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Information sharing for fraud probes allowed by privacy law

RUPIXEN.COM
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS can share their clients’ information to help fraud investigations. — RUPIXEN.COM/UNSPLASH

INFORMATION SHARING by financial institutions for fraud investigations does not violate the country’s privacy law, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said.

Memorandum No. M-2021-059 signed by BSP Deputy Governor Chuchi G. Fonacier told financial institutions to cooperate and share relevant information to third parties in aid of fraud investigation. The directive covers financial institutions, payment gateway providers, third-party service providers and law enforcement agencies.

Based on the memorandum, information that can be shared among stakeholders in a fraud investigation include clients’ name, home or delivery address, e-mail address, mobile number and other contact details, bank and financial account information, and transaction details.

Ms. Fonacier said they sought clarification and advice from the National Privacy Commission (NPC) on whether these details can be freely shared without the consent of the subject.

Based on Advisory Opinion No. 2021-026 of the NPC’s Privacy Policy Office, these information fall under exceptions to the prohibition of sharing privileged data under Republic Act 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

In particular, the NPC said Section 13 (f) of the law applies to fraud investigations as they are “necessary for the protection of lawful rights and interests of natural or legal persons in court proceedings, or in the establishment, exercise of defense of legal claims, or when provided to government or public authority.”

“The same does not require an existing court proceeding, and thus, such processing will not necessarily require a court order,” the NPC said.

The agency said such investigations shall be strictly for the purpose of resolving previously committed frauds and preventing possible incidents from happening.

It added that only personal information relevant to the investigation can be processed.

As digital payments have increased during the pandemic, cybercriminals have had more chances to attack and exploit financial institutions, the central bank said.

BSP Governor Benjamin E. Diokno previously said they received about 20,000 complaints from financial consumers in 2020, most of which were related to fraud and unauthorized transactions.

“The BSP’s ongoing cyberthreat surveillance shows that the impact of cyberattacks and fraudulent schemes increasingly extend over two or more financial institutions simultaneously,” the memorandum said.

Mr. Diokno has said a major cyberattack could affect the stability of the financial system and vowed regulators will remain vigilant of emerging cyberthreat trends.

Fintech Alliance.ph Chairman Angelito M. Villanueva welcomed the new directive as it stressed the legal grounds of information sharing for fraud investigation among concerned financial institutions.

“It is only of utmost importance for regulators and industry leaders to continue collaborating to secure and protect consumer against digital fraud,” Mr. Villanueva said in a Viber message. — L.W.T. Noble

3 Pinoy properties chosen by Conde Nast Traveller readers

Lagen Island — ELNIDORESORTS.COM

THREE Philippine properties made it to Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards for the Top 25 Resorts in Asia for 2021. The list counts the top resorts in the region outside of Indonesia and Thailand.

The El Nido Resorts in Lagen, Apulit, Pangalusian, and Miniloc islands placed 9th with a score of 98.8; Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort & Spa placed 11th, with a score of 98.14; while Discovery Shores Boracay ranked #17 with a score of 97.11. Six Senses in Bhutan took the top spot with a score of 99.38.

On that note, a sister property of Discovery Shores, Club Paradise Palawan, under the Discovery World Corp. umbrella, was the only Philippine-based property included in the Top 100 Sustainable Stories awards.

Jose Parreño, Director and President of Discovery World Corp. said in a statement, “We are deeply grateful for these international recognitions for both resorts. Our dedication for service and our commitment to our guests, the environment and the community where we belong have been our driving force, especially during this very challenging time. We proudly carry the Philippine flag in all our wins and we are extremely delighted to be have been able to put the Philippines on the map of world-class tourism.”

Discovery Shores Boracay has consistently won awards since at least 2018: an e-mail from the company lists the property as the Hall of Fame winner of The Choice 2019’s Favorite Beach Resort Hotel, and the 2018 Winner of the Condé Nast Johansens Awards for Excellence Best for Families (Asia). Club Paradise, meanwhile, won the Hall of Fame award and the Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor in 2019, and was the 2018 winner of the World Luxury Hotel Awards for the category Global Winner – Luxury Wedding Destination.

