Smart Employee Off to Cupertino After Winning Apple Competition

Wazzup Pilipinas!


An employee of Smart Communications will fly to the Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California this August after a stellar showing at the Apple Experts Camp held recently in Singapore.

Charles Bartolaba – a customer solutions officer at the Smart Store in Ali Mall, Cubao – was chosen as one of two Philippine representatives to Apple’s three-day Worldwide Excellence Summit in the US. At the summit, he and other Apple Experts from all over the world will learn from Apple executives and go on an exclusive tour of the Apple Park.

The Cupertino summit is expected to equip the participants – who are all customer-facing personnel in stores that sell Apple products and services – with the knowledge and skills needed to provide better customer service in their respective stores.

Bartolaba was selected as Philippine representative after a panel interview at the Singapore camp joined by Apple Experts from the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. Two representatives were picked out of 10 participants per country.

Among the 10 Filipino participants in Singapore were Smart Store front-liners Jayson Quilapio of the SM North Edsa branch and Rosette Abitria of the Cash & Carry store. They got in the Singapore camp after Apple’s assessment of their video entries and their performance as Apple Experts for the past year.

Apple has partnered with Smart and other companies for the Apple Expert Program, which ensures that stores have a front-liner who is very knowledgeable on Apple products and services. All Smart Stores in the Philippines have at least one Apple Expert.

To be considered an Apple Expert, employees have to undergo quarterly workshops, answer weekly quizzes, get at least a 90% score in the quarterly exam, cascade their learnings to fellow front-liners, and get a score of at least 4 out of 5 from Apple’s mystery shoppers who go to stores to check on the Experts’ knowledge and demonstration skills.

“It is an honor to represent Smart and the Philippines in the Apple summit in California. It boosts my drive to provide our customers with world-class service, and to cascade my learnings to my colleagues,” Bartolaba said.

MARINA, JICA to Boost Shipbuilding Industry of the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!


The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) strengthens collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to boost Philippines’ shipbuilding and shiprepair industry.

“I am happy that JICA is taking the initiative to collaborate with us by extending technical assistance and expertise. JICA’s aid will greatly help us in promoting and developing our shipbuilding industry. We are hoping to further improve this relationship for the interest of Japan and Philippine maritime industry,” MARINA Administrator Rey Leonardo Guerrero said.

JICA Senior Representative Tetsuya Yamada assured that JICA will continue to extend technical assistance and expertise to the MARINA in developing standard design for locally made ships, in establishing the Philippines’ first-ever maritime industrial hub, and in setting up a financing facility for local shipbuilders and ship owners.

Furthermore, JICA expressed support in the implementation of MARINA’s ten-year Maritime Industry Development Plan (MIDP) which guides the MARINA in making the local shipbuilding and shiprepair industry globally-competitive and technologically-responsive.

Finally, JICA pledged to provide Japanese experts who will orient the MARINA in crafting the retirement criteria of aging domestic ships. To date, MARINA is in process of drafting the rules and regulations in addressing the increasing number of obsolete vessels operating for more than 30 years to further uphold safety and security within the Philippine maritime borders.

With these commitments, MARINA and JICA intend to attract more investors to support the modernization and ultimately, the transformation of the Philippines into a major shipbuilding and shiprepair nation.

beep Card Presents Modern PUV Automated Fare Collection Solutions at 2nd PhilAPEX

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III (third from left) visits the beep™ booth displaying its latest payment solutions for public transportation during the 2nd Philippine Auto Parts Expo at the SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia. beep™ payment solutions offer a working fare collection system that can be readily installed in modern jeepneys and other PUVs. It supports the government’s PUV Modernization Program, which aims to make public transportation more convenient, safe, and environment-friendly.

With Delgra are AF Payments Inc. executives Johan Diaz (Senior Business Development Manager), Peter Maher (President and CEO), and Agnes Padilla (Marketing Head).

Interested parties may inquire about available beep™ card solutions at <johan.diaz@afpayments.com>.