Category: News

MANILA — Fresh from her SEA Games success in Hanoi, Vietnam, #AtletangAyala and Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi will once again plunge into action at the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary on June 18 to July 3.

According to Alkhaldi, she commenced training for the world meet as soon as she arrived from Hanoi. “The World Championships is important to me because it is part of my pathway towards hopefully making it to the Olympics in 2024,” she said.

The 29-year-old swimmer, who also represented the Philippines in the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics, bagged a silver and a bronze medal in women’s 4x100m medley relay and women’s 100m butterfly, respectively, from the recent SEA Games.

During the Games, Alkhaldi also earned a “B” Standard Entry Time (women’s 50m freestyle) in a FINA qualifying event, enabling her to clinch a spot with Miranda Renner and Jonathan Cook. “I have been working on carrying my physical performance from the recently concluded SEA Games toward my performances at Worlds. I have not stopped my training since I have returned from Hanoi to best prepare myself,” she said.  

Alkhaldi is one of eight national athletes that compose the pioneering batch of #AtletangAyala. Each athlete underwent a rigorous screening process that lasted for a month.

“Swimming at the recently concluded SEA Games, as a national athlete and an #AtletangAyala, was truly an honor,” she said. “The #AtletangAyala program gave me the support and the boost of confidence that I needed, knowing that there is a program that will support me and also root for me, not only before or during the Games, but also even after.”  

As part of her #AtletangAyala benefits, Alkhaldi was hired by Ayala Center for Excellence in Sports (ACES) as a program associate, where she will receive full-time salary for part-time work. Alkhaldi will also have free access to the world-class training facilities of the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub, which features a FINA-standard Olympic size swimming pool. 

“The structure and program set forth only inspires me to do better as an athlete with all these tools and resources outside of sport given to me. I definitely am encouraged to train harder to hopefully make the Ayala community and the whole country proud,” she said.    

Ayala believes that sports can inspire and bring together a nation. Hence, through ACES, Ayala hopes to enable Filipino athletes achieve their full potential. #AyalaForTheGreaterGood   

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For more information:

YLA ALCANTARA
Head, Brand and Reputation Management
Ayala Corporation
e-mail –  publicaffairs@ayala.com

Fresh from being recognized and awarded with the COVID Management Initiative of the Year Award from Healthcare Asia, AC Health continues to put together the vital pieces to realize its vision and commitment of bringing accessible and affordable healthcare for all Filipinos.

AC Health, a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation, through its QualiMed Hospital – Iloilo facility recently shared its plans for its In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Center and Integrated Practice Unit (IPU). Citing estimates that 1 in 10 Filipinos is affected by infertility and that 10% of those with infertility concerns will undergo IVF treatment as premise, Dr. Henry Tupas, Director and President of the Iloilo Fertility and Reproductive Care Center (IFER) presented key developments on the Iloilo Fertility & Reproductive Care Center Phase 2 Expansion Project which is the first and only Fertility and IVF Center in Western Visayas.

In accordance with the concept of a patient-centered integrated practice unit (IPU), the services to be offered at the Iloilo Fertility and Reproductive Care Center (IFER) is organized around the patient’s primary problem of infertility and providing the full cycle of care for the patient’s medical condition. According to Dr. Tupas, “It will offer assisted reproductive technology, cryopreservation and genetic testing with our very own, fertility doctor, Dr. Rey Castillo leading the way and with the guidance of QualiMed – Iloilo COO Dr. Nathaniel Chan, and QualiMed – Iloilo Medical Director Dr. James Woo.”

The presentation on the IVF IPU was made during the recent MDXperience Roadshow that kicked off last May 26 at QualiMed Hospital in Atria Park, Iloilo City. The event was also attended by Ayala Corporation President and CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala, AC Health President and CEO Paolo Borromeo, Healthway Philippines Inc. President and CEO Jaime E. Ysmael, QualiMed Health Network Group COO Margaret Bengzon, Healthway Cancer Care Center Vice Chairman for Medical Advisory Dr. Manuel Francisco Roxas, AC Health Consultant Dr. Manuel Dayrit, QualiMed – Iloilo COO Dr. Nathaniel Chan, and QualiMed – Iloilo Medical Director Dr. James Woo.

