Category: News

MAKATI CITY — With the pandemic presenting novel challenges that shake companies and governments, Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala shares his thoughts on leadership that can withstand the changing times.

Zobel, a graduate of Harvard Business School, said in a webcast hosted by ATR Asset Management that no specific leadership style could work in all types of crisis. But surely, he said, people need a leader who has a point of view.  

“You need to have a sense of what the future will look like. You need to have a sense of how things should be run,” he said.  

According to Zobel, good leaders should also be able to connect the dots, bringing together different ideas and facts and using them to create a holistic road map to a future that is far from the status quo. They must be authentic and bold, willing to take risks and go out of their comfort zones to look for the best solutions to a problem. In addition, all leaders should have empathy and be comfortable listening, understanding, and connecting to people.  

“Empathy is underrated. Showing empathy in this day and age is important—understanding people, listening to them, having a sense of what’s important to them,” he said.  

All leaders should also be sensitive to the changing needs of every generation. Zobel, who joined Ayala in 1981 as a fresh graduate, said he spent a lot of time working with non-profit organizations that gave him a view of the different social and environmental pain points faced by the country.  

As the first business leader from the Philippines and Southeast Asia to be recognized by the United Nations for championing sustainability, he spearheaded the creation of a framework that is far more inclusive and engaged in addressing different social and environmental pain points. This framework is called the Ayala Sustainability Blueprint, which assigns specific UN sustainable development goals to each business unit.  

“I was very happy to integrate it to Ayala because people could see that the role of a corporation goes far beyond its financial impact,” he said. “Corporations are part and parcel of the very progressive fabric of an economy. This sustainability blueprint shows the different roles we play in a society.”    

Finally, Zobel highlights the importance of prioritizing cooperation rather than competition in this time of crisis. The Ayala group of companies have been actively working with the national and local governments in building facilities and setting up equipment to expand the country’s testing, tracing, and treatment capacity through Taskforce T3. The Ayala group is also working with other private companies to safely reopen the economy.    

“It’s cooperation that has led to significant successes in this pandemic,” said Zobel, who is among the founding partners of the TaskForce T3. “It is a time for all of us to learn to cooperate rather than be at odds with each other.”  

For Zobel, the new normal should see private companies and the government working together to address the many pain points that the pandemic may bring. “We either succeed together or not. It is a time for all of us, particularly the private and the public sectors, to learn to cooperate rather than be at odds with each other.”  

As the first business leader from the Philippines and Southeast Asia to be recognized by the United Nations for championing sustainability, Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO, Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, spearheaded the creation of the Ayala Sustainability Blueprint launched last April 2019. The blueprint assigns specific UN Sustainable Development Goals to each of the group’s companies to makes its businesses more inclusive in addressing different social and environmental pain points. “I was very happy to integrate it to Ayala because people could see that the role of a corporation goes far beyond its financial impact. Corporations are part and parcel of the very progressive fabric of an economy. This sustainability blueprint shows the different roles we play in a society,” said Zobel at the ATR Asset Management virtual webcast entitled “ESG & Sustainable Investing: The Rise of Purpose” held last October 15, 2020. (File photo: August 2019)

Sept. 29, 2020 – The City of Manila has partnered with the Ayala Group of Companies in the construction of a new molecular laboratory inside Sta. Ana Hospital.

Spearheaded by Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, the Manila Molecular Testing Laboratory at Sta. Ana Hospital will support the city’s ongoing efforts against the pandemic by increasing its testing capacity. Free serology testing is now being offered in its various barangays to serve the community, especially workers who are required to pass through required health protocols.

“The construction of this laboratory is significant for us. The City of Manila has been providing free serology testing, and as we speak, more than 67,000 individuals have already benefitted from it – individuals and corporations, because I want us to go back to normal. Normal in such a way that we can live with COVID-19, accept the fact that there is danger so that we have to discipline ourselves, but we can go back to work safely,” Mayor Isko Moreno said.

“Maraming mga empleyado na babalik na sa trabaho who need to be tested and we have to practice simple medical protocols. So that’s why Manila provided this free testing para maibsan namin iyong gastusin ng mga empleyadong papasok na sa kanilang trabaho,” he added.

The collaboration reflects the continuing commitment of the Ayala Group to support government initiatives in the fight against COVID-19. Ayala Corp. President Fernando Zobel de Ayala believes in the positive impact of public-private collaborations in addressing the current crisis.

“We support the national government’s efforts to upgrade our testing, tracing, and treatment capabilities. While we are doing what we can to help at the national level, we also believe that engaging local governments and applying decisive leadership at the grassroots level are critical to our success. The construction of this bio-molecular laboratory is an important example of our commitment to help in the fight against COVID-19. We hope that this facility will be a significant help in strengthening the health systems of Manila,” Zobel de Ayala said.

According to Dr. Grace Padilla, Director of the Sta. Ana Hospital, the hospital is the only local government unit district hospital to house two types of molecular laboratories. One is the Xpress Xpert SARs COV2 Testing Laboratory using cartridges and the other is the RT-PCR molecular laboratory.

“We can perform more or less a thousand tests a day for one machine and now we have two Sansure machines. Kung ma-maximize natin ‘yung capacity, puwede tayong tumulong even sa national government. We’ll be doing our best to make it efficient, fast, reliable and real time. The new molecular lab will really strengthen our testing capacity and our fight against COVID 19,” Padilla shared.

