is also open in ArcoVia City, Alabang Town Center, SM San Lazaro, NU Mall of Asia, Eastwood, SM Southmall, Alimall, Kroma Tower,Robinsons Place Manila, and Robinsons Galleria Ortigas. 

 

To get the latest updates, visit www.popeyes.ph and follow @popeyesph on Facebook and Instagram.

Get huge discounts up to 50% off on leading brands, win exciting prizes via in-app games and many more on Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, continues its strong support for brands with the 10.10 Brands Festival. As more businesses explore the potential of e-commerce during the pandemic, Shopee is committed to providing the optimal environment to help brands of all sizes launch, scale, and succeed online. 

 

Three leading brands share how they utilize Shopee’s robust suite of marketing and operational solutions, including in-app features and big campaigns to accelerate their business growth online.

 

Unilever realized the potential of Shopee’s in-app features with its Beauty That Cares Campaign last August. Through ShopeeLive, Unilever spread awareness for its advocacy to help small and local businesses affected by the pandemic. Unilever also uses other Shopee in-app features like Flash Deals and marketing solutions to reach a wider audience and build a seamless and shopping experience for their consumers. 

 

Jackie Mañago, Digital Commerce Marketing Manager at Unilever, said, “With the recent health crisis, we saw how consumer priorities have shifted and had to re-think the brand experience and find new ways to engage consumers. Thanks to our solid partnership with Shopee, we quickly adapted, strengthened our presence, and continuously served our shoppers amidst the pandemic.”

 

Despite the limitation of selling channels during the pandemic, Realme routed its focus on e-commerce and gave more importance to offering affordable devices for communication, e-schooling, and work at home with Shopee. Realme was also able to amplify its exposure and increase its sales by using Shopee’s marketing services like ShopeeLive, banners, and campaigns.

 

Eason de Guzman, Marketing Lead at Realme Philippines, said, “Through ShopeeLive, banners, and the famous Gadget Zone, we have been able to maximize our exposure and provide the best offers in our exclusive launches. Their platform creates a positive and inviting atmosphere, encouraging brands to participate in their campaigns. Since our partnership with Shopee began, we have seen stronger sales, whether it's a launch or sustaining.”

 

Since the start of the quarantine period last March, Alaska has been working closely with Shopee to boost their brand presence online. Alaska took advantage of Shopee’s highly visible in-app spots such as the flash deals section, marketing tools, and big campaigns to promote their products. With Shopee, Alaska saw 10x growth compared to last year.  

 

Marx Benedict So, Digital E-Commerce Manager for Alaska Milk Corporation, said, “Data and media are the lifelines of e-commerce. Thanks to Shopee, we can check which of our ads and products perform well using the marketing tool. Segment buys also play a crucial role, especially if there will be an upcoming campaign as these can increase awareness and convert consumers who are not yet exposed to the brand.”

 

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “At Shopee, brands form the backbone of our business. We have built a strong record of helping brands overcome business challenges and shift to online seamlessly with our strong ecosystem of solutions. We launched the 10.10 Brands Festival, the region's biggest online shopping event for brands, to provide brands the needed visibility to further scale their business online. We have also expanded our offerings to help our brand partners find success online, and we will continue to do so to support and empower brands to capture immense growth opportunities in the Philippines.” 

Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival

Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival will run from September 24 to October 10, 2020. It will feature exciting promos like free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, daily cash backs, and bigger discounts when shoppers use ShopeePay. Consumers will also get huge discounts up to 50% off on leading brands, win exciting prizes via in-app games and many more. 

 

Users can also look forward to fantastic deals from leading brands such as Infinix, Wyeth, Vivo, Unilever, Oppo, MamyPoko, Nestle, RB Enfagrow, Maybelline, L’Oreal Paris, Inspi, Havaianas, P&G Pampers, Johnson & Johnson, and Abbott.

 

Additionally, leading brands such as Alaska, Realme, MetroSunnies, Garnier, Colgate Palmolive, Mikana, Shigetsu, Organic Skin, Inspi, Organic Official, Crown, and ACE will offer awesome deals and discounts.

 

Shopee 10.10 Play & Win TV Special on Wowowin

Also, Shopee fans can expect fun games, exciting entertainment, and fantastic brand deals during Shopee’s 10.10 Play & Win TV Special on Wowowin happening on October 10 at 10:00 AM. Viewers can catch performances from Bianca Umali, Gabbi Garcia, and 4th Impact. Plus, users also have the chance to win up to ₱7 million worth of prizes. 

