PayMaya Negosyo's 'Bizkarte' program supercharges MSME growth and recovery

As the whole country adapts to changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, many enterprising Filipinos are turning their entrepreneurship drive into full-fledged businesses, utilizing the power of social media and cashless payments technologies. 

 

To help accelerate the growth of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) all around the country, digital financial services leader PayMaya launched its PayMaya Negosyo "Bizkarte" Program which aims to provide MSMEs with the right tools, assistance, and resources to help their businesses thrive in the growing world of digital commerce. 
 

A play on the words "business" and diskarte–which describes the uniquely Filipino trait of being enterprising despite the seemingly insurmountable odds–the "Bizkarte" program for MSMEs offers PayMaya's end-to-end digital payment solutions bundled with incentives through exclusive promotions and rewards for merchants and their customers, co-marketing push for members' products and services, as well as online trainings on entrepreneurial and digital skills to help partners grow their businesses in the eCommerce space. 

 

"Filipinos are innately ma-diskarte and we've seen this enterprising spirit rise above the challenges we've all faced in the past months due to COVID-19. On top of this, our entrepreneurs are already tech-savvy and familiar with digital platforms," said Raymund Villanueva, Head of PayMaya QR Ecosystems. "Now that they've established their homegrown businesses, PayMaya Negosyo's 'Bizkarte' program will help them accelerate their business in this new economy." 
 
To sign up for the Bizkarte program, entrepreneurs and MSMEs only need to download and register for an account through the PayMaya Negosyo app (http://pymy.co/PayMayaNegosyo) and sign up for the program through the Bizkarte website at http://pymy.co/bizkarte. 

 

Thriving online businesses in the 'new normal' 

 

Upon signing up, Bizkarte program members will instantly have access to the Bizkarte Negosyante Kit, which will contain social media templates and how-tos that they can use to help promote cashless payments for orders through their Facebook or Instagram pages, via email, or through chat apps. 

 

They will also get the chance to promote their products and services to millions of PayMaya users across the country on PayMaya-owned channels including the PayMaya app, website, and social media accounts. Their customers who pay using PayMaya, meanwhile, can enjoy exclusive perks of up to 100% Balik Bayad when they #ScanToPay via PayMaya QR. 

 

And to help give additional boost in growing their business, Bizkarte members can also get access to free webinars featuring key industry leaders who can share useful knowledge and insights about the ins and outs of running and growing their business.   
 

"We hope that through this program, we can help turn casual online sellers into full-fledged negosyantes who can rely on their home-based businesses for income even after the crisis over," Villanueva said. 

 

Through the PayMaya Negosyo app, MSMEs can easily expand their business to go digital by accepting cashless payments online and offline through PayMaya QR, via bank transfers through InstaPay, or through the Send Money function of the PayMaya app. This allows business owners to continue serving their customers online, helping reduce the further spread of COVID-19, and in-stores, once they are ready to get back to a physical set-up.

 

Apart from these, PayMaya Negosyo offers entrepreneurs more ways to earn money by selling mobile prepaid load and other digital goods available in the app. Soon, they will also be able to accept bill payments and remittances (with proper documentary requirements) through PayMaya Negosyo. 

LSIs get help from PLDT-Smart Foundation, Alagang Kapatid

MANILA, Philippines, July 20, 2020 — Locally stranded individuals (LSIs), currently staying at the Philippine Ports Authority, recently received assistance from the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF) and TV5 Alagang Kapatid Foundation, Inc. (AKFI) who paid them a visit and advised them on health protocols while distributing snack packs and raincoats.

 

“We hope to provide some comfort and nourishment to over 200 LSIs patiently waiting at the port area for a ship that could transport them to their respective homes in places such as Basilan, Jolo, Sulu, Cagayan De Oro, Butuan City, Iloilo, Bacolod, and Cebu,” said PSF President Ma. Esther O. Santos. 

 

“Though they are sad and distressed at having to wait for days and weeks in less than ideal conditions, well-meaning people who call on them to see how they’re doing, and the prospect of getting home eventually, lift their spirits,” Santos added. 

 

During their visit, the personnel of PSF and AKFI shared basic information with the LSIs on standard health protocols - like wearing of facial masks, social distancing, and good hygiene - to be observed given the Covid-19 pandemic in our midst. We also listened to their heart-rending stories, said AKFI Executive Director Menchie Silvestre.

