DTI-Laguna Conducts Livelihood Orientation Seminar to CMDC’s Graduates and Trainees

Calamba City — On March 22, 2024, the Calamba Manpower Development Center (CMDC), in collaboration with the Department of Trade and Industry – Laguna Provincial Office (DTI-Laguna), through its Negosyo Centers, spearheaded a livelihood orientation seminar for the graduates and trainees of CMDC held at 3rd floor lobby, New City Hall, Calamba City, Laguna. It was attended and participated in by 262 graduates and trainees from different courses.

The said livelihood orientation program commenced with an opening prayer led by Ms. Zenisa Alinsunurin, followed by the welcome remarks delivered by Mr. Crisolo Gamboa, Senior Manpower Development Officer.

Continuing with the program, Ms. Avegail Agojo, Business Counselor from Bay, led a discussion on how to start a business. She discussed the pros and cons of managing a business based on ownership, as well as the step-by-step process of starting a small business.

Following Agojo’s presentation, Ms. Rica Mae Garcia, Business Counselor from Majayjay, tackled business ideas. She presented some small business ideas and the required capital needed to start them, along with the type of business they want to engage with.

The third speaker, Ms. Michelle Caymo, Business Counselor assigned in Nagcarlan, talked about the programs and services offered by the Department, as well as the two (2) divisions it has and their specific functions.

Next, Garcia imparted knowledge on consumer education, specifically addressing the consumer’s eight (8) rights and five (5) responsibilities, which should be practiced and exercised by every consumer.

Lastly, Mr. Carl Eric Villanueva, Business Counselor from Magdalena, provided information on the difference between business and entrepreneurship and the characteristics and traits an entrepreneur must possess. He also named some entrepreneurs who experienced failures and hindrances but remained successful in operating their businesses nowadays.

The event concluded with a question-and-answer portion wherein participants were able to clarify some points and share their insights.

Overall, the seminar received positive comments from the participants and they expressed their satisfaction with the learning activity.

Alipay+ Connects 2 Million Merchants in Japan as Global Tourists Travel to the Country for Cherry Blossom Season

Tokyo, March 27 – As merchants in Japan gear up to receive cherry blossom tourists across from around the world, Ant International announced that its cross-border mobile payment solution Alipay+ has connected two million merchants across the country, enabling businesses, big or small, to better serve global visitors through a seamless payment experience with their home country e-wallets.

There are 16 e-wallets and bank apps accepted in Japan via Alipay+, a suite of cross-border digital payment and digitalization technology solutions, namely Alipay (Chinese mainland), AlipayHK (Hong Kong SAR China), MPay (Macao SAR China), South Korea’s Kakao Pay, Naver Pay and Toss, Singapore’s OCBC Digital, Changi Pay and EZ-Link, Malaysia’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet and MyPB by Public Bank Berhad, the Philippines’ GCash and HelloMoney, TrueMoney (Thailand), Hipay (Mongolia), and Tinaba (Italy).

Powered by Alipay+, transaction volume made by e-wallets and bank apps in Japan jumped over 200% in the first three weeks of March, compared with the same period in 2023. Transaction value is estimated to account for about 10% of total spending among users during their stay in the country, Douglas Feagin, President of Ant International, said during a press conference in Tokyo.

Among all, Alipay, AlipayHK, Kakao Pay, Touch ‘n Go eWallet, GCash and TrueMoney are among the most popular e-wallets used by travelers to Japan, while MPay, Naver Pay and Toss are seeing rapid growth in transactions.

Mr. Feagin said, “We are grateful to our over 40 local acquiring partners in Japan, including both big institutions as well as small ones that only have several employees, for their tremendous support to promote a seamless, transparent and efficient experience together for local businesses and international travelers.

“By working with these partners, Alipay+ provides global tourists with a seamless digital payment experience that is the same as in their own markets. Without any extra efforts, tourists can make purchases by simply scanning the QR code at merchants of all size, without worrying about foreign currency exchange or any language barriers.”

In Asakusa, a vibrant neighborhood and popular tourist destination with small souvenir shops and snack stalls, an increasing number of merchants are leveraging the simplicity of QR code to do businesses. The monthly cross-border mobile transaction volume is more than 5 times higher on average.

At Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, a flagship department store chain in Japan, transaction volume made by Alipay+ partner e-wallets and bank apps rose over 10 times in the first two months of this year, compared with the same period last year.

Mr. Akito Kimura, Manager of Inbound Business Division for Daimaru Matsuzakaya Department Stores, said, “Starting with connecting Alipay to make Chinese customers more at home, we are pleased to expand our partnership with Ant International by integrating with Alipay+. This will allow us to accommodate the preferred payment methods of our international customers through simple integration. We look forward to working together to drive more innovation, ensuring all customers can enjoy a memorable and peace-of-mind shopping experience at our stores.”

Ms. Venetia Lee, CEO of AlipayHK, said, “Japan is the first foreign destination of AlipayHK as it is one of the most favorite travel destinations for the Hong Kong residents. Powered by Alipay+, Hong Kong people can now use AlipayHK to make purchases at local stores and use car-hailing in Japan, which are settled in Hong Kong dollars with competitive exchange rates in the market. With the increasing acceptance of Alipay+ among local merchants in Japan, the daily transaction values and volumes of AlipayHK in the country in the first quarter have surged 3.5 times and 5 times over the previous quarter. I am confident that the usage of AlipayHK will continue to grow in Japan on the back of the strong adoption of Alipay+ services among the Japanese merchants.”

