Digital solutions platform Globe has transformed its network equipment to more energy-efficient and economical options in line with its climate action strategy.
The company recently migrated its site backhaul from utilizing microwave antennas into a fully redundant fiber optic cable solution as it intensifies the shift to green technologies.
The move lessens power consumption since most long-haul microwave sites are composed of multiple big antennas and outdoor units that contribute to higher power consumption. Globe has already logged savings of 84,288 kilowatt-hours from 151 converted sites.
Aside from being more sustainable, the initiative boosts network capacity with a higher bandwidth that would support increasing demand for data in the country. This will not only bring benefits to Globe but the country as a whole.
Moving forward, Globe plans to expand site conversion and explore other microwave solutions and equipment that are sustainable in terms of lower power consumption and footprint.
“We are dedicated to creating a sustainable future through technology. Our conversion of microwave radio sites to fiber optic cable is a step towards reducing our carbon impact while ensuring backhaul efficiency. We are proud to be part of the global effort towards a healthier and fairer world, and are fully committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions,” said Gerhard Tan, Network Strategy and Technology Enablement Director at Globe.
Globe supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 13, which seeks urgent action against climate change and its impacts. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.
Aligned with the commitment of parent firm Ayala Corp., Globe is also a participant in the UN-backed Race to Zero global campaign rallying non-state actors to halve global emissions by 2030 and deliver a healthier, fairer zero-carbon world by 2050.
Likewise, Globe was the first Philippine publicly-listed company to commit to the Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) aligned with the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels.
As part of its commitment to support the disclosure recommendations by the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), the company shall continue to disclose its climate action strategy and programs as it works towards achieving its committed targets.
To learn more about Globe, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-X reported that the inflation rate in Northern Mindanao slowed down to 7.4% in March 2023 from the 8.0% inflation rate in February 2023.
The main sources of deceleration were food and non-alcoholic beverages, with inflation decelerating to 10.9% from 11.8%; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels with an inflation rate of 5.0%; and transport with inflation slowing down to 3.5%.
PSA-X Chief Statistical Specialist Sarah Balagbis said the top contributor to the deceleration of inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages was vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas, and pulses which decelerated by 9.0 percentage points, from 31.6% to 22.6% with onion as the main source of the slowdown.
Inflation of rice also decreased to 3.7% from 4.6% in February 2023 while meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals posted 13.3% inflation from 14.7%.
Contributing to the deceleration in transport were gasoline with -6.2% inflation in March from 4.4% in February, as well as, diesel with-5.7% inflation from 15.1% in February.
On the other hand, the decrease in the inflation of housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels was attributed to electricity with -1.3% inflation from 3.2% in February; and LPG with 3.1% from 14.7% in February.
PSA-X supervising statistical specialist Brenda Lynn Castro, meanwhile said they are hoping for the deceleration to continue until the end of the year so that the inflation rate would normalize and public spending would increase. (APB/PIA-10)
Five Miss Hello Glow finalists were selected during Miss Universe Philippines 2023 corporate visit amidst the ombré sunset skies of Manila.
Thirty-eight Miss Universe Philippines 2023 candidates graced the headquarters of Hello Glow to participate in an iconic sunset runway competition on March 31, 2023 as part of Hello Glow’s collaboration with Miss Universe Philippines as its Official Sun Care Partner.
The brand’s panel of judges consisting of Miss Universe 2016 top 6 finalist – Maxine Medina, Beauty Pageant Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate – Dr. Demiee Sy, and Smart’s Head of Strategy – Edson Guido made the difficult decision of choosing five Miss Hello Glow finalists. Namely, Pauline Amelinckx of Bohol, Eileen Gonzales of Quezon City, Samantha Panlilio of Cavite, Emmanuelle Vera of Cebu Province, and Michelle Dee of Makati.
Maxine Medina also shared quick words of wisdom to this year’s batch of candidates. In line with Hello Glow’s slogan #BecauseYourSkinMatters, the Miss Universe alum urged the beauty queen contestants to develop the confidence to love their own skin and embrace their personal stories — because that’s what will make them stand out!
