To kick off PLDT Home’s Fiber Fastbreak series, Carl Tamayo and Calvin Oftana of Gilas Pilipinas and Roger Pogoy of TNT Tropang Giga trace their roots back in their hometown with fellow hard-court hotshot Kib Montalbo and celebrate their passion for the sport with Cebuano fans

Known to breed rising talent in the high school and collegiate levels and professional and international stars who have grown to be household names, Cebu is a hotbed of top-tier basketball talent in the Philippines. The region has produced some of the best players in the country – from multi-time MVP June Mar Fajardo and former Gilas sharpshooter Dondon Hontiveros.

Basketball stars (L-R)Kib Montalbo, Carl Tamayo, Calvin Oftana and Roger Pogoy

PLDT Home’s Fiber Fastbreak Series kickoff

On April 20, some of the biggest basketball stars from Gilas Pilipinas and Tropang TNT Giga returned to Cebu and the Visayas for a grand “homecoming.” At the kickoff of PLDT Home’s Fiber Fastbreak series held at SM Seaside Cebu City, Carl Tamayo and Calvin Oftana of Gilas Pilipinas and Roger “RR” Pogoy and Kib Montalbo of TNT Tropang Giga temporarily escaped their busy basketball games and trainings to reconnect back to their roots. The four athletes met fans and enthusiasts for one afternoon – on a mission to inspire them about pursuing their dreams and passions in life.

Tamayo, Oftana, Pogoy, and Montalbo made their first stop at the PLDT and Smart Store also right inside SM Seaside to meet and greet PLDT Home customers. Inside the newly reopened store, the athletes challenged customers to a basketball arcade game before obliging for more photo opportunities and interactions with fans.

Gamefest 2024

The athletes then graced the much-attended Gamefest 2024, where they interacted with mallgoers for a fun NBA 2K24 session followed by a quick parlor game onstage.

Hosted by Mikee Reyes, a basketball player turned sportscaster himself, the PLDT Home Fiber Fastbreak kickoff only underscored how sports among other passions unites Filipinos from all ages and all walks of life. The event witnessed hard-court heroes coming full circle as they reflected on their own sports journeys.

Carl Tamayo

“Coming home to Cebu makes me remember how I started my basketball career, and how far I’ve come thanks to this sport,” said Tamayo, from Talisay, Cebu. “Everything I do is to honor my family especially my dearly departed dad who was also a former player at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation.”

A discovery from Southwestern University flown to Manila at 13 to play for the Adamson Baby Falcons and then the National University Bullpups, Tamayo saw his career flourish in college. He helped the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons win their UAAP men’s basketball championship in 2022 – UP’s first since 1986. Since then, he has become a regular member of the Gilas Pilipinas roster and has also played at the Japanese B.League. 

Calvin Oftana

Meanwhile, aside from winning his first PBA title in 2023, Oftana boasts one of the most storied careers. Born in Danao, Cebu but raised in Dumaguete playing various sports, he was discovered in high school and then flown to Manila. He led the San Beda Red Lions to three NCAA championships.

“Who would have thought that someone from a big family back in Cebu and Dumaguete who just wanted to play ball would eventually make it to the national team? I grew up trying volleyball and athletics, but my heart remains with basketball. I am so thankful and humbled for the experience. As part of Gilas Pilipinas, I look forward to making not just Cebu and Dumaguete proud but more so the entire nation,” said Oftana.

RR Pogoy

Pogoy, a University of Cebu alumnus from Talisay, is another proud Cebuano now making it big in the pros. Starting as a role player in college at the Far Eastern University, he grew into one of the PBA’s top stars with the TNT Tropang Giga, while joining Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

“Cebu is ever passionate about basketball, and playing here has toughened up my game. This experience helped me grow as a player, as I adapted my playstyle to any system, whether it be the UAAP, the PBA, or as part of the national team,” said Pogoy. “I am just so thrilled to be back to where I started!”

Kib Montalbo

Montalbo, while hailing from neighboring Bacolod, is no stranger to the contribution of Cebu to basketball. The former two-time UAAP champion from De La Salle University already faced top prospects in the region back in the junior ranks. He would also go toe-to-toe against Oftana and Pogoy in both the collegiate and professional levels, before playing alongside them as part of TNT Tropang Giga.

