THE PESO rebounded versus the dollar on Friday on positive US data, which eased worries over the world’s largest economy.
The local unit closed at P47.70 per dollar, appreciating by 6.5 centavos from its P47.765 finish on Thursday.
It also strengthened by five centavos against its P47.75 finish on June 4.
The peso opened Friday’s session at P47.73 against the dollar. Its weakest showing was at P47.74, while its intraday best was at P47.68 versus the greenback.
Dollars exchanged reached $684.79 million on Friday, inching up from the $680.2 million seen on Thursday.
The peso appreciated following the release of US jobs and inflation data, Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Chief Economist Michael L. Ricafort and a trader said.
“The peso appreciated from broad market views of transitory and elevated US inflation despite the higher-than expected US consumer inflation report,” the trader said in an email.
US consumer prices rose solidly in May, leading to the biggest annual increase in nearly 13 years as a reopening economy boosted demand for travel-related services, while a global semiconductor shortage drove up prices for used motor vehicles, Reuters reported.
The pandemic’s easing grip on the economy was also underscored by other data from the US Labor Department on Thursday showing the number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in nearly 15 months.
May’s inflation drivers appear to be temporary, fitting in with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell’s repeated assertion that higher inflation will be transitory.
The consumer price index (CPI) increased 0.6% last month after surging 0.8% in April, which was the largest gain since June 2009. Food prices rose 0.4%, but gasoline declined for a second straight month. In the 12 months through May, the CPI accelerated 5.0%. That was the biggest year-on-year increase since August 2008 and followed a 4.2% rise in April.
Inflation could get a boost from the labor market, where layoffs are subsiding. In another report on Thursday, the US Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits fell 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 376,000 for the week ended June 5. That was the lowest since mid-March 2020 when the first wave of COVID-19 infections barreled through the country, leading to closures of nonessential businesses.
Though layoffs are subsiding, claims remain well above the 200,000 to 250,000 range that is viewed as consistent with a healthy labor market. They have, however, dropped from a record 6.149 million in early April 2020. — LWTNwithReuters
PHILIPPINE SHARES closed the week in the green on positive economic data and progress in the country’s vaccination program.
The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) gained 32.08 points or 0.46% to close at 6,907.79, while the all shares index improved by 20.29 points or 0.48% to finish at 4,174.65.
“Positive news on exports, FDI (foreign direct investments), and government’s larger second-half target spending [are] all putting legs on the market rally,” First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) Head of Research Cristina S. Ulang said in a Viber message on Friday.
Preliminary data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed the country’s merchandise exports in April surged by 72.1% to $5.71 billion versus the previous year ‘s 41.3% decline.
Meanwhile, FDI inflows in March more than doubled to $808 million from $337 million in the same month last year. This helped fuel a 45% rise in first-quarter FDI inflows to $2.377 billion, from $1.638 billion in the same period of 2020.
On the other hand, the government is looking to spend some P2.3 trillion in the second half to help boost the economy, 3.9% higher than the P2.214 trillion in actual expenditures recorded in the same period last year.
For his part, AB Capital Securities, Inc. Junior Equity Analyst Lance U. Soledad attributed the market’s climb to progress in the country’s vaccination program.
“The local market rallied today and ended in the positive territory for the third straight week on improving vaccine rollout and vaccine supply, as well as reopening prospects,” Mr. Soledad said in a Viber message on Friday.
“Average value turnover got thinner for two weeks now which suggests investors are on the more cautious side given the run-up the past couple of weeks,” Mr. Soledad added.
Value turnover declined to P5.76 billion with 4.13 shares traded on Friday, from the P7.40 billion with 3.06 billion shares that changed hands on Thursday.
The country on Thursday received some 3.2 million doses of China-based Sinovac Biotech Ltd.’s CoronaVac and the vaccine made by Pfizer, Inc. and BioNTech SA.
As the country’s vaccination program continues, more establishments such as fitness studios, historical sites, and museums, are now allowed to operate at limited capacity in Metro Manila and nearby provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal.
Majority of sectoral indices ended the week with gains except for mining and oil, which declined by 13.79 points or 0.14% to 9,457.55.
Meanwhile, financials went up by 11.76 points or 0.8% to 1,468.19; holding firms gained 41.14 points or 0.59% to 6,959; industrials increased by 51.1 points or 0.55% to 9,302.40; services rose by 2.37 points or 0.15% to close at 1,542.54; and property inched up by 4.59 points or 0.13% to 3,423.36.
Advancers beat decliners, 118 against 90, while 50 names closed unchanged.
Net foreign selling grew to P155.36 million on Friday from the P2.67 million logged the previous day.
