GO cashless and contactless – Robinsons Bank adopts QR PH for merchants

 

More than ever, it’s now easier to go cashless and contactless to send and receive payments! 

 

Robinsons Bank is among the first seven financial institutions that have implemented QR PH, an interoperable QR code for merchants, as mandated by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

 

This means that RBank merchants with the RBank QRPH code can now accept QR code payments made from other banks and e-wallets; and RBank account holders can take advantage of the contactless payment solution by scanning and paying to any participating store with an interoperable QR code.  

 

“We are excited to be one of the first to adopt the QRPH standard.  This allows our Merchants wider reach and offers our clients quick and hassle-free payment options. Expect to see more merchants displaying the RBank QuickR payment QR code, especially within Robinsons Malls.  Customers can begin to enjoy the safety, security and convenience of paying via QR soon,” Mr. Albert Raymund Tinio, SVP and Merchant & Acquiring Head stated.  

 

The roll out of the interoperable QR code for merchants is part of BSP’s initiative, the Person to Merchant (P2M) QR Payments, which was virtually launched last April 30.  

 

According to BSP, the initiative aims to make digital payments more accessible for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), giving them the opportunity to make use of a safer, easier, and more affordable digital payment solution.  

 

Early this year, Robinsons Bank also implemented the use of an interoperable QR for person-to-person transactions, allowing RBank customers to send and receive funds from other banks.  

 

As times continue to change, Robinsons Bank strives to fulfill the needs of its customers by empowering them with seamless solutions that will help them grow their business. 

 

Do you want to become an RBank Merchant? Visit http://bit.ly/RBankBizMerchant to know more.

Robinsons Bank is the financial services arm of the JG Summit Group of Companies, one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines. It currently ranks 18th among universal and commercial banks in the country, with assets amounting to Php 151.215 Bn as of December 2020. The Bank is recognized as the Fastest Growing Commercial Bank in the Philippines for 2020 by the Global Business Outlook; and the Best Commercial Bank in the Philippines for 2020 by the International Business Magazine. RBank was also recognized as an Outstanding Employer at the PH Best Employer Brand Awards 2020. 

 

For inquiries and concerns, you may reach Robinsons Bank through its Customer Care Center at (02) 8637-CARE (2273) or domestic toll-free 1-800-10-637-CARE (2273); or visit its website at www.robinsonsbank.com.ph. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robinsonsbank/ and join our Viber Community at www.bit.ly/RBankCommunity to get the latest updates.  

 

PLDT Enterprise aims rise of SD-WAN, SASE

 

PLDT Enterprise is seeing software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) and secure access service edge (SASE) architecture as two of the most in-demand technologies for businesses in the next few years.

 

In PLDT Enterprise’s recently concluded Tech Talk ON-AIR, Vice President and Head for PLDT Enterprise Fixed-Core Business Solutions Gary Ignacio said that SD-WAN has already reached its inflection point, accelerated by the new market dynamics. “The enterprise market has fully matured and has now embraced SD-WAN as their wide-area networking technology of choice. We’re anticipating its sustained momentum and growth over the next few years,” he said. 

 

SD-WAN enables businesses to interconnect their network of branches and users through a highly-intelligent, software-driven platform, leveraging all available network underlay technologies such as MPLS, fiber broadband, LTE and 5G. This could help industries, such as banks, to simplify network management, optimize data traffic flow, and enable highly resilient, always on connections.

 

“Close to two-thirds of our local banks are pursuing transformational projects to enhance their digital capabilities and that number just continues to increase,” he added.

 

Likewise, he also stressed that PLDT Enterprise recognizes the importance of data security, and as such, is pioneering SASE to ensure a fully secure ecosystem where privacy and protection policies are fully enforced. “SASE will continue to get a lot of traction as companies put in place the right technologies to be able to connect and secure, not only their physical locations but their entire user base and end-devices as well. The PLDT Group has established a very strong foundation for this, out of our internal cybersecurity capabilities and best practices, and this will be further enriched by our strategic partnerships from the incumbent and emerging leaders in the field”

 

Other industries which have been benefitting from these two technologies include the retail sector and the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, among others. 

