Category: News

Manila, Philippines, January 7, 2014 — Ayala Corp. announced that its BPO investment arm, LiveIt, has agreed to the combination of Stream Global Services, Inc., which is 29% owned by LiveIt, and Convergys Corporation, creating the second largest customer management services provider in the world. Once the transaction is complete, Convergys expects to have combined revenues of over $3 billion, and approximately 125,000 employees (including more than 53,000 in the Philippines) serving clients in 35 languages from over 135 contact centers in 25 countries.

Under the agreed terms, LiveIt and its two private equity partners, Ares Management and Providence Equity Partners, will sell 100% of their respective holdings in Stream, with LiveIt realizing approximately $145 million in total net equity proceeds. The transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2014, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. Ayala Corp. expects to realize a net gain of approximately Pesos 2 billion ($46 million) through LiveIt.

Fred Ayala, LiveIt’s CEO, stated, “Our partners and we are pleased with this transaction, which we believe has strong strategic rationale. We are very proud of the Stream team, and grateful to the thousands of individuals who helped build it from an industry pioneer into a global leader.”

Mr. Ayala added, “We believe that the global IT-BPO industry will continue to expand, particularly in the Philippines, where we expect it to remain one of the country’s top generators of new jobs. Consequently, we are continuing to build our investee companies in the high growth segments of the industry, and starting to invest in the Education space, which we see as a critical enabler of the IT-BPO industry, given its ever increasing demand for well-trained Filipino talent.”

Ayala Corporation announced that it acquired 140 million common shares of Manila Water Co., Inc. representing a 5.7% interest in the water utility. The shares were acquired from its strategic partner, Mitsubishi Corporation, which has been a long-time partner of Ayala since 1974 and has been a shareholder of Manila Water since 1997.

Following the acquisition, Ayala’s stake in Manila Water will increase from 43.1% to 48.8%, while Mitsubishi will remain a shareholder with a 1.2% interest.

Ayala President and COO Fernando Zobel de Ayala said, “Ayala Corporation is pleased to have this opportunity to increase its stake in Manila Water. Manila Water has consistently shown its ability to deliver world-class water and wastewater services, which brings countless benefits to the local and international communities in which it operates. We believe in the long-term growth potential of Manila Water as it continues to expand outside the East Zone of Metro Manila into other areas here and abroad that are in critical need of reliable water and wastewater services.”

Apart from Manila Water’s concession in Metro Manila’s East Zone, the company currently has four domestic water businesses which include Boracay Water, Laguna Water, Clark Water, and a bulk water supply project in Cebu. Combined, these businesses serve a population of 8.0 million Filipinos and Manila Water has continued to expand coverage and consistently reduce non-revenue water or system leakage over the past years. Manila Water has also expanded into water businesses around the ASEAN region, particularly in Vietnam where its expertise in water service and quality has been validated with the acquisition of two bulk water supply facilities in Ho Chi Minh City. Its leakage reduction project in Ho Chi Minh City which started in 2008 has outperformed its target and has benefited 25% of the city’s 6 million population.

The transaction is valued at P2.8 billion and was executed via a special block sale through the Philippine Stock Exchange.

The above statement pertains to the disclosure made on December 16, 2013, to the SEC, PSE, PDex, by Ayala CFO Chito Gonzalez.

Two of the country’s largest and most prominent conglomerates, First Pacific group and Ayala group, submitted the best complying bid for the latest Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, the P1.72-billion contactless automatic fare collection system (AFCS) that is expected to improve ridership experience for Light Rail Transit (LRT) and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) commuters through a modern and convenient fare collection system.

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) will conduct a customary post-bid evaluation before it awards the project to AF Consortium which is expected to be announced on December 23, 2013. The project will modernize the country’s transport systems by financing, designing, constructing, and managing the implementation and operation of a contactless AFCS based on smart card technology.

The AF Consortium is among the five consortia pre-qualified by the DOTC that submitted bids to this critical project, composed of groups that teamed up with foreign companies with established experience in similar ticketing systems, such as those in the technology, banking, transportation, and retail industries.

The AF Consortium is composed of BPI Card Finance Corporation as lead member, Globe Telecom, and AC Infrastructure Holdings Corp. of the Ayala group and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., Smart Communications and Meralco FinServe of the First Pacific group.

The AF Consortium partnered with MSI Global and SMRT. MSI Global developed the software for the automatic fare collection systems in Singapore and Bangkok, while SMRT currently operates Singapore’s mass transit system.