Mr. Ren-Ren Reyes, president and CEO of GXI (G-Xchange, Inc.), the mobile wallet operator of GCash said, "Our long-standing partnership with Alipay+ has allowed us to be an indispensable companion for Filipino travelers in now 47 countries and territories around the world. We are glad to continue strengthening our collaboration with Alipay+ to ensure every Filipino has a seamless and secure cashless payment option when they travel abroad."

Mr. Won-Keun Shin, the CEO of Kakao Pay, a major acquirer in South Korea, said, “We are glad that users can easily and conveniently pay with Kakao Pay at 2 million large and small merchants in Japan, one of the most visited countries by Korean tourists. Through discussions with Alipay+ as well as several e-wallet partners representing each country, we will accelerate global expansion and provide more benefits.”

Mr. John Sun, Chairman and CEO of Macau Pass, stated, “As the leading mobile payment e-wallet in Macao, MPay, together with Alipay+ which has launched a suite of innovative digital cross-border solutions, strives to create a smart e-wallet that facilitates Macao residents to travel globally, this could also solve the issues they encounter with payment while travelling overseas, thus improve travelers' payment and shopping experience. MPay will continue to expand in e-payments, lifestyle services, and marketing technology services to develop more open and diversified intelligent payment business scenarios.”

Mr. Alan Ni, Chief Executive Officer of TNG Digital Sdn. Bhd., the operator of TNG eWallet, said, “As Malaysia's top eWallet provider, we're committed to serving users locally and expanding globally. Our partnership with Alipay+ has seen transactions surge sixfold this year, specifically in Japan, a true testament to our dedication to innovative payment solutions. With over half of Malaysia entrusting TNG eWallet as their preferred digital payment and financial services provider, we aim to be the ultimate travel companion, ensuring easy and safe transactions wherever our users go.”

Ms. Monsinee Nakapanant, Co-President of Ascend Money, the operator of TrueMoney said, “Japan ranks as one of the most popular destinations with approximately 1 million Thai travelers each year. We are pleased to work with Alipay+ to create more inclusive cross- border payments and enable Thais to enjoy safe, real-time, and cost-effective payments with their accustomed home wallet TrueMoney. Enabling the travelers to connect with Japanese merchants of all sizes will also expand their experiences of local culture and people that would make their trip more memorable.”

Introduced by Ant International in 2020, Alipay+ now connects over 88 million merchants in 57 countries and regions to 1.5 billion consumer accounts on over 25 e-wallets and bank apps, allowing consumers to travel and pay hassle-free globally, and merchants to build out cross-border consumer engagement and digital marketing.

The service builds on Alipay+’s extensive regional partnerships, including those with national QR schemes including Singapore’s SGQR, Malaysia’s PayNet, South Korea’s ZeroPay, Sri Lanka's LankaPay and Cambodia's KHQR.

Smashburger® Appoints Denise Nelsen As Chief Executive Officer

COLORADO, USA. – Smashburger®, one of the leading fast-casual better burger brands, has recently announced the appointment of Denise Nelsen as its new Chief Executive Officer.  Nelsen brings with her more than 30 years of food and beverage industry experience, 25 of which were at Starbucks. This primes Smashburger to further drive culinary innovation, enhance the guest experience, while expanding its industry footprint. 

 "We are thrilled to welcome Denise Nelsen as Smashburger's CEO. With her extensive experience and proven leadership in the food and beverage industry, she is set to propel the Smashburger brand into a new era of growth. Her appointment signifies the Jollibee Group’s commitment to excellence and diversity, and with all her capabilities and energy, we are confident that she will drive success for Smashburger, thereby contributing to the growth of the Jollibee Group as a whole," said Jollibee Group President & CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong. 

Smashburger is one of Jollibee Group’s four global brands in its portfolio, serving as the Company’s flagship brand for the better burger category. With her appointment, Nelsen becomes the first female CEO of the brand, which embodies the Jollibee Group’s strong belief in women as excellent leaders, with 52% of the Company’s key roles being held by women. This conviction is further exemplified by the Company being cited in the World's Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes.

As of end 2023, Smashburger has presence in eight countries with a store network of 236 locations, 210 of which are in the U.S. The brand will continue expanding in new locations as part of its strategic growth plans.

Proven Track Record

Nelsen joined the Company as CEO in January 2024. Prior to joining Smashburger, Nelsen served as the Senior Vice President of U.S. Operations at Starbucks, most recently leading the brand’s U.S. business for nearly five years, and before that holding various operations and support roles within the company for over two decades. 

Her tenure in these previous roles has set Nelsen up with a solid foundation as she steps into the role of CEO. Within Smashburger, she will cultivate and lead teams, integrate streamlined business processes, and aim to deliver an impactful influence on all Smashburger’s employees, locations, and the communities they serve.

Strategic Growth Plans 

“I’m excited and energized to officially step into the position of Chief Executive Officer at Smashburger. With an unmatched dedication to guest satisfaction, Smashburger has consistently set the standard across the fast-casual industry and I’m looking forward to working with the executive team to continue the brand’s legacy,” said Denise Nelsen, Chief Executive Officer of Smashburger. “As we embark on various new brand ventures in 2024, I’m eager to support our continuous efforts to stay at the forefront of taste innovation in the industry, while collaborating with our international expansion teams to bring the joys of Smashburger to more guests worldwide.”

For more information about Smashburger please visit www.smashburger.com. You can also visit www.jollibeegroup.com to learn more about the Jollibee Group.

Smashburger uses 100% Certified Angus Beef Burgers that are smashed to the grill, searing in the juice.