Ayala Foundation Inc. and Ayala Land’s construction arm, Makati Development Corporation (MDC) led the specialized construction of the molecular laboratory to prepare for the installation of new equipment which the City of Manila has procured for the district hospital.

MDC has been instrumental in the transformation of a number of buildings into COVID-19 facilities since March 2020. MDC has so far built eight COVID-19 facilities in the country including the Sta. Ana laboratory. These include converting the World Trade Center into a 500-bed quarantine center and the Philippine Red Cross headquarters into COVID-19 bio-molecular laboratory. It has also built AC Health and Qualimed testing laboratories such as the Qualimed Nuvali Triage facility in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

AYALA GROUP’S CONTINUING SUPPORT

Prior to the pandemic, the Ayala group of companies has already been supportive of the further development of the City of Manila through various programs for its constituents. These programs include <code/it>, an educational technology program that trains public elementary school students and teachers in the use of technology to prepare them for more advanced workplaces; and Sari-Saring Aralan, which uses the sari-sari store as a hub for learning for out-of-school youth in Tondo.

The Ayala Foundation’s CENTEX Program has also been in place in Manila since 1998 and continues to provide holistic and quality education for students in the CENTEX School.

Previously, the group helped oversee the construction of a rest room at the Kartilya ng Katipunan monument, after the important landmark drew national attention for being filled with human waste during an inspection led by Mayor Isko during the first few weeks of his term.

Last June, Globe Telecom Inc. started giving public school students in the city free access to online learning platforms through its BatangMaynila Surf Plans, which are specially customized to serve the needs of students for their online school activities. At the same time, Globe donated 11,000 LTE pocket mobile WiFi devices to the city’s public school teachers to assist them in the Department of Education’s blended learning programs.

Other companies under the Ayala group have also poured in their support for the Sta. Ana Hospital and the Manila Molecular Testing Laboratory.

Globe Telecom’s GoWiFi team deployed WiFi services at the Sta. Ana Hospital so healthcare workers, patients, and visitors can easily connect with loved ones through the internet.

Manila Water Company Inc. continues to provide round-the-clock water supply to the Sta. Ana and San Andres districts, which forms part of the Manila side of its concession. The company is also assisting in the declogging of Sta. Ana Hospital’s internal sewer pipe.

The partnership with the City of Manila marks the Ayala Group’s continuing efforts to help various communities mitigate the impacts of the pandemic. The group is an active participant in Task Force T3, which stands for Test, Trace, and Treat, convened by the Inter-Agency Task Force–National Task Force (IATF-NTF) and the Department of Health (DOH).

As of September 15, the Ayala Group has allotted more than PHP 10.2 billion for COVID-19 related initiatives.

Makati, Philippines – September 25, 2020 On September 10, 2020, Ayala Corporation Chairman & CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala joined an online panel entitled “Corporate Social Responsibility Revisited” with The University of Chicago Booth School of Business to discuss the private sector’s evolving definition of CSR, especially in today’s COVID-19 crisis.

“When you have a broader point of view where we are part of civil society, you realize that the business sector has a role in addressing some of the pain points that we have in our development needs… your institution has a bigger responsibility than just to the shareholders. It has a responsibility to the society it’s working in,” Zobel said at the webinar.

Since the onset of the pandemic, the Ayala Group (Ayala) has been at the forefront of the private sector response to this ongoing health, economic, and social crisis. The group continues to work with other private companies as well as the government to scale COVID initiatives throughout the country.

Here are some other thoughts that Zobel shared at the webinar.

Calling for cooperation, not competition

“When you have a global or national situation where the broader problem can only be addressed by a sense of unity, a sense of cooperation, and a sense of common purpose, then cooperation is more needed than competition.”

In today’s crisis, Ayala believes that companies must work together to serve a bigger purpose. A good example of this timely and effective collaboration is Project Ugnayan, a food relief program by a consortium of 270 private companies and individuals. This consortium raised PHP 1.7 billion in just a few days, and through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Caritas Manila, distributed PHP 1,000 vouchers to 1.7 million families, or more than 7 million individuals in the Greater Manila Area. With additional contributions from ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig, ADB and the government’s Bayan Bayanihan, and Jollibee’s FoodAID Program, food aid reached 2.8 million families, or over 14 million individuals. This helped government buy time while it mobilized resources to execute its own relief initiatives.

The Ayala Group, together with other private companies, has also been collaborating closely with government to ramp up crucial testing and treatment capacity. The group participated in Task Force T3, an initiative by the IATF’s National Task Force and the Department of Health, to increase the country’s national testing capacity by 13 times from just 4,500 on April 24 to 60,000 on July 12. Ayala then joined Aboitiz, ABS-CBN, JG Summit, Metrobank Foundation, the Razon Group through Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, and the Yuchengco Group, to build seven Biosafety Level 2 laboratories to boost COVID-19 testing throughout the country.

Going beyond CSR

“It’s not about social responsibility—it’s about changing a business model to become more inclusive… All of us, I think, have a responsibility on our own, not just the government’s, to address the pain points in society and see if we can use business methods, not just social interactions but embed some of those solutions into the way we do business. Businesses have to take on this broader responsibility of contributing to society in a more positive way.”

As more and more Filipinos adapt to online shopping while they confine themselves to their homes, GCash’s total users doubled during the quarantine period while its transaction volume doubled in June, compared to pre-quarantine levels. By offering Filipinos a secure means to transact online, Ayala is able to provide a safer and seamless shopping experience for Filipino—which is crucial during this time—while making financial services more accessible to the unbanked.

