Huawei announces more projects

Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd. has been chosen for the Special Prime Minister Award and recognized as “Digital International Corporation of the Year”. 

The award acknowledges Huawei Thailand for its valuable support and outstanding contributions to Thai society since its establishment in the country 21 years ago, as well as its efforts to support digital transformation. 

Huawei is the only international company to receive this award. 

Mr. Abel Deng, CEO of Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Co., Ltd., accepted the award from HE General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand in the presence of Mr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President/CEO of Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa), during the award ceremony held at Government House.  

Mr. Abel Deng, CEO of Huawei Technologies Thailand, proudly accepts the “PM Award: Digital International Corporation of the Year”, from HE General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand

 The Prime Minister congratulated this year’s awardees.  He commended the younger generation for being able to apply digital technology creatively and for leveraging innovation to create new businesses to move ahead together. He also added that the government believes the development of 5G and AI systems is important in driving Thailand forward and expressed hope that today's success will inspire university students to make use of digital technology to create business opportunities for the country in the future. In addition, the Prime Minister congratulated Huawei executives and asked them to continue the company’s mission to drive Thailand forward.   

 

“The PM’s Digital Awards recognize organizations whose products and solutions help drive digital technology and innovation development. The criteria for the PM’s Special Award include excellence in development of digital technology that supports enterprises, services and the society; application of digital technology that fosters a better and more secure economy, society, and culture for Thais; investment that creates jobs in Thailand; and social and environmental developments that support local and international economies. Huawei received the highest scores from our distinguished committee,” said Mr. Nuttapon Nimmanphatcharin, President of Digital Economy Promotion Agency. 

 

“Our collaboration with Huawei has been central to the country’s development, and crucial in terms of the technology used for emergency responses to unforeseen events such as natural disasters, security threats, health crises and others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the company instantly applied the world’s leading technology called AI-assisted solutions and 5G technology to support the country’s medical working teams at government hospitals. Recently, Thailand’s first 5G Ecosystem Innovation Centre (5G EIC) was launched at depa’s office, thanks to a collaboration between the Digital Economy and Society Ministry, Digital Economy Promotion Agency (depa) and Huawei. Our partnership with Huawei and our ability to utilize 5G technology gives us an edge in enhancing our business competitiveness. I would like to congratulate the company on this achievement. We are grateful for Huawei’s goodwill and continuous efforts to help drive the digital economy in the country,” he added. 

7th from Left, HE General Prayut Chan-0-cha, Prime Minister of Thailand and 8th from Left is Mr. Abel Deng , CEO - Huawei Technologies (Thailand) Ltd. Co.

 

“It is an honor for me to accept the Prime Minister’s Award on behalf of Huawei Technologies,” said Mr. Abel Deng, CEO of Huawei Thailand, during the ceremony. “At Huawei, we value long-term partnership. We are committed to working closely with customers and partners to help keep Thailand at the forefront of the digital age. With the mission of 'Grow in Thailand, Contribute to Thailand’, Huawei reinforces its commitment to helping the country move forward to Thailand 4.0 and become a digital hub in the Asia Pacific region, and to ensuring that no one is left behind. We will bring digital to every person, home and organization, for a fully connected, and intelligent Thailand.” 

 

For digital economy:

•  Open Lab Bangkok: One-stop support to provide industry solutions for IoT, Big Data, and cloud computing, as well as a verification platform and ICT training services for customers and ICT industry entrepreneurs in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
•  5G EEC Testbed: Established the first 5G Test Bed in a real world-setting in Southeast Asia located in Kasetsart University, Sri Racha campus (Eastern Economic Corridor).
•  Thailand 5G Ecosystem Innovation Center: Jointly established by Digital Economy Promotion Agency and the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, the center serves as a sandbox for SMEs, startups, developers, and educational institutions to develop digital innovations for 5G applications and services, incubate local digital talents and upgrade digital skills.

For social advancement:

• AI-assisted solutions for government hospitals:  AI-powered software provided to Ramathibodi and Siriraj Hospitals to help make COVID-19 diagnosis solutions faster and more efficient using 5G technology. 
• Huawei Telemedicine Video Conference Solution for the Ministry of Public Health:  Real-time and fully-functional teleconference system that can facilitate Thai medical staff and teams to carry out their duties without risk of infection; doctors can conduct remote online consultations; patients can be diagnosed, treated and monitored through their own smart devices.
• Unmanned vehicles using 5G:  Contactless delivery of medical goods within the hospital to reduce infection risks of frontline workers. 

