You can now use Philippines' first ever bike and e-scooter sharing platform in Bonifacio Global City!

Bonifacio Global City in close partnership with Moovr PH, the first ever bike and e-scooter sharing platform powered by Keepr Storage PH continues to provide easy and sustainable mobility for Filipinos wanting to beat the city traffic. Bikes and e-scooters are already available for use starting this January 2021! 

As part of BGC’s last mile connectivity solution, this partnership with Moovr PH can help BGCitizens to  easily traverse within the city in the comfort and safety of Personal Mobility Device (PMD) network situated around BGC. These dedicated lanes provide connected safe routes which residents and employees can enjoy to get to their offices and move around the city.

Personal Mobility Devices That Promote Safe Outdoor Leisure and Sustainability

Moovr PH is the Philippines‘ first ever PMD-sharing mobile application for Filipinos who wish to engage in leisurely outdoor activities while practicing safe, physical-distancing. The app empowers the public with immediate and 24-hour access to personal mobility devices (PMD) that come in two options: a single gear bike and an easy-to-use electric scooter built for safe and comfortable rides in-and-around BGC. The whole fleet of bikes and e-scooters will be regularly disinfected and sanitized, and can be accessed through Moovr Hubs that are within walking distance in strategic locations in Bonifacio Global City.

Aside from safety, Moovr PH also practices sustainability by promoting the use of their bikes and e- scooters which produce only 1% of the carbon released by standard cars. With the objective of serving as a last mile commute within BGC and looking to extend to more locations in the Metro — something many Filipinos will benefit from.

Bringing last-mile solutions to the Philippines, Moovr PH uses the same technology and user-friendly platform as those used in Europe, the US, and Canada. The application is now available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. 

How Does Moovr PH Work?

1. Create an Account

Download the Moovr PH app on your mobile device and follow the form to create an account through e-mail, Facebook, or Google.

2. Find Your Ride

Once your profile is activated, simply find your ride by walking to the nearest Moovr Hub in BGC. Don’t forget to have your personal helmet ready!

3. Travel to Destination

Upon reaching the Moovr Hub, select your vehicle and unlock it by scanning the QR code to start riding. Vehicles can be rented for a maximum of 24 hours and e-scooters must be returned if the battery is below 15%. Remember to drive only on the designated lanes and obey the traffic laws of BGC.

The Moovr Hub will direct you to the nearest designated parking area closest to your destination between rides.

4. End in a Moovr Hub

Once your journey is complete, simply park and lock your bike in the nearest Moovr Hub in their designated spots in BGC and end the ride on your app.

Moovr PH: Mobility for Every Juan

Moovr provides easy and sustainable mobility for Filipinos living and working in Bonifacio Global City. Rates for use of the bikes start for as low as PHP 15 for every 15 minutes, or any fraction thereof. While the standard rate for e-scooters is PHP 50 for every 20 minutes, or any fraction thereof. Payments are also cashless, users can top up their Moovr credits through online transactions using their credit or debit cards. 

With these efforts, BGC and Moovr PH aim to create a safer and more conducive environment for its BGCitizens and more. For more updates, you can also visit Bonifacio Global City’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/bonifacioglobalcityph.

Essential mental health tips to power through the pandemic

 

AXA Philippines recently participated in Belle De Jour Planner’s #PowerThrough webinar shared tips on how to stay strong amid the pandemic.

With the combination of new changes and health risks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, many may have been feeling overwhelmed, stressed, and scared. To help minimize the pandemic’s damaging effects on people’s mental health, AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance providers, has started the #HowAreYou Mental Awareness campaign to encourage open and honest conversations on mental health among the company, its clients, and the community at large.

 

To further highlight this, AXA recently participated in Belle De Jour Planner’s #PowerThrough webinar. Streamed on Belle De Jour’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/bdjbuzz), the webinar featured mental health advocate Dr. Gia Sison, founder of SOS Philippines (Survivors of Suicide and Depression) and Kate Alvarez who shared tips on how to stay strong amid these trying times. Here are some of the tips.

 

Ask “how are you?”

Every once in a while, don’t forget to check in with loved ones and friends. Listen to the answer. Don’t make it just a ‘by the way, how are you?’ but really listen.

 

Ask for the support of loved ones

According to Dr. Sison, what has helped her power through was the support of her family and friends. 

“It is even more important now, especially for me when I had days when I was down and out. Reaching out to them and knowing that meron talaga makikinig helped me power through.”