Business owners, too, have been benefiting from their partnership with Ayala. As of August 2020, the group has helped ease the strain on its partner businesses through PHP 6.8-B worth of waived fees, deferred loan payments, free services, and rental condonations.

The group also launched the Ayala Enterprise Circle (AEC), a group-wide Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) network that enhances the group’s ongoing initiatives to educate, connect, and enable SMEs. This synergistic initiative is currently focused on helping its existing 250,000 SME partners continue their operations and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The AEC was launched as a platform to help these businesses, who provide 63% of employment and 35% of the national GDP, to give them training modules, networking opportunities, and support services that would help them cope with the unprecedented challenges they now face.

Revitalizing the healthcare sector

“This crisis has put a focus on how far behind we are on the healthcare side… It’s an industry that has not been given the attention it deserves, and it deserves far more support. I think we will never go back to looking at the industry in the same way again. I think there will be a renewed focus on both the government side and the private sector side to try and address some of the pain points that we’ve had during this crisis.”

The group has been rolling out countrywide initiatives to make healthcare more accessible to Filipinos as the number of COVID-19 cases continue to climb.

Ayala has launched two new healthcare innovations to help treat Filipino patients and protect healthcare frontliners. These innovations include an FDA-approved, lower-cost breathing aid device from Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) for COVID-19 patients; and an all-in-one health app from Globe Telecom and AC Health that will help decongest healthcare facilities.

In August 2020, Ayala’s electronics manufacturing unit, IMI, secured FDA approval to locally produce the UCL Ventura Flow Generator, a lower-cost, non-invasive ventilation system specifically designed to aid COVID-19 patients with breathing difficulties. Based on an existing off-patent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system, the design has been modified to optimize oxygen consumption. It is designed to reduce the spread of aerosols, to help keep healthcare workers safe from infection. The UCL Ventura Flow Generator is an alternative and preventative system used to avoid the need for an intubated ventilator treatment.

The Ayala Group has also released HealthNow, an all-in-one health app from Globe Telecom’s corporate incubator, 917 Ventures, and AC Health’s health tech arm, Vigos Health, to help address the pain points that have long discouraged Filipinos from seeking proper medical care. This free app allows patients to consult licensed physicians via video calls, and by September and October 2020 respectively, users will be able to have medicines delivered, and book clinic and lab appointments through the app.

Lastly, Healthway Medical plans to expand its network to over 100 Family, Multi-Specialty, and Corporate Clinics, to become the largest network of clinics in the country. It aims to make primary to multi-specialty healthcare services more accessible and affordable to Filipinos. Healthway will soon have a network of 70 Healthway Family Clinics, 7 Healthway Multi-Specialty Centers, and 45 Healthway Corporate Clinics, located across the Greater Metro Manila Area.

These are just some of Ayala’s initiatives to help the government combat the virus and contribute to national development despite the ongoing pandemic. Ayala believes that by aligning private businesses to the national good and to the national development agenda, true progress can be to help the Filipino emerge stronger from this crisis.

This online panel discussion was the first of several keynotes in Chicago Booth’s online series. The September 10 webinar also featured Ahmed Saeed of Asian Development Bank, and was moderated by Henny Sender of the Financial Times.

Watch the full session here: https://www.chicagobooth.edu/why-booth/stories/corporate-social-responsibility-revisited-videos

24 September 2020 – The Ayala group reaffirms its commitment to providing assistance for towns in the province of Batangas severely affected by the eruption of Taal Volcano earlier this year.

In an online gathering, Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas officially acknowledged the receipt of donations from the Ayala group, particularly the 10 Kia 2500 vans, which continue to be used for official functions. Channelled through the Provincial Government of Batangas, the vans are now under the care of the following Batangas towns: Taal, Balete, Mataas na Kahoy, Alitagtag, San Nicolas, Talisay, Agoncillo, San Luis, and Lemery.

The vehicles were donated through the efforts of AC Motors, the automotive distribution and retail group of AC Industrials. AC Industrials handles the Ayala group’s investments in industrial technology.

As part of its continuing support for Taal-affected communities in Batangas, the Ayala group also announced that it will provide much-needed support for public school teachers and students who are getting ready for the opening of classes this October.

The Ayala group’s Brigada ng Ayala initiative, which kicks off in October, will distribute health and hygiene packs, as well as provide support for online learning, to public schools nationwide, as a unified response to the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela and Oplan Balik Eskwela programs.

In Batangas, 89 DepEd schools all over Batangas will receive learner’s kits for its students, while teachers will receive their “teacher’s kits,” which contains a Globe SIM pack with PhP1,000 allowance for mobile data. Health and hygiene kits called “Ayala EduCare packs,” which contain face masks, rubbing alcohol, a face mask, hand soap, and instructional materials on protecting oneself from COVID-19.

Said Governor Mandanas: “Ayala has been traditionally consistent in its commitment to corporate concern for the good and welfare of the community, always an active part of helping society specially during time of real need. This social conscience has been innate and part of the DNA of Ayala. And we in Batangas are so proud that Ayala has its roots in our province, and Ayala still shelters Batangas in both in good and difficult times. Ayala—Magiting.”

Said Arthur Tan, president of AC Industrials: “AC Industrials—through our automotive and motorcycle distribution and retail group AC Motors—partnered with Kia Motors Global by way of Kia Philippines to donate 10 brand new Kia 2500 light trucks as well as relief goods. With the help of volunteer employees from the Ayala group and our friends from the motoring media—who wholeheartedly decided to join this CSR drive, we distributed the relief goods to evacuation centers in the province, and delivered the Kia K2500 units.”