In an e-mail to BusinessWorld, he discussed how the properties won the awards, despite the pandemic putting on hold travel plans for millions around the world. “Our passion for what we do, our dedication for service, and our commitment to our guests, the environment and the community where we belong have kept our spirits alive especially during these challenging times. The pandemic has not stopped us with our trainings and guest engagement activities. We used this time as an opportunity to renovate, to train and develop our skills, and to enhance our safety standards. This moment has allowed us to strengthen our brand culture,” he said.

“We remain positive as vaccines are being rolled out and we look forward to the restoration of confidence among travelers and eventually, an immediate rebound of the tourism industry.”

In the same e-mail, he continued: “We believe that the pandemic is just a momentary pause and that the tourism industry will bounce back because it is in people’s nature to travel and explore. This is our belief and our inspiration as we continue to innovate and develop our people and our product.”

“All of us at Discovery Resorts are true ambassadors of Filipino hospitality,” said Mr. Parreño in a statement. — JLG

Philippine firms show ‘very high’ interest in integration capabilities

BOOMI, which offers an integration platform, said businesses in the Philippines are showing “very high” interest in the technology, making the country its second most important market in Southeast Asia after Singapore.

“The Philippines is showing a lot of promise for me… in terms of interest. There are a lot of serious discussions… It helps that the interest level is very, very high,” Boomi’s General Manager for Asia Hon Chew Seetoh told BusinessWorld in a recent virtual interview.

Among the challenges faced by Philippine-based companies, especially those engaged in business process outsourcing (BPO) and manufacturing, is how they can improve operational efficiency.

“[Cloud] integration makes it easy for you to integrate from point to point or where you want to go,” Mr. Seetoh said.

“A lot of Philippine companies are not just servicing the Philippine market, but also the world. We call that trading partners (like BPO companies). The employers of these BPOs are spread out in the regions, so we can help connect all these parts of the supply chain in what we call the trading partners solution,” he added.

Another challenge is how companies can manage, harmonize, and use their data to accelerate their digital transformation journey.

“To do something in the new way, you have to figure out what it is that you are trying to do,” Mr. Seetoh said.

“Now, how do [integration and data management] solve problems in the Philippines? First, lack of manpower with the skill set required. Skill sets in integration are very hard to find even in the Philippines. If we can automate this task, we can then focus more on finding out new uses for the data as opposed to manually doing programming,” he noted.

“The value is in analyzing the data and finding out new uses for it.”

Mr. Seetoh also considers the Philippines as Boomi’s second most important market in the region.

“Outside Singapore, the Philippines is the second most important market for me… I’m comparing you to Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia,” he said.

“There seems to be a turning point in the Philippines. The businesses, when it comes to digital transformation, are starting to get it. They want to go forward.”

On its website, Boomi said its data integration platform enables businesses to overcome complexity and break down data silos by integrating on-premises and cloud application, various data sources, and devices.

Boomi, a software company, has more than 17,000 global customers and over 800 global partners. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Shakey’s opens first R&B store in Metro Manila

SHAKEYSPIZZA.PH

SHAKEY’S Pizza Asia Ventures, Inc. (SPAVI) recently opened the first R&B milk tea store in Metro Manila as part of the company’s expansion plans.

The listed company said in a stock exchange disclosure on Wednesday that the first R&B store is situated in Retiro, Quezon City. The store is also the country’s first milk tea shop that offers a drive-through option.   

“R&B is one of the leading milk tea and bubble tea brands in Singapore. It currently has more than 1,000 outlets worldwide, spanning across China, US, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia,” SPAVI said.

In 2020, SPAVI forged a master franchise agreement with Singapore-based Koufu Group Ltd. to bring the R&B milk tea brand into the country.   

Since then, the listed firm rolled out the milk tea brand in more than half of its Shakey’s Pizza and Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken outlets, with dine-in and delivery choices.   

“We are very excited about the opening of the first R&B store here in Manila. For the past year, R&B has been leveraging the company’s expansive store network and broad customer base to scale. The brand is performing better than expected, and we believe that it can accelerate further as we begin building its store network,” SPAVI President and Chief Executive Officer Vicente L. Gregorio said.   

“This innovative store concept was designed with the needs of our guests in mind. Our guests want safe and convenient ways to satisfy their craving for milk tea. Thus, we built the first drive-through milk tea store to wow them,” he added.

