Manulife and National Geographic Society Partner to Protect Banaue Rice Terraces and other World Heritage Sites from Climate Change Impacts

Manila, Philippines – Manulife announced a new partnership with the National Geographic Society to deliver on an ambitious global project to safeguard several historical and culturally significant heritage sites from the impact of climate change and protect the physical and financial well-being of the communities that depend on those sites for their livelihood. The Philippines’ Banaue Rice Terraces is among the 10 natural and cultural sites providing tourism and economic resilience to surrounding communities from Asia, North and South America, and Europe that will be protected under the newly launched project Preserving Legacies: A Future for Our Past. 

 To safeguard these cultural heritage sites, Preserving Legacies will build community capacity to visualize climate impacts on a local scale and make the science of climate change relevant and applicable to the conservation of specific sites. Led by National Geographic Explorer Victoria Herrmann and connected to Manulife’s Impact Agenda, this project will focus on network building between sites, where knowledge sharing will be key to developing climate change adaptation plans.  

  

“By partnering with Manulife and the National Geographic Society, our ambitious approach to addressing this critical issue will not only lead to tangible protection of cultural heritage sites; it will be the game-changers needed to increase access to heritage adaption and transform conservation as a field to meet the challenges of a climate-changed world,” said Herrmann. 

  

“As a health and wealth company with a 130-year history serving customers, colleagues, and communities across the globe – it’s important we work to protect our environment and drive inclusive economic opportunities to create a more even playing field for all,” said Sarah Chapman, Global Chief Sustainability Officer, Manulife. “Through our partnership with National Geographic, we have an opportunity to equip communities throughout the world with the tools to better anticipate worsening climate impacts and safeguard them for the future.” 

  

“The Philippines is considered one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change. With this partnership, Manulife Philippines aims to contribute to efforts to mitigate its risks to people’s lives and livelihoods, expanding our initiatives to advocate for the well-being of people, communities, and the environment while driving sustainability and creating long-term value,” said Rahul Hora, President and Chief Executive Officer, Manulife Philippines.

Manulife and National Geographic will support local communities throughout the world to turn scientific knowledge into actionable management plans that will safeguard these sites cohesively with community priorities and values. Additionally, they will support continued community adaptation through peer mentoring programs and educational materials to inspire and activate future generations.   

  

Using local weather data, localized climate models give every historic site a way to visualize how much flooding, heat, sea level rise, and changing seasonality will threaten their site in different warming scenarios. This allows community leaders and site managers to answer critical questions about which climate impacts they should plan for and when they are likely to experience them. 

  

The ten sites included in the project:  

• Banaue Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras 

• Petra, Jordan 

• Angkor Archeological Park, Cambodia 

• Border Fields, USA and Mexico 

• Historical Mosque City of Bagerhat, Bangladesh 

• Nan Madol, Micronesia 

• Levuka, Fiji 

• Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba, Togo and Benin 

• Sceilg Mhichil, Ireland 

• Port, Fortress, and Group of Monuments at Cartagena, Columbia 

  

This effort supports Manulife’s recently announced Impact Agenda, which aims to build a better business to better the world by making decisions about the future of the firm’s business, rooted in the belief that collective actions drive meaningful change. 

Earlier this year, Manulife launched Impact Agenda in the Philippines by partnering with respected non-government organizations Gawad Kalinga, Corazon Sanchez Atayde Memorial Foundation (CSAMF), and Haribon Foundation, whose groundbreaking work interconnects with the program’s three pillars: empowering sustained health and well-being, driving inclusive economic opportunities, and accelerating a sustainable future. The NatGeo partnership aims to further drive Manulife’s efforts globally, strengthening its Impact Agenda by working with more like-minded organizations that can help Manulife build a better business to better the world. 

To learn more about the commitments made by Manulife through its Impact Agenda, and to track progress against our goals, visit Manulife.com/Impact. 

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About Manulife 

Manulife Financial Corporation is a leading international financial services provider, helping people make their decisions easier and lives better. With our global headquarters in Toronto, Canada, we provide financial advice and insurance, operating as Manulife across Canada, Asia, and Europe, and primarily as John Hancock in the United States. Through Manulife Investment Management, the global brand for our Global Wealth and Asset Management segment, we serve individuals, institutions, and retirement plan members worldwide. At the end of 2021, we had more than 38,000 employees, over 119,000 agents, and thousands of distribution partners, serving over 33 million customers. We trade as 'MFC' on the Toronto, New York, and the Philippine stock exchanges and under '945' in Hong Kong. 