 

LSIs include local workers, students, and other individuals stranded in Manila and nearby areas - most of them enduring the devastating economic effects of the quarantine restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic - who have expressed their intention to go back to their original residence. 

 

"There was a couple who got fired from their jobs and were evicted from their rented room in Laguna. They had no other recourse but to avail of the government’s Balik-Probinsya program, buying two tickets home with the little money they had. There was also a working student who almost choked in tears, thinking of the uncertainty of her situation.” Silvestre explained.

 

Under the government’s Hatid Tulong program, LSIs will be brought back to their home provinces after coordinating with the relevant local government units and LSI’s having completed health requirements.

 

AKFI is the social development arm of TV5. A non-stock and non-profit organization established in 2011, it is committed to promote and support humanitarian causes.

 

Meanwhile, PSF is a non-profit organization that fully serves as the social outreach arm of PLDT, Inc. and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. Headed by PLDT and Smart Chairman Manuel V Pangilinan, the PSF created programs focused on education, livelihood and social enterprise, disaster response and recovery, youth arts, and sports development.

 

PSF and AKFI’s visit to the LSIs is the first of their various outreach activities slated to mark the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Week this month.

Contacless commute with Paymaya and Beep

Digital financial services leader PayMaya Philippines partners with beep™ to provide commuters a safer way to load up their beep™ cards.

Commuters can enjoy a safe and contactless commute by simply purchasing their beep™ load packages on the PayMaya app. With this load up method, there is no longer a need for face-to-face interactions with the teller, as well as exchange of cash, which can contribute to the further spread of the virus.

PayMaya users can choose among three beep™ load packages on their PayMaya app: P100, P250, and P500 with an additional P5 convenience fee. To buy a load package on PayMaya, simply follow these easy steps:

1. Tap treats on the app homepage 
2. Select a beep™ card load package 
3. Input your beep™ card number, then tap continue 
4. Wait for a purchase confirmation in-app and via SMS 
5. Head over to a beep™ e-load station and tap your card to receive the load package.  

 

Once the beep™ card is loaded, it can already be used on LRT 1, LRT 2, MRT 3, as well as in Point-to-Point (P2P) and Metro Manila city buses. There’s also a growing number of modern PUVs, among other transportation modes, that accept beep™ cards as a payment method.

AF Payments Head of Business Development, Sharon Fong said, “We recognize the challenges and health risks that the daily Filipino commuter faces during the pandemic. We want to help mitigate those health risks by promoting contactless commuting. So instead of paying for your fare with cash that gets passed around by different people, you just tap your beep™ card. Loading your card is also safer and more convenient when you use cashless options, such as PayMaya.”

“As the country reopens, more Filipinos are starting to go back to work and use public transportation. At PayMaya, we’re committed to making cashless options widely available in the transportation sector in order to promote a safer and more convenient commute for the public. Our partnership with beep™ is just one of the many steps we are taking to achieve this goal,” said Shailesh Baidwan, PayMaya President.

Apart from PayMaya, commuters can also reload their beep™ cards through select Smart Padala agents in their neighborhood for a quick and convenient transaction. All they have to do is follow these simple steps:

 

1. Go to your trusted Smart Padala agent and ask if beep load packages are available. 
2. Give the beep™ card account number and load amount. You can load P100, P250, and P500. 
3. Pay for the load amount with the additional P10 service fee. 
4. Head over to a beep™ e-load station and tap your card to receive the purchased load.

 

PayMaya has previously announced its support to the directive released by the Department of Transportation and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board mandating the use of contactless payments in public utility vehicles as part of the measures in what is dubbed as the “new normal."

In June, it has entered into an agreement ride-hailing app hirna and its partner taxi drivers to be able to accept cashless payments from its customers via PayMaya QR.

PayMaya has also previously equipped taxi operators in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Baguio with contactless payments, and enabled the first digital bus ticketing system with the Araneta Bus Port for cashless payments through credit and debit cards as well as via PayMaya QR.

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, and government. Aside from providing payments acceptance for the largest e-Commerce, food, retail and gas merchants in the Philippines, PayMaya enables national and social services agencies as well as local government units with digital payments and disbursement services.

Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides millions of Filipinos with the fastest way to own a financial account with over 40,000 Add Money touchpoints nationwide, more than double the total number of traditional bank branches in the Philippines combined. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 30,000 partner touchpoints nationwide serves as last mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to services. To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Unlock possibilities with Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi for only P999

[July 10, 2020] The new normal has shifted many of our activities online, and this has made mobile Internet ever more crucial for those working from home or on the go, taking online classes, or starting an online business.