The official Miss Hello Glow titleholder will be revealed on Miss Universe Philippines’ coronation night on May 12, 2023.
Candidates Spotted Using Hello Glow During Summer Beach Activities
It has been a busy summer building up to the Miss Universe Philippines coronation. The candidates have since traveled to Palawan and Boracay among other beautiful Philippine destinations in the last two months to promote local tourism as well as their advocacies.
While doing their summer beach activities, the candidates have been spotted using Hello Glow sun care products to ensure their skin is protected so they can continue enjoying being out in the sun.
Hello Glow Teases New Products via Miss Universe PH
Hello Glow users got their first glimpse of upcoming new launches through the Miss Universe Philippines collaboration where candidates were seen with unreleased Hello Glow sun care products.
These included:
Hello Glow 3-in-1 Lightweight Sun Care Gel SPF 50 PA+++ 25g (Php 199) – Hello Glow’s best selling sun care gel now in a smaller, travel friendly size! Small and compact, easy to take with you everywhere you go!
Hello Glow Lip Balm SPF 20 (Php 135) – Our lips need sun protection, too! And Hello Glow’s lip balm make it easy by effectively moisturizing the lips while providing ample SPF!
Hello Glow Sun Care Stick SPF 60+ PA++ – So far, no information has been made available yet for the price and availability of this item. But what a way to tease Hello Glow fans and sun care lovers! We are definitely watching out for this product and hope to get our hands on it soon!
To follow more of Hello Glow x Miss Universe Philippines sun care partnership, look up the following hashtags on social media: #HelloGlowOfficial #HelloUniverse.
You may also check Hello Glow’s official social media handles at @helloglowofficial on Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok, @helloglowph on Twitter.
Hello Glow is available on Shopee, Lazada, Tiktok Shop, as well as in physical stores like Watsons, SM Beauty Dept Stores, SM Supermarkets, Robinsons Dept. Stores among others.
SECOND CLOSING OF 132 TOWERS TRANSFERRED TO PHILTOWER FOR ~ P2.0 BILLION
April 28, 2023, MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Globe (PSE: GLO), a leading digital platform in the Philippines with major interests in telecommunications, financial technology, virtual healthcare, digital marketing solutions, venture capital funding, data insight services, e-commerce and entertainment, announced today the transfer of another 132 towers to Phil-Tower Consortium, Inc. (PhilTower) for approximately P2.0 billion. These tower assets from Visayas and Mindanao are composed of 94% ground-based towers and 6% rooftop towers. With this recent closing, an aggregate of 710 out of 1,350 tower assets were successfully turned over to PhilTower. The sale comes with a commitment to build 750 towers across Visayas and Mindanao.
Cumulatively, Globe has already completed 44% or a total of 3,120 towers out of 7,059 acquired by the tower companies, raising ~ P40.5 billion to date. Subsequent closings will happen as and when closing conditions are met. Globe will make relevant announcements in accordance with the applicable regulatory and disclosure rules as and when appropriate.
“We have transferred more than half of the towers bought by PhilTower. As we shift our focus to strengthening our free cash flow position, this initiative continues to provide us additional financial and operational flexibility, thereby protecting our market leadership and allowing adequate elbow room to venture into exciting digital businesses,” said Rizza Eala, Globe Chief Finance Officer.
Globe President and Chief Executive Officer, Ernest L. Cu, said, “Our partnership with PhilTower will help us achieve our network expansion goals in Visayas and Mindanao to reach the unserved and the underserved. In times like these, reliable digital services greatly spell a difference in stimulating economic growth and getting practical innovations within reach in these key regions.”
Devid Gubiani, PhilTower President said of this milestone, “In rapid succession from our initial February closing, PhilTower is pleased to transact another 132 sites with Globe. This brings our overall portfolio to over 1,000 sites nationwide. We look forward to closing the remaining 640 sites. Our partnership with Globe has been a strong one as the Philtower team managed operationally end to end those sites from day 1, thereby allowing Globe to focus on their operational excellence.”
Taking a new approach to leadership development, Globe has launched a program that aims to develop caring, authentic, courageous, and inspiring leaders, nurture employees’ well-being and drive the organization’s creative productivity.