“Market will be inspired by the looming economic reopening yet there could be bouts of profit-taking from the weak hands,” FMIC’s Ms. Ulang said about next week’s trading. “Institutional buyers will provide support though.”
AB Capital Securities’ Mr. Soledad said he expects the index to trade between 6,840 to 7,000 next week.
“The Palace signalled relaxed restrictions by next week. If that will be the case, we think that should help sustain positive sentiment,” he said. — K.C.G. Valmonte
Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines, the first nationally organized leadership development organization established in Asia, officially launches its #AmbagKo. Rehistro. Boto. initiative.
The campaign, which primarily targets millennials and Gen Zs, aims to encourage eligible voters to register and vote in the upcoming 2022 national elections. This voters’ education campaign seeks to address the low registration and voter turnout in past elections by educating Filipinos on the importance of registering and voting.
With Filipinos 18 to 35 years old numbering, 40 million or 37 percent of the entire electorate eligible to vote in 2022 according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and Commission on Elections (COMELEC)[1], millennial and Gen Z Filipinos play a key role in shaping the future of the Philippines. The latest COMELEC data show there are 3.48 million voter registration applications filed between January 2020 and May 15, 2021. Of these, 1.5 million are new registrants[2], still short of the 4 million target by COMELEC.
The #AmbagKo. Rehistro. Boto. hopes to boost these numbers and encourage eligible voters, in particular millennial and Gen Z Filipinos, to step out, register and vote through fun and informative content and activities, including an exciting gamification system. Riding on the popularity of the term ambag, the #AmbagKo. Rehistro. Boto. campaign sends the message that registering and voting can be the youth’s ambag or contribution to nation-building and a better future for the Philippines. The campaign is also in line with JCI’s 2021 theme of More For Others, a reminder that we can be more while doing little things to create a lasting impact for our country.
“We believe in the strong potential of the Filipino youth in charting a new path for the country by choosing our next set of leaders. As an organization with young members ourselves, we at JCI want to use our platforms to encourage fellow Filipinos to register and vote. We hope that through this campaign, we can raise awareness and fuel the nationalistic spirit of the Filipinos as the elections draw nearer,” shared JCI National President Jude Acidre.
The campaign will run in two phases – Rehistro, from June 2021 to October 2021, and Boto, from November 2021 to April 2022. It will combine influencer engagement and digital and social media to reach more Filipinos, even onboarding Munimuni, a local indie band known for their makata pop, to write and perform the campaign’s theme song Ambag Ko, which perfectly articulates the campaign’s key objective of encouraging everyone to vote for change.
“While the campaign will mostly be done online, we at JCI will do our best to reach the Filipino youth and every eligible voter wherever they are. We are mobilizing more than 200 JCI chapters nationwide to reach more areas and more voters,” Acidre adds.
With many areas in the country still under varying quarantine levels, the campaign will provide Filipinos with engaging and informative content on the steps they need to take in order to make their ambag amid the pandemic.
Voter registration for the May 2022 elections started on September 1, 2020, and will run until September 30, 2021. Eligible voters may register from Tuesday to Saturday, 8 AM to 3 PM in COMELEC offices. The public is encouraged to accomplish their application form and set an appointment online through the COMELEC website.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, defined by the convergence of emergent technologies that blur the lines of the physical, digital, and biological spheres, comes with its own challenges. Cyberespionage is one of them.
As the world becomes more interconnected, it is important to be aware of how different nation-state actors can utilize this connectivity to advance various geopolitical agendas. In its recently concluded ESET World 2021 web forum, security solutions firm ESET discussed how cyberespionage has been evolving through the years and targeting the African region in three distinct campaigns that occurred in the past year.
The first case involves the cybercrime group Lazarus. ESET researchers have discovered a previously undocumented Lazarus backdoor, which they have dubbed Vyveva, being used to attack a freight logistics company in South Africa.
The backdoor consists of multiple components and communicates with its C&C server via the Tor network. ESET researchers have found its installer, loader and main payload – a backdoor with a TorSocket DLL. The previously unknown attack was discovered in June 2020.
“Although Vyveva has been used since at least December 2018, its initial compromise vector is still unknown. Our telemetry data suggests targeted deployment as we found only two victim machines, both of which are servers owned by a freight logistics company located in South Africa. The backdoor features capabilities for file exfiltration, timestomping, gathering information about the victim computer and its drives, and other common backdoor functionality such as running arbitrary code specified by the malware’s operators. This indicates that the intent of the operation is most likely espionage,” ESET explained.
The backdoor, Vyveva’s main component, connects to C&C servers and executes commands issued by the threat actors. It features 23 commands, some of which are asynchronous and executed in their own threads. Most of them are ordinary commands for file and process operations or information gathering, but there is also a less common command for file timestomping. It can copy creation/write/access time metadata from a “donor” file to a destination file or use a random date in the years 2000—2004.