Said Ayala Foundation President Ruel Maranan: “The partnership of the Ayala group with the Province of Batangas extends over many years, and we are privileged to continue supporting with the provincial government’s efforts to create productive, creative, self-reliant citizens who are also proud of their Filipino identity. We continue to stand behind every magiting na Batangueño, who stays resilient and hopeful in the face of different challenges.”

Throughout the first quarter of 2020 the Ayala group conducted relief activities in affected areas. Aside from the provision of clean water through Manila Water Company and the restoration of mobile services and setting up of free call stations through Globe Telecom, Ayala distributed hygiene kits, sleeping kits, and food packs to different evacuation centers. In addition, the group organized medical missions through AC Health and also with Ayala Land’s Makati Development
Corporation.

Aside from donating vehicles, AC Motors partnered with Ayala Foundation for relief distribution activities in January. A convoy of 30 vehicles, composed of AC Motors employees and volunteers from the motoring media, distributed hygiene kits and sleeping kits to six evacuation centers based in different barangays.

About Ayala Foundation
As the social development arm of the Ayala group of companies, Ayala Foundation envisions communities where people are creative, productive, self-reliant, and proud to be Filipino. Ayala Foundation is committed to community development, working closely with communities in identifying compelling developmental needs and providing suitable solutions with measurable outcomes. Its main program areas are Education, Community Leadership, Suitable and Sustainable Livelihood, and Arts and Culture.

For more information, visit www.ayalafoundation.org

Healthway Medical will expand its network to over 100 Family, Multi-Specialty, and Corporate Clinics, to become the largest network of clinics in the country. In line with this expansion, Healthway unveiled its new brand on September 16, 2020 at its Healthway Multi-Specialty Center in Market! Market!.

As the integrated clinic arm of Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc (AC Health), Healthway aims to offer a broader set of quality, accessible, and affordable healthcare services, covering primary to multi-specialty care. These services will be delivered across three distinct clinic formats: Healthway Family Clinics for community-based primary care, Healthway Multi-Specialty Centers for mall-based specialty services and diagnostics, and Healthway Corporate Clinics for corporate clients. Healthway will soon have a network of 70 Healthway Family Clinics, 7 Healthway Multi-Specialty Centers, and 45 Healthway Corporate Clinics, located across the Greater Metro Manila Area.

“We are excited to integrate our clinic network under the Healthway brand. For over 20 years, the Healthway name has become synonymous to quality healthcare and has been well-regarded by patients and medical professionals. Our clinics play such a vital role in our ecosystem, serving as the first point of care for many of our patients, especially in this pandemic. With this expansion, we can truly be wherever our patients need us,” AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo said.

Healthway Family Clinic, formerly FamilyDOC, will continue to be a 3-in-1 community-based primary clinic, offering consultation, diagnostics, and pharmacy services. Healthway Multi-Specialty Center, formerly Healthway Medical, will complement these primary care services with its comprehensive range of outpatient services including specialty consults, imaging, laboratory, specialized diagnostics, ambulatory surgical services, dental services, and physical therapy. To date, the entire clinic network has served nearly 3 million patients.

“Expanding Healthway has pushed us to create more synergies amidst this new normal. We have innovated our service offerings, bringing consults, testing, and medicines direct to patients’ homes. Even as we have ramped up our COVID services, we know our patients will still need other healthcare services, and we’ve worked hard to ensure our clinics are a safe place for them to get the care they need,” Healthway President and CEO Paul Darroca said.

To improve access to care during this health crisis, Healthway has proactively responded by offering COVID-19 RT-PCR testing, home healthcare services, drive-thru lab testing, and outpatient chemotherapy infusion. To promote preventive care, the clinic network has also offered vaccination programs and medicine delivery.

Healthway has also taken the necessary measure to keep clinics safe and clean. In each location, patients are required to wear masks and face shields at all times and proper patient triaging is enforced. Physical distancing and terminal disinfection are also implemented to give patients a safe and reliable space for their healthcare needs. Since March, nearly 250,000 in-clinic assessments have been conducted by the Healthway network.

Makati, Philippines – September 14, 2020 Ayala Corporation (Ayala) received five major honors for its COVID-19 initiatives at the recently concluded 2020 International Business Awards® (IBA), also known as the Stevie® Awards. Out of 3,800 nominations from companies across 63 nations and territories, Ayala won one Gold for its Project Ugnayan website, two Silvers for its “Most Valuable Employer” and “Most Valuable Corporate Response” entries, and two Bronzes for its “Tapat” and “Nandiyan Ka” corporate videos. The IBA is recognized as the world’s premier business awards program which honors the achievements and positive contributions of companies and working professionals worldwide.

Quenching the hunger for hope

Ayala’s “Project Ugnayan” website took home a Gold Stevie® for its chronicling of an unprecedented private sector initiative led by Ayala to combat widespread hunger at the onset of the pandemic. Featuring photographs by renowned photographer Xyza Bacani, the website illustrates how cooperation (“ugnayan”), instead of competition, can cultivate hope even during these uncertain times.

