Smart Asset Managers: The Netflix of Business Investments

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Are you looking for investment opportunities? With the ongoing pandemic experienced by the whole world, our businesses of all kinds and sizes were undoubtedly affected in one way or another. Even the essential goods and services sector couldn't maximize on their earning potential as most of us were financially-challenged due to unemployment brought about by travel restrictions and health hazards while exposed out on the field or enroute to our jobs.

It is time for us to bounce back as we ease our way to less stricter quarantine protocols.

I recently joined a Zoom meeting with fellow bloggers to know more about Smart Asset Managers (SAM) on the night of June 18, 2020. It was more than an hour of discussion about a platform that could warrant our attention especially if we are eager to earn from a potential worthy investment.

The SAM platform encourages people to subscribe with a minimum amount of $300 while the "asset managers" invest on strategic businesses which they believe will turn them the best profit.

The Zoom meeting was officiated by Rommel Santos, and Diego Jose Ramos, both key personalities managing the Smart Asset Manager. They did their best to explain how SAM works with only a minimum of $300 subscription, while expecting to get up to 15% revenue per month which you can withdraw anytime.

This kind of business is like a crowdfunding for funds they could use in securing business opportunities, though they did say only about 30% from the subscriptions will be used while the remaining 70% stays with them. One mentioned it as the Netflix of business Investments as it does offer you  choices - just hoping they are investment-worthy, just as some of the shows from the streaming platform are not that pleasing. Also, is it the right time to invest while we are still amidst the Covid-19 Pandemic? All I could say to that is we have no other way but to go up afterwards so the opportunity maybe knocking into our doors. How sure are we about the people behind SAM? Are they knowledgeable enough to risk our money? Well, they will surely be transparent to reveal their portfolio and keep us updated of their latest investment finds and profits.

They will use our money as a capital to venture into different kinds of businesses including conventional businesses globally complying with the countries' financial rules and regulations to make the business legal. This includes an Indonesian company called KinerjaPay. Thus, it is better to research on their target acquisitions. Do not just rely on my recommendation, seek out more information about them and their efforts, both past and present, especially the future they are hopefully sharing financial rewards with.

But since all businesses are not immune to economic situations, there are also possible losses too. Do we expect the worst? Maybe, but I assure you that noone wants to lose their fortune so they will surely study tediously before investing.

Unlike MLMs, there will be no recruitment necessary. You are not required to recruit a downline. Everyone will surely get a piece of the pie, may it be pizza, apple, egg or buko. 

They are aiming to expand to the Philippines soon as there are also many Filipinos from other countries that were interested to invest, and are already investors benefitting from the rewards. Thus, they hope you will download the SAM app now, subscribe, learn how the platform works, and earn too.

For more information, please see more information below:

The Philippines will soon welcome Smart Asset Managers (SAM) into the country with its planned grand launch.

SAM is registered as a general business company in Melbourne Australia and its digital technologies is in digital and conventional business developments. It also aims to reverse the conventional method of entrepreneurial journey through economy sharing.

Earlier this year, SAM opened its market and community in Malaysia and Indonesia. It’s targeting the Philippines as its third Southeast Asian market. Founded by Rommel Santos, a Philippine-born New Zealander based in Australia entrepreneur.

SAM will operate in the country with an initial of at least a million US dollar investment from the $10-million digital expansion project. He believes that the Filipinos yearn for alternative ways of earning and gaining more understanding of the financial technology or fintech.

Santos said he also intends to buy the majority shares of the Indonesian company KinerjaPay, a digital payment solutions in brick-and-mortar businesses in Indonesia and Southeast Asia regions –

– to promote the growth of e-Commerce and marketplace in the internet by providing users and merchants with safe and secure shopping experience online. It is a publicly listed company in New York Stock Exchange.

With SAM’s entry into the country, Santos expressed optimism that he could bring in positive financial changes into the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

“They only have to subscribe to SAM and see for themselves how their subscribed amount earns incentive even if they are sleeping,” Santos explained. “We share the opportunities to all our subscribers to engage directly in the business.”

SAM tentatively schedules its Philippine launch in July or August.

Qatar's Ministry of Commerce Welcomes WTO's Ruling against Saudi Violations of Intellectual Property Rights, Promotion of Piracy

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry of the State of Qatar welcomed the ruling by the World Trade Organization (WTO) finding that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has breached Intellectual Property Rights by refusing to take action against beoutQ piracy channel, and instead actively promoting this piracy.

The WTO's ruling found that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has breached its obligations under the WTO Agreement on Trade related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights ("TRIPS Agreement") and failed to protect intellectual property IP rights by refusing to take action against, and instead actively promoting, sophisticated Saudi based broadcast pirate "beoutQ".

The WTO Panel has called on Saudi Arabia to stop its abuse of IP rights and "bring its measures into conformity" with WTO law.

This is the first time in the seventy-three-year history of the WTO and its predecessor (the GATT) that a Panel has rejected a respondent's attempt to invoke the national security exception as a defense.

The WTO Panel found that Saudi Arabia's failure to take criminal action against beoutQ was so disconnected from any legitimate security interest that it could not meet even "a minimum requirement of plausibility in relation to the proffered essential security interests".