 

As we adapt to the demands of the time, mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is making it simpler for Filipinos to connect online and unlock possibilities by slashing the price of the Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi from P1,295 to only Php999.

 

Available at Smart Stores nationwide, Smart Online Store, and partner e-commerce sites like GrabMart and Lazada, the device also comes with FREE Surfmax data card worth P250, which customers can use right away to surf and connect online.

 

An empowering tool

 

Smart announced this with the launch of a new video that encourages Filipinos to face the new normal with renewed hope and optimism. The video features a young man who confidently – and safely – goes about his day to embrace opportunities powered by the Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi.

 

The video is made even more uplifting with Quest’s hit song “Sige Lang” in the background, featuring reassuring lines, ‘Walang imposible, sige lang, simple.’ (Nothing is impossible. Just simply go on). Watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQBpT17HXOY.

 

Mobile and versatile

 

Aside from making mobile internet within easy reach by many Filipinos, the Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi provides users with great freedom and mobility to connect anytime and anywhere.

 

With it, users don’t have to rely on Free WiFi spots, or get tied down to just one location to attend a virtual office meeting, take up online courses, or promote your business on social media.

 

The Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi is also versatile as it connects up to 10 WiFi-ready smartphones, tablets, or laptops for simultaneous online sessions. As such, customers no longer have to go through the hassle of using their phone as a WiFi hotspot, which normally eats up their phone's data allocation and battery faster.

 

 

Simple and powerful

 

Managing data usage on the Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi is simple with the New Smart App on Google Play, which lets you monitor and keep your online activities in check. This way, you can load up and register to data promos as necessary.

 

The Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi is powered by the country’s fastest mobile data network, as recognized by third-party mobile analytics firms such as Ookla and Opensignal.

 

Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, cited Smart as The Philippines’ Speedtest Awards Winner for mobile network speed during Q1-Q4 2019. To win this award, Smart achieved a Speed Score™ of 17.40, with average speeds of 19.62 Mbps for download, and 9.45 Mbps for upload.

 

On the other hand, Opensignal, an independent mobile analytics firm, reported in its April 2020 Mobile Network Experience Report* for the Philippines that Smart remained ahead of competition in terms of Video Experience, Upload and Download Speed Experience, Voice App Experience, Games Experience, and 4G Availability.

 

The Smart Bro Prepaid LTE Pocket WiFi reinforces the company’s commitment to bring about simple solutions and amazing experiences to empower the digital lifestyle of Filipinos – hence the company’s fresh tagline, “Simple, Smart Ako.”

 

Know more about Smart’s promos and services by following Smart’s official accounts on Facebook at www.fb.com/SmartCommunications, and Twitter and Instagram at @LiveSmart.

 

*Opensignal Awards – Philippines: Mobile Network Experience Report April 2020, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period Nov 1 – Jan 29, 2020 © 2020 Opensignal Inc.

Smart celebrates Simplicity Day on July 12

[July 10, 2020] Mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. is celebrating Simplicity Day on July 12 as it embraces its commitment to provide Filipinos with simple solutions and amazing experiences to enrich their life – a powerful message that it conveys in its “Simple, Smart Ako” campaign.

Simplicity Day is an annual celebration in honor of poet, philosopher and leading transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau, who championed simple living and created a legacy grounded on the importance of stepping back to recalibrate our lifestyle. This way, we get rid of unnecessary burdens that weigh us down, something timely and relevant these trying days.

“Simplicity Day resonates with us at Smart as our thrust has always been to simplify the life of Filipinos with our products and services, so they can live out their passion and purpose,” said Smart SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business Jane Jimenez Basas.

“We want to remind everyone, particularly during these times, to give importance to the people that truly matter and value the things that simplify our life and change it for the better,” Basas added.

To celebrate Simplicity Day, Smart is encouraging subscribers to share their practical tips on sustainable living and impart simple ways to save the world from July 10 to 12 using the hashtag #SmartAko.

Since Simplicity Day also promotes self-care, subscribers may also share their own self-care and fitness tips using the same hashtag on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Subscribers with the best posts get a chance to win exciting premium items from Smart.

For more details, follow Smart’s official social media accounts on Facebook (www.fb.com/SmartCommunications), Twitter, and Instagram (@LiveSmart).