About Manulife Philippines

The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company opened its doors for business in the Philippines in 1907. Since then, Manulife’s Philippine Branch and later The Manufacturers Life Insurance Co. (Phils.), Inc. (Manulife Philippines) has grown to become one of the country’s leading life insurance companies. Manulife Philippines is a wholly owned domestic subsidiary of Manulife Financial Corporation, among the world’s largest life insurance companies by market capitalization. Learn more about Manulife Philippines by visiting their website manulife.com.ph and following them on Facebook (facebook.com/ManulifePH), Twitter (@ManulifePH), and Instagram (@manulifeph).

SM Turns to Rain Water Harvesting a key to Living Flood Free

Climate change is real and Filipinos are among those who can attest to the devastating effects it brings to everyday life. Faced with about 20 typhoons a year, the Asian Development Bank reported that the total impact from storms have reached about US$20 billion from 1990 to 2020. It causes a temporary disruption due to mass evacuations which bring about an average of 2-8% reduction in gross domestic product annually. 

Despite the reoccurring devastation felt during calamities, Filipinos still manage to see the humorous side of life and are often reported as one of the happiest people in the world. However, this may soon be tested as, according to the latest report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, things are about to get worse as the planet heats up, accelerating the effects of climate change and making the Philippines more vulnerable to drastic changes in weather patterns. 

On average, the Philippines receives about 2,400 millimeters of rainfall each year, one of the highest in the world. While this poses a problem for the country, there is a silver lining, as it can also be the solution for water scarcity. However, currently the Philippines only harvests around 6% of its rainwater compared to India which harvests around 60% of the 700-millimeter average rainfall it receives each year. 

Rain Water – a friend or a foe?

Water is a scarce resource. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 6 identifies access to clean water as one of the global priorities to be achieved by 2030. Aligned to its environmental responsibility programs, SM takes a closer look at the use of water and how it can be turned from a foe to a friend.

SM builds its malls and integrated lifestyle cities with resilience and sustainability in mind. Understanding the value of water, SM builds rain water catchments in its malls to harvest large volumes of rain water particularly in flood prone areas.

“We approach it two ways: resilience – to help communities be flood free; and sustainability – to optimize water which is a scarce resource so we can use it for other purposes rather than just waste it,” says Architect Fides Garcia-Hsu, Vice President at SM Engineering Design and Development.

Vermont Park and Vermont Royale are two communities that once saw rain as a foe. Every time it rained, their neighborhoods ended up under water, damaging their homes. Today, home owners welcome the rain as water that can be harvested and stored for future use. The reason? SM City Masinag’s rain water catchment facility!   It has a 17,681 cubic meter water capacity. The two communities connected their drainage systems to the mall which is equipped with three 30HP submersible pumps which are used to pump out accumulated rain water. 

“Wherever SM is, we try to help our communities become resilient to changing weather patterns,” explains Arch. Garcia-Hsu. “Nationwide, we have 20 malls equipped with rainwater catchment facilities that help rain water management to avoid flash floods for surrounding communities.”

SM joins Earth Hour 2022; Lights switch-off, Virtual Run part of activity line-up

As part of the company's sustainability efforts, SM Supermalls, through its corporate social responsibility arm SM Cares, is once again joining the world in observing Earth Hour, with this year’s theme "Shape Our Future," focusing on how we can work together in halting and reversing climate change and nature loss by 2030.

Earth Hour is an annual campaign launched in 2007 by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) that encourages the turning off of non-essential lights as part of energy conservation efforts for the planet. Since its first observance in the Philippines in 2008, SM has been joining the campaign every year, being one of the first in the private sector to support it.

This year, SM will continue to promote the campaign by being one of the official partners of WWF for the Earth Hour Virtual Run, to be held from March 26 to April 22. Aside from this, all SM malls will be joining the light switch-off on March 26 from 8:30 PM to 9:00 PM.

"SM is proud to have been supporting Earth Hour throughout the last 14 years. Every year, we partake in this very important movement because we want to inspire people to action and tell them that no matter how small their contribution is, it will go a long way if we work together," said Engr. Liza Silerio, SM’s Vice President for Corporate Compliance and Head of Sustainability. 

