Calling all WOMENtrepreneurs in BPOs! Payoneer to host a meetup event with women leaders in the outsourcing industry

Wazzup Pilipinas!?




Payoneer, the world’s leading cross-border payments platform, is set to host the very first Payoneer WOMENtrepreneurs Meetup: Connect with women leading the PH outsourcing sector event on March 9, 2023 at WeWork Menarco Tower in Bonifacio Global City.

In line with the company’s goal of supporting women to thrive in their endeavors and enterprises, the event will showcase women leaders in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector who will share their stories, wisdom, and tips on how women can continue to go beyond in the outsourcing industry. All women entrepreneurs and leaders in BPO companies, digital marketing agencies, and freelance agencies are encouraged to attend.

The discussion will be headlined by two distinguished women leaders-Gina Romero and Tonichi Achurra-Parekh. Gina is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Connected Women, a social impact tech startup that offers online skills training, development, and remote work opportunities to women in the Philippines. On the other hand, Tonichi is the Vice President of Concentrix, a leading global provider of customer experience solutions and technology and is also a member of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines.

The event will also feature a panel discussion with Marge Aviso, Founder and CEO of Telework PH, a homegrown BPO based in Bulacan; Vanessa Janssen, the CEO of an all-female service provider firm based in Clark; and Pamela Ann Baluyo, Founder and CEO of Scale Experts Inc., a Marikina-based business process assistance company that helps startups grow their businesses.

“We, at Payoneer, are excited to host this special meetup and exchange stories and tips with the women blazing the trail in the local outsourcing industry. This is the perfect opportunity to network, meet other women leaders, and learn from each other,” shares Monique Avila, the director of Payoneer’s all-women Customer Success Department for Southeast Asia & Pakistan.

Application for the Payoneer WOMENtrepreneurs Meetup event is available at this paynr.co/WazzupPilipinas-WOMENtrepreneurs-meetup.

Filipino Royal Fellow thanks Pres. Marcos: "How can I reach you, Sir?"

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recently joined the world in congratulating Filipino science diplomat Glenn Banaguas for the latter’s induction into the United Kingdom London-based Royal Society of Arts (RSA). Banaguas is the first science diplomat from the Philippines to become a fellow of the RSA, which counts among its distinguished ranks historical luminaries such as Charles Dickens, George Washington Carver, David Attenborough, Nelson Mandela, Tim Berners-Lee, Karl Marx, Marie Curie, Stephen Hawking, and Benjamin Franklin.

"Tunay ngang ang galing at talino ng mga Pilipino ay maipagmamalaki saan man sa mundo. Maraming salamat sa kahusayang iyong patuloy na ipinamamalas (Indeed, the brilliance and intelligence of the Filipinos can be pround of anywhere in the world. Thanks to Glenn Banaguas for his continued excellence)," President Marcos said in his official message, which was broadcast across all official government channels.

Banaguas thanked the President for the latter’s kudos, which he welcomed as warm support from his countrymen.

“While I am thankful and deeply humbled by the international recognition I have received, the President’s message resonates deeply for me since it comes from where support is most needed—from home,” Banaguas said.

“Thank you so much, Mr. President. I greatly appreciate your message, Sir. I have never expected that someone who is nobody like me would be commended by the most powerful man in the country. My heart will always be grateful, Sir. May the grace of God continue to follow you. And may every Filipino touched by your hand be blessed forever. God bless, Mr. President," Banaguas said.

"Sir, I wholeheartedly support you and your climate agenda for the Philippines and the Filipino people,” he added.

"Given the chance to meet the President, I will provide him with not only the science and evidence-based strategic solutions but also the most humane and gender-responsive schemes to address the impacts and risks of climate change... from scientific wide-ranging assessment, capacity development, project management to climate financing programs as well as multilateral cooperation among actors,' he mentioned.

"I wish I could meet our dear President. How can I reach you, Sir?" Banaguas humbly asked.