“We see that the Lazarus Group evolves. It will target new people and will also use new tools. Usually the transportation vertical is not a sector that the group operates widely in. In this case, we saw a shift from their normal operations,” said Jean-Ian Boutin, head of threat research, ESET Canada Recherche.
The second case, involving the group TA410 which operates by utilizing LookBack and FlowCloud backdoors, targeted a diplomatic organization in West Africa.
“We’ve seen the infections sector going from spearphishing to targeting web-facing servers. State actors will always go for the weakest links of an organization. We’ve also seen a shift of vertical, going from the utilities sector to the diplomatic sector,” Mr. Boutin said.
“And this brings us back to the overarching theme, in which defenders should focus on Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) so that they can better protect their organization. As we’ve seen, groups will evolve, they will change their tactics, they will change their malware, and they will change which sectors and which regions of the world they are targeting.”
In the last campaign, ESET Research has uncovered a new APT (advanced persistent threat) group, dubbed BackdoorDiplomacy, that primarily targets Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the Middle East and Africa, and less frequently, telecommunication companies.
ESET found that their attacks usually start by exploiting vulnerable internet-exposed applications on webservers in order to install a custom backdoor that ESET is calling Turian. BackdoorDiplomacy can detect removable media, most likely USB flash drives, and copy their contents to the main drive’s recycle bin. The research was exclusively previewed at the annual ESET World conference this week.
“BackdoorDiplomacy shares tactics, techniques, and procedures with other Asia-based groups. Turian likely represents a next stage evolution of Quarian, the backdoor last observed in use in 2013 against diplomatic targets in Syria and the United States,” Mr. Boutin, who worked on this investigation along with Adam Burgher, senior threat intelligence analyst at ESET, said.
Turian’s network encryption protocol is nearly identical to the network encryption protocol used by Whitebird, a backdoor operated by Calypso, another Asia-based group. Whitebird was deployed within diplomatic organizations in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan during the same timeframe as BackdoorDiplomacy (2017-2020).
Victims of BackdoorDiplomacy have been discovered in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of several African countries, as well as in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Additional targets include telecommunications companies in Africa, and at least one Middle Eastern charity. In each case, operators employed similar tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), but modified the tools used, even within close geographic regions, likely to make tracking the group more difficult.
BackdoorDiplomacy is also a cross-platform group targeting both Windows and Linux systems. The group targets servers with internet-exposed ports, likely exploiting poorly enforced file-upload security or unpatched vulnerabilities – in one instance leading to a webshell, called China Chopper, used by various groups. The operators attempted to disguise their backdoor droppers and evade detection.
A subset of victims was targeted with data collection executables that were designed to look for removable media (most likely USB flash drives). The implant routinely scans for such drives and, upon detecting insertion of removable media, attempts to copy all the files on them to a password-protected archive. BackdoorDiplomacy is capable of stealing the system information of the victim, taking screenshots, and writing, moving, or deleting files.
For more technical details about BackdoorDiplomacy, read the blogpost “BackdoorDiplomacy: Upgrading from Quarian to Turian” on WeLiveSecurity. Make sure to follow ESET Research on Twitter for the latest news from ESET Research.
Tokyo Olympic events anywhere and everywhere can be expected by Filipinos and sports enthusiasts as top cable, TV and telecommunications firms banded together to bring the Games on multiple platforms.
Tokyo Olympic events anywhere and at any time can be expected by Filipinos and sports enthusiasts as top cable, TV and telecommunications firms banded together to bring the Games on multiple platforms.
Cignal TV, TV5, PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc., all under the MVP group of companies, on Friday officially announced their combined efforts to bring comprehensive access to the Olympic Games, happening from July 23 to Aug. 8.
In a virtual media conference, officials shared that they will be tapping on their groups’ combined TV, over-the-top (OTT), mobile and internet platforms to allow fans and sports enthusiasts both here and overseas to watch and cheer for the athletes as they compete in the different events at the quadrennial sporting meet.
“In our commitment to providing the best sports content to our viewers, we will ensure extensive coverage and daily access to the Games across our free-to-air, pay TV, and OTT platforms, and through our partnership with Smart and PLDT,” said Robert P. Galang, president and CEO of Cignal TV and TV5.
Under the collective effort, fans will have their access to the Olympic Games — from the Opening Ceremonies all the way to when the games conclude — on free to air via TV5 and One Sports.
One Sports+ on Cignal TV will also dedicate a significant amount of their daily hours to broadcast the events, with Cignal also opening up two exclusive channels dedicated to broadcast the games 24/7.
Cignal Play, in addition to live channels TV5, One Sports and One Sports+, will be offering exclusive channels broadcasting live updates to its subscribers, along with exclusive content not available on the TV broadcast.
