Globe Telecom to Offer Free Facebook Access

Collaboration with Facebook to bring together first-of-its-kind customer experience innovations such as availability in all Facebook mobile platforms, advice of charge notifications, one-click to purchase data plans & data access lending to access links outside Facebook

Setting another unprecedented milestone in Philippine telecommunications, Globe Telecom is giving the telco’s over 36 million subscribers free access to Facebook on mobile phones for an initial period of three (3) months. Globe worked closely with Facebook to enable customer experience innovations for the best free Facebook offer yet.

Available to all Globe Prepaid, Postpaid, and TM subscribers using feature phones and smartphones* and accessing either through the mobile site of Facebook or the Facebook app, users can post, like, comment, chat, add friends, upload photos, share posts, and more on Facebook without the need for Wi-Fi.

Aside from offering Facebook at zero data charges, the collaboration between the two global companies has also paved the way for subscribers to enjoy first-of-its-kind customer experience innovations. 

Working with Silicon Valley-based Facebook engineers, Globe has put together innovations that cover key milestones in the customer experience journey such as availability of access on feature phones and smartphones across all Facebook mobile platforms whether via the Facebook app or Facebook’s mobile site m.facebook.com; no billshock or “nakaw load” as customers will be notified if they will incur data charges once a link that leads out of Facebook is clicked; and one-click registration to the data plan of choice to continue browsing without having to leave the site. Recommended data plans consider a subscriber’s available prepaid balance and/or megabytes (MB) balance of existing data plan. 

Moreover, customers with not enough prepaid load can “loan” a 10MB data plan for only P10 which will be deducted on their succeeding top-up so they can fully explore content outside Facebook, making the experience seamless and worry-free. 

“Once again, Globe has proven that it is the mobile data service provider of choice by industry and technology leaders around the world with this breakthrough partnership with Facebook to give our 36 million subscribers uninterrupted, seamless, and worry-free Free Facebook experience. This is collaboration at its peak, which has resulted in the best and most innovative Free Facebook experience yet,” said Peter Bithos, Senior Advisor for Consumer Business at Globe Telecom. 

Globe is progressively rolling-out availability of the Free Facebook service to cover all its subscribers by October 31, 2013. 

Bithos added, “Over the past months, the engineering, business development and marketing teams at both Globe and Facebook have worked together to plan and design the customer experience from scratch – which includes making the service available across all Facebook mobile platforms, rolling out a system that alerts users once they are about to click a link that will incur them data charges, paving the way for subscribers to easily subscribe to a data plan without having to leave Facebook, and allowing data access lending for subscribers who don’t have enough prepaid load to continue browsing links outside Facebook. This service testifies how Globe is transforming itself beyond just an access carrier. Globe is striving to be a leading digital brand catering to the needs of digital Filipinos who need to be connected to their social circles around the world.” 

"Facebook’s mission is to give people the power to share and make the world more open and connected," said Chris Daniels, vice president of partnerships at Facebook. “Globe understands the opportunities giving people access to the Internet brings and we’re thrilled to be working with them to give Globe subscribers access to Facebook without data charges across our apps and mobile website.” 

Starting October 31, 2013, subscribers can dial *143# and select FREE FB to know more about Globe Free Facebook. 

*Except BlackBerry.  Free Facebook will soon be available to Nokia Xpress and Opera Mini users

Tanduay First Five 2013 Concert Night in Davao City

So how was your weekend? 

While other people in the other cities are probably busy partying in clubs or in their own party places, the entire Davao City filled the Tionko Football Field (Agro Football Field) and sang with their favorite First Five Band for the Tanduay First Five 2013 Davao Leg.

The annual series of concert touring around the Philippines is being sponsored by the number one liquor brand in the Philippines, Tanduay, to bring the rock scenes to the major cities. This year's final leg was with Davao City--closing the year 2013 with pure hard rock music and smooth but strong drink that has truly became a household name to every Filipino.

Opening the night was no other than the voice of Yael Yuzon and the Sponge Cola. Of course, First Five night wouldn't be complete without the hard rock songs from Wolfgang, the hyper energy of Jay Contreras and Kamikaze (Tsinelas?!), Chito Miranda and Parokya ni Edgar and also Rico Blanco who was, like last year, in his symbolic attire. Gloc-9 also joined the First Five Bands in giving cheers to the Davao crowd who rocked the night. 