 

For human capital development:

•  Huawei ASEAN Academy:  Partnering with local businesses, and technical and engineering schools to “produce 100,000 digital and tech-related workers within 5 years”
•  5G courses by global experts and chief scientists from Huawei: Topics such as 5G trends, commercial plans, 5G standards, use cases, business model ideas, etc. to promote multi-dimensional thinking

Huawei announced that more projects will be organized later this year to help Thailand strengthen its 5G ecosystem. In partnership with depa, Huawei will host the 5G Summit, 5G Industry Alliance and 5G Hackathon with an aim to incubate local tech talents. The two parties will also release a 5G Whitepaper to help guide the industry towards the next-generation economy. 

The Grove at Plantation Hills: Where Nature is a way of life

As health and safety protocols are being observed during these difficult times. It is important that we should watch what we are eating and continue to read labels when were doing our groceries. 

With solutions to the global health situation remaining fluid as of this time, Filipinos are being enjoined to stay vigilant and to continue adhering to health protocols to keep themselves—and other people—safe. And with one’s primary home as the safest place to be, lessons in self-sufficiency abound and continue to ensure the health of the family. 

An increasingly popular trend among self-sufficient as well as enterprising Filipinos is growing their own food, which has become as essential as it is doable. At The Grove at Plantation Hills, where nature is not just a view but a way of life, the benefits of vegetable gardening are immense. Stockpiling one’s kitchen with homegrown herbs and vegetables harvested from their own backyard promotes a healthy lifestyle that helps reduce one’s carbon footprint, relieve stress, provide loved ones with nutrient-rich foods, and ensure a good workout for the body. 

So, imagine leaving the congested cities and setting up a primary home – a modern farm house in one of The Grove’s Orchard lots, ranging from 750 to 1,300 square meters, where at least 65 percent of the space is dedicated to eco-farming and raising recreational livestock. It is an estate on its own designed to be a living part of its natural surroundings.

 

Similarly, the Garden lots ranging from 450 to 600 square meters also encourage homeowners, with the novice gardener in mind, to start with potted vegetables and herbs or a few raised beds and to even do vertical farming – thereby surrounding the home with greens. Simply remember that gardens thrive with weekly planting, weeding, thinning, and pruning as well as watering twice a day on hot and humid days.

With either lot type, there is simply enough space to eventually provide for a whole family’s daily supply of fresh produce: the greens in their salad, the tomatoes in their pasta sauce, and the tropical fruits for their dessert.

 

Best of all, one can indulge in nature’s bounty without foregoing the splendid amenities of modern living. At The Grove at Plantation Hills, sustainable eco-farming and the trappings of a luxe life are there for the homeowner’s taking. Comfort and convenience go with a lush and verdant landscape that is deeply relaxing and improves mental well-being.

 

With 22 hectares of land area, The Grove at Plantation Hills provides future residents with the exclusive community’s leisure-residential-and-farming-concept-in-one, thoughtfully crafted to bring the genteel farmer’s lifestyle straight to their backyards. The enclave features expansive green spaces designed not just to admire nature from a distance but to live in it. There are tranquil ponds, pocket parks, a playground, a gazebo, and even a tree-lined perimeter path for residents’ leisurely strolls and respite from the flurry of gardening activities.

 

The Grove at Plantation Hills is kept safe for all its future residents and their guests by the community’s strict adherence to sanitation procedures and safety protocols that include disinfection, proper hand washing, wearing of face masks and face shields, and social distancing.

 

Tagaytay Highlands’ Property Management has also proven to be highly efficient in delivering quick crisis response during adverse natural and high-risk events. 

 

All things told, Filipinos who seek a self-sufficient life in a safe and tranquil enclave may head for The Grove at Plantation Hills. Here, they can enjoy living in a home with stunning mountain views as they pursue a genteel farmer’s lifestylethat they only used to dream about.

Why investing in jewelry is a good investment

All the investors thinking right now is how to make money in these difficult times and what are the best investing strategy to have nowadays

The pandemic has indeed forced everyone to make wiser financial decisions. People nowadays need to ensure that they make the right investments for the unforeseeable future. 

As with any expense though, choosing what to invest in requires some good financial decision-making. Remember that whatever is bought and saved for now should also be useful once this pandemic is finally over.

