Emirates Appoints Jassem Al Mulla as New Cargo Manager in the Philippines

Emirates Appoints Jassem Al Mulla as New Cargo Manager in the Philippines

Tuesday, June 11, 2024

Emirates has recently announced the appointment of Jassem Al Mulla as the new Cargo Manager in the Philippines. In this pivotal role, Jassem will oversee Emirates’ cargo operations within the country, contributing significantly to the local economy by fostering the development of the cargo sector. His primary focus will be on the burgeoning micro, small, and medium enterprise (MSME) sectors, which are critical to the Philippines' economic growth.

Jassem Al Mulla’s Expertise and Experience

Jassem Al Mulla brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having held several key positions across Emirates' operations. He joined Emirates in 2009 as part of the UAE National program in IT, marking the beginning of a distinguished career within the company. One of his notable achievements was his involvement in the development of the Emirates Group Safety application, a tool that has significantly streamlined the company's security strategy across its extensive network.

Before his current appointment, Jassem served as Cargo Manager in both Morocco and Jordan. His tenure in these roles underscores Emirates' commitment to nurturing talent from within the organization and promoting individuals who demonstrate excellence and leadership.

Driving Growth in the Philippines

Commenting on his new role, Jassem expressed his enthusiasm for the opportunities ahead:

"It is an exciting time for cargo in the Philippines. With the country’s ongoing investment in improving logistics infrastructure and the growing demand for local exports, we are seeing increased demand for specialized air cargo services and connectivity to key markets. I look forward to working with the local team to ensure Emirates SkyCargo helps maintain the country’s momentum post-pandemic, supporting local businesses in exporting their goods across the globe."

Under Jassem's leadership, Emirates SkyCargo aims to enhance its support for the local economy, particularly by aiding MSMEs. These enterprises are pivotal in driving economic activity and job creation in the Philippines. By leveraging Emirates SkyCargo’s extensive network and specialized services, Jassem plans to facilitate the efficient movement of goods, helping local businesses reach international markets.

Strategic Importance of the Philippines

The Philippines represents a crucial market within Emirates SkyCargo’s global network. The country is a significant exporter of commodities such as fresh fruits and vegetables, with a growing demand for garments and electronics. By providing reliable and efficient cargo services, Emirates SkyCargo plays a vital role in uplifting these key commodities, ensuring they reach global markets swiftly and in optimal condition.

The appointment of Jassem Al Mulla as the new Cargo Manager in the Philippines signifies Emirates’ ongoing commitment to excellence and leadership in the cargo sector. His extensive experience and strategic vision are set to drive the growth of Emirates SkyCargo in the region, benefiting the local economy and supporting MSMEs in their quest for global reach.

For more information about Emirates SkyCargo and its services, visit Emirates SkyCargo.

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UBX and MediCard Philippines Forge Strategic Partnership to Enhance Healthcare Access

UBX and MediCard Philippines Forge Strategic Partnership to Enhance Healthcare Access

UBX, the Philippines' leading driver of digital transformation, has entered a strategic partnership with MediCard Philippines, Inc., a prominent health maintenance organization (HMO). This collaboration aims to democratize health access in the Philippines by providing MediCard members with enhanced convenience and flexible payment options.

Revolutionizing Healthcare Payments with UBX

MediCard will leverage UBX’s innovative financial solutions, specifically the end-to-end payment gateway BUx, and the transact-now-pay-later solution, Splix. These tools will streamline premium payment collections and offer members various payment methods, ensuring a seamless and user-friendly experience.

John Januszczak, UBX President, highlighted the significance of this partnership:

“Our collaboration with MediCard represents a significant milestone in our journey of including everyone into the financial landscape. By leveraging each of our strengths — UBX’s innovative open finance solutions and MediCard’s wide network of healthcare partners and affiliates—we are helping make healthcare more accessible and less intimidating to Filipinos.”

Enhanced Payment Flexibility and Convenience

The partnership is designed to enhance the customer experience for MediCard members by providing unparalleled convenience in acquiring health coverage products. Through BUx, MediCard members can now pay for their coverage via multiple channels, including:

• Online banking
• Credit/debit card payments
• E-wallets
• Over-the-counter transactions

BUx boasts an expansive network of over 50,000 touchpoints, including pawnshops, department stores, and rural banks, ensuring that members have easy access to payment facilities across the country.

Financial Flexibility with Splix

In addition to BUx, members can utilize UBX’s insure-now-pay-later solution, Splix. This innovative solution allows members to manage their finances more effectively without compromising their healthcare needs, offering greater financial flexibility.