The DOTC first evaluated the Technical Proposal of the AF Consortium and gave it a passing mark last December 6, 2013 along with two other bidders. On December 9, 2013 it announced that the AF Consortium offered the best price.

The contactless payment system will facilitate efficient passenger transfer to other rail lines, and enhance fare collection efficiency by reducing leakage and fraud.

AFCS has the business potential for expansion to other transport modes and systems, such as buses, toll roads and the Philippine National Railway (PNR), in the future.

Capitalizing on Integrated Strength and Expertise for the Project’s Full Potential

The AF Consortium, through its combined skills in managing leading companies in the country, reflects a strong partnership that will help realize the latent possibilities of the system as well as expanding it to opportunities in the retail business.

“We are pleased to share a common ground with Ayala Corporation through the AFCS project that will help modernize our rail transport system. This strategic alliance will create integrated solutions that will improve public transportation through our vision to transform the country’s light rail transit system into a network very much like those in Hong Kong, Singapore, and other major cities in Asia,’’ MPIC chairman, Manuel V. Pangilinan said.

“We are delighted to build this exciting platform together with the First Pacific group. We will be leveraging the complementary strengths and assets of each consortium member, and we believe that we can help bring out the promising potential of AFCS not only as a transit fare collection method but as a broader and efficient payment ecosystem at par with global standards,” Ayala Corporation Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said.

With this partnership, the two conglomerates’ much vaunted management experience, technical know-how, reputable customer base as well as financial clout, will combine for a formidable package to ensure the success of AFCS.

The AF Consortium has the option to expand the contactless card system to other businesses in and out of the transportation sector, such as in retail transactions making it a truly pervasive scheme that is envisioned to change the payments landscape in the country.

Full implementation of AFCS is targeted by the third quarter of 2015

ONE BIG AYALA VOLUNTEER NIGHT. More than 1,900 Ayala group employees, friends, and family, participated in One Big Ayala Volunteer Night, held on Friday, November 22, at Villamor Air Base, DSWD NROC, and Air21 Cargohaus.

The number of volunteers from AC, ALI, BPI, Globe, IMI, LiveIt (including HRMall, Stream, Integreon, Affinity, LGSMI, and APEC), Ayala Auto, Ayala Aviation, AGLegal, AFI, and Ayala Coop, far exceeded expectations. Manila Water provided tents and water services at the three sites and will also help repack on Nov 27.

RESTORE.
Cellular service is now up in Guiuan, Eastern Samar and 20 other areas. With this restoration, Globe is now essentially present in all areas severely affected by the supertyphoon.

BPI Tacloban (Main) Branch resumed serving the public on Friday, Nov 22. Banking hours are from 9AM to 1PM. An ATM is back online to service the withdrawal requirements of clients. Following a directive from the Philippine Clearing House Corp, there are no check-clearing operations until further notice.

RELIEVE.
Globe held medical missions in Estancia, Iloilo, and Poblacion, Roxas City. These included free consultation and medicine, activities for children, and distribution of relief goods.

A total of 199,200 liters of potable water were produced by Manila Water’s Mobile Treatment Plant from Nov 16 to 23 in Bantayan Island, Cebu.

Tower One tenants and employees responded to the call for donations to Bulig Bisaya. The relief goods will be turned over to Caritas Manila or transported directly to affected sites within the week.

Ayala Land has collected 4,000 packs of relief goods from Ayala Malls and other drop-off points.

REBUILD.
Ayala Land President and CEO Tony Aquino and other officers visited Sicogon and met with residents to determine how to best help rebuild their communities.

Responding to the request of DOH, Manila Water is sending two laboratory analysts to assist in checking water quality in Tacloban and Eastern Samar.

BULIG BISAYA | The Ayala group is responding to the crisis in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda through the immediate restoration of vital services such as telecommunications and banking, provision of potable water, as well as relief and rebuilding operations carried out by its companies and employees in cooperation with government agencies and partner organizations.

In a disclosure submitted today to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Philippine Stock Exchange, and Philippine Dealing and Exchange Corporation, Ayala Corporation CFO Delfin Gonzalez Jr said the the company has redeemed 12,000,000 Ayala Corporation Preferred Class A (ACPA) shares representing all of the outstanding ACPA shares. The shares will form part of Ayala’s treasury shares until they are re-issued. There are no plans at present to re-issue the redeemed ACPA shares.

In view of the foregoing, ACPA now ceases to be traded at the PSE and will maintain this status until its re-issuance.

