Gracee's Lifestyle Journal

Silverlake Axis (“SAL”) (SGX: 5CP), a Singapore-mainboard listed core banking, fintech, and digital banking solutions provider, together with International Data Corporation (IDC), a global market intelligence provider, organized an Executive Lunch Roundtable that hosted interactive discussions around future-ready banking. Since the region’s economic reopening last year, Southeast Asia has seen a flurry of activity and investment in digital banking, digital transformation and core modernisation, with the Philippines as one of the most active in the region. “Banks in the Philippines and ASEAN are stepping up their digital transformation so that they can holistically enhance their End-to-End Banking Capabilities with Future Ready Model & Platform, premised on strong Digital Engagement and Collaborative Capabilities with OpenAPI & Cloud Optimization”, shared Soo Eng Tan, Senior Solutions Director at Silverlake Axis. “Banks recognize the growing expectations and are actively seeking

In the arid islands of East Nusa Tenggara, a remarkable transformation is underway, spearheaded by the unstoppable force of Mama Bambu (Mothers of Bamboo). This group of empowered women is not only championing sustainable bamboo farming but also reshaping societal norms and combating climate change. With approximately 532 members and driven by the visionary Yayasan Bambu Lingkungan Lestari (YBLL) or Environmental Bamboo Foundation, Mama Bambu is sowing the seeds of change by planting 1.2 million bamboo seeds across seven districts, propelling Indonesia's burgeoning bamboo industry to new heights. For six years, Mama Bambu has been at the forefront of a revolution, rewriting the social, cultural, and economic landscape by defying gender roles deeply ingrained in the region. Traditionally, females are not expected to farm and create livelihood in East Nusa Tenggara, but the Mama Bambu has defied convention by showing that bamboo cultivation can provide them with livelihood opportunit

Takeda Philippines Healthcare Inc. and Cancer Warriors Foundation Inc. represented by (seated L-R) Cancer Warriors Foundation Board of Trustees Vice Chairperson Concepcion Pijano, Cancer Warriors Foundation Inc. CEO Carmen “Menchie” Auste, Takeda Pharmaceuticals I-SEA Multi-Country Organization Head Dion Warren and Takeda Philippines Country Manager Loreann Villanueva sign grant agreement for localizing the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICAA) in an Interlocal Health Zone Takeda Healthcare Philippines Inc. (“Takeda Philippines”) recently partnered with Cancer Warriors Foundation Inc., a patient support organization for families of children with childhood cancer, strengthening calls for wider access to cancer care in rural and peri-urban communities in the country.   Through this partnership, Takeda will help support the group’s efforts in localizing the National Integrated Cancer Control Act (NICCA) through the establishment of Interlocal Health Zones, which are systemized zo

CHAMPIONING DIGITAL FINANCIAL INCLUSIVITY: Executives of Bayad and BillEase meet for the signing of the partnership   to enable customers to settle their bills in a more convenient way via installments. Seen in the photo are (from L-R) BillEase Head of Merchant Products Kurt Molina, BillEase Co-Founder and Chief Financial Officer Ritche Weekun, Bayad President and CEO Lawrence Y. Ferrer, and Bayad Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer Dennis S. Gatuslao. Bayad, the pioneer brand in the outsourced payment collection system, has partnered with BillEase, a top-rated consumer finance app, to enable customers to settle their bills in a more convenient way via installments. Under the partnership, users of the BillEase mobile app can now pay their bills through two cardless installment options namely Pay Later for expenses up to PHP 1000, and Pay Monthly over a period of three, six, nine, or 12 months for tickets with interest rates up to 3.49%. “Our partnership with Bayad plays a pivotal ro

( From left to right) SM Prime Energy Consultant Jaime Patinio, SM Prime Chief Finance Officer John Nai Peng Ong, SM Prime President Jeffrey Lim, CREC Chairman Edgar Saavedra, CREC President & CEO Oliver Tan, CREC Sr. Manager Sales & Energy Trading Jerard Garcia SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime) and Citicore Renewable Energy Company (CREC) signed a Memorandum of Agreement on 11 July 2023 as a joint commitment to champion renewable energy.  Through this partnership, SM Prime will source its energy requirements of up to 90-Megawatts (MWac) from CREC’s upcoming Lumbangan Solar Power Plant in Tuy, Batangas. The long-term agreement will commence in the first half of 2024. This is in line with the Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) policies of the Department of Energy.  This development further strengthens both CREC and SM Prime's commitment to the Department of Energy's program of moving up the renewable energy supply component of the Philippines to 35% by the year 2

SM City North Edsa This Urban Farming initiative is led by the SM Foundation through its Kabalikat Sa Kabuhayan on Sustainable Agriculture Program (KSK-SAP). It’s about uplifting the farmer community, fostering environmental consciousness, food security, and creating livelihood and income opportunities for marginalized urban communities. Through the KSK-SAP, a comprehensive program of urban farming techniques, product development, marketing, and basic accounting are offered in strategically-located field schools. SM City Roxas The KSK program has successfully conducted over 260 sustainable agricultural trainings, benefiting a total of 28,550 farmers. These trainings have taken place in both rural and urban settings, where participants have been exposed to sustainable farming modules that promote the cultivation of nutritious, high-quality vegetables and fruits.  SM City Clark   Partnering with the SM Foundation, SM Supermalls, and SM Markets are the following government agencies; the D

