D|GIPLUS Takes 6 Quills From IABC

A little on the third quarter but DigiP|us ain't letting those awards go as they earn 6 Quills from the 21st edition of the Philippine Quill Awards. They share this feat with their platforms B!ng0P|us, Ar3n@P|us and Gam3Z0ne as they get honored by this prestigious body that recognizes the best in business communications organized by IABC. This consists of an award for excellence and 5 merits because of their many initiatives this year. 

The Award for Excellence was particularly for their website which they dubbed as The Digital Gateway to Entertainment Excellence which won in the Comms for the Web category.

The Award for Merits on the other hand came from their efforts on Investor Relations, Customer Service, Audio-visual, Publications, Marketing, Advertising and Brand Comms for the year in review. To date, they are a performing pretty well at the Philippine Stock Exchange and remains bullish on Fortune 500 at the SEA region. 

They also won with their work in transforming from usual physical establishments to digital ones including their responsible g@ming campaigns in the same year. They also have achieved merits on showcasing transparency on their platforms and are thankful to be recognized for it. 

Their Chairman Eusebio Tanco thanked the award giving body and IABC and attributes their win to the men and women from their side that has upheld their commitment to great comms. This happened last August 27 and they're super grateful to win these accolades and wish to continue to do more in the future too. 

Congratulations!

Bullish DigiP|us Lands Fortune Southeast Asia List

Taking a huge jump at the recent Fortune Southeast Asia 500 list is digital entertainment corp DigiP|us. This is the 2nd year that they've managed to be included and has been one of the fastest growing companies in the region. As compared to last year, they have managed to overtake 259 other companies and has shown bullish growth according to 2024 figures and financial performance. 

They have expanded with their platforms ArenaP|us, B!ng0P|us and G4meZon3 with innovations and spearheaded CSR campaigns as part of their responsibilities. Their chairman Eusebio Tanco deem this as a momentum for an even greater purpose including needed tax from responsible g4ming. They also made programs through their foundations for matters concerning education, healthcare and plans for community development as part of their efforts. 

All you need to do is watch them soar and see why their social projects are also giving impact to communities here in other provinces. They plan to do even more!

LG Unveils Isaiah Cacnio Digital Piece "Fragments" at National Museum of Natural History

So much has happened at the National Museum of Natural History when the folks from LG and Isaiah Cacnio unveiled his series called "FRAGMENTS" which was inspired by geological wonders in the country, and is a fully digital art. This is the first time that the National Museum has also housed something digital, so in a way, they are making history. I've seen it in person and it was huge. It also moves, non-static, super different from the things they usually display. Fragments is made up of three installations called Where Fire Begins, Stories in Stone, and What Breaks, Flows. Graphics in different colors that move and emulate emotion, you could easily be carried away when you view it there.

LG also showcased their latest OLED and QNED TV's that uses AI and the latest generation of features they have for devices. They also took us to see how they've changed the technology used for their TV's and AI Magic remote. It had less buttons and more function, which is apparently a good way to ergonomically change the usual crazy presses we need to do to watch TV or use apps in it. They're definitely changing the way we watch TV.

Robi Domingo hosted the event and interviewed Bela Padilla, Mika Reyes and LA Tenorio about their experience using LG products. From gaming, to binge watching and using the LG OLED B5 and QNED's features, they got to discuss how they enjoyed every bit of it. Oh and before I forget, the National Museum of Natural History also received the Php 500,000 worth of display tech from LG. This is part of their commitment to culture and education (as this is not the first time they've done this). This will be part of the display for years, their way of honoring the past. Make sure you visit the museum and enjoy the art installations, it's truly rare to see things like it in the Philippines. You can have them though if you get them from appliance stores nationwide!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Bueno (@kumagcow)

Cacnio's work was a stunner. I couldn't believe what I was seeing on display that afternoon. Go check it out at the National Museum. Entrance is free, but arrangements can be made for guided tours (I think it's a better option) so email them ahead.

San Pedro Calungsod the Musical Album Set to be Released This Month

Do you remember the staging of San Pedro Calungsod the Musical back in 2014/2016/2020? Brings back memories right? Well you'll be surprised as I am because they're finally coming out with a cast album this month and will be available worldwide. 

