Month: March 2023

MANILA – AC Health’s hospitals and clinics group, Healthway Philippines, Inc., and its pharmaceutical importation and distribution arms, IE Medica and MedEthix, entered into a partnership with AC Logistics’ Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI). This partnership was formed as part of AC Health’s commitment to be more deliberate in its sustainability efforts, starting with proper handling of waste. 

Having launched a successful partnership with Generika Drugstore in 2022, IWMI now handles all the medical waste management of the entire AC Health group through this newly signed agreement. 

Leveraging IWMI’s expertise in hazardous and hospital waste management, Healthway Philippines and IE Medica and MedEthix have contracted their fellow Ayala business unit as its waste hauler across all its facilities, including its QualiMed hospitals and Healthway Multispecialty clinics, starting 2023. 

“At AC Health, translating our Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) commitments into action remains one of our top priorities,” said Paolo Borromeo, President & CEO of AC Health. “This partnership with IWMI is only the first step in our efforts to champion sustainability throughout our entire healthcare network, and I am thrilled to be working with IWMI and AC Logistics in this endeavor.” 

“As we care a lot about the welfare of our patients and our people, we likewise care a lot about the environment to ensure that it is preserved and enhanced for the benefit of our children and the generations to come. At Healthway Medical Network, we are committed to environmental protection through various initiatives on energy, water, and waste management. This partnership with IWMI for the efficient and environmentally friendly management of hazardous wastes in all our healthcare facilities further strengthens our ecosystem’s resolve to ensure the safety of our patients, staff, and the communities we serve, and our commitment towards sustainability,” said Jimmy Ysmael, President & CEO of Healthway Philippines, Inc. 

“IE Medica and MedEthix are committed to the preservation of our environment and have ensured the proper disposal of our waste. We are delighted that we will have IWMI to support our objectives for the environment,” added Marivic Sugapong, COO of IE Medica and MedEthix.   

IWMI, a subsidiary of AC Logistics, is one of the leading waste management companies in the Philippines, offering full waste management solutions – from transport, treatment, disposal, processing, and documentation, further specializing in managing hazardous, medical, and electronic wastes. 

“At IWMI, we understand the impact of proper waste management on our people and our planet. Responsibly handling hazardous and medical waste is not an easy feat, so we will make sure to be AC Health’s trusted and reliable partner that its subsidiaries can count on in every step of the process – from transport operations, plant operations, waste treatment, and documentation. Our team is looking forward to helping Healthway, IE Medica, and MedEthix achieve their sustainability commitments,” said Chito Pacheco, President of IWMI. 

“The synergy between AC Health and AC Logistics is a testament to the Ayala Group’s commitment to sustainability. With a company like IWMI under its ‘reverse logistics’ portfolio, AC Logistics is ready to help the group institutionalize proper waste management. We look forward to working with AC Health towards our shared goal of sustainable growth,” said Janet Bautista, VP for Business Development of AC Logistics. 

“This partnership with AC Health is a manifestation of AC Logistics’ vision, which is rooted in sustainability. For an advocacy driven solutions provider like IWMI, it’s not just about ‘waste hauling.’ Our team is determined to work with AC Health in shaping the country’s standards on how hazardous and clinical wastes should be managed,” said Rene Almendras, President & CEO of AC Logistics. 

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MANILA — Waste & Resource Management, Inc. (WARM) and Integrated Waste Management, Inc. (IWMI) are on a mission to ramp up sustainable waste management in the Philippines, as they eye expansion of services and facilities in multiple locations across the country.

Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Adviser to the Ayala Corporation Board, recently visited the WARM and IWMI processing facility in Trece Martires, Cavite to witness how both companies tackle the growing problem of waste through proper management, transport, materials recovery, processing, and disposal.

“Improper management of waste and the lack of large-scale processing facilities are problems that we can no longer ignore,” Zobel said.

“I am delighted that we will be involved in addressing this challenge in a systematic, responsible, and sustainable manner. There is tremendous potential to scale up the services of WARM and IWMI starting with our Ayala group companies, estates, and communities,” he added.

