Maya launches the Paleng-QR PH initiative today in Bohol's Tagbilaran City Public Market

Maya, the country’s all-in-one digital banking and money app, is making cashless transactions a lot easier in public markets nationwide with the rollout of the Paleng-QR initiative in Central Visayas, starting with Bohol province. 

 

Maya has transformed Bohol’s Tagbilaran City Public Market into a digi-palengke in today’s ceremonies led by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat and Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap.  

Basta QR Ph, pwede sa Maya. With just one Maya QR, public market vendors like Agnes Ycong (right) can now accept safe and instant payments from their sukis, even from those who use other e-wallets and bank apps. This is made possible with the launch of the Paleng-QR Ph in Bohol province, starting with Tagbilaran City.  

 

The Paleng-QR Ph initiative is spearheaded by the BSP and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and it aims to empower the City Government of Tagbilaran to help public market vendors and tricycle drivers accept cashless payments from any customer via the QR Ph, the country’s standard for QR payments.  

“Small merchants and Filipino consumers are not only enjoying a hassle-free payment experience for their everyday transactions with Maya QR but also creating a financial footprint that allows them to access more advanced banking services offered by Maya,” said Mar Lazaro, Maya’s Head of Enterprise Business.  

Since QR Ph’s launch in 2019 for person-to-person (P2P) payments and in 2021 for person-to-merchant (P2M) payments, Maya has led the charge among financial institutions in the rollout of the QR Ph national standard and now counts over 800,000 merchant touchpoints powered by QR Ph-capable Maya QR. “Basta QR Ph, pwede kami,” Lazaro added. 

Tagbilaran City adopts Paleng-QR Ph to modernize its public markets. With the support of Maya, the City Government has launched Paleng-QR Ph, an initiative by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Department of Interior and Local Government which aims to digitalize public market transactions via QR Ph, the national standard for QR payment. In the photo (L-R): BSP Deputy Governor Bernadette Romulo-Puyat (center left), Tagbilaran City Mayor Jane Yap (center right), Vice Mayor Adam Jala (3^rd, back, from right), former Mayor John Geesnell Yap (2^nd, back, from right) visit Maya booth with Maya employees.

 

Building ‘digi-palengkes’ nationwide is part of Maya’s own LGUs Embracing and Accelerating Digitalization (L.E.A.D). Through this program, LGUs encourage local merchants and constituents to digitalize their transactions with Maya’s business-in-a-box payment solutions and disbursement tools.  

 

On top of digitalizing public markets, Maya has become the growth partner of choice of Philippine businesses. These enterprises include pharmacies, transportation, travel, retail stores, public utilities, food, hospitals, service providers, and schools.

TaskUs Philippines is now a certified Great Place to Work® in the Philippines

TaskUs (Nasdaq: TASK), a global provider of outsourced digital services and next-generation customer experience to fast-growing technology companies, is now a certified Great Place to Work® in the Philippines—a true testament to its people-first culture and commitment to providing an exemplary employee experience.

 

For All™ Methodology

 

Great Place to Work® is a global certification program that helps create the best workplaces in the Philippines and around the world. Through the program, companies deploy a survey that gathers data on employee experience based on five areas of trust: credibility of leadership, sense of respect, fairness of management practices, pride in one’s work, and camaraderie with colleagues. The responses are collected and presented as a report that employers can use to evaluate their company culture and practices.

 

Putting People First

 

As a people-first company, TaskUs focuses on putting its people above everything else, with an unwavering emphasis on their holistic welfare and development. The company heavily invests in various proven benefits and programs like inclusive healthcare coverage, free wellness programs prioritizing mental health, career development programs, state-of-the-art facilities, and gold-standard leadership practices.

 

“Employee well-being should always be the top priority in any business. By developing programs that address the personal and professional needs of our people, we empower them to achieve success not only for themselves, but also for the whole organization and the clients we serve,” said Dean Van Ormer, Senior Vice President and Head of TaskUs’ Southeast Asian region.

 

Over the years, TaskUs’ people-first culture has consistently brought excellent recognition to the company. Among others, TaskUs has received a 4.6 rating from Glassdoor as of Sept. 30, 2022, and an industry-leading employee net promoter score (eNPS) of 70 as of Dec. 31, 2021. eNPS is TaskUs’ most important metric to measure its employees’ satisfaction based on how much they want to recommend the company to others.

 

Earlier this year, TaskUs was also named 2022 Best Place to Work by the Business Intelligence Group and also recognized by Comparably for its Ridiculously Good Workplace Culture for the seventh consecutive year. On top of that, the company’s high employee and client satisfaction rates have contributed to its rapid growth. In June of this year, the global research firm Everest Group recognized TaskUs as the fastest-growing service provider for 2022.

