Jordan Brand Expands its Wings Scholars Program to the Philippines, Breaking Down Barriers to Higher Education

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


Incoming college students will pursue dream courses at Ateneo De Manila University


Jordan Brand Wings Scholars Program, the brand’s community impact platform that provides education opportunities for youth who need it most around the globe, has brought the full-board college scholarship grants to the Philippines. 

Six high school graduates will receive four-year scholarships to Ateneo de Manila University and pursue the course of their choice. Jordan Brand partnered with children’s rights organization Bahay Tuluyan to identify the six young students who are now part of the global community of Wings Scholars pursuing their dreams of excelling in life through quality higher education.

In partnership with Bahay Tuluyan, each Wings Scholar will also receive skills training, career guidance and mentorship throughout their 4-year tenure at the university.

“Showing up for basketball culture is core to our purpose at Jordan Brand,” says Craig Williams, Jordan Brand President. “And when you think about the community in Manila who shows so much love for the game, it only makes sense that we would bring Jordan Wings to them, to extend this spirit of excellence.”

Kiefer Ravena, Ateneo alumni and Jordan Brand’s first Filipino athlete who currently plays in the B. League, Japan’s men’s professional basketball league, welcomed the six scholars to the Jordan Family. “Ateneo de Manila University instills in its students a spirit of excellence through education and a commitment to give back to the community – a value which now connects the six scholars with the Jordan Brand Wings Scholars Program’s own purpose. With the power of these two organizations behind them, the path for these scholars is bright and I wish them every success in their future,” Kiefer says.

So far, the Wings Scholars program has been launched in the United States, China and France. The Philippines is the first country in Southeast Asia to join the global initiative which has funded more than 2,886 students since 2015.

 
Meet the Wings Scholars from the Philippines, Class of 2026.

Sports-minded Jürgen San Agustin from Ateneo de Zamboanga will pursue a BS in Management Information Systems, specializing in analytics. He desires to be an NBA analyst one day. Lean Villar, a volleyball enthusiast, wants to become a clinical psychologist to promote mental health & wellbeing and will major in psychology.

Czarina Leviste will take up a BA Health Sciences degree with an aim to provide free health services to more people in the future. Harriet De Leon who has been exposed to special education through her parents, will major in political science and aspires to open doors to education for all kids one day.

Science-inclined badminton athlete Adrian De Guzman wants to make the most of his education. As a student of B.S. Computer Science, he wants to give back to the community and the future generation. Math-whiz Coleen Reyes will take up Applied Mathematics and masters in Data Science and aims to create tools that will help change the game for those who seek mentorship, guidance and education.

This first group of Jordan Brand Wings Scholars is scheduled to graduate in 2026.

Blurring the Mundane and Monstrous: by: THEATER produces their first ever live production “MATAKOT KA SA…”

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Matakot ka sa… Saan nga ba?

by: THEATER (byTE) is a production house composed of student-artists under the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Theater Arts Program and Production Design Program. The company serves to reinforce existing Filipino societal issues and strengthen its artistry, heritage, and culture.

"MATAKOT KA SA..." is a metaphor for the Philippine's political climate. It is a statement of chaos and a wake up call for the characters and audience on who we should fear literally and figuratively. The play tackles how each character wears and faces their fears. As the title presents, it evokes a test of morals and beliefs.

As Filipino folklore is known, in the play, these creatures tell their struggles mirroring mundane "human” lives. As Numputul disrupts the peace in the barrio because of hunger, Tikbalang and Nuno will unravel the reasons for their silence and power, beyond what their identity is known for, particularly in voicing their issues.

"MATAKOT KA SA..." premieres live on December 7, 2022 & December 13, 2022 at 6/F Blackbox Theater, Design and Arts Campus, Benilde School of Arts, Culture, and Performance and will be streaming via Ticket2Me.net starting December 14 until December 21, 2022.

In a world where mythical creatures are humanized, how do we distinguish the good and the evil?

Maybe humans are not so different from these creatures after all.

SSS inks agreement with banks to upgrade Regular UMID Cards to UMID ATM Pay Cards

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The Social Security System (SSS) announced that it has entered into agreement with banks for the issuance of UMID ATM Pay Cards.

With the UMID ATM Pay Cards, SSS members will enjoy the advantages of having a disbursement account for their benefits, loans, and refunds, and access to the participating banks’ available ATMs and online & mobile platforms to make their banking transactions apart from having a valid government-issued ID.

“The UMID ATM Pay Card Program aims to promote the accurate and timely payment of SSS benefits and loans to rightful recipients. It is a step towards the national government, the SSS, and its partners’ shared goals of greater financial inclusion and payments digitalization,” SSS President and CEO Michael G. Regino said.

“Currently, SSS is offering UMID ATM Pay Cards that are linked to a regular savings account, with the Union Bank of the Philippines (UBP) as the first participating bank,” he added.

UBP has made ready an initial one million UMID ATM Cards for those who have not been issued the UMID cards.

“The UBP will also allow those with pending generic UMID cards for production to avail of this upgrade for free. To do so, they must give their Data Sharing Consent through the Services Tab of their My.SSS Web Portal account and undergo the electronic Know-Your-Customer (eKYC) process through the online or mobile platform of the UBP,” Regino said.

Members who will avail of said card this year will also receive a ₱200 Jollibee e-Gift Certificate and the chance to win a Mitsubishi Xpander from the UBP upon the activation of their account and funding it with ₱1,000. This UBP promo runs up to February 28, 2023, only.

By the first quarter of 2023, Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) will also be ready to issue UMID ATM Pay Cards to SSS members.

“In the coming months, we will continue to pursue partnerships with other financial institutions to provide our members with more options for this program,” Regino said.

“As soon as a substantial percentage of the UMID ATM Pay Cards are issued, SSS would start re-carding the rest of the issued 13 million generic UMID cards,” he added.

The SSS encourages all members to register to the My.SSS Portal at www.sss.gov.ph, and enroll their updated contact information, including mobile numbers and email addresses, in their account for them to receive important announcements and updates regarding the UMID ATM Pay Card and other SSS information.