Banaguas, a distinguished scientist and science diplomat, is among Asia's leading experts in environment, climate change, and disaster risk. He is the founder and president of the Environmental and Climate Change Research Institute, an organization that brings "science and diplomacy" to the poorest communities and marginalized sectors in the Philippines.

Banaguas founded Climate Smart Philippines: Science for Service Program, which provides research, training, and capacity-building to all stakeholders in the country to combat climate change and disaster risks. He also chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Science Diplomats and the United States (US)-ASEAN Fellows for Science and Technology. He also serves as climate diplomat of the European Union-Asia Expert Panel for Climate Diplomacy and Environmental Security. He is also the Executive Fellow and Expert of the renowned Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) in Switzerland.

Banaguas is the Adviser of the country's flag carrier, the Philippine Airlines for sustainability and resiliency programs. He also provides climate change capacity-building efforts to the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities. He leads the UNDP's climate security program for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and provides technical assistance to Mindanao Development Authority's climate change and energy projects.

Banaguas has Ivy League credentials - he took Climate Change and Energy from the Harvard Kennedy School and Sustainability Leadership from Yale University. He also took the Applied Remote Sensing program from the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), peacebuilding programs from the United States Institute of Peace (UNIP), and security courses from the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP).

Updates on DepEd Legal Actions

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Department of Education (DepEd) is taking measures to ensure that values of integrity, transparency, and accountability are being upheld by our officials, teachers, and non-teaching personnel.

In the past months, we have immediately acted on several legal cases filed against alleged erring public officials, personnel, and service providers of DepEd. In the spirit of transparency, we would like to provide the following legal updates:



1. On the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee (BRC) report re: procurement of overpriced laptops

The DepEd welcomes the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee report on the laptops procured by PS-DBM in 2021

The filing of cases against past and present officials of the DepEd, as recommended by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, will be referred to the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) for evaluation and appropriate action.

We are ready to receive the official BRC report from the Senate.

In addition, there is a pending administrative case against one DepEd employee involved in the procurement.

 


2. On DepEd laptops being sold in Cebu

The Department has confirmed that the laptops being sold in a surplus store in Cebu, although not amongst those procured through the PS-DBM, were part of the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP). The Department is now coordinating with relevant law enforcement agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.



3. On government ‘scammers’

DepEd lauds the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the arrest of Diokno Eje, a.k.a Vaughn Vincent, who is the subject of numerous complaints about an alleged "appointment scam" wherein several personalities were offered government posts in exchange for a huge sum of money.

Likewise, the Department is investigating a similar case of fraudulent dealings of a DepEd employee named Maricon. Administrative proceedings for various charges have been instituted and are already underway.

We thank our media partners for tipping us off, and for alerting the Vice President and Secretary of Education on this matter. It has prompted other complainants to provide critical information against her.

DepEd is encouraging those who may have personal knowledge or dealings with Maricon to come forward and provide us with more information.



4. On photos circulating online re: alleged ‘overpriced’ camera

The Department has traced the now-deleted post of photojournalist Jhun Dantes, and shared by the account of a certain Renato Reyes, of a Canon 1500D camera with a DepEd sticker attached indicating an acquisition cost of P155,929, as a property of the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Imus City.

The camera was given by the Local Government Unit to the SDO. DepEd did not have any participation or involvement in the procurement process of the subject cameras.

DepEd continues to call on netizens to be circumspect in their posts to ensure that no misinformation is propagated.



5. On failure to deliver supplies

The Department has found another case of the failure on the part of a service provider to comply with its contract — since the year 2021. We are currently exploring legal remedies and working on this issue.

Note that we have deliberately provided general statements on these updates so as not to preempt or hamper ongoing investigations.

The DepEd recognizes the important fight against corruption to improve the delivery of public service. We reiterate our call to the public to be vigilant and to actively report any fraudulent and unethical acts of DepEd personnel. Those who will be engaging in such activities will be dealt with accordingly and swiftly.