Femme Brings Campus-Inspired Praktikal U to Market! Market! With Shuvee Etrata on November 7

Taguig City, Philippines – Femme, a Filipino hygiene brand known for its affordable and high-quality care essentials, is bringing Praktikal U, a campus-inspired experience for young Filipinas, to the Market! Market! Activity Center in Taguig City on November 7, 2026. Centered on practical everyday choices and experiences that shape womanhood, the event will feature learning sessions, interactive booths, and a special appearance by celebrity and Femme brand ambassador Shuvee Etrata.

Styled after campus life, Praktikal U invites the public to join activities that reflect Filipinas' experiences as they navigate different stages of growing up. Attendees can explore interactive booths, learn more about Femme products, and join segments that highlight practical, everyday choices.

A key component of the program is PodClass, a series of discussions on self-confidence, personal growth, women's health, and other experiences that shape womanhood. The “Podfessors” for the sessions are influencers Kevin Montillano, Sela Guia, Aira Lopez, Dani Buenvenida, Eryka Lucas, and Jy Marie, who will share their insights and perspectives, providing an accessible space for participants to exchange ideas and engage with subjects relevant to their everyday lives.

Shuvee will share personal experiences and advice in an onstage segment. She will also spend time with the day’s batch of classmates through fun activities and a meet-and-greet. The program will also feature classroom-inspired games, including Pop Quiz and Girl Math.

The event builds on Femme’s “Your Bes Femme” positioning, which presents the brand as a companion to women in their daily routines and personal care. Femme defines being practical as understanding personal needs, weighing available choices, and choosing what works best for each lifestyle.

“We recognize that growing up comes with different experiences, questions, and decisions, and we believe young Filipinas deserve spaces where they can learn, share, and feel understood. Through Praktikal U, we want to bring practical tips closer to them, while making the experience enjoyable through activities and opportunities to connect with others,” said Jazel Marielli A. Ramos Yeo, Marketing Communications Manager of SCPA.

“Comfort and confidence are part of how women approach their daily routines. We hope Praktikal U brings these perspectives into conversations about personal care and the choices women make for themselves,” she added.

Students, young professionals, and other interested Filipinas are invited to take part in Praktikal U and its discussions and activities. Through its combination of learning sessions and interactive segments, the event aims to bring young women together around topics and experiences relevant to their everyday lives.

Femme Praktikal U runs on November 7, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, at the Market! Market! Activity Center in Taguig City. Participants can enjoy full access to the event by purchasing the exclusive product bundle, which includes a Praktikal U passport and ID. Selected areas, such as the pouch and patch booth, will be accessible without a bundle purchase.

For more information, interested participants may visit Femme's official social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Roblox Appoints Joel Neoh as Managing Director for Southeast Asia and Oceania

MANILA, Philippines – Roblox, the global immersive platform for gaming and creation, announces the appointment of Joel Neoh as Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Oceania. Neoh joined Roblox this October and is looking to grow the company’s presence in the region, foster partnerships, support the creator ecosystem, and align the global product and business priorities with local market demands. He will serve as Roblox’s senior business lead in SEA and OCE, overseeing Roblox’s strategy in these two regions and working with local teams and partners.

A core focus of the role will be to champion a growing community of Roblox developers and creators, help local studios make use of Roblox’s tools to scale and find commercial success, and familiarise players and parents in the region with the brand. With a young, digitally native population and a rapidly evolving digital ecosystem with a strong focus on safety, Southeast Asia and Oceania represents a significant opportunity for long-term growth.

Commenting on his new role as Managing Director, Southeast Asia and Oceania, Neoh said: “I’ve spent my career building companies across this region, and I’ve seen first-hand the creativity, optimism and entrepreneurial energy here. We’re at a moment where technology is making it easier than ever for people to move from simply consuming digital experiences to creating them. That’s what excites me most about Roblox. We have an opportunity to help a new generation of creators across Southeast Asia and Oceania turn ideas into experiences, communities and businesses that can reach the world. As we grow, keeping young people safe and working closely with parents, regulators and local communities will remain central to everything we do. I believe this region can become one of the most important sources of creativity on Roblox, helping reimagine the way people come together through play and creation.”