BULIG BISAYA | The Ayala group is responding to the crisis in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda through the immediate restoration of vital services such as telecommunications and banking, provision of potable water, as well as relief and rebuilding operations carried out by its companies and employees in cooperation with government agencies and partner organizations.

AS ONE WE CAN. Ayala Foundation, in coordination with the Employee Relations (ER) Network, takes the lead in mobilizing employees across the Ayala group for tonight’s relief goods repacking. The activity has drawn almost twice the number of expected volunteers. About 1,900 employees from AC, ALI, BPI, Globe, IMI, Ayala Auto, Ayala Aviation, Ayala Coop, AG Legal, and LiveIt and its companies Stream, Affinity Express, HRMall, LGSMI, APEC, and Integreon, will assemble at 3 locations: Villamor Air Base Multi-Purpose Gym, DSWD National Resource Operations Center, and Air21 Cargohaus.

XMAS CONCERTS FOR A CAUSE / #SEASONSSYMPH. Ayala Foundation and Ayala Museum present “Season’s Symphonies,” a series of Christmas concerts beginning December 4. Proceeds will go to AFI’s Laging Handa program.

Featured artists are the UP Jazz Ensemble, Arthur Espiritu and Friends, Ramoncito Carpio & Nebrija Ramos Guitar Duo, Manila Symphony Orchestra, and UP Guitar Orchestra. For ticket inquiries, call 759-8288 loc 31.

PAYING IT FORWARD / AYLC ALUMNI TAKE ACTION. Ayala Young Leaders Alumni Association (AYLAA) has been reaching out to communities, distributing bottled water in Tacloban, Samar, and Iloilo, and raising funds for medicine.

On the ground, the AYLAA Iloilo has actively provided assistance and relief to Carles Island, Brgy. Binaodawan, Pillar Capiz, and Estancia, Iloilo. Alumni are joining the One Big Ayala Volunteer Night, and will continue to assist Operation Salubong as Psychological First Aid responders, marshals, and Oplan Hatid volunteers.

CORPORATE ROUNDUP

• 1,928 Registered volunteers for One Big Ayala Volunteer Night
• 1st of BPI’s 3 branches in Tacloban is now open from 9AM to 1PM, and 1 ATM is now back online to serve clients
• 143,200 Liters of water produced by Manila Water’s Mobile Treatment Plant in Bantayan Island
• Manila Water has also set up tents and water stations in Camp Aguinaldo in support of Operation Salubong for Tacloban evacuees
• P1M New donation thanks to Ayala Land Hotels and Resorts Corp
• P1.5M Contribution of Amaia to Alay 25 sa Visayas
• Globei s 1st to provide telco services in Tacloban, Borongan, and now, Biliran
• 38 Libreng Tawag, 59 Libreng Charging, and 6 Libreng Internet stations
• P601k GCASH donations to Red Cross and P4.8M Rewards Points donation
• P161k Globe employee donations

BULIG BISAYA | The Ayala group is responding to the crisis in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda through the immediate restoration of vital services such as telecommunications and banking, provision of potable water, as well as relief and rebuilding operations carried out by its companies and employees in cooperation with government agencies and partner organizations.

THE POWER OF SYNERGY. Ayala Business Club Cebu was among the first to welcome thousands of evacuees from Tacloban who arrived at the Rafael Ramos Naval Base. This contributed photo shows representatives of three sectors–government (Fire Bureau), private sector (Honda Cebu), and nonprofit (Red Cross)–working together to assist a survivor of Typhoon Yolanda.

U.S. PINOYS SEND HELP BACK HOME / WAIVED FEES UNTIL 30. Wells Fargo is waiving all ExpressSend Remittance transfer fees for U.S.-based clients sending money to family and friends in the Philippines via credit to a BPI account or cash pick-up at any BPI branch. The fee waiver is effective from November 13 to 30.

Wells Fargo is also supporting relief efforts with a total grant of US$250,000 (or more than P10 million) to the American Red Cross and International Medical Corps.

GLOBE CUSTOMERS RESPOND / DONATE GCASH, LOYALTY POINTS. Globe opened several mobile and online channels for its subscribers to support typhoon relief efforts–and they have responded tremendously. GCash donations to the Red Cross have reached more than half a million pesos and donation of Rewards POints for Bangon Pinoy and Ayala Foundation initiatives is now valued at P4.7 million.

Meanwhile, Globe has further expanded its cellular service in 16 more towns in Leyte and Samar. It continues to operate Libreng Tawag, Libreng Charging, and Libreng Internet stations in affected areas.