 

Give people time to open up

People are a little bit more sensitive during the pandemic. As such, Alvarez advised, 

“Everyone is going through something. We have to understand that we’re a little more sensitive about how we react to each other so if today, your friend didn’t reach out, give him/her some time to open up to you.”

 

Solve one problem at a time

Doing everything all at once can lead to anxiety and stress so pick one task that you need to do, address that, and you’ll get through it.

 

Find what works for you to fight off anxiety

When it comes to fighting anxiety, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The important thing is to keep trying. If meditation doesn’t work for you, find something else that makes you happy. It can be reading a book, playing online games, or watching Korean dramas.  

 

Include me-time and family time in your schedule

Have a fixed schedule for family time and time alone with yourself because otherwise, you’ll be swamped with work. Limit your work hours just like when you were in the office as this can really help you balance work life and home life.

 

Times are tough, but anyone can overcome them with these tips for staying strong amid the pandemic. To know more about AXA Philippines, visit www.axa.com.ph and follow AXA Philippines’ Facebook www.facebook.com/AXA.Philippines.

 

Leveraging on APIs to make real-world impact

“At the end of the day, finance is about people and enabling people. It is not people living for finance. Rather than treating it as a threat, we have to do two fundamental things. One is to accept that this is going to be a reality... and the approach that we’re doing is to focus on the end goal which is financial inclusion, especially in the Philippines. It’s about making a difference and how to get to the 60-65% of the population which is not banked or underserved. This is about how we fundamentally leverage all these technology and capabilities. But at the end of the day, putting it together, not as not a theoretical concept or proof of concept that never leaves the lab, but an actuality. Putting aside our competitive nature in order to result in an impact and making a difference.” ~Dr. David Hardoon, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) Senior Advisor for Data and Artificial Intelligence

Dr. Hardoon shared UnionBank’s digital transformation approach when it comes to application programming interface or APIs and open banking in the Planet of the APIs discussion at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2020. Open banking, which uses an application programming interface or APIs for shared data, has democratized the delivery of financial services in recent years. With this, traditional financial institutions are faced with the challenge brought about by many fintechs which rapidly reshape the industry.

Dr. Hardoon shared the Bank’s digital transformation approach when it comes to application programming interface or APIs and open banking in the Planet of the APIs discussion at the Singapore Fintech Festival 2020. 

He also shared that UnionBank is focusing on how to leverage data, the APIs, and the evolving ecosystem. True to this mission, UnionBank was the first local bank to expose its APIs externally in 2016 during its first ‘Hackathon.’ The Bank’s developer portal now contains UnionBank’s set of APIs available for developers especially fintechs who want to create new technology to extend financial services to the public.

Because of this early adoption, UnionBank was able to use its innovations even during the pandemic. One of which is to help the government disburse social amelioration funds which provided financial support to those who were in need during the start of the pandemic. This was made possible by the Bank’s i2i network which connected rural banks and enabled distribution of the funds. 

For the latest news, updates, and future features on UnionBank and its leaders, visit www.unionbankph.com and https://www.facebook.com/theunionbankerph.

Xiaomi Introduces Latest Entry-Level King: Redmi 9T! Ready, Set, 5G!

Xiaomi Introduces Latest Entry-Level King: Redmi 9T. Redmi 9T disrupts the entry-level smartphone segment with exceptional performance and multi-day battery life.

Global technology leader Xiaomi today announced the addition of a new Redmi smartphone: Redmi 9T. The new king of entry-level, Redmi 9T was designed to deliver the exceptional performance and multi-day battery life that users crave without compromising on photography capabilities and overall design.

Redmi 9T 

Develop cinematic photos, spend less time editing

Redmi 9T is a photography powerhouse with its 48MP AI quad rear-camera. The device’s 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera accommodates large group photos and wide landscape shots without cropping, while its 2MP macro lens and 2MP depth sensor enable stunning close-up shots with professional-level bokeh. Redmi 9T is also equipped with a new movie frame feature that gives photos a more cinematic look and feels without editing. It also sports a new time-lapse feature that offers various speed and duration values for shooting so users can capture creative time-lapse photos without tapping a DSLR or other professional camera. 