For those who don't know, it's a very emotional story of his faith, the things he had to sacrifice, and his devotion to God and Jesus Christ. Calungsod was a Filipino catechist who lived in Guam back in the 17th century. The staging won several awards from different bodies. The songs primarily were performed by the very talented Gerald Santos. A world class actor who did the title role and composed some of the songs for the musical. This includes "Offer My Life", "The Journey" which folks have loved. There's 18 tracks, mostly made by Antonio Rommel Ramilo who did the libretoo and stage direction. It was an emotional rollercoaster to see and hear for those who have seen the show. 

In the album, Gerald is joined by Kuya Manzano (who did the role of Father Diego Luis de zsan Vitores), Hutch Perales (who did Matapang), and several other actors from the 2020 production. They gave life to him and the whole story. 

For those who want it, the album is out on May 16 at all digital platforms. Make sure you listen to it and see why it's one of the most critically acclaimed musicals of that time. 

JODI STA. MARIA Launches The JSM Channel

Jodi Sta. Maria has always been very good at her craft. As an actress, she has gone miles and bounds from being that Star Magic teen that did iconic shows Gimik, Flames, Jologs and Tabing Ilog. 

Her recent stint in doing a Philippine adaptation of Broken Marriage Vow has earned her the highly coveted Best Actress Award for a Leading Role at the Asian Academy Creative Awards, and still is eager to re-invent herself. A few days ago, she announced her newest venture... and created a new YouTube channel called The JSM Channel. Her goal is to put out light and inspirational content and she gave us a glimpse of it too.

Jodi says "How much am I willing to share? It's not going to be an open book, it's just going to be parts of my life that I want to share and only those that would give valuable lessons. If they learn something from it, then it's good! I don't want to say it's a platform for me to practice my degree, just a place to share what is valuable to me, and if someone relates to it, then it's good. If there's something to talk about, we'd do it there. For now, my focus would be the JSM channel, and I still have a few projects this year, please watch out for that. 13 years ago, the idea for this started but it was just the pandemic that happened. I couldn't say it's the right time, but life just gave me so many reasons, it's not something that was given to me in an instant. This is a dream project, and am looking forward to produce more shows in the coming months."

When they asked about Thirdy, she says "I asked my son about him guesting in one or more episodes but he's busy with school. Having a platform means you should use it responsibly, use it wisely, instead of just tearing people down, you ask yourself if it's something you can be proud of."

Jodi has 3 shows on the channel now like Live Light, Let's Drink to That, JSM Travel and Tours. She will be with AC Soriano and Cheena Crab on Let's Drink to That to give the low down on what happened in the news that week (while keeping it light). Needless to say, AC and Cheena were really fun to watch and banter with so if you are fond of that, go watch it on the JSM channel. 

DigiP|us Gets 3 at 60th Anvil Awards

The who's who of public relations gathered together at the 60th Anvil Awards. Think of it as the Oscars of communications and public relations in the country. Getting a nod from these folks certainly means a lot especially for campaigns run in companies that significantly impact the community and industry. Well the folks from DigiP|us Interactive didn't just get one but 3 honors. A Gold Anvil was given to DigiP|us for their rebranding campaign called "DigiP|us Reimagined: Pioneering Fun, Technology and Community". They also got 2 Silver Anvils for 2023 DigiP|us Integrated Report and the B!ngoP|us Foundation "FutureSmart" initiative aimed to empower through education.

For their rebranding campaign and their efforts in making entertainment accessible, they have worked with Landor, a global brand specialist. They also used an integrated report framework for the 2023 Integrated Report to show where they are heading in the years to come. It has made them even eager to deliver value for customers and the communities they serve. They also concentrated with IT in the FutureSmart program to contribute positive change, all part of their social programs.

Congratulations on these recent achievements! Head on to their official website to know more about it.

DigiPlus Interactive Celebrate Wins at APEA

The Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) is one of the most prestigious award giving bodies that honor entrepreneurs that have had remarkable achievements in countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Asia Pacific region. This 2024 was their grand return to give a nod to businesses that embody what it means to be in categories like Master Entrepreneur, Fast Enterprise, Inspirational Brands, and Corporate Excellence. They have garnered nominations last month and this December, they have announced the winners for it.

One of the proud awardees include DigiPlus Interactive which is the entity that manages Bing0P|us, ArenaP|us and Gam3Z0ne, which are some of the bullish brands in digital entertainment. They won 2 categories which includes the Corporate Excellence Award and the Fast Enterprise Award. They got these recognition because of their undeniable knack for innovations in leadership, sustainability and business practices that gives them an edge over other brands in the market. 