Ayala Corporation President and CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala also took the opportunity to reaffirm the Ayala group’s commitment to investing in healthcare, “At Ayala, nation-building has always been at our core and the pandemic has only reinforced our long-standing commitment towards improving lives and promoting development and growth for the country, which of course includes accessible and quality healthcare. The pandemic underpinned the importance of investing in healthcare and we at Ayala promise to continue doing so.”

AC Health President Paolo Borromeo for his part reiterated the Group’s commitment to healthcare, “We have a genuine desire to address gaps in the healthcare sector. Our belief is that healthcare is a fundamental human right. Creating an integrated healthcare ecosystem that will provide accessible and affordable healthcare for all Filipinos is the bold vision of AC Health.”

Emphasizing the importance of proactive and meaningful doctor engagement in the entire organization, Healthway Philippines Inc. President and CEO Jaime E. Ysmael in turn conveyed, “A key element of success to realize our vision to be among the major players in the hospital and clinics space is our Stakeholder Engagement or Stakeholder for Life Program. This program focuses on our three main stakeholders – you, our doctors, our patients, and our employees. As our partners in delivering quality care, our doctors play a critical role. Hence, we value very much the relationship and would like to continue to strengthen it. Our doctor engagement program supports the three main areas of a doctor’s needs, which are to be able to practice, learn and teach.”

During this time of constant change and transition, AC Health is committed towards improving lives and promoting development and growth for the Filipino people, which includes accessible and quality healthcare. Doctors play a crucial part on making this possible as they work together with their leadership team to achieve this goal.

Other QualiMed facilities that offer Integrated Practice Units are:

QualiMed – Tanauan, Batangas (GI/Gastro Center, and Acute Stroke Unit)

QualiMed Hospital – San Jose del Monte, Bulacan (Diabetes Center, Hypertension Center, Geriatric Center, AesthetiQ Center, Breast and Women’s Health Center, and Eye Center)

QualiMed Hospital – Sta. Rosa, Laguna (Aesthetic Center, Lifestyle and Wellness Center, Wound and Ostomy Care Center, and Neuroscience Center)

QualiMed Surgery Center – Manila (Women’s Health and Breast Center, Palliative Care Clinic, Wound & Ostomy Care Center, and Pain Management Clinic).

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QualiMed is a comprehensive network of full-service hospitals, multi-specialty clinics, and a stand-alone day surgery center. QualiMed Health Network is part of Healthway Philippines Inc. and of the AC Health Group.

For further inquiries, you may reach us through:
Telephone: +63287080000
Email: contact.us@qualimed.com.ph
Website: http://www.qualimed.com.ph

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AC Health

Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation, and serves as the portfolio company for healthcare businesses. Its vision is to build an ecosystem that links every patient to a seamless healthcare experience. Its portfolio includes Generika Drugstore, the pioneer in generic retail pharmacies, IE Medica and MedEthix, major pharmaceutical importer and distributor, Healthway, a network of primary care, multi-specialty, and corporate clinics, and QualiMed, a comprehensive network of full-service hospitals, multi-specialty clinics, and a stand-alone day surgery center. AC Health has also invested in health technology solutions, most recently, HealthNow, a healthcare aggregator app that offers online consultations, medicine delivery, and clinic and diagnostic booking.

For information:
Nicole Tajanlangit
Corporate Strategy & Development
E-mail: ztajanlangit.ncb@achealth.com.ph

MANILA — Ayala Corporation successfully listed the second tranche of the company’s P30 billion debt securities program on the Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corporation on Thursday.

This issuance successfully raised P15 billion to refinance a P10 billion bond with an original maturity in May 2027. The remainder of the proceeds will be used to support Ayala’s investment program for 2022.

Amidst market volatility, the bond offering was met with high investor demand, raking total bids of P121.2 billion or 12.12 times oversubscription over the base issuance of P10 billion. This is the largest book a non-bank and non-government deal has seen in recent years.

