From March 14 to 26, tech enthusiasts can upgrade their programming skills and connect with like-minded individuals from across the region.
MANILA, FEBRUARY 15, 2022 – As the digital landscape continues to grow exponentially in the SEA region, Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, launches Shopee Code League (SCL) to help upskill coders through workshops and challenges designed to enhance programming abilities. This initiative is available to tech coders of all levels from across the region.
Shopee Code League is a 2-week league that features a series of exclusive online training sessions organized by Shopee and two rounds of coding competitions that let participants solve algorithmic puzzles designed by the Shopee Engineering team. Attended by over 17,000 participants and 300 partners from eight locations across the region in 2021, the competition initially had three different tracks: Data Science, Data Analytics, and Programming. This year, to cater to the need of more coders keen on learning about algorithms, SCL will focus on offering the following topics: Python Programming, C++, Go, Data Structures and Algorithms, and Dynamic Programming.
Shopee Code League 2022 is open to all interested individuals and top performers can win cash prizes amounting to SGD 25,000 (more than ₱950,000). Participants also stand a chance to join Shopee to grow their careers in the tech landscape.
Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “We are excited to support a new generation of tech leaders and enthusiasts who want to learn and improve their skills through Shopee Code League. The initiative proved to be successful each year and we will continue to enhance our programs so that our participants can take full advantage of the opportunities Shopee is offering. We are inviting all tech talents to join and learn how to maximize their potential.” Registration for the Shopee Code League is ongoing until February 28, 2022. For more information about the Shopee Code League, please visit https://careers.shopee.ph/codeleague/.
REFERENCE:
Pao Oga
Shopee | Marketing | Public Relations (Media Relations)
Mobile: +63 917 650 1835 (Viber/Whatsapp)
Address: 15F Asian Century Center (ACC) Building, 27th St. Corner 3rd Ave. BGC, Taguig 1634
Envisioned as a student employability program, Oplan TAWID, in partnership with Microsoft and other private industry partners like Alorica, provides relevant industry immersion experience through trainings, certifications, work simulations, career coaching, and hiring opportunities.
Microsoft Philippines, together with the Department of Education (DepEd), launched the second phase of the DepEd Oplan TAWID — Technology Assisted Work Immersion Delivery — a focused skilling program that aims to provide relevant industry immersion experience and hiring opportunities to graduating DepEd Senior High School (SHS) students.
By providing training courses on in-demand 21st-century skills, soft skills, digital literacy, and more, the program endeavors to bridge their respective skill sets—aligning them with industry requirements for internship and entry level roles. Moreover, it squarely addresses one of DepEd’s key learning delivery objectives: to liberate students from poverty, more so during this pandemic.
Alongside Integrating the training activities with the Senior High School curriculum, Oplan TAWID allows for feedback to be given to the DepEd curriculum development team, in order to further improve industry alignment and student readiness capabilities.
The mounting of DepEd’s Oplan TAWID follows the successful nationwide implementation of the “Building an Impactful Resume and Online Professional Brand” program mounted in May last year — a joint initiative of Microsoft Philippines and the Employers Confederation of the Philippines — where DepEd learners were upskilled on online skilling platforms and 1 million LinkedIn profiles were created.
Ensuring student readiness in the new digital economy
Envisioned as a student employability program, various private sector partners in the communications, technology, and BPO space have been tapped for Oplan TAWID, which makes available virtual training courses on mandatory Microsoft classes, a BPO Career Channel Course, a Reading Progress mandatory class, a 21st Century Skills Assessment course, Career Coaching, and Industry Work Immersions, among others, all conducted via Microsoft Teams.
Furthermore, participants can also take certification exams towards becoming a Microsoft Office Specialist or they may choose instead to take the Cloud Fundamentals Training Path. Additionally, students will also go through intensive reading and communications classes through Microsoft’s Reading Progress application.