Performance shines through with a powerful chipset and a high-capacity battery

Despite its lightweight design, Redmi 9T packs a punch with its 6,000mAh (typ) battery and Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 662 chipset. Combined with its 11nm energy-efficient processor, Redmi 9T delivers higher performance with less heat production and lower power consumption than previous generations. Moreover, MIUI battery saving mode and reverse wired charging capabilities help maximize all-day, and even multi-day usage. 

Like Redmi Note 9T, Redmi 9T comes with 18W fast charging and an in-box 22.5W charger. 

Durability and comfort join forces for a superior entry-level smartphone experience

Redmi 9T features a modern and minimalistic design with its rounded corners and an anti-fingerprint textured back. Its 6.53” FHD+ Dot Drop display with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 offers a crisp and clear viewing experience and strong protection against cracks and scratches. 

Redmi 9T also comes with Widevine L1 and TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light certifications for a more enjoyable viewing experience. The device is available in four delightful color variants: Carbon Gray, Twilight Blue, Sunrise Orange, and Ocean Green.

 

More to love with expandable storage 

Complete with Dual SIM and microSD expandable storage, Redmi 9T offers expandable storage of up to 512GB so users can keep their favorite apps, games, photos, and videos all on one device. Infrared blaster support would come in handy on your Redmi 9T. 

Redmi 9T is coming to the Philippines soon. Follow the official Xiaomi Philippines Facebook Page Xiaomi Philippines Facebook Page for updates.

 

For product images please refer to Redmi 9T. 

About Xiaomi Corporation

Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is an internet company with smartphones and smart hardware connected by an Internet of Things (IoT) platform at its core.

With an equal emphasis on innovation and quality, Xiaomi continuously pursues a high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology.

Xiaomi is currently the world’s third-largest smartphone brand and has established the world’s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform with 289.5 million smart devices connected to its platform, excluding smartphones and laptops. Xiaomi products are present in more than 90 markets around the world. In August 2020, the company made the Fortune Global 500 list for the second time, ranking 422nd, up 46 places compared to the previous year. Xiaomi also ranked 7th among internet companies on the list.

Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, and Hang Seng TECH Index.

For more information about Xiaomi as a company, please visit https://blog.mi.com/en/.

Herbalife Nutrition’s Dr. Vuiniski Talks About Aging Healthily and Beautifully

“When we talk about healthy aging, we talk about aging with autonomy – taking care of your life and making your own decisions, growing older and deciding where you want to go, what you want to eat. In aging with autonomy, only 30% of the factor has to do with genetics, 70% has to do with your lifestyle – the way you eat, the way you exercise your body and your brain, the way you handle your body composition, the supplements you take, and your social life.” ~Dr. Nataniel Viniusky, a member of the Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board

Herbalife Nutrition recently held its Wellness Tour with Brazilian doctor Nathaniel Vuiniski. The good doctor has a lot to tell about advancing in years the healthy way. Not only that, he also gave tips on how to achieve youthful energy as we grow older and wiser.According to Dr. Nataniel Viniusky, a member of the Herbalife Nutrition Advisory Board, we should start early in preparing our bodies for eventual aging. The best way is to prevent the onset of serious diseases is by living a healthy active lifestyle when one is young.

Dr. Viniusky has a degree in Medicine with specialization in Nutrition and Pediatrics, and is a scientific consultant of the Catholic University of Brasilia; coordinator of the Post-Graduate Specialization Course on Obesity of the CBES Department – San Pablo; and chief doctor of the Nutrition Service of the Unimed Hospital – Caxias do Sul. He has done activities in the areas of Clinical Nutrition and Weight Management, and is also the former National Coordinator of the Healthy School Programme.

He further emphasized the need to take the right supplements and vitamins to keep young. Herbalife Nutrition, he said, has the Formula 1 Shake, Herbalife Tea Concentrate and Herbal Aloe that makes for a power breakfast. Aside from the Vitamin and Minerals and other products for targeted nutrition.The good doctor also revealed the results of the Herbalife Nutrition 2020 Asia Pacific Healthy Aging Survey, where consumers said that healthy aging is about being mentally active and sharp (61%); being physically active (57%); not suffering from illness (56%); living a free and independent life (52%); and not being a burden to their family (51%).

The survey cited four in 10 Filipinos expressed confidence in their ability to age healthily, with eight in 10 saying that they have already taken steps to age healthily. Among those surveyed,75% said they are taking vitamins and minerals; 28% are taking antioxidants; and 27% are taking calcium to help boost their immune system.The survey polled equal numbers of Generation Z (18 - 23 years), Millennials (24 - 39 years), Generation X (40 - 55 years) and Boomers+ (55 years and above) in 11 markets including Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Consumers defined healthy aging and painted a positive picture. Respondents said that healthy aging is about being mentally active and sharp (61 percent), physically active (57 percent), not suffering from any chronic or acute illness (56 percent), living a free and independent life (52 percent) and not being a burden to their family as they age (51 percent).

