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4 ways AI is helping mompreneurs achieve work-life balance

1:33 p.m. May 25, 2025

Madiskarte Moms at Google Philippines Headquarters for Gemini Academy

What if you could build a thriving business without missing out on precious family moments? The outdated notion that success demands sacrificing family time is being rewritten by a powerful force: technology. Today, innovative tools are empowering mompreneurs to seamlessly integrate their professional dreams with their personal lives. Success doesn’t have to come at the expense of family.

Jenielyn Sicabalo-Nieva, the driving force behind the blossoming MP Nieva’s Flower Company, shares how she  cultivates more precious moments with her family even as her stunning floral arrangements flourish. “We’re now better at making content for social media to promote the business,” she says. “We respond to customers’ inquiries quicker and more efficiently, plus we can offer fresh and innovative floral designs faster to customers.”

You might think that Jenielyn has hired a whole new team to do content creation, marketing, and day-to-day operations—but no, the reality is quite different. Jenielyn and other members of Madiskarte Moms PH gained these enhanced capabilities through Gemini Academy, an AI training program held on March 5. This initiative, “Ayan na! AI na!,” was supported by PLDT Home in collaboration with Google Philippines and was launched during Women’s Month in March. Beyond providing an efficient infrastructure that allows mompreneurs to scale up their businesses and reach wider markets, PLDT Home empowers them through digital literacy programs and workshops with successful entrepreneurs who started small.   

Aside from Mommy Jenielyn’s story, the practical AI knowledge gained from Gemini Academy is now manifesting in the lives of other Madiskarte Moms in these significant ways:

1. Writing captions that convert to sales

“AI helps me to write convincing captions on social media, which is important to convert views to sales since we don’t have a physical store yet,” says Lea Daras, who founded and runs Jathniel’s Specialty and The FloraCraft Project, a food business and a customized, dried flower business, respectively.

Xavier&Xandrei’s Melissa Moscoso agrees. “Using AI to write content about my sustainable and eco-friendly products has been a game-changer. With Gemini’s assistance, I can quickly generate engaging and relevant captions that resonate with my audience. It also enabled me to bring my ideas to life by creating images that perfectly capture my vision.”

Melissa adds that thanks to the workshop, she learned how to refine her prompt-making skills to generate “precisely the kind of content I need, saving me time and effort in the long run.”

Abby Cruz’s Momi Bigbig Kitchen food business has gotten more sales via their online sellers with the help of Gemini, which creates promotional materials to use in selling. “Gemini really helped our business grow bigger online, and I’m looking forward to what more it can do for the business.”

2. Analyzing business daAI is not only for content creation, it can also be used to analyze business data and suggest innovative ways to expand your market, product offering, and teach you how to optimize operations. AI can help predict future trends based on past sales and customer behavior, which can help entrepreneurs keep a tight inventory and streamline operations. It can also quickly identify marketing strategies that engage your audience — when, where, and which platforms — that can convert views to sales. In short, AI processes your data and suggests actionable insights.        

3. Scheduling, saving time

Let’s be real, it sounds basic, but it’s a game-changer: remembering what actually needs to be done! How many times have you almost missed something important — a kid’s event, a crucial deadline — because it just vanished from your mental to-do list? With everything mompreneurs have on their plates, AI can step in as that reliable friend who can help keep track of everything.

You can connect Gemini to your Google account and ask it to calendar those business meetings right alongside the kids’ recitals and nudge you about that supermarket run or the content you promised to post. Think of it as your memory, amplified!

BC Fragrance founder Bernadette Lim says, “Gemini has become my virtual partner, research assistant, marketing team, and creative writer. It helps me maximize my schedule: what takes me a long time to do, it does quickly, like writing descriptions for my scents or  breaking down complex regulatory information. It has helped me move faster and smarter, maximizing my limited time at work since I’m also hands-on with my daughter, and it keeps me informed on what I need to do for the business and for my family .”