 

ePLDT President and CEO and SVP and Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups Jovy Hernandez assured the company’s unbreakable commitment to providing digital solutions that will help businesses build a solid foundation amid the COVID-19 crisis.

 

“Over the last decade, multiple technologies have come to the fore and a lot more are emerging that will revolutionize the way we do things. And it is our aspiration at PLDT Enterprise to become every organization’s technology partner who can create the right mix of innovations and solutions which can deliver real value to their business,” said Hernandez.

 

“It is much more than just bandwidth. We strive to answer the needs of businesses today for a business-grade internet connection, the need for accessibility for on-premise and cloud applications and to manage multiple locations so that they can become truly resilient in this new age of business.”

 

PLDT Enterprise has been providing resilient connectivity for the business industry through bandwidth solutions such as BEYOND FIBER, Branch-in-a-Box, and PLDT SD-WAN. 

 

BEYOND FIBER is designed to be three times more reliable for businesses which comes with a minimum speed equivalent to 90 percent of the subscribed bandwidth at 90 service reliability. This service promise currently remains unmatched in the industry.

 

Branch-in-A-Box, meanwhile, is a platform built for businesses that need to connect, protect, and manage multiple locations through easy to deploy and easy to manage ICT solutions that already come seamlessly stacked.

 

PLDT Enterprise’s TechTalk ON-AIR aims to discover the best practices of industry leaders in fueling their business growth by tackling the development and the presence of e-industries.

 

Hernandez said that it is a way of empowering customers and viewers with the information they will need to succeed. 

 

“We have several events lined up for the year and we can expect more meaningful discussions and insights as there are technologies that we should be looking at to put all of these together,” he said. 

 

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com.

Teleperformance commits monthly switch-offs for a greener and cleaner planet

 

Teleperformance Philippines has committed to do monthly switch-offs in all 22 of its business sites nationwide this year.

 

The pledge was announced at its recent “Let’s Change the World” Citizen of the World (COTW) Meet-up, which shared updates on current advocacy projects of Teleperformance. The townhall, also held in celebration of Earth Hour, included special guest World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines Ambassador Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski.

 

The WWF Philippines Climate Change Solutions Steward and the first female Earth Hour Ambassador, Cojuangco-Jaworski shared practical ways for Teleperformance employees and their friends and family to contribute to sustainability and climate change solutions for a cleaner and greener planet.

 

“Ultimately, it's the things we do when nobody's watching that matters the most. It's about what we do as individuals, which was what we do in our own homes, what is our lifestyle and what are our habits. The biggest problem is the carbon footprint we leave on this earth,” shared Cojuangco-Jaworski.

 

Among some of the tips Cojuangco-Jaworski shared was reiterating the importance of the three R’s – to reduce buying what you don’t need, to look at what we can reuse and to recycle when we do our daily tasks. Another topic she touched on was plastic waste, hence, the importance of reducing consumption of single-use plastics, which could be ingested by animals, and then by people.

 

Teleperformance is committed to creating a positive impact on our local communities around the world through Citizen of the World, a charitable initiative to help the world's most vulnerable infants and children meet basic survival needs and ultimately reach their individual potential. This effort is joined by the Citizen of the Planet program, a global corporate initiative implemented in 2008 aimed at ensuring that Teleperformance operates in an environmentally friendly and responsible manner.

 

Going beyond Earth Hour, Teleperformance employees are encouraged not only to volunteer for Citizen of the World activities but can also contribute by donating pre-loved items, purchasing items in the COTW store, donating part of their monthly salary, and participating in the monthly Earth Hour pledged by Teleperformance Philippines in all their sites across the country.