When the rigid Enhanced Community Quarantine was first implemented in Luzon, Ayala formed the Project Ugnayan consortium with 270 of the country’s largest private companies to quickly raise PHP 1.7 billion in just a few days. The project then enlisted Caritas Manila and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation to distribute PHP 1,000 grocery vouchers to 1.7 million families or 7 million individuals in poor communities in the Greater Manila Area.  With additional contributions from ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig, ADB and the government’s Bayan Bayanihan, and Jollibee’s FoodAID Program, food aid reached 2.8 million families, or over 14 million individuals.

View the website at www.projectugnayan.org.

Looking out for communities

Ayala’s two entries under the COVID-19 Responses Categories, entitled “Ayala Group of Companies Supercharged Response to COVID-19” and “Ayala Group Puts Employees First”, both earned Silver Stevies®. The entries detailed the group’s many COVID-19 initiatives and programs to support its employees, its customers, and the broader community to date.

The Ayala group so far has allocated over PHP 9.6 billion in COVID-19-related initiatives, including the conversion of the 9,700 square meters of the World Trade Center into a 502-bed quarantine facility; the construction and capacitation of seven biosafety level two laboratories across the country to support the government’s Task Force T3 in increasing the national testing capacity; and the donation of swabbing booths in all four mega swabbing centers located in Palacio de Maynila, Enderun College in Taguig, the Philippine Arena in Bulacan and the Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

For details on these various projects, visit www.ayala.com.ph.

Connecting with stakeholders and employees

Ayala also won two Bronze Stevies® for its “Tapat” and “Nandiyan Ka’ corporate videos.“Tapat”, a video love letter to the Filipino people, was released at Ayala’s first online Annual Stockholders’ Meeting last April 24, 2020, to assure its many stakeholders in simple and heartfelt language that Ayala remains steadfast in serving its countrymen’s needs in these challenging times.

“Nandiyan Ka”, on the other hand, was a tribute to the Ayala Group’s 18,000 essential workers featuring an original composition by Philippine National Artist Maestro Ryan Cayabyab. A music video was released online to give thanks and recognition to these workers across the Ayala’s various businesses, for their unfailing commitment during this global crisis.

The videos can be viewed at bit.ly/AyalaTapat and bit.ly/AyalaNandiyanKa.

“Ayala is deeply humbled by this acknowledgement from the International Business Awards®. In this time of COVID-19, our group has renewed its commitment to stand by the Filipino, and support its employees, stakeholders, and communities, as well as the government in defeating the virus that has deeply disrupted our country in many ways. Together, in the spirit of collaboration and nationhood, I believe that we can reshape our nation so that we can all emerge from this crisis as a stronger, more resilient Philippines that can venture as one into a Better Normal,” said John Philip S. Orbeta, Ayala Corporation Chief Human Resource Officer and Group Head of Corporate Resources.

Ayala Land, Inc., Ayala Malls, and Globe Telecom also bagged their own Stevies® at the 17th annual International Business Awards®.

About the Stevie Awards

Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards®, The International Business Awards®, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 nominations each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide.  Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com.

Makati, Philippines – August 17, 2020 Heeding the call of medical frontliners, the Ayala group’s electronics manufacturing, healthcare, and telecom arms have come up with new innovations to bolster the country’s health system as it combats the pandemic.

These innovations include an FDA-approved, lower-cost breathing aid device from Integrated Micro-Electronics, Inc. (IMI) for COVID-19 patients; and an all-in-one health app from Globe Telecom and AC Health that will help decongest healthcare facilities.

“Healthcare is one of the many sectors that has been disrupted by this global crisis. However, I believe that many of the problems caused by COVID-19 can be addressed by technological innovations. The Ayala Group is determined to meet this challenge by leveraging the talents of our own engineers and medical experts, and by pioneering digital solutions. We are committed to invest in healthcare to contribute to the nation’s fight against COVID-19,” said Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corporation President & COO and AC Health Chairman.

Ventilation system to be produced in the Philippines – a FIRST

On August 4, 2020, Ayala’s electronics manufacturing unit, IMI, secured FDA approval to locally produce the UCL Ventura Flow Generator, a lower-cost, non-invasive ventilation system specifically designed to aid COVID-19 patients with breathing difficulties. Based on an existing off-patent continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) system, the design has been modified to optimize oxygen consumption. It is designed to reduce the spread of aerosols, helping keep healthcare workers safe from infection. The UCL Ventura Flow Generator is an alternative and preventative system used to avoid the need for an intubated ventilator treatment.

Earlier this year, IMI collaborated with its UK-based subsidiary, Surface Technology Int’l, Ltd. (STI, Ltd.), to bring this technology to the Philippines. IMI engineers then consulted the Filipino medical community, including AC Health’s experts, for the local application of the UCL Ventura Flow Generator. Licensed by the University College of London to IMI for the Philippines, and now FDA certified, IMI is set to produce the UCL Ventura Flow Generator in its Laguna facility, and will make these units available at a competitive price.

The device is a collaboration between University College London Hospital and Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains, and was approved by UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency.

Healthcare just a tap away

The Ayala Group has also released HealthNow, an all-in-one health app from Globe Telecom’s corporate incubator, 917 Ventures, and AC Health’s health tech arm, Vigos Health, to help address the pain points that have long discouraged Filipinos from seeking proper medical care.

Prior to the pandemic, 68% of Filipinos stated that long waiting periods, high cost of medical bills, and limited availability of healthcare providers were the major deterrents that prevented them from seeking professional medical attention. There is also a shortage of doctors in the Philippines, with a ratio of one doctor to 33,000 Filipinos—a far cry from the global ideal of one doctor for every 1,000 individuals.