“Playing in Cebu offers a different intensity that basketball lovers should witness!” said Montalbo, who went to St. John's Institute in high school. “I am so honored as well to be part of my Cebuano teammates’ homecoming – it’s always a joy seeing athletes be back to where they began. I am as inspired as they are, so sending our love to Cebu! What a homecoming!”

Fiber Fastbreak series

Next to Cebu, the PLDT Home Fiber Fastbreak series makes its stop in Davao on April 27 and in Imus and Manila in May – promising to bring more local basketball stars to celebrate the sport with more communities. To culminate the series, the last leg happening inside SM Megamall will feature a constellation of stars from Gilas Pilipinas, TNT Tropang Giga, and more club and collegiate teams all paying it forward to the next generation of basketball players with a camp and a tournament.

Enough said: Basketball is the most celebrated sports in the Philippines, with Filipinos among the biggest viewers and consumers of the NBA. During the 2022-2023 season alone, the world’s most popular basketball league recorded 923 million digital engagements in the country. These numbers rank the Philippines third in terms of global audiences watching the games on free and premium TV channels, and second when it comes to NBA League Pass subscriptions in the Asia-Pacific region.

Inspired by Filipinos’ undeniable love of the game and just in time for the NBA Playoffs, PLDT Home is offering a promo for new Fiber customers. From April 1, 2024 to May 31, 2024, new applicants of the Fiber Unli All 2099 plan will be awarded a complimentary one-month NBA League Pass they can use to catch more live games, more live moments – right inside the comforts of their home.

Get your basketball fix and catch more NBA action with NBA League Pass via PLDT Home. Sign up for a PLDT Home Fiber Unli All 2099 plan and above to enjoy a complimentary one-month NBA League Pass subscription! To learn more, visit https://pldthome.com/fiber.

Experience the Philippine CX Industry!

The contact center and business process of the country remains steadfast in upholding its position that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will bring about encouraging benefits and opportunities to its stakeholders. The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) continues to reiterate that generative AI generates positive impact not just to contact center firms but also to the entire Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry.

Reaffirms Confidence on AI Integration

Thus, CCAP is set to facilitate further discussions about the influence of AI and other significant issues to local call center operations. The 145-member organization is inviting key leaders and representatives from contact center and business process sector firms, local and national government, the academe, thought leaders and customer experience officers to the Contact Islands 2024, happening from July 24 to 26, 2024 at the Fili Hotel Nustar Cebu in Cebu City.

The annual sectoral conference sets the stage for pivotal discussions about pressing concerns affecting contact center and business process management sector as AI continues to alter the landscape amid a dynamic global economy and an evolving geopolitical climate.

Contact Islands 2024 is designed to bring about an unparalleled platform for showcasing innovations, highlighting best practices, and moderating dialogues as member-companies unite in taking the path towards realizing the IT-BPM industry's 2028 roadmap.

Continuously growing sector

Based on data from global research firm Everest Group, the sector posted an annual revenue of $29.5 billion in 2023. That accounts for almost 83% of the entire IT-BPM industry revenue of $35.5 billion.

The Philippine IT-BPM industry has set an annual revenue target of $59 billion by the year 2028. The Contact Center Industry is expected to account for about 83% of that amount, or around $49 billion.

CCAP President Mickey Ocampo

"We firmly assert that AI will continue to help make our industry become more resilient and generate more revenue, contradicting fears of some concerned parties." says CCAP President Mickey Ocampo. "People may not be fully aware, but AI has already been widely used through the chatbots we encounter online and even through the mobile features and applications we use daily. That usefulness can further strengthen our industry."

Ocampo reiterates that AI could logically boost productivity in the workplace by enabling contact center agents to focus on more important and complex transactions, which could ultimately make the overall experience much better—for agents and customers alike.

In the past several months, several legislators have called on the national government to regulate or even prevent the integration of AI into the IT-BPM industry. Those include Senators Imee Marcos and Risa Hontiveros— both coming from two opposing political inclinations—who think AI might eliminate jobs.