Julian Mengual, MediCard Chief Executive Officer, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership:

“Our strategic alliance with UBX allows us to accelerate our goal of bridging the healthcare gap in the Philippines. With UBX's innovative digital solutions and our extensive HMO expertise, we are poised to make significant strides in making healthcare more accessible, convenient, and affordable for all Filipinos.”

Pioneering Accessible Healthcare

This strategic partnership underscores UBX's commitment to driving financial inclusion and MediCard’s dedication to improving healthcare accessibility. By combining UBX's cutting-edge digital solutions with MediCard's extensive healthcare network, both organizations are set to make substantial progress in making healthcare more accessible and less daunting for Filipinos.

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GCash and Filipino community celebrate Independence Day in New York

GCash and Filipino community celebrate Independence Day in New York

GCash highlights new features and latest partnership with Meridian, allowing transfers from over 12,000 US banks to GCash accounts 

GCash, the Philippines’ leading finance app and largest cashless ecosystem, took part in Independence Day commemorations in New York City, hosted by the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI), a non-profit umbrella organization of Filipino-American associations along the East Coast. The PIDCI’s Independence Day Parade, the biggest Independence Day Parade outside of the Philippines and now on its 34th year, is an annual celebration of Filipino culture, the strengthening of familial and community ties, and a joyful display of Filipino pride.

At the event, Paul Albano, general manager of GCash International, shared important new features that make digital financial services better for Filipinos living outside of the Philippines. GCash has made strides in its international expansion, with its app now available for download in the US using a US mobile phone number, and cashing in and sending money is easier from over 12,000 US banks to GCash accounts.

“At GCash, when we say that ‘Finance for All’ is our vision, it means we are driven to go beyond the Philippines and reach as many Filipinos as we can around the globe,” said Albano. “We are honored to join our community in this distinctly Filipino celebration, and we’re eager to share all the ways GCash has been continuously innovating and enhancing our services to meet the needs of our kababayan overseas.” 

The celebration of heritage and intergenerational community was held through a full-day cultural festival. GCash unveiled a float at its main event, an Independence Day Parade traversing Madison Avenue that highlights GCash's main features that help connect Filipinos all around the world, especially with their loved ones back home.

GCash booths were also set up during a parallel street fair between Madison and Park Avenues that featured trade and travel merchants. Highlighting its role as a seamless fintech solution for Filipinos overseas, the GCash booth featured partnerships with financial institutions like Meridian, thus bridging US-based fintech services and the mobile wallet that has become a staple for financial services across the Philippines.

GCash and Meridian enable transfers from US banks to GCash peso accounts

GCash’s partnership with Meridian, an instant payment technology company headquartered in New York City, has enabled the direct transfer of US-based user funds within the GCash app from a selection of 12,000 US banks to GCash accounts. Upon transfer, the service automatically converts dollar amounts into Philippine pesos, offering competitive ForEx rates and a nominal $1 fee per transaction. 

Albano added, “At GCash, we want to help with the most important thing for our countrymen abroad: how they can care for their families and maintain connections with their loved ones despite the distance. With GCash’s international expansion, this is exactly what we are doing. We’re making it possible for Filipinos overseas to take better control of their finances, and sending money to the Philippines is more convenient with our competitive rates.”

GCash International expansion to reach millions of overseas Filipinos

GCash announced in March that it has expanded its international reach and fully launched its global push following approval from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Filipinos in 14 territories - the US, Canada, Italy, the UK, Australia, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Spain, Germany, and Singapore can now use international mobile numbers to sign up and use the GCash app. Kuwait and Saudi Arabia will follow suit in the next half of 2024.

With its expansion outside of the Philippines, GCash is able to serve and empower more Filipinos, wherever they may be based. In addition to free real-time money transfers among GCash wallets for convenient access to funds and the ability to buy load for loved ones back home, GCash users abroad can now directly pay their bills, ranging from utilities and tuition fees to government payables like taxes and contributions, from more than 1,900 Philippine billers. 

To access GCash outside the Philippines, simply download the GCash app on Google Play, App Store, or Huawei AppGallery with an active international SIM card. On the app, select the country, type in your mobile number, and fill out important personal information. To register residency, requirements may apply. Next, set your MPIN then proceed to log in. Ready your valid ID, like your Philippine passport, for scanning to verify your account. Afterward, complete the facial verification via selfie and provide additional information. Then wait for the SMS confirmation. Upon receiving the confirmation, you may now enter your MPIN and use the app.

GCash is also expected to meet with the Filipino communities in Carson City, California and Dubai, UAE within the coming weeks to share its GCash Overseas innovations.