In 2021, Zobel announced Ayala’s commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2050, aligning its business strategy with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels.

SYNERGIES ACROSS AYALA GROUP

IWMI recently signed an agreement with Ten Knots Phils, Inc., a subsidiary of Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corporation, for the transport, handling, and management of hospital and hazardous waste across Ayala’s island resorts in El Nido.

Under this agreement, IWMI will be in charge of collection, transport, and proper treatment and disposal of Ten Knots Group’s medical and infectious wastes. Full service includes documentary evidence of how the hazardous wastes are treated and disposed.

Meanwhile, WARM is teaming up with Ayala Land towards a zero waste-to-landfill goal for an initial set of buildings and estates.

WARM helps its clients pursue zero waste-to-landfill aspirations through various approaches and technologies that transform waste into energy and useful resources, such as concrete hollow blocks and pavers, organic compost, and recovered materials that are reused in manufacturing.

IWMI and WARM are part of Ayala Corporation’s logistics subsidiary, AC Logistics Holdings Corporation.

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Ayala Corporation has been at the forefront of nation-building for almost two centuries. While its businesses have continuously evolved to address the ever-changing needs of Filipinos, the aspiration to contribute to the country’s development has remained at Ayala’s core for 189 years.

Quality of education determines the future of a nation. Ayala’s aspiration to make education attainable for Filipinos goes back to more than a century ago, when a matriarch of the Zobel de Ayala family paved the way for the establishment of a school for young women. Since then, it has continued to expand its footprint in Philippine education.

Concordia College: To educate deserving young women

Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion de la Concordia (now Concordia College Manila) was a gift from Margarita Roxas de Ayala, a partner in the family enterprise that would become Ayala Corporation.

In the mid-19th century, Margarita petitioned for the Daughters of Charity in Spain to establish a school that provided free education to poor and deserving girls. She donated her summer estate in Manila where Concordia opened in 1868. Its curriculum emphasized good manners, reading and writing, arithmetic, as well as arts and crafts. 

Concordia thrived over the years. Toward the end of the 1800s, it became one of the institutions authorized to grant the title “maestra.” Jose Rizal’s sisters Saturnina, Soledad, and Olympia were among the proud alumnae of this institution. The school continues to be run by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul to this day.

CENTEX: To support public schools

Through the years, Ayala has deepened its engagement in the education sector. In 1998, Ayala Foundation established the Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education (CENTEX) to provide holistic, quality education for bright children from economically disadvantaged families.

CENTEX was designed to break the cycle of poverty in some of the most vulnerable communities in the country. It focuses on the essentials for lifelong learning, including classroom pedagogy, development of critical thinking skills, values clarification, and use of technology in the classroom. It promotes collaboration among teachers, parents, and other family members in honing students’ confidence and competencies not just inside the classroom but also through after-hours learning.

CENTEX also holds teacher training initiatives that promote student development and community engagement. Present in 19 locations, CENTEX, through its Training Institute, has trained and mentored 10,644 public school teachers since 2011.

iPeople: To make worldclass education accessible to Filipinos  

Ayala’s education arm founded Affordable Private Education Centers (APEC) Schools in 2013. APEC offers an innovative and progressive approach to learning at an affordable price point, and is now the largest chain of stand-alone affordable, private high schools in the country, with branches throughout NCR and Calabarzon.

In 2015, Ayala acquired University of Nueva Caceres, the oldest and largest private university in Bicol. Three years later, Ayala acquired the National Teachers College, the pioneering private institution for teacher education in the country.

To deepen its impact in the education sector, Ayala partnered with the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) in 2019 and consolidated its education investments under iPeople, which is majority owned by YGC’s House of Investments, which owns Mapua University, Mapua Malayan Colleges Laguna, Mapua Malayan Colleges Mindanao, and Malayan High School of Science. Mapua was recently ranked by Times Higher Education’s World University Rankings as one of the top 4 universities in the Philippines, together with UP, Ateneo and LaSalle. It recently entered into a collaboration with Arizona State University, ranked as America’s most innovative university over the last 8 years, to bring experiential global education to Filipinos on a cost-effective basis.