Only three in 10 (28 percent) Asia Pacific consumers expressed confidence in their ability to age healthily. Consumers in Southeast Asia were generally more confident than those in Northeast Asia. Indonesia had the greatest confidence (61 percent), followed by Malaysia (44 percent) and the Philippines (43 percent). On the other hand, consumers in Korea (17 percent), Taiwan (17 percent), Hong Kong (13 percent) and Japan (9 percent) displayed the lowest confidence across the Asia Pacific region.Majority of Asia Pacific consumers understand the importance of healthy aging, with seven in 10 consumers (73 percent) working on aging the healthy way. The steps they have cited include:

• Making better nutrition choices (73 percent).
• Engaging in more regular physical activities (69 percent).
• Engaging in mentally-stimulating activities or hobbies (50 percent).
• Taking supplements that promote healthy aging (46 percent).
• Going for more regular health check-ups (42 percent).

Skyrocket Studios Partners With Global Customer Engagement and Analytics Platform MoEngage

"Skyrocket is always looking for opportunities to grow and build relationships with partners in order to broaden our digital marketing capabilities for our clients. We are deeply grateful for the trust that MoEngage has placed in Skyrocket, and we are looking forward to introducing their products to our past, current, and future partners We understand that customer engagement is an important driving force of bottom-of-funnel digital marketing. It has become increasingly apparent with our partners and clients that MoEngage is a necessity as companies shift to mobile and get savvier with their marketing initiatives." ~F. Patrick Cuartero, CEO of Skyrocket Studios 

The partnership opens opportunities for both parties to work hand in hand and provide clients a 360-degree digital marketing capability on web and mobile devices through a strategic and data-driven approach.

In a bid to strengthen its presence in the ASEAN region, global customer engagement and analytics platform MoEngage has partnered with Manila-based digital marketing agency Skyrocket Studios. Headquartered in San Francisco, USA, MoEngage has offices in nine countries across North America, Europe, and Asia, and over 1000 customers across 35 countries. Just recently, the company announced its partnership with CIMB Bank Philippines and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC).

MoEngage’s mobile-first customer engagement platform brings together native and third-party data sources to help marketers create a comprehensive, unified customer profile. Additionally, customers can harness the benefits of its strong partner ecosystem, including partners such as Mixpanel, Segment, and Amplitude. The platform’s core capabilities ultimately enable brands to:

1. Analyze customer preferences, intent, and actions across the customer journey
2. Segment customers based on key attributes and activities and identify new engagement opportunities
3. Drive omnichannel engagement through powerful, automated journeys
4. Deliver hyper-personalized experiences and communications that boost retention

Processing over 70 billion customer interactions and delivering over 50 billion messages to 500 million customers every month, MoEngage is one of the fastest-growing companies in this market. It was recently recognized as a ‘Leader’ in the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile Marketing Platforms report.

"MoEngage is excited to start our partnership with Skyrocket. Both parties complement each other when it comes to building upon our strengths and developing practices to broaden each other's capabilities. With this collaboration, MoEngage will be moving towards firmly establishing ourselves in the Philippine market along with Skyrocket Studios." ~Raviteja Dodda, MoEngage CEO and co-founder

By collaborating with MoEngage, Skyrocket hopes to provide its partners with a 360-degree digital marketing capability on web and mobile devices through a strategic and data-driven approach. Clients signed under the agency can work with MoEngage for a streamlined digital marketing experience from one platform. This partnership between the customer engagement platform and the agency opens opportunities for both parties to work hand in hand and provide clients with smarter solutions for their digital marketing initiatives.

Ready to skyrocket your business? Contact info@skyrocket.ph for more information or visit https://www.skyrocket.ph.

About Skyrocket Studios

Skyrocket Studios is a Manila-based digital and creative marketing agency that turns the 99.9% to a full working 100. The team is composed of caffeine-fueled and driven individuals with a combined fifty years of experience in the field. They offer digital, creative, and technology-driven services; from search engine optimization to social media management; from branding and design to campaign management; from web design and development to e-commerce consultations, and much more. The agency has worked with both local and international clients across multiple industries such as food & beverage, real estate, pharmaceutical, automotive, and banking, amongst many others.