4. Planning meal plans and grocery lists

Ever stare blankly into the fridge, wondering what to make for dinner again? Or maybe you’re trying to get healthier meals on the table for the kids or stick to a food budget? AI can be your new kitchen whiz! It can suggest easy recipes tailored to your needs. Even cooler, you can just tell it what ingredients you’ve already got. It’ll find recipes you can make. This little bit of kitchen magic frees up so much time for mompreneurs, meaning more quality moments with the family. And when kids see their moms rocking their businesses and being there for them, it’s seriously inspiring.

“Balancing many responsibilities is a reality for mompreneurs. Google’s generative AI tools, such as Gemini, are designed to reclaim valuable time. With Gemini acting as a powerful assistant, we hope to empower more people to achieve greater efficiency, both personally and professionally,” said Prep Palacios, Head of Industry at Google Philippines.

Madiskarte Moms have truly found a new BFF and business partner in Gemini. These mompreneurs and countless Filipino women are inspiring the next generation — daughters, nieces, young dreamers watching from the sidelines — to believe they can do it too. Because when women see other women thriving, they start visualizing their own version of success.

Try out Google Gemini today and see how it can help you be more efficient and achieve work-life balance! Then join the country’s biggest network of mompreneurs, be inspired by their stories, and find the support you need on your journey to financial freedom.

For more information on MMPH, visit madiskartemoms.ph.

NEWS

DITO delivers superior network performance, turning digital aspirations into possibilities

8:11 p.m. August 28, 2025

DITO Telecommunity showcased how superior connectivity transforms Filipino digital aspirations into achievable realities during the successful media launch of the telco’s latest campaign, Kaya DITO, held at Manila House, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. 

Built on True 5G standalone technology and as validated by a global leader in mobile analytics and insights, Opensignal, as the Philippines’ Fastest Mobile Network, DITO’s ecosystem proves that the Filipino telecommunity’s demand for seamless network connectivity, value-driven services and unified digital experience aren’t distant possibilities, but today’s basic expectations—this challenges what the telco industry has long normalized.

“For too long, outages, dropped calls, and overpriced data have been treated as normal. Let us say it bluntly: It is not normal. Every Filipino has limitless potential when equipped with the right tools, and the game is now changing since DITO has joined the fray and taken up the cause to disrupt the status quo—to deliver inclusive, next-gen technology to the  Filipino people. “Kaya DITO!” is our battle cry to symbolically break that cycle, because we truly believe that Filipinos deserve better,” shared by DITO Telecommunity President Eric Alberto in the event.

The Telco that Truly Takes Care of its Users 

DITO’s prepaid solutions eliminate the frustration of wasted data through Level-Up Packs with ViLTE technology, making DITO the primary telco offering unlimited DITO-to-DITO HD video calls and unli mobile calls. Combined with Viber and Prime Video inclusions and flexible data packages with longer validity periods, users can now maximize their every peso without worrying about abruptly expiring data allocations.

The Telco that Offers Value-Packed Postpaid Plans

DITOFlexPlan 888 redefines what postpaid should offer—comprehensive inclusions and generous data at prices that make sense for Filipino budgets. Whether you choose SIM-only or device bundles, these plans prove that premium network performance doesn’t have to break the bank, empowering users to pursue their goals without connectivity compromises.

The Telco that Brings True 5G Home Internet Convenience 

DITO WoWFi Pro 365 makes home connectivity effortless with a year-long unlimited connection that works when you need it. Families enjoy the convenience of reliable internet for work, study, and entertainment without the inconvenience of data top-ups and complicated installations; just network performance that simplifies your digital life at home.  Just ask any of your relatives and friends who have already ditched ordinary WiFi and jumped onto WoWFi— they will tell you what you’ve been missing out on.

The Telco that Built Everything You Need in One App

The DITO App represents one of the industry’s most comprehensive digital platforms, built from the ground up to handle the entire customer journey. From SIM and load purchase to account management and a wide range of OTT apps, users enjoy complete digital control with custom special offers, DITO Rewards points, and 24/7 customer support—managing everything while earning exclusive benefits.

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NEWS

Pay with GCash and turn daily payments into big wins

11:39 a.m. August 27, 2025

GCash, the country’s leading finance super app, is making everyday payments more rewarding with “Pay It, Win It”, where every ₱50 spent on GCash builds your chances to win over ₱20 million worth of exciting rewards.

