NEWS
Trend Micro empowers women with ‘Get IT Girl!’
January 7, 2022 7:43 p.m.
TO cap off Trend Micro’s annual cybersecurity conference DECODE 2021, Olympic silver-medalist Nesthy Petecio imparted a special message for all women working in male-dominated industries.
The female boxer was featured as a special guest during “Get IT Girl!” to share her experiences and how she rose above the challenges she faced as a woman in the male-dominated sport of boxing.
Get IT Girl! has been an initiative of Trend Micro’s since 2019, with the intention of empowering and uplifting women in the tech industry.
Pre-pandemic, the company would hold a ‘GET IT GIRL Breakfast Panel’ that would spotlight female talent in the industry and discuss how technology can encourage diversity.
This year’s session was facilitated by Joahnna Hipolito, Trend Micro’s Manager for Technology Marketing on the last day of the conference.
Bringing together women in tech from all over the nation, the session discussed the existing skills gap in cybersecurity and how this has improved thanks to inclusion and diversity.
With an attendance of over 800, the session proved to be an effective avenue to engage with the community and discuss the latest state of inclusion and diversity in the tech industry despite the challenges brought by the pandemic.
Hipolito opened the session by presenting the current reality of diversity in the cybersecurity workforce, where only 24% of the field are women.
Key insights from the talk highlighted the current cybersecurity workforce gap and emphasized why this gap need not only be filled, but filled with a diverse workforce.
Beyond gender, diversifying the workforce means the inclusion of people from different races and ages in order to gain a repertoire of skills and perspectives from different backgrounds.
Hipolito’s invitation to the attendees to “realize your potential, reach out, and reclaim your space” then segued perfectly into a brief Q & A session with special guest and Olympic silver-medalist Nesthy Petecio.
Petecio shared with the attendees how she found herself getting into boxing and how she chose to remain firm in her intent to pursue the sport despite being repeatedly told that it was “for men”.
Petecio shared an abundance of inspirational anecdotes and her personal philosophy that helped her surpass all the challenges that being a female boxer threw at her.
Despite what people around her would say and the doubt she was faced with, she persevered one step at a time and focused on her goals and the people she fought for.
In persevering and boxing her way to the Olympics, Petecio also fought for recognition. She shared how she was not working to prove that women are better than men, but to show the world that women and men are equally capable of great things.
Women have played a great role in the history of technology and cybersecurity but many of their stories have been lost or overshadowed by male-dominated narratives.
Petecio’s reminder to stay true and believe in oneself despite what others may say and to persevere through challenges knowing your capabilities and potential serves as a great reminder for how women can still reclaim their space and forge a more inclusive future.
With recent developments and improvements in the cybersecurity workforce gap since 2017, the future of a more inclusive and diverse cybersecurity industry is not too far off.
As we enter 2022, Trend Micro is gearing up for more initiatives and events like Get IT Girl! that hope to inspire the next generation of the IT and cybersecurity field. Get IT Girl! is Trend Micro PH’s local initiative under the global “Close the Gap” initiative of Trend Micro.
Apart from Get IT Girl!, features on female employees, inspiring stories from women in the tech industry, and other initiatives are spotlighted on the Trend Micro Careers Philippines Facebook page.
NEWS
Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
March 17, 2023 9:00 p.m.
STUDENTS won’t have to worry paying their loans during times of calamities and emergencies, as Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde has introduced a moratorium on the payment of student loans administered by higher educational institutions (HEIs).
The House Bill 7279, which Atayde filed last Feb. 21, headed into its first reading six days later in the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, chaired by Baguio City Rep. Mark O. Go.
He said the bill — once it turns to a law — will halt the payment of all the fees, charges, and costs relating to student loans and technical-vocational training institutions (TVIs) or by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) during emergencies.
It will cover all students residing in areas declared to be under a state of calamity or emergency — those who are enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), private HEIs, and public and private TVIs.
“We have to find a way to help our students and their families, when natural or even these man-made calamities hit them hard. We just have to make everything easy for them including a moratorium on the payment of student loans,” Atayde said. “It is a burden on a student and their family especially in difficult times like aftermath of typhoon, fire and earthquakes, among other disasters.”
“In the order of spending, student loans will be their least priority since spending will go mostly to basic necessities for survival,” Atayde added.
The moratorium shall be effective for the duration of the state of calamity or emergency and for 30 days after its lifting. No penalties shall be collected on the deferred payments.