Called the Soul Leadership Program, this development course was designed to help leaders communicate a clear vision of the future and inspire their teams to look ahead with hope and perform with a deeper sense of purpose and ownership of results. It hopes to make practical, relatable, and repeatable behaviors part of the company’s DNA through consistent and continuous practice.
“We recognized the opportunity for us as leaders of the organization to look within ourselves, particularly with how we are leading Globe and our people. We needed to revisit leadership in the context of today’s world. Our current or past approaches had to be reimagined, including how we lead with our hearts and minds while applying highly effective ways to reconnect with our people. Soulful leadership is relevant to the demands of the times,” said Globe Group President and CEO Ernest Cu.
The first batch of People Managers and Leaders, including Globe Executives, participated in the pilot run in 2022, where they attended a two-day session at the Globe University. To date, over 800 Globe leaders have completed the program.
The program aims to scale up and target 1,000 leaders this year, including those from regional teams and portfolio companies. Seven batches underwent the training for this first quarter, and more sessions will be held until November for Globe’s People Managers.
Berns Bernardo, Globe AVP for Learning and Development, facilitates the two-day Soul Leadership training.
Soul Leadership is the embodiment of the leaders’ “whole self” and the vital force behind their thoughts, words, and actions. By bringing their entire self, body, and being into their leadership roles, leaders can guide and treat their people right to help them feel safe to perform at their very best while being transparent in the way they communicate, building trust and fostering genuine connections which is a very sustainable way of fostering a winning culture.
Globe envisions growing Soulful Leaders by enabling its people managers to elevate their leadership behaviors and raise their consciousness on how to lead with courage, empathy and authenticity, as well as building psychological safety with no bias, encouraging risk-taking, promoting accountability, and creating empowered teams and a culture of care within the organization.
Cu believes that by positive leadership and role-modeling of leadership behaviors, Globe can create a safe space for everyone and provide a highly productive and collaborative work environment with improved innovation and agility towards better overall organizational health and performance.
As the company faces new market challenges, stiffer competition, and a constantly evolving business climate, leaders need to step up to rally all Globe employees to perform at their level best so that everyone can uniquely and meaningfully contribute to building a sustainable Next Globe.
With Soul leadership at the forefront of Globe’s organizational culture, the company is well-positioned to overcome the challenges of today’s market and competition, and build a better, sustainable future where every employee strives to make a difference and create a Globe of Good.
“Soul Leadership is the essence of leadership that emerges from the inner-self of the leaders and becomes visible through the leader’s actions and behaviors. As leaders, it is our responsibility to create an environment where people are enabled to face new realities and possibilities with renewed hope, optimism, and excitement,” concluded Cu.
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA)–Northern Mindanao’s services sector recorded an accelerated growth of 10.1% in 2022, a signal of its recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Among its sub-sectors, Accommodation and food service activities posted the fastest increase at 35.2% followed by Transportation and storage at 21.6% growth, Other services at 10.7%, and Wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles at 10%.
According to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-X regional director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño, the continued easing of pandemic-related mobility restrictions led to increased demand for travel and tourism-related services in the region, a phenomenon called “revenge travel.”
NEDA-X Regional Director Mylah Faye Aurora Cariño states that the continued easing of pandemic-related mobility restrictions led to increased demand for travel and tourism-related services in Northern Mindanao. (Daniel Clark Cabantan/PIA-10)
“The region’s annual tourist arrivals, domestic and foreign, in 2022 increased by 177% to 1.66 million from 599 thousand in 2021,” she said.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)-X earlier announced that Services comprised 54.5% of Northern Mindanao’s economy in 2022.
Moreover, Services contributed the most to the 7.2% regional economic growth, with a 5.3 percentage points contribution. One of its sub-sectors, the Wholesale and retail trade, and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, was among the three main growth drivers with a contribution of 2.7 percentage points.
The regional economic performance for 2022 was released by PSA-X in a news conference held Thursday, April 27. (APB/PIA-10)
A Kagay-anon chef based in New Orleans, USA has elevated the humble singkamas (turnip) to a sleeper hit in a city renowned worldwide for its Creole cuisine.
In an article published in the 19 April 2023 issue of The New York Times Magazine, cooking writer and columnist Eric Kim raved about Nicole “Nikki” Cabrera-MillsCitrus-Glazed Turnips.
Sautéed shrimp, laing and atchara
Kim, who writes for the Food Section and NYT Cooking, admits to a penchant for adventure in trying items on a menu which are not mainstream.
“Sometimes the oddity on a menu might be the chef’s passion project, which is reason enough to order it. Newcomers to the New Orleans favorite Pêche Seafood Grill might not know that the restaurant goes heavy on the vegetables, but you have to know to order them,” wrote Kim in his article “The Secret to Ordering the Best Thing on the Menu.”
When he noted the citrus-glazed turnips on the resto’s star studded menu, he was immediately intrigued. “Who knew that the star of my seafood lunch would be a side dish of turnips?”
Royal reds with crab roe and Nikki’s version of Alavar sauce.
Since the turnip season coincided with the citrus season, Mills combined them in a tangy-sweet and bitter-mellow glaze through a simple reduction of satsuma juice, gochugaru and butter, which tempered the quick-roasted turnips and gave them an almost an iridescent mother-of-pearl shine, Kim noted.
Citrus Glazed Turnips by Chef Nilkki Cabrera-Mills
After previous attempts with turnip purée, turnip cakes, turnip gratin which were all delicious but did not elicit eureka moments from Pêche’s diners, Kim believes Mills has finally hit a homerun with her citrus-glazed turnips which is fast becoming one it its sleeper hits. What makes it even more heartening to hear is how a side dish of a lowly root vegetable has now been exalted to a lofty pantheon by discerning diners, thanks to the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Chef Nikki.
Mix Mix
Chef Nikki also served as an ambassador of Philippine cuisine when she was featured on the pilot episode of Take Out with Lisa Ling which started streaming on HBO Max on January 27, 2022.
Chef Nikki, Andrew Marin and Lisa Ling on Take Out with Lisa Ling. Streams on HBO Max,
Filipino food blogger Andrew Marin and host Lisa Ling discussed the importance of keeping Asian cuisine and culture alive in America on its first episode Mix Mix .
“The series explored different AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) cultures through food, specifically the ones a lot of people don’t know about,” Chef Nikki said in an online correspondence with this writer. “For New Orleans, Louisiana, they talked about Filipinos here and how Jean Lafitte was the first known Asian settlement in the country, when Filipinos came through with the Spanish Galleon.”
Bagoong rice pilaf with peas and chanterelles, farm egg
Chef Nikki was filmed in the Pêche segment of the episode while the hosts commented on how she put Filipino flavors in their dishes, and later served them Filipino-inspired dishes from their menu including whole red snapper (maya-maya), kinilaw, tomato cucumber salad and fried okra.
Long Road to The Big Easy
Born and raised in the Philippines, Nikki grew up in the fast growing city of Cagayan de Oro, which is expected to become the country’s fourth metropolitan center by 2025. She finished her elementary and high school education with Corpus Christi School.
Her grandparents owned the Little Town Bakery in Malaybalay, Bukidnon where she grew up watching the production of fresh baked bread in an old fashioned wood burning stone oven. Farm to table has always been part of the Filipino culture.
Tomato and cucumber salad with cured egg yolk.
Nicole’s family was known for growing and producing some of the sweetest corn in the area along with farm raised sheep, cattle, chickens and horses. Her mom Ella specialized in making and selling siomai and siopao at the family’s Shao Mai Dimsum stalls in Cagayan de Oro and Cebu.
After graduating from Ateneo de Manila University, Nikki moved to New York in 2001 to attend the French Culinary Institute in Soho upon the suggestion of her father Bobby.
“She was always fond of cooking and once prepare a Valentine’s Day meal at our house for her brother, where she took care of everything from the menu to the table setting,” her dad Bobby recalls.
