PH Digicon 2022 to harness the ‘Boundless’ spirit of businesses, returns as in-person event

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PLDT Enterprise sets the stage for the most prestigious digital thought leadership conference, the Philippine Digital Convention (PH Digicon). Its 2022 run marks the return of an onsite PH Digicon for delegates, with its last face-to-face conference held in 2019.

“We are thrilled for the return of PH Digicon as an in-person event where we could physically connect and interact with delegates,” said Jojo G. Gendrano, FVP and Head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise. He highlighted that this year’s edition will carry the theme Boundless, aligned with how enterprises of all sizes have been resilient and capable of reaching new heights amid crisis.

“The recent years presented businesses with restrictions that challenged their pursuit for growth, yet they persevered. For this year’s PH Digicon, we aim to capitalize on lessons learned from the pandemic for them to fully grasp their ability to be Boundless,” Gendrano explained.

Thought leaders will share the latest digital trends and innovations that can empower businesses to reinvent their operations and accelerate growth. Participants can also engage with multi-industry global leaders to learn about the latest business models and technologies that thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape.

PLDT Group President and CEO Alfredo S. Panlilio hopes that the relevant insights to be presented at the PH Digicon 2022 will help enterprises maximize opportunities and prosper in the digital age. “We enjoin enterprises to push past boundaries, pursue endless possibilities, and reach greater heights in the new world of business, re-shaped over the past two years,” Panlilio said.

Now on its 9th year, PH Digicon 2022 will feature distinguished speakers in its plenary sessions, while fellowship nights will allow delegates to network with global leaders, sponsors, and fellow participants from across all industries. “This event offers an excellent platform for all industry stakeholders to explore the possibilities gained from digital transformation. We are all excited to discover what the future holds for different enterprises,” Gendrano said.

PH Digicon 2022 will happen on October 27 and 28, 2022 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Pasay City, with a hybrid setup designed for virtual attendees to watch via a live broadcast. "Though restrictions have eased for in-person engagements, we will implement the necessary health protocols to ensure that our attendees will have a safe physical event experience," Gendrano shared. The two-day convention is expected to attract a total of 10,000 delegates from around the world.

The convention’s previous run, titled Revolution, attracted over 7,000 local and international delegates from across the globe, including 1,200 C-level executives, entrepreneurs, and key officers. Over 3,000 participating companies joined 70 online activities over 30 hours of live stream sessions throughout the three-day, fully-virtual event. Top executives such as PLDT Inc. and Metro Pacific Investments Corporation Chairman Manuel V Pangilinan, Nokia Senior Vice President and Head of Asia Pacific and Japan John Harrington, Huawei Asia Pacific Enterprise Business Group President Nicholas Ma, NTT Global Data Center President Yasuo Suzuki, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China President Dave West headlined the 2021 leg along with over 100 thought leaders and industry experts from various regions.

PLDT Enterprise launched PH Digicon in 2014 as an avenue where global industry mavens, thought leaders, and pioneers in technology come together to drive technological empowerment among enterprises across the country.

Registration details for PH Digicon 2022 will be available soon. For more information, visit www.pldtenterprise.com/phdigicon2022

Small and Medium Businesses are recovery powerhouses thanks to global e-commerce

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How Filipinos Are Leveling Up To Become SMBs owners


From online retailers doing live selling on social media to entrepreneurs launching their business on e-commerce platforms, we’ve seen how the ingenuity and resilience of Filipinos led businesses that enabled them not just to survive but in fact, thrive in the new normal. Despite the economic challenges brought by the pandemic, Filipino entrepreneurs and freelancers have succeeded in building and sustaining their businesses and their participation in the digital economy has been a major factor in this success.

Despite bearing the brunt of the economic slowdown brought on by the global health crisis, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have contributed to the economic recovery of the Philippines. MSMEs accounted for 99.51% of all businesses and generated a total of 5,380,815 jobs, or 62.66% of the country’s total employment in 2020, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

“Empowering the small and medium businesses is an important part of supporting the overall economic recovery in the country. By simplifying international business transactions through our innovative solutions, we aim to help more and more Filipinos participate and succeed in the global digital economy,” said Miguel Warren, Vice President, Payoneer Southeast Asia.

As the country transitions to the post-pandemic new normal, entrepreneurs continue to strengthen their businesses by embracing digital transformation. From ensuring secure online payment transactions, to promoting their products and services and growing internationally, Filipinos now depend on digital technologies to turn their businesses into small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that can compete in the global market.



Providing convenient payment options for customers

Businesses that offer a range of convenient, secure, and digital payment options using their preferred local method are often more preferred by global customers and clients. To help Filipinos participate and succeed in the global digital economy, financial services company Payoneer provides businesses with an easy, quick, secure, and affordable payment platform with no hidden fees.

Among the clients that benefit from Payoneer’s payment platform are business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the Philippines. According to the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (iBPAP), the BPO industry grew 1.8 percent in terms of headcount and 1.4 percent in terms of revenue in 2021. To sustain this growth and remain competitive globally, local BPOs need to make financial transactions with their clients, suppliers, and the government more secure and convenient.

With an easy-to-navigate digital platform, Payoneer enables not only BPOs but also online merchants and freelancers to be in full control of payment setups. It allows them to bill their global clients, get paid in multiple currencies, pay overseas business expenses at a lower cost, transfer funds to their local bank accounts, and make purchases online.



