PLDT Group Shares Decarbonization Roadmap at HSBC Philippine’s 2024 Sustainability Forum

Manila, Philippines – December 2024 – At the recent HSBC Philippines’ 2024 Sustainability Forum “Building Resilient Supply Chains through Emission Measurement”, PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless subsidiary Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) talked about their decarbonization roadmap and showcased their role in advancing sustainability within the telecommunications industry.

PLDT and Smart shared how they are proactively working towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across their operations, as aligned with their support for the Philippines to realize country-level commitments to the Paris Agreement and to the global ambition to achieve Net Zero by 2050.

During the presentation, PLDT and Smart emphasized how their sustainability roadmap is underpinned by operational initiatives that include pursuing resource optimization for energy efficiency, increasing the share of renewables in their energy mix, and leveraging innovations to reduce its Scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions by 40% come 2030.

“PLDT’s sustainability journey is more than a vision; it’s a commitment to impactful, measurable change that resonates throughout our operations,” PLDT and Smart Chief Sustainability Officer Melissa V. Vergel de Dios.

Amid inherent challenges in achieving ambitious sustainability targets, PLDT and Smart have been effective in creating shared goals and maintaining momentum in their efforts through transparent data management, ensuring organization alignment, and partnerships with like-minded organizations.

PLDT and Smart highlighted ongoing resource optimization measures, such as the transition of multiple sites to up to 100% renewable energy, solar installations, smart power management, and network upgrades from copper to energy-efficient fiber technology. These measures lower both emissions and operating costs and GHG emissions.

Beyond energy and operational efficiencies, PLDT and Smart are also making strides in using technology to enable nature-based climate solutions to enhance carbon sequestration, climate adaptation, and conserve biodiversity in the country.

Through collaborative projects with selected suppliers and industry partners, PLDT and Smart deployed systems that leverage wireless connectivity, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, and Machine Learning, to monitor and conserve mangrove and rainforest ecosystems. In addition, the group also pursues research partnerships with the academe on marine protected areas and peatlands to reinforce the protection of natural carbon sinks in support of the development of a carbon credit market mechanism in the Philippines.

HSBC Philippines organized the forum as part of its own journey toward net zero operations and a sustainable supply chain, highlighting PLDT’s commitment as an example for other corporations. Together, PLDT and HSBC demonstrate the critical role of partnerships in enabling meaningful progress toward a low-carbon economy, benefiting both the nation and future generations.

Spoofing, ginagamit ng mga scammer para magpanggap na lehitimong institution tulad ng mga bangko, e-wallet, at telecommunications providers

Ikaw ba ay nakakatanggap ng mga mensahe o text na mula umano sa mga bangko, e-wallet (tulad ng “Maya” o “GCash”) o telecommunications providers at nang-eenganyo na pindutin ang nilalamang link nito?

Nagbababala ang PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) sa publiko laban sa “spoofing scam” kung saan ang mga scammer ay nagpapanggap bilang mga lehitimong institusyon, tulad ng mga e-wallet, bangko, at mga telecommunications service providers.

Sa spoofing scam, ang mga scammers ay gumagamit ng mga ilegal na devices tulad ng tinatawag na International Mobile Subscriber Identity o IMSI catchers para ma-intercept ang mobile communications o signal. Gamit ang illegal IMSI catcher, ang mga scammer ay may kakayanang magpadala ng mga mensahe na di umano ay galing sa mga lehitimong kumpanya tulad bangko, e-wallet, o telecommunications provider para linlangin ang mga users. Ang mga mensaheng ito ay naglalaman ng phishing link – at kapag na-click ang phishing link, makukuha ng scammers ang mga sensitibong impormasyon para sa ‘account takeover’ o unauthorized access sa account ng users.

Ang mga lehitimong bangko, e-wallet, or telecommunications providers ay hindi kailanman magpapadala ng anumang SMS o text message na may mga links na humihingi ng sensitibong impormasyon ng mga users– tulad ng mga personal na detalye, password, MPIN, o OTP. Upang maiwasan ito, alamin kung ang mga natatanggap na text o tawag ay tunay.

Alamin kung ano ang spoofing at modus nito. Ang spoofing ay isa sa mga pinakalaganap na uri ng scam. Ang mga user ay makakatanggap ng mga private message (PM), text, o tawag mula sa scammer at magpapanggap ito na empleyado ng kilalang bangko, service provider, o maging ahensiya ng gobyerno.

Pakay ng spoofing scam ay pindutin ng biktima ang phishing link sa PM o text na magbibigay daan pito ara ma-hack ang kanilang mga e-wallet at bank account. Kung ito naman ay tawag sa telepono, pilit na hihingin ng scammer ang mga sensitibong detalye ng user para gamitin sa account takeover ng kanilang e-wallet, bank account at maging social media profiles.