For the first six months of 2021, SPAVI opened 16 new outlets, ending the period with 295 stores within its network. The new outlets are designed in cost-efficient store formats designed to cater to off-premise guests.   

On Wednesday, shares of SPAVI at the local bourse rose 0.49% or four centavos to close at P8.14 apiece. — Revin Mikhael D. Ochave 

Dining In/Out (11/04/21)

CHEFS Bettina Arguelles and Miko Calo

Sofitel to hold four-hands dinner

IN an exclusive one-night only event, the chefs behind Sofitel Manila and Metronome — Bettina Arguelles and Miko Calo — collaborate for a four-hands dinner on Nov. 24 at Sofitel Manila’s Le Bar. Both trained in the French culinary arts, the chefs will present an eight-course degustation menu showcasing local ingredients and the distinct blend of French technique and Filipino flavors. The dinner is paired with selections from Veuve Clicquot, Château d’Esclans, Cloudy Bay, Cape Mentelle, and Hennessy. Sofitel Manila Executive Chef Bettina Arguelles is the first Filipina Executive Chef in a five-star international hotel brand. In 2019, she was recognized by the World Gourmet Awards as Chef of the Year. Modern French restaurant Metronome, helmed by former L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Junior Sous Chef Miko Calo, is one of the metro’s most sought-after dining destinations. Graduating from École Grégoire-Ferrandi, she was trained in Michelin-starred restaurant LaTable de Joël Robuchon in Paris and L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in London before joining L’Atelier Joël Robuchon in Singapore. In 2018, she made her homecoming in Manila by opening the modern French restaurant Metronome.

Mercato opens a cloud kitchen at Ayala Malls Circuit

MERCATO United Kitchen launched its newest venture: a cloud kitchen with delivery, takeout, and al fresco dining located in Ayala Malls Circuit, Makati. The 214 sqm kitchen facility houses a variety of food brands, which customers can access through a universal number 7-719-0808, Mercato Centrale’s website, the Mercato app, or via delivery apps like Grab and foodpanda. Mercato United Kitchen currently operates for al fresco dining at 30% capacity within the current lockdown alert level. Take-out and delivery services are also available, which are operational. Mercato is a one-stop platform that lets customers order from all of its food brands — which carry multiple cuisines — with just one transaction and one delivery charge. With the cloud kitchen located near two major trade areas, Makati and South Manila, Mercato riders can also extend their deliveries to Ortigas, Pasig, and Pasay, while farther cities can be accommodated via Grab and foodpanda. The cloud kitchen offers over 19 dining concepts, from Filipino comfort food such as Ibarra’s Kitchen, Zubu Chon, Green Meat Hub, Above Sea Level, Khuttz Diner; and Pares Express, to heavy meals for lunch and dinner including Chef Rocky’s Kitchen, Wok Brothers, The Gourmet Kitchen, and Kuranosuke; and snacks and desserts from Wild Smoke, Pizzadidi, Takoichi, Capa’s, Bounty Sprouts, Cheesecake Factory, Tipsy Cream, Kahatea, and Harvest.

TGI Fridays’ Premium Party Boxes now available

FOR socially distanced parties at the office, Zoom family reunions, and small gatherings with friends, TGI Fridays has developed Premium Party Boxes to suit every craving. They’re convenient, no-fuss and available for delivery or take-out for as low as P600. Choose from: The Burger Box (P600), which contains a Shiitake or Chicken Burger, Caesar Salad and a Fridays drink; The Meal Box (P800), which contains either Salisbury Steak, Caesar salad, nacho chips, cheese dip and a Fridays drink or Fish & Chips, garlic rice, nacho chips, cheese dip and a Fridays drink; The M-Eat Box (P1,000) which has three variants, a Porkchop, garlic rice, Caesar salad, mac & cheese, and a Fridays drink, or Chipotle chicken, two chicken fingers, Caesar salad, and a Fridays drink, or two pieces of Liempo, garlic rice, Caesar salad, mac & cheese, and a Fridays drink; and the Fridays Fave Box (P1,450) which has four variants, Fridays Signature glazed ribs, hand breaded fish, Caesar salad, mac & cheese, and a Fridays drink, or Fridays Signature ribs and shrimp, mac & cheese, corn, nacho chips, cheese dip and Fridays drink, or a Porkchop, two chicken fingers garlic rice, Caesar salad, mac & cheese, and a Fridays drink, or, finally, a half rack of Fridays Signature ribs, mac & cheese, corn, nacho chips, cheese dip and a Fridays drink. Add P50 to upgrade to Fridays hand-crafted beer on any Fridays Fave Box. Available for pick up from any TGI Fridays store nationwide or through courier delivery to one or multiple locations. Orders may be placed at https://bit.ly/TGIFPartyBox, or call/visit any TGI Fridays branch.