Cignal TV’s One News will provide round-the-clock news coverage, featuring results, updates, and highlights.
Smart, meanwhile, will offer a complete coverage of the Olympic Games via Gigafest.smart. The website will also feature a livestream of the games to complement the TV broadcast to its customers, along with other Olympic-related content exclusively available via the streaming website.
PLDT, for its part, will also offer 10 channels to select PLDT Triple Play subscribers to round out the group’s comprehensive multiplatform coverage.
Sienna Olaso, Vice-President of Channels and Content of Cignal TV, said they will broadcast events of “national interest” among Filipinos, particularly those of Team Philippines.
To date, 10 Filipino athletes have earned a spot in the Tokyo Games, namely, pole-vaulter EJ Obiena, gymnast Caloy Yulo, boxers Eumir Felix Marcial, Irish Magno, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, rower Cris Nievarez, taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa and skateboarder Margielyn Didal.
Sports that are close to the Filipinos’ heart like basketball and volleyball will also be featured.
The Cignal official went on to say that they are drawing from their experience of covering the last Olympics in Rio, Brazil, in 2016 to come up with the best production possible.
Also present during the media conference were PLDT and Smart President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio and Jane J. Basas, SVP and head of consumer wireless business at Smart, as well as businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan. – Michael Angelo S. Murillo
Own everyday moments with the vivo X60 Series, equipped with top-of-the-line camera features co-engineered by Zeiss.
Two of the world’s most coveted brands, vivo and ZEISS, redefine professional photography flagship smartphones with the X60 series
Be a mobile photography professional with the vivo X60 series, equipped with 48MP main, 13MP wide, and 13MP telephoto lenses.
With its Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) technology and Super Night Portrait capabilities, the X60 series allows photography enthusiasts to express themselves in creative ways and in great detail.
Sleek and fits every style, the X60 series comes in a lightweight and slim design, and in premium color options, Midnight Black and Shimmer Blue.
It’s no secret that stellar visuals have been the best way to instantly grab the attention of fellow millennials and Gen Z who are constantly bombarded with content every day. And while easier said than done, because of the sheer volume of people trying to express themselves online, it has become increasingly difficult to churn out content that stands out. Learn more about X60 5G at https://www.vivoglobal.ph/phone/vivo-X60/
That is unless you can get your hands on a device that not only packs cutting-edge tech suited for the competitive online sphere but one that sports professional-grade camera systems all while embodying your style.
One such device is the all-new vivo X60 series.
Professional-level optics co-engineered with ZEISS
The latest addition to the leading global technology company’s photography-centered X-series was co-engineered with ZEISS, a global leader in optics and opto-electronics. Having worked with several renowned professional camera brands to develop unmatched imaging systems, ZEISS has teamed up with vivo to intricately design a smartphone capable of capturing professional-level portraits and videos in just a few taps.
Besides the innovative vision of these two brands, this is all made possible by the vivo X60’s 48MP main, 13MP wide, and 13MP telephoto lenses. The already stunning output of this triple camera setup is further enhanced with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) technology and Super Night Portrait capabilities, allowing users to take extremely still and defined photos at any time of the day.
The dark arts. Take photos that can cast a spell on everyone using the Extreme Night Mode of the vivo X60. (RHIAN RAMOS by Xander Angeles)Equipped with the legendary ZEISS Biotar Portrait Lens, the vivo X60 allows you to take stunning professional-level photos that stand out from the rest. (RHIAN RAMOS by Xander Angeles)Powerful shots get even more dynamic and dramatic with vivo X60’s Long Exposure mode. (RHIAN RAMOS by Kharren Granada)
Loaded with innovations
Developed by a consumer-oriented brand, the vivo X60 is also loaded with technology suited to help you shoot, style, create, and express with unparalleled ease. It is powered by a Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 870 processor which, combined with 12GB+3GB of Extended RAM and an advanced 120Hz refresh + 240Hz response rate, which allows for a seamless, lag-free experience which is crucial for those who take time in crafting TikTok videos, curated Instagram stories, and the like.
More than its hardware and software, the vivo X60 is also as stylish and breathtaking as its beholder, flaunting a lightweight and slim design coated in premium color options like Midnight Black and Shimmer Blue.
So what are you waiting for, get the professional-level edge to stand out with the vivo X60 series, available via Lazada, Shopee, and all vivo concept stores and kiosks nationwide. Visit https://www.vivoglobal.ph/phone/vivo-X60/ for more details.
Sunshine Classics will finally be back this June 20 at the exclusive YouTube channel of Sunshine Place: Senior Recreation Center. Interested viewers will get a private link to the concert upon ticket purchase. The viewing of each concerto will be available for viewing throughout the year. With one purchase and click, ticket holders will have access to the concert videos as many times as they want.
