PH Post Office launches “Keep the Faith! Be a Hero” stamps
The Philippine Post Office released new stamps to advocate for vaccination against Covid-19 which was launched with Olympic Medalists Hidilyn Diaz, Carlo Paalam, Nesthy Petecio, Eumir Marcial and the iconic Jollibee Mascot as supporters of the “Get Vaccinated Drive.”
The “Keep the Faith, Be a Hero, Get Your Dose, Fight Coronavirus” is the first postage stamp series issued by a postal administration to encourage and promote vaccination – “In order to save your family, save the economy, save your country and save lives, by getting your dose to fight Coronavirus
The stamp is the second in the series of “Covid-19 Heroes stamps. The first one, launched last year when the pandemic started, was the “Frontline Heroes.”
The Post Office has printed a total of 80,000 pieces of stamps in the eight illustrated colored designs of ordinary people done by creative art director Rodine Teodoro. In-house Philatelic Artist Ryman Dominic Albuladora put the finishing touches in the stamps layout.
The stamps and first day cover envelopes are now available at “The Stamp Shop” Manila Central Post Office in Liwasang Bonifacio.
Pasig River Epressway as a game-changing project
The 19.37-km Pasig River Expressway (PAREX) project is set to become the first privately-funded road network in the country that combines sustainability features with the functionality of a safe and efficient transport infrastructure. San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president Ramon S. Ang and Department of Transportation (DoTr) secretary Art Tugade led the signing of the Supplemental Toll Operations Agreement (STOA) for this game-changing project that will integrate various modes of transportation beyond cars as it will have dedicated bike lanes, walkways, and a bus rapid transit system.
AllDay leads in growth
AllDay Supermarkets, owned and operated by AllDay Marts, Inc., has been dubbed a leading player in the mid-premium market segment in the country, by London-based independent analytics and consulting firm GlobalData plc.
According to GlobalData, the supermarkets under this category mostly cater to the rising middle class because they offer a wide variety of products and brands at competitive prices. “Most of these players also offer regular deals and promotions both in store and online, helping them to appeal to a wider spectrum of shoppers,” the firm added.
GlobalData defines mid-premium supermarkets as those which place more emphasis on competitively priced quality and service.
At the other end of the spectrum are value and value-mid cover players putting more focus on price and less of an emphasis on service and quality. Players in-between these two, with a balanced proposition and fairly standard range in terms of price and quality, are in the mid-market, GlobalData said.
While three major players corner the supermarket segment, GlobalData sees AllDay as the fastest growing supermarket operator in the Philippines, with a Compound Annual Market Growth (CAGR) of 62.5 percent from 2015 to 2020.
Online grocery expected to be a ₱50.6 billion market by 2025.
With the rise of online grocery shopping, GlobalData said online grocery spending grew significantly (+153.1%) in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19, with numerous grocers partnering with third-party delivery providers to expand their delivery capacities.
“The approach of using their own web or app platform plus a partnership with marketplaces helps supermarkets reach more customers and fuels the growth of online,” it said.
Globe Business supports MSMEs
Globe Business recently hosted their biggest MSME conference to date, called G Summit, aimed at assisting micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) from all over the country in future-proofing their businesses amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Held last September 18, the event was attended by over 800 Filipino MSME founders, leaders, and aspiring entrepreneurs nationwide. The Summit was a key part of Globe’s annual 917 festivities, the time of year when Globe shows its appreciation to its loyal customers, many of whom have been with Globe for years using the company’s original and longstanding 917 prefix.
Globe saw G Summit as a venue for business owners to learn from industry experts and acclaimed entrepreneurs, and to network with peers and share their knowledge with one another.
For this year, the group focused on helping MSMEs look forward and arm their businesses against challenges brought by the current times. In line with their #TuloyTayoSMEs program, Globe Business led learning sessions on new market trends, best practices in working remotely, and digital solutions that mobilized different business operations.
Globe Business is also rewarding its loyal customers by providing them with tools and equipment that will allow them to work safely from home. About 100 MSME clients will have the chance to win GCash credits, Giftaway vouchers from Shopee, Lazada, Silicon Valley, Digital Walker, Switch, and National Bookstore, Healthway UnliCheQ cards, Generika MEDPadala vouchers, and Apple iPad Air products via the “Para sa Negosyo: SME Raffle.”
NutriAsia launches university
NutriAsia has launched its first Marketing master course, the NutriAsia Marketing University (NMU), a bespoke program developed in partnership with business development firm Acumen Strategy Consultants.
The NMU which officially began its pre-scheduled classes last Aug. 24, is structured to function as an actual university, with classes, case studies, homework, and group work to be accomplished by its students. Courses are facilitated by industry-renowned marketing experts and practitioners.
The pioneer batch of NMU is composed of the NutriAsia Marketing team members and staff of Food Service, Demand Management Team, Finance, and New Business Development.
McDonald’s vaccination
McDonald’s Philippines has vaccinated 98 percent of its restaurant managers and crew in NCR with their first dose.
With more than 14,000 store employees in the region, the company has fully vaccinated 68 percent and is on its way to hit its goal of 100 percent by October.
Under its M Safe program, McDonald’s purchased vaccines for all its employees together with other private companies under tripartite agreements. The vaccines are to be given to the employees for free.
With the recent government announcement on the Pilot Alert Level System in NCR, McDonald’s restaurants with fully vaccinated managers and crew members welcomed back customers for dine-in last September 16.
Together with the constant acquisition of Safety Seal Certifications, now in over 50 percent of all restaurants nationwide, and active participation in boosting vaccine confidence through the Ingat Angat Bakuna Lahat program, the QSR giant assured that they will continue to offer safe, feel-good experiences for customers whether in the store, Drive-Thru or Delivery, through crew and managers who are protected/healthy and working in a safe environment.
Tech platform helps businesses do better
Technology platform Zilingo continues to work toward supporting its partners to scale their businesses efficiently in the country.
Using its business to business (B2B) solutions, the technology platform aims to empower, innovate and diversify the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) industry by providing greater access to suppliers and manufacturers to produce materials at competitive pricing.
Shiela Mauricio, country manager at Zilingo Philippines, said the technology platform is reimagining the entire supply chain and aggregating all parties within the same platform by offering services and software that can help businesses do better.
With direct access to raw material suppliers, manufacturers and brands, the technology platform offers MSMEs the means to achieve product quality, quantity, availability, and better pricing models.
Zilingo’s B2B products and services include Zilingo Trade, Zilingo Marketing Services, Zilingo Digitize, Zilingo Factory, and additional services such as Zilingo Connect.
Dhruv Kapoor, co-founder and chief technology officer at Zilingo, said “our new product, Zilingo Digitize, further aids us in this mission by enabling brands and distributors to digitize their distribution and supply-chain operations and accelerate growth.”