Their VP for Investor Relations, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Ms. Celeste Jovenir attributes this to their team's dedication, passion and ingenuity. This also includes the various charities they've done in communities that are under-serviced which I've featured a couple times here in the blog. This inspires them to do even more in the digital space and increase social service, impact, especially those that benefit victims of natural calamities and help those who need health services too. They also provide livelihood programs to make sure things get sustainable for families affected.

If you wish to know more, you can visit their official website digiplus.com.ph because they've got them all there!

Foundation Begins Relief Efforts

Typhoon Kristine didn't just pass by, but left thousands of families ravaged where 148 individuals lost their lives across the Philippines, quite hard to see especially families, with names to their faces til today. DigiPlus Interactive's social arm Bing0Plus Foundation just recently released over 37 Million pesos of aid which includes a quarter of a million pesos for those who experienced losses, sent to the bereaved families. Initially it was only for 39, but things worked out with the Foundation and DSWD, the social welfare arm of the Philippine government.

The turnover was witnessed by the PH First Lady, DSWD Undersecretary Pinky Romualdez, and DigiPlus' very own Chairman Eusebio Tanco. They met with Governor Hermilando Mandanas of Batangas, Vice Gov Mark Leviste, Mayor Nestor Natanauan of Talisay, Mayor Albie of Bacolod and Celeste Jovenir the COO of Bing0Plus Foundation. 

Time is of the essence, and while those who are affected by the typhoon move to recover from this calamity, they have these private firms to help them support over 750 families, even more that the previous 100 Million pesos they got to do for various programs in livelihood, healthcare and education. They are also working with other local organizations to make sure they empower them in different Plus Centers, especially those that are in Central Visayas and Gensan, where they have committed help increase a more sustainable way to do things especially work in these communities.

There's also another typhoon up North Luzon and it looks like it is also affecting a lot of people, here's praying nothing would happen to the folks out there. Follow the pages and channels to know more about the various initiatives they've started, there will be more!

Restored and Remastered JOSE RIZAL Released by GMA Pictures

I've watched this film a couple of times and seeing the efforts of GMA Pictures, I'm impressed about what I saw during the screening at the Manila Metropolitan Theater. This is the newly restored and remastered JOSE RIZAL. 

 

This is a masterpiece by Director Marilou Diaz Abaya. Picking up a physical film reel and seeing it damaged through use, time and the elements must have GMA feel it needs to be taken cared of. This took them a total of 1600 hours to do to fix the missing frames, burn marks, take off the dirt and run a new audio (5.1 Stereo) so we could now have an immersive version of this heavily awarded film which was shown at MMFF in 2018. This stars Cesar Montano, Jhong Hilario, Joel Torre, Jaime Fabregas, Pen Medina, Gardo Versoza, Gloria Diaz, Mon Confiado, Chin Chin Gutierrez, Micky Ferriols, Ronnie Lazaro, Irma Adlawan, Tony Mabesa, Nanding Josef, Joel Lamangan, Ping Medina, and a stellar cast.

Restoring this film means a lot of things, it will be in digital form from hereon and would be possible to show to future generations who choose to see what it was like in previous generations. I was also touched at how National Artist Ricky Lee, Marc Abaya (son of Director Marilou Diaz Abaya) felt during their speech, and how much importance was given to the film and for the people behind it. The stars were also at the event during Cinemalaya, and they were all smiles after the screening. The kind of life we have would certainly be changed with even more films planned to be restored. Imagine the things people could learn by watching historical films, or even the film making process. Congratulations to GMA for doing this good deed. It's all worth it!

DigiPlus Wins Big at SIGMA

Looks like DigiPlus Interactive Corporation has added another feather to their hat as their internet gaming platform called ArenaPlus just gained the nod of the SIGMA Group, the largest events and media org that recognizes the best in tech, digital health and affiliate industries. They were handed the award in Manila during the recent SIGMA Asia Awards 2024 and was noted best in innovations on their platform.

DigiPlus President Andy Tsui welcomed this recognition and said "Thank you SIGMA Awards for this honor as we continue to revolutionize the Filipinos entertainment experience on our platform. We work hard on making sure that are innovations are felt, and hope they see our creativity in everything we have exhibited here."

DigiPlus also participated in the SIGMA Asia Convention, highlighting the things that both BingoPlus and ArenaPlus has accomplished these past year. They also supported the Startup Pitch Section in the event so they could discover more and help others in their respective projects too.

This is just one of the few awards they received this year. They had multiple wins at 9th Global Good Governance Awards last month in Taguig, plus one from Cmbridge Financial Finance Advisory for their Best in class Social Responsibility Campaign, and Excellence in ESG. Congratulations to the men and women who made this possible for DigiPlus!