Through iPeople, Ayala now delivers quality and accessible basic and higher education to over 60,000 Filipinos.

U-Go: To uplift modern Filipina    

More than a century since Margarita Roxas de Ayala founded Concordia College, an eighth-generation family member continues this legacy by championing the U-Go scholarship grant in the Philippines.

BPI Senior Vice President for Consumer Bank Marketing Mariana Zobel de Ayala Zobel is now part of the Global Board of Directors of U-Go, which provides grants for high-achieving, motivated Filipino women currently enrolled at state colleges and universities.

In the Philippines, U-Go partnered with Ayala Foundation to raise funds as well as identify deserving scholars. Ayala Foundation and U-Go announced earlier this year that the program raised over P40 million, which will be used to provide scholarships to the initial class of 100 and expand to at least 1,000 recipients in the medium term.

“The issue of education equality for women is as much about empowering women as it is about building the most capable economy possible for the Philippines, to ensure our collective progress as a nation,” Zobel said.

Through Ayala Foundation’s partnership with U-Go, Ayala’s legacy of empowering women through education lives on.

Ayala Corporation has been at the forefront of nation-building for almost two centuries. While its businesses have continuously evolved to address the ever-changing needs of Filipinos, the aspiration to contribute to the country’s development has remained at Ayala’s core for 189 years.

A growing economy requires efficient and reliable transportation. From participating in a consortium that modernized Manila’s first elevated commuter train, Ayala is now taking a bold move to transform land transportation in the Philippines—reminiscent of the bold step taken by Jacobo Zobel y Zangroniz when he introduced Manila’s first tramcar service over a century ago.

Tranvia: Manila’s first public transportation

At a time when most Filipinos relied on horse-drawn carriages, a full-time partner of the Ayala enterprise took inspiration from the ubiquitous tranvías of Europe and established the first tramcar service in Manila.

Together with his partners, Jacobo Zobel y Zangroniz organized a public utility called Compañía de los Tranvías de Filipinas, which received the concession to operate streetcar services in Manila. 

The earliest tramcars were drawn by a single horse and could carry a maximum of 12 passengers. Zobel’s company immediately converted them to steam operations with a loan from Banco Español Filipino (precursor of Bank of the Philippine Islands).

With five city routes that crisscrossed the Pasig River, the tram became Manila’s major means of land transportation. In 1903, Compañía de los Tranvías de Filipinas was absorbed by the Manila Electric Railroad and Light Company.

LRT-1: Manila’s first elevated commuter train

Thousands of Filipino commuters rely on trains for their daily commute. In 2014, Ayala Corporation took part in a consortium that assumed the operation of Metro Manila’s first elevated commuter train. This consortium transformed the then severely deteriorated Light Rail Transit Line 1 (LRT-1) into a safe and efficient mode of public transportation, servicing an average of 500,000 passengers daily, pre-pandemic.

Since taking over LRT-1 operations and maintenance, the consortium has invested almost P12 Billion for the rehabilitation of the existing system and integration with the future Cavite Extension. It has rehabilitated the 40-year-old first-generation trains, resulting in an increase in train capacity to serve more passengers and significantly improving train reliability and passenger comfort.

To address the demand for an improved and integrated public transport in the country, the consortium invested P13.2 billion in its LRT-1 Cavite Extension project, which will create eight new stations along the 11.7-kilometer stretch from Baclaran to Bacoor. Once completed, LRT-1 is expected to service up to 800,000 new passengers per day.

The Philippines’ first electric vehicle ecosystem 

Last year, Ayala rolled out the country’s first integrated electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem that seeks to support the growth and adoption of EVs in the country.

Ayala harnessed the strengths of its business units. Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc., which manufactures various components used to build EVs, ventured into manufacturing electronics and assembling power supply systems for EV chargers. Ayala Land rolled out 22 EV charging stations in malls, offices, and industrial parks last 2022. This 2023, Ayala Land will be expanding this service with the rollout of more fast charging stations in its properties.