Premiering this month is the second of the five-part series entitled Singing in Sunshine, a voice and piano concerto featuring a soprano who “possesses a voice with remarkable flexibility and a truly commanding musical presence”, Stefanie Quintin – Avila. Joining her is tenor Ivan Nery, “an artist who possesses a beautiful voice that is smooth and clear and with a wide range of coloring plus unsullied musicality”, 1st prize in the Jovita Fuentes Vocal Competition and Aliw Award nominee for best actor in a musical (Noli Me Tangere the opera) and best classical performer. To accompany the singers, will be Mariel Ilusorio, renowned Filipina Pianist, who pursued her musical studies in the Juilliard School, Oberlin Conservatory, and the State Academy of Music and Theater Hannover, Germany.
Singing in Sunshine will feature an all-French program, with songs like Ange Adorable (Charles Gounod, from Romeo & Juliet), L’heureExquise (Reynaldo Hahn, from Chanson’s Arises), Vainement Ma Bien Aimée (Edouard Lalo, from the King of Y’s), Elle a fui la Tourterelle (Jacques Offenbach, fom Tales of Hoffmann), and La Vie en Rose (Edith Piaf) to name a few. This makes it a performance you wouldn’t want to miss.
This series is made possible through the generosity of individual sponsors, as well as 98.7 DZFE and Clark Trading Freeport Trading Resources, Inc.
Package ticket rates are available for all 5 concerts, choose 4, choose 3 or solo concert.
Wilcon Depot, the Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer, launched its newest provincial store located in Ormoc City, Leyte on June 11, 2021.
Situated at Sitio Haubon, Brgy. Tambulilid, Ormoc City, Leyte, Wilcon Depot Ormoc serves as the second store in the province of Leyte, after opening Wilcon Depot Tacloban in April 2018.
Wilcon Depot Ormoc is an exceptional haven for homeowners and builders alike—offering a wide variety of home improvement and construction supplies. Everything you need for your home is at Wilcon Depot. Valued Wilcon customers can experience the satisfaction of shopping at Wilcon Depot Ormoc daily from 8:00 AM-7:00 PM.
The successful opening of its 66th store nationwide was celebrated with the presence of Wilcon Depot President and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan and SEVP-COO Rosemarie Bosch-Ong and was graced together with Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, City Councilor Vincent Rama, and Eco Architect and Interior Designer James Jao.
IMAGE SHOWS FROM LEFT, Ormoc City Councilor Vincent Rama, Wilcon Depot President and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan, Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, Wilcon Depot SEVP-COO Rosemarie Bosch, and Eco Architect and Interior Designer James Jao
“Wilcon Depot Ormoc is the third store to open this 2021. All homeowners and builders across the country can expect more store openings to be announced this year in fulfillment of our #FlyingHighto100 store expansion campaign, wherein we aim to have 100 stores nationwide by 2025, barring any unexpected external factors,” said Wilcon Depot President and CEO Lorraine Belo-Cincochan.
Ormoc City is a highly urbanized coastal port, which serves as the center for commerce and industry of Western Leyte. With the local government’s numerous infrastructure development projects, the inauguration of the Wilcon Depot Ormoc was very timely and helpful. The new depot store will serve as the Ormocanons partner in their home building and improvement projects.
Ormocanons can now explore their new and favorite home shopping destination and shop through the expansive store carrying a wide array of product selections ranging from Tiles, Sanitarywares, Plumbing, Furniture, Home Interior, Building Materials, Hardware, Electrical, Appliances, and other DIY items.
Wilcon Depot Ormoc offers an endless aisle of home products and solutions. You’ll never run out of options as it provides everything you need for your home. Discover the various in-house and exclusive brands like GROHE and KOHLER Sanitarywares, FRANKE Kitchen Systems, POZZI Bathroom Solutions, Sanitarywares, Whirlpool Bathtubs, Ceramics, and Shower Enclosures, ARISTON Water Heaters, GEBERIT Monolith Puro, MACROAIR HVLS Fans, BULL Outdoor Products, RUBI Tile Cutter, and REHAU Premium PPR pipes.
Premium quality Italian tile brands such as NOVABELL, ENERGIE KER, GARDENIA, IMOLA, HERBERIA, OPERA, CASTELVETRO, KERADOM, NAXOS, DOM, and VERSACE alongside with Spanish tile brands ALCALAGRES, GRESPANIA, ROCERSA, CIFRE, EMIGRES, KEROS, TESANY, ONIX, OSET, VITACER, GRUPO HALCON, MYR, ECO CERAMICA, and ETILES are showcased in their Tile Studio.