Zhen Fang, VP of International at Roblox, said: "Southeast Asia and Oceania are important regions for Roblox within APAC, with a vibrant and fast-growing community of creators and players. We are committed to the region for the long term, and we will keep investing in our local teams, creators, and partners here. Joel has built and scaled businesses across the region for two decades, and his entrepreneurial experience and strong ties to the local tech ecosystem make him the right leader to guide the next phase of our growth across these regions."

Neoh is an entrepreneur and investor with two decades of experience founding, building, and scaling technology companies across Asia Pacific, spanning digital media, e-commerce, fintech, consumer health, and AI. He founded GroupsMore in Malaysia, which merged with Groupon ahead of its IPO, and went on to lead Groupon Asia Pacific. He also founded Fave, a popular Southeast Asian fintech and consumer payments platform that scaled to 10M+ users before its acquisition by Pine Labs in 2021. Most recently, he was Managing Director at Prenetics, leading its consumer health businesses. An active investor, Neoh has backed 50+ startups across Asia, particularly in consumer technology, and is a Founding Partner of First Move, an early-stage venture capital platform supporting entrepreneurs across Southeast Asia apart from also most recently being an investor and involved in launching IM8 .

HUAWEI nova 16s Series Raises the Bar for Selfies with 200MP Camera, AI Features, and Massive 7,000mAh Battery

Manila, Philippines – Smartphone photography gets a major upgrade as HUAWEI introduces the nova 16s Series, combining advanced camera technology, AI-powered imaging tools, 5G connectivity, and long-lasting battery performance. Dubbed the “King of AI Selfies,” the latest lineup aims to redefine how users capture, create, and share everyday moments.

Leading the series is the HUAWEI nova 16s Pro, featuring an industry-exclusive Front True-to-Color Camera designed to deliver lifelike skin tones and more accurate colors, even in challenging lighting conditions. Its 50MP Ultra Portrait Camera also supports an industry-first 0.8x–5x Selfie Zoom, allowing users to capture everything from group selfies to detailed close-up portraits.

The smartphone takes photography further with AI-powered features such as AI Best Expression, AI Move, and AI De-Glare. These tools help users improve group photos, adjust image composition, and remove unwanted reflections.

On the rear, the Nova 16s Pro boasts a powerful 200MP RYYB Ultra-Large Sensor Main Camera with a 1/1.28-inch sensor and F1.8 aperture. Designed for detailed photography, it captures brighter, sharper images, especially in low-light conditions. Rear True-to-Color technology and AI Composition further enhance the photography experience.

Beyond cameras, the nova 16s Series is built for demanding everyday use. Its massive 7,000mAh battery supports extended streaming and social media browsing, while 100W HUAWEI SuperCharge Turbo can deliver up to 40% charge in just 15 minutes. The device also features 5G connectivity, an adaptive 1–120Hz display, and EMUI 16 with the enhanced Celia AI Assistant.

Its premium design includes Kunlun Glass, IP65 dust- and splash-water resistance, and an aerospace-grade aluminum alloy mid-frame.

Meanwhile, HUAWEI is inviting Filipino creators to join the #TrueColorsSelfieChallenge on TikTok until November 12, 2026. Fifty eligible participants with the highest-viewed entries can each win a HUAWEI nova 16s Pro.

The HUAWEI nova 16s Pro (12GB + 256GB) is available for pre-order at PHP 39,999, while the standard nova 16s (12GB + 256GB) is priced at PHP 29,999. Early buyers can enjoy PHP 5,000 discounts and gift bundles worth up to PHP 14,997.