“We are honored to have received positive investor response to this issuance that supports our liability management in a rising interest rate environment.  It also validates the market’s confidence in Ayala’s credit quality, while solidifying our balance sheet under volatile markets,” said Fernando Zobel de Ayala, President & CEO of Ayala Corporation.

“This is the largest Peso-denominated issuance by volume that we have seen from Ayala Corp,” said Antonino Nakpil, President & CEO of Philippine Dealing & Exchange Corp. “The size of the issuance has not fazed investors, whose demand for AC instruments triggered the oversubscription from the initial issue size of P10 billion.”

The Ayala group remains committed to helping ensure the vibrancy of the Philippine capital markets. Ayala Corporation, Ayala Land, and BPI have raised an aggregate of over P75 billion over the past two years. Ayala group bonds currently account for around 15% of the total tradeable value of corporate debt instruments in the country.

“We are thankful for the market’s continued trust in the Ayala group as the funds that we have raised will be helpful in enhancing our core value drivers, expanding our emerging businesses, and further unlocking value through our portfolio investments,” Zobel added.

“We are optimistic that Ayala Corporation will continue to be at the forefront as a reliable partner of government towards nation-building,” said Securities and Exchange Commissioner Kelvin Lester Lee.  

“With a diverse portfolio spanning from banking, real estate, telecommunication, renewable energy, water infrastructure, and electronics technology, Ayala is certainly in every aspect of our lives. It is truly one of the country’s oldest and most revered organizations that have stood the tests of time,” Lee added.  

For 2022, Ayala group allocated up to P285 billion in combined capital expenditure and investments to execute on the growth initiatives across its businesses. The group commits to support the continued expansion of its core value drivers Ayala Land, BPI, Globe, and ACEN. It will also scale up emerging businesses AC Health and AC Logistics to create new sources of growth and value.  

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For more information:
YLA ALCANTARA
Head, Brand and Reputation Management
Ayala Corporation
e-mail – publicaffairs@ayala.com

MANILA — Healthcare Asia Awards has given the COVID Management Initiative of the Year (Philippines) award to Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) for the latter’s integrated ecosystem approach in responding to COVID-19.

In a feature published on the leading healthcare magazine, AC Health was hailed for helping strengthen the Philippines’ COVID-19 response by leveraging its unique ecosystem to address the gaps and fulfill its mandate of providing quality, affordable, and accessible healthcare to Filipinos.

“To effectively manage the spread of the virus, AC Health launched a multipronged approach, establishing a strong presence across all patient touch points and providing end-to-end services to Filipinos,” the article reads.

Healthcare Asia Awards aims to honor hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers that have “risen above the challenges and made a remarkable impact to their patients most especially amidst the massive disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

AC Health President & CEO Paolo Borromeo, meanwhile, thanked Healthcare Asia for recognizing the company’s holistic approach to COVID management. “Thank you to Healthcare Asia for this amazing recognition. This is a testament to the dedication and commitment of all our frontliners at AC Health, and it fuels our commitment to improve healthcare for all Filipinos.”  

Borromeo added, “This recognition would not have been possible without the trust and support of our partners from the national government, the DOH, IATF and various local government units. While the pandemic did expose gaps in our healthcare system, it also uncovered opportunities for stronger collaborations between private and public sectors to build and scale up solutions faster and more effectively. We look forward to this continued partnership with the government.”

In the early months of the pandemic, AC Health led a consortium to invest in and scale up national RT-PCR testing capacities, which included 7 BSL-2 laboratories across the country, equivalent to an additional capacity for 5,500 RT-PCR tests per day.

As the pandemic continued, demand for inpatient COVID care rose and hospitals were overwhelmed. AC Health’s Healthway clinics continued operations to triage and service non-COVID related concerns and thus decongest hospitals. AC Health also converted its four QualiMed hospitals into COVID-19 referral facilities. More than half of QualiMed’s beds were dedicated to COVID cases, including ICUs.