Alamin ang pinanggalingan ng mensahe o tawag. Maging mapanuri sa pinanggagalingan ng isang PM, text, o tawag. Ang mga lehitimong e-wallet tulad ng “GCash” ay gumagamit lamang ng mga opisyal at verified na communication channels. Kung ang mensahe o tawag ay humihingi ng mga personal na impormasyon, ito ay tiyak na kahina-hinala. Tumawag muna sa mga opisyal na hotlines para makasiguro kung lehitimo ang tumawag o nagmensahe sa iyo.

Alamin ang mga red flags. Isang mahalagang 'red flag' sa mensahe o tawag ay ang 'sense of urgency' - ipipilit ng scammers na agaran mong i-padala ang mga sensitibong detalye. Ginagamit ito ng mga scammer para madaliin ang mga biktima na ibigay ang kanilang mga sensitibong impormasyon.

Isa pang palatandaan ay kapag may kasamang link sa mensahe hindi kailanman magpapadala ng link ang mga bangko or e-wallet katulad ng GCash. Magduda lalo na’t kapag MPIN o OTP ang hinihingi dahil hindi kailanman ito hihingin ng GCash. Tanging ang user lamang ang dapat nakakaalam ng kanilang password, PIN, at OTP

Secure connection lang ang dapat gamitin. Kapag gamit ang online banking o pag-access sa e-wallet account, siguraduhing private network ang gamit na Wi-Fi dahil ito ay secure. Iwasan ang pag gamit ng public Wi-Fi kapag ina-access ang inyong bank accounts o e-wallet dahil ito ay bukas sa cyberattack.

I-report ang mga kahina-hinala. Kung ikaw ay naghihinalang nakakuha ng spoofing message o tawag, i-report agad sa PNP ACG. Maaaring makipag-ugnayan ang publiko sa PNP-ACG gamit ang mga hotline sa (02) 8414-1560 o 0998-598-8116, o sa pamamagitan ng email sa acg@pnp.gov.ph.

Paalala muli na ang mga banko at e-wallet ay hindi kailanman hihingiin ang password o OTP ng mga customers.

"Mahalaga para sa publiko na maging mapagmatyag sa lahat ng online at mobile na transaksyon," pahayag ni Police Colonel Rommel S Batangan, Officer-in-Charge ng PNP ACG. "Ang mga cybercriminals ay nagiging mas matalino, at ang mga scam ay lalong nagiging mahirap matukoy. Tandaan, ang mga lehitimong institusyon ay hindi kailanman magpapadala sa iyo ng mga link o manghihingi ng personal o sensitibong impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng text o tawag. Kung makakatanggap kayo ng kahina-hinalang mensahe, laging tiyakin at kumpirmahin ito nang direkta sa iyong bangko o service provider bago gumawa ng anumang aksyon," dagdag nya.

Hangarin ng PNP ACG na patuloy na isulong ang safe and secure digital space para sa mga Pilipino. Patuloy na aagapay ang PNP-ACG upang mapanatiling ligtas ang digitial space para sa lahat.

Para sa karagdagang impormasyon, pumunta lamang sa https://www.facebook.com/anticybercrimegroup

Wadhwani Foundation Enhances School-to-Work Journey in PH with AI and $1M Annual Grant Funding per Organization

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Wadhwani Foundation, a private philanthropic institution, offers a 24/7 mobile-first AI-powered skilling platform called Wadhwani GenieAI that includes multiple AI Co-Pilots to bridge critical gaps between education and employment in the Philippines. The platform provides free career counseling tools and teacher training. The Foundation also offers grants of up to $1 million annually to organizations, supporting sustainable job creation and workforce upskilling.

A survey recently conducted by the Foundation revealed that only 10% of K-12 graduates immediately enter the job market. While 83% pursue university education, only 25% of these university enrollees graduate from higher education institutions. The survey further showed that the remaining 75% who leave university without completing their degrees eventually join the workforce. Meanwhile, 1.5% of the graduates venture into entrepreneurship, while 5.5% fall into the category of “Not in Education, Employment, or Training.” These factors contribute to job instability and low wages.

“Our free AI-powered platform provides access to in-demand job skills that address the gaps in the school-to-work journey of K-12 students in the Philippines,” said Dr. Ajay Kela, President & CEO of Wadhwani Foundation. “We are excited to collaborate in the Philippines to leverage AI-driven solutions that empower students, improve public services, and generate jobs.”