With “Pay It, Win It”, everyday payments turn into extraordinary wins with prizes designed to match the passion and lifestyle of all GCash users. Every two weeks, new and bigger rewards drop, bringing you closer to the life upgrade you’ve been dreaming of.
GCash takes it further by listening to what its users truly value and showing up where they are. Whether it’s in the daily grind, their fandoms, or their passions, rewards don’t just excite, but they resonate in everyday life.

Upgrade Your Everyday
Every peso spent gives users a chance to win must-have prizes that can upgrade their everyday lives– from driving home a brand-new BYD Seal 5 DM-i Dynamic or zipping through the city on a Yamaha NMAX, to bringing homea Samsung Smart TV.

A Trip to the K-Land 
For all dedicated and passionate K-pop fans, you can turn your bills and shopping receipts into plane tickets, taking you a step closer to your bias.  Win a trip for two to Seoul or Busan and make your ultimate K-dream a reality.

Level Up Your Play
For PC and console gamers, leveling up has never been this thrilling. Win the latest gaming console (PlayStation™ 5), a high-performance gaming laptop (ASUS ROG Strix G16), and the ultimate gaming phone (ASUS ROG Phone 9 Pro), because every gamer knows that better gear leads to better performance.

Joining is simple; just head over to the “Pay It, Win It” page by clicking the “Tap for Promos” banner on your GCash app and choosing a prize to register. Every ₱50 spent instantly counts as a raffle entry.

Pay any way you like, whether it’s scanning or generating a QR code, paying with your GCash Card, paying online, buying load or paying bills inside the GCash app, paying with GCash Tap to Pay, or generating a QR with your Huawei Watch. No extra forms, no fuss, just keep using GCash everyday.

Winners are drawn weekly and announced every Friday through the official social media channels of GCash and in-app promo page. All winners will be notified via email, and in-app alerts.

With “Pay It, Win It,” GCash proves that every payment isn’t just a flow of funds from users’ wallets; it’s a step toward progress, a connection to your passion, and a chance to unlock rewards that truly matter.  For more information about GCash, visit www.new.gcash.com.

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NEWS

‘Gender dimension’ will make urban spaces more inclusive, useful — expert

11:12 a.m. August 26, 2025

Urban planners must consider the “gender dimension” to make public spaces more inclusive and allow better use of infrastructures designed to make users move comfortably, according to a US-based expert supporting movements for greater public mobility.

Benjie de la Peña, CEO of the Shared-Use Mobility Center (SUMC) and chair of the Global Network for Popular Transportation, said buildings, walkways or sidewalks, and transport terminals should not be mere infrastructures as they must be public spaces where people should be able to move comfortably.

Engineers tend to think of efficiency and movement alone and they don’t think about the waiting part, right? … It’s always about the moving and not about the waiting. But in a good system, you think about how it is to wait and dwell,” De la Peña told participants of the Philippine Mobility Series 2025’s “Mobility Chat” recently.

For instance, De la Peña said, women and caregivers have different trip patterns from men and regular office workers, hence, the significance to create mobility hubs for women, as well as caregivers.

In their analysis, De la Peña noted that in most cities, available public transport services go to the employment areas and serves particular times, but that’s not how women and caregivers move. 

“They sometimes have to stop over at school to drop off the kids, or on the way home, stop over and pick up a grocery, or if they’re caring for someone older, they have to take them to the doctor or to the pharmacy. And so, none of the public transportation systems are particularly friendly to that,” said the Filipino urban transport expert.

“This is precisely why Grab in the Philippines is supporting the Philippine Mobility Series 2025. We need to hear more civilian voices. We need a platform to allow exchanges of ideas to flow in order to improve mobility in the country,” according to Booey Bonifacio of Grab.

After interviewing 100 women aged 11 to 95 on their transportation needs and challenges, De la Peña noted how the framework they designed had radically changed when gender dimension was added.

If we design for the people with the most challenges, it works better for everyone else,” De la Peña told the “Mobility Chat” organized by AltMobility PH and co-presented by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and in partnership with Grab and the Move As One Coalition.

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