CORPORATE PARTNERS, INDIVIDUAL DONOR S GIVE TO AFI’S LAGING HANDA. AFI’s fundraising campaign for people and communities affected by Typhoon Yolanda has reached P27.7 million, as of Nov 19. Of these, P5.9M are cash donations, while P21.8M are pledges. To date, a total of P2.4M has been deployed for various relief operations.

AFI is also continuing its partnership with Ayala Business Club and other groups for relief operations in northern Cebu, including Bogo City, Medellin, Daanbantayan, and Bantayan Island. In addition, Nokia is providing cellphone units to support the communication needs of World Food Programme and DSWD. Globe is also providing SIM cards for the phones, some to be deployed in Libreng Tawag stations.

CORPORATE ROUNDUP

• P15M Pledged by Globe for Gawad Kalinga community reconstruction activities such as housebuilding and livelihood support
• 5,000 Tattoo Prepaid Mobile Wifi and stick devices to be distributed in typhoon-affected areas
• 1,000 Expected number of Ayala group employees participating in tomorrow’s One Big Ayala Volunteer Night

ALI PRESIDENT AND CEO TONY AQUINO, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE CONCERT SERIES STARTS OF JOY, STARS OF HOPE: “We invite everyone to be one with us in giving and sharing this Christmas season to bring hope and inspiration to our brothers and sisters. There is no greater joy than in giving a part of yourself, whether in terms of time, money, or prayers.”

BULIG BISAYA | The Ayala group is responding to the crisis in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda through the immediate restoration of vital services such as telecommunications and banking, provision of potable water, as well as relief and rebuilding operations carried out by its companies and employees in cooperation with government agencies and partner organizations.

WINGS OF HELP AND HOPE. Soon after Typhoon Yolanda struck, Ayala Aviation began coordinating with BPI, Globe, and ALI to transport people, telecom equipment, and relief goods between Manila, Cebu, and Tacloban. More recently, it delivered telecom equipment to Samar and conducted aerial surveys with Globe and ALI in Samar, Iloilo, and Sicogon.

T-SHIRT DRIVE / ONE WITH ALVEO. Alveo Land employees are enjoined to donate at least one t-shirt for its relief drive. This is one of the many initiatives undertaken by ALI strategic business units.

Meanwhile, Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation has initiated Operation Solidarity, a donation drive among BGC locators and partners.

SILENT AUCTION NOV 21 6PM. In lieu of a Christmas launch, Greenbelt is holding a Silent Auction to benefit the victims of Typhoon Yolanda and the Bohol earthquake. The event features special merchandise and artwork donated by Ayala Malls partners. The event is co-presented by BPI, AFI, and The Philippine Star.

UNIQUE WAYS TO HELP WITH GLOBE / OLD PHONES, DANCE CONTEST. Donation drives and relief activities continue to gain strong support across the Ayala group. In addition, Globe has come up with other unique ways by which the public come help.

TM has turned its Inter-Barkada Contest into a fundraising activity among participating schools wherein the winning group agrees to donate half of the cash prize to typhoon relief efforts. Globe Stores will soon be accepting donations of old phones. Globe is also giving a matching donation for every peso load purchased at Prepaid on the Go caravans.

CORPORATE ROUNDUP

• 51 Passengers transported and 35 personnel evacuated by Ayala Aviation
• P15k Ayala Aviation employees donations to date
• S$1,590 Donated by IMI Singapore and US$2,700 given by corporate and individual partners of IMI
• 256 IMI employees who have volunteered for repacking activities
• P974k IMI savings and employee donations to date
• P100k Worth of relief goods and clothes donated to the Red Cross by Manila Water
• P59k Manila Water employees donations to date
• 40,000 Baso Water produced since last week and 87,200 liters from the MTP in Bantayan Island

BULIG BISAYA | The Ayala group is responding to the crisis in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda through the restoration of vital services such as telecommunications and banking, provision of potable water, as well as relief and rebuilding operations carried out by its companies and employees in cooperation with government agencies and partner organizations.

ALIZENS LEND A HAND. About a hundred Ayala Land volunteers went to DSWD this morning for relief goods repacking. ALI, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, aims to raise P25 million for relief and rebuilding efforts. Employees have responded to the call not only by donating cash and in kind, but also by participating in volunteer activities.