Her culinary career began with Danny Meyer and Union Square Hospitality Group cooking at both Eleven Madison Park and Gabriele Kreuther’s the Modern at MOMA. She worked as a tournant for Chef Alain Allegretti at Atelier in the Ritz Carlton Central Park and later with Chef Dan Kluger at The Core Club.
Crispy okra with chili vinegar
Also known as a floating or relief chef, a chef tournant is a member of the culinary hierarchy whose job involves stepping in when needed to complete a variety of culinary duties.
After New York, Nikki moved to Los Angeles to work at the Thompson Beverly Hills with Chef Brian Redzikowski.
She moved back to Cagayan de Oro after L.A. to open Bourbon Street, a Creole concept restaurant which was the first of its kind at the Rosario Arcade of Limketkai Center. After a few years, she and her husband Drew relocated to New Orleans for Drew’s new assignment in a chain of hotels. She later joined the Link Restaurant Group to be part of the opening team at Pêche Seafood Grill in 2013, and became its Chef de Cuisine in 2019.
Peche Seafood Grill, one of the most famous restaurants in New Orleans.
The Head Chef or Chef de Cuisine remains at the top of the hierarchy in restaurant kitchens without an executive chef. Like an executive chef, she controls all aspects of the kitchen, including creating menus, controlling kitchen costs, and managing the kitchen staff.
NIkki Cabrera-MIlls is the Chef de Cuisine of Peche in New Orleans, Louisana.
To put her present assignment in a better context, Pêche won a James Beard award for Best New Restaurant in America in 2014. One of its founders, Chef Ryan Prewitt, was honored with a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: South that same year. Pêche is continuously named one of the Top 10 Best Restaurants in New Orleans annually by Brett Anderson, Times Picayune.
Peche Seafod Grill
Inspired by the cooking of South America, Spain, and the Gulf Coast, Chefs Donald Link,Stephen Stryjewski and Ryan Prewitt designed Pêche Seafood Grill.
Focused on working with local fishermen and farmers who harvest sustainably, Pêche serves simply prepared contemporary dishes, rustic creations cooked on an open hearth, as well as fresh oysters and Gulf fish.
Leading digital solutions platform Globe persists in its efforts to filter out domains that promote and enable illegal activities. In the first quarter of this year, the number of online gambling, smishing and phishing sites the company has blocked rose by 41.3 percent, showcasing its steadfast commitment to ensuring a safe and secure online experience for its users.
Globe removed 554 online gambling, smishing and phishing sites between January and March this year, 162 more than the 392 illegal domains blocked in the same period last year. It continues to report malicious links that promote online gambling to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) and law enforcement agencies for immediate action.
Globe’s cybersecurity team has been stepping up measures to fend off spam and online scams, particularly bank phishing. It has also repeatedly warned the public against phishing and smishing attacks targeting customers using messages that mimic official communications.
Phishing is a common type of cyber attack where criminals impersonate an organization or individual through a legitimate-looking email or text message containing links to fraudulent websites to trick people into divulging sensitive information or downloading harmful software. A variation of phishing, known as smishing, operates similarly but is limited to mobile phone SMS messages.
From January to March this year, Globe foiled more attempts to scam depositors after it tied up with banks and financial institutions to fight online fraud.
The number of malicious bank-related SMS messages blocked by Globe increased by 2.7 percent to 4.07 million during the first quarter of 2023 from 3.97 million in the same period last year.
From January 2022 to January 2023, Globe blocked 85 million bank-related spam and scam messages amid its strengthened crackdown against fraudsters. This was part of the record-high 3 billion scam and spam messages it has filtered out in one year.
“We do not tolerate illegal and fraudulent activities that compromise the safety and security of our customers. We remain committed to leveraging our technological capabilities to detect and prevent such activities and to continuously invest in tools and resources that enhance our ability to protect our users. Our goal is to provide a trusted and secure digital platform that our customers can rely on,” said Globe Chief Information Security Officer Anton Bonifacio.
To combat the proliferation of online fraud and other illegal activities, Globe has made substantial investments in developing tools and launching channels that facilitate reporting within and outside the company.
The platform has allocated approximately $20 million to enhance its detection and blocking system for spam and scam SMS. With its Security Operations Center operating 24/7, Globe is able to effectively filter out unwanted messages originating from domestic and international sources, including app-to-person and person-to-person SMS.
To learn more about Globe, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/.
HCX Technology Partners, a subsidiary of the Asticom Group of Companies, has transformed the operations of over 100 businesses in the Philippines through its enterprise and digital solutions with particular expertise in the HR and CRM space.
With three Centers of Expertise (COE)— Human Capital Management Solutions, Enterprise Digital Solutions, and Managed Services— HCX has established itself as a leader in the technology industry.
HCX offers a range of technology solutions such as Oracle PeopleSoft, DigiOffice, PeopleStrong, and DataOn SunFish for HR management, remote collaboration, and manpower planning under its Human Capital Management division.
Over 100,000 users benefit from these platforms, helping to accelerate business growth and digitize the field of human resources.
On the other hand, HCX’s Digital Solutions include Salesforce, Automation Anywhere, DocuSign, Skillsoft and custom-built applications for various business functions such as customer relationship management, business process automation, document and contract management, learning management and more.
Meanwhile, Managed Services cover application or platform maintenance and support of human capital management, digital and custom solutions, and execution of other critical business processes in the HR space.
“Our goal in HCX is to empower businesses by providing transformative services to address human resource and organizational needs. Driven by our push for excellence and innovation, we commit ourselves to delivering best-in-class digital solutions for Filipino businesses,” said Froilan Rabatan, HCX Managing Director.
HCX remains an important arm of Asticom in delivering high-impact results for their partners and customers.
“Asticom, together with HCX, aims to help and transform Filipino businesses,” said Asticom Group of Companies President and CEO Mharicar Castillo-Reyes. “With the expertise of HCX, we provide innovative ways that further improve their HR and digital processes, which in turn contribute to the economic recovery of the country.”
HCX’s 15 years of industry experience has proven its expertise in providing CRM and HR tech solutions to a diverse client base to become the preferred technology partner in the Philippine market.
To learn more about HCX and its services, visit https://hcx.com.ph/. Find out more about Asticom at https://asticom.com.ph/.
Plaza Marcela, a beloved shopping center named after the Alturas Group of Companies (AGC) family matriarch, recently celebrated its 26th anniversary by organizing an outreach program for disadvantaged children in Bohol. The event was part of AGC’s golden anniversary festivities, marking the group’s efforts in serving the people and uplifting lives.
The department store is one of the subsidiaries of AGC which includes Island City Mall, Alturas Mall, and Marcela Farms. It has been providing quality products and services to Boholanos for over two decades.
For the celebration, Plaza Marcela organized a free medical consultation along with an art workshop led by Sylvia Gonser, a member of the Baji Arts Collective Group in Bohol.
Around a hundred children from Brgy. Cogon joined the event, which introduced the young ones to the different primary colors and the art of mixing paints. They used recycled circular piggy banks as their canvas, promoting the importance of recycling and creativity.
Additionally, the kids were treated to lunch and snacks, and engaged in games, adding more fun and excitement to the activity. The program concluded with the announcement and awarding of the top ten promising artists and the distribution of gift packs, providing a memorable experience and a token of appreciation for the children’s participation.
“We are delighted to celebrate our 26th anniversary with the children, as we strongly believe that providing opportunities for them to learn and create contributes to the overall development of the community. We remain committed to giving back to the Boholanos by offering services and events that cater to their needs and interests,” said Ms. Mary Grace Bernaldez, Sr. Supervisor of Alturas Corporate Marketing.
As an expression of gratitude to the continuous support of the Boholanos, Plaza Marcela will also be offering promos that shoppers will surely enjoy, such as the Grand Anniversary Blowout. Four winners of P50,000 each and one winner of P100,000 are drawn every month. The second draw will be on June 24, 2023 at Island City Mall.
Moreover, an Alturas Night will be held in celebration of the Saulog festival’s Maoy sa Mayo on May 1 at CPG Sports Complex in Tagbilaran. It will feature The Juans, Adie and Bandang Lapis.
For more information about Plaza Marcela’s outreach program and other events, please visit www.alturasbohol.com.