With flagship-inspired photography, intelligent features, and impressive battery capacity, the HUAWEI nova 16s Series offers a compelling option for Filipinos looking to upgrade their smartphone experience.

For more information and pre-order details, visit the official HUAWEI Philippines website.

As AI Reshapes Customer Service, PLDT and Smart Bet on Human Skills

As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in customer service and business operations, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications, Inc. believe the companies that will gain the most from the technology will not necessarily be those that automate the fastest, but those that best combine AI with human judgment, empathy, and trust.

“The future is not about choosing between AI and people. It's about using AI to help our people do what they do best. Technology can help us move faster, work smarter, and serve customers better, but trust, empathy, and human judgment remain irreplaceable. That's why our approach at PLDT and Smart is to put AI in the hands of our people, not in place of them,” said Butch Jimenez, Chief Operating Officer of PLDT.

The topic comes as businesses worldwide grapple with the implications of generative AI on jobs, productivity, and customer engagement. While automation is increasingly handling routine tasks, industry leaders argue that the technology is making uniquely human capabilities even more valuable.

These issues were explored during “The Human Edge in the Age of AI,” a special edition of the PEG-Usapan Natin learning series for employees and stakeholders held as part of PLDT and Smart’s Customer Experience Month celebration. The discussion brought together leaders from business, technology, and customer experience to examine how organizations can harness AI while preserving meaningful human connections.

For Haidee Enriquez, CEO of MicroSourcing Group and President of the Customer Experience Association of the Philippines (CXAP), AI is fundamentally changing the role of people in the workplace and the skills organizations will need to succeed.

“AI isn't making people irrelevant. It's changing where they create the most value. As technology takes on more routine tasks, people will increasingly focus on solving complex problems, managing sensitive customer interactions, building relationships, and making decisions that require human judgment.”

Enriquez emphasized the growing importance of developing T-shaped professionals — individuals who combine deep expertise in a particular field with broader capabilities in technology, analytics, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration.

“The workforce of the future needs to be T-shaped. Having deep expertise in one area will remain important, but people also need the ability to work across disciplines, adapt to new technologies, and understand how AI can improve outcomes. Ultimately, your value will increasingly come from what you know, how you think, and how effectively you use technology.”

That view was echoed by Lloyd Manaloto, Smart Officer-in-Charge, who argued that the discussion around AI should move beyond automation and focus on delivering better customer outcomes. “AI helps us process information faster, but customers don't measure us by how fast our systems work. They measure us by how well we solve their problems. The opportunity is to use AI to understand customers better so we can deliver experiences that are more relevant, more responsive, and ultimately more valuable. At the end of the day, AI is a tool.”

As customer expectations continue to rise, businesses are under pressure to deliver faster resolutions, more personalized interactions, and seamless experiences across channels. Yet industry leaders caution that speed and efficiency alone are not enough.

“Technology has a huge space to help us do our jobs better, to help keep our customers happier, or make them happier with our service. But, at the same time, we still have to maintain that human experience, where customers continue to have the option to speak with a live person and not a bot,” said Abigail Ho-Torres, Chief Marketing Officer of Ikigai Philippines and customer experience advocate.

From a technology perspective, Naveen Asrani, Head of AI Acceleration for Banking, FSI and Digital at AWS, said AI's greatest impact could be its ability to help organizations better anticipate customer needs, reduce friction across customer journeys, and build trust at scale.

Human-centered AI augments people; it doesn't replace them. The goal of enterprise AI isn't to take humans out of the workflow; it's to make them better at it. "The person at the frontline has huge insights, not just about what the customer said. It's also about what the customer feels," he said. Human-centered AI learns from that human input, keeps people in control, and improves continuously. Asrani noted, trust is the real measure of any AI system: the technologies that earn a lasting place in the enterprise will be the ones that consistently deliver on what they promise.