Red Ribbon offers news Creamy Caramel Dedication Cake

RED RIBBON now offers a new Creamy Caramel Dedication Cake (P760 for the Regular size and P550 for the Junior size), made with vanilla chiffon filled and covered with milky caramel yema, and topped off with dainty icing flowers. A personalized message can be written in the middle of the cake. The new Creamy Caramel Dedication Cake is part of a series of flavor innovations from Red Ribbon’s Dedication Cakes line following the launch of the Cookies & Cream Dedication Cake made with Mini Oreo cookies last year. It is available in all Red Ribbon stores in Luzon for takeout, pick up, or delivery through Red Ribbon Bakeshop on Messenger, Hotline #87777, Red Ribbon’s Delivery Website redribbondelivery.com.ph, the Red Ribbon App which may be downloaded through Google Play or the App Store, and via Grabfood or Foodpanda app.

Jollibee launches Spicy Champ, Strawberry Cheese Pie and Choco Hazelnut Sundae

JOLLIBEE has given its Champ burger a new spicy punch. It has also launched two new desserts: Strawberry Cheese Pie and Choco Hazelnut Sundae. The new Spicy Champ takes the classic 1/3-pound patty that’s made with 100% pure beef, and adds a kick of sriracha mayo dressing and jalapeño slices. It’s also available in a Spicy Champ Jr. Variant. The Jollibee Spicy Champ (P175 solo) and Spicy Champ Jr. (P79) are now available in Metro Manila stores. Have them safely delivered via the Jollibee Delivery App, JollibeeDelivery.com, or #87000. Also available in Drive-Thru and Take Out. The new burgers will be launched across more stores later this year. Meanwhile, cap a meal with Jollibee’s new desserts. The Jollibee Strawberry Cheese Pie (P35 Solo, P100 for three Pies To-Go, and P199 for six Pies To-Go) is a sweet strawberry and cheesy treat in a crispy golden pie crust, while the Jollibee Choco Hazelnut Sundae (P45) has chocolate syrup, chocolate coating, choco malt flakes, and hazelnut spread on a creamy vanilla soft serve. For those residing in the Visayas and Mindanao, the Choco Hazelnut Sundae will be available starting Nov. 18.

Nestlé launches plant-based Harvest Gourmet

NESTLÉ Philippines has announced its first move into the plant-based meat alternatives market with the launch of its plant-based Harvest Gourmet brand initially in its food service business. With over 40% of consumers in Asia consciously reducing their meat intake and shifting to plant-based alternatives, Harvest Gourmet arrives in the Philippines at the perfect time as more consumers are recognizing the benefits of exploring plant-based options. The plant-based market is no longer limited to vegans, but includes a growing consumer base called “flexitarians,” who are increasingly replacing meat with plant-based products in their diet. They are doing so for health reasons as well as greater awareness of sustainable products, expanding the market and growth potential of the category. Harvest Gourmet will be introduced in the Philippines with initial three gourmet formats: Sensational Burger, Schnitzel, and Chargrilled Pieces, in two-kilo institutional packs, with mince, nuggets, balls and other formats to be rolled out by next year, giving restaurants and hotels many options to add plant-based products to their menus. The range uses only non-GMO soy and wheat with High Moisture Extrusion Technology developed by its food technologists and scientists, in collaboration with chefs to ensure that products deliver a gourmet-quality experience in terms of texture, appearance, aroma and taste. Harvest Gourmet is now available through Nestlé Professional (https://www.facebook.com/nestleprofessionalphilippines), and e-commerce partners Rare Food Shop (https://rarefoodshop.com/collections/harvest-gourmet) and Prime Pacific Foods Corp. (https://wholemart.com.ph/#/).

