GrabCar Launches in CDO Strengthens the City's Commitment to Economic Empowerment

Grab officially launched GrabCar in Cagayan De Oro City as part of its commitment to economic empowerment in the region. The photo above shows Grab Philippines Head of Mobility EJ Dela Vega [Center-Left] with CDO Councilors George Goking, Romeo Calizo, and Malvern Esparcia; and officials from LTFRB Region 10

The leading superapp officially launches its flagship mobility service in Cagayan De Oro, expanding its portfolio of services in the city which is currently composed of GrabFood and GrabTaxi

Grab Philippines, a dedicated partner in the nation-building efforts of the government, is strengthening its commitment to economic empowerment in Cagayan De Oro. With the official launch of its flagship mobility service GrabCar, Grab is not only providing Kagay-anons with a viable transportation option but is also creating a new avenue for generating livelihoods and stimulating economic activity in the City of Golden Friendship.

GrabCar is a beloved and trusted mobility service for Filipino commuters. Built on a foundation of safety, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, GrabCar stands as an effective mobility alternative for the Filipino commuting public. GrabCar currently services the area from Laguindingan Airport up to the end of Lapasan and Upper Balulang. 

Cagayan De Oro is the second city in Mindanao to welcome the GrabCar service,  furthering the leading superapp’s mission to create sustainable opportunities and foster economic growth across the region. 

Grab Philippines Head of Mobility Marketplace EJ Dela Vega shares, “Our superapp model allows us to know and deeply understand Kagay-anons best - from the way they commute through GrabTaxi, to the way they enjoy their everyday meals through GrabFood. Grab continues to be attentive to the needs of the market and we believe that now is the right time to offer Kagay-anons a mobility solution that not only meets their everyday needs but also positively contributes to the long-term success of CDO.”

Cagayan De Oro Mayor Rolando "Klarex" Uy also underscored the strong partnership of the city with the leading superapp. “Cagayan De Oro actively forges partnerships with industry leaders like Grab as we make strides toward our vision of solid economic performance and a thriving citizenry. The launch of Grab in our city has given Kagay-anon entrepreneurs, drivers and riders access to a robust marketplace that fosters high-success potential – something only a superapp ecosystem can offer. We are glad to welcome GrabCar and are excited to see the new opportunities it is bringing for our kabayayans,” Mayor Uy shares. 

The Grab Superapp Journey in CDO: A Long-Standing Commitment to Economic Empowerment

To digitalize the taxi ecosystem in Cagayan De Oro, Grab launched GrabTaxi in 2015. Since then, Grab has been forging close partnerships with key taxi operators in the city. This collaboration has resulted in the onboarding of hundreds of GrabTaxi driver-partners, enabling them to substantially boost their earnings potential through increased bookings facilitated on the platform. 

As Southeast Asia’s leading superapp, Grab has also expanded its presence in CDO outside of mobility with the launch of GrabFood in May 2020. This addition has proven to be instrumental in fostering a thriving ecosystem for local entrepreneurial ventures, regardless of their size. By democratizing access to user-friendly growth tools, cutting-edge technology, and capacity-building programs, Grab has empowered MSMEs to achieve sustainable growth on the platform. One outstanding example of a homegrown CDO merchant-partner that has experienced equitable success on Grab is Frkn Burger. Since its launch on Grab, Frkn Burger has achieved a remarkable ten-fold increase in its average weekly delivery orders and has also opened its second branch. This earned them a well-deserved spot among the prestigious Golden Grab Awardees for 2023.

An Expansive Horizon of Partnership

As a devoted partner for the economic empowerment of the Cagayan De Oro local government, Grab Philippines will continue to leverage its technology, extensive network of highly engaged users, and community-focused approach to unlock new possibilities for growth and prosperity. Dela Vega notes, “The horizon of collaboration between Grab and the local government of Cagayan De Oro continues to be expansive. Together, we're orchestrating a future of sustainable opportunities that create pathways for local everyday entrepreneurs to realize their aspirations. This is a testament to the transformative power of partnership, innovative technology, and the boundless potential of the Filipino spirit.”

Download BDO Apps only from official App Stores

BDO Unibank is advising its clients to download its mobile apps only from official app store platforms to ensure the security of data. 