“To provide adequate relief and protection to our students in times of calamities and emergencies, this measure shall allow the deferral of student loan collections for a reasonable period during and after the onset of disasters.”
The Quezon City lawmaker cited also the availability of the moratorium, which shall not adversely affect the status of the students concerned with regard to their eligibility for re-enrollment on the succeeding semesters or terms, or their eligibility for graduation.
“The proposed legislation doesn’t prevent public and private HEIs from implementing more favorable forms of payment relief or assistance to students affected by disasters, prohibiting students from voluntarily waiving the moratorium on student loan payments, or availing subsidies and assistance from the government,” Atayde concluded.
NEWS
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
March 16, 2023 1:59 p.m.
Beginning today, ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, is now available as a payment method for Apple services in the Philippines. Customers can use their ShopeePay account to pay for App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV app, and iTunes Store purchases, iCloud storage and more.
The addition of ShopeePay as an Apple ID payment method offers a new way to pay for Apple services without needing a credit card and still allows for easy, secure one-tap purchasing from Apple products including iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Customers can manage their Apple ID payment information in Settings on iPhone and iPad, or on their Mac or PC.
Agatha Soh, Director at ShopeePay commented, “ShopeePay is committed to meeting the needs of users who are increasingly expecting seamless payments across all platforms. We are excited to offer ShopeePay as a convenient payment option for our customers, and expand access to digital payments, benefitting more users.”
For more information on how to add ShopeePay as a payment method, please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201266 or https://shopee.ph/m/ShopeePay-Apple-ID-PH.
NEWS
Be bolder, braver, more confident at SM Supermalls’ Women’s Month celebration!
March 8, 2023, 8:30 p.m.
Ladies, take center stage as SM celebrates Women Power throughout the month of March. Lots of activities both online and on-ground are in store to empower women and girls all over the country.
Join the Future of Women Global Summit
SM Supermalls will be joining UN Women in kicking off the IWD 2023 celebration through a women’s summit on March 8, at the SM Aura Premier Samsung Hall. Focusing on the future of women in ICT, the two-part event will gather young women, country leaders, policy makers, and advocates together to share perspectives and affirm their commitment to supporting digital equality for women and girls.
Photo courtesy of SM City Lucena
Photo courtesy of SM City San Jose del Monte
Support your local Womenpreneurs
Great finds for ladies are on sale at the SM Womenpreneur Market! This pop-up of small and medium businesses owned by women for women will give you everything you need from food and beauty to wellness and fashion!
Wednesdays are for women!
Shopping on Wednesdays has become even more tempting because the Women’s Wednesday Sale is back! Achieve the glow-up you deserve with special discounts, deals, and promos on fashion, beauty, and fitness exclusively for women every Wednesday of March. So don’t hold back on your shopping; you deserve all these and more!
A beautiful treat of wellness all for you
Forda glow-up and pampering sesh tayo this month because lots of self-care deals are available at the Women’s Wellness Sale. Avail of great deals from wellness salons on facials, hair and body treatments, nail care, and massage from March 1 to March 31.
And more deals online!
Special deals are up for women via the SM Malls Online app. Get the best brand offerings every Wednesday from shoes and beauty and wellness to home and hobbies. Use the code WOMEN and get an extra 10% off, capped at 250. What’s great is that there’s no minimum purchase required!
Also, a collection of brand vouchers will be sent to all women SM Malls Online shoppers valid all month. Wait for your Beauty Pass and give yourself the retail therapy you deserve with tons of discounts, GWP deals, samplers, in-store pick up bonuses, and mystery boxes!
Plus, the SM Malls Online app will be hosting self-care sessions online. Follow SM Supermalls on social media to get a dose of starter packages, Get-Ready-With-Me routines, and beauty products that your favorite beauty experts swear by.
Photo courtesy of SM City East Ortigas
Photo courtesy of SM City Manila
Celebrate Women Power on IG!
Capture the beauty and power of women at the beautiful spots and installations all over SM. Be free to express your own uniqueness and creativity in the specially-designed selfie spaces in partnership with Selfie Studio. Don’t forget to tag us on IG!
We don’t know about you but exciting days await every SM woman. So be bolder, braver, and more confident! With these activities, you can confidently step forward in fashion, beauty, wellness, and express yourselves to make a positive impact.
Stay updated on all things women this IWD 2023 by visiting www.smsupermalls.com and following @smsupermalls on social media.
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Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
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