The HealthNow app offers users convenient access to primary healthcare services from the safety of their homes, and provides a safe channel for doctors to extend their patient care online. HealthNow currently allows patients to consult licensed physicians through video calls, and by September and October 2020 respectively, users will be able to have medicines delivered, and book clinic and lab appointments through the app.

HealthNow leverages several of the Ayala Group’s highly trusted and credible brands to deliver online aid to more Filipinos. The app’s video consultations, for example, are supported by a growing pool of doctors from KonsultaMD, FamilyDOC, and Healthway, as well as other third-party licensed physicians. Meanwhile, medicine delivery will be handled by Generika Drugstore, and payments can be made through GCash.

The app was released in Google Play on August 10, 2020, and will be available soon in the App Store.

IMI’s FDA-approved UCL Ventura Flow Generator is a lower-cost, non-invasive ventilation system specifically designed to aid COVID-19 patients with breathing difficulties. It is the first ventilation system to be produced in the Philippines.

The HealthNow app from Globe and AC Health provides patients convenient access to healthcare services from their homes, and offers licensed physicians a safe channel to extend their medical services online. Currently, users are able to “Consult Later” with a doctor. The app will allow them to order medicines and book appointments in the coming months. It is available in Google Play and will be released in the App Store soon.

Makati, Philippines – August 5, 2020 Ayala Corporation Chairman & CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala believes that the private and public sectors should continue working together with “Speed, Scale, and Stamina” to help the country overcome the COVID-19 pandemic. He shared his views yesterday in a private online session with the Makati Business Club, entitled “Leading in Extraordinary Times”.

The Ayala Group has been cooperating with other private sector groups and government since the onset of the pandemic to respond to the needs of the Filipino people with urgency, while scaling its initiatives through strategic partnerships. It is also recalibrating its many businesses to endure this global crisis and thrive in the “New Normal”.

“We need [Speed, Scale, and Stamina] because the enemy we face, similarly, has all of these attributes. The pandemic has been unprecedented in speed and scale; and shows little signs of surrendering. In fact, I propose that we supercharge our response — to be faster, broader, and more enduring; to push the virus back, defeat it and reset to a better normal,” Zobel said. “We cannot remain paralyzed by fear; but must remain vigilant in caution. Thus, we should adapt our organizations to assure our stakeholders that they will be protected in a world where COVID-19 continues to exist.”

Responding to urgent needs with Speed

Back in March, shortly before the enforcement of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), the Ayala Group’s immediate priority was to give peace of mind to its employees, stakeholders, and ecosystem of business partners, and extended community. Zobel wanted to ensure that everyone across the group felt secure both financially and physically.

On March 17, 2020, Zobel and Ayala Corporation President & COO Fernando Zobel de Ayala released a joint statement announcing an emergency response package worth P2.4 billion to help the group’s employees and extended workforce cope with the disruptions brought about by the pandemic. This amount has since increased given the numerous company- and employee-driven initiatives conducted across the group.

The group also adopted a structured work-from-home arrangement to keep majority of its 56,000 employees safe. This remote work setup helped employees adapt faster to digitization with online tools and learning platforms provided by the group to keep them productive and engaged.

Scaling COVID initiatives through partnerships

One of the more positive outcomes from this pandemic, Zobel observed, is the unprecedented level of collaboration within the private sector, and between the private sector and government, to execute relief activities with a much wider reach.

One example of a successful collaboration among private entities is Project Ugnayan, a food relief program for the most vulnerable urban poor communities, whose livelihoods were greatly impacted by the pandemic. To help address the needs of millions of these Filipinos in a timely and extended manner, the Ayala group partnered with 270 private companies to quickly raise PHP 1.7 billion. This consortium, through the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Caritas Manila, distributed PHP 1,000 vouchers to 1.7 million families, or more than 7 million individuals in the Greater Manila Area. With additional contributions from ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig, ADB and the government’s Bayan Bayanihan, and Jollibee’s FoodAID Program, food aid reached 2.8 million families, or over 14 million individuals. This helped government buy time while it mobilized resources to execute its own relief initiatives.

Cooperation between the private sector and government has also tightened during this pandemic. The Ayala Group, together with other private companies, has been collaborating closely with government to ramp up crucial testing and treatment capacity. The group participated in Task Force T3, an initiative by the IATF’s National Task Force and the Department of Health, to increase the country’s national testing capacity by 13 times from just 4,500 on April 24 to 60,000 on July 12. Ayala then joined Aboitiz, ABS-CBN, JG Summit, Metrobank Foundation, the Razon Group through Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, and the Yuchengco Group, to build seven Biosafety Level 2 laboratories to boost COVID-19 testing throughout the country.

Furthermore, Ayala, along with Aboitiz, Vista Land, the SM Group, the Razon Group, Filinvest, and the group of Mr. Manny Pangilinan, partnered with government to expand quarantine facilities to alleviate overwhelmed hospitals and exhausted healthcare workers. Over the course of a few weeks, the companies converted arenas and convention centers into dedicated COVID-19 treatment facilities. Companies under the Ayala Group also came together for Project Heal, an initiative to convert QualiMed Hospital in Sta. Rosa, Laguna into a COVID-19 referral facility. The group built a COVID testing laboratory, and expanded the hospital’s wards, ICU facilities, and manpower.

Building Stamina beyond the pandemic

The Ayala Group, like all companies today, is working to find a balance between protecting lives and restoring livelihoods. Despite these new challenges, the group also recognizes a new opportunity to reshape industries through digital technologies.