The Bank’s mobile apps, namely, BDO Digital Banking, BDO Pay, BDO Deals, BDO Securities Mobile App, BDO Checkout, BDO Merchant, and BDO Unibank SG, can be downloaded for free from:

Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=www.pay.bdo.com.ph 

Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/bdo-pay/id1381315990 

Huawei AppGallery: https://appgallery.cloud.huawei.com/ag/n/app/C103937877?locale=en_US&source=appshare&subsource=C103937877 

Meanwhile, clients who are unable to download mobile apps are encouraged to use the web version. 

BDO advises against downloading its mobile apps from unofficial app stores and other websites, which may offer outdated versions of these apps or worse, including malicious software or malware. 

Scammers use malware to gather confidential information that may be saved in mobile devices, such as online banking username and password, debit or credit card information, and other personal data. 

 

KUMU: Our Digital Bayanihan

Shop Local. Eat local. Spend local. Enjoy local. Support the local businesses who support the area where you live, work and play. 

Are you like me who loves to support local? Facebook has been around for fourteen years, Viber and Instagram for eight. Here's the good news! Recently a messenger app and media platform built by and for the Filipino community launched the Public Beta version of KUMU. Kumu is the product of a long process — a labor of love and countless hours of work contributed by an extended team of over 60 leaders from the Philippines, the diaspora, and the global tech community.

What is this all about? Why do we need another messenger app? What exactly is Kumu? Read on.

1. A localized communication app for the Filipino people

Localized messenger apps are taking over Asia. Part of it means designing for the realities and constraints of digital communication in Philippines. Our video and voice call technology is powered by a unique real-time communications protocol that is optimized for low connectivity settings

We’ve worked hard to infuse Kumu with a voice and spirit that’s uniquely Filipino. Our stickers are one example of this — saturated not only with Filipino language and slang, but also an undercurrent of Filipino history and mythology, all rendered in vivid color by some of the best artistic talent in the Philippines. We will take the same approach to our brand, our marketing, and everything that we do.

Stickers by Katsy Garcia, Team Manila, Toto Madayag, Neil Fernando, and Geraldine Sy.

2. A media network for the next generation of Filipino creativity

Filipinos are some of the most creative people in the world. But historically, that creativity hasn’t been given the right platform to flourish. People leave the country to be Broadway actors and musicians. The local media landscape remains monopolized and insular. Tapping into our innate creativity isn’t just a matter of expression and inspiration — it’s also the key to surviving the next decade of disruption.

We’re building Kumu’s Explore tab as a platform for the digital creative economy in the Philippines. Beginning with our livestream network, Kumu Explore will be the home to artists, journalists, students, vloggers, historians, musicians, comedians, and all kinds of creative talent from across the global Filipino community. Our curation team will ensure a diversity of voices that represent the best of Filipino talent, and our livestreaming technology will enable a deeper level of interaction and engagement than anywhere else.

3. A digital economy of services that make life easier in the Philippines

The Filipino people are naturally viral. Makati was once named the selfie capital of the world, and the Philippines was ranked #1 in terms of average time spent on social media.

But for the most part, our digital savvy remains very separate from our day-to-day economic needs. Filipinos in the Philippines still have to line up each payday to get their money from the bank; Filipinos abroad still use remittance services with hidden fees and unreasonable exchange rates. The cash economy, which remains king, is a very expensive way of doing business.

Later this year, we’ll be releasing some solutions to make life a little easier. We want remittances, shopping, payroll, food delivery, and Balikbayan Boxes to be as fast and easy as posting a selfie. We want to make everything from day-to-day necessities to other products a more seamless part of the digital experience. For many of these services, we’ll be working with some of the best Filipino innovators to integrate their existing solutions into our platform.

Our goal is to unleash the economic power of one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

4. A movement to take back our internet and unlock the power of the Filipino community

When the internet came about, it promised to be a great equalizer, a way for us to connect and be better together than the sum of our parts. But fast forward several decades and our internet infrastructure, too, has been dominated and throttled by a few multinational corporations. Our social media channels are rigged against us, selling the public conversation to the highest bidder.

At Kumu, our vision is to harness the full promise of the internet and digital technology to unlock the power of the Filipino people. We think that the internet can build stronger communities rather than divide them, make life easier instead of distracting us from what matters. Digital media can inspire us and broaden our imaginations. Kumu hopes to be, more than any single thing, a vehicle to make these possibilities real. We want to be a platform for the future of the Filipino community, a Filipino renaissance that is rising and gaining momentum.

