Balancing data collection, customer privacy enables better user experiences –UnionBank exec

Union Bank of the Philippines’ (UnionBank) Chief Technology & Operations Officer and Chief Transformation Officer Henry Aguda recently talked about the importance of balancing data collection and individual privacy and how this ensures the best experiences for customers.

Speaking at an online forum, “Realizing the Promise of AI in Financial Services for Exceptional Customer Experience,” organized by global technology company Altair, Aguda shared valuable insights on how UnionBank is able to achieve this balance, benefiting customers and its employees.

“Everything has to have a balance, between the rights of individuals—our customers; and the need for the Bank to maximize its top line -- which is, the more you know about your customers, the more you are able to influence what they procure as services from you,” Aguda said.

Globe, UnionBank ink alliance on info sharing to fight online banking fraud

Leading Philippine digital technology companies Globe and UnionBank recently inked an agreement to provide mutual support on investigations involving online banking fraud.

The alliance, the first of its kind in the country today, covers information sharing among others. 

Under the agreement signed on March 24, Globe will provide UnionBank information about mobile numbers potentially used by fraudsters to help in online banking fraud investigations. This will help Globe detect illicit activity within its network. UnionBank for its part, will likewise trigger and share relevant information necessary to pursue investigations in accordance with the Data Privacy Act and the aforementioned Data Sharing Agreement. 

Open finance to accelerate financial inclusion goal — UBX

Open finance has the power to accelerate the country’s financial inclusion goal, as it democratizes access to a spectrum of financial products and services particularly for the unbanked and underbanked as well as growing business, according to a ranking official of UBX, the leading open finance platform in the Philippines. 

Driving access and interoperability among financial ecosystem participants, open finance allows financial institutions to reach the unbanked and underbanked, while empowering them to tailor solutions that meet the needs of consumers and businesses.

Growing Together: Lamudi and RLC Residences Renew Ties

From left to right: Lamudi Philippines Managing Director and CEO Kenneth Stern; RLC Residences Director, Head of Marketing and Chief Integration Officer Karen Cesario; RLC Residences Senior Vice President and Business Unit General Manager John Richard Sotelo; Lamudi Co-Founder and CEO Kian Moini; and Lamudi Philippines Vice President-Operations Ramjit Lahiri.

Driven by a force to elevate the ways of living of their patrons, Lamudi and RLC Residences inked a partnership agreement once again. The contract signing held physically marks the second year of partnership between the two firms.

UnionBank GlobalLinker partners with Lazada to help entrepreneurs expand their online presence

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), the country's leading digital bank for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), has again teamed up with one of the major e-commerce platforms Lazada, enabling online sellers to have more options when it comes to bringing their products closer to customers.

With the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signed last 10 March 2022, UnionBank through its digital MSME online platform UnionBank GlobalLinker (UBGL), will create a special site for all Lazada sellers and the latter will do the same for UBGL sellers. All existing Lazada sellers prior to the partnership will be automatically included.

Pru Life UK recognizes the best of its agency force at the 2022 Prudence Ball

(Left to right, Bottom) Deegee Razon, Area Manager
Carl Benson Olivar, Sharon Pesengco, District Manager
Henry Gocuan, District Manager Tessie Koa-Siy,
District Manager Jonash Go, Unit Manager John Ronnel
Sales and Branch Manager Marko Alejandro.
(Left to right, Top) Pru Life UK Chief Customer Marketing
Officer Allan Tumbaga, Pru Life UK Chief Distribution
Officer Maria Divina Furagganan, Pru Life UK President
 and CEO Eng Teng Wong and Pru Life UK General Manager
and Chief Operating Officer Gilbert Simpao.

Leading life insurer Pru Life UK honored its top agents through its annual Prudence Ball held at Okada Manila in Paranaque City.

The Prudence Ball, which started in 2015, is the culmination of the annual recognition activities for the Pru Life UK Agency. It is a celebration of the most outstanding members of Pru Life UK’s agency force who made big contributions to the company’s success in recent years by reaching out to more and more Filipinos who want to get the most out of life.