As more and more Filipinos adapt to online shopping while they confine themselves to their homes, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) observed that 81% of transactions are now done via online channels, up from 71% before the quarantine. Transactions via the BPI app also grew by 118%, while platform enrollments increased by 125%. Similarly, GCash’s total users doubled during the quarantine period while its transaction volume doubled in June, compared to pre-quarantine levels.

Ayala Malls is likewise adapting to the increasingly digital consumer behavior. To facilitate online shopping, Ayala Malls started DriveBuy, a curbside pickup system where customers can quickly and safely claim their online purchases without having to enter the premises. Ayala Malls continues to reconfigure its spaces to meet growing digital demands.

With consumer behavior quickly shifting online, healthcare, too, is beginning to migrate to the digital space. The recent heightened interest in telemedicine gave way to AC Health and Globe’s 917 Ventures’ HealthNow, a digital teleconsultation platform that, in its web-based pilot phase, matched 11,000 consultation requests with its pool of volunteer doctors. Due to this success, HealthNow will be relaunched this month as an all-in-one mobile health app that can help netizens consult a doctor through video, buy medicine for delivery, and book clinic and lab appointments.

Zobel further highlighted the two critical areas to which private sector companies could contribute to put the country back on the path of progress. First, he noted how an improved digital internet infrastructure could support the delivery of essential services and keep people connected. In this light, Globe Telecom continues to work with stakeholders to overcome persistent challenges that make this improvement difficult, while rolling out significant CAPEX to realize its plans.

Next, Zobel noted the importance of supporting Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which make up 99.5% of the country’s registered businesses, and provide 63% of employment and 35% of the national GDP. The Ayala Group recognizes that its network of some 250,000 MSMEs are an indispensable part of the its success, and belongs to a larger group of MSMEs that make up the backbone of the national economy. To protect this network during this uncertain time, the group launched the Ayala Enterprise Circle as a platform to provide its partner MSMEs with training modules, networking opportunities, and support services that would help them cope with the unprecedented challenges they now face.

Though much remains to be done to help the country overcome this crisis, Zobel looks at these aforementioned initiatives as examples of progress that can be achieved through cooperation. He hopes that this renewed spirit of partnership between the private and public sectors will be maintained even after the pandemic is defeated.

“As we continue to deal with the pandemic and its economic aftermath, it is my hope that within the business community and between the private sector and government, we would be able to build this strong sense of unity and commonality of purpose to solve our most critical problems. I believe that it is only when we pool our collective intelligence, resources, and commitment will we be able to overcome the challenge of COVID-19, with Speed, Scale, and Stamina,” Zobel concluded.

Makati, Philippines – July 29, 2020 Ayala Corporation Chairman & CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala enjoined the youth to become nation builders at the Ramon V. del Rosario (RVR) Siklab Youth Nation-Builders Webinar, which was livestreamed on Facebook on July 25, 2020.

“We certainly live in a volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world that is made even more difficult by COVID-19. Despite this, I believe that there is always hope, and that you are all in a unique position to generate meaningful change. People-centric innovation and a strong commonality of purpose are the best tools to making this change happen,” Zobel said.

Zobel, who received the 2014 RVR Award for Nation Building, shared studies by McKinsey and Innosight that indicate how innovations developed during crises allow companies to thrive long after the disruptions have passed. However, he added, these innovations must fulfill a purpose.

To illustrate this point, Zobel shared some of the meaningful initiatives that the Ayala group has put in place to address the pain points of its stakeholders during this time of COVID-19. Ayala’s healthcare unit, AC Health, has been providing insightful innovations such as the conversion of the Healthway Medical clinic in Greenbelt 5 into a chemotherapy infusion center, the conversion of QualiMed Sta. Rosa in Laguna into a COVID-19 referral facility, and the upcoming HealthNow app, which currently runs as a web-based telemedicine platform operated together with Globe Telecom’s 917 Ventures.

Zobel further observed another positive outcome of the pandemic, namely the tighter collaboration between the private sector and government. He noted the renewed spirit of partnership between the private and public sectors in helping the country fight the global crisis.

Earlier this year, for example, Ayala was the lead collaborator in Project Ugnayan, a consortium among 270 private companies that raised PHP 1.7 Billion in funds to bring food aid to the most economically vulnerable communities in Greater Metro Manila. In partnership with the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and Caritas Manila, Project Ugnayan distributed P1,000 grocery vouchers to 2.8 million families or over 14 million individuals in these communities. The multi-sector initiative also distributed food relief through ABS-CBN’s Pantawid ng Pag-Ibig, ADB and the government’s Bayan Bayanihan, and Jollibee’s FoodAID Program.

The Ayala group has also been collaborating closely with government in Task Force T3 (Test, Trace, Treat) to expand the country’s national testing capacity by 13 times from just 4,500 in April 24 to 60,000 by July 12. Other participating companies include Aboitiz, ABS-CBN, JG Summit, Metrobank Foundation, the Razon Group through Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, and the Yuchengco Group. Today, the group continues to ramp up its healthcare efforts to bolster support for the Department of Health (DOH) and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) in light of the pandemic.

Despite this challenging time, Zobel recognizes tremendous potential in the next generation of workers to make meaningful change through new and innovative means.

“I sincerely hope that you, our young leaders, will ignite the spark that will lead our country on an irreversible path towards equitable progress. [I] strongly believe that there is no shortage of passion, creativity, and commitment within the Filipino youth. We all look forward to the legacy that you will create for your generation and future ones,” Zobel concluded.