“Through Earth Hour, we want to engage over a billion people worldwide and engage decision-makers whether in business, institutions, and governments, to move the agenda of nature up the priority list in the global sphere and in the national agenda. We want people to lend their voices as we're shaping our future, 

and hopefully, we'll be changing the ending for the positive – for both people and the planet,” said Atty. Angela Ibay, Climate and Energy Program Head of WWF-Philippines

Aside from joining the campaign every year, SM has been active in environmental protection in many ways. For instance, all SM malls are equipped with energy and water conservation facilities. The company also regularly joins tree planting activities, and has waste management initiatives such as Trash-to-Cash, e-waste and used acid lead batteries collection programs, and the plastic waste collection program with the Plastic Credit Exchange.

SM has also been investing more in renewable energy. Eight malls in the country and three in China are now equipped with solar panels, with more to follow in the coming months. SM also pledged to increase its use of renewable energy to 50 percent of its overall energy usage by year-end.

SM City Tuguegarao Downtown Solar Rooftop

SM's other sustainability initiatives include the annual Green Film Festival, promoting environmental awareness among students and the youth through films; the AweSMSeas project, promoting awareness on the negative impact of plastic waste on seas and oceans; and the International Coastal Cleanup joined by thousands of volunteers every year, to name a few.

SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, supporting initiatives that focus on communities and the environment. In addition to its programs on the environment, SM Cares’ advocacies include programs on women and breastfeeding mothers, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, children and youth, and the Bike-Friendly SM Program. 

Visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares to learn more.

Adopt-A-City Campaign Raises Urgency of PH Disaster Resilience Efforts

Climate change has left the planet vulnerable to the harmful effects of natural calamities. The Philippines is ranked 2nd among the countries that will be most affected by climate change by 2020 (tied with Bangladesh).  Now more than ever, disaster resilience is of the utmost importance to the country.

This was the pronouncement made by National Resilience Council (NRC) president Antonia Yulo Loyzaga during the recent launch of the NRC’s Adopt-A-City campaign. The program is an innovative city-specific partnership model that will link the resources of private sector companies with the Local Government Units (LGUs), academic partners and the communities themselves in transforming their climate and disaster risk landscapes and establishing their resilient LGU systems.

Loyzaga, together with Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City mayor Oscar Moreno, and SM Prime Holdings Inc. chairman of the executive committee Hans Sy, signed a memorandum of understanding to seal the partnership for SM Prime Holdings to become the first private organization to take part in the campaign. 

“Disaster resiliency is not the job of the government alone. It is a job that can be successful on collaboration with the government. The government sector alone can succeed only if both the private sector and the government will work together,” said SM Prime chairman of the executive committee Hans Sy.

“CDO was a victim of a typhoon that had debunked the long-held theory that Mindanao is typhoon free. We had thousands of casualties, not including those that are missing, so this program indeed is very important,” said CDO mayor Oscar Moreno.

“The Adopt-A-City campaign is most timely because it focuses our efforts on precisely the drivers of our national economy, which are located in your cities. Cities are also among the chief generators of emissions because, in fact, the industry that is driving the metabolism of cities is what actually feeds the greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere,” said NRC president Yulo Loyzaga.

In addition to Cagayan de Oro City, SM has pledged to support the cities of Naga (Bicol) and Iriga, investing in the reduction of these cities’ old and new disaster risks and helping them immediately recover after possible disasters or unforeseen events.

SM has also been involved in other sustainability projects such as recycling their water and installing catchment basins in their malls to avoid flooding.

For more information on how to adopt a city, visit the National Resilience Council website (https://resiliencecouncil.ph/) for more info. To know more about ARISE Philippines, you may contact its secretariat via email (arisephilippines@smprime.com) or check out https://cc.preventionweb.net/arise/asia_pacific/arise_philippines.

SHELL ECO-MARATHON ASIA RETURNS TO MALAYSIA IN ITS 10TH YEAR

Shell announced on February 11 that Malaysia will host Shell Eco-marathon Asia in 2019 as part of its global Make the Future Live programme. Held at Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, the Asia competition comes back to where it was first held in 2010, and celebrates its 10^th year of challenging bright young student minds to design and build ultra-energy-efficient cars, and then take them out on the track in competition.