Meanwhile, Ayala’s vehicle distribution arm AC Motors launched its very first EV through the introduction of the Kia EV6 in the Philippine market. Globe (through 917Ventures) and Ayala Corp have partnered with Taiwanese firm Gogoro to pilot the use of its fully electric motorcycles in the Philippines.

In a recent interview, AC Industrials President & CEO Art Tan said the Ayala group holds several capabilities that can enable the auto industry’s move towards electric vehicles—from renewable power generation, manufacturing and operation of chargers, to vehicle distribution and retail. “We are proud to be at the forefront of this major technological disruption here in the Philippines,” he added.

Land transportation has come a long way since the tranvias first plied Manila over a century ago. From modernizing the first elevated commuter train to paving the way for the adoption of electric vehicles, Ayala continues to find innovative ways to respond to the changing needs of the time, for the greater good.

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Ayala Corporation has been at the forefront of nation-building for almost two centuries. While its businesses have continuously evolved to address the ever-changing needs of Filipinos, the aspiration to contribute to the country’s development has remained at Ayala’s core for 189 years.

With the establishment of Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) in 2015, Ayala Corporation affirmed its commitment to helping communities and driving progress. AC Health aims to make healthcare accessible to Filipinos, similar to the purpose of Botica Zobel, 189 years ago.

Botica Zobel:  Improving Access to Medicines

In 1834, Casa Roxas, the earliest precursor of Ayala Corporation, was established in Manila. That same year, a pharmacist from Hamburg saw the need to improve the health of people and established La Droguería y Botica de Zobel in Intramuros. Soon, the two enterprises would find a common manager in Jacobo Zobel y Zangroniz, who inherited his grandfather’s pharmacy and also became involved in his wife’s family business, by then called Ayala y Compañía.

Botica Zobel’s legacy found new life through Generika Drugstore, a member of the AC Health Group since 2015. As a pioneer in the retail of quality generic medicines from well-known pharmaceutical manufacturers from around the world, Generika Drugstore continues to influence and shape the retail pharma industry.

Generika: Expanding Access to Affordable Medicines

In the Philippines, health spending remains largely out-of-pocket. Retired Ayala executive Teodoro L. Ferrer and French social worker Julien B. Belo founded Generika Drugstore when they saw a common struggle among many Filipinos to keep up with the rising costs of medicines.   

From a small store in Montillano, Muntinlupa, in 2004, Generika has grown into a network of over 750 drugstores nationwide. As the retail pharmaceutical arm of AC Health, Generika plays a key role in bridging healthcare gaps by providing access to quality and affordable generic medicines.

“With so many people hurting from these trying times, our value proposition of providing access to quality generic medicines that can provide as much as 85% savings versus the leading brands should resonate more. Filipinos need not deprioritize their health to meet other pressing needs. They can access our portfolio of quality and affordable generic medicines and our PLUS Services across our network of stores and in the communities we serve,” said Generika Drugstore President and CEO Atty. Yet Abarca.

Over the years, Generika Drugstore has been a valued and trusted partner to various organizations and local government units in improving healthcare in the country. Apart from medical missions and other charitable causes, the company also educates the public about the benefits of generic medicines and how they compare with their branded counterparts—an advocacy shared with the Department of Health. This has led to mutual support in pushing for increased public awareness of generic medicines as aligned with the government’s call to improve drug accessibility in the country.

AC Health: Improving Healthcare for Filipinos

Since its establishment 189 years ago, Ayala has deepened its roots in healthcare through AC Health. With its three pillars—pharma, hospitals and clinics, and digital health—AC Health envisions to provide a seamless healthcare experience for every Filipino.

Working closely with Generika, IE Medica and MedEthix serve as AC Health’s key channels to bring in a wider range of affordable medicines for Filipinos.

With their multi-specialty clinics, ambulatory centers, and full-service hospitals, Healthway and QualiMed complete the entire continuum of patient care.