Here’s a quick helpful guide for potential investors:

For your health

Avail of a healthcare insurance package that covers consultation and laboratory fees, and of course, treatment for various conditions. This is especially important now because of the COVID 19 global health emergency. Those insured will continue to reap the benefits giving them peace of mind as well as health security.

All types of home business

2020 was a precarious year as many lost their jobs and source of livelihood due to the pandemic. This is the reason why many have started home businesses, maximizing the use of e-commerce sites and social media just to make ends meet. The good thing with this is, once the home business becomes successful, then that can be another source of income for the family.

A trusty laptop or PC

Since working and schooling from home has become the new norm for most Filipinos, many have started purchasing a laptop or a full PC setup to be able to fulfill their everyday tasks. If maintained well, these gadgets will serve everyone in the household, even when one is not working at home anymore.

An investment in jewelry

Authentic fine jewelry is indeed an investment because of its price but it is also a good asset to have as it appreciates in value over time, and can also be passed down to one’s kids and grandkids.

Availing of these fine jewelry is no longer out of reach as Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry makes it much easier for Filipinos to invest in it. 

Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry is backed by its 30 years of good reputation for trustworthiness and quality service. Its jewelrypieces have gone through the company’s stringent appraisal process. Every Karat and Carat of these unique heirloom pieces are assessed and valued properly and correctly. A carat is theunit of weight used to measure the size of a gemstone such as a diamond while a karat is the measurement used in indicating the proportion of gold in an alloy out of 24 parts.

Clients who wish to avail of these unique jewelry pieces can drop by at any of Cebuana Lhuillier’s more than 2,500 branches.

Part of the company’s jewelry ecosystem is Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry Online which harnesses the convenience of shopping for beautiful pieces virtually. The brand has also recently unveiled its premium jewelry selection.

For more information, visit the following online pages:https://www.cebuanalhuillierjewelry.com/,https://www.cebuanalhuillierjewelrypremium.com/ or at Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry’s official Lazada and Shopee pages. 

Interested buyers can also tune in to the Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry Facebook page or at the Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry Premium Facebook page.

PayMaya brings P1M grand prize to QC employee

For Stefan Ema Mae Corregidor, the joy of going cashless became sweeter when she learned that she won the Php1-million grand prize in the PayMayaguinaldo Raffle Promo. With this prize money, the 31-year-old employee from Quezon City is sharing and giving back the joy to her family by building a home for her mother who is currently residing in Davao City.

 What made the news priceless for Stefan is also knowing that through the PayMayaguinaldo Raffle Promo, another Php1-million worth of "aguinaldo" is being given to the Gawad Kalinga School for Experiential & Entrepreneurial Development (GK-SEED) Philippines to help graduates who have set up their own enterprises accelerate the growth of their business.

As Filipinos celebrated a more somber holiday season due to COVID-19, PayMaya thought of how to make its PayMayaguinaldo promo more rewarding. First, it gave PayMaya users a chance to win 1 million pesos by simply paying via PayMaya QR and their PayMaya registered mobile number at partner merchants or purchasing prepaid load and other treats at the PayMaya in-app shop.

On top of this, PayMaya aimed to share the blessing with agri-entrepreneurs from underprivileged communities through GK-SEED Philippines. For the past three years, PayMaya has chosen GK-SEED as campaign beneficiary because of its track record in helping the youth overcome poverty through education and entrepreneurship.

 “Amid the global pandemic, millions of Filipinos have joined the ‘cashless’ revolution for safer and more convenient payments. With our PayMayaguinaldo promo rewards and cashback, we provided a merrier way to pay. The experience was also made extra rewarding as our promo campaign gave our customers the means to give back to the community by helping support student scholars of GK-SEED and overall foster agri-entrepreneurship,” said Mark Dee, Head of Growth Marketing and Partnerships at PayMaya Philippines.

 For Stefan, she discovered PayMaya during the community quarantine. After using the PayMaya app for government bills payments the first time, she has been continuously enjoying the convenience and rewards every time she pays bills, shops online, buys load, among others. From doing cash transactions, Stefan has also shifted to PayMaya for sending money to her loved ones and family members. It eliminated the hassles of travelling to payment centers and lining up to just to send funds.

“PayMaya helped in making my life easier amid the pandemic as it offered a safer, more convenient and rewarding way to pay for my transactions whether online or in-store. With this, I’m able to enjoy the benefits of going cashless and avoid the use of cash which can be the source of the virus.” said Stefan.