About MoEngage

MoEngage is an insights-led customer engagement platform, built for customer-obsessed marketers and product owners. More than 1,000 customer-obsessed brands across 35 countries use MoEngage to send 50 billion messages to 500 million consumers every month. With offices in nine countries, MoEngage is backed by marquee investors such as Eight Roads, F-Prime Capital, Matrix Partners, Helion Ventures, Exfinity Ventures, and Venture East. In the recent G2’s Fall reports, MoEngage was named a leader in 8 different categories including Mobile Marketing and Marketing Analytics. MoEngage was also named a Strong Performer in the recent Forrester Wave Report for Mobile Engagement Automation, Q3 2020.

GCash in 2020 Catalyzing Growth of the New Digital Economy

“GCash has played an integral role in keeping not only the economy going this year but keeping Filipinos safe and sane during the pandemic. We’ve seen not only heads of households and young adults use the GCash app for their financial lifestyle, but even consumers that advocate a greener Philippines, in maximizing what our platform has to offer. Aside from regular financial transactions such as money transfer and bill payments, we’ve noticed shifting behaviors on how money and digital money is being used, namely on entertainment, savings, donations, and online shopping.” ~Martha Sazon, President and CEO of GCash

GCash's year-ender stories, hitting PHP 1 trillion transactions and catalyzing growth last year..

2020 has been a year full of challenges, with the world still reeling from the effects of the COVID-19 economically. In the Philippines, consumers have adjusted to the new normal by adopting, among others, fintech services to make their financial lifestyles more convenient and themselves safe against the pandemic.

Dedicated in its commitment to democratizing payments, GCash, the undisputed leader and preferred mobile wallet in the Philippines, shares how Filipinos have embraced digital finance through a snapshot of its performance this year.

Over PHP 1 trillion in transactions have passed through the GCash app during 2020, peaking at a PHP 7.5 billion daily gross transaction value, and with more than 6 million transactions in a day. The mobile wallet company also grew its users to 33 million, a 65% growth versus last year.

GCash Forest, the mobile wallet’s multi-awarded, gamified solution in reducing the nation’s carbon footprint, has now over 6.7 million users actively collecting carbon points, which in turn can secure the users an actual tree to be planted in select forest sheds in the country. 

Crediting the mobile wallet’s quick pivot on user needs to further expand financial inclusion in the country through digital transformation.

GCash is also revolutionizing the way Filipinos handle their money. As of November 2020, 3 million GSave accounts have been opened, demonstrating how banking behavior is shifting from traditional physical branch visits, to simply transferring to a digital savings account. Lending is another example: Over PHP 8 billion have been extended to more than 900,000 Filipinos in need of funds through the app’s GCredit service, disrupting existing processes for loans in the country. 

As a force for good, GCash users have donated more than PHP 40 million in 2020 alone as a relief to those who have been affected by COVID-19 and the typhoons near the end of the year through the mobile wallet’s CSR initiative GCash for Good. Gone are the days where donations are only done through banks, with donors scanning deposit slips as proof of transactions. Once again, the behavior has shifted from traditional to digital. 

Shopping is another use case consumers have applied GCash to: this year alone, Filipinos spent over PHP 16 billion on popular online shopping sites such as Lazada and Shopee. Meanwhile, more than 600,000 merchants and social online sellers opened up shop during the pandemic with GCash as the primary mode of payment.

GCash is so pervasive in society that it’s becoming a verb: A Filipino on average mentions the word “GCash” on social media every second of every day in the country, not yet including other communication media such as personal conversations, texts, and emails. Memes have also popped up this holiday season, asking ninongs and ninangs to just send their aguinaldos using GCash.

The outlook of fintech indeed is bright in the country, especially now that the new normal is here. This year, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas announced their Digital Transformation Roadmap, where the agency aims to shift at least 50 percent of retail payment transactions to digital and to have at least 70 percent of Filipinos have their own e-wallet by 2023. GCash fully supports this endeavor and is confident that it will be able to accelerate meeting this goal, as 1 in 3 Filipinos already has a GCash account. 

Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), which operates GCash, is part of the portfolio companies of 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines wholly-owned by Globe Telecom Inc.

GCash is available for download on the App Store and Google Play. For more information, kindly visit https://www.gcash.com/.