Securing financial transactions

Today, selling goods and services internationally requires trust and with Payoneer, there are over 5 million businesses across the world that use the platform. To ensure the security of the financial transactions of all SMBs customers and partners it serves, Payoneer makes sure that all payments processed are made through fully compliant, secure, and tightly audited payments that are regulated financial entities across the globe. Payoneer also operates under a robust, risk-based compliance program that addresses the regulatory requirements of each country that is involved in a cross-border payment.

In addition, Payoneer secures business transactions with its best-in-class fraud protection. It deploys multiple layers of risk technology alongside various procedures to protect businesses against different fraud scenarios such as registration fraud, account takeover, and other activities. Likewise, Payoneer provides a local team of customer care experts who can assist SMBs across all stages when it comes to chargeback claims and other concerns.



Think global, Act Local

More than just a payment platform, Payoneer is the world’s go-to partner for digital commerce. By simplifying payment for cross-border and managing the complexities of moving money, Payoneer allows SMBs to focus on their business and growth.

“At Payoneer, we believe in the potential of our SMBs to go global. Through our solutions, we aim to help as many entrepreneurs and freelancers in the Philippines grow and expand across the globe,” added Warren.

SMBs of all stages can utilize Payoneer’s innovative tools, integrations, and customer service to do business transactions and grow their businesses anywhere in the world. Aside from providing mechanisms for cross-border payments, Payoneer offers a range of services including digital business management, working capital access, merchant services, tax solutions, and risk management. These digital commerce services streamline operations of businesses from 200 countries and territories, allowing them to focus on growing the business


About Payoneer

Payoneer is the world’s go-to partner for digital commerce, everywhere. From borderless payments to boundless growth, Payoneer promises any business, in any market, the technology, connections and confidence to participate and flourish in the new global economy. Powering growth for customers ranging from aspiring entrepreneurs in emerging markets to the world’s leading digital brands.

From over 5M customers, Payoneer is trusted by the World’s leading digital brands serving over 2,000 top marketplaces & digital platforms, sending tens of billions of dollars a year to SMBs worldwide. For 15 years, Payoneer has pioneered this new reality that pushes frontiers, making connections, unifying and creating global ecosystems.

Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex: A sterling landmark of disaster resilience

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We all know that the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) is a popular destination for unforgettable gastronomic and recreational experiences, but did you know that the 67-hectare Mall of Asia Complex where MOA stands is engineered to withstand disasters caused by natural hazards?

The foundation of the Mall of Asia Complex was built to be safe and secure because SM Prime Holdings, Inc., one of Southeast Asia’s largest integrated property developers incorporates disaster resiliency measures in every project, with the MOA Complex as one of its biggest investments.

SM Prime collaborated with a team of local and international experts to ensure the feasibility of both water and land before the MOA complex was built and once finalized, Belgium’s renowned coastal development construction company, Jan de Nul, developed it from the ground up.

The reputable Jan de Nul made sure the terrain was stable and the complex’s roads were made resistant to earthquakes and erosion, in accordance with the National Structural Code of the Philippines and approved by both the Philippine Reclamation Authority and the National Government.

Three important disaster resiliency features were used in protecting the Complex and the coastal community of Pasay from tides and waves: One, a three-kilometer seawall built to stand against liquefaction; two, a meter-high inverted wave return to serve as defense against high waves; and three, a drainage channel to prevent floods during storm surges. This was put to test when Typhoon Pedring hit in 2011, and the Mall of Asia Complex was spared from destructive waves and flooding that submerged many other surrounding establishments.

As an added feature, both the Complex’s main road and all its structures are elevated 4 meters above the parameters set by the National Building Code. Pilings strengthened its foundation and greatly improved its soil bearing capacity.

Family fun, leisure and entertainment are the objectives behind the awe-inspiring grandeur of SM Mall of Asia, but this vision is founded on a commitment to safety and a secure foundation throughout the Complex. This is a firm philosophy of SM Prime Chairman of the Executive Committee Mr. Hans T. Sy, a champion for disaster resilience, who continuously invests in DRR and in allocating 10% of the company’s expenditure for DRR in all of SM’s infrastructures throughout the country.

 “Today, disasters have become more frequent and severe. The government and the private sector must work together to find solutions for greater resiliency.  SM prime as a responsible property developer places Disaster Risk Reduction as one of its core strategies. It simply makes good business sense.” emphasizes Mr Hans Sy. He believes that not only is DRR an effective way to grow the business but it protects the communities where SM is located amid the increasing risks of climate change.

Today, the MOA Complex is a bustling realization of Mr. Henry Sy Sr.’s grand vision for it to become both a premiere integrated leisure destination with a complimentary business and lifestyle district – one of the country’s truly revolutionary mixed-use developments, and a thriving example of disaster risk reduction at work.

The next time you visit the MOA Complex – whether it is to visit the world’s largest IKEA, or to view the sunset from the top of the MOA Eye, or to simply shop and dine with your loved ones – it will be good to know that SM Prime has ensured your safety and security from the time the development was conceptualized and opened in 2006.. to today and tomorrow.

SM Prime Holdings Inc., one of the leading property developers in Southeast Asia, is committed to providing safe and sustainable spaces for its stakeholders. Its development strategy is anchored on the responsible use of resources. In the communities it serves, it is able to promote resource conservation, environmental protection, and disaster resiliency by implementing solutions for water, waste, and energy management.

SM Prime is a key player in the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.

Find out more about SM Prime and the SM Green Movement-- visit www.smprime.com and www.sminvestments.com/sustainability/sm-for-the-community/sm-green-movement/