Alorica answers the call to nation building
As a global leader in customer experience solutions, Alorica is proud to take part in this collective effort among key industry partners — with the aim of addressing the lack of knowledge, skills and work experience amongst students — thus concretizing the company’s commitment towards nation-building and creating a better future for students who are skilled but need deeper BPO industry experience.
Specifically, through Alorica’s participation, students who enroll in the Teams Classes for Work Immersion will receive open trainings, take part in work immersion projects, and will receive job offer announcements. Moreover, they will also undergo job interviews and possible recruitment at Alorica after passing the exams and English language assessments.
“We continue to face very challenging times not to mention, a fast changing workplace where keeping abreast of the latest industry trends and developments is not only critical but likewise expected,” says Alorica Talent Acquisition Sourcing and Recruitment Marketing Director, Marvin Vinluan. “Alorica’s participation in Oplan TAWID allows us to directly enable future BPO industry workers — senior high school students — to be employment ready by equipping them with real world exposure and experience, alongside all the skills and knowledge necessary for them to succeed.”
Since 2018, Alorica has accepted 628 onsite and virtual interns from 80 participating schools across the country, providing them exposure to a real workplace environment specifically in the IT, Human Resources, Administration, Finance and Recruitment departments.
It is hoped that through Oplan TAWID, the participating students will achieve a higher proficiency in the English language, develop cognitive flexibility, problem solving skills, as well as an enhanced understanding of tasks assigned. Moreover, the promotion of cultural sensitivity towards other cultures and the appreciation of other people.
Shopee Nurtures Top Tech Talent with the Global Leaders Program.
MANILA, FEBRUARY 4, 2022 – The continued rise of Southeast Asia’s “digital decade”, now projected to gross around $1 trillion across the region by 2030[1], has increased the demand for tech talents who can drive the digital economy. Amidst this growing digital landscape, Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, continues to seek for the next generation of industry leaders through the Global Leaders Program (GLP).
The Shopee Global Leaders Program is a 2-year graduate program consisting of four 6-month local and overseas rotations. It is designed for highly enthusiastic and ambitious young Filipino talents who have the potential to boost the country’s e-commerce industry. Final-year students or young professionals with up to two years of working experience can apply for GLP and be part of a structured learning and development program. Participants will also receive dedicated mentorship from Shopee leaders.
Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Digital transformation has been an ongoing focus in several key economic sectors. As a result, the demand for tech talent has been on the rise in recent years. Shopee remains committed to developing the next generation of talents in the Philippines through immersive training and mentorship initiatives like the Global Leaders Program. We will continue to come up with various programs that aim to value-add to the Philippines’ digital economy.”
Now in its 4th year, the program continues to provide its participants with eye-opening experiences and regional exposure
CJ, a GLP participant, shares why she chose Shopee to grow her career in e-commerce. “Shopee has been taking big strides to enhance the user experience and keep up with the recent changes in the retail market industry. It’s evident that the company is constantly growing bigger, better, and faster—and I want to be part of this growth.”
Among the many interesting components of the GLP, CJ says what caught her attention the most was the regional experience and exposure it offers. “Working with other teams from various countries is a great opportunity to learn about different cultures and gain new perspectives and insights that can help further the industry in our country.”
Currently working with Shopee’s Business Development team, CJ’s exposure to different functions allowed her to grow, adapt and learn new things every day. “I am constantly pushed and supported to become a better version of myself every day. The projects that I handle allow me to develop problem-solving, critical thinking, good leadership, and proper time management skills. Seeing how e-commerce campaigns are brought to life, and how people communicate and collaborate to achieve success regularly definitely inspire me to keep growing and eventually contribute.”
CJ takes pride in being part of the GLP. “If you want to become a future tech leader and be part of the growing digital economy in the Philippines, the Global Leaders Program is the best way to jumpstart your dream. You get the best training and development possible: close mentorship from Senior Management, rotating stints in different markets, and you get to drive crucial projects across the business. The program is truly for those who are willing to push themselves every day to be better and keep growing. I am grateful and humbled to be part of all this.” Are you an aspiring tech leader and interested in learning about the e-commerce industry? Apply to be part of Shopee’s Global Leaders Program starting February 14, 2022. For more information about the program, visit https://careers.shopee.ph/GLP.