The RVR Siklab Awards honor young trailblazers that display entrepreneurial spirit with a passion to make lives better, and a commitment to nation building. The webinar brought together civic leaders and young achievers to discuss current challenges and provide relevant insights on achieving innovative and sustainable solutions. About 1,300 viewers tuned in to watch the live webinar, which also featured RVR Nation Building Awardee Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, Founder and Chairman Emeritus of CARD MRI, and RVR Siklab Awardees Jan Bernard Tan, Co-Founder of iVolunteer Philippines and The Good Store Philippines, and Melissa Yap, Founder and Executive Director of Got Heart Foundation, Inc.. Br. Armin Luistro FSC of the Lasallian East Asia District gave the opening remarks, while PHINMA Corporation President and CEO Ramon del Rosario, Jr. closed the session with a message of hope for future generations of Filipinos.

The Ayala Group, led by its healthcare unit, Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health), has committed to further increase its efforts to support the government in the fight against COVID-19, during a meeting with IATF officials.

On July 25, the AC Health group, led by Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala and Fernando Zobel de Ayala, welcomed DOH Secretary Francisco T. Duque III, DND Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana, IATF Chief Implementer Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., IATF Chief Treatment Czar Usec. Bong Vega, Laguna Gov. Ramil Hernandez, and Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe of the WHO to Qualimed Sta. Rosa for a tour of the hospital and a discussion of Ayala’s COVID-related initiatives and various collaboration efforts with the government.

“Being one of the first private institutions to respond to COVID-19, the Ayala group continuously works with the IATF and the government in providing testing and treatment modalities for patients all over the country. Mabuhay po kayo!,” Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said.

“We are very thankful to the Ayala Group for heeding the call for greater collaboration between the government and private sector, and more importantly, for demonstrating the indomitable Bayanihan spirit of the Filipino people. This partnership between government and private sector is crucial in winning the battle against COVID-19, and making the successful transition to the ‘new normal.’,” Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. added.

As of June 30, the Ayala Group and AC Health have provided much needed COVID-related support to the government and the general public, with over P9B allocated for COVID-19 initiatives. Among these initiatives were the construction and upgrade of treatment and quarantine facilities like the World Trade Center We Heal As One facility, the Philippine Red Cross testing lab and 7 RT-PCR laboratories across the country. Swabbing booths for the government’s 4 mega Swabbing centers and NAIA terminals were also provided. Monetary and in-kind donations were allocated for testing kits, RPT machines, PPEs, among others.

“The Ayala Group renews its commitment to support the Department of Health (DOH) and Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) to address our local health care needs in light of the pandemic. In the next few weeks, we will continue to ramp up our testing capacities, expand our treatment and isolation facilities, and roll out various innovations, including a lower cost non-invasive ventilator, and an online healthcare platform,” Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of the Board of AC Health said.

Throughout the crisis, AC Health has maintained operations of their FamilyDOC primary care clinics, Healthway multi-specialty clinics, and Generika drugstores, providing much needed healthcare and medicine to patients. It has also led the conversion of Qualimed Sta. Rosa into a COVID-19 referral hospital, and has already capacitated 4 accredited COVID-19 laboratories located at the Tropical Disease Foundation (TDF) and Qualimed hospitals at Sta. Rosa, Laguna, San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, and Iloilo City, Iloilo. Testing equipment were also donated to the University of Cebu Medical Center (UC Med) and Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC).

To further support the government, AC Health plans to double the capacity of TDF from 200 daily tests processed to 400 by purchasing additional equipment and increasing manpower. In addition, the Daniel Mercado Medical Center (DMMC) in Batangas, a member of the Qualimed Health Network, was also recently accredited as a COVID-19 laboratory for an additional 1,000 tests per day. With these advances, the Ayala Group will provide a total daily testing capacity of 5,650 tests per day, in support of the DOHIATF’s T3 (Test, Trace Treat) program.

In addition, in partnership with Qualimed Sta. Rosa, led by Dr. Edwin Mercado, AC Health is looking to expand the hospital’s isolation and quarantine facilities, as cases continue to rise in the Laguna area. Qualimed Sta. Rosa has been able to screen nearly 3,000 suspect cases and has admitted over 100 confirmed cases since the beginning of March.

Furthermore, the Ayala Group through its subsidiaries has planned additional investments in innovative COVID-related programs, particularly to help improve the country’s supply of ventilators and to promote teleconsultation.

AC Industrials manufacturing platform Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI), a globally leading manufacturing services provider, has brought in the Ventura CPAP ventilator, a low-cost non-invasive ventilator, for Philippine use. The Ventura was developed by IMI’s United Kingdom-based subsidiary, Surface Technology International, in collaboration with international institutions and has been approved for use in the United Kingdom. The Ventura is now manufactured in IMI’s Laguna complex and once certified locally, will make available an additional 10,000 ventilators for the country.

Meanwhile, Globe Telecom’s 917Ventures and AC Health’s Vigos Ventures are also collaborating to create HealthNow, an all-in-one health app that will offer video consultations, medicine delivery, and clinic appointment booking, to be launched in August. By providing online access to doctors and healthcare services, HealthNow allows patients to get immediate care, and can also help decongest hospitals.

“We remain committed to protecting our fellow Filipinos and will continue to invest in much-needed testing and treatment facilities for our communities, and look for even more innovative ways to help. This is a tremendous challenge but we are one with the government in fighting this virus.” AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo added.