From April 29 to May 2 over 100 teams from all over Asia and the Middle East will test their self-built energy-efficient cars in the Shell Eco-marathon Mileage Challenge, to see who can go the farthest using the least amount of energy. In 2018 Singapore hosted the event, where the winning team was efficient enough to travel 2,341 kilometres – about the distance from Malaysia to Yangon, Myanmar – on just one litre of fuel!

“Shell Malaysia is proud to host the 10th Shell Eco-marathon Asia at our home ground. It is an inspiring event that supports Shell’s vision of sustainable mobility - more energy efficient vehicles and cleaner road transport. It’s really impressive to see student teams pitting their skills against their cohorts from different countries to see who can design and build the most fuel-efficient vehicle,” explained Iain Lo, Chairman of Shell Malaysia.

“Shell has been in Malaysia for over 125 years, and we will continue to power Malaysia’s future with cleaner, innovative and competitive energy solutions, some of which will be showcased at the event,” he further added.

Student teams will also have the opportunity to qualify for the Shell Eco-marathon Drivers’ World Championship. Introduced to the Shell Eco-marathon programme in 2016, Drivers’ World Championship challenges the best UrbanConcept teams to combine the proven energy efficiency of their car with the speed and skill of their driver, in a race to see who can cross the finish line first on the least amount of fuel. Qualified teams will go to London for a chance to compete with teams from Europe and the Americas. In 2018, ITS Team 2 from Indonesia’s Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember Surabaya was crowned the ultimate global winner of the Drivers’ World Championship, the second Asian team to win in the three years the competition has been running.

The Philippines will again participate in the 2019 Shell Eco-marathon Asia, with a contingent of 16 futuristic cars from 14 universities from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao competing to be the most energy efficient.

The Philippine team, which has the second biggest contingent after Indonesia’s 29 teams, are composed of student teams mostly from the college of Engineering representing their schools - Adamson University, Ateneo de Davao University, Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle Dasmarinas, De La Salle University-Manila, Mapua University, Institute of Technology, National University, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines – Manila, University of Mindanao, University Of Perpetual Help System-Dalta, University of San Carlos, University of Santo Tomas, and University of the Philippines – Diliman.

”Every year, we see an increasing standard of performance, as well as team spirit and passion, among the student participants at Shell Eco-marathon Asia. The Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia is the perfect venue to witness new innovations in vehicle design come to life. We look forward to another exciting year at Shell Eco-marathon Asia,” said Shanna Simmons, Shell Eco-marathon Global Technical Director

For more information on Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2019, please visit:https://www.shell.com/make-the-future/shell-ecomarathon/asia.html

Health and Fitness in Full Color

Top executives of AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance companies, took part in the fun-filled Color Manila Run at the SM Mall of Asia event grounds in early January.

AXA demonstrated its commitment to promoting the importance of health and wellness among families and young people through this event. AXA’s senior leaders also joined in on the fun.

“Our participation in an event such as the Color Manila Run is a fun way to underline the importance of health and fitness,” said AXA Philippines president and chief executive officer Rahul Hora. “And AXA has the superior products people need for total health protection.”

With comprehensive products such as Global Health Access and Health Max, all designed to protect people’s finances in times of medical emergencies, AXA’s participation in the Color Manila Run underscores its commitment to provide the best health coverage in the market, giving people peace of mind so they can focus on living the life they choose.

AXA Philippines also had the “I Bounce for Health” trampoline challenge as a fun way for people to start their health journey in 2019. Everyone who joined the challenge received a free AXA personal accident insurance card. The participant with the most number of jumps also took home a wearable fitness gadget.

Color Manila, the biggest color fun run in the country, brought almost 13,000 runners — splattered with vibrant rainbow colors — to safari-themed 200-meter, 3K, 5K, 10K and 21K routes.

Coming Home to Masskara with Coke Studio

This year’s Masskara Festival in Negros Occidental celebrated more color and more music as Coke Studio brought together the Negrenses and the artists of this year’s Coke Studio in one special stage, hyping up the volume and heat along Lacson Street.

The Coke Studio stage was headlined by singer and heartthrob Sam Concepcion, and local bands Cali Island and Aire Band. But more than the music festival, Coca-Cola Philippines also brought to the city of smiles its World Without Waste campaign which seeks to collect every bottle and can that it will produce by 2030, while also including recycled materials into its packaging.