With no further ado, enjoy browsing through the images from the evening taken by no other than my friend, Elaine Magistrado (big thanks, Lai!).

  

Daghang Salamat Tanduay! Next year na pud?!

(Many thanks, Tanduay...Till next year?)

Tanduay First Five 2013 in Davao City

Are you ready for the biggest rock concert in the Philippines?  

If you want a sneak peek on last year's concert, you may check my blog post linked below

TANDUAY ROCKFEST 2012 DAVAO

Closing the Tanduay First Five will be the Davao leg this coming Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Tionko Football Field (Agro Football Field) along the Quimpo Boulevard. The Five Bands playing this year will include Kamikazee, Wolfgang, Rico Blanco, Parokya ni Edgar and Sponge Cola with special participation of Gloc-9.

Tanduay, the Philippines’ leading producer of liquor , boasts its products for being a true Filipino pride--made by the Filipinos using only the best sugar canes from the Philippines. And what can be the best way to celebrate and enjoy your favorite Tanduay products than to listen and jam with the top rock bands in the Philippines.

So Davao, go and purchase your favorite Tanduay liquor. One 750ml Tanduay 5 years or 750ml Tanduay Light will give you one admission ticket in any participating outlet.

1. Davao Amigo Traders (Gov. Sales Street, Davao City near Sa’Less Diner)

Map Here: http://goo.gl/maps/YDQeH

2. WVP Lopson Inc. (F. Bangoy Street, Davao City near Homitori Dormitory)

Map Here: http://goo.gl/maps/WmhpE

3. Fortuna Supermarket (Marfori Street, Bankerohan, Davao City)

Don’t forget to visit and like Tanduay Rhum’s official Facebook account here and use the hashtag #T5Davao!

Tara, Rakrakan na!

One Year after Typhoon Pablo (Bopha)

Increased support is needed if families are to fully recover from the impact of Typhoon Bopha on their livelihoods, Save the Children says. 

A year after the category 5 typhoon – the highest category for a storm – the children’s aid agency says tens of thousands are still struggling to find work to feed their families. The Typhoon, which struck on 4th of December 2012, affected over six million people and left nearly 2000 dead or missing. 

Rescue efforts during the Typhoon in December 2012
Photo from: LA Times (Ted Aljibe/ AFP/ Getty Images)

The storm caused widespread damage to agriculture, which account for the livelihoods of 80 per cent of the residents in the affected area. The Filipino government’s disaster agency estimates a loss of over US$700 million in agricultural damage, including bananas, coconuts, rice and maize. 

“The job that aid agencies need to fulfil shouldn’t stop at immediate relief,” said Tom Howells, Team Leader for Save the Children’s Bopha Recovery Program. “But many are forced to end their projects as there is little to no funding available for long-term rehabilitation of livelihoods. Our worry is that these families will no longer be able to send their children to school, provide nutritious foods and a protective home environment once aid stops.” 

Save the Children conducted two livelihoods projects in the Bopha-affected areas, unconditional cash grants for vulnerable families and cash-for-work to rehabilitate schools. Roselyn Cabatlao, 34, was one of the program’s beneficiaries in Davao Oriental after her family lost their only source of income – a coconut plantation – in the storm. It will take them at least seven more years to get back on their feet as coconut trees take about eight years to mature.

“I can see there are still many families here that do not have stable income because many of our coconuts have been damaged by the typhoon,” she said. 

Through income generated from Save the Children’s cash-for-work program, Roselyn is now able to buy food, vitamins and condiments for her children. The mother of three was also given the tools and seeds to plant vegetables in their backyard for consumption and income. The vegetables and direct nutrition interventions helped Roselyn’s son, Jericho, to recover from severe acute malnutrition. 

“Families like Roselyn will be left to their own devices once aid agencies leave. We have given them the basic tools to sustain themselves, but it will be years before Roselyn harvests coconuts again and builds a sturdy house for her family,” said Tom Howells. 

Save the Children responded to the needs of affected families in Typhoon Bopha, delivering an integrated package of child protection, education, health and nutrition, water sanitation and hygiene, disaster preparedness in schools, food security and livelihoods in Agusan del Sur, Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental. Overall, the children’s aid agency has reached about 138,000 people