We hope you join us in getting there! We need all the Filipino spirit spirit and energy for the journey ahead. Let’s start our Digital Bayanihan with Kumu.

Kumu is now available on the Google Play and App Store. Learn more : kumu.ph

Justice League ALL IN: will you let this world fall? Or will you #JoinTheLeague?

October 14, 2017 marks the date when the BLOCK SM North Edsa launched the campaign to JOIN THE LEAGUE. 

Pacific Licensing Studio, in collaboration with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and SM Supermalls, invite all fans, both young and young at heart, early on to join the league until October 31, at the The Block, SM North EDSA as it raises the bar of the superhero genre and launches DC’s greatest super heroes, Justice League.

The launch presented the other members of JL aside from Batman and Superman. Gallery of heroes will give fans more trivia about Wonderwoman's other powers, Flash’s actual speed, the machine and the man that is Cyborg and Aquaman’s badass ancestry and origin. 

Justice League App was also introduced.

 

Penshoppe rocked the runway with its new and limited Justice League collection while SM’s Boys Teen’s Wear featured the latest JL’s sleek fashion styles. Collectors’ expo, retail outlets, and cos plays sizzled the audience while various loads of JL premium merchandise were given to mall goers. 

Here's what's inside the drawstring bags given : mine's Cyborg drawstring, Tupperware Brands JL Collection ( Superman Body mist and Hand sanitizer), Superman shirt, Penshoppe shirt (Wonder Woman), New era cap baller,JL notebook, Lego, JL Hotwheels, Magnolia Chocolait, Button pin, and the limited edition JL Beep card 😍

Check these SM Supermalls' Justice League  promos :

Oct 27 - Dec 31

Oct 13 - Nov 5

Oct 27 - Dec 31

Finally, Pacific Licensing Studio, brought the league’s life like cast figures during the launch. 

Fans, shoppers, participants and virtually everyone in the event had their photos taken with the six (6) superhero statues and share the JL experience with their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts with the #JOINTHELEAGUE.

Pacific Licensing Studio Executives

Dani Barretto also graced the launch

If you weren't able to catch them in SM North don't worry because Justice League will also go around the metro.

Here are the schedules:

* SM Southmall on Nov. 2-10

* SM Mall of Asia on Nov. 13-19

* SM Bicutan on Nov. 22-29 

* SM Clark and Pampanga on Dec. 2-10

If you are into fun runs, you better join this one. JL Cebu ( November 19) and Manila  (November 25) legs.

Aside from Batman and Superman, Gal Gadot (Wonder Woman) , Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Ray Fisher (Cyborg), and Ezra Miller ( Flash) will complete the roster. Jeremy Irons is also back as the ever reliable Alfred while J.K Simmons (Jonah Jameson of Spiderman) stars as Commissioner Gordon. 

Catch the league on your favorite theaters on Nov.16.

Love at first sight 😍 with this Wonder woman logo bangle from Silverworks! I ❤ Silverworks since High School.  👌

Easy Grocery, Grocery Made Easy!

Christmas season is just around the corner. Everything related to buying goods will be a rush. Crowded malls, crowded groceries, full parking areas, heavy traffic everywhere. Why go through all these hassle when there is an alternative way to do all these at the comfort of your own home!

Introducing the NEW EASY GROCERY APP! This application is available on both App Store and Google Playstore! 

Happy mum 😘 

Luckily, I was one of the chosen few to attend the launching of this new online app at Openspace in Makati last September 24.

EASY GROCERY APP contains all the products that you will find in your favorite grocery! All you have to do is download the app (it’s FREE!), 

then register with your details and delivery address!

Once you do, you can pick all the items you need to buy, just how you would in your regular grocery, the difference is you do it on your mobile device and at the comfort of your own home! You can also do these while in the office, to avoid the traffic rush! Your grocery goods can be delivered to your home within 1 hour! P100 peso for service charge and P100 for delivery charge. Way better than plowing thru the crowded areas, parking fees and traffic jams!

So what are you waiting for? Download EASY GROCERY APP NOW!!!

Thank you Klickaboo photobooth for this beautiful ref magnet. I look fresh 😁

Follow Easy Grocery on Facebook and Instagram. 

*currently available in Makati , Taguig and Parañaque.