Asian tile brands are also available like ARTE, SOL, LOLA, HUANQIU, VERONA, PICASSO MOSAIC, ROMAN, MULIA, KIA, CHINA NATURAL GRANITE, BASEL, SAIGRES, and GEMMA.
HERITAGE Furniture and HEIM Home Interior, Furniture and Decor are exhibited at the Home Living Showroom. HAMDEN Kitchen Appliances, KAZE Ceiling Fans and Air-conditioners, and ALPHALUX Lighting Solutions are displayed in the Appliance, Kitchen, Lighting section. HOMEBASICS and INTERDESIGN Housewares, BIRKE faucets and Bathroom Accessories, SEFA Specialty Bathroom Faucets, Bathroom Accessories, Shower Heads, and Kitchen Organizers, SUNCRUST BBQ Grills, LANDJACK Bicycles, CROWN and PRUSSIA Kitchen Sink QUARTEX Quartz Kitchen Sink, ELECTRON Generators, DIRECT HARDWARE, TRUPER Tools, P.TECH Builder’s Aid and Quartz Stone, FOREST Wood Products, IGLOO and RUBBERMAID Coolers, UNITED SOLUTIONS Outdoor trash bins, and SOLUTHERM PPR pipes and 304 stainless Steel Pipe Fittings are displayed in the DIY Section of the store.
In creating an excellent shopping journey throughout the store, which is the heart of their brand, Wilcon Depot gives the utmost customer satisfaction with their Design Hub, Home Living Showroom, Tile Studio, and Architects, Builders, Contractors, Designers, and Engineers (ABCDE) Lounge including their value-added services such as ample free parking spaces, reliable delivery service, and tile cutting service.
“Alongside with the recent success of our Wilcon Online Store launch, the opening of Wilcon Depot Ormoc is one remarkable step towards fulfilling our aspiration to be the top-of-mind home improvement retailer with the strong presence of our physical stores and online store as we continuously bring our high-quality products and excellent customer experience closer than ever to our customers,” Wilcon Depot SEVP-Chief Operating Officer Rosemarie Bosch-Ong stated.
For a bigger and better home shopping experience, valued customers nationwide can now shop online at Wilcon by visiting shop.wilcon.com.ph. Shop for all your all-around home needs and have your items delivered right at your doorsteps or choose to pick-up in store. Customers can conveniently pay with their credit card, debit card, BancNet, and GCash.
Online home shopping-lovers can now add to cart and check out Wilcon products at Wilcon Flagship Store on LazMall by clicking here: https://bit.ly/WilconDepotLazMall
Customers can also enjoy the Browse, Call, and Collect or Deliver and Wilcon Virtual Tour, and these shopping options give you a safe and convenient shopping journey. Wilcon also provides contactless payment options like bank transfers, GCash, PayMaya, Instapay, PesoNet, WeChat, and Alipay for customers’ convenience.
With adherence to health and safety protocols to fight against COVID-19, the company continuously implements necessary precautionary measures in all of its stores to ensure their employees’ safety, health, and well-being a priority, same as with their valued customers.
Start building big ideas for your home and experience more of what Wilcon has to offer. Shop now and visit their newest store in Sitio Haubon, Brgy. Tambulilid, Ormoc City, Leyte.
Wilcon makes loyalty more rewarding for their valued customers with its loyalty program that offers exclusive perks and discounts. The Wilcon Loyalty Mobile App allows customers to earn and check their points, as well as convert their purchases to rewards after they sign up. The Wilcon Loyalty Mobile App is available for download at the Google Play Store and App Store for free.
Two families behind the best-selling Lucky Me! instant noodles are sitting on a fortune worth billions of dollars after a record IPO in the Philippines, the latest example of the vast wealth being created in Asia as companies go public.
The families from Indonesia and the Philippines own almost 70% of the Monde Nissin Corp., which started trading last week after raising more than $1 billion in its initial public offering. Together, they’re worth about $3.6 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Indonesian Hartono Kweefanus, the chairman of the board, is the largest shareholder with a 23% stake. His brother Hoediono, the vice chairman, owns 5.3%. And Hoediono’s wife Betty Ang from the Philippines, the president, has 18%.
Southeast Asia is increasingly minting fortunes as more companies list their shares in the fast-growing region. Singapore-based Grab Holdings Inc. announced plans to go public this year through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, which is set to be one the world’s largest-ever SPAC deals.
Monde Nissin’s brands have been household names in the Philippines for more than four decades, but the company has thrived during the pandemic as lockdowns forced people to stay at home.
It’s actually been “a good time,” said Stephen CuUnjieng, a senior adviser to investment bank Evercore Inc., which works with Monde Nissin. “Healthy, packaged processed food” took the place of dining out during lockdowns, he said.