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Sharon Cuneta Opens Up About Sensible Investing in Latest InLife Dreamweaver Stories Vlog

Sharon Cuneta Opens Up About Sensible Investing in Latest InLife Dreamweaver Stories Vlog

Philippine entertainment icon Sharon Cuneta has made sensible investment choices throughout her life and shares the lessons she learned in her financial journey in the latest vlog posted on her YouTube channel.

Focused on providing a secure future for her family, she shared that she does whatever she does now to help her children reach their dreams and give them a happy life. 

“I was recently asked how I manage to stay relevant in showbiz considering that it’s been more than four decades since I started. The answer is to evolve, to change, to grow with the times. How do you do that? For me, I had to keep learning, to keep studying, to constantly reinvent myself. I also need the right motivation, which is to leave a legacy for my fans, my loyal followers, and most of all, my family,” Cuneta said.

She then went on to explain the importance of savings and financial investments.

“As an InLife Dreamweaver, I learned that a great way to a better life is through making sound and secure financial investments,” the multi-awarded actress, singer, and TV host said.

Steps to making good investments

1. Identify your reasons for investing.

Cuneta advised that it is best to know why you’re making an investment. Ask yourself what you’re preparing for.

“Is It retirement? Is it for your child’s education? Bagay dapat ang gagawin mong investment sa short-term and long-term goals mo (Your investments should be aligned with your short-term and long-term goals),” she said.

2. Know when you need the results of your investment.

Cuneta pointed out that knowing when you would need the income for your investments helps you narrow down which investments to make.

“Kung kailangan mo na ang pera next year (If you need the money next year), you should invest in something that will produce accessible dividends within that period. If you have a substantial amount of resources…, invest in long-term products that will also have a higher yield or profit,” she advised.

3. Let a financial adviser guide you.

“When you’re clear on why you’re investing and when you need the income from your investment, you now look for what to invest in. And that is where financial advisers come in. They are the people who can guide you and find an investment that is just right for your needs and your resources,” Cuneta said. She went on to compare a financial adviser to her manager who helps her choose the right movie projects, albums, and concerts.

4. Diversify your portfolio.

There are many types of investments, including stocks, bonds, real estate, and mutual funds -- each with its own risk and returns.

“All investments involve risks. The more risks an investment has, the higher the potential return. However, there is also a higher potential for loss. Kaya it is important to diversify your portfolio, which means investing in a variety of different assets. Gaya nga ng kasabihan na don’t put your eggs in one basket kasi baka mabasag silang lahat (Like they say in the aphorism, “Don’t put your eggs in one basket because they might all break at the same time.”),” Cuneta emphasized.

5. Having an insurance can help protect your investments.

When investing, having an insurance policy can serve as a safety net or backup plan to mitigate unforeseen problems.

“If you have health insurance, that will cover your medical and other expenses while your money continues to earn in your investments,” Cuneta said.

“Once you’re protected, you can already save, invest for wealth accumulation, which eventually will lead to wealth distribution or leaving a legacy to your family,” she further pointed out.

Cuneta’s latest vlog is part of her InLife Dreamweaver Stories. It can now be viewed via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnP6wNdSA8w. The Megastar, along with her daughter, Miel Pangilinan, became InLife Dreamweavers last year to help amplify the Company’s mission of helping Filipinos lead A Lifetime for Good.

All her InLife Dreamweaver Stories vlogs are now up.

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New Appdome SDK Protection and Threat Streaming Service to End Third-Party Mobile Supply Chain Risk

New Appdome SDK Protection and Threat Streaming Service to End Third-Party Mobile Supply Chain Risk

Sunday, June 9, 2024

New service targets SDKs that are central to the mobile app economy, including payment gateways, biometric identification, advertising, and more

Appdome, the mobile app economy’s one-stop shop for mobile app defense, today released a new mobile SDK protection and mobile threat streaming service, called Appdome SDKProtect™. Appdome SDKProtect is designed to end third-party, mobile supply chain risk and democratize mobile threat intelligence and telemetry data among mobile SDK developers. The new service enables mobile SDK developers to quickly and easily create protected and threat-aware versions of their mobile SDKs, reducing fraud and ensuring compliance.

Mobile SDKs play a critical role in the mobile app economy, enabling Android & iOS developers to integrate essential functions into their applications, such as payment and banking services, digital identity verification, analytics, advertising, and more. The widespread use of mobile SDKs also makes them a prime target for malicious actors seeking to exploit SDKs to create supply chain risks inside mobile apps or compromise mobile app security to perform identity fraud, account takeovers, SDK spoofing, data breaches or other attacks.