 

For more information on the Shopee 10.10 Brands Festival, please visit https://shopee.ph/m/10-10-1

 

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

What you need to know about the Revised Rules on Evidence

No less than 26th Supreme Court Chief Justice Diosdado M. Peralta and Court of Appeals Associate Justice Eduardo B. Peralta, Jr. wrote the much-awaited book titled “Insights on Evidence”, which contains the most updated Supreme Court revisions on the Philippines’ rules on evidence.

 

In his foreword for the book, Justice Romeo J. Callejo, Sr., Vice-Chancellor of the Philippine Judicial Academy (PHILJA), said that this book “aims to highlight the salient points of the 2019 Rules on Evidence, reconcile its provisions with those of the retained rules, and address the gaps or inconsistencies that might result in the application of the new procedural rules.” 

 

This latest edition will be “even more comprehensive, given the recent approval of the 2019 Proposed Amendments to the Revised Rules on Evidence,” he added.

 

Highlighting the indispensable role of the rules on evidence in insuring “a better quality of justice for its various rules prevent the tampering of truth” so that “its mastery by our arbiters of justice is a must for its wrong application is certain to result in failure of justice,” former Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, who initiated back in 2008 the proposed amendments to the Revised Rules on Evidence, lauded the book for having drawn on the “wisdom of the most learned commentators on the law on evidence like McCormick, Mueller, Kirkpatrick, Lempert, Saltzburg, and others.”

                                         Justice Eduardo Peralta, Jr.

 

Chief Justice Peralta said he is grateful and appreciative of his co-author, Justice Eduardo Peralta, Jr. “for allowing him to make a humble contribution to his opus: Perspectives of Evidence,” describing him as “one of the leading lights and a credible authority in the intricacies of remedial law.”

 

                                Supreme Court Justice Diosdado Peralta

For his part, Justice Eduardo Peralta, Jr. said that “to collaborate with no less than the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in spurring a project on the new Rules on Evidence, following promulgation by the Supreme Court of A.M. No. 19-08-15-SC on October 8, 2019 effective May 1, 2020, was definitely a daunting task.”

 

He adds: “With invocation of divine intercession and focus amidst the global pandemic since December 2019, the product labelled Insights on Evidence finally materialized.”

 

Acer still No. 1 consumer, gaming laptop brand in the Philippines amid COVID-19 pandemic

Acer remains the top laptop brand for consumer and gaming mobile computer in the Philippines amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, according to Growth from Knowledge (GFK) Market Research.

 

As most businesses stopped or slowed down their operations due to strict quarantine measures imposed in April and May, the Taiwanese multinational hardware and electronics firm continues to hold its top spot despite the growing demand for notebook laptops in the Philippine market as students and workers expected a digital shift in their activities in quarter 3 of 2020. 

 

Acer’s dominance in notebooks was unshaken with 32%-unit share brand performance in August. It also recorded the highest sales units in more than a year. Similarly, Acer led value share with 31% of the market and reached the highest brand value seen in 13 months. Based on GFK’s research, Acer holds the number 1 position in the notebook laptops market for 14 consecutive years.

 

On the gaming segment, Acer strengthened its grip of the Gaming notebooks market with a 42%-unit share in August, setting another new record in more than a year. Predator Helios 300 was the bestselling Gaming notebook for Acer. It is consistent in topping the gaming PC market.

 

Acer’s dominant position in the Education market through the Acer Academy program

 

In the absence of the Covid-19 vaccine, face to face encounters have been restricted by the Philippine government especially for the Education segment. Demands for mobile computing devices have highly increased due to the distant learning scheme in the country. 

 

Acer Academy is a program designed to provide the educational environment the digital framework that will enable a way of interaction within the academic situation. It has a dedicated team to work closely with schools and academic units to develop real and innovative IT solutions that accelerate the learning process and set new benchmarks in educational standards. The program is open to all Philippine private and public schools, colleges, and universities.

 

Aside from Acer Academy, Acer’s education-driven programs during the crisis include product discounts thru Acer Academy Faculty Student Purchase Program and Learn from Home Campaign, product bundle in partnership with Smart for a Department of Education (DepEd) compliant online learning setup, and Acer and Intel Scholar program wherein they offer free laptops to scholars.