"Just like how we overcame data privacy challenges years ago, CCAP member companies are continuously re-skilling and upskilling our agents to update and upgrade them to the constantly changing demand of our clients and technology." AI itself will create more jobs related to the engineering, maintenance, and upgrade of AI applications.

Employment in the local contact center sector grew 9.4% year-on-year in 2023. That figure exceeded the overall growth rate of the IT-BPM industry of 8.6%.  About 1.51 million contact center agents were employed in 2023, accounting for 89% of the entire IT-BPM employment of 1.70 million full-time employees (FTEs).

For Contact Islands 2024 inquiries, contact CCAP’s Secretariat Office at +63 2 8843 0603. Visit the conference’s website at https://ccap.ph/event/contact-islands/.

Alliance Global Group, Inc. (AGI), the holding company of tycoon Dr. Andrew L. Tan, achieved a record-breaking net income of P30.3-billion, up 20% year-on-year despite higher inflation, which pushed overall costs and expenses up during the period. Attributable net profit stood at a new high of P19.6-billion, reflecting a 21% increase from the year before.

Consolidated revenues hit an unprecedented level of P211.2-billion, reflecting a robust 15% growth from P183.6-billion the year before.

“2023 was a historic year for the Group as it delivered excellent performance across all of its businesses, led by its real estate, tourism and consumer segments. This was achieved even amid heightened competition in the domestic and global market, various macro challenges in some key markets, rising cost pressures and higher interest rates. Most of our businesses have forged results beyond pre-pandemic levels, even posting new highs in terms of sales, EBITDA, net profit, and all other operating metrics. Such strong performance has encouraged us to carry on with our aggressive business strategies and expansion plans across our diversified portfolio,” says Kevin L. Tan, chief executive officer, AGI.

AGI has varied interests spanning real estate developments through property giant Megaworld Corporation; spirits manufacturing through Emperador Inc.; leisure, entertainment, and hospitality through Travellers International Hotel Group, Inc.; quick service restaurants (QSR) through Golden Arches Development Corporation (GADC), popularly known as McDonald’s Philippines; and infrastructure development through Infracorp.

Premier township developer Megaworld registered a 17% increase in consolidated revenues to P69.7-billion in 2023 from P59.5-billion the year before. This was driven by the sustained 16% year-on-year growth in real estate sales, the sharp recovery in the revenues of Megaworld Lifestyle Malls by 54% and Megaworld Hotels by 46%, in addition to the 3% rise in rentals of Megaworld Premier Offices. Supported by the stable growth in consumer spending and foot fall as the economy continues to recover, occupancy rates of Megaworld’s office spaces, malls, and Metro Manila hotels stood at 88%, 93%, and 67%, respectively. Meanwhile, reservation sales surged anew to P139-billion, boosted by project launches during the year amounting to P73-billion.

Travellers International, the Group’s leisure and tourism arm and owner-operator of Newport World Resorts (NWR), also broke new records in 2023 with net revenues growing by 19% year-on-year to P31.9 billion. This was driven by the resurgence in tourism and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibition (MICE) activities, which allowed for a stellar 40% year-on-year increase in hotel and other revenues to P7.4 billion, while its gross gaming revenues went up by 7% to a new high of P34.2 billion. Despite rising cost pressures, EBITDA over the same period went up by 8% year-on-year to P8.2 billion, its highest level since 2012. Net income also grew by a robust 89% to P2.0 billion from last year’s P1.1 billion.

Emperador, the biggest global brandy company and amongst the fastest-growing Scotch whisky manufacturers, reported a 5% increase in consolidated revenues of P65.6 billion from year-ago level of P62.8-billion. This was driven by the sustained improvement in international whisky sales as Whyte and Mackay’s single malt brands The Dalmore, Fettercairn, Jura, and Tamnavulin continue to make significant inroads in major markets like Asia (mainly China), North America, and travel retail. Emperador Brandy has also maintained its dominance in the domestic brandy market. Attributable net income stood at P8.6-billion.

