UnionBank wins HR Asia’s ‘Best Company to Work for in Asia 2019’ award

Fresh from receiving its “Dream Company to Work For 2019” award at the recent Philippines Best Employer Brand Awards, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) was once again lauded for its exceptional corporate culture, this time bagging HR Asia’s “Best Company to Work for in Asia 2019” award last Friday at the Marriott Hotel Manila.

HR Asia is considered as Asia’s most authoritative publication for senior HR professionals, where best practices and inner workings of companies are investigated to understand what distinguishes them from the rest.

More units for aspiring homeowners in Alabang as Amaia Steps

Spurred by the brisk sales of its first five buildings—Aria, Blanca, Clara, Delicia, and Esperanza—Amaia Steps Alabang is set to launch Helena, the newest building that aims to seamlessly provide more well-designed, modern spaces for Filipinos seeking high-quality homes in the Alabang area.

Amaia Land saw the need to fast-track the opening of Helena following the quick occupancy of Aria (98%), Blanca (97%), Clara (95%), and Delicia (93%). Esperanza, which was launched earlier this year, has sold 89% of its available units.

3 Common Types of Scams You Should Be Aware Of

Philippine banks have been ramping up their digitization efforts to serve their consumers faster and make banking simpler and secured for them. However, this improvement isn’t without risks. As banks innovate and enhances the security features of their products and services, scammers also advance in the technology and methods they employ.

Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) believes that being aware of the most common scams – how they are done and how to avoid them – can help you to protect yourself from becoming victims.

Manny Pacquiao Launches Pac Coins This Year

Global Crypto Offering Exchange (GCOX) announces during a press conference at Makati Shangri-La, Manila this Friday that the global blockchain company is producing the highly-anticipated Manny Pacquiao Live In Concert 2019 and PAC Token launch scheduled to be held at the prestigious Smart Araneta Coliseum on 1 September 2019. Present at the press conference are legendary boxing world champion and Senator of the Philippines.

Arnold Vegafria, and Sir Dr. Jeffrey Lin, CEO of GCOX Manny Pacquiao, his business manager GCOX is a licensed cryptocurrency exchange that offers an unprecedented platform for global celebrities to issue personalized tokens. The Exchange had a successful launch on 21 May 2019.

Troo launches BuildWealth Limited Pay as an investment-linked life insurance plan with guaranteed payment terms

In photo (from L-R): Rafael Algarra, Jr., SEVP & Loans, Wealth and Markets Head (EastWest Bank), Richard Chester Tamayo, FVP-Priority Banking Head (EastWest Bank), Martha Isabel Perez, Deputy Head of Bancassurance (Troo), Melinda Valencia, Chief Bancassurance Officer (Troo), Jesus Roberto Reyes, President & Deputy CEO (EastWest Bank), Gerardo Susmerano, SEVP & Retail Banking Head (EastWest Bank), Ivy Uy, SVP & Regional Branch Banking Head (EastWest Bank)

When it comes to growing your wealth, insurance may not always be the first thing that comes into mind. But Troo’s BuildWealth Limited Pay not only offers policyholders an insurance policy with guaranteed payment terms, it comes bundled with a variety of investment options. 

GCash and Concentrix Tie Up for Digital Rewards Launch: Over 20k Employees Enjoy Mobile Money Convenience

The leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, GCash, partnered with the country’s largest private employer, Concentrix, to provide digital rewards to the BPO company’s employees. This is in line with Concentrix’s drive to digitize aspects of employee rewards and recognition, thus providing greater value, flexibility, and convenience for any of its 80,000 staff nationwide.

"Our employee incentive programs take many forms, but a digital solution like GCash is great because it enables us to quickly and easily provide rewards to our team. Moreover, the perceived value of the reward is much higher because they are free to choose how they want to use it so that it stays relevant to their individual needs,” said Rain Tan, Head of People Solutions in Concentrix Philippines. 

Considering to buy a pre-loved car? Here are the benefits!

Other than a house, a car is probably the most expensive purchase a person ever makes.  But while everyone loves the look and feel of a brand new car, buying a pre-loved vehicle might be a better way of managing your finances responsibly and getting more value for your money.

While there are also discounted rates or bargain buys on brand new vehicles, buying pre-loved cars --particularly those that are less than two-years old-- can help you keep some of your savings in the bank. Below are the benefits of buying a pre-loved car over a brand new one:

SM Prime & Hamilo Coast: Defining Beach Resort Living in the Philippines

SM Prime's Hamilo Coast is a master-planned development,
a sprawling beach resort community that encompasses 13 coves.
Its maiden development, Pico de Loro Cove, is home to residential
condominium developments and a variety of leisure amenities. 

Recognized as one of the largest integrated property developers in Southeast Asia, SM Prime offers innovative and sustainable lifestyle communities. Under its portfolio of leisure developments is Hamilo Coast, a master-planned seaside community located along Nasugbu, Batangas. 