PLDT-Smart gears up for a more meaningful, flexible learning experience

MANILA, Philippines, July 2, 2020 — The start of the schoolyear in the Philippines is an event that parents and their school-age kids await with plenty of excitement and bits of anxiety. This year, however, with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) still lurking in our midst, apprehension overshadows anticipation.

 

Blended/Distance learning was proposed by the Department of Education (DepEd) as an alternative to the traditional face-to-face classes in a physical school. An educational strategy that enables students to attend learning sessions in the safety of their homes, the Blended/Distance learning can be managed through printed modules being delivered to the homes of students or picked up by their parents; online learning resources such as the DepEd Commons; and television or radio-based instruction.

 

To prepare for the coming schoolyear, Teacher Eric Lasam has been working from home since the first day of June. He is studying a module that contains sample activities such as powerpoint presentation, videos, simulations and other online teaching strategies.

 

“We are preparing for the modular instruction as well as online classes for the blended learning approach,” said the affable MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health) teacher.

 

For the modular approach, teachers will be formulating lessons that contain activities and review questions for students.

 

The public high school is currently conducting a survey among parents and students on their learning preferences – the choices being online, modular, radio, and tv.

 

Teacher Eric’s 17 years stint in the noblest profession has acquainted him with the tough lives that most public school students endure which underscore the need to take a flexible approach to learning under COVID conditions.  “For example, not all students have their own gadgets nor an internet connection at home, how can they learn properly if we hold our classes online?”

 

Like other schools in the country, they have adopted the non-face-to-face interaction. Enrollment, he said, is conducted online, but parents have the option of sending their children’s required documents through a drop box located at the school’s guard station. Last March, when the ECQ was ongoing, students graduated through online ceremonies via the school’s Facebook page.

 

In elementary school, Teacher Helen Dichoso related that they too are actively preparing for blended/distance learning: “We are devising modules and worksheets for every subject area, while also getting ready for the online strategy.”

 

She said enrollment is likewise held online but parents have to fill up a form that they return through a designated dropbox.

In the public school where she teaches, parents and their children are also asked to choose in a survey whether they prefer modular, online, radio or tv type of instruction. For Teacher Helen, who teaches Technology and Livelihood Education at Grade 6, the modular approach might be more doable because many students do not have gadgets nor an internet connection in their homes.

 

To provide a more meaningful learning and teaching experience for dedicated teachers like Helen and Eric and their students amid the challenges of the current crisis, leading telco and digital services provider PLDT and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications are working with the DepEd to support its blended learning strategy. The two companies are focusing their efforts on improving the digital tools and solutions for the education system in the country.

 

According to PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V Pangilinan, “We are part of the technical working group of the DepEd, working on digitalizing the education ecosystem.”

 

PLDT has recommended a broad range of digital solutions to the DepEd. These include learning management systems, digital infrastructure and connectivities, wireless and fiber plans, and digital devices for the 1.2 million teachers and 32 million students in the country.

 

It has also proposed the use of the satellite broadcasting systems of Cignal for use in blended or distance learning.

 

To complement these technology solutions, Smart has offered to help teachers in using an innovative learning system called the Dynamic Learning Program which can be effectively used in modular, online and on-air learning settings.

 

“We want to ensure that no student and no teacher – public or private – is left behind,” Pangilinan said.

 

Together with the DepEd, PLDT-Smart is helping redefine the future of learning for Filipino schoolchildren nationwide. You may watch its latest online video here: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=303047017547325

 

To know more about the efforts of the PLDT Group in beating the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit https://beta.pldt.com/covid19/

Get a chance to win the Samsung Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition and more at the Smart’s K-Quiz Night on July 18

Attention K-pop and K-drama fans! Here’s your chance to win the much anticipated BTS Edition Samsung Galaxy S20+ with Smart’s K-Quiz Night on July 18, Saturday at 8 p.m.

 

Aside from the Samsung Galaxy S20+ BTS Edition, also up for grabs are Samsung Galaxy Buds+ BTS Edition.

 

To join, simply tune into the live online show to be hosted by Patricia Prieto on Smart’s Facebook page.

 

Prove that you are the ultimate K-pop and K-drama fan as you sail through four rounds of questions – easy, medium, hard, and a special BTS round.

 

For more fun, make sure to tag along your friends, and prepare to battle it out by brushing up on your K-pop and K-drama knowledge!

 

Big celebration of Pinoy K-pop and K-drama fanhood

 

Smart’s upcoming K-Quiz Night is just the second of a series of fun nights that aim to celebrate the passion of Filipino K-pop and K-drama fans and communities.

