PayMaya pays it forward to mental health frontliners

PayMaya pays it forward to the National Center for Mental Health by giving out 100 Christmas food baskets to NCMH Crisis Hotline responders and ER and Psychiatric Acute Unit staff.

Digital financial services leader PayMaya recently paid it forward to the frontlines of the National Center for Mental Health. The company distributed 100 Christmas food baskets to the NCMH Crisis Hotline responders and the Emergency Room and Psychiatric Acute Unit staff. 

"Promoting mental health is important, especially among our young people during this pandemic. We are paying it forward to our mental health frontliners who have been helping fight this silent battle. We admire them for bravely dedicating their time and effort to help those suffering from mental health issues," said Nick Wilwayco, Head of Public Affairs and Communications at PayMaya.

Salamat, Shopee: How Shopee Transformed The Lives of Everyday Filipinos this 2021

Suki buyer Maricris Lorenzo, passionate seller Biboy Bautista, and hardworking rider Jggigs Elmido share Kwentong Shopee stories of how they managed to get through a challenging year

As we persevered despite another year of the pandemic, there is no denying that the “new normal” has significantly changed the way we shopped. In the past couple of years, we eagerly embraced the world of online shopping, which left a big impact not just on our shopping carts, but also on our hearts. 

For plenty of ordinary Filipinos such as Maricris Lorenzo, Biboy Bautista, and Jggigs Elmido, Shopee has completely transformed their lives. They each come from different walks of life and carry their unique Kwentong Shopee, but they all have one thing in common—hope. Here are three stories of how Shopee has helped shoppers, riders, and sellers rise above difficulties:

Donate to Typhoon Odette Victims via Shopee App and Shopee Will Match It Up to ₱1M

Donate to Shopee’s partner organizations such as GMA Kapuso Foundation, UNICEF, and World Vision until January 4 

To help the thousands of devastated Filipinos in Visayas and Mindanao grappling with the aftermath of super typhoon Odette, Shopee launches its Shopee Bayanihan: Typhoon Odette Support initiative wherein users can buy donation vouchers through the app, with the commitment to match up to ₱1,000,000 worth of total donations made to Shopee’s partner charities for this initiative. 

From December 23, 2021, to January 4, 2022, Shopee users can purchase the donation e-vouchers that will be used for water kits, health, and sanitation stations, and other essentials such as food and clothes from partner charities UNICEF, World Vision, and GMA Kapuso Foundation. Users can view and purchase these Typhoon Odette Support vouchers through https://shopee.ph/m/odette-support via Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, ShopeePay.

Action Adventure "Uncharted" Drops New Trailer

The race for the greatest treasure is on… if Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) and Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) can survive each other first. Watch the latest trailer for the new action adventure Uncharted, exclusively in Philippine cinemas 2022.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/XgG5FiWm3Yk

About Uncharted

Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother...but only if they can learn to work together.

5 Tips for Businesses to Achieve a Plastic Pollution-Free Christmas

Plastic pollution in the Philippines has already reached an alarming rate and continues to be one of the top environmental challenges for the country and the rest of the globe.

According to a report released by WWF-Philippines in 2020, Filipinos consume a yearly average of 20kg of plastics, from which 15.43kg/cap/year becomes waste. Insufficient recycling capacities for high value recyclables (i.e. PET, PP, HDPE) and the high volume of low value plastics (including sachets) are some factors that affect the country’s low plastic recycling rate, at 9%. The report further estimates that the Philippines leaks about 35% of plastic wastes into the environment.

With the economy slowly opening, WWF-Philippines encourages businesses to integrate plastic pollution-free practices to fight plastic pollution. Here are some useful tips for business owners on how they can participate in creating a plastic pollution-free Christmas this 2021.

Jhassy Busran teen star wins international acting awards

15-year-old pretty young miss, singer-actress Jhassy Busran makes the country proud by winning two international acting awards – the Jury Award Best of the Best Performance Short Film (Male or Female) at the 2021 International Film Festival Manhattan-New York and a best child actress award e at the Gully International Film Festival in India for her performance as young chil;d forced into hard labor in the film “Pugon” by Gabby Ramos.

A true artistic feat for a newcomer indeed since she does not belong to the roster of talents of a major television network or a star-maker talent management agency.

Jhassy’s name obviously comes from the fragrant flower that is jasmine, usually white or yellow, and thrives in the temperate regions of Eurasia and Oceania.

Born under the astrological sign of Virgo, this fifteen-year old 9th grader from the  Mission Christian School, declares the e King’s Language, English as her favorite school subject. On the side, she is a varsity player of their table tennis team.

Odette Relief Efforts with Tzu Chi Foundation

Tzu Chi Foundation, Digital Pilipinas, and industry
leaders discuss a strategic response to
Odette victims – and for future calamities.

Tzu Chi Foundation, industry leaders collaborate for strategic response to Odette victims 

Beyond donations, with preparations for future calamities

A week shy from Christmas, the devastation wrought by super typhoon Odette has leveled large parts of the central and southern Philippines, placing six regions under a state of calamity: Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga. However, the lack of communications within the affected regions and the unpassable roads between the various towns have made the urgent distribution of assistance an enormous challenge. This prompted a call from and for business and NGO leaders to collaborate to get the communities back on their feet, as well as to form strategic responses for future calamities.