Online shopping worries? We’ve got you covered at no additional cost!

Enjoy online shopping insurance with PayMaya's Buyer Protect   

PayMaya users can now enjoy better peace of mind when shopping online with Buyer Protect, the only online shopping insurance provided at no additional cost by an e-wallet in the country.   Buyer Protect is underwritten by leading general insurer AIG Philippines Insurance and developed by PayMaya with leading international insurtech, bolttech.  

If you shop online and pay using your PayMaya account, you now enjoy peace of mind for undelivered, incomplete, or damaged purchases. This is because you are now covered – thanks to Buyer Protect. Best of all, you can take advantage of this offer at no extra cost! 

With Buyer Protect Insurance, you can enjoy coverage for purchases with a minimum spend of PHP100 per transaction from legitimate online sellers with their own website or official stores on Lazada, Shopee, Instagram, Facebook Marketplace, and similar sites.    

UnionBank updates MSME banking app; VISA, MasterCard debit, credit now available with UPAY

Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), the leading banking partner of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country, has rolled out the latest update for its MSME Business Banking app, introducing new features that will give business owners more flexibility when it comes to collecting payments from customers and managing their account.

First is an added payment option in the app's "Request Payment" feature, which allows business owners to collect payments through a link that they can send to customers. Users can now collect payments via VISA and MasterCard Debit and Credit cards, on top of Instapay, GrabPay, Gcash, Palawan Express, Cebuana Lhuillier, and ECPay Partner Outlets.

Second, the app now has a dashboard – designed to improve user experience by making navigation easier, as well as improve the app's overall performance. The new feature is UnionBank's way of addressing customer feedback related to the app's user interface and performance --ensuring customer satisfaction.

EastWest Rewards Cardholders with a luxurious beach staycation

Photos show lucky couple, Althea and Alfredo Arenajo,
during their free staycation at the stunning Crimson Resort
and Spa Boracay after Althea became one of the lucky
winners of EastWest credit card’s Dip, Tap, orClick to Win,
 an Island Paradise Getaway Raffle Promo in 2020.

Getting just about anything your heart desires is easier with an EastWest credit card, even getting a free luxury staycation in Boracay!      

That is what Mrs. Althea Arenajo found out when she became one of the lucky winners of EastWest credit card’s Dip, Tap, or Click to Win an Island Paradise Getaway Raffle Promo in 2020.  Together with her husband, Mr. Alfredo Arenajo, they booked a free staycation at the stunning Crimson Resort and Spa Boracay.

“Our Boracay trip was a wonderful fling amidst the pandemic boredom. The Crimson Resort and Spa Boracay accommodation was the perfect place which soothed our thirst for ‘rest and recreation’, healing our burnt-out condition brought about by COVID-19 onslaught,” Mr. and Mrs. Arenajo said in a joint statement.

‘Empowering Pinays to drive economic growth’

The Philippines should prioritize the inclusion of women in the financial systems to empower them leading households, communities, and the broader economy towards a growth path that could generate greater gains for the country. 

During the Women and Tech: Inclusion and Empowerment Webinar hosted by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), women leaders of open finance champion UBX, AI-powered finance platform Bixie, and humanitarian agency Catholic Relief Services (CRS) urged both the public and private sectors to empower women by including them in the country’s financial systems, as they are key to unlocking the growth potential of the economy. 

UBX’s i2i to grow by 300% in 2022

i2i - the banking-as-a-service platform and open finance community under fintech innovator UBX, expects business to grow by as much as 300% in 2022. This year’s growth comes after recording impressive results in 2021 on the back of strong demand for banking services across the country.

The platform ended 2021 with 44x growth as it turned ordinary merchants into banking agents that offer a suite of banking solutions to unserved and underserved communities. 

i2i attributes this growth to the demand for its mobile ATM services - which allows merchants to allow cardholders to withdraw cash from their accounts through a handheld ATM device. 