AC Health also augmented the existing team of medical professionals with more staffing to help manage the increased demand. In addition, its pharma businesses, Generika and IE Medica/MedEthix, also continued to ensure adequate supply of medicines.

MedEthix was also the first to bring in Molnupiravir, an oral antiviral treatment for mild cases of COVID-19, into the country under a Compassionate Special Permit. This was then made available to patients across the network via Healthway, QualiMed, and the HealthNow super app.

With the arrival of COVID vaccines in 2021, AC Health launched COVIDShield, enabling it to administer over 770,000 doses of COVID vaccines (as of May 2022) for its partners within and outside of the Ayala group across 30+ sites nationwide.

AC Health is currently building the Philippines’ first dedicated cancer specialty hospital, which is expected to be completed by 2023. The 100-bed Healthway Cancer Care Center will offer a complete range of services from screening, diagnosis, treatment to post-cancer care. This facility will be equipped with 20 chemotherapy chairs, 4 operating theaters, and state of the art diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, optimized for cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment.    

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AC Health

Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation, and serves as the portfolio company for healthcare businesses. Its vision is to build an ecosystem that links every patient to a seamless healthcare experience. Its portfolio includes Generika Drugstore, the pioneer in generic retail pharmacies, IE Medica and MedEthix, major pharmaceutical importer and distributor, Healthway, a network of primary care, multi-specialty, and corporate clinics, and QualiMed, a comprehensive network of full-service hospitals, multi-specialty clinics, and a stand-alone day surgery center. AC Health has also invested in health technology solutions, most recently, HealthNow, a healthcare aggregator app that offers online consultations, medicine delivery, and clinic and diagnostic booking.

For further inquiries, contact:

Nicole Tajanlangit
Strategy and External Affairs
E-mail: ztajanlangit.ncb@achealth.com.ph

MANILA — Ayala Center For Excellence in Sports (ACES) on Saturday names eight national athletes selected for its pilot program Atletang Ayala.

Launched last March, ACES is part of Ayala’s commitment to nation-building by providing holistic support to the country’s emerging athletic Olympic bets. Ayala believes that sports can inspire and bring together a nation. Hence, through ACES, Ayala finds a way to help the next generation of Filipino athletes achieve their full potential.

“Many of our athletes are already well on the way to becoming internationally competitive in this way. We would like to help support them, by building long-term relationships that will help them become the best they can be in both their athletic and post-athletic careers,” said Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Chairman of Ayala Corporation.

“We believe that this posture of investing in the long-term development of the individual, as both an athlete and as a person, is an effective and sustainable way to build success in Philippine national sports,” he added

The pioneering roster of Atletang Ayala includes:

o Jasmine Alkhadi (29) – Two-time Olympic swimmer and SEAG gold medalist – Double major degree holder in Marketing & Management (Hawaii)

o Andrea Robles (25) – First Filipino Gold Medalist at the Indoor Archery World Series – Dean’s Lister in Management (Ateneo de Manila University)

o Prince Alejo (21) – Youngest nationally ranked karateka – Studying Mechanical Engineering (Polytechnic University of the Philippines)

o Pia Bidaure (24) – World-ranked archer and SEAG medalist – Studying Civil Engineering (Siliman University)

o Xiandi Chua (21) – Nationally-ranked swimmer and SEAG silver medalist and – Dean’s Lister in Business Entrepreneurship (De La Salle University)

o Nat Perez (26) – Philippines’ top foil fencer – Aspiring entrepreneur

o Abby Bidaure (20) – World-ranked national archer and – Studying Psychology (University of St. La Salle – Bacolod)

o Noel Jose (25) – World-ranked fencer – Cum Laude graduate in BS Physical Education (University of Santo Tomas)

Each Atletang Ayala underwent a rigorous screening process that lasted for a month. “We wanted to make sure that athletes in the program were as accomplished and committed to their professional careers as to their athletic careers. We were amazed to find many applicants exhibited precisely those levels of commitment, in each of those areas. The 8 selected are, in our view, the best partners, professionally and athletically,” said Jan Bengzon, ACES Program Director.