For PLDT and Smart, these insights reinforce a broader approach to AI adoption: using technology to free employees from repetitive tasks so they can focus on higher-value work, from problem-solving and innovation to relationship-building and customer care.

Across the Group, AI is already being integrated into customer-facing operations, network management, and internal workflows. PLDT and Smart have deployed AI-enabled customer service capabilities and self-optimizing network technologies, while expanding the use of Microsoft 365 Copilot to help employees automate routine tasks, accelerate analysis, and improve productivity. The Group has also rolled out AI and innovation upskilling programs to equip employees with practical AI capabilities and prepare them for an increasingly AI-enabled workplace.

The Group is likewise advancing its broader AI agenda through AI.Smart, a one-stop AI workspace that gives Smart and TNT subscribers access to multiple artificial intelligence models and tools through a single browser-based platform. Powered by Avtica, AI.Smart brings together AWS Nova, ChatGPT, Claude, Google Gemini, and Thinking Machines in one interface, helping users access and maximize AI capabilities more easily.

Beyond deploying AI tools, the initiative reflects PLDT and Smart's broader approach to innovation: making emerging technologies more accessible and practical while helping customers and employees unlock new ways of working, learning, and creating value.

For PLDT and Smart, the question is no longer whether AI will transform customer experience, but how organizations can use it responsibly and effectively. As AI takes on more routine work, the opportunity shifts toward enabling people to focus on higher-value contributions, from solving complex problems to designing better customer journeys and building stronger relationships.

“In an age where technology is becoming increasingly intelligent, our responsibility is to become even more human. AI can help us scale efficiency, but it is our people who build relationships, earn trust, and create meaningful experiences for our customers,” added Jimenez.

As AI adoption accelerates across industries, PLDT and Smart see the technology not as an endpoint, but as a catalyst for a new era of customer experience, one where speed, intelligence, and automation are matched by deeper understanding, stronger relationships, and more meaningful outcomes for customers and communities alike.

Globe Earns Top Industry, Workplace Honors at ACES 2026

Globe Telecom has earned two distinctions at the Asia Corporate Excellence & Sustainability (ACES) Awards 2026 for its business performance and efforts to build a workplace where employees can grow and succeed. The company was named Industry Champions of the Year for the sixth time and Top Workplaces in Asia for the eighth time, recognizing its progress in strengthening connectivity, improving customer experience, and investing in its people.

Globe's Industry Champions of the Year distinction acknowledges its financial resilience, network expansion, innovation, and customer service. The ACES Council cited the company's ₱87.6 billion EBITDA in 2025, alongside the deployment of 1,549 new 5G sites and the addition of 115,082 fiber lines to support growing demand for connectivity.

Beyond network expansion, Globe has focused on making customer interactions faster and more convenient. Supported by automation, streamlined processes, and employee involvement, Globe reduced average customer waiting time from 32 to 17 minutes. Its Globe Care Crew initiative also brings employees closer to customers through frontline immersion and volunteer support during peak periods and post-disaster recovery.

The ACES Council also recognized Globe's efforts in cybersecurity, digital solutions, and extending connectivity to underserved communities. These initiatives reflect the company's broader focus on improving service delivery while expanding access to digital opportunities.

The company's Top Workplaces in Asia recognition reflects its continued investment in employee development, engagement, and inclusion. Globe continues to provide employees with opportunities to grow professionally, explore new roles, and develop skills across different areas of the business. The company also encourages employees to contribute ideas, improve work processes, and explore new technologies, including AI, to help strengthen operations and deliver better customer experiences.

“These honors are meaningful because they reflect the progress we have made, but what matters most is how our people experience working at Globe. We want every Ka-Globe to feel supported, have opportunities to grow, and build a fulfilling career. We will continue listening to our employees and making improvements that respond to their needs,” said Renato “Ato” Jiao, Globe Chief Human Resource Officer.

Learn more about Globe's people and workplace culture at www.createeverydaypossibilities.com.

For more information about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.