Hamilo Coast is a sprawling coastline residential resort town that encompasses three major mountain peaks and 13 coves, three of which are Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Its unique location at the head of the Nasugbu coastline makes it the gateway to the so-called “Philippine Riviera”.

Bounded by the vast West Philippine Sea and misty cloud-covered Pico mountain ranges in the east, Hamilo Coast carefully integrates residential, resort, leisure, commercial, and institutional land uses into its communities, wherein beach resort living will eventually be spun into an everyday lifestyle choice. 

Hamilo Coast's latest residential development is Freia,
a contemporary tropical inspired beachfront condominium
with encompassing vistas of the West Philippine Sea and Mt. Pico.

Pico de Loro Cove, Hamilo Coast’s maiden development, is a vibrant community where environmental sustainability thrives. It boasts of a 1.5 km. stretch of fine white sand beach, a 4-hectare man-made lagoon centerpiece with pocket gardens, and a Beach and Country Club that features the most extensive land- and sea-based recreational facilities in Nasugbu. In 2007, Hamilo Coast teamed up with the World Wide Fund for Nature-Philippines, a partnership that continues to thrive up to this day. One of its environmental programs included declaring Pico de Loro Cove as one of its Marine Protected Areas. Conservation efforts under this partnership include ridge-to-reef management, the use of renewable energy, and guidance on the responsible and eco-handling of solid waste.

A membership at the Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club is a pass to a whole new world of exciting recreational adventures. A member has access to aquatic sports like sailing, kayaking, windsurfing and scuba diving and outdoor activities such as hiking, trekking, and birdwatching. Members can also enjoy indoor activities such as billiards, bowling, basketball, tennis, badminton, and swimming.

The Pico de Loro Cove Beach and Country Club is a lifetime
 membership club that provides exclusive access to the most extensive
 land and sea-based recreational activities in Nasugbu, Batangas.

To enhance, Hamilo Coast continues to elevate beach resort living through its latest residential offering, Freia. Rising a few steps away from Pico de Loro Cove’s beachfront, Freia gives its future residents a breathtaking vista of the serene blue waters of the West Philippine Sea and verdant Pico mountains. 

Upon entering Freia, residents are welcomed by a grand, high-ceiling lobby designed by acclaimed consultant Budji+Royal. The beach condominium will offer 214 superior two-bedroom units and nine bi-level three-bedroom penthouses, each designed with living spaces, large picturesque windows, and spacious balconies, that open up to the owner’s chosen view. 

Only a 90-minute drive from the SM Mall of Asia, Hamilo Coast is the premier sustainable beach resort town of the Philippines. 

Hamilo Coast is the SM Group’s premier beach resort town in Nasugbu, Batangas. It is now approximately 90 minutes from Manila via Cavitex and the new Ternate-Nasugbu Road. For inquiries, call (632) 945-8000 or visit www.hamilocoast.com.

Lalamove Embraces GCash for Partner Driver Payments, Explore More Opportunities for Cashless Transactions

Local logistics provider Lalamove Philippines have partnered with the nation’s leading mobile wallet GCash to secure payments for their partner drivers. This move comes after the company’s push for a more efficient disbursement method for their drivers, who are usually on field 24/7.

Logistics personnel usually encounter challenges when withdrawing their salaries, as some still depend on cash envelopes, in which, by late afternoon, their head office is already closed. Meanwhile, some do not have ATM cards at all. GCash solves this with the GCash App and its GCash Mastercard. The GCash App empowers the user to be able to use money in the app real-time: customers can purchase discounted prepaid load, send money to other GCash users for free, pay utility bills without actually setting foot in payment centers, or pay using GCash QR in over 60,000 GCash Partner Merchants nationwide, including restaurants, apparel, and other product and service brands. The GCash Mastercard, on the other hand, is a card directly linked to a customer’s GCash App, and can be used for swipe, ATM, and online transactions. 

EastWest Bank and Ageas steadily build local insurtech Troo

In photo (L-R): Dominik Smeets, Chief Strategy & Business
Development Officer (Troo); Hans Loozekoot, President & CEO (Troo);
Antonio C. Moncupa Jr., Vice-Chairman & CEO (EastWest Bank);
and Jesus Roberto S. Reyes, President & Deputy CEO (EastWest Bank)

EastWest Bank and Ageas celebrate the 4th anniversary of their joint venture in the Philippines. This partnership operates under the brand name Troo. Troo offers life insurance to customers of EastWest Bank and Filinvest Group.

“From the start, Troo has been embracing the latest technology and digital solutions as a core of its daily business,” says Hans Loozekoot, President & CEO of Troo. “We are the first insurance company in the world to put in place its end-to-end integrated IT platform in the cloud. This enables us to offer our customers a seamless experience and optimize our operations.”