Spam recipes go around the world

CHECK out the Spam Brand Philippines’ Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/spamcanph/ and Instagram at @spambrandph for different Spam Musubi recipes inspired by tasty travels. The basic Spam Musubi recipe can be tweaked with four key ingredients — a slice of Spam Luncheon Meat, Japanese rice, nori (dried seaweed), and the diner’s choice of sauce.  Chef Edward Bugia of Mimi and Bros., created several recipes that revisited his favorite travel destinations: for an American “cheeseburger,” he ditched the buns and replaced them with Japanese rice, a thick slice of Spam Classic, strips of cheese, and Japanese mayonnaise. He also created recipes inspired by Mexico (Spam Burrito Musubi), Seoul (Spam Kimchi Musubi), Baguio (Spam Champorado Musubi), and Pampanga (Spam Sisig Musubi). All the recipes for these and more can be found in the Facebook page.

Meals made more nutritious with Quaker Rolled Oats

AS PEOPLE become more health conscious, the people behind Quaker Oats suggest adding it to one’s diet in different ways. Among the heart-healthiest grains available are oats. Quaker Oats have up to seven times more fiber for digestion and 1.7 times more protein for energy than white rice, and beta-glucan to help lower cholesterol. While overnight oats and more breakfast meals are popular ways to take oats every day, Quaker Rolled Oats can also be added to home-cooked dishes to make them more nutritious. Quaker introduces a variety of sweet and savory recipes to show how oats can go beyond breakfast, by substituting oats for other ingredient or adding oats to the recipe. The recipes can be found on Quaker Oats Philippines Facebook page and visit www.quakeroats.ph/recipes.

Yields on term deposits decline ahead of Fed’s policy decision

BW FILE PHOTO

YIELDS on the central bank’s term deposit facility slipped on Wednesday, with the market expecting the US Federal Reserve to announce the details of the reduction of its asset purchases at the close of their policy review.

Total bids for the term deposit facility (TDF) of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reached P641.782 billion, well above the P500-billion offer and the P548.928 billion in tenders recorded a week ago.

Demand for the seven-day deposits stood at P247.573 billion, going beyond the P170-billion auctioned off by the BSP as well as the P176.65 billion seen in the previous week’s offering.

Banks asked for yields ranging from 1.7% to 1.7716%, slimmer than the 1.7% to 2% band in the prior auction. This caused the average rate of the one-week term deposits to decrease by 0.91 basis point (bp) to 1.743% from 1.7521% previously.

Meanwhile, the 14-day term deposits fetched bids amounting to P394.209 billion, higher than the P330-billion offer and also beating the P372.278 billion in demand seen a week earlier.

Accepted rates for the tenor ranged from 1.75% to 1.7875%, narrower than the 1.73% to 1.8% margin logged the previous Wednesday. With this, the average rate of the two-week papers inched down by 0.27 bp to 1.7696% from the 1.7723% quoted in the previous week’s auction.

The central bank has not auctioned 28-day term deposits for more than a year to give way to its weekly offerings of bills with the same tenor.

TDF yields were down prior to the outcome of the policy review of the Federal Open Market Committee from Tuesday to Wednesday, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort said in a Viber message.

The details of the tapering of the Fed’s asset purchases could be announced, and the market has already priced in this possibility, Mr. Ricafort added.

Reuters last month reported that Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said it was “time to taper,” but he believed the central bank should keep rates unchanged as the labor market remains weak.

Mr. Ricafort added that the market is also monitoring the continued decrease in local infections, which could lead to the further easing of mobility restrictions.

Curfew hours in the National Capital Region will be removed starting Thursday, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benjamin “Benhur” D. Abalos, Jr. announced on Wednesday. The area is under Alert Level 3 until Nov. 14.

Active cases rose by 1,591 to 38,014 on Wednesday, based on data from the Department of Health. — Luz Wendy T. Noble with Reuters

Facebook will shut down facial recognition system

FACEBOOK, INC. announced on Tuesday it is shutting down its facial recognition system, which automatically identifies users in photos and videos, citing growing societal concerns about the use of such technology.

“Regulators are still in the process of providing a clear set of rules governing its use,” Jerome Pesenti, vice-president of artificial intelligence at Facebook, wrote in a blog post. “Amid this ongoing uncertainty, we believe that limiting the use of facial recognition to a narrow set of use cases is appropriate.”