BANGON PINOY / KA-GLOBE UNITE. Globe employee-volunteers (Ka-Globe) continue to participate in relief efforts in Metro Manila and the Visayas. In addition, Globe’s Bangon Pinoy campaign allows customers to donate via GCash, support rebuilding efforts for each purchase of a Tattoo stick or subscription to Tattoo Home Broadband Plan 1599, drop off relief goods at TM Republikaravans, and donate Rewards Points.

STARS OF HOPE, STARS OF JOY 6:30PM AT GLORIETTA. Tonight, Ayala Malls presents a benefit concert featuring Piolo Pascual, Kuh Ledesma, Isabella Ledesma, Joanne Ampil, and Martin Nievera. Then on Thursday, Nov 21, at 6PM, a silent auction by top lifestyle brands will be held at Greenbelt 5 Fashion Walk. The fundraising event will feature the Madrigal Singers.

CORPORATE ROUNDUP
– 4,730 Relief goods and 3,000 hot meals distributed by Globe
– 25 Libreng Tawag, 47 Libreng Charging, and 6 Libreng Internet stations
– 8,000 Relief packs delivered by ALI to communities in Iloilo. Meanwhile Cebu Holdings’ relief operations reach Bantayan Island and northern Cebu.
– P5.4M Actual donations and P21.8 M in pledges to AFI
– 1,500 – 2,200 liters per hour produced by the Mobile Treatment Plant in Bantayan Island

DONATION CHANNELS
– Ayala Foundation’s Laging Handa and other channels – www.ayalafoundation.org
– BPI – Log on to www.bpiexpressonline.com > Payments & Reloading > eDonations
– Globe GCash – Dial *143#, select GCASH . Others > Donate. Or use the GCash mobile app on Android and Blackberry or go to www.globe.com.ph/gcashonline
– ADeals.ph – Purchase “donation vouchers” to be coursed through Ayala Foundation

BULIG BISAYA | The Ayala group is responding to the crisis in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda through the restoration of vital services such as telecommunications and banking, provision of potable water, as well as relief and rebuilding operations carried out by its companies and employees in cooperation with government agencies and partner organizations.

MTP LANDS IN BANTAYAN. In addition to providing Baso Water in Leyte, Manila Water (through its subsidiary Cebu Manila Water Development and in coordination with the LGU), has also deployed its Mobile Treatment Plant to Bantayan Island with a population of more than 74,000. The MTP is manned by a team of 8 and is stationed at Barangay Ticad. Since Saturday, it has produced 38,400 liters of potable water sourced from seawater.

ONE BIG AYALA VOLUNTEER NIGHT NOV 22 FRIDAY 6PM. Aside from donating cash and in kind, employees in the Ayala group have been participating in relief goods repacking since last week. On Friday, the Ayala group will gather as one. Contact your HR department to sign up for the One Big Ayala Volunteer Night. Ayala, Bulig Bisaya!

BPI FOUNDATION, BPI REMITTANCE WAIVED FEE UNTIL NOVEMBER 30. BPI has waived remittance fees for donations sent through BPI Europe and BPI Remittance Centers. Beneficiary institutions are Ayala Foundation, BPI Foundation, ABS-CBN Foundation Sagip Kapamilya, Caritas Manila, and the Philippine National Red Cross. For the list of branches and remittance centers, go to www.bpiexpressonline.com.

HOT MEALS FOR EVACUEES, RESIDENTS / AFI, ABC CEBU, GLOBE REACH OUT. With funds from AFI, Ayala Business Club Cebu prepared packed meals for Leytehanons arriving in Cebu. Volunteers from ABC Cebu, Honda, and Stream distributed meals to evacuees who arrived yesterday, Nov 18, at the Rafael Ramos Naval Base.

In Capiz, Globe set up a mobile kitchen providing hot meals for 1,000 people. It also distributed hot meals in Concepcion and Sara, Iloilo, last week.

CORPORATE ROUNDUP
– 80% Globe network in the Visayas restored #BangonPIinoy
– P750k IMI employees’ pledges and savings from cancelled events
– P3.6M Donations raised among BPI employees as of Nov 18 10AM
– P4.5M Donations raised among AC, Liveit, Aviation, and HRMall employees and savings from events as of Nov 19
– P931k Ayala Auto associates’ donations and company savings
– P5M Ayala Land’s initial donation coming from event savings across all strategic business units (SBUs)
– 89 out of 92 BPI and BPI Family Savings Bank branches in affected areas now operational with the reopening in Ormoc and Baybay. Only 3 Tacloban branches are closed