“Mobile brands have become SDK providers themselves, and there’s more need than ever to leverage real-time attack and threat data inside mobile services,” said Tom Tovar, co-creator and CEO of Appdome. “We want to protect mobile SDKs and empower mobile SDK vendors to use our industry leading in-app intelligence framework to enrich critical mobile services to improve fraud detection, identity verification, and transaction integrity, and ensure regulatory compliance in mobile applications, globally.”

The new Appdome SDKProtect service provides mobile SDK vendors and developers with multiple options for mobile SDK protection. Appdome SDKProtect strengthens the security posture of third-party software development kits (SDKs) used in mobile app development against static and dynamic attacks, reverse engineering, IP loss and exploits. The service also makes Appdome platform’s rich mobile attack and intelligence data intelligence framework available to SDK providers to enhance the value of their SDK-based mobile services.

“Mobile SDKs are critical components of the mobile app supply chain, and if left unprotected, can result in significant and reverberating impacts across the mobile app ecosystem,” said Katie Norton, Research Manager, DevSecOps and Software Supply Chain Security. “ SDKProtect from Appdome provides an automated method for SDK makers to secure and protect their SDKs, as well as provide them with threat intelligence to detect and respond quickly to real-world attacks."

Appdome SDKProtect™ offers several levels of mobile SDK protection:

Threat-Shielding: Used to protect mobile SDK against reverse engineering and tampering by obfuscating and encrypting SDK data, strings, resources and preferences.

Mobile Risk Evaluation: Comprehensive coverage of SDK attacks, such as facial recognition bypass, root and Jailbreak detection, emulator detection, hooking frameworks, debuggers, Android debug bridge and more.

Threat Intelligence: Takes the power of Threat-Shielding and Mobile Risk Evalation and combines it with two visibility and control options.Threat-Streaming, which takes Threat Intelligence to the next level by providing real-time telemetry data that can be streamed to the SDK maker’s back-end to create specific outcomes when attacks happen.

Threat-Monitoring, which combines the protections with real-time attack monitoring and enterprise-grade intelligence via Appdome ThreatScope™ Mobile XDR.

The mobile Threat Intelligence packages leverage the power of Appdome Threat-Events™ in-app attack intelligence framework. The framework that empowers mobile developers with real-time event data and control for mobile SDKs.

“Keeping the mobile app economy safe requires this step,” said Chris Roeckl, Chief Product Officer of Appdome. “Protecting mobile SDKs from reverse engineering is table stakes. Leveraging comprehensive, real-time attack and threat data in mobile services and making mobile SDKs threat-aware is the quantum leap forward the industry has needed for a long time.”

Using the Appdome SDKProtect service is easy. Mobile SDK developers present the Appdome platform with a version of the mobile SDK (in Android .aar or .jar and iOS framework files), choose the level of protection to apply to the SDK and initiate the build command. Once selected, the Appdome platform builds the chosen protections into the mobile SDK. In just minutes, the protected mobile SDK is available for download and distribution by the mobile SDK developer to its customers.

Appdome SDKProtect is fully compatible with all mobile platforms, frameworks, and development languages. It seamlessly integrates with existing app development workflows and tools, requiring no changes to the SDK source code or development environment.

To learn more about Appdome SDKProtect, please visit

https://www.appdome.com/sdkprotect/

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Golden Visa Centrale to launch exciting new European residency opportunity for Filipinos: the Portugal Golden Visa program

Golden Visa Centrale to launch exciting new European residency opportunity for Filipinos: the Portugal Golden Visa program

Thursday, June 6, 2024

Golden Visa Centrale (GVC), a leading international property marketing consultancy specializing in residency-by-investment, invites Filipinos to join their roadshow on June 4-6 as they launch the newest opportunity for Filipinos to make their European residency dreams come true through the Portugal Golden Visa program.

“The Portugal Golden Visa program offers many benefits. Among them include the right to live, work, and study in one of the most captivating European countries as well as visa-free travel to the rest of the EU,” said Ms. Luis. “We’re also thrilled to announce our newest promotion — once you invest €500K into the program, you can receive up to €200K of incentives for booking early, essentially making it a €300K investment.”

Vicky Luis, Co-founder and President of Golden Visa Centrale, together with Arish Capital Partners and Pinto Ribeiro Advogados, will guide you through securing residency or citizenship in Portugal with a €500K investment. 

The Portugal Golden Visa program offers benefits like the ability to live, work, and study in the country, apply for citizenship after five years (with a minimum stay of 7 days per year), reunite up to three generations of family members (including same-sex couples) with access to healthcare, and visa-free travel within Schengen countries.