The removal of face recognition by the world’s largest social media platform comes as the tech industry has faced a reckoning over the past few years over the ethics of using the technology.

Critics say facial recognition technology — which is popular among retailers, hospitals and other businesses for security purposes — could compromise privacy, target marginalized groups and normalize intrusive surveillance. IBM has permanently ended facial recognition product sales, and Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com, Inc. have suspended sales to police indefinitely.

The news also comes as Facebook has been under intense scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers over user safety and a wide range of abuses on its platforms.

The company, which last week renamed itself Meta Platforms, Inc., said more than one-third of Facebook’s daily active users have opted into the face recognition setting on the social media site, and the change will now delete the “facial recognition templates” of more than 1 billion people.

The removal will roll out globally and is expected to be complete by December, a Facebook spokesperson said.

Privacy advocacy and digital rights groups welcomed the move.

Alan Butler, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said, “For far too long, Internet users have suffered personal data abuses at the whims of Facebook and other platforms. EPIC first called for an end to this program in 2011,” though he said comprehensive data protection regulations were still needed in the United States.

Adam Schwartz, senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, said that although Facebook’s action comes after moves from other tech companies, it could mark a “notable moment in the national turning-away from face recognition.”

Facebook added that its automatic alt text tool, which creates image descriptions for visually impaired people, will no longer include the names of people recognized in photos after the removal of face recognition, but will otherwise function normally.

Facebook did not rule out using facial recognition technology in other products, saying it still sees it as a “powerful tool” for identity verification for example.

The company’s facial recognition software has long been the subject of scrutiny. The US Federal Trade Commission included it among the concerns when it fined Facebook $5 billion to settle privacy complaints in 2019.

A judge this year approved Facebook’s $650-million settlement of a class action in Illinois over allegations it collected and stored biometric data of users without proper consent. — Reuters

PAL taps US-based Rimini Street to boost digital transformation

REUTERS

FLAG CARRIER Philippine Airlines, Inc. (PAL) has tapped global technology company Rimini Street, Inc. to boost its digital transformation.

“The airline made a strategic decision to move to Rimini Street to help it address the challenges faced by the commercial aviation sector as a result of the global pandemic,” Rimini Street said in a statement on Wednesday.

Rimini Street provides third-party maintenance support for multinational software companies SAP and Oracle.

By working with Rimini Street, “the airline was able to accelerate key digital innovation projects that support the growth of its business including modernizing its cargo system, integrating its mobile and remote capabilities for more efficiencies and launching its passenger analytics for improving its ‘Know Your Customer’ program,” the software company said.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic emphasizes the critical role of technology in strengthening the internal capabilities of the airline companies like PAL.

“One of the initiatives embarked on to navigate the pandemic-induced crisis was to streamline its portfolio of applications to better optimize its technology investments,” Rimini Street said.

“This prompted the exploration of third-party support which led the company to Rimini Street for a comprehensive support solution for its mission-critical Oracle software portfolio, which is used for the airline’s finance and administration, procurement and human resources functions,” it added.

The flag carrier, which is majority owned by billionaire Lucio C. Tan, has filed for bankruptcy protection in the United States. It aims to “emerge as a leaner and better-capitalized airline.”

“We needed a partner to help us optimize our resources — including time, money and IT personnel — and drive collaboration and efficiency across the company in a more cost-effective manner. Rimini Street was that proven partner of choice,” PAL said.

“The significant… cost savings we realized, enabled us to focus our efforts and resources on our business transformation efforts,” the flag carrier added. — Arjay L. Balinbin

Microsoft says its own metaverse is coming, and it will have PowerPoint

IF YOU’RE WORRIED the metaverse will be all fun and games, fear not: Microsoft Corp. is taking its own stab at the idea, and it will have PowerPoint and Excel.

The company is adapting its signature software products to create a more corporate version of the metaverse — a concept promoted by Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg that promises to let users live, work and play within interconnected virtual worlds.

The first offering, a version of Microsoft’s Teams chat and conferencing program that features digital avatars, is in testing now and will be available in the first half of 2022. Customers will be able to share Office files and features, like PowerPoint decks, in the virtual world.