Specially designed trash bins were distributed around key festival areas to help the public segregate recyclables from other wastes, and in the process, help partners Philippine Reef and Rainforest Conservation Foundation, Inc., Masskara Foundation, IPM-Construction and Development Corporation Waste Management, and the Department of Public Service Local Waste Management in keeping the streets clean and litter-free despite the large volume of people. Throughout the five days of festivities, almost 80 kilograms of PET bottles were collected for recycling.

“There is so much to be done in order to effectively reduce the waste that we produce, and every small action makes a difference. By helping the public in segregating recyclables from trash, we are slowly making them see that recyclables like PET bottles are readily accessible resources that can and should be given second life and not just end up in our landfills and oceans after one use,” said Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, Coca-Cola Philippines Director for Public Affairs and Communications.

The main streets of Bacolod City were painted with the ubiquitous red banners bearing the iconic Spencerian script font that spells out the well-loved beverage. The heart of Lacson Street was cordoned off Friday afternoon as the huge Coke Studio stage took shape for the night’s festivities.

“The Masskara Festival is an important occasion for us at Coca-Cola Philippines as it is an opportunity to strengthen our partnerships with various stakeholders in Negros as well as give back to our consumers by joining the festivities,” de Lumen-Pernia said.

The beverage brand, through its social responsibility arm, Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, inked several partnerships with government and non-government organizations to help improve the sugar production of small sugar farmers. The partnerships include providing irrigation, high-yielding variety, and technical training for the farmer beneficiaries.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

AXA Continues Growth Trajectory with Record First-half 2018 Performance

AXA Philippines, one of the country’s top insurance companies, reported that its first-half performance for 2018 has continued on the upward trajectory—driven by higher annualized premium equivalent (APE) and robust growth in total premium income (TPI).

Compared to the same period in 2017, total net income grew 35% to P1.3 billion on the back of new business and renewals.

APE continued its rise with a significant increase of 27% amounting to P3.8 billion, up from P3 billion from the same period last year. This surge is due to the growth in all sales channels, which is also brought about by higher average active distributor count compared to the same period last year, leading to 24% growth in average case count.

TPI also showed a stellar performance of 141%, attributable mainly from growth in new business sales and better persistency of renewal collections, compared to the combined first and second quarters of 2017. Regular premium income increased 25% year-on-year, while single premium income rose 58%.

Charter Ping An Insurance Corporation, AXA’s general insurance subsidiary, also ranked high in terms of net premium written among non-life insurance companies based on data released by the Insurance Commission. For 2017, Charter Ping An posted P4.08 billion in net premiums written.

The first half of 2018 saw the launch of AXA Shared Services Centre Philippines, one of two Asian hubs offering support to various AXA entities around the world. AXA also expanded its reach and distribution network by opening new branches in Cabanatuan, Cagayan De Oro, and Pagadian.

Recently, AXA introduced its newest offering Asset Master, a single-pay investment-linked insurance product that allows customers to build a diversified investment portfolio of local and global investments. AXA Philippines also bagged a silver award from the prestigious Efma-Accenture Innovation in Insurance Awards for MyAXA Café, an online insight community that provides secure, ongoing, and real-time feedback from customers as a tool to aid in business decisión-making.

Get World-Class Medical Coverage with AXA Global Health Access

AXA, global leader in insurance and asset management, empowers you to take control of your health with Global Health Access (GHA), a health plan that provides world-class medical coverage—the kind you deserve—not only in the Philippines but in any country in the world.

With GHA, you can easily maintain optimal health and wellness because the plan gives you access to the best healthcare around the globe. Even if you’re diagnosed in the Philippines, you can opt to receive treatment anywhere in the world. With it, you are also always one step ahead in terms of protection, especially since illnesses can strike anytime, anywhere.

As a comprehensive worldwide health solution, GHA offers extensive international medical coverage of up to P150 million annual coverage for in-patient and out-patient treatments on select plans, inclusive of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, kidney dialysis, and many others. For select plans, coverage is also available for alternative treatments. The policyholder may consult his own specialist or even the hospital of his choice, even if both are outside the AXA network.

It’s easy to avail of GHA: all you have to do is answer yes or no to three questions—a medical exam result need not be presented. Even if you are a customer with pre-existing conditions such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you still have the chance to get coverage under GHA.

Other benefits of GHA include 24/7 health advice and support through a telephone health information service staffed by professional healthcare practitioners; and global concierge services, such as flight and travel arrangements for scheduled treatments, including transfers to and from the hospital.