Portugal and the rest of Europe await! Join Golden Visa Centrale, Arish Capital Partners, and Pinto Ribeiro Advogados on these dates:

• June 4, 2024, Tuesday | 6:30 PM | Manila House, Rizal Room
• June 5, 2024, Wednesday | 11:00 AM | Last Chukker, Manila Polo Club
• June 6, 2024, Thursday | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Shangri-La Horizon Club

Those interested in attending may register at https://bit.ly/GVCJuneEvents. For questions and more information, please contact Vicky Luis at vickyluis@goldenvisacentral.com or +63 917 856 1237.

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Bayad Sapat Dapat: Financial Literacy as a Pillar for Filipino Resilience Amid Economic Challenges

Bayad Sapat Dapat: Financial Literacy as a Pillar for Filipino Resilience Amid Economic Challenges

With the lingering economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, 2023 proved to be a financially challenging year for Filipinos. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported a significant rise in the inflation rate from 2.4 percent in 2020 to 6.0 percent in 2023, marking the highest inflation rate in 15 years. This stark increase underscores the urgent need for enhanced financial literacy among Filipinos, particularly the youth, to build financial resilience.

Bayad and DepEd's Initiative: "Bayad Sapat Dapat"

In response to these economic challenges, Bayad, the pioneer and industry leader in bill payments, in partnership with the Department of Education (DepEd), has been actively promoting financial literacy through its comprehensive school program, "Bayad Sapat Dapat." This initiative aims to instill the importance of financial literacy and money management among Filipino students during their formative years.

"Bayad Sapat Dapat" is designed to help young Filipinos develop a financial mindset that emphasizes economic sufficiency and prudent financial management. By equipping students with essential financial skills, the program seeks to empower households and communities to navigate and withstand financial adversities.

Celebrating Five Years of Financial Literacy Advocacy

Now in its fifth year, "Bayad Sapat Dapat" continues to make a significant impact. The program's highlight, the Financial Literacy Quiz Bee, tests students on financial management, savings, and priority-setting. The most recent quiz bee took place on May 3, 2024, at Mandaue City Central School, Cebu, with the supervision of Bayad, DepEd, and Marylindbert International, Inc.

Out of 3,000 students from various divisions in Region 7, 43 were chosen as finalists. Shandy Monica Taborada, a Grade 12 student from Mandaue City Science High School, emerged as this year's champion. Shandy reflected on her experience, stating, “Participating in the Bayad Sapat Dapat Quiz Bee extends beyond just winning the competition. It enabled us students to expand our understanding of key financial principles and improve our decision-making skills.”

Joining Shandy in the ranks of financial literacy champions were Christine Ella Dabuco Fuentes from Lahug Night High School, Cebu City (2nd place), Anthony Tenebroso from Ramon Teves Pastor Memorial Dumaguete Science High School, Negros Oriental (3rd place), Jinky O. Casio from Science and Technology Education Center, Lapu-Lapu City (4th place), and Cherry Mae Decena from Mabolo National High School, Cebu City (5th place).

A Collaborative Effort for a Financially Literate Generation

Mandaue City Science High School Principal Leslie Joy R. Paňa emphasized the importance of the initiative, saying, “Now more than ever, DepEd is steadfast in driving forth the Financial Education Policy in the K to 12 Curriculum. This is why we proactively support the Bayad Sapat Dapat Comprehensive School Program as we harmonize our efforts in raising a generation of financially literate individuals.”

Bayad’s AVP and Head for Corporate Branding & Marketing Services, Wendell Kristian P. Labre, highlighted the increasing financial vulnerabilities facing the nation. He remarked, “Together with the Department of Education, we are even more committed to upholding the financial health of Filipino households and communities by empowering the youth to make wise financial decisions.”

Bayad Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer, Dennis S. Gatuslao, stressed the crucial role of financial literacy in economic recovery. He stated, “It is crucial that at this point in time, students take to heart the importance of financial literacy in the economic recovery of our country.”

Bayad President and CEO, Lawrence Y. Ferrer, concluded by underscoring the company's mission, “Our goal in Bayad has always been anchored on elevating the standard of living of Filipinos. We continue to amplify our advocacy on Financial Literacy to expose students early on to wise financial habits.”

Looking Forward

The "Bayad Sapat Dapat" program represents a critical step towards fostering a financially resilient generation in the Philippines. By instilling essential financial skills and knowledge in young Filipinos, Bayad and DepEd are paving the way for a more economically stable and prosperous future. The collaborative efforts between these organizations highlight the importance of financial education in navigating and overcoming economic challenges, ensuring that the next generation is well-prepared to make informed financial decisions.

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