 

“As we work to help bring awareness around environmental sustainability and, in addition to this commemoration this month, we at Teleperformance also commit to have an Earth Hour every single month. So for one hour every single month, we will switch off our lights for the rest of this year. We hope this will help continue to bring awareness as this is such an important goal for humanity and the community,” shared Jeffrey Johnson, Senior Vice President for Human Capital Resource Management and Citizen of the World Foundation President.

 

Among the other projects accomplished by Citizen of the World were donations of food packs and PPEs to frontliners of the Philippine General Hospital, Vicente Sotto Medical Center and Southern Philippines Medical Center. Bringing to life its commitment to children and education, Citizen of the World also gave medical and financial aid to 100 children and their families through Kythe Foundation, awarding of 2,000 school supplies to various elementary schools in Metro Manila and the provinces.

 

The elderly in need were also not forgotten as Citizen of the World donated 1,200 grocery packs to White Cross, Mary Mother of Mercy Home for the Elderly and the Abandoned and Good Samaritan Nursing Home for the Elderly. TP’s Gawad Kalinga village was also supported during the pandemic with a feeding program, donations of disinfectants and face masks and the provision of cash allowances.  

 

To help the country in its fight against Covid-19, the Citizen of the World program also donated 8 e-bikes to the Department of Health and PHP 150,000 worth of medical aid to the Philippine National Red Cross. Altogether, the Citizen of the World Foundation was able to create an impact on the lives of around 28,000 Filipinos.

 

For more information on Teleperformance Philippines and its Citizen of the World initiatives, visit http://teleperformance.ph/

Eastern Communications scores 6 wins at the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

Living to its name as one of the premier telecommunications companies in the Philippines, Eastern Communications scores big wins at the 2021 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. 

The well-respected company garnered a total of 6 recognitions. Its groundbreaking initiative entitled MNLKonek: Empowering Manila City through Eastern Communications’ Digital Kiosks won the Gold Stevie Award for the Innovation in Technology Development Category. This project launched 34 units of MNLKonek across España Boulevard in Manila, providing free Wi-Fi access with up to 200 Mbps speed, phone calls, phone charging, security cameras, and more. 

Its entry Nurturing Eastern Communications’ Employee Welfare amid the COVID-19 Pandemic receives a Silver Stevie Award for Most Exemplary Employer. This holistic effort aimed to provide support to all its employees, raising awareness for the company’s health and safety programs, providing assistance, and keeping them stay motivated and productive through internal activities. 

The telco’s other initiatives were also recognized including Eastern Home: Connecting Filipinos in the Social Distancing Era for Innovation in Consumer Products & Services as well as #SafeAndStrongAtHome for three categories namely Most Valuable Corporate Response, Best Use of Social Media, and Cross-Media Marketing. 

Eastern Home is Eastern Communications’ reliable home internet service, perfect for people working from home or undergoing distance learning at a time when the country badly needed better internet connectivity. Meanwhile, #SafeAndStrongAtHome was the company’s holistic campaign that aims to empower businesses and the public through an educational industry webinar series, virtual loyalty events, social media efforts, and several CSR initiatives. 

“It’s always an honor to be recognized by the prestigious Stevie Awards. Our company will always strive to live up to our brand promise of being both High Tech and High Touch, and to continue helping businesses become fearless in these uncertain times through our reliable services,” shared Eastern Communications Co-Coordinator Atty. Aileen Regio. 

“The pandemic has taught Eastern Communications to be even more compassionate and intentional, and these recognitions remain as an inspiration to our company to keep us dedicated in what we do for our clients and with our people,” said Eastern Communications Co-Coordinator Hermi Hizon.   

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards are the only business awards program to recognize innovation in the workplace in all 29 nations of the Asia-Pacific region.  The Stevie Awards are widely considered to be the world's premier business awards, conferring recognition for achievement in programs such as The International Business Awards for 19 years.

Nicknamed the Stevies for the Greek word for “crowned,” the winners will be celebrated during a virtual (online) awards ceremony on July 14.

For more information on Eastern Communications, visit http://www.eastern.com.ph/