UnionBank holds Selyado Wednesdays e-learning series for MSMEs

In celebration of Privacy Awareness Week, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank) continued its Selyado 4.0 series of weekly e-learning sessions. These were conducted to educate micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and highlight the importance of data privacy in the digital age.

“Data Proficiency for Beginners” the first topic had for its main speaker Edwin Concepcion, ASEAN of Straits Interactive Pte. Ltd., Head of Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS). He gave an introduction on data proficiency -- what it is, how it can be done, and why organizations should prioritize it. Concepcion defined data proficiency as one's capacity to utilize data to positively impact an organization. For MSMEs, he noted that its benefits included improved operational efficiency that in turn, lowers operational costs; as well as create better experiences for customers.

“Cybersecurity for MSMEs” was ably discussed by no less than UnionBank’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Joey Rufo. For this second leg, focus was on cybersecurity as a must for MSMEs especially amidst the steadily growing digital economy. It remains one of the major issues individuals and organizations face today as we continue to shift to the digital space.  

Rufo emphasized that cybersecurity applies especially to the MSMEs, since many shops and firms have set up e-commerce sites or have shifted their businesses online. This setup exposes them and their customers to the threat of cyber attacks (like malware, phishing, etc.) which is why they also need to prioritize cybersecurity. Rufo reminded the business owners that consumers will only transact their information and money with establishments they can trust.

“Updates on DP Regulations and Data Privacy Trends,” the third forum, had National Privacy Commission (NPC) Deputy Commissioner Leandro Aguirre as presenter. Atty. Aguirre touched on the various government initiatives in ensuring that organizations are able to play their part in protecting the data of Filipinos. He also discussed trends that are seen to dominate data privacy in the next few months. Atty. Aguirre underscored the importance of the private and public sectors working together to advance the promotion of data privacy in the country.

Attendees who were able to complete each session were given certificates of participation. UnionBank likewise held raffle draws giving away special prizes to make the sessions more exciting.

The Bank also made it possible for those who missed the #SelyadoWednesday e-learning live streams to have access to the recording of all the sessions on demand and get certificates upon completion. They can visit the UBPXcellerator website https://ubpxcellerator.apptitude.xyz/) and register for a free account.