SM City Tarlac was named the Grand Champion in the Grand Monumental — Non Municipal Category during recent 12th Belenismo sa Tarlac Awards Night, elevating it to the Hall of Fame for winning the title for three consecutive years. The 42-foot Belen, which showcases indigenous and upcycled materials, signifies God as the source of life, purity and wisdom with a nine foot fountain using recycled water from the mall’s sewage treatment plant with indigenous jute bags and bagasse fibers around it. Its intricate design is given life by one of Tarlac’s main agricultural products — sugarcane.

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — The Aboitiz Group, in partnership with the Economic Journalists Association of the Philippines (EJAP), conducted a communication career seminar focusing on the sectors of journalism/media and development work in La Trinidad, Benguet.

Seventy-nine (79) junior and senior high school students from Benguet National High School participated in the seminar, which taught them how to write engaging stories, shared about news and social media ethics, and career opportunities in community media and development work. Apart from the workshop, the students also had the chance to interview the EJAP representatives.

“When I got in citizen journalism, it became the time of my life. The best thing that journalism has taught me is to see the world up close and personal — not just read about it, but to actually go where the story is happening and talk to these people and experience everything first-hand,” Inday Varona shared, when asked by the students about the rewards of being in the journalism sector.

Primepay partners with Bayad Center, MultiSys

In photo (from left) MultiSys CEO and Founder, David Almirol Jr., Manuel Paolo Villar of PAVI and Primepay, Bayad Center CEO and president, Manuel Tuason and Bayad Center SVP, Francispito Quevedo.

Primepay Inc. (Primepay), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Prime Asset Ventures Inc. (PAVI), announces collaboration with Multisys Technologies Corp. (MultiSys) and CIS Bayad Center Inc.

(Bayad Center). Headed by Manuel Paolo Villar, Primepay is in the works to simplify their operations and payment transactions through the AllEasy application software (AllEasy). AllEasy pursues to make big leaps with its business expansions by introducing more digital advancement within operations and to better serve its customers. Through systems integration of MultiSys, Primepay will be able to connect with Bayad Center’s payment platform to ease finances and payments. “This will enable seamless transactions allowing the business to thrive not only on ground but also technologically. We embrace technology openly to usher an easier digital lifestyle to consumers,” Manuel Paolo Villar said.

Aside from payment integrations, system development is ongoing with the leading software solutions company in the Philippines, MultiSys. Focused on advanced systems research and development, MultiSys is able to provide innovations and empower AllEasy to break new grounds industry-wide.

Apart from annually doing the Pamaskong Handog to honor overseas Filipinos (OF) and their families, BDO Remit has another advocacy that espouses financial education zeroing on the value of saving and investing. Genie Gloria, senior vice president and head of remittance of BDO Unibank Inc. said financial education is an invaluable gift to give the OF market and their beneficiaries because there will come a point where these workers abroad will return to their home country and choose to become entrepreneurs. “Raising their financial knowledge should start at the onset, meaning, we teach them what they can do with their hard-earned money by allocating a portion to savings and looking for investments which can serve their long-term goals,” Gloria said. BDO Remit visits universities to teach young adults, whose parents may be an OF, to take care of the money remitted to them. They also do financial education activities in various barangays to orient people, particularly the unbanked, about the importance of being a part of the formal banking system.

Robinsons Bank launches cashback Mastercard

Robinsons Bank launches the new Robinsons Cashback Mastercard®, which provides cardholders with up to 3 percent rebate at all Robinsons stores and up to 1 percent rebate at all other merchants that accept Mastercard®. In photo (from left) are Robinsons Bank Chairman Lance Gokongwei, Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. president and chief operating officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Robinsons Bank chief executive officer and president Elfren Sarte and Mastercard Philippines Country manager Rowell del Fierro.