AXA Global Health Access is part of One AXA, a whole suite of superior products in Life Insurance, Savings and Investment, Educational Plans, and Health Coverage. To learn more about GHA, call the AXA customer service hotline at (02) 5815-AXA (292) or talk to an AXA Financial Coach at any AXA, Metrobank, or PSBank branch nationwide. You may also visit www.axa.com.ph/health-protection/global-health-access for more details.

AXA Promo Winner Announced

JC Nazareth (2nd from left) was declared the lucky winner in a recently concluded AXA promotion, which granted him a free trip to Shanghai, China, to catch the NBA China Games 2018 featuring the Dallas Mavericks and the Philadelphia 76ers. As part of the promo, contestants underwent AXA’s Financial Needs Analysis service or took the AXA Health Risk Score test on its website https://www.axa.com.ph/efna. Photo shows Nazareth with AXA Philippines president and CEO Rahul Hora (2nd from left), chief customer officer Amor Balagtas (rightmost), and chief distribution officer Marie Raymundo (leftmost).

AXA Philippines Partners with Rotary Club BGC

Leading global insurance provider AXA Philippines once again partnered with Rotary Club Bonifacio Global City (BGC) chapter for the Family Protection Program. Now on its second year, the aim of the program is to provide affordable insurance for families living within Rotary’s housing project, with half of the premium covered by Rotary Club BGC. The insurance protects the residents from accidents, fire, and natural catastrophes like earthquakes, typhoons, and floods. AXA Philippines also conducted a safety and first aid lecture for the residents during the event. Present were (L-R) BGC Rotary president Simon Gemayl, AXA Philippines emerging customers director Marc Gorospe, GIZ senior adviser Jimmy Lori, BGC Rotary vice president Dino Nilo, and AXA Philippines agency development officer Carlo Carillo.

TuneCycle Pumps Up Recycling Experience at Coke Studio

For most people, waste recycling and creating music are simply two things that are worlds apart. But at the recent launch of Coke Studio Season 2 at the World Trade Center in Manila, these two ideas shared one stage to raise awareness about a growing plastic waste problem among the youth.

One of the highlights of the event was a live demonstration of the TuneCycle, a makeshift recyclable PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottle grinder that is powered by a pedal mechanism – similar to those found in bicycles. The TuneCycle also has earphones for the user to listen to original Pilipino music (OPM) as they pedal away.

This is part of the global goal of The Coca-Cola Company of a World Without Waste. In January this year, Coca-Cola announced an ambitious goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can sold by year 2030. In the Philippines, one of the ways to reach this goal is to bring back PET bottles home through Coke Studio.

“This is an interactive way of making the public, particularly the youth, more involved in recycling. It may be a small step, but it helps inculcate the act of recycling in their lives. As we at Coca-Cola continue to find solutions to realize a World Without Waste, every action, no matter how small, actually counts,” said Jonah de Lumen-Pernia, Director for Public Affairs and Communications of Coca-Cola Philippines.

As one of the avenues that bring Coca-Cola closer to the youth, music is also being tapped to make recycling more relevant to the younger market. As part of the Coke Studio caravan, the TuneCycle aims to amplify how each recyclable PET bottle can have another purpose after the consumption of its content. In the case of TuneCycle, the shredded recyclable PET bottles will become part of eco-bricks that will serve as pavers for a public school.

“Every action to breathe new life into recyclables matters. Every action brings us closer to realizing the vision of a World Without Waste. With the TuneCycle, we are able to inspire more people to find ways for recyclable PET bottles to come home and breathe second lives into them, instead of throwing them in dumpsites, or worst, ending up in our oceans,” said de Lumen-Pernia.

Watch out for future Coke Studio events and bring recyclable PET bottles to their home in Coca-Cola.