“This pandemic has made the commercial use cases much more mainstream, even though sometimes the consumer stuff feels like science fiction,” Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella said in an interview on Bloomberg Television. Mr. Nadella himself has used the technology to visit a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ward in a UK hospital, a Toyota manufacturing plant and even the International Space Station, he said.

The new Teams features, unveiled on Tuesday at the company’s Ignite conference, will let businesses create immersive spaces where workers can meet. The technology uses Microsoft software announced earlier this year called Mesh that enables augmented reality and virtual reality experiences across a variety of goggles, including Microsoft’s own HoloLens. Customers who lack a device capable of displaying 3D images can experience the content and avatars in 2D.

The public perception of the metaverse — as a futuristic world where plugged-in people recreate their whole lives online — is still a ways off. But the business uses are starting to be available now, Mr. Nadella said.

Accenture used Microsoft software to create a “digital twin” of its headquarters in order to run orientations for new employees during the pandemic. The consulting firm has run more than 100 such events, reaching more than 10,000 employees, said Microsoft Vice-President Jared Spataro.

Anheuser-Busch InBev created copies of its brewing operations and supply chain that are synchronized with the actual facilities and based on up-to-date information. The system lets brewers adjust to changing conditions and helps operators keep the packaging machines up and running. Microsoft wants to sell more cloud software that lets customers ranging from retailers to manufacturers do this.

“You could, for instance, experience a Best Buy store in the metaverse” and check out displays and devices, Mr. Spataro said. “Today when you think of a website, it is not very well connected to the physicality of what we experience.”

To that end, Microsoft also unveiled a product called Dynamics 365 Connected Spaces on Tuesday. It will let people move and interact within retail and factory spaces.

While Microsoft is leading with corporate applications for the metaverse, expect its Xbox gaming platform to take part in the future, Mr. Nadella said.

“You can absolutely expect us to do things in gaming,” he said “If you take Halo as a game, it is a metaverse. Minecraft is a metaverse, and so is Flight Sim. In some sense, they are 2D today, but the question is, can you now take that to a full 3D world, and so we absolutely plan to do so.” 

Microsoft’s metaverse apps will work with the Oculus googles made by Meta Platforms, Inc., formerly Facebook. But it’s not yet clear how various companies’ visions of the metaverse will be able to connect. If, say, Nadella and Zuckerberg wanted to meet up in the metaverse, would they have to choose either Microsoft’s Teams or Meta’s Horizon Workroom?

Microsoft is focused on practical applications of the metaverse — ones where the benefits are clear, Mr. Nadella said. And that will help get people get accustomed to an idea that some critics call creepy.

“There is nothing creepy about visiting a COVID ward remotely for a doctor to be able to help their patients, or to be able to do remote assistance in a manufacturing line in a time of COVID crisis when that manufacturing line needs to be fixed by an engineer working from home,” he said.

At the Ignite conference, Microsoft also announced: Azure OpenAI, a cloud-based service that lets customers — by invitation only for now — use the system’s powerful artificial intelligence models; new Teams features for working and chatting with users and groups outside a particular corporate network; and Loop, a new application that operates across different programs to collect files, links and data from other apps into a single workspace. — Bloomberg

Singapore banks cautiously upbeat as 3rd quarter profit beats estimates

TWO of Singapore’s largest lenders struck a cautiously upbeat tone after profit in the third quarter beat forecasts driven by gains on fees from lending and wealth, and lower provisions for bad loans.

Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. (OCBC), the city state’s second-biggest bank, reported a 19% rise in net income to S$1.22 billion ($904 million), while United Overseas Bank Ltd. (UOB) posted a 57% jump to S$1.05 billion. Both results came in slightly ahead of analyst estimates.

Earnings for both lenders were helped by their wealth businesses with OCBC’s income from insurance, private banking and other units making up 35% of the group’s income. UOB also saw higher fees from wealth and credit cards — a key indicator of improved economic activity. Wealth fees rose almost 6%, while assets under management also expanded.

The results reflect a growing optimism in Singapore where gross domestic product expanded 6.5% in the third quarter. The city state has been slowly recovering and gradually reopening its borders after a turbulent year when economies were hit by the global coronavirus pandemic.

