PLDT Home and Smart Name Clutch Gamers as PH Representatives to Manila Masters

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Dota 2 tournament happens on May 26-28 at SM MOA Arena

Leading digital services providers PLDT Home and Smart Communications, Inc. named Clutch Gamers as the official Philippine representatives to the main event of the much-awaited Manila Masters, the first Philippine international premier Dota 2 tournament to be held from May 26-28 at the SM MOA Arena.

Competing with seven of the best teams around the world, Clutch Gamers is composed of professional Dota 2 players Khim "Gabbi" Villafuerte, Armel Paul Tabios, Rafael Sicat "Rappy" Palo, Marvin "Boombacs" Rushton, and Kenneth "flysolo" Coloma. They bested over 3000 other teams from all over the Philippines in the Nationwide Qualifiers to clinch the top spot.

At stake for the grand prize winner is the $250,000 prize pool and the coveted title of being the first ever Manila Masters.

“PLDT Home and Smart are one with the local gaming community in supporting our very own Clutch Gamers to show the world that Filipinos are a force to reckon with when it comes to competitive online gaming,” PLDT FVP and Head of Home Business Oscar A. Reyes, Jr. said. “A strong and powerful connection is crucial in the world of e-sports and online gaming. As partners and supporters of the local gaming community, we are committed to giving our players access to world-class internet to enable them to level up their game and help put the Philippines in the global gaming map.”

PLDT Home Fibr, the country’s most powerful broadband, is perfect for multi-player and bandwidth-intensive games like Dota 2, because it can go as fast as 1 Gbps and enables equal upload and download speeds so gamers can definitely enjoy a seamless experience. 

On the other hand, Smart’s fastest LTE network allows gamers to follow updates on their favorite teams and stream anytime and anywhere, powered by data-packed GigaSurf offers. Smart also allows gamers to purchase steam wallet codes conveniently via the leading portal, GameX. As part of its support for Manila Masters, Smart users can get a chance to witness the historic event and win Manila Masters tickets by following Smart’s official accounts on Facebook and Twitter. Smart subscribers can also get in on the action at the arena and  livestream the event via Smart360 for an immersive experience on the go at 360.smart.com.ph.

The rise of e-sports

Last year marked many milestones for e-sports in the Philippines. Filipino players consistently rose among the ranks and put the Philippines on the global map. The country also hosted several international gaming events last year, cementing the Philippines’ niche in the region as a force to reckon with in this fast-growing industry.

“E-sports is already as massive as traditional sports,” TV5 President and CEO Chot Reyes said. “With 32 million active gamers in the Philippines, the community is a passionate voice that cannot be ignored. We will send off our Philippine team to compete in the world stage with active support and a commitment to accompany them all the way through nationwide coverage.”

Mineski Franchise Corporation CEO Ronald Robins added, “The Philippine scene already has a strong backbone, and Philippine teams and organizations are getting stronger by the day. This time we want to strengthen Southeast Asia as a whole, despite the inevitable challenges ahead. Now, with the Masters, we are going to move forward again."

 Visit the masters.gg for more details or smtickets.com for event passes.

JDA Day Discusses Digital Supply Chain for Philippines Market

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JDA Software Group Inc. hosted its third edition JDA Day on 18th May in Okada Manila, Parañaque City.

The event, which is entitled "The Next Game Changer: Optimizing Supply Chain Planning and Logistics,” brought together supply chain practitioners and leaders from verticals such as manufacturing, retail, wholesale/ distribution and transportation and logistics.

In his welcome note, Vishal Dhawan, Vice President, Sales, ASEAN & India set the tempo for the event, succinctly sharing insights on the the new supply chain imperative to expand beyond traditional models.

Constantin Robertz, the Managing Director of Zalora, Philippines, deftly engaged the audience with his topic of digital supply chain in eCommerce and omni-channel retail. Ecommerce of physical goods alone is forecasted to grow 16x over the next 10 years in the Philippines. He elucidated how platforms like Zalora enable brands to connect with consumers and integration of systems and processes across the value chain.

The first-hand narration of the featured case study by Jonathan Mayes of Waitrose, part of John Lewis Partnership, one of the leading UK grocery retailers, offered immense value to the audience – as they too explore options on how to embark on their own journey to adapt to the customer demands of omni-channel retail in the competitive Philippines marketplace.

Sessions by JDA speakers, Christo Greyling, Daniel Kohut and Patrick Viney, focused on key retail industry trends, challenges and the capabilities that are needed in order to stay ahead of the competition; and Arjan Van Stiphout highlighted case studies of global brands like Heinz, DHL; as well as PVH, who has a diversified portfolio of brands such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Van Heusen, ARROW, Speedo, etc.

JDA’s Alex Yap highlighted the challenges posed by Philippines’ unique geography to consumer goods companies. As JDA works with leading consumer goods companies for more than two decades solving such a problem, Alex shared insights into how companies can improve their distribution capabilities, improving service levels while keeping inventory in check at the same time.

John Boe, Director of Consulting Services, Genie Technologies, illustrated the foundations required to deliver excellent customer service. He spoke about the role of the “buyer” within businesses and the current status of low-end technology enablement of this function. He called out that, ironically, this function is undervalued despite its associated financial KPIs such as cash flow, sales and margins.

“As more and more companies lean towards digitalization, the forces of these changes makes it imperative to follow suit. The stage of business maturity, the investment priorities and commitment from management play a big role in how they can quickly leapfrog competition,” said Vishal Dhawan, Vice President Sales, ASEAN & India, JDA.

The main sponsors of JDA Day’ included gold partner Genie Technologies (also recently awarded the “2016 JDA Partner of the Year” for APAC), Strategic Synergy Inc., (IBM) and Dematic.

Below are the initial panel discussions from the JDA Press Meet:

Comedy Cartel Proudly Presents "Employees of The Month!"

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Are you part of the working class? Do you love your work but hate your boss? Or do you hate your work but love your "officemate?" Wink wink.

Watch Comedy Cartel stand-up comedians Sherwin Cunanan, Jam Perez, Sergio Belarus, Korte Supremo, Kulay Consul and Chris Bacula, make fun of life's daily grind at the Comedy Cartel's New Show "Employees of The Month!"

Catch this show on May 27, 2017 at The Stockpile Bar at the Sapphire Bloc Bldg. Sapphire Street Ortigas Center Pasig City (Just type The Stockpile at Waze)" and let's all laugh our work stress away!

For seat reservations call or text 09178860706!