Meanwhile, for GK-SEED, PayMaya's "aguinaldo" will go towards providing a combination of live and virtual mentorship to its graduate scholars and kickstart resources to support their agri-enterprises. “We’d like to thank PayMaya for the continued support for our young students who are the greatest gems of our institution. This 'PayMayaguinaldo' will help strengthen our mission in empowering agri-entrepreneurs to build a better and stronger country,” said Mark Lawrence Cruz, GK-SEED School Director.

Getting your own PayMaya account and enjoying the rewards of going cashless is very easy. Just download the PayMaya app at https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133 and register an account to find out what it’s like to go cashless with the fastest, safest, and most rewarding way to pay for anything online and in stores! Remember, for your everyday needs, don’t pay cash. PayMaya! 

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country including "everyday" merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants as well as government agencies and units. 

Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides over 28 million Filipinos with access to financial services. Customers can conveniently pay, add money, cash out or remit through its over 200,000 digital touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 37,000 partner agent touchpoints nationwide serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to digital services.

To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.comor follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

Shopppers turn to Super Minimart as transition to ‘normalcy’ continues

 Almost a year into varying levels of quarantine, the country has experienced quite a lifestyle shift that made people wary of going out too far from their homes.

While most are expecting the restrictions to taper off, we are still far from being “back to normal”. So there are still a few who choose to err on the side of caution, especially families who live with children and/or seniors.

 

Shoppers queue to get their daily needs at a nearby Alfamart. Foot traffic has gone down throughout the pandemic, but each customer buys more to stock up their respective pantries.

“I try not to go far, or to any places that may be crowded, when I have to shop for our household needs,” said Beverly, a household helper in a Quezon City subdivision. Beverly is employed by a senior citizen couple so she cannot go off too far and risk infection. “Fortunately, we have an Alfamart here inside the subdivision; walking distance from the house. That’s where I tend to shop nowadays,” she continued in Filipino.

 

Beverly added that, over the past year, she and other people in their subdivision have gotten used to going to Super Minimarts. “We thought the [Alfamart] was just a convenience store, but over the pandemic we discovered that it does provide other items like meat, fish, and many other household needs.” she said.

 

A customer is assisted by Alfamart staff. As more people turn to nearby Alfamart branches to get their needs, store staff are all the more helpful.

Minimarts have become a welcome convenience to communities, especially during the pandemic. According to Alfamart, the first and only Super Minimart chain in the Philippines, while there has understandably been less foot-traffic in their stores, the amount of items purchased per customer has increased.

 

Coca-Cola empowers 250,000 women entrepreneurs in the PH

Coca-Cola celebrates International Women’s Day with 250,000 mompreneurs all over the Philippines. 

Coca-Cola believes that improving women’s economic conditions enables the creation of more empowered communities. In 2010, the beverage company made a global commitment to empower 5 million women across its value chain by 2020. Today, on International Women’s Day, Coca-Cola announced that it has surpassed its global goal, enabling more than 6 million women through 318 programs across 100 countries. 

Here in the Philippines, Coca-Cola announced that it has successfully supported the economic empowerment of about 250,000 women retailers all over the Philippines—this represents 21% of the total universe of small sari​-sari​ store owners in the country.

“Through this program over the last decade, we’ve seen women creating a ripple effect of change. As we move forward in this new decade, we will continue our commitment to fostering gender equality and support women as they challenge the barriers and

the ​Kababae Mong Tao​ (​Unlady-like​) narratives in our society,” says Tony del Rosario, president of Coca-Cola Philippines and vice president for franchise operations of the East Region for Coca-Cola ASEAN and South Pacific. “This is good for society, good for business, and good for socio-economic progress.”

A decade ago, the Philippines was selected as one of a handful of global lead markets to pilot the 5by20 initiative. Realizing that the full potential of women can only be achieved by investing and creating an enabling environment where women can succeed, Coca-Cola Philippines has made incredible strides in empowering and advancing women across its value chain. Over the last decade, the 5by20 program has reached all 17 regions and 81 provinces of the country, which includes ​sari-sari​ store owners, ​carinderia​ owners, repatriated OFWs, artisan women, and women in operations. For those in Coca-Cola’s external value chain, the company provides business skills training, financial services, and peer mentoring support.

Women as the best investment to spur economic growth

The journey of Coca-Cola towards women economic empowerment here in the Philippines started in 2011 with the pilot program of the 5by20 Sari-Sari Stores Training and Access to Resources (STAR) Program. In partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the STAR program for the past decade and until today helps women overcome barriers to achieving their full potential.