GADC also sustained its strong growth trajectory in 2023 across all operating levels, driven by the sustained improvement in consumer spending. A long-term partnership between AGI and the George Yang Group that holds the exclusive franchise to operate ‘McDonald’s’ restaurants in the Philippines, GADC reported a record level of sales revenue of P42.8-billion, an increase of another 24% from P34.4-billion the year before.  Systemwide sales also grew by 22%, backed by SSSG of 15% year-on-year. Even with challenges brought about by higher raw material costs and operating expenses, the company registered attributable profit of P2.5 billion from P1.8-billion a year ago. McDonald’s Philippines closed the year with 740 stores throughout the country.

“For 2024, we look forward to the much-anticipated policy rate cuts as inflation begins to ease, improving the economic and business environment with the resurgence in consumer spending, as well as demand for housing, tourism and staycation activities.  Armed with our superior product offerings, AGI is well-positioned to take advantage of these enormous opportunities as they unfold,” adds Tan.

Manila Hearing Aid (MHA), the leading hearing care provider in the Philippines together with Phonak, a global player in innovative hearing solutions, has launched the Lumity series, the next generation of lifestyle-centric hearing aids that are designed for all kinds of lifestyle.

Manila Hearing Aid has served as the pioneer of Philippine hearing care since 1976. For over 47 years, it took the mantle of providing the latest in hearing solutions and diagnostic testing to the nation. Today, Manila Hearing Aid has 16 clinics nationwide and has partnered with numerous international hearing solution provider brands to achieve its long-term vision of making hearing health more accessible for Filipinos.

Phonak Lumity Launch in Cebu (L-R): Dr. Liza Abano-Robles, President of Manila Hearing Aid, Ms. Susan Javier, Manila Hearing Aid Clinic Training Consultant, Sng Lay Choo, Senior Audiologist & Brand Champion of Phonak Representative Services Sonova Singapore, Kyra Mahinay, Manila Hearing Aid’s Brand Ambassador and Mr. Tze Peng Chua, Managing Director of Sonova Singapore

"Our commitment is to provide top-of-the-line, and the most advanced and strategically tech-driven audiological products that enhance the quality of life through improved hearing," Abaño-Robles added.

Conversations shine with Phonak Lumity

The Lumity series has positioned itself as an all-around hearing care solution by effectively addressing the diverse quality of life needs and varying degrees of hearing loss experienced by consumers.

The hero product from the Lumity line is the Phonak Slim™ Lumity, an award-winning hearing aid with a sleek ergonomic design. It earned the prestigious title of Hearing Technology Innovator 2023 in the hearing aid design category as recognized by Hearing Health & Technology Matters (HTTM). The modern and state-of-the-art design of Phonak Slim™ is crafted to naturally match the contour of the ears, serving not only clinical purposes but also as a stylish hearing solution; combining functionality and style in one powerful device. Phonak Slim™ addresses the stigma towards traditional bulky design by bringing in sleek and stylish-looking hearing aids. The Phonak Slim™ is a unique, premium device available in four colors to match individual styles and boost confidence.

As a testament to its commitment to expanding its offering to the ever-changing consumer needs, the Lumity series also introduces the Phonak Naida Lumity™, referred to as one of its most powerful hearing aids tailored for moderate to severe hearing loss. With customizable settings for specific listening situations and improved noise cancellation, it promises resilience in virtually every scenario. Phonak Audéo Life™  Lumity also stood out as one of the best-selling products from Manila Hearing Aid. It holds the distinction of being the world's first waterproof rechargeable hearing aid and pioneering the new SmartSpeech technology. As an addition to the Lumity lineup, the Phonak CROS Lumity™ is built for individuals facing unaidable hearing loss in one ear. This model seamlessly integrates with compatible Phonak hearing aids, amplifying environmental awareness by transmitting sounds from the unaidable ear to the hearing aid-fitted good ear, resulting in an uninterrupted listening experience.  

With the Lumity series launching into the Philippine market in March 2024, Manila Hearing Aid and Phonak are aiming to step up the game in the hearing care market by offering specific hearing solutions that suit every patient’s needs. This effort only means that Manila Hearing Aid is steadfast in its mission of enabling Filipinos with the right hearing care solutions that contribute to their holistic well-being.

In Cebu, they are located at the 2nd Level, SM City Cebu, North Reclamation Area, Cebu City.

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