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Monday, August 26, 2019

Western Union Money Transfers Worldwide Now Available for Pick-up at BDO



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Receiving money from almost anywhere in the world has gotten more convenient for Filipinos as global money transfer firm Western Union and BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO) have expanded their remittance collaboration, which involves the offering of Cash Pick-up of Western Union money transfers at more than 1,100 BDO branches nationwide.

Western Union and BDO initially launched a credit to account service in 2015 allowing remitters to send money straight to BDO accounts from over 70 countries via www.westernunion.com and through Western Union agent locations in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. With the expanded collaboration, customers who do not have a BDO account yet may conveniently claim Western Union remittances at BDO and its rural bank subsidiary – BDO Network Bank, which has over 130 branches in countryside Mindanao and the Visayas, and now, continuously expanding across Luzon.

BDO’s presence inside SM Supermalls allows customers to claim Western Union remittances more conveniently as the branches are open up to 7PM including weekends and selected holidays.This serves as a one-top-shop for customers as they may claim remittances and purchase their basic needs, in just one go.

“Our extended collaboration with Western Union is proof of our continuous commitment to make remittances from almost any part of the globe convenient to receive. Western Union has helped us in bridging not only Filipino workers from different parts of the world but also other global senders and their remittance beneficiaries in the Philippines, who can rely on us through our accessible and convenient Cash Pick-up locations. The Western Union-BDO collaboration delivers a kind of service that is reliable given the two institutions’ credibility and trust they’ve both earned through the years”, said Genie Gloria, SVP and Head of BDO Remittance.

“At Western Union, we connect families near and far away and help them move money across borders and currencies. We are excited to extend our service offering with BDO Unibank by building on our strengths to expand our network even further, providing a high-level customer experience,” said Sohini Rajola, Head of Network, Middle East and Asia-Pacific, Western Union.

The Western Union-BDO alliance complements the Philippines’ ranking as the worlds’ fourth largest receiver of remittance in 2018, according to a World Bank report. For its part, BDO remains the leader in OF remittances and said leadership was solidified by a recent award from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) as the “Commercial Bank that Generated the Largest Overseas Filipino Remittances” for 2018, a citation that the bank has consistently received since 2008.

Norwegian Encore Emerges from Shipyard for the First Time



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Norwegian Cruise Line, the innovator in global cruise travel, today announced that its latest ship, Norwegian Encore, successfully completed a major construction milestone, when it emerged for the first time from the Meyer Werft ship building dock in Papenburg, Germany.

Norwegian Encore will remain in the shipyard port for the final phase of construction, before her conveyance up the Ems River and towards the North Sea at the end of September. At nearly 1,100 feet long, with a gross tonnage of almost 170,000 and a guest capacity of 3,998, the ship will be delivered to the cruise line on Oct. 30, 2019. She will be christened in Miami on Nov. 21, 2019 and will commence seven-day voyages to the Caribbean on Nov. 24, 2019.

“To see the ship emerge from the shipyard is always one of the most exciting construction milestones,” said Andy Stuart, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line. “Our partners at Meyer Werft have been committed to our vision for not only Norwegian Encore, but for this industry leading class of ships, supporting our dedication to delivering our guests the best cruise vacation at sea.”




Taking the brand’s exclusive, stand-out attractions to the next level, Norwegian Encore will feature the world’s longest race track at sea at 1,100 feet with four high-speed curves extending up to 13 feet over the side of the ship; the largest outdoor laser tag arena at nearly 10,000 square feet with the addition of augmented reality elements; and new immersive escape room and interactive theatre experiences in the 10,000-square-foot Galaxy Pavilion.

In addition to featuring many of the highly rated restaurants and lounges that have made the Breakaway Plus class one of the most innovative and successful in the company’s history, Norwegian Encore will debut a new elevated Italian dining experience, Onda by Scarpetta, in collaboration with LDV Hospitality. The Tony Award®-winning musical, “Kinky Boots” will headline the world-class entertainment on board, with returning guest favorites “The Choir of Man,” “Happy Hour Prohibition: The Musical” and the rocking Beatles cover band of The Cavern Club.

Launching this fall, Norwegian Encore will offer seven-day voyages to the Eastern Caribbean from Miami beginning Nov. 24, 2019; Bermuda, and Canada and New England itineraries from New York City beginning Apr. 22, 2020; voyages to the Western Caribbean from Miami beginning Dec. 12, 2020; and in the spring of 2021 will make her West Coast debut and sail to Alaska from Seattle.

For more information about Norwegian Cruise Line ships and their itineraries, or to book a cruise, please contact a travel professional, call +65 31 651 680 or visit www.ncl.com.

For a video of Norwegian Encore’s float out, click here.

BCB Blockchain Powers Payment Infrastructure Of Metro Manila’s Biggest Spa



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Metro Manila’s biggest spa is now starting to accept crypto currency as mode of payment.

Building Cities Beyond Blockchain (BCB Blockchain), the world's first blockchain protocol for the development of smart city solutions, providesits mainnet blockchain technology to support Yatai Spa’s payment infrastructure.

Yatai Spa is a three-floor development of a modern facility with business & commercial center showcasing a relaxation, entertainment and wellness destination located in the transportation hub Newport City, Pasay City. It covers an area of more than 7,000 square meters and operating 24/7. The Yatai Spa possesses a set of variety functions such as entertainment leisure catering business negotiation cultural exchange, party venue, SPA health and private living space

“BCB will enable Yatai Spa to a faster, transparent and more secure payment. This will also allow them to have less infrastructure transaction fees which cost only around 0.06 Chinese Yuan or 0.45 pesos,” Vanessa Koh, BCB Blockchain Chief Technology Officer said.




In addition, using BCB allows the spa to save on outdated servers and the cost of operating multiple software payment solutions.

The cost savings in return, allows Yatai spa to offer 20% discount on all spa services by using BCB.

“As the largest spa in Manila with a huge customer base, this gives BCB an advantage to reach its goal of mass adoption. BCB hopes to have more merchants and businesses onboard as well, ”Koh added.

Aside from providing payment infrastructure, BCB enables creation of smart contracts and Dapps (Decentralised Applications), community voting, and many other auditable services. By providing high liquidity and low transaction costs, BCB holders enjoy transparency and improvement of settlement efficiency of payments and transactions in its supported smart cities and establishments.

Earlier in June, BCB Blockchain signed partnership with Philippine’s leading tech incubators QBO Innovation hub and DLSU Animo for joint projects on incubations, hackathons, and smart city solutions.
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