Monde Nissin started as a biscuit manufacturer in 1979, according to its IPO prospectus. A company spokesman said the Kweefanuses’ father, Hidayat Darmono, founded the firm. Incorporation records show Ang as a director and the largest shareholder at the time. The spokesman didn’t comment on the families’ net worth.
About a decade later, Monde Nissin branched out into instant noodles, launching the Lucky Me! line. Perhaps every Filipino grew up with this brand and keeps coming back to it, the company said on its website.
Today, Lucky Me! are the best-selling instant noodles in the Philippines, accounting for 68% of the market, according to the IPO prospectus. They made up half of Monde’s P68 billion ($1.4 billion) in sales last year.
The food giant, which also sells SkyFlakes crackers and Quorn alternative meat, has a presence in more than 30 countries and posted a 26% jump in profit last year.
Monde still has room for growth, said Arielle Santos, a consumer analyst at brokerage Regina Capital Development Corp. “Noodle consumption here in the Philippines hasn’t reached its saturation level yet.
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The firm will use some of the IPO proceeds to expand its alternative meat business, Monde Chief Executive Officer Henry Soesanto, an extended family member who also sold shares in the IPO, said last week. This area should “grow exponentially,” he said in an interview on Bloomberg Television.
The company acquired Britain’s meat-substitute maker Quorn Foods Ltd. for 550 million pounds ($780 million) in 2015. Monde’s prospectus cites a Barclays Plc estimate that the global meat-alternatives market will expand to as much as $140 billion by 2029.
Monde wanted to have the money ready to use “immediately for our capacity expansion,” Soesanto said. “We’re seeing it as a good time to pursue this IPO.”
Evercore’s CuUnjieng, who’s from the Philippines, says the company’s Lucky Me! noodles are a favorite for many in the country. He recalled how his son always asked his mom to bring them home when the family was living in the U.S.
“They are innovators,” he said of Monde. “They’ve been very good at knowing what their customers want.” — Bloomberg
CARBIS BAY, England – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expects the Group of Seven to agree to donate 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to poorer countries during its summit starting on Friday, and help inoculate the world by the end of next year.
Just hours after U.S. President Joe Biden vowed to supercharge the battle against the coronavirus with a donation of 500 million Pfizer shots, Johnson said Britain would give at least 100 million surplus vaccines to the poorest nations.
Johnson has already called on G7 leaders to commit to vaccinate the entire world by the end of 2022 and the group is expected to pledge 1 billion doses during its three-day summit in the English seaside resort of Carbis Bay.
Some campaign groups condemned the plan as a drop in the ocean, with Oxfam estimating that nearly 4 billion people will depend for vaccines on COVAX, the programme that distributes COVID-19 shots to low and middle income countries.
“As a result of the success of the UK’s vaccine programme we are now in a position to share some of our surplus doses with those who need them,” Johnson will say on Friday, according to excerpts of the announcement released by his office.
“In doing so we will take a massive step towards beating this pandemic for good.”
COVID-19 has killed around 3.9 million people and ripped through the global economy, with infections reported in more than 210 countries and territories since the first cases were identified in China in December 2019.
GLOBAL EFFORT
While scientists have brought vaccines to market at breakneck speeds – Britain has given a first dose to 77% of its adult population and the United States 64% – they say the pandemic will only end once all countries have been vaccinated.
With a global population nearing 8 billion and most people needing two doses, if not booster shots to tackle variants as well, campaigners said the commitments marked a start but that world leaders needed to go much further, and much faster.
“If the best G7 leaders can manage is to donate 1 billion vaccine doses then this summit will have been a failure,” Oxfam’s health policy manager Anna Marriott said, adding that the world would need 11 billion doses to end the pandemic.
Oxfam also called on G7 leaders to support a waiver on the intellectual property behind the vaccines.
“The lives of millions of people in developing countries should never be dependent on the goodwill of rich nations and profit-hungry pharmaceutical corporations,” Marriott said.
Of the 100 million British shots, 80 million will go to the COVAX programme led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the rest will be shared bilaterally with countries in need.
Johnson echoed Biden in calling on his fellow leaders to make similar pledges and for pharmaceutical companies to adopt the Oxford-AstraZeneca model of providing vaccines at cost for the duration of the pandemic.
Leaving poorer countries to deal with the pandemic alone risks allowing the virus to further mutate and evade vaccines. Charities have also said that logistical support will be needed to help administer large numbers of vaccines in poorer countries.
The British doses will be drawn from the stock it has already procured for its domestic programme, and will come from suppliers Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Janssen, Moderna and others. — Reuters
The demand for logistics and courier services has risen significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially now that many Filipinos rely on these services for their essentials and errands. These services remained operational during the pandemic, and it is imperative for them to innovate to keep their customers and rider fleet safe and secure.