In today’s world, the term literacy is not just about learning how to read and write anymore. As the country charts its future toward the so-called “next normal,” presuming that this pandemic will end already, digital literacy in the Philippines will be of high significance and importance.
The level of digitalization at present may already be in an advanced stage, but do Filipinos have the skills and capabilities already to be fully functional, effective, and efficient and be called “literate” enough to use digital technologies? Are they digitally literate enough to use information and communication technology (ICT) to tackle issues related to gender inequality, education, health, even employment?
Heck, can Filipinos even connect to the internet properly and consistently?
Recent data from the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the specialized agency of the United Nations about ICT, showed a surge in terms of internet usage to an estimated 4.9 billion in 2021 from around 4.1 billion back in 2019.
But despite this surge, connecting to the internet still remains unequal. An estimated 2.9 billion people have still never used the internet and of this number, 96 percent live in developing countries. “While almost two-thirds of the world’s population is now online, there is a lot more to do to get everyone connected to the Internet,” said ITU Secretary General Houlin Zhao.
For most ordinary people, being able to send messages and post to social media or simply surf the internet does not mean being digitally literate. People must have specific skills to be able to create digital content and share it online in the most responsible manner. The time to teach students anything and everything about digital literacy should also start right now, in the classroom, while they are still young so that once they graduate, they can proudly say that they are already digitally literate and be able to find gainful employment.
As many people look to the internet for information, it is also about teaching them how to create, communicate, share and yes, discern the kind of information they get. People should know how to consume and share correct information, especially in this world where “fake news” is practically considered gospel truth, protect them from and even help stop cyberbullies and cybercriminals. Digital literacy means not just having the ability to enter the World Wide Web and surf websites but also having the skills to effectively and responsibly find, assess, and evaluate information found online.
Digital literacy for all Filipinos is the kind of dream that Computer Literacy, Innovation, Connectivity and Knowledge or simply “CLICK” partylist wishes to achieve for Filipinos. It is about spreading awareness about digital literacy as a catalyst for change in many aspects of their lives, be it in education, employment, health, business and yes, more importantly, governance.
An important part of improving lives of many Filipinos is also about governance, which is why part of what CLICK intends to provide a solution in the area of governance is to usher it to the digital era. Admittedly, the government is still not ready for digitalization. Government processes are still mostly manual or paper-based, and many public servants in government are somewhat still aloof to modernization and technology, perhaps due to lack of awareness about its benefits, or probably the thought of “change” scares them.
With CLICK, their legislative agenda with regard to digitizing government services is to let every level of government, from the national to the barangays undergo a digital literacy journey to keep itself at pace with technological developments in governance in the 21st Century. Perhaps, reinventing how the government provides services and opening up its eyes regarding its role in national development through legislation will fast-track its modernization/automation of services using technology to make the lives of Filipinos easier and better in the years to come.
CLICK believes that only through effective and sound legislation can they affect change for all Filipinos regardless of economic status and geographical location using the power of technology and will help chart the country’s digital literacy roadmap. Decades of neglect and misinformation, coupled with corruption in terms of governance, will not be fixed overnight. Righting what was wrong for decades is not just a “weekend project.”
The work of crafting laws to help create better lives for Filipinos through the power of digital technology will be painstaking and meticulous, and will not offer an instant cure to their problems. Ultimately, through laws that leverage on technology, CLICK partylist can do its share of slowly undoing what had been wrongly done, and create a stronger and more progressive Philippines that can compete—or belong side-by-side—with other more developed countries in the world with regard to digital literacy and competency.
For CLICK, digital literacy should become a way of life to give the country a chance to move forward and create an efficient and digitally sound Philippines, and a better future for Filipinos.