Globally-referenced as a case study on effective business-sustainability initiatives and identified as one of the country’s first business training modules that provides Gender Sensitivity Training, the STAR program continues to emphasize the critical role women play in their families and communities, at the same time, in fostering economic growth.

A 2020 report of the program’s impact revealed that 97% of the women participants found the women economic programs beneficial in their business management.

   “Coca-Cola Philippines wouldn’t be where it is today without the strategic role that women play as a key pillar of our business success,” says Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, public affairs and sustainability director of Coca-Cola Philippines. “Supporting women and small retailers will always be a priority for us. When women are empowered, their valuable contribution is not only seen within their families nor in the communities; but in the vibrancy of the economy as well.”

Since its inception, Coca-Cola has built many partnerships and engagements anchored in women’s economic empowerment. The STAR Program has evolved into several other initiatives in response to the prevailing needs of women and sub-sectors—working closely with various government agencies, civil society organizations, and micro-finance institutions. To date, the STAR Program has expanded to sub-initiatives such as iSTAR, STAR Ka-Asenso, ReSTART, Women Artisans of Tondo, PASCO, STAR Rebuild, Women REACH, and OFW Rise, which continue to advance the gender equality agenda.

Coca-Cola and women towards a better shared future

Even after a decade of active participation in the sphere of women empowerment, Coca-Cola Philippines understands that supporting women and communities continues to be essential for economies to thrive into the next decade and beyond.

“Since last year, we have pivoted some of our women economic initiatives to support small retailers in restarting and recovering through the pandemic,” del Rosario further added. “Though we have surpassed our 2020 goal here in the Philippines and globally, the story of resilience and empowerment will continue, and we remain committed to helping women and communities thrive in line with our purpose of refreshing the world and making a difference,” he concluded.

The initiatives of Coca-Cola Philippines have produced positive results and unlocked the full economic potential of women through the support of like-minded organizations from the government: TESDA, Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) – OWWA & NRCO, the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC) – an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Local Government Units (LGUs); civil-society organizations: Small Business Corporations, and USAID; and micro-finance institutions: Tagum City Council of Women (TCCWI), the Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation (NWTF), First Community Cooperative (FICCO), Alalay Sa Kaunlaran, Inc. (ASKI), and ASA Philippines.

To learn more about the women economic empowerment vision of Coca-Cola, visit ​https://www.coca-colacompany.com/shared-future/women-empowerment​. #

McDonald’s Philippines purchases close to 100,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines, to vaccinate employees for free

Golden Arches Development Corporation (GADC) or McDonald’s Philippines purchased close to 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses from AstraZeneca in its continued commitment to the health and safety of its people, and in support of the government’s national vaccination program. 

 

Half of the total doses will be donated to the government and administered by the Department of Health (DOH) in accordance to the government’s allocation framework and priority guidelines.

As one of several private companies who have committed to secure the vaccine, McDonald’s Philippines President and CEO, Kenneth S. Yang believes that the vaccine is the country’s best bet in winning the battle against COVID-19 that’ll protect the lives and livelihood of Filipinos.  

 

“With the health and safety of people being our top priority, we will be providing the COVID-19 vaccine for free for our frontliners--crew and managers, in all company-owned restaurants nationwide. It is our responsibility to keep our people safe so that our customers will be too” Yang added.

 

The company’s vaccination program for its employees will be in compliance with all government protocols. 

 

Since the announcement of the enhanced community quarantine last year, McDonald’s has consistently supported the government’s T3 (Test. Trace. Treat.) programs. 

 

Under its M Safe program, the QSR giant complied with safety protocols such as wearing of face masks and face shields, more frequent handwashing, practicing social distancing, and introduced new protocols like dedicating a Safety Manager and implementing a no-touch policy for Drive-Thru and McDelivery services including cashless payment. 

 

To further its commitment to the safety of people, the company also initiated mass testing to ensure a safe workplace for its employees and a safe dining experience for all customers. McDonald’s also adopted the usage of the IATF-endorsed Stay Safe PH national tracing system for contact tracing. 

 

McDonald’s has also participated in a consumer confidence campaign called “Ingat Angat”, with other members from the private sector, which aims to slowly revitalize the economy safely. Beyond these, McDonald’s has also launched the Kindness Kitchen program which has served over 400,000 meals and continuously provides food to front liners and communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.