VFS Global inaugurates Joint Schengen Visa Application Centre in Manila, serving 10 countries

L-R: Mr. Syed Shahen Shah, General Manager for VFS Global Philippines, Brunei, and Myanmar; Mr. Urs Siegwart, Head of Visa Section, Embassy of Switzerland in the Philippines; Mr. Pieter C.M. de Wit, Consul of the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Philippines; Mr. Romano Gualtieri, Attache. Austrian Embassy Manila; Mr. Fabio Pompetti, Consul and Deputy Head of Mission of the Kingdom of Belgium; H.E Dr. Titanilla Tóth, Ambassador of Hungary to the Philippines; H.E. Mr. Karel Hejč, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Czech Republic to the Republic of the Philippines; H.E Juha Pyykkö, Ambassador of Finland to the Philippines; Mr. Michael Kutzner, Head of Visa Section, Federal Republic of the German Embassy in Manila.

●       The newly relocated centre to provide visa services for countries such as Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.

●  Travellers can also opt for a host of additional services including Visa At Your Doorstep, Premium Lounge, Prime Time submissions beyond normal working hours, and Personal Assistance among others, for an added convenience.

To offer an enhanced visa application submission experience to Schengen visa applicants in Manila, Philippines, VFS Global, the world's largest visa outsourcing and technology services specialist for governments and diplomatic missions worldwide, inaugurated the newly relocated state-of-the-art Joint Visa Application Centre in Manila providing visa services to ten countries - Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.

2GO Open Hubs Expanding Forwarding Operations in Mindanao

From left to right: Tina Marie Yu, Senior Assistant Vice President and Head of 2GO Forwarding Operations; Faye Alonzo, Business Unit Head of 2GO Forwarding; Dr. Mirasol Tiu, Vice President of PSU - Davao Chamber; Mary Antonette Doromal, Secretary General of the Davao Chamber; Elizier Santiago, Assistant Vice President of Operations for 2GO Forwarding; Mary Josephine Baylon, ATS-PPA Davao; Lester Tan, Operations Head at Globalport Terminals, Inc.; and Marceliano Rivera, Philippine Ports Authority Davao.

2GO continues its expansion in Mindanao by recently launching its shipside services in General Santos City and Davao, marking the sixth and seventh ports to offer this service after Manila, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Iloilo, and Zamboanga.

2GO, the Philippines' largest end-to-end logistics, transportation, and distribution solutions provider and part of the SM Group, strengthens its presence in Southern Mindanao. Seizing the economic growth opportunities in Davao and General Santos, 2GO opens its logistic hubs in these cities' major ports.

Breaking News: The AI Portrait Master HONOR 200 Series is coming to PH on July 17!

Watch the Facebook Live on July 17: https://bit.ly/HONOR200SeriesLaunch_PR and get a chance to win your own HONOR 200!

Leading smart devices provider, HONOR, has officially confirmed the arrival date of their newest smartphone here in the Philippines! The AI Portrait Master HONOR 200 is coming on July 17. The HONOR 200 also includes portrait modes built through co-engineering with the iconic Studio Harcourt, making it perfect for users looking for studio-level portrait photography on their smartphones.

“The HONOR 200 Pro is created for users looking for an unparalleled portrait photography experience. As an accessible flagship device that delivers robust performance, it is perfect for company employees, university students, content creators, and young entrepreneurs,” HONOR Philippines Vice President Stephen Cheng said.

Vlog and Play Like a Pro with TECNO CAMON 30 Pro 5G for only PhP 15,999

Industry-leading smartphone with esports-grade performance and flagship camera in the PhP15k price range

Vlog and play like a pro using just one device with innovative technology brand TECNO’s CAMON 30 Pro 5G, competitively priced at PhP15,999.

Part of the game-changing, ultra-fashionable and power packed CAMON 30 Series, the CAMON 30 Pro 5G features a Triple 50MP camera system with SONY IMX 890 50MP OIS on main camera, 4K 60fps  Eye-tracking Autofocus front camera and ultrawide rear camera, Mediatek Dimensity 8200 Ultimate 5G processor, 70W Ultra Charge with 5000mAh, and 24GB RAM + 256GB ROM (extended 12GB RAM).

SB19, a five-member boy band from the Philippines, on THE FIRST TAKE!

Special performance of the viral hit song “Gento” Famous for its impactful dance that gained popularity on TikTok

The latest episode of YouTube Channel THE FIRST TAKE has been announced.

Episode 449 welcomes SB19, a five-member boy band from the Philippines, to make its first appearance on THE FIRST TAKE.

SB19 is the very first Southeast Asian artist to be nominated as Top Social Artist at the 2021 U.S. Billboard Music Awards, and they will be performing their song “GENTO,” which became a hit on TikTok for its addictive phrase and unique dance moves.

DITO launches exciting new Prepaid Promo 'Level-Up' Socials'

DITO Telecommunity introduces DITO Level-Up Socials, an all-new mobile prepaid Data promo packed with big data allocation designed for Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp usage.

One may argue that social media is the new poster boy for modern communication.

For instance, we always access our Facebook and Instagram to share life updates and interact with the world around us. Be it a fun travel getaway, a new achievement unlocked, or daily routines at home, we curate our feeds with IG-worthy photos, post stories showing our day, and create aesthetic reels to share our best moments and life happenings. Moreover, we also use these social apps to promote our businesses, support causes, and catch up on the latest news and trends.  

Staying in touch with family and friends has also been easier through instant messaging apps like Messenger and WhatsApp. We bond over group chats by sending funny videos and memes while video calling our best friends to share the latest chika, making socializing more fun, faster, and convenient.

51% of women-led SMEs surveyed in the Philippines experience increased revenue after accepting digital payments

Visa, a global leader in digital payments, conducted a survey on small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the Philippines. Findings show that 51% of women-led SMEs and 56% of micro-businesses experienced revenue growth with digital payments adoption. Given women constitute over half of Asia's population and SMEs' vital role in the economy, maximizing women's economic potential could add $89 billion annually to the Asia Pacific economy including in the Philippines.

SMEs are crucial for  economic growth in the Philippines, with more than a million Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the country. The Philippines’ Department of Trade and Industry data show that 99.5% of businesses in the country are MSMEs with almost 50% of them in wholesale and retail trade, generating 65% of total employment. Furthermore, the Asian Development Bank estimated that MSMEs contribute around 36% of the country’s GDP^[1].

The Visa study found that managing businesses has become easier for 72% of the surveyed SMEs in the Philippines. Wallets, predominantly GCash, dominate as the main provider of digital payment for SMEs, especially those that are female-led (61%) who were surveyed in the Philippines. Visa has partnered with GCash to introduce the new GCash Card – giving millions of unbanked Filipinos access to the benefits of owning a payment card.

FedEx Launches New Cross-Border E-commerce Handbooks to Help Filipino Businesses Expand in China and Japan

FedEx combines its e-commerce expertise and local know-how to provide SMEs with essential intelligence to the region’s most diverse and complex markets.

Federal Express Corporation, one of the world's largest express transportation companies, recently released two cross border e-commerce handbooks, to help small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) operating internationally better engage with customers in China and Japan. 

China and Japan are the biggest markets in the Asia Pacific region with robust cross border e-commerce activity, providing extensive business opportunities for SMEs. However, foreign merchants need to understand the unique digital landscape, consumer appetites and logistics needs of each market to build a sustainable business model. 

FedEx is fully embedded in the e-commerce ecosystems of China and Japan and has used its experience to develop the handbooks which are available for download from the FedEx website. Each e-book includes: