UBX, Post Office partner to drive financial, social inclusion towards digitally transformed community financial centers

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



The Philippine Postal Corporation (Post Office) has partnered with UBX, the leading open finance platform in the Philippines, to launch “Kasama Lahat”, a capacity development project which will transform the country’s premier postal agency into a modern hub that offers financial and data services for everyone in the community.

Postmaster General Norman Fulgencio and UBX President John Januzczak signed the agreement that will transform each post office outlet as community financial centers, promoting financial inclusion, especially in far-flung areas of the country.

“The Post Office Digital Innovation signifies the commitment and support of the Post Office especially under the new administration of President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. in serving the public who deserve no less than the best postal service by global standards’, Postmaster General Norman Fulgencio said.

Under the partnership, UBX will provide the necessary technical knowledge in digital finance and open finance to hasten the Post Office’s digital transformation journey. With its ubiquity and reach, the Post Office is well-positioned to provide the customers necessary financial services, through its network in cities and municipalities nationwide.

Through the Bangko sa Barangay Service of UBX, the Post Office will be able to transform thousands of its outlets nationwide into financial hubs, offering various types of services such as disbursements, fund transfers, cash withdrawals, loan applications, payments, insurance, and collections, among others.

The Philippine Post Office has approximately over 1,300 outlets across the country.

“This groundbreaking partnership with the Post Office reflects our strong commitment to include everyone into the country’s financial system. With its reach and data, the Post Office has the power to drive financial and social inclusion through its digital transformation initiative,” UBX President John Januzczak said.

Aside from transforming each postal outlet as community financial centers, the partnership will also empower postmen or letter carriers to become cash agents. They will be trained to provide guidance on how to apply for financial products and services, as well as to supervise the provision of these services.

In the long term, Kasama Lahat aims to establish the Post Office as Open Finance Hubs, which can process data transactions as well, such as validation of customer information for loan applications, asset validation, and even collection or debt restructuring services.

Since it was established in 2019, i2i, an open finance and payments platform, has been connecting institutions, including micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) into the country’s financial ecosystems. Now with thousands of agents and hundreds of financial institutions, it provides fund transfers, bills payments, mobile ATM, insurance, and loan services which anyone can access in various banks and merchant locations nationwide.

Millions of Filipinos have been integrated into digital finance through i2i, paving the way forward to the future of open finance. Its Bangko sa Barangay service, which was launched in July of last year, turned branch networks and agent pools to become financial service providers in their communities capable of providing financial and data transactions.

These services, under Kasama Lahat, aim to transform the Post Office by putting customers to the fore by creating and innovating products and services to meet their demands, shifting the agency to a sustainable business culture, reviewing, and proposing amendments to the Post Office Charter (RA 7354), and overall contributing to social inclusion in the Philippines.

With this partnership, the Post Office will also be able to establish a product line which will establish its financial independence from the budget provisioned by the government, giving the postal agency a more sustainable business culture. The profit margins will also allow it to continue its vision of modernization.

“Our digital transformation journey, powered by UBX, allows us to diversify our services beyond the Filipino people’s postal needs. With our network of over 1,300 outlets and more than 3,500 postmen, we are in a unique position to provide financial services that promote both financial and social inclusion in the country,” Post Office Postmaster General Normal Fulgencio said.

Data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) shows that 47 percent of Filipino adults are still unbanked. The government aims to include at least 70 percent of Filipino adults to the country’s financial system by 2023.

“The challenge for both the public and private sectors to drive financial inclusion is daunting and it requires a strong sense of commitment and partnership to achieve this. Our partnership with the Post Office is just an example of meaningful ways to bring financial services closer to Filipinos,” Januszczak said. 

Kumustahan with commuters

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



Personal na nagtungo at sorpresang sumakay sa MRT-3 si Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Jaime Bautista, upang makita mismo kung ano ang kalagayan ng mga pasahero mula sa pagpila at pagsakay rito.

Sa kaniyang pagsakay, kinausap ni Secretary Bautista ang mga pasahero sa pila at sa loob ng tren, upang malaman at marinig ang kanilang “travel experience” sa MRT-3.

Kinamusta niya rin ang mga teller at mga security guards, upang alamin at kumuha ng mga suhestiyon sa pagsasaayos pa ng mga pasilidad upang mas maging kumportable, kumbinyente, at mapadali ang araw-araw na pagsakay ng mga commuter.

Kasabay nito ay ininspeksyon din ni Secretary Bautista ang mga pasilidad ng MRT-3.

Naganap ito matapos ang pag anunsyo ng extension ng Libreng Sakay na handog ng pamahalaan noong ika-30 ng Hunyo 2022.