GoTyme Bank wins award for "Best Innovation of Card Acquisition"

GoTyme Bank was recently honored for its excellence in the field and efforts to expand Visa's payment services in the Philippines in 2022. 

 

The award for "Best Innovation of Card Acquisition" was bestowed to GoTyme Bank in recognition of its milestones in innovation and performance that stem from its high standard of client-first mentality, which made all its transactions and processes smooth and easy for clients. Such an award from Visa is no easy feat and is undoubtedly held in high regard, making this one of GoTyme Bank’s biggest wins of the year.

One highlight of its various innovations is the first to market a digital kiosk, currently available in Robinsons Supermarkets branches, where consumers can claim their debit card instantly and for free. This effort has made for a great initiative that readily welcomes newcomers and existing bank users to GoTyme’s committed client services. Other notable features include signing up for an account which only takes five (5) minutes or less, and talking to a bank ambassador for any assistance and bank-related questions consumers may have.

 

GoTyme Bank plans to expand its debit partnership with Visa in the coming years to move away from a product-centric system and spearhead the journey to a digital and cashless Philippines. Clients can expect various solutions on the horizon for enhancing services and payment convenience with GoTyme soon enough!

 

Apply for your GoTyme debit card today and join this exciting movement! You can find GoTyme Bank’s digital kiosks here to open an account and collect your free ATM debit card. To get started, you can also download the GoTyme Bank app via IOS or Android.

 

For more information and updates, don’t forget to visit GoTyme Bank’s website and follow their Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

 

Netflix confirms the record-breaking smash hit "Wednesday" will return for a second season

It’s two snaps for Wednesday, as Netflix confirms the record-breaking smash hit will return for a second season, only on Netflix. Season two details and additional information will be shared at a later time. 

In an exclusive interview with Tudum.com Creators/Showrunners/Executive Producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar said:

“It’s been incredible to create a show that has connected with people across the world.  Thrilled to continue Wednesday’s tortuous journey into season two. We can’t wait to dive head first into another season and explore the kooky spooky world of Nevermore. Just need to make sure Wednesday hasn’t emptied the pool first.”

Wednesday, which is produced by MGM Television, continues to have a resounding cultural impact across entertainment, the internet, music, fashion and beauty. 

Since the series debuted in November 2022: 

• Wednesday is now one of the most successful series ever on Netflix. It ranks #2 on the Most Popular (English) TV list with 1.237 Billion hours viewed within its first 28 days.

• More than 182 Million households have seen the series since its debut. (1.237B hours divided by 6.8 hours)

• Wednesday crossed the 1 billion hour view mark only three weeks after debut – joining Stranger Things 4 and Squid Game as the third title to reach this milestone within its first 28 days. 

• The series broke the record for the most hours viewed in a week for an English-language TV series on Netflix – not once, but twice – when it debuted in the #1 spot with a record breaking 341.23M hours viewed, and again in its second week with a staggering 411.29M hours viewed.

• To date, Wednesday has had six consecutive weeks with over 100+M hours viewed on the English TV List — another record!

• On TikTok, #WednesdayAddams has amassed over 22 Billion views 

• The Wednesday soundtrack reached #1 on the iTunes Soundtrack chart where it remained in the Top 10 for three weeks. Wednesday Addams, the artist, now has over 1 Million followers on Spotify.

• On Spotify, “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps saw a streaming increase of more than 9.5K% compared to the month prior to the series release.

• Wednesday’s iconic dance scene has gone massively viral across global social media. Fan generated content utilizing “Bloody Mary” by Lady Gaga led to a streaming increase of more than 1,800% of the song on Spotify compared to the month prior the series release. Even Lady Gaga joined in on the fun. 

• With over 80 Million views and counting, fans can’t get enough of the cast’s reaction to the iconic dance scene video. 

• Wednesday’s viral makeup look has been searched for and viewed over 100 Million times by fans on TikTok.

• Wednesday products are in high demand with select items selling out at retailers like Hot Topic, MAC and Cakeworthy. 

• Premiere Date: November 23, 2022

• Logline: The series is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorized the local town, and solve the murder mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.