Under the Atletang Ayala program, participating Ayala Group companies will offer full-salaried employment opportunities at part-time hours to the selected national athletes while they train for the 2022 Asian Games and the 2024 Olympics.

Athletes selected for the program will also be given free access to the world-class training facilities of the Ayala Vermosa Sports Hub (AVSH) in Cavite, which features a 400m track oval built in accordance with the standards of the International Association of Athletics Federations, a FINA-standard Olympic size swimming pool, and an indoor training facility equipped with a sports science laboratory.

AVSH facilities can accommodate training for track/athletics, aquatics, cycling, triathlon, football, rugby, and frisbee.

Further, ACES has partnered with De La Salle University to offer free enrollment in a selection of courses. This benefit will enable athletes to matriculate in DLSU’s world-class programs, eventually earning degrees that will support their career development.

Each Atletang Ayala will be offered a yearly contract that provides for the above benefits and can be renewed annually until the 2024 Olympics, contingent on the attainment of clear performance measures.

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For more information:

YLA ALCANTARA
Head, Brand and Reputation Management
Ayala Corporation
e-mail – publicaffairs@ayala.com

MANILA, Philippines, April 29, 2022 – Ayala Corporation welcomes former Philippines finance secretary Cesar V. Purisima and former Singtel Group CEO Chua Sock Koong to its board of directors following their election at the company’s annual stockholders meeting on Friday.

Purisima and Chua take the seats of outgoing directors Keiichi Matsunaga and Antonio Jose U. Periquet, who had been part of the Ayala board since April 2017 and September 2010, respectively.

Purisima served as the country’s finance chief and chair of the economic development cluster of the President’s Cabinet from 2010 to 2016. Under his leadership, the Philippines received its first investment-grade ratings. Purisima also served as Chairman and Country Managing Partner of the Philippines’ largest professional services firm, SGV & Co.

Chua is currently senior advisor at Singtel, Asia’s leading communications technology group, where she also served as group CEO for 13 years until December 2020. She is currently the Deputy Chairman of Singapore’s Public Service Commission and a member of the Council of Presidential Advisers and the Research, Innovation and Enterprise Council.

In his message to the stockholders, Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said, “We always strive to achieve sufficient diversity of thinking across our board representation and have worked to create a proper combination of knowledge, experience, and expertise to guide management. With an increasing demand for companies to adhere to new ESG standards, we understand the need to always focus on revisiting our board composition and allowing transitions to take place at appropriate moments.”

Zobel added, “We believe Mr. Purisima and Ms. Chua will provide immense value and complement the existing expertise and strengths of our current Directors.” He also thanked Matsunaga and Periquet for sharing their wisdom and experience, which helped Ayala withstand various headwinds over the years.

The Ayala board now has two female directors with Chua and Ex-Sun Life Financial (Philippines) CEO Rizalina Mantaring.  

Strengthening ESG commitment

Last October 2021, Ayala Corporation committed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. To develop its net-zero roadmap, Ayala partnered with South Pole, a leading project developer and global climate solutions provider that works with private organizations and governments worldwide.

By December 2021, Ayala Corporation and core business units Ayala Land, BPI, ACEN, and Globe completed a climate action gap analysis study, marking the first phase in the engagement with South Pole. The study highlighted strengths, areas for improvement, and potential quick wins for Ayala and its core businesses.

Ayala Land, BPI, ACEN, and Globe are currently in the process of accounting for their respective GHG footprints and will be followed by an intervention assessment and target-setting. The group is on-track to develop bespoke net-zero greenhouse gas emissions roadmaps for each of the core business units towards the end of 2022.

On the social front, Ayala became a member of the Business Commission to Tackle Inequality, an initiative by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development that focuses on mobilizing the global business community to address the disparity and imbalance across income, wealth, and opportunities. It aims to accelerate business action around equity and put it at par with climate and nature action. Recently, Ayala Corporation President and CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala joined as a commissioner.

Investing for the Greater Good

Ayala Corporation’s net profits grew 62 percent to ₱27.8 billion (approximately US$556 mn) in 2021, primarily driven by realized income from the execution of strategic initiatives in the group, boosted by the improved performance of Ayala Land and BPI.