Just in time for Nutrition Month, SM Supermalls partnered with Mesa ni Misis to celebrate the healthiest SuperMoms Meetup at the SM Megamall Event Atrium on July 22, Saturday. SuperMoms gathered once again for the biggest and grandest super momma convention, which also marked the launch of Juana’s Table, the newest recipe book by Mesa ni Misis’ Juana Manahan Yupangco. “We SuperMoms hold the power to shape the future of our children's health. By embracing a plant-based diet and introducing it to our families, we can ensure that our little ones grow up strong, vibrant, and armed with the necessary tools to lead a healthy and fulfilled life.” said Grace Magno, SM Supermalls Vice President for Corporate Marketing.  SM Supermalls and Mesa ni Misis, through the recipe book, aimed to educate moms on the importance of healthy and sustainable eating. Written by Yupangco herself, who is a food security champion and advocate for local produce and farmers, the book is filled with healthy and a

SG Hassan receives a plaque of recognition from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office officials:  (L to R) Ralph Kristian Eustaquio, Research and Planning Division Head, Vanessa T. Reyes, CGADH-I, CDRRMO , Rolly Asaula Administrative Division Head and John Edward Babani Administration and Training Division Head. With them is SM City San Pablo CRS Manager Ramon Domingo (3rd from right). City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office awards SM City San Pablo guard SG Hassan Pasco a plaque of recognition for his selflessness and courageous efforts in saving a life during a critical and life-threatening situation on June 25, 2023. While conducting his regular rounds, SG Pasco noticed a 74-year-old customer experiencing difficulty breathing due to something stuck in his throat. Fortunately, as a trained guard in first aid rescue techniques, he performed the Heimlich maneuver (Abdominal Thrusts) right away, and that saved the customer.  SG Pasco is trained in first aid r

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has clarified that there will be no further extension for SIM card registration in the Philippines. With the July 25, 2023 deadline set by the national government looming, only 60.75 percent of the total 168 million SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) cards have been registered so far, leaving over 40% of Filipinos at risk of deactivation and social engineering tactics such as phishing. Scammers are taking advantage of the situation, employing SMS messages to lure users into sharing personal information via bogus registration links, posing a persistent and dangerous threat. The increasing number of unregistered SIM cards exposes users to potential deactivation of their mobile services, disrupting their communication capabilities. Additionally, as the deadline approaches, the risk of phishing attacks intensifies. Cybercriminals exploit SMS messages to deceive unsuspecting victims into divulging sensitive information, such a

July will have a bright spot in monthly bills of Meralco’s customers with the P0.72 kWh reduction on electricity rate recently announced by the utility. This means that for households consuming 200 kWh, there will be a savings of around P144, while households consuming 300 kWh will pay P316 less fpr their electricity bill this month. The significant decrease is due to the lower generation charge t hat Meralco pays to its suppliers. With these savings, you can keep the extra money to your emergency use, or add it to something more long-term like your child’s education fund. Saving is always a good idea, and while electricity bills change monthly based on actual consumption, there are many ways that families can efficiently manage the use of electricity in their homes. Keep saving every month with these simple but effective tipid tips from Mer alco: Keep your refrigerator full, but do not overload.  Keep it at least two-thirds full to let the cool air circulate and properly chill your fo

Another big milestone for the leading smart devices provider in the country! HONOR Philippines just opened its newest Experience Store in SM City Makati. In a span of just three months, HONOR Philippines expanded rapidly nationwide opening five stores – SM City Fairview, SM City Consolacion Cebu, SM City Marilao, SM City Marikina, and SM City Grand Central. Adding to the list is the unveiling of its sixth store in SM City Makati on July 11, 2023. “We, at HONOR Philippines, are very grateful to those who have supported us since day one and we owe this feat to them. We have more stores to open and we are really excited to  get closer to our HONOR fans by providing them more accessibility in trying out our products,” said Stephen Cheng, HONOR Philippines Vice President. More stores for HONOR Philippines! HONOR Philippines has also announced that in the coming weeks, more stores will open including SM City North EDSA, SM City Southmall, SM City Sucat, and SM City Mall of Asia. HONOR Experi

SM City Baguio launched today the first of its kind in a mall-setting facility that will convert rainwater to potable water and help contribute to the city’s water conservation and recycling efforts. “The mall’s Rainwater Filtration facility will supply the mall with enough potable water that can be redistributed to mall tenants for various uses including washing, cleaning and safe for drinking, to help reduce sourcing from the communities’ water table, leaving more water supply for the Baguio community to use,” SM Supermalls Senior Vice President Bien C. Mateo disclosed.  While SM has been recycling water for decades since the 1990’s, the water-saving innovation is part of SM Prime’s sustainability program towards responsible consumption and carbon footprint reduction, according to Mr.  Mateo. “We invest in water conservation technology to eliminate water wastage and adopt stricter measures to reduce consumption. More innovations are being done to recycle more water and filter more ra