The Foundation currently collaborates with over 60 partners across the Philippines, reaching 22,000 students through AI Co-Pilots. It helps students build in-demand job skills and make informed career choices, while also providing training for educators to deliver AI-driven career counseling.

Boosting Job Creation in PH

To boost job creation in the Philippines, the Wadhwani Foundation, through its grant-making arm, Wadhwani Charitable Foundation (WCF), also offers grants of up to $1 million annually to high-impact organizations.

"We are looking for non-profit organizations, enterprises, and academic institutions that share our vision to boost job creation for the 21st-century workforce," said Angela Chen-Delantar, Vice President for Skilling of Wadhwani Foundation. "Our funding will help them expand impact, enabling us to reach 1 million lives by 2030 and providing more Filipinos with job opportunities for a better future."

WCF seeks organizations in the country focused on job fulfillment or creation, with a proven track record of scaling impact. Ideal partners operate within a $1-5 million budget, demonstrating strong leadership in their sector.

Aside from the annual funding, WCF provides comprehensive support to partner organizations including access to the GenieAI platform for job creation, skilling, and placement, and opportunities to collaborate with the Foundation's global network, leveraging expertise in program management and impact measurement.

The funding initiative is also offered in other emerging economies with large and growing youth populations such as Mexico, Brazil, and Indonesia.

The Wadhwani Foundation, a non-profit tech organization founded in 2001 by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, is dedicated to accelerating job growth and improving lives across Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Organizations can learn more about Wadhwani GenieAI at web.opportunity.wfglobal.org and apply for the grant via the Foundation’s website at www.wadhwanifoundation.org.

Eastern Communications Partners with AMS-IX, HGC Global Communications, and STT GDC Philippines to Strengthen PH’s Global Connectivity

Eastern Communications is the first Philippine telecom provider to partner with AMS-IX, one of the world’s largest peering hubs, along with global companies HGC and STT GDC Philippines. The partnership aims to provide faster and more secure links to international data networks, empowering Philippine enterprises with improved connectivity and expanded access to global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic.

With a shared vision of enhancing global connectivity for Philippine businesses, telecommunications and ICT company Eastern Communications, Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), HGC Global Communications, and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Philippines (STT GDC Philippines) held an official launch event and contract signing ceremony on December 2, 2024, at New World Hotel Makati. [From L to R:] Eastern Communications Co-Coordinators Jaeson Evangelista and Atty. Aileen Regio, HGC Philippines President Michael De Castro, and AMS-IX International Partnership Director Onno Bos.

With a shared vision of enhancing global connectivity for Philippine businesses, telecommunications and ICT company Eastern Communications, Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), HGC Global Communications, and ST Telemedia Global Data Centres Philippines (STT GDC Philippines) held an official launch event and contract signing ceremony on December 2, 2024, at New World Hotel Makati. [From L to R:] Eastern Communications Co-Coordinators Jaeson Evangelista and Atty. Aileen Regio, AMS-IX International Partnership Director Onno Bos, and HGC Philippines President Michael De Castro.

Advanced Abilities Signs Partnership with HiPaaS to Further Modernize Local Healthcare Infrastructure

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — Advanced Abilities, a local healthcare technology, and independent software aggregator, announced its partnership with US-based HiPaaS at an official contract signing late this November.

Through the partnership, Advanced Abilities and HiPaaS will develop a central health repository that will house a comprehensive database designed to store and manage healthcare information to ensure seamless accessibility for healthcare providers. 

This initiative will enable Advanced Abilities to leverage HiPaaS' cutting-edge technology and solutions, including Electronic Healthcare Services and AI-powered tools, and provide innovative healthcare solutions in the country.

“Data is significant in healthcare, and with this central health repository, we will be able to have a system where patient information will be easily accessible to healthcare professionals for more efficient treatment, tracking, and analytics,” said Advanced Abilities CEO Angelo Antonio “AA” Buendia. “Through this collaboration, we reaffirm our commitment to advancing healthcare accessibility by delivering innovative, high-quality tech solutions that will further enhance our current customers and empower our future healthcare partner institutions.”

HiPaaS is an American healthcare technology company that provides its customers with innovative AI-driven products and comprehensive IT services and solutions. The company aims to make AI a main driver in healthcare infrastructure by refining its technologies using real data.

“By providing our high-tech solutions and services, we are hopeful that HiPaaS will empower our healthcare providers to deliver quality healthcare,” Sandeep Deokule, HiPaaS CEO adds. “We find great importance in giving people the healthcare they deserve, to improve patient care through whatever means, including predictive analytics and care management.”

For more information on Advanced Abilities and further updates, check out https://advabilities.com/ and follow their Facebook Page.