“Amid near-term uncertainties, the gradual reopening of borders bodes well for business flows and we remain positive of strong activities along the Greater China-ASEAN trade corridors,” UOB Chief Executive Officer Wee Ee Cheong said in the statement Wednesday, referring to the group of 10 Southeast Asian nations.

UNCERTAIN PATH
While the banks offered optimism on Singapore’s recovery, markets in surrounding countries may face a trickier path.

“Rising risks in ASEAN need to be watched,” Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Rena Kwok said after the earnings. Risks for OCBC include further slippages from “vulnerable” retail and small business in Malaysia, where OCBC also saw some weakness, she said.

UOB Chief Financial Officer Lee Wai Fai said the economic recovery in Southeast Asia will be “uneven” in 2022, in countries including Malaysia and Thailand, which UOB operates in. Still, the bank’s buffers for potential soured assets are high and any impact is unlikely to be significant, he said.

“We are confident that we will able to handle that. Our take is next year will be a better year,” Mr. Lee said on a call with reporters.

UOB shares slipped 0.9%, while OCBC dipped 0.5% as of 11:22 a.m. in Singapore trading.

KEY MARKETS
OCBC CEO Helen Wong expects business momentum to continue into next year, when economic growth in the key markets the bank operates in may expand between 3% to 6%, she told a virtual media briefing after the results. The bank counts Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Greater China as its core focus.

The bank remains “positive on the long-term outlook but are watchful of the near-term headwinds from the pandemic,” Ms. Wong said.

Operating expenses at the bank rose 8% to S$1.19 billion in the third quarter, part of that came from a reduction in the government’s job support scheme, the bank said.

OCBC’s net interest margin dropped 6 basis points (bps) from the previous quarter, and 2 bps from a year earlier. The quarterly drop was due partly to lower asset yields, the bank said.

Singapore’s largest bank, DBS Group Holdings Ltd., is due to report earnings on Nov. 5. — Bloomberg

Travel/Hotel News (11/04/21)

HSMA member hotels Twin Lakes Tagaytay, Clark Marriott Hotel, Conrad Hotel Manila, Okada Manila, and Acuaverde Beach Resort enjoyed brisk sales and were among the top grossers during the month-long travel mart.

Staycation deal at The Pen

THE PENINSULA MANILA has extended the celebration of its 45th anniversary by offering the Wish You Were Here room package. Available for P4,545 (a number reflective of its 45th anniversary), the gusts will enjoy flexible check in/check out times, access to The Pen’s fitness center and outdoor pool, and a chance to win either a complimentary upgrade or pastries from The Pen Boutique by spinning a roulette upon check-in. Stay dates are Sunday to Thursdays. For bookings and information, message PenChat at https://www.peninsula.com/en/manila/stayconnected, via Facebook Messenger and https://bit.ly/PenChatFBMNL , via WhatsApp at https://bit.ly/PeninsulaOnlineWhatsApp , or text 0917-557-8014.

Road trips to nearby hotels, resorts local tourists’ top choice

THE PHILIPPINE tourism industry is looking to make a comeback, judging by the recent September Online Sale (SOS), conducted by the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association (HSMA) Philippines, which sold over 5,000 travel vouchers in the span of one month. The pandemic-borne online travel deals fair saw voucher sales increase by 194% and gross sales likewise shoot up by almost 101%, from last year’s P14.5 million to this year’s P29.23 million. These figures also demonstrate Filipinos’ continued support for local travel and tourism, as the industry starts to get back on its feet, says Benjie Martinez, HSMA president. The majority of buyers were from Quezon City, Manila, and Cebu. In Luzon, most of these travelers are planning to go on short road trips, with hotels and resorts from the Batangas, Cavite, Tagaytay, and Laguna cluster selling the highest number of vouchers at 32%; Boracay/Iloilo, 23%; Manila/Pasay/Parañaque, 14%; Clark/Bataan/Ilocos/Banaue, 12%; Cebu/Bohol, 9%; Palawan/Davao, 5%; Makati/BGC/Alabang, 3%; and Ortigas/Pasig/Quezon City, 2%. Eighty hotels and resorts across the country participated in this year’s SOS and gave away deals and discounts for as much as 70% off. According to Martinez, five of the Top 20 bestselling properties are located in Boracay.

Philippines falls in ‘social progress’ ranking

Philippines falls in ‘social progress’ ranking

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