In this regard, GCash, the leading mobile wallet in the Philippines, has partnered with key logistics and delivery service firms to provide safe and secure payment solutions for both their customers and riders via its GCash QR code service.
GCash on Delivery via the QR code provides customers with GCash accounts the option to scan-to-pay a rider’s QR code to settle delivery and item fees — no need to pay in cash or worry about change! Riders meanwhile will receive an SMS from GCash confirming the transaction payment. This confirmation happens in real-time, so transactions reflect immediately, and give riders and logistics firms the peace of mind that their money is secured.
“GCash’s innovations are here to help businesses find solutions and thrive even during the pandemic. The surge in adoption in digital payments by consumers, even by local governments and national agencies, are a testament on the effectiveness and efficiency of a cashless economy,” said Martha Sazon, president and CEO of GCash. “Logistics, transport, and delivery services are all classified as essential services during the pandemic. It would be very challenging to the national economy if they’re unable to operate,” she added.
The GCash QR code is a popular and convenient option for many customers, and various logistics firms have already utilized it for their businesses. These include leading companies like Angkas, Pick.A.Roo, Gogo Xpress, Entrego, and JRS Express, to name a few. Aside from generating more sales by expanding their accepted payment methods, they are keeping their consumers safe amidst the pandemic by providing a contactless way to pay.
Over 13,000 riders from various logistics services nationwide are accepting GCash QR as a payment method, and it is massively gaining adoption. The uber-popular ride-hailing app Angkas for example, has enabled its riders to accept GCash QR. Its riders are equipped with a digital QR code, where customers can simply scan-to-pay at their convenience.
Close to half the Filipino population have GCash.
“Navigating the new normal is challenging for all of us, and we in GCash, are using our industry expertise to equip our partners to thrive and take control as we enable them with our business solutions,” added Macky Limgenco II, GCash’s Distribution and CICO head.
Launched in 2017, GCash QR was the first-ever QR-based payment solution in the Philippines. It has been adopted by multiple retail establishments and malls nationwide and is even enabling MSMEs and transportation vehicles, such as tricycle drivers and sari-sari stores, to accept payments digitally. To date, there are over 1.7 million businesses and service providers that accept GCash nationwide.
nanoe™ X Technology: The Added Protection You Need in the Global Pandemic
Read on to learn how to keep your family cared for and protected 24/7!
Cleanliness is one of every family’s top priorities–especially in this new normal. Aside from having clean hands, clean gadgets, and clean home, we also need to be sure that the air we breathe is clean and healthy. By maintaining a safe environment in our own spaces, we also contribute to the prevention of the novel coronavirus from spreading.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), poor air quality puts people with underlying medical conditions at a higher risk of developing severe diseases from COVID infection.[1]Hence, we see the importance of clean air for our health and well-being, especially during the current global health crisis.
Building a COVID-Free Home with Panasonic nanoe™ X Technology
More than a year into this pandemic and the world is still trying to search for more ways to keep everyone safe from contracting the disease. Both the public and private sectors are always on the lookout for more ways to protect our families. Panasonic, a trusted brand that provides #JapanQuality products, dug even deeper to find more solutions that would cater to people in the next and better normal.
Panasonic helps you protect yourself and your family through nanoe™ X Technology, which are nano-sized atomized water particles released by Panasonic products, such as its Premium Inverter Split Type and Deluxe Inverter Split Type Air Conditioners. nanoe™ X has been certified by Texcell, a French global contract research organization, to inhibit 99.7% of the novel coronavirus in a 6.7m3 space in just 24 hours.[2]It deodorizes foul odors, inhibits the growth of bacteria and viruses, provides moisture to the skin and hair, and is effective in eliminating dust, allergens, and pollens for a fresher, cleaner indoor environment—keeping your living space fresh and clean for you and your family.
Keeping the Family Safe and Worry-Free
In need of 24-hour superior virus protection to-go? Panasonic Portable nanoe™ X Generator helps you stay protected anywhere. Lightweight and compact, it is the perfect must-have for outdoor errands and activities such as a trip to the grocery store or when you go to the bank. Whether inside your car or in your working space at home or in the office, you can ensure that viruses and bacteria are eliminated.
The portable device is powered by the same nanoe™ X Technology in Panasonic Air Conditioners that is certified by Texcell to inhibit the novel coronavirus by 99.7% in a 6.7m3 space in just 24 hours.[3]
Create a safer environment at home and make sure your family breathes clean air with the help of Panasonic nanoe™ X Technology. Get your Panasonic Air Conditioner with nanoe™ X and Panasonic Portable nanoe™ X Generator now and start building a COVID-free home—for fresher and cleaner days ahead.
