BDO Unibank is the Strongest Bank in the Philippines for 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

BDO Unibank Inc. is the Philippines’ strongest bank for 2018, according to The Asian Banker Strongest Banks By Balance Sheet list.

The Asian Banker Strongest Banks By Balance Sheet is an annual assessment of the financial and business performance of the banking industry in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa region. The banks are rated on a scale of 0-5 in six areas, namely: the ability to scale, balance sheet growth, risk profile, profitability, asset quality, and liquidity.

"The top 20 strongest banks in the Asia Pacific region included 10 Hong Kong banks, four Chinese banks, two Singapore banks, and one each from Australia, Brunei, Japan, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Banks in Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia achieved the highest weighted average strength score, at 4.10, 3.51 and 3.34 out of 5, respectively, except for Brunei, which has only one bank on the list," The Asian Banker said in a statement.

This recognition follows BDO's Mortgage Product of the Year Award at the recently held The Asian Banker Philippines Country Awards 2018. The award recognized the Bank's extensive network as the main driver of its consumer loans business.

BDO has a network of more than 1,000 branches nationwide, the widest in the country. Through this network, the Bank is able to tap opportunities in high-growth areas as well as promote financial inclusion.

Team Lakay Honored in Baguio City's Champion Parade

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Team Lakay were honored with a Champions Parade last Sunday, 2 December. Members of the world champion martial arts stable took to the streets of Baguio City in a motorcade to celebrate their achievements in 2018.

In attendance were ONE Championship superstars including ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang, ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin “The Silencer” Belingon, ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio, and ONE Strawweight World Champion Joshua “The Passion” Pacio.

Accompanying the ONE World Champions were teammates Honorio “The Rock” Banario, Edward “The Ferocious” Kelly, Stephen “The Sniper” Loman, as well as Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao, among others.

Official photos of the Champions Parade can be found at this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1cdf4mRkvrIxL5Ma74Zg_fVaKM3pXsHlK?usp=sharing

Eduard Folayang, ONE Lightweight World Champion, stated:

“We are just normal citizens of Baguio City with big dreams. We worked hard to achieve our goals and now we’re here. We believe the Cordilleran can compete with anyone in the world and we have what it takes to be the best in our chosen field. Hard work and dedication is all it takes to achieve success. The great thing about martial arts is that it’s not just about fighting, it’s about living. Martial arts is a way of life. It’s our way of life. It’s pushing through adversity, taking on any challenge and using the human spirit to achieve victory.”

Kevin Belingon, ONE Bantamweight World Champion, stated:

“I just want to thank everyone for the support. It means a lot to the team, and it means a lot to me. Thank you to the city of Baguio for organizing this motorcade for us. Thank you for the continued support for all martial artists and athletes here in Baguio and the Cordilleras. It is an honor to hold this belt in front of you all. It is an honor to be your champion.”

Geje Eustaquio, ONE Flyweight World Champion, stated:

“We always say at Team Lakay that champions are not born, they are made. But we were made because of the people of Baguio City. We never claim victory as our own. This has always been the fruit of teamwork -- the people behind the scenes: our family, our fans and supporters, sponsors and Filipinos all over the world. We feed off your positive energy and it serves as inspiration for us. We would never be able to achieve all that we have without your support. There are more victories to come, and together, we can reach all of our goals.”

Joshua Pacio, ONE Strawweight World Champion, stated:

“Thank you everyone for all the support and prayers. It’s a happy time in Baguio City, where we can celebrate all our victories as one. This isn’t just our triumphs, but also the triumph of the entire Cordilleras. We pour in all the hard work, to improve and to keep getting better. We train during holidays, weekends, and sacrifice so much to bring glory to our country and to our city. But we could never have any success without your love and support. This year, we proved that the Philippines is world-class in martial arts. Next year, we plan to do the same again.”

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Iloilo LGU, Smart, InnoPub Unveil Interactive Tourism Markers

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Going digital to boost provincial tourism

The government of Iloilo, in partnership with Smart Communications and InnoPub Media, has presented the interactive tourism markers that will be installed at town halls and selected tourist destinations all over the province.

These markers are equipped with quick response (QR) codes and near field communication (NFC) chips. When scanned through a mobile app, the QR and NFC devices will activate a browser window that will provide detailed information about the site on the user’s smartphone.

“These QR codes can help maximize tourist visits in the areas where these are deployed. We thank the Iloilo Provinicial Tourism Office, our LGU tourism partners, Smart and InnoPub for this initiative,” said Department of Tourism–Western Visayas’ Rene Cortum during the launch.

“By making information on travel and culture accessible to more people—that is, through their phones—the digital tourism program can help further enhance tourism here,” said Smart Public Affairs Visayas-Mindanao head Maria Jane Paredes.

Through the markers, tourists can discover information on Iloilo’s LGUs, such as local history and best destinations in the area. For instance, travelers to Carles may learn more about Islas de Gigantes, with its aquamarine waters, lush greens and stretches of white sand. Students and design enthusiasts, for their part, may read about the Rendicion de Tetuan or the 1859 Spanish victory over Moroccan forces, which is depicted in bas relief at the San Joaquin Church, among other cultural and historical trivia.

QR and NFC readers are either pre-installed on most smartphones or available as free apps. This makes it easier for most mobile users to access information through the interactive tourism markers, according to InnoPub cofounder Max Limpag.

The markers are part of the Iloilo Digital Tourism Program, which was unveiled during the 117th Semana sang Iloilo earlier this year. The program includes the Iloilo Guide app, a mobile guide that features information useful to visitors and students, such as historical background, local folklore and other interesting cultural trivia. It also lists things to do and places to see.

The Iloilo Guide app, as well as the other digital tourism guides developed by InnoPub and Smart, may be downloaded for free on both Android and iOS devices.

In partnership with government units, the digital tourism program of Smart and InnoPub is a nationwide initiative that harnesses technology to deliver tourism, cultural and historical information to mobile users.

The program was launched in 2012 and has since been implemented in Antique, Baguio City, Cebu, Davao and Metro Manila, among other areas.

Tigbauan officials receive the municipality’s tourism QR code from representatives of the Iloilo tourism office, Smart and InnoPub. Nineteen other LGUs received their own tourism QR codes, including Miagao, Oton, Leon, Leganes, Badiangan, Cabatuan, Passi City, Dingle, Carles, Concepcion, San Joaquin, Alimodian, Ajuy, Igbaras, Janiuay, Banate, Santa Barbara, Guimbal and Tubungan.