 

Acer’s initiative on corporate

 

Acer continued operations to serve essential and frontline industries such as in healthcare, banks, telecommunications, and business process outsourcing (BPOs) even during the lockdown. The increase in the demand from the enterprise market for laptops as work-from-home (WFH) productivity tool during lockdown pushed for more sales of Acer products from the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises market.

 

Consumer segment

 

The surge in gaming as part of stay-at-home entertainment helped in pushing for sales of Acer’s wide range of products. Acer relaunched an enhanced e-commerce website selling its laptops, desktops, projectors, monitors, and accessories. 

 

The laptop brand’s social media has also been consistently active with various social media activities especially for Predator helping them establish a solid connection with the gaming community. Predator recently concluded Predacast, a series of online workshops conducted by brand ambassadors such as Alodia & Ashley Gosiengfiao, CongTV & Team Payaman, Akosi Dogie, TNC Predator Dota 2 Pro Team, ArkAngel Predator PUBG Pro Team, Nexplay Predator, VladFX, Kuya Nic & Lupon WxC, Kang Dupet, Een Mercado, Kuku Palad, Marlon Marcelo, and its newest ambassadress, Ivana Alawi, among other esports key personalities.

 

Acer also provided relevant promotions during the pandemic including the partnership with Home Credit for up to 18 months installment at 0% interest, and the free foldable work desk bundled with select Acer laptops to aid workers whose income were affected by the pandemic. 

 

Acer has a broad presence nationwide, making its products available and accessible in brick and mortar stores and online. Other initiatives during the pandemic include e-commerce development and low-touch after-sales service programs such as warranty extension, 24/7 phone/chat support, and door-to-door pick-up and delivery service.

 

Visit Acer’s Official Social Media Pages for more details: Facebook – @AcerPH, Instagram – @acerph, Twitter – @acerphils, www.acer.com.

 

 

BDO Foundation received "The Financial Inclusion Initiative of the Year Award"

BDO Unibank Foundation recently received ""The Financial Inclusion Initiative of the Year Award"  for the financial education program for OFWs. 

For the fourth consecutive year, BDO Unibank was recognized by Singapore-based finance publication Asian Banking & Finance for its corporate citizenship initiatives. BDO's corporate social responsibility arm BDO Foundation received an award for its financial inclusion advocacy and efforts to help improve financial literacy levels in the Philippines.

 

Its partnership project with the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

 

According to Asian Banking & Finance, "For showcasing a strong initiative to drive financial education among the country's citizens both within and outside the country as well as supporting key government agencies in monitoring and evaluating the state of financial education programs in place, BDO Foundation is deservedly taking home the award." BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito accepted the award at a virtual presentation of Retail Banking Awards 2020 organized by Asian Banking & Finance.

 

Asked by the award-giving body about the inspiration for and the achievements of the program, Deriquito underscored the significant contributions of migrant workers to the Philippine economy and the need to support OFWs through financial education. "Leveraging our partnership with OWWA and BSP, we developed educational materials and modules, which are now being used in training programs for OFWs and their families," Deriquito shared. "Together, we trained close to 600 subject matter experts tasked to handle financial literacy sessions. Ultimately, we were able to institutionalize financial education in OWWA's training initiatives."

"The award is a testament to our successful collaboration with OWWA and BSP. It reaffirms our reputation as a staunch advocate of financial education. Embracing our role as a champion of financial inclusion, we will continue to promote financial responsibility among migrant workers and recipients of remittances," he added.

 

Through the on-going program, BDO Foundation contributes to OWWA's capacity to provide financial education for migrant workers and their families as it supports the implementation of BSP's National Strategy for Financial Inclusion. The award-winning initiative is expected to benefit an estimated 2.3 million OFWs in the short term and some 10.2 million migrant workers in the long term.

 

The Financial Inclusion Initiative of the Year Award is the latest accolade received by BDO Foundation from Retail Banking Awards. Last year, the foundation was given the CSR Program of the Year Gold Award for the financial education program for public schools. In previous years, BDO Foundation was cited for constructing resettlement homes for persons with disabilities displaced by Typhoon Yolanda and successfully rehabilitating rural health units in disaster-stricken and economically disadvantaged communities all over the country.

 

Currently in its 15th year, Retail Banking Awards honors the outstanding products and services of banks and financial institutions in the Asia-Pacific region.