Matapos ang kaniyang pagsakay sa rail system, kinumusta rin ni Secretary Bautista ang mga Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Traffic Auxiliaries na naka-istasyon sa Taft Station.

Naranasan, ramdam, at kita ng Kalihim ang mga pagsubok sa pagko-commute—kaya naman hayag nya na sya ay handang makinig at magsagawa ng mga kinakailangang programa, proyekto, at inisyatibo, para sa mas maginhawa at hassle-free na pagbiyahe ng bawat Pilipino.

Aira Lopez reveals her lifestyle’s perfect partn

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Multifaceted influencer, athlete, host shares her story of winning races, health, and advocacy to help more people live better lives

The 24-year-old goal-getter, influencer, athlete, and host for CNN’s Cycling Unlimited TV show, Aira Lopez, proves that a healthy lifestyle is not as simple as a 30-day diet routine but a daily practice of healthy habits. Recently, Lopez became one of the new brand ambassadors of Santé, a premier natural and organic health and wellness product and services provider. 

 

Despite juggling work hustles daily, Lopez always finds time to exercise and drink her supplements. “I do cardio exercise more often. I do biking, running, and swimming, especially if I have a lot of time on my hand. And if my morning schedule allows me, I go for a morning bike ride,” Lopez shared.

 

“I don’t follow any specific or strict diet. I eat whatever I want. But the secret to staying fit is I burn it through exercise. I exercise a lot so that I can eat a lot. Plus, part of my everyday healthy lifestyle is drinking Santé Barley every morning after my workout session,” she blithely added.

 

Being sports-inclined, Lopez, at a young age, knows how precious health is. “I do love sports since my elementary days,” she said. Lopez claimed that she was already health-conscious at a young age and wanted to share with everyone how she considered her health as her wealth, just like the golden adage says. Her Papa Louie also revealed that during her high school days, Lopez was a baseball player in her school.

 

“We used to arrange fun rides together with my other siblings and Papa Louie. We once conducted a free event in Tarlac, and it was free for everyone. We also gave free food to the riders who joined. And of course, it was fulfilling because we were able to encourage more women to join in our ride.”

 

With her talents in sports and a bubbly personality, no wonder Lopez could capture the hearts of many to join her in her healthy movement. Today, she has over half a million subscribers on her channel, where she usually uploads her inspiring vlogs about her sports journey. And now that she and her family is the newest member of the Santé family, Lopez believes that she is set to win her future races and, at the same time, ready to inspire more, especially the women.

 

“We hope to reach more women and Filipinos and inspire them to do a sport that they love and enjoy. And as a new family ambassador of Santé, we are confident that we share the same values and goals with the brand,” Lopez shared.

 

Santé Barley™, the company’s flagship product, is made of barley grass gathered at a young age and turned into powder and capsule forms. It is composed of pure organic barley grass rich in vitamins and minerals that help detoxify the body, lower bad cholesterol, aid digestive health, deliver a good number of antioxidants, assist wound healing, bone formation, and many more. 

 

A glass or capsule of Santé Barley™ fortifies the body with Vitamin C, zinc, calcium, amino acids, magnesium, iron, B-vitamins, and carotenoids, essential to giving the immune system an extra boost. The healthy goodness of Santé Barley™ is certified organic by New Zealand’s renowned organic produce and products organization, BioGro. 

 

“Our Papa Louie is proof of how beneficial Santé Barley is to him and our whole family. I believe that Santé Barley and other products will help boost my health and stamina to ace my races. So, I advise everyone to find any sports they would like to do because it can make them happy. And being happy means being mentally healthy as well. And last is, don’t forget to drink your vitamins and supplements like Santé Barley,” Lopez encouraged.

 

From her viral introduction video, Aira Lopez’s new spiel goes, “I’m Aira Lopez, a YouTube vlogger, an athlete, and a TV host, and I would love to help more people live better lives.”

 

Santé Barley™ and other Santé products are organic health and wellness products offered by Santé, known for developing a comprehensive selection of everyday barley-based products. They are designed to improve people’s quality of life to live more and do more. 

 

Santé is one of the leading global producers of certified organic barley grass grown and harvested from New Zealand. With its mission to help people live better lives, the company promotes, produces, and distributes premier natural health and wellness products and services. Today, Santé has expanded its offerings, including a fitness and rehabilitation center with Santé Fitness Lab, staying true to its thrust of promoting a healthy lifestyle. 

 

To learn more about Santé Barley™ and other Santé products, visit its website at mysante.com.

 

 

 

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