About The Coca-Cola Company

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey atwww.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

ZAMBALES, OLONGAPO, BATAAN AND THE GREATER SUBIC BAY CHALLENGE THE YOUTH TO UNLEASH THEIR INNER HEROES IN THE 2018 INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEANUP ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT

The International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) is a global movement celebrated every 3rd Saturday of September yearly and being participated by more than 100 countries across the globe including the Philippines, as we rally the community towards a common goal of collecting and documenting the trash littering the coastline. In 2017, the Philippines ranked #1 with the most number of volunteers, but on the contrary, the country is ranked #3 as the biggest dumper of plastics in the ocean. According to the Ocean Trash Index, the world's largest item-by-item, location-by-location database of trash found in near-shore environments as a result of the data submitted by all the volunteers of ICC, plastic debris remains a growing concern in the marine environment, and the top five most commonly collected items are cigarette butts, food wrappers, plastic beverage bottles, plastic bottle caps and plastic grocery bags, respectively. The trash data collection is important because it will help governments, manufacturing industries, businesses and individuals in making smart solutions to the marine debris problem. As we participate for this year’s International Coastal Cleanup activity scheduled on September 22, 2018, we encourage everyone to participate in the data gathering efforts so we can have a better assessment of the trash in our area. There is an increasing need to address this issue of marine litter and beach cleanup alone is not enough​. The highlight of this continuous effort is the ICC ENVIRONMENTAL SUMMIT​, a supplement to the annual beach cleanup that will take place on September 27 and 28, 2018 at the Subic Bay Exhibition and Convention Center (SBECC)​.

This year we are launching the Youth Empowerment Symposium (#YES18) as we focus on empowering our youth by tapping into the best practices of top Filipinos and global organizations, inspiring our next generation of leaders to follow-suite and provide the tools that they will need to continue our quest towards a more sustainable future. Together, they can come up with viable solutions for pressing environmental matters and approach new, peaceful and constructive ways of problem-solving. This will be the 4th Summit that will be held in Subic Bay and has always been focused on the new generation - millennials, the most powerful force of our future. If we want to change the world for the better, there has to be a change in people’s behavior. And this year’s theme is “Change Heroes​” a challenge for the youth to be an instrument for change, to spark social consciousness formation towards social change, changing the way we view the world, unleashing our inner heroes, and become better builders of our nation. It will be a symposium participated by youths, mainly the newly elected SK officials from Olongapo, Zambales and Bataan together with experienced executives and organization leaders that will focus on finding more efficient solutions to ensure that the cleanliness of our beaches will continue far beyond the cleanup activity. This event is organized by the Lighthouse Marina Resort Legacy Foundation, Make a Difference (MAD) Travel and the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary; co-presented by Coca-Cola Philippines, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, The Lighthouse Marina Resort and Globe Telecoms as the official connectivity partner; in cooperation with the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce, International Yachting Fellowship of Rotarians, Miss Scuba Philippines, UP Marine Biological Society, Dakila, Seed4com, and Oceana Philippines; supported by Provincial Government of Zambales, Municipal of Olongapo, and Provincial Government of Bataan, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, National Coast Watch Council, Department of Tourism, Philippine Coast Guard, PNP Maritime Group, Department of Interior and Local Government, and the National Youth Commission; sponsored by Ayala Harbor Point Mall, Anvaya Cove, PLDT Subictel, Think + Talk Creative Communications, VitalStrats Creative Solutions, Standard Insurance and Nanofixit.

AXA Helps Young Athlete Pursue Her Dream

If you ask Jam Lachica, 12, a young girl and an avid basketball player, how she ended up being selected among 800 players during the Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp, Jam will tell you right away that it was because of her coaches, including her dad Jaylord Lachica and school coach Joseph Rizos.

As a budding athlete, Jam was always influenced by her father’s interests, including basketball, which led to her love for the sport. Since the age of six, she would tag along with her father’s barangay leagues and closely observe the game. “Lagi akong sinasama ni Papa sa mga laro niya, kaya ginusto ko na rin matutunan yung basketball,” she said.
Fast forward to 2016 when Jam first joined the Jr. NBA Regional Selection Camp wherein she competed with several skilled female players her own age. However, she missed her chance to progress to the camp’s second day after she left to support her dad’s championship game in Quezon City.

But just like a true champion, Jam got back up and tried again in 2017. Knowing that she had been chosen on her first try, the shooting guard had a little more confidence, but unfortunately, she failed to make the cut. “Ginawa ko naman yung best ko para makuha ako ulit kaso madaming ibang magagaling,” she said.

Jam admits to feeling disappointment and in fact, did not consider joining this year’s camp. However, her dad didn’t lose faith and together with coach Rizos encouraged her to join again. Surprisingly, 2018 seemed to be Jam’s lucky year – with the help of AXA, the official insurance partner of the NBA in the Philippines, she had the support that she needed to succeed.

