Kwento Ni Toto: Inc.

Sunday, April 28, 2024

SM Prime's Sustainability Scholarship: Investing in Future Leaders

Toto 9:30:00 PM

Henry Sy Sr.'s legacy of valuing education lives on through SM Prime Holdings, Inc. (SM Prime), as they collaborate with the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) to introduce the "SM Sustainability Scholarship."

Future sustainability leaders. Strengthening its commitment to both educational access and sustainability stewardship, SM Prime welcomes ten scholars from UPLB, who are taking up degrees in either Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology or Bachelor of Science in Forestry.

This scholarship program not only underscores SM Prime's dedication to educational opportunities but also emphasizes their commitment to sustainable practices.

Video courtesy of SM Prime

The program will fully support ten deserving students through their undergraduate studies at UPLB, providing them with the opportunity to pursue degrees in either Bachelor of Science in Human Ecology or Bachelor of Science in Forestry. These fields align with SM Prime's focus on building resilient communities and fostering a sustainable future.

The scholarship recipients, meticulously chosen for their academic excellence and dedication to sustainability, were formally recognized during a meet-and-greet gathering at UPLB, marking the start of their journey as SM Sustainability Scholars.

SM Sustainability Scholarship. In the photo are the SM sustainability scholars with the University of the Philippines Los Baños’ Office of Scholarships and Grants Director Assoc. Prof. Ariel L. Babierra, Ph.D., College of Forestry and Natural Resources’s Prof. Marilyn Combalicer, College of Human Ecology Dean Dr. Jennifer Amparo, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr, Janette Malata-Silva, Scholarship Affairs Officer Ivy Salarde and SM Prime AVP Rida Reyes-Castillo with the rest of the SM team.

Each scholar will receive a full scholarship covering tuition fees, a monthly living allowance, and a book allowance, ensuring they can focus on their studies without financial worries.

During the gathering, College of Human Ecology (CHE) Dean Dr. Jennifer Amparo expressed that the pursuit of sustainability is most effectively undertaken collaboratively.

“CHE is one of the colleges that puts a premium on interdisciplinarity and trans-disciplinarity because we believe that in sustainability, you don’t work in silos. We need to work together and build each other’s skills, know-how, and also our programs together to ensure sustainability,” she said.

“I would also like to thank SM Prime for putting emphasis on this scholarship. SM Prime did not just provide the finances or scholarship. They invested the time to really meet our scholars and provided other support mechanisms to ensure that our scholars thrive in their academic lives. This is also a manifestation of SM’s commitment to sustainability by really developing our future sustainability leaders,” she added.

College of Forestry and Natural Resources’ Prof. Marilyn Combalicer also extended the college’s support to the scholars on behalf of the college’s dean, Dr. Marlo Mendoza: “We hope to continue nurturing such meaningful collaboration and initiatives that enhance our educational experience and initiatives for our students. Rest assured that we will continue providing support to our students in ensuring their growth and success in both academia and beyond.”

SM Prime’s AVP Rida Reyes-Castillo meets the SM sustainability scholars.

Meanwhile, SM Prime AVP and Head of Marketing, PR and Corporate Communications, Rida Reyes-Castillo, echoed that the fundamental values of the company are intricately interwoven with both education and sustainability.

“SM Group’s founder, Mr. Henry “Tatang” Sy, Sr. believed that education is a great equalizer, and he envisioned that sending one child to college would create ripples of social good not just for families but for an entire community,” she said. “The improvement of the well-being of the youth and the partner communities is something that we at SM invest in.”

For decades, the SM group has embraced the responsibility to contribute to nation building through social good programs that are geared towards quality education, sustainable agriculture, healthcare, and disaster response. By helping improve the quality of life of the people in these host communities, social development and investment go hand in hand with business growth to achieve a better future for all.

Friday, December 6, 2019

Sun Life Believes for a Better

Sun Life Believes for a Better, Faster Philippine Economy in 2020

Toto 11:52:00 AM

Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. (SLAMCI), the mutual fund arm of Sun Life Canada Philippines, takes on the belief that the Philippines will have a better, stronger, and faster economy in 2020. And Kwento Ni Toto shares that belief, thus, sharing this interesting news from SLAMCI.

"After reviewing the fundamentals, we are confident that the economy is set to significantly improve in the coming year," Sun Life Chief In vestments Officer Michael Enriquez said. "While we can still expect challenges along the way, these should be tolerable and may be balanced by the developments."

Among the factors that are expected to boost the Philippine economy next year are lower prices and accelerated government spending. "While inflation fell to a low of 0.8% in October 2019, we expect prices to slowly inch up as we foresee the year 2020 inflation at 2.4%. This figure is much lower than 2018 inflation of 5.21%," Enriquez said.

Sun Life also expects the government to go full force on capital outlays, with the administration having only two years left in its mandate.

Meanwhile, higher gross domestic product (GDP) may also be expected. According to Enriquez, Sun Life looks forward to a 2019 GDP of 5.8%, and foresees the 2020 GDP getting stronger at 7%. This is due to a combination of base-effects, the recovery of consumer spending, and a stronger government spending "following the lessons it has learned from the budget delay of 2019.

For currency, Enriquez said that a range of Php 50.70 to Php 52.50 to a dollar is possible. "Our year-2019 USD-Php forecast is at 51.00, and 2020 slightly higher at 52.50," he explained.

On the equities front, whike 2019 remains to be a fairly volatile year, Sun Life expects the Philippine Stock Exchange index to end at 8,600 on a best -case scenario. "Our PSEi target for 2020 is at 9,460 with a price-earnings multiple of 18.2 times, while we foresee the earnings to have a growth rate of 10.40%," Enriquez said.

As fir external factors that need to be considered, Enriquez said that the United States may experience a mild but temporary recession in the coming months. With the Federal Reserve on a passive QE (quantitative easing) mode, he says the US Dollar 10-year bobds may re-test the recent low of 1.5%-1.7%.

"Given these possibilities, we highly encourage investors to stay the course," Enriquez said "It is only with along-term vision and a solid commitment to their investing journey that they can benefit from a better and faster Philippine economy in 2020."

So, basically all these are infos given to represent and encourage everyone to save and invest for the future. Giving an opportunity to be mindful of how we save. I like their investment plan of just a Php100 and a selfie. Let us all make our plans and start saving.