• Showrunners / Executive Producers / Writers: Alfred Gough & Miles Millar

• Director / Executive Producer: Tim Burton 

• Executive Producers: Steve Stark (Toluca Pictures),  Andrew Mittman (1.21 Entertainment), Kevin Miserocchi (Tee and Charles Addams Foundation), Kayla Alpert, Jonathan Glickman (Glickmania), Gail Berman, Tommy Harper, Kevin Lafferty

• S1 Cast: Jenna Ortega (Wednesday Addams), Gwendoline Christie (Principal Larissa Weems), Jamie McShane (Sheriff Galpin), Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe), Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Naomi J Ogawa (Yoko Tanaka), Moosa Mostafa (Eugene Ottinger), Georgie Farmer (Ajax Petropolus), Riki Lindhome (Dr. Valerie Kinbott), with Christina Ricci (Marilyn Thornhill) and guest stars Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), Fred Arimisen (Uncle Fester) and Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley Addams)

• Studio: MGM Television

HONOR X9a 5G is the latest addition to the HONOR X Series delivering best-in-class visuals and performance

 

Leading global smart devices provider, HONOR, dropped the official teaser of its first launch of the year. HONOR X9a 5G is the latest addition to the HONOR X Series delivering best-in-class visuals and performance with a Premium OLED Curved Screen, high-capacity durable battery, and the Qualcomm® Snapdragon® 695 5G Mobile Platform, all engineered to fit in a pocket-sized body.

 

“We are very excited to introduce HONOR X9a 5G in the market. It’s something that HONOR fans should definitely look forward to as it will really change the definition of premium,” said HONOR Philippines Vice President for Marketing, Stephen Cheng. “HONOR is very confident to bring you a highly durable phone with an OLED curved screen and long-lasting battery life without breaking the bank.”

Packing a long-lasting battery into a compact body, the HONOR X9a 5G is the thinnest and lightest smartphone to allow up to 2-day use for a truly uninterrupted user experience, and with just 30 minutes of charging, the HONOR X9a 5G can deliver up to 12.5 hours of video streaming, sparing users from having to worry about their battery.

 

HONOR X9a 5G will sport a 64MP Super Triple Camera, inheriting the same iconic circular camera layout as HONOR’s flagship Magic Series line-up that features a symmetrical Matrix Star Ring camera design at the back, making premium smartphone design more accessible.

Supporting its sleek curved design, HONOR X9a 5G is capable of displaying more colors with 10-bit or 1.07 billion colors achieving realistic photos and videos, and compared to other smartphones in the same price range.

 

HONOR X9a 5G will be officially launched on January 19, 2023 and will come in stunning Emerald Green and Titanium Silver colors. Catch our launch live on HONOR Philippines’ Facebook Page (https://bit.ly/HONORX9a5GLaunchEvent) at 7PM and get a chance to win your very own HONOR X9a 5G!

UNIQLO is welcoming the Spring/Summer season with a new roster of stores in the country

Japanese global apparel retailer UNIQLO is welcoming the Spring/Summer season with a new roster of stores in the country. 

 

For the first half of the year, UNIQLO is opening new stores located in Robinsons Antipolo and SM City Bataan. In addition, the brand will open its doors to their first roadside store in Eastern Metro Manila, the Marquinton Roadside Store, in Marikina. 

“We thank our customers for continuing to show their support for UNIQLO. Through opening these new stores, we aim to reach even more Filipinos and give them easier access to our LifeWear products, providing quality pieces that are fit for every type of lifestyle,” says Geraldine Sia, Chief Operating Officer of UNIQLO Philippines. 

 

For more updates, please visit UNIQLO Philippines’ social media accounts, Facebook (facebook.com/uniqlo.ph), Twitter (twitter.com/uniqloph), Instagram (Instagram.com/uniqlophofficial), Twitter (tiktok/com/uniqlophofficial) and UNIQLO Philippines’ website at uniqlo.com.

 

Download the UNIQLO App via Google Play Store or Apple Store, or visit and shop from UNIQLO online store at UNIQLO.com/ph.

 

Kenny Rogers Roasters unveils its 1st ever larger-than-life and hyper-realistic billboard in EDSA!

 

In many bustling cities around the world, advertising has been transformed into a breathtaking experience with the advent of 3D LED billboards. Now, the same awesome experience awaits consumers passing through the busy street of EDSA-Mandaluyong as Kenny Rogers Roasters unveils what may yet be the 1^stand biggest 3D interactive billboard of roasted chicken in the country! 

As the brand that has consistently wowed its customers through its innovative and deliciously healthy menu, Kenny Rogers Roasters will once again amaze customers with an unveiling of its products in its 1st ever larger-than-life and hyper-realistic billboard in 3D located in EDSA Mandaluyong.

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It will showcase four mouthwatering products in 3D effect, starting with its signature Kenny Rogers Roasters’ Roasted Chicken where its classic roasted chicken will be seen being slowly cooked in a unique blend of herbs and spices in the rotisserie to achieve a flavorful taste from the oven. 

 

Next is the Baby Back Ribs on Brick Oven which will show the famous baby back pork ribs marinated and slowly cooked with barbecue sauce and flavorful seasonings to enhance the smoky flavor. 

