GMA Network unveils ‘GMA Affordabox’ on its 70th anniversary

Enabling millions of Filipinos to access high-quality, affordable digital TV experience:

For its 70th anniversary celebration, the country’s leading and largest broadcast firm GMA Network, Inc. wholeheartedly offers its own high-quality and affordable Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) receiver ‘GMA Affordabox’.

As the Network aspires to enable every Filipino home to enjoy digital TV viewing experience, GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon proudly shared that GMA Affordabox was specifically developed to be made accessible to millions of Filipino households. 

“In celebration of this milestone of reaching seven colorful decades in the industry, we are more than grateful for the Filipinos’ continued trust in GMA Network as we reaffirm our commitment to deliver excellence in news and entertainment. Kaya naman, kasabay ng ika-70 anibersaryo ng inyong Kapuso Network, buong puso naming inihahandog sa inyo ang high-quality at abot-kayang digital TV receiver na Para Sa Pilipino—ang GMA Affordabox.”

Safety and Convenience drive 2x growth in Tax payments via GCash in H1

The volume and value of transactions of tax payments done through the GCash app doubled during the first six months of the year, buoyed by the growing demand for digital transactions amid the new normal.

GCash saw the value of transactions for payments to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) surging by 117 percent to P574.89 million in the first half of 2020 from P265.19 million the year prior.

This growth is driven by the 90-percent increase in the volume of BIR transactions during the first semester of the year, ending at 225,222 transactions from 118,731 in the same period last year.

Grab, Navotas provides thousands of livelihood opportunities to help Navotenos recover from the pandemic

• Grab, through its GrabBayanihan program, has committed to help Navotenos recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic by aiming to provide livelihood opportunities to 500 tricycle drivers and displaced workers to be part of Grab’s delivery fleet. 
• The partnership will likewise provide market access to at least 500 small businesses in Navotas who are greatly affected by the pandemic. 
• Grab and the City of Navotas have shared several milestone initiatives in the past particularly in providing livelihood opportunities to the residents through the PCUP, and this initiative is additive to Grab’s agenda of working closely with the government amidst the effects of the pandemic.

Grab Philippines together with the City government of Navotas, has announced its partnership which aims to leverage on Grab’s platform and provide livelihood opportunities to Navotenos in helping them recover from the impacts of the pandemic.

(Clockwise) Grab Philippines President Brian Cu, Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco, House Rep. John Rey Tiangco, and City Councilor Jack Santiago

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Grab has launched its GrabBayanihan program with the aim of helping Filipinos respond and recover from the pandemic. While GrabBayanihan has delivered protection and support to Filipinos during the early stages of the pandemic, Grab is again calling on the spirit of bayanihan – this time through local government partners across Metro Manila.  

Unlocked Is the World’s First Series about Gay Relationships under Quarantine

As many other places around the world, Manila has been under quarantine since March due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and with it most film productions came to a complete halt. This did not stop director Adolfo Alix Jr. (Donsol, Adela, Manila, Death March) to conceptualize and help produce Unlocked, the world’s first series about gay relationships under lockdown

Unlocked is a 6-episode anthology series originally scheduled to be released on June, in order to commemorate Pride Month, but due to an extremely difficult production process postponed to July 9th.  Each episode focuses in a different kind of loving relationship put to test under lockdown, “I wanted to develop stories where the circumstances of the pandemic are a catalyst for a deeper examination of relationships. It acts as a purgation of sorts - be it the physical distance or the paranoia of the situation,” explained Adolfo. The six stories are as follow: a heartbroken man hires a prostitute to help him cope with loneliness, a long-term gay couple need to reevaluate their relationship after being forced to be together 24/7, a single mother is trying to connect with her lover who is a nurse in the US, an elder professor reflects on his life after his young neighbor knocks on the door, a teenage boy comes of age and realizes about his real self during lockdown, a man alone in his apartment experiences a breakdown.

UNIQLO Sets to Open its Online Store with an Online Event on July 16

Japanese global apparel retailer, UNIQLO, announces today that its online store will officially launch on July 16, 2020.  The online store will be available both in the UNIQLO website and in its mobile application.

The launch will be accompanied by an online live event through UNIQLO’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/UNIQLO.PH/) on the said date. “We are excited to finally launch our online store in the Philippines. Our online store enables us to convey our brand’s commitment to improve the lives of our customers through our LifeWear and service. We’re inviting everyone to check out our digital live event on July 16 to see our online store’s offerings and features,” says Masayoshi Nakamura, COO, UNIQLO Philippines.

Multi-sectoral group comes together to help entrepreneurs weather pandemic-caused recession

Public encouraged to ‘buy local’ to support small biz owners

The considerable resources of the Association of the Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Go Negosyo, SM Foundation, Security Bank, and Union Bank are being brought to bear in efforts to jumpstart a languid economy stalled by the effects of the three-month long coronavirus lockdown.

Caring for customer service agents amidst the pandemic

“Working during the pandemic is so risky.  But it’s worse if we just stay at home and there’s no food to eat.  My house is so far from my work.  There’s no jeep so I have to walk.  Thankfully, during the ECQ (enhanced community quarantine), the company offered to house us so we can still work and have a salary.  And the company provided us allowances and hazard pay and free meals.  I am content but worried,” narrated Fatima Perido, an employee of a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) unit in Cebu City who works as a Globe customer service representative.

Fatima, like many call center agents, continues to brave the threat of the virus in order to survive and feed her family.  But despite her difficult circumstances, other call center agents have it worse.  The challenges that COVID-19 brought has prompted some of Globe’s BPO partners to close or limit their operations, drastically cutting down to less than 40% the manpower supporting Globe’s customer operations for both its hotline and social media channels.