CIMB: Helping Filipinos Find Their Purpose

Millennials make up 47 percent of the workforce in the Philippines and during and event in BGC today, CIMB and Ateneo Resource Center held an event called "The Pursuit of Purpose: Discovering Filipino Millennials Views in Living A Life with Purpose".

Bunny Aguilar of CIMB Bank says "We are sharing the results of the white paper we've done in the last year amon millenials through Ateneo Business Resource Center. This is important for us. Life and career has been different post pandemic, how are they after ECQ? When COVID happened, it have us an opportunity to think of our careers. There's a phenomenon called "Great Resignation" and much of the millennials are not like the previous ones, and this white study tells they always ask the reason "Why?" and if what they want is for personal development. Knowing what we know now, we took the opportunity to tell them that we do hear them, and help them fulfill their life's passions. We want to raise awareness, educate the market on responsible credit borrowing, on saving money and going digital. Aside from the literacy programs, we have deposit products that having higher than industry rate compared to usual banks. From application to fulfillment, it's all online, all digital. We took processes even for a loan all digital. When I joined the company, I knew how they give accessible financial solutions to help fulfill all those things digitally. We always encourage our customers to start early, no matter what age you are, and see how compounding effects of interest rates have on one's savings. There's no other day than today to fulfill one's life purpose."

Dr. Norman Tanchingco of the John Gokongwei School of Management at the Ateneo adds "Institutions can help. This tells how personal values, finances play in career decisions. For career fulfillment, a lot of millennials are in the middle. More males were more fulfilled whilst more females were unfulfilled. They also are actively pursuing their life purpose, they also find a lot of progress in their chosen fields, and the biggest limitation is finances. They also think their work reflect their values, but 83 percent are always feel stressed (more females than men) and financial situation is the main reason as stressors. Much of them also agree that they live paycheck to paycheck. Much of them have a goal of having their own savings, with the premise of having a better financial standing particularly this year. They also have agreed on the notion that financial resources mean better opportunities. They believe passion and finances go hand and hand. Women are more worried about it, while men stay in jobs that have more social impact, in change, power or status. They also continue to strive for life's passions, in a more calculated way. It is a snapshot of post pandemic context. This will change over time." 

Vijay Manoharan the CEO of CIMB Philippines says "We will continue to provide solutions, make conversations about living their life purpose. We commit to empower more Filipinos, especially in the financial services sector. We have been in the PH a little over 5 years ago to solve a problem, digital banking, access to it, and now it's not new. No other banks was doing that, now it's easy to open, also no fees, and now they can save without the need for minimum amounts, much simpler, making us one of the fastest growing digital bank in the region. We allowed them to access credit easily so they can get what they want to do, and shape the next generation of Filipinos gain knowledge of our unique services. To share what we do and have it be appreciated by students, start using something that would better the lives of Filipinos. Ateneans can also become part of CIMB, we can equip them knowledge in the financial industry." 

CIMB is taking on a role on an advocacy that champion the life of Filipinos. They will continue their financial literacy programs. Being the biggest only digital bank in the country, they worked with Ateneo to make sure they have products and services that benefit more Filipinos. Soon, they will also have a CSR and sustainability program aside from the financial education they are rolling out now, so expect even bigger things with CIMB.

Rising by Lifting Others: Pareto Consulting

Just met the wonderful women behind digital marketing and growth firm called Pareto Consulting. Countless businesses in the US and elsewhere in the world are in need of talented individuals like them who provide unique ideas, of something different on the table, with gusto to reach one's company goals. The league of extraordinary women is headed by Bianca Laxamana Ulan, a young lass who's life continue to inspire others.

The business started when a client of hers availed market research and digital marketing services. She did remarkable work and got recommended to other startups and corporations that continuously grew her clientele over the years. She wanted a breed of individuals that have the same culture, and knack for little details. So she sought her team now as tasks come in from different multinational companies and startups. Albeit an accidental business, she believes her years of experience in the industry and Mom's guidance prepared her for what made Pareto Consulting is today.

Bianca says "I think I've been hyped today. They (her peers) are my pillars, they are very important for me. Pareto is an accidental business. I built this with Kaye in the beginning and grew it from scratch. It's been built over time and I just got referred to a lot of people. We cater to companies who need market research, ads, we do that the whole week. We also empower people in our organization. Resiliency and mental fortitude should be something that any successful business person should have. Things can break you especially during these times. You also have to influence your team, without them, you won't be able to do things and inspire them. We do market research and digital marketing, you have to make sure you are picking the right team member as you grow your business." 