 

The restaurant chain also features its other classic offerings including its famous Signature Corn Muffins, as well as eight of its all-time favorite side dishes such as mac and cheese, steamed vegetables, fresh fruits, and its latest addition - the Spinach Mashed Potato, and more!

Don’t miss it! Go and feast your eyes and be wowed with the almost true-to-life delicious, irresistibleofferings of Kenny Rogers Roasters in 3D along EDSA cor. Apo Street in Mandaluyong City.

And as if that's not exciting enough, Kenny Rogers Roasters will also be dressing up its very own delivery truck with a 3D Roasted Chicken which will roam around the streets of Metro Manila. This way, more Filipinos can witness this spectacular 3D Experience!

After seeing this one of a kind outdoor wonder, start enjoying Kenny Rogers Roasters’ signature offerings available for dine-in, takeout, or delivery through www.kennyrogersdelivery.com.ph, hotline: 8-555-9000, or via Grab Food and Food Panda.

 

For more updates, follow Kenny Rogers Roasters’ official social media pages: @KennyRogersPH on Facebook, @kennyrogersph on Instagram and Tiktok, and Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/c/KennyRogersRoasters).

 

The Odyssey Ark gaming monitor from Samsung arrives in the Philippine market

 

 

The Odyssey Ark gaming monitor from Samsung has recently arrived in the Philippine market, bringing an unparalleled level of gaming experience never before possible. 

 

The 55-inch curved monitor dazzles you with its ultra-realistic visuals, powerful sound, and exclusive features like Cockpit Mode and Ark Dial, giving Filipino gamers a razor-sharp competitive edge over their opponents. 

 

The premium gaming monitor uses Quantum Matrix Technology, powered by Quantum Mini-LEDs, to control tightly packed pixels better, and provide superior light control and detail. This leads to excellent HDR gaming capabilities, similar to those found in Samsung's Neo QLED TVs. 

 

The monitor runs at 4k UHD resolution, with up to 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and AMD Freesync Premium Pro making it a top-notch choice for PC and next-gen console gamers like PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X owners. Console gamers will be pleased to know that the monitor is VRR compatible due to its HDMI 2.1 port and can reach high frame rates at 4K. The Ark also includes Gaming Hub. You can access popular streaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, NVIDIA GeForce Now, Google Stadia, and Utomik without any extra hardware, other than a compatible controller. 

 

Total immersion

 

Adding a whole new level of realism to your gaming experience, the monitor’s revolutionary Sound Dome Technologyfeatures four embedded speakers and two central subwoofers that support Dolby Atmos and an AI Sound Booster. Whether playing the latest shooter or your favorite open-world RPG, you’d feel like you’re playing in a virtual dome, basking in an immersive 3D soundscape. 

As if you were sitting in a gaming theatre in your very own home, hearing every footstep, every enemy growl, bullets whizzing past your ears, and explosions reverberating all over the place – without needing to purchase an external dedicated audio system.

 

The experience is akin to having a virtual reality headset around you without wearing one. No longer will you be playing a game, but rather experiencing it. 

 

The Ark is the closest thing you can find to a real-life 3D gaming experience. Experience the action like never before with the 1000R Curvature - you'll be transported into your favorite game with a realistic 3D environment that surrounds you from every angle, putting you right at the heart of the excitement.

“Cockpit Mode”

 

The monitor’s Multi-View and Flex Move Screen features ensure the user can have the most optimized view of their game. Whether you're playing a first-person shooter, or a strategy game, you can customize the screen to fit your style of play. 

 

The Multi-View feature allows you to see multiple screens simultaneously, while the Flex Move Screen enables you to adjust the monitor to fit your play style. You can shrink the useable screen space from 55 inches to 27 inches, and pick between 16:9, 21:9, and 32:9 aspect ratios.  Thus, you'll be able to see every enemy, every item, and every detail with ease. No more craning your neck or squinting your eyes trying to see the action. No more getting stuck in the same spot, fighting for the best view. Instead, you can move the monitor to the perfect angle, giving you the edge you need to get the win. 

One of the Ark's most notable features is the ability to swivel the display 90 degrees to activate Cockpit Mode, which consists of a rotating screen so that it sits vertically on the adjustable stand. To say that it opens a brave new world of experiencing the action is an understatement – you'll be immersed in the action as if you're in the cockpit of your own spaceship, ready to take on the entire universe.

 

The gaming screen also comes with its own exclusive remote control: the Ark Dial. With just a twist or a press, you can adjust and navigate your monitor settings quickly and easily. The Ark Dial Menu also provides access to additional settings like Flex Move Screen, Multi View, and the Game Bar. With the Ark Dial, you can take control of your gaming screen and revolutionize the way you play.

To experience Samsung's Odyssey Ark monitor, please visit https://www.samsung.com/ph/monitors/odyssey-ark/.