Sun Life Prosperity Card now available in P1,000 denomination

In keeping with efforts to make investing in mutual funds even more accessible to Filipinos, Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. (SLAMCI) is launching a new variant of its Sun Life Prosperity Card in a lower denomination of only P1,000.

A first in the industry, the Sun Life Prosperity Card is a stored value gift card that may be used to invest in peso-denominated mutual funds managed and distributed by SLAMCI. It may be purchased for personal use or as a gift to loved ones.

The Sun Life Prosperity Card is a lasting and precious gift option ideal for special occasions such as birthdays, baptisms, graduations, and weddings," said SLAMCI President Valerie Pama. "It enables the recipient to have his own starter mutual fund with a value that potentially appreciates over time.

UnionBank invests in Shiptek J.V. Partnership seen to take logistics to greater heights

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), the country’s Best Digital Bank, is acquiring 30-percent stake in technology solutions firm Shiptek Solutions Corp, the developer of end-to-end digital logistics platform known as XLOG.

UnionBank, via its wholly owned technology and investments subsidiary UBX Philippines Corp., recently inked an agreement with Shiptek to formalize their strategic partnership. Shiptek is owned by the Ynion Group which has been in the logistics business for over two decades.

“As an industry leader in digital banking, we continuously endeavor to co-create innovations with like-minded companies who are as obsessed in forging transformative experiences for customers. We have long sought to serve the logistics sector, and with the onset of digitization, the introduction of platforms like XLOG, represents the industry's movement from traditional methods to electronic. And with such change, it is vital for the bank to continue to be relevant to its customers by being present,” said UnionBank President and CEO Edwin Bautista.

Savor Cool Mountain Weather and the Tropical Sun at Vireya in Tagaytay Highlands

Nestled in the highest point of The Midlands is Vireya
 which overlooks the mysterious Mount Makiling and the majestic 
Taal Lake---blending the elements of nature with modern 
architecture---in a tropical-themed community set in a lavishly 
green landscape and perfect for those seeking to savor 
the cold Tagaytay weather the whole year-round.

Yearning for the cool mist of the mountains, while lured by the warmth of the tropics? Let’s face it: a lot of Filipinos do. This is why during the hot and humid summer, many drive up north for the chilly weather or book for “staycations” in the metro’s plush hotels—then troop to the beach for some fun in the sun. 

The good news now is Filipinos can savor year-round cool weather and, at the same time, enjoy a sunny ambiance at Tagaytay Highlands’ Vireya, a residential enclave where the warmth of the tropics meets the cool breeze of the mountains.

Cashless Shopping Race

The aspiration of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for the country is to transform a fifth of total volume of transactions to non-cash methods by 2020.

Achieving this goal might sound to be a bit of a stretch, but it is highly doable, as the signs of the time point to two things — that Filipinos are now more receptive to disruptive technology and that handling cash is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Coding the future of payments: GCash breaches 50k QR merchant mark

The use of QR for mobile digital payments is very popular in various emerging and developed economies. In China, for example, mobile digital payments account for over half of the country’s total transaction volumes.

In the Philippines, the use of the said technology is still in its nascent stage, and has yet to see an explosion in usage today. 

Despite this GCash, operated by Globe Fintech Innovations Inc. (Mynt), sees the value of setting up as many QR-enabled merchants as possible, as it believes that the future of mobile digital payments lies on innovative technologies.