Card payment partners charge 2.58% convenience fee for GCash cash-in via MasterCard/VISA bank card

The card payment partners of GCash will charge a minimal convenience fee of 2.58 percent for cash-in via MasterCard/VISA bank card services starting July 6, 2020. The fee is a direct charge of payment partners.

The convenience fee will be computed and will be stated in the GCash app for each cash-in via bank card transaction. For instance, a customer cashes in P100 in his GCash wallet. The convenience fee would be P2.58, for a total amount of P102.58 charged to the card.

David Chua Joins ALV Talent Circuit

Don’t let his K-pop looks fool you. Despite his Eurasian lineage, model/actor David Chua is proudly Filipino, and can speak Tagalog with full conviction.

Prior to his showbiz career, David was a Fine Arts student at the UST, where he was discovered via Mr. and Ms. Ideal Thomasian, the campus-based personality pageant (2006-2007). This led to modeling stints, where he became a staple in high-profile fashion shows and print ads.

The ‘accidental celebrity’ was thrust into the showbiz limelight in 2008, when he was cast in ABS-CBN’s ‘My Girl,’ the Kim Chiu-Gerald Anderson starrer, where he played the twin brother of Alex Gonzaga and Kim’s close friend.

Globe services and assistance package for COVID-19 reaches P1.3B

During the first three months of the pandemic, Globe Telecom was able to come up with over P1.3 billion in combined services and assistance package for COVID-19.  This consists of support for Globe employees and vendor partners, services and promos, external fund-raising efforts, and monetary and in-kind donations.

The bulk of the amount went to salaries and benefits which Globe continued to provide even to managed service partners and vendor employees to help ensure their safety, health, and well-being as well as their families. Globe currently holds weekly rapid antibody testing of all its frontliners and has contributed to the AC Health COVID-19 facility to accommodate its workforce and their families who may contract the virus. 

Globe urges customers to use reporting tool for spam/scam cases

As cases of mobile fraud and spamming continue to escalate during the pandemic, Globe Telecom is encouraging its customers to use the company’s reporting tool to stop unscrupulous people from taking advantage or deceiving the general public through calls and text messages.

By visiting https://www.globe.com.ph/stop-spam.html and filling out the online form, Globe customers can easily help put a stop to these illegal practices.  Once a report is received, Globe will promptly respond by deactivating numbers proven to be repetitive sources of such dubious messages.

“We are concerned about the problems that could arise from these call and text scams. This is why we continuously work to combat this malicious behavior to provide a spam-free experience for all our customers. While we constantly upgrade and improve our blocking and filtering mechanism to keep unwanted messages from entering our network, we also need the cooperation of our customers to make this effort fully effective,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer.

Globe kicks off tribute campaign for local SMEs with special FB live event and inspirational video

As quarantine guidelines are slowly being loosened around the country, Globe myBusiness is paying tribute to an economic hero: the micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), whose strength and resilience as they reopen and thrive in the new normal merit unwavering support through this year’s #SaludoSME campaign. 

The campaign kicked off with a special Facebook Live event via the official Globe myBusiness FB page with special messages from Ayala Corporation Chairman of the Board, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, and Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu. Another highlight of the event is a special reveal of an inspirational video, sung by none other than Broadway legend and international Filipino pride Lea Salonga, which showcased the resilience of local SMEs as they resume operations in the new normal. 

Keep your stories going with 16 GB from Smart Giga Stories 99

Even though many of us have to stay home to protect ourselves from the pandemic, it doesn’t mean that we can’t establish meaningful connections anymore. Thanks to mobile internet and various social media apps, we can always connect with our family, friends and our favorite personalities with just a few taps on our phone.

To keep us connecting and sharing our stories with friends and loved ones, Smart offers Giga Stories 99, which comes with a total of 16 GB, valid for 7 days! By registering to Giga Stories 99, subscribers get Free Stories for All, which means having a total of 14 GB for FB, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok at 2 GB per day, plus 2 GB worth of open access data.

UE Jam Sessions pay tribute to the frontliners with original song, “Lalaban Tayo”

UE Jam Sessions (UEJS), the premiere music organization in University of the East, released a tribute music video dedicated to the medical practitioners and frontliners of the country, who are risking their lives amidst the pandemic crisis.

“Lalaban Tayo” was written by Jenny Legapi, arranged by Choi Felipe, and executive produced by Tommy Tanchanco. Featuring 34 singers and musicians from UEJS Manila and UE Caloocan, the collaborative effort was recorded and filmed during the lockdown period in the confines of their own homes. 

The best stores to go to for your daily essentials

Use PayMaya for safe, contactless payments and get great deals too! 

One of the biggest priorities during this pandemic is ensuring that our families stay safe and healthy. Apart from following standard health measures like social distancing, online shopping has also been the go-to of most consumers when it comes to purchasing essentials to limit their contact. But if you can't avoid going out to buy your day-to-day needs, make sure that you stay safe by using contactless payments like PayMaya QR. 

Paying via PayMaya QR lessens the risk of transmitting the virus through cash-handling. By simply scanning the QR code at the counter, you can already pay for your purchases within minutes - no need to exchange cash and coins with the cashier.  

GCash upsizes wallet limits of close to 1M users

GCash, the undisputed number one and preferred mobile wallet in the Philippines, has given over a million of its valued users a surprise limit increase amid the global health situation to help more Filipinos to maximize the benefits of digital finance.

Users may increase their wallet limits by linking their bank accounts or debit cards to their GCash wallets. Upsized wallets have a hold up limit of P500,000 per month. Bank accounts that enable users to raise their limits include BPI, UnionBank, and other locally-issued debit cards that are enabled by either MasterCard or Visa.  

How to Ride Safely amid COVID-19 Pandemic

The government recently relaxed the community quarantine guidelines, which gradually reopens up the economy. Thousands of workers are finally allowed to go to their offices, provided they follow strict health and safety protocols.

Although public transport will be operational, still, there are lots of limitations to ensure social distancing among passengers. For instance, in the National Capital Region (NCR), the resumption of public transport systems will be done in two phases, says the Department of Transportation (DoTR).