She adds "You do usual HR stuff, but what I always look for is their enthusiasm to learn, we have the same values in servicing our clients. As much as possible I have to spot that, and also talent that I can compensate fairly, give them work life balance, and a no OT rule in our company. We are an all female team, the reason is because we are for women empowerment. I know there's a lot of stigma with women as employees, but I prioritize and see they are organized, the type that would be inspired too by women entrepreneur. We offer end to end solutions, if you're a startup and just starting, we offer marketing, branding and execution. It's also low cost, both locally and abroad. I was inspired by my Mom, at work, she's really good at it. She has a strong character, she was able to lead people and I'm very proud of her. Kay and I were college org mates, we made things happen and even then we were very active in organizations and I've been part of a startup and experienced a flat organization. We correct each other and learned modern management early on. I want to be an educator, and I've been doing that in CIIT today. I started when I was 22, I was only a freelancer and did really good work with clients and I got referrals here and there. That's how I started. The only hurdles I encounter now is taxation, and I had to study about it especially in BIR briefings. That's second to hiring talent. The silver lining is coming to realize that I could do it. I had to really work hard, some people would often say I'm too young to grow businesses. When we have the results to show, it's a new perspective and approach. My team is young too and only comprise of Gen Z's and Millenials."

Maxene Malvar the Project Manager of Pareto Consulting says "I do quality assurance, copywriting, proof reading and market research. I also coordinate graphic design, nice to meet you today. I was still a student and applied for the position on whim, when I came to the company and started right away, there were a lot of doubts at first. Bianca was the first to believe in my capability, it was humbling to hear that from her."

Kay Ocampo Senior Partner in Creative Marketing "I design, spearhead ad campaigns, make sure everything we do is aligned to our clients marketing goals. Especially here in Pareto, we're not over worked so I do a lot of things on our free time. We call each other friends, it's why she convinced me to build Pareto Consulting. I resigned from my corporate job to do this, I came here to do this with her. All our efforts have been well worth it."

With their affordable rates, collaborative culture in the work place, plus expertise in providing marketing and digital services, they can help new businesses flourish during these tough times. Their mantra to lift others in order to rise with you is ingenious and admirable. If you would like to seek their help, get in touch through their social channels @ParetoPH on FB and IG, their LinkedIN account at https://ph.linkedin.com/company/pareto-consulting-ph or their official website https://paretoconsulting.xyz/. 

 

They're ready to help you start, launch and grow your business with you.

PayMaya is Gone.... Meet MAYA

When I head the news that the iconic PayMaya bird would be gone, I admit... I was a little sad when I heard that. It's very iconic, but as they say in the industry... change is inevitable.

Gone are the days of digital wallets being just a wallet to send and receive money... or pay bills. These days, people need an all in one place to do ALL their transactions. To change the way you do things, this is where MAYA comes in.

MAYA is cooler, sleeker, and a whole lot different from its predecessor. The tagline that stuck to me was "It's everything, and a bank!" which you can download off the App Store and Google Play. The difference now is that aside from sending and receiving money, paying bills, is that you can purchase crypto currency for as low as Php 1. 

There's also MAYA Savings wherein you can deposit money and get up to 6% introductory interest til August 31st this year. I already some of my funds transferred because of it and you don't have to spend fees in transferring from your wallet to the savings account. The third section in the app is Maya Credit where you can borrow money as much as Php 15,000. You can use this for paying your bills, essentials in your supermarket, buy load or another smartphone. If you want to buy Crypto, just click on they Maya Crypto option on the wallet section and just agree on the prompts indicated there. You need upgraded status to access Maya Bank and Maya Crypto so make sure to have yourself verified through that. You won't see the word PayMaya but the Maya Wallet can do everything that it did in the past.

My first purchase of Crypto from them was Ethereum, it was just a normal transaction and I immediately got the notification that the purchase was successful. If it was this easy and I didn't have to file any paper or form, I'm sure everyone would find it that easy too.

If you haven't seen the changes yet on your app, go download the update now and hurry, take advantage of that 6% interest rate because it's super high for bank standards. They're one of the few who got permission from BSP to be a digital bank. It would be foolish if you didn't do that. Oh and may I say, they've got 3 Million Pesos worth of bitcoin up for grabs if you follow their promos. I can't tell you everything because you'll be battling with me for that, haha!

You've got to beat me to it!