Jam was selected as one of the 16 girls that would represent Metro Manila and compete with peers from the provinces at the National Training Camp. All the hard work and long training hours were worth it. “Sobrang saya at thankful ako na may na-meet akong coach na nag-motivate sa akin to do my best. Buti nalang nandiyan si Papa para bigyan ako ng pag-asa,” she said. After all, third time’s the charm.

With AXA providing proper coaching and support, along with her father and coach’s help, she is now one step closer to reaching her dreams. “Si Papa ang best coach ko. Basta nandiyan siya, kaya kong abutin yung mga pangarap ko,” she said.

AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance companies, empowers people to live better lives by encouraging them to have a game plan, whether it’s in sports or in the hard court that is life. AXA believes that preparing for the future is important so that people can live the life they choose. For more information on AXA’s wide array of life and general insurance and investment products, visit www.axa.com.ph.

Entrepreneur Rebuilds Business From the Ashes with Help from AXA

In 2016, a fire in Benguet made headlines as it destroyed a warehouse—one that was owned by entrepreneur Kenneth So, and one that provided stable jobs for a lot of workers. So and his team, some of them very loyal employees that had been with him for a long time, could only watch as years of hard work went up in smoke in a matter of hours.

So was grateful that the insurance company he chose—AXA Philippines through its general insurance subsidiary Charter Ping An—swiftly came to his rescue and went the extra mile to process his claim promptly so he could get back on his feet as soon as possible.

So’s business, Granville Corporation Supply Holdings, is a strong player in the competitive supply chain industry. The company plays a key role in the logistics and distribution of fast moving consumer goods across key markets. So employs 400 people to ensure prompt servicing of customers

The fire destroyed Grandville’s four-storey warehouse in La Trinidad, Benguet, and millions of pesos in inventory. Fortunately, So had the foresight to get a comprehensive fire insurance coverage from leading global insurer AXA. His loyal staff also rallied together during a truly trying time. The company is now slowly but surely recovering.

The ease and speed with which So was able to receive his insurance claims and the attentive and dedicated service he received from AXA helped ease his burden. “Now, our warehouse is being rebuilt,” So says. “This is the start of a new beginning.”

So’s experience with AXA is proof of AXA’s unwavering commitment to its customers, backed by superior financial strength and worldwide reach, to be there when it is most needed. It assures clients like So, whose employees and their families count on for their livelihood, can live the life he chooses—free from uncertainty and anxiety, no matter what challenges he has to face.

AXA Strengthens Its Commitment to Fight Climate Change

AXA, the leading global insurer, reaffirms its commitment to sustainability as it joins the fight against climate change. Thomas Buberl, AXA CEO, announced several initiatives and decisions that are to be set in motion in the areas of investments, divestments, and insurance.

“As a global insurer and investor, we know that we have a key role to play and are proud to have taken these decisions and to have inspired others,” said Buberl. “In the spirit of the Paris Agreement, we want to accelerate our commitment and confirm our leadership in the fight against global warming.”

In the investments front, AXA aims to reach Euro 12 billion in green investments by 2020, which is four times the 2015 achieved target of Euro 3 billion. This accelerated target is twice as high as the recommendation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is to invest 1% of assets into green and clean technology by 2020.

In the area of Divestments, AXA decided two years ago to divest Euro 500 million from the coal industry, targeting companies, which derive over 50% of their revenues from coal. Today, AXA has decided to increase its divestment to a record fivefold or Euro 2.4 billion, this time targeting companies that derive more than 30% of their revenues from coal, have a coal-based energy mix that exceeds 30%, actively build new coal plants, or produce more than 20 million tons of coal per year. Similarly, AXA also announced the divestment of over Euro 700 billion from the main oil sand producers and associated pipelines, signaling the discontinuation of investments in these businesses.

In the field of Insurance, AXA said that as a group, it would no longer be insuring new coal construction projects as well as main oil sands and associated pipelines.

AXA has also partnered recently with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in spearheading an innovative USD 500 million fund to support climate related infrastructure projects in emerging countries.

AXA is currently the second largest life insurance company in the Philippines, based on Total
Premium Income. Since 1999, AXA has focused on life insurance and providing solutions for savings and investments, health, education, income protection, and retirement. It pioneered bancassurance operations in the Philippines, which is the distribution of insurance products through banks.