 

Smart launched the K-Quiz Night last June 27 by giving away P100,000 cash prize to the grand winner who outwitted hundreds of online participants.

 

Getting smitten by the K-Pop and K-drama bug is simpler and easier with Smart, which brings the latest K-pop and K-drama content at the fingertips of subscribers.

 

Powered by the country's fastest mobile data network

 

Smart Prepaid and Smart Signature subscribers can stream the latest K-dramas, listen to K-Pop hits, and constantly connect with K-Communities and fans powered by Smart LTE, the country's fastest mobile data network as recognized by third-party mobile analytics firms.

 

Ookla, the global leader in internet testing and analysis, cited Smart as The Philippines’ Speedtest Awards Winner for mobile network speed during Q1-Q4 2019. To win this award, Smart achieved a Speed Score™ of 17.40, with average speeds of 19.62 Mbps for download and 9.45 Mbps for upload.

 

On the other hand, Opensignal, an independent mobile analytics firm, reported in its April 2020 Mobile Network Experience Report* for the Philippines that Smart remained ahead of competition in terms of Video Experience, Upload and Download Speed Experience, Voice App Experience, Games Experience, and 4G Availability.

 

Know more about Smart’s exciting activities for Filipino K-pop and K-drama fans by following Smart’s official accounts on Facebook at www.fb.com/SmartCommunications, Twitter and Instagram at @LiveSmart.

*Opensignal Awards – Philippines: Mobile Network Experience Report April 2020, based on independent analysis of mobile measurements recorded during the period Nov 1 – Jan 29, 2020 © 2020 Opensignal Inc

How To Make Puto Flan | Easy Merienda with the help of PayMaya

This Quarantine period has taught me a lot of skills especially in cooking and baking. Before all this happened I eat out most of the time, and this has pushed me to learn how to make everything from scratch at home. Some learned how to make pandesal, bread, cakes, and the like, and I'd like to share with you a recipe I learned from my mom, Puto Flan! Since going out is such a hassle, especially with no transportation, it's a good thing we can always order and pay groceries online! Now, let me share with you this quick recipe.

 

PUTO FLAN RECIPE

Ingredients:

FLAN

- 4 eggs

- 3/4 cup condensed milk

- 1 drop of vanilla extract

 

PUTO

- 1 cup flour

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 cup sugar

- 3/4 water

 

MERINGUE

- 4 egg whites

- 1/4 cup sugar

 

STEPS:

- prepare all ingredients

- separate egg yolks to white

- beat the egg yolk and add condensed milk

- add a drop of vanilla extract

- brush the mold with some butter so the mixture will not stick

- pour into puto mold then steam on medium-low heat for 5 mins or until flan is cooked

- add cloth on lid to prevent from dripping

 

Now let's work on the puto batter

- sift the flour and baking soda

- add sugar

- mix altogether

- add water gradually while stirring

- mix until all are melted and consistency is paste-like

- set aside

 

Now the Meringue mixture

- add egg whites then mix with a hand mixer and add sugar gradually

- cut and fold meringue with puto batter small amount at a time

- do not overmix

- once flan is cooked pour the puto batter into the mold

- add a cloth on the steamer lid to prevent water from dripping

- steam for 15-20 minutes

 

Tada! This is the final product, you can also opt to make a simple Puto instead.

As you can see, the recipe is pretty easy to follow. I also had a convenient experience shopping for my ingredients as I got them online and paid cashless using PayMaya. Shopping for your groceries is definitely safer and more convenient when done online and paid for using cashless options as this limits your contact with other people and reduces the risk of transmitting the virus.

If you’re planning to follow this recipe and you want to order your ingredients online too, you can visit these websites:

• Lazada - www.lazada.com.ph

• Landers - www.landers.ph 

• Metromart - www.metromart.com 

• MyKuya - www.mykuya.com 

• Fresh Produce - www.freshproduce.com.ph 

• Online Palengke - www.onlinepalengke.com

Like me, you can also use PayMaya to pay for your purchases by following these simple steps:

• After adding items to your cart, proceed to the checkout page. 

• Choose credit card as the payment option. 

• Open your PayMaya app and tap ‘My Cards’

• Choose Online Payment card number

• Input your card details on the website and confirm your payment

• You will receive an SMS from PayMaya, confirming your transaction

If you don’t have a PayMaya yet, you can download the app with this link: https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133. You can also check out all the ways you can maximize your account here - https://www.paymaya.com/quick-guide.