These services will be made more accessible through the upcoming launch of the new KonsultaMD superapp, which will provide users convenient access to healthcare professionals, ancillary care, and medicine delivery.

“At AC Health, we always underpin everything we do with our vision of building an integrated healthcare ecosystem. We continuously endeavor to innovate and drive synergies within our network to provide Filipinos a seamless and holistic healthcare experience,” said AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo.

By the third quarter of this year, AC Health will open the country’s first dedicated cancer hospital. The Healthway Cancer Care Hospital will offer a complete range of cancer services, from screening, diagnosis, treatment, to post-cancer care. It will be focused on improving the overall patient experience and enabling multi-disciplinary cancer care. 

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MANILA – AC Health’s Healthway Cancer Care Hospital, the country’s first dedicated cancer hospital, has reached 75 percent completion and is set to open in the third quarter of this year.  

Ayala Corporation’s Fernando Zobel de Ayala, who led the groundbreaking of the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital in 2021, joined AC Health and Ayala Corp. project leads in a site visit to the country’s first dedicated cancer facility last week.  

“I would like to congratulate the AC Health and the Healthway teams for this significant progress since we broke ground almost two years ago. The progress of this facility clearly shows the Ayala group’s vision to build the country’s first dedicated cancer specialty hospital. Soon, hundreds of Filipino cancer patients will have access to high quality but affordable cancer care,” Zobel said.  

Joining Zobel at the site visit were Ayala Corporation President & CEO Bong Consing, AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo, Healthway Philippines Inc. President and CEO Jaime Ysmael, Healthway Cancer Care Hospital Chief Operating Officer Jenara Ong, and Healthway Cancer Care Hospital Chief Finance Officer Ruby Chiong.

“We are very privileged to have our leaders here today. The swift progress of the hospital’s construction would not have been possible without the strong support of our leaders and shareholders from Ayala Corporation,” said Borromeo during the visit.

The Healthway Cancer Care Hospital will be the first comprehensive and dedicated cancer hospital in the country offering a complete range of cancer services, from screening, diagnosis, treatment, to post-cancer care. Equipped with 18 chemotherapy infusion units, two linear accelerators (LINACs), and all the essential diagnostic and imaging machines, the hospital will be focused on improving the overall patient experience and enabling multi-disciplinary cancer care.  

Borromeo also presented updates on the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital to cancer patients and advocates, healthcare providers and practitioners, government officials, and international experts at the Philippine National Cancer Summit held on February 23 to 24 at Crowne Plaza Galleria, Quezon City.

The event was organized by the Philippine College of Surgeons – Cancer Commission Foundation to rally stakeholders in the battle against cancer.

Drawing from AC Health’s experience in putting up the country’s first dedicated cancer hospital, Borromeo spoke about the importance of collaboration between the public and private sectors in bridging the cancer care gap in the Philippines.

“I am a big believer that the private and public sectors should work hand-in-hand towards improving oncology care here in the Philippines. In no other industry is collaboration more evident than in healthcare, as we saw firsthand during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Borromeo.

Borromeo also shared how AC Health continues to work with like-minded partners, such as Siemens Healthineers and Varian, to help realize the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital’s vision of providing more affordable oncology care in the country.  

“Our goal is to offer the best value private hospital for cancer care. We are working with our partners to ensure that our cancer hospital will provide very competitive rates for diagnostics, radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery to a broader base of Filipino patients,” said Borromeo.

Varian – Cancer Treatment Services International Vice President of Strategic Initiatives Amy Hay also participated in the summit and affirmed their commitment to bring in global best practices to strengthen the services of the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital.

In the special panel discussion, “A Closer Look at Cancer Centers,” AC Health Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Maria Carissa Alejandro further elaborated on interventions in reducing the cost of cancer care and how these can be applied in building the country’s first dedicated cancer hospital.  

“Health services need to go beyond pricing and focus on creating greater value for patients. We hope that the Healthway Cancer Care Hospital will serve as a model for more affordable cancer care in the Philippines,” said Alejandro.  

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