Reacting to the Panel Report, HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari said in a statement to Qatar News Agency: "Qatar, and international rights holders, have scored a resounding victory today. We expect Saudi Arabia, especially since it is hosting the upcoming G20, to respect this decisive ruling and end the theft and piracy of IP rights at once. They can start by heeding the WTO's ruling and conducting a fair, timely, and transparent legal proceeding against the perpetrators in order to stop this abuse posthaste."

The ruling came after the State of Qatar filed a formal complaint against the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia through the WTO's Dispute Settlement Body.

In its report published today, the WTO Panel concluded that beoutQ has been pirating copyrighted media content of Qatari company beIN Media Group LLP (beIN) in Saudi Arabia and beyond, including through the sale of beoutQ subscriptions and set-top decoder boxes at numerous retail outlets across Saudi Arabia.

The report said that in addition to pirating beIN's proprietary and licensed sports content, the beoutQ boxes allow access to thousands of pirated movies, TV shows, and TV channels from around the globe, and pirate broadcasts have been transmitted via Saudi-based Arabsat satellite frequencies and a Saudi company, Saudi Selevision Company LLC, has "allowed or assisted beoutQ to broadcast its pirated content on Arabsat".

The report stressed that the piracy has been conducted on a "commercial scale". The Panel concluded this after considering evidence revealing the commercial purpose of beoutQ, such as the sale of advertisements and extensive marketing of the pirate service.

The report pointed out that there were deep-seated and fundamental flaws in Saudi Arabia's commitment to providing enforcement procedures consistent with the TRIPS Agreement, and Saudi Arabia has refused to take any effective criminal action against beoutQ despite being fully aware of the "extensive evidentiary basis for concluding that beoutQ is operated by individuals or entities subject to the criminal jurisdiction of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has also restricted or otherwise frustrated the ability of beIN (and its licensors) to pursue civil actions against the infringement of their IP rights, the report added. It further said that the authorities of the Saudi government have "engaged in the promotion of public gatherings with screenings of beoutQ's unauthorized broadcasts", including of the 2018 World Cup.

The Panel's analysis shows how, by allowing beoutQ's theft and piracy to spread unchecked for several years, Saudi Arabia has actively violated its obligations under the TRIPS Agreement to protect the IP rights of Qatari nationals and of high-profile sports and entertainment rights holders from other trading partners, including the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. This is despite complaints by governments around the world, as well as by some of the highest-profile sports leagues and media companies around the globe.

Under this ruling, Saudi Arabia must now heed the WTO Panel's call to stop its abuse of valuable IP rights, and "bring its measures into conformity with its obligations under the TRIPS Agreement".

While the dispute before the WTO Panel focused on IP-related violations, the Panel's findings also highlighted Saudi Arabia's human rights violations directed at Qataris.

The Panel found that Saudi Arabia "expelled Qatari residents and visitors in Saudi territories" with only two weeks' notice - for no reason other than that they were Qatari - and imposed restrictions preventing Qataris from travelling to, or transiting through, Saudi territory.

Moreover, the Panel highlighted that these discriminatory measures were mandated by the Saudi government, finding "the existence of the general anti sympathy measures that directly or indirectly fostered a climate of anti-sympathy against Qatar and Qatari nationals".

It is worth noting that Qatar has initiated several other legal proceedings before the WTO, and other international courts and tribunals, in respect of unlawful actions taken by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt, since June 2017.

Qatar will continue to pursue justice through these legal actions, while honoring its own international law obligations.

During the session, several WTO Members intervened before the Panel as third parties, supporting aspects of Qatar's position.

In this context, the European Union emphasized that, consistent with the WTO obligations, "criminal procedures and penalties should not be provided only on paper, but should be effective in practice".

Brazil and the European Union pointed to the damage being done to their own rights holders.

Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Russia, Singapore and Ukraine insisted that Saudi Arabia's invocation of the national security defense must not pass without judicial scrutiny.

The Panel's report is based on extensive evidence submitted by Qatar over the course of multiple written submissions and two oral proceedings, and despite Saudi Arabia's intensive engagement in this process.

PHLPost sets health and safety protocols to fight Covid-19

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) has committed to keep the post office safe for employees and the public in the fight against Covid-19.

PHLPost has emphasized that the safety of its personnel and postal clients are of paramount importance. It has introduced measures to keep its post offices and mail processing facilities accepting postal ID’s, domestic and international mails safe.

For daily health checks, employees and the public are required to declare their whereabouts and health status for easy contact tracing, regularly promotes physical distancing, hand sanitation, regular temperature checking and wearing of facemask. 

To keep its workplace safe, mails and parcels regularly received at the post office are being sanitized and disinfected by its maintenance personnel who wear personal protective equipment (PPEs) for secure working environment.

Work arrangements such as flexible hours, shifting and work-from-home were also adapted according to work requirements.

PHLPost is also committed to fulfill its universal mandate of continuous delivery of important mails from various government and private sectors who are important clients of the agency.

Meanwhile, post offices in the country are now open to serve the public from 8:00am until 5:00pm.