For 2022, Ayala group allocated up to ₱285 billion (approximately US$5.7 bn) in combined capital expenditure and investments to execute on the growth initiatives across its businesses. Ayala Corporation President & CEO Fernando Zobel de Ayala said the group commits to support the continued expansion of its core value drivers Ayala Land, BPI, Globe, and ACEN.

The group will also scale up emerging businesses AC Health and AC Logistics to create new sources of growth and value. Further, by sharpening the group’s portfolio with an increased focus on value realization to fund future investments and strengthen its balance sheet, Ayala targets to raise US$1 billion in proceeds by 2023.

“Our diversified portfolio provides a natural mechanism to mitigate the adverse impact and capitalize on opportunities arising from the global health and economic crisis,” Ayala President & CEO Fernando Zobel said. “With the improving macroeconomic fundamentals, de-escalation of quarantine measures to the lowest status, and high rate of inoculation, we are hopeful that 2022 will be the start of our country’s recovery,” he added.

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For more information:

YLA ALCANTARA
Head, Brand and Reputation Management
Ayala Corporation
e-mail – publicaffairs@ayala.com

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CEBU CITY – The Ayala Group has renamed and relaunched the Cebu chapter of the WeAreAyala Business Club (WAABC) recently to advance the Greater Good by fostering customer support, employee synergy, and community engagement.

The event included the oath-taking of newly inducted WAABC Cebu Board Members, a town hall for more than 300 participants from across the different Ayala Business Units, and a token recognition of Alexis Sy, a Cebuana Bowler and BPI Unibanker, that is representing the country at the 31st SEA Games. With this WAABC Cebu launch, the formal inauguration of WAABC chapters in other regions is set to follow.

“We are such a unique group of companies, with such a broad and diverse presence throughout the country. It is really wonderful to see our communities helping one another and the community at large, most especially during these challenging times,” said Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corporation President & CEO.

WAABC Cebu, previously known as Ayala Business Club Cebu, was established in 1995.  It has witnessed Ayala’s growing presence in the province. Today, Ayala Land Inc. has two (2) operational estates (Cebu Business Park and Cebu IT Park) and three (3) more under development, which are the centers of business in Cebu and together host 70% of Cebu’s BPO industry. Moreover, Ayala also has 2 malls – Ayala Center Cebu and Ayala Malls Central Bloc, 51 BPI & BanKo branches, 11 Globe Stores, 44 Generika drugstores, and 5 AC Motors dealerships. At the height of the pandemic, AC Health’s Qualimed Health Network operated a COVIDShield vaccination site in Ayala Malls Central Bloc, where over 16,300 jabs of COVID-19 vaccine were administered. 

“As the Ayala group continues to expand its presence here, WAABC Cebu commits to help advance the Greater Good by spearheading projects that enhance our engagement with customers, fellow Ayala employees, and the broader community.  We have also not forgotten our responsibility to our environment and the local communities we work with. We continue to strive to help build a sustainable future for all Cebuanos,” said Patrick Gloria, newly inducted Chairman of WAABC Cebu and current Globe Director for External Affairs, Visayas and Mindanao.

Through #BrigadangAyala, WAABC Cebu helped with the disaster response and rehabilitation efforts in Typhoon Odette-affected areas by spearheading the distribution of construction materials to select local communities and public schools within Cebu. Earlier this year, Globe, together with Ayala Foundation Inc., provided communications support in collaboration with the local government. More than 50 Globe Prepaid WiFi units were donated to select Bantayan Island residents and students.

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For more information, please contact:

Yla Alcantara
Head, Brand and Reputation Management
Ayala Corporation
Email – publicaffairs@ayala.com

Yoly Crisanto
SVP Group Corporate Communications and Chief Sustainability Officer
Globe Telecom, Inc.
Email Address: gtcorpcomm@globe.com.ph
Globe Press Room: https:/ www.globe.com.ph/about-us/newsroom.html
Twitter: @talk2GLOBE │ Facebook: http:/ www.facebook.com/globeph