SMDC’s Glam Residences, the pinnacle of bespoke luxury in Quezon City

Nothing more ‘glamorous’ than a sound investment

Beyond a stable job, the one thing success-driven singles and newly-wed couples need the most is a home that doesn't just nurture their aspirations, but also lets them actualize the dream lifestyle that comes with it. 

As the country’s leading real-estate developer, SM Development Corporation (SMDC) is recognized for its award-winning developments — each of which is built to foster growth, health, and genuine happiness for all of its residents. 

Glam Residences, in particular, aims to do the same and more for goal-oriented young Filipinos seeking a life of vibrance, spectacle, and glamor. With lavish embellishments, a highly-progressive and connected location, and a wide breadth of world-class amenities, Glam Residences is the auspicious choice for the savvy real estate investor. 

UnionDigital Bank partners with Yield Guild Games to Cater to the Philippines’ Largest Play-to-Earn Community

(L-R) Maria Gaitanidou, Chief Launch Officer, UnionDigital Bank; Arvie de Vera, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, UnionDigital Bank; Gabby Dizon, Co-founder, YGG; Luis Buenaventura; Country Manager, YGG; Kat Gonzalez; Head of Operations, YGG

UnionDigital Bank, the digital bank entity of the Union bank of the Philippines, has officially formalized its partnership with global play-to-earn guild Yield Guild Games (YGG) during its first-ever Managers’ Summit held last March 3-5, 2002, at Conrad Manila in Pasay City. 

Pru Life UK unveils PRUHouse to promote agile workspaces for its sales force

Leading life insurer Pru Life UK continues to show its support to its growing sales force as it provides a dynamic and agile workspace embracing the future of work, with the recent opening of its first ever PRUHouse.

Located in Ortigas, PRUHouse is part of Pru Life UK’s initiatives to create adaptable workspaces fit to the different workstyles of its agency force. It offers an inclusive environment suitable and conducive for a wide range of activities to empower financial advisors in reaching out and catering to more customers and their needs.

UBX, Bixie partner to empower Pinays with financial tools, knowledge

UBX, the leading open finance platform in the Philippines, and Bixie, an AI-powered finance platform for women, have joined hands to empower Filipino women with financial knowledge, network, tools, products, and services to help them become financially independent. 

Under the partnership, Bixie will leverage the open finance platform of UBX to seamlessly disburse aid funds directly to Filipina beneficiaries through i2i’s unique last mile disbursement network. 

i2i, the banking-as-a-service venture of UBX, has a network of over 3,000 banking agents that provide basic banking solutions and services in unserved and underserved areas in the Philippines. 

SeekCap seeks to grow 4x in 2022

SeekCap, an online lending marketplace built by leading open finance platform UBx, gears for a fourfold increase in loans processed in 2022, as it further strengthens its pursuit for partnerships with online communities, platforms, and governments to reach more micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who need access to business loans. 

This optimism comes on the back of SeekCap’s remarkable growth in 2021, when it processed over P6 billion in loans from more than 40,000 MSMEs. This year, SeekCap aims to process roughly P33.5 billion in loans, a target that is 6x higher than the volume last year. 

DataLand to launch more projects in strategic locations

Strengthens commitment to making real estate more accessible to Filipinos

When it comes to real estate developments that are of the highest quality while still providing better value for money for its clients, no other company in the country can stand as tall as DataLand, Inc. (DLI). 

DataLand is the real estate arm of DDT Konstract, Inc. (DDTKI), a Filipino-owned company and one of the few select Quadruple ‘A’ rated construction companies in the country with over 20 years of proven industry track record. While it was making a name for itself, it has invested in a state-of-the-art precast plant, the Data Precast Systems, Inc. (DPSI) – one of the most advanced precast facilities in the country that produces fire and moisture-resistant, sound proof and durable concrete walls and building materials.