To know more about “CLICK,” follow CLICK Partylist on their social media accounts or visit their website at www.clickpartylist.ph.
Shopee assists MSMEs in their e-commerce journey from on onboarding and trainings to enhanced marketing tools and strategies.
As society becomes more digitalized, e-commerce plays a significant role in helping groom and grow entrepreneurs who can meet the needs of consumers. More people in the region are coming online, and this number is expected to reach around 380 million by 2026[1]. In order to help brands and MSMEs establish and strengthen their online presence, Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, focuses on developing a strong support ecosystem that makes it simple for them to launch and grow their online business.
This includes enhanced marketing tools, knowledge sharing and upskilling, as well as sustained guidance from Shopee, to help business owners tap into various markets, increase their monthly average sales, and achieve notable e-commerce growth as a whole.
Shopee Seller Education
Shopee provides the necessary support and seminars to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the e-commerce knowledge they need to succeed. Just this year, Shopee launched its first Shopee University Summit where industry leaders, successful online sellers, and top brands shared their expertise to help sellers understand the basics of e-commerce and how they can maximize the potential of e-commerce and succeed in growing their business online. The second summit also proved to be a success with 35,000 online viewers. During the summit, participants learned about developing the correct business branding, product photography skills, and leveraging Shopee tools and social media platforms to promote their businesses.
Shopee sellers can also access Shopee’s Seller Education Hub (https://seller.shopee.ph/edu/home) where they can take helpful e-commerce courses, participate in informative webinars, and read articles about shop management, product listings, operation improvements, and other business matters.
All-Around Support from Relationship Managers
In addition to marketing tools readily available for use within the app, Shopee also provides MSMEs with constant guidance on how they can improve and grow their business through highly-trained relationship managers (RMs). To fully support a seller’s growth, RMs push for excellent service and tend to the seller’s inquiries, and sometimes going out of their way to cater to the seller’s e-commerce needs.
Kriszel of M A R E Clothing said that their relationship manager helped them greatly, even encouraging them to join big campaigns to grow their business more. “Our relationship manager was very helpful all throughout our Shopee journey. During big campaigns, we were given ample exposure on in-app features like Shopee Feed. Last 10.10, we earned more than 2,000 followers thanks to Shopee’s feature Feed Freebies. We are very grateful for the guidance we received and it is a big factor in our shop’s success.”
Campaigns that Meet Consumer Demand
In addition, Shopee also supports its sellers through big campaigns as local MSMEs stand to benefit from the increased traffic to supercharge their business growth and scale their online presence. Throughout the region, sellers who participated at the recent 9.9 Super Shopping Day recorded 8X more orders compared to an average day, and this coming 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, Shopee continues to provide sellers with marketing tools to further drive sales. The 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale is happening until December 12, 2021, and serves as an opportunity for sellers to provide consumers with promos that include ₱1 deals, free shipping with no minimum spend, and 10% off daily vouchers.
Digital Payment Options with ShopeePay
As digital payments become more integrated into the daily lives of consumers, ShopeePay serves as a multi-functional tool for all their payment needs while providing rewards and safe transactions. Through Shopee’s year-end campaigns like the 11.11-12.12 Big Christmas Sale, ShopeePay will continue to drive greater adoption of digital payments amongst shoppers and merchants, bringing ShopeePay users greater convenience and value while helping businesses access more opportunities in the digital economy.
Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “To grow in e-commerce, brands and businesses need to be committed to their journey and here at Shopee, we ensure that we are here to guide and support them all throughout. This is why we designed our ecosystem to be end to end: onboarding, training, and scaling their business to meet the demands of their customers. The needs of our stakeholders are ever-changing, and this is why we need to keep evolving.”
In the past few years, Filipinos have started opening up and talking about sex and how it is an important conversation to have in order to engage in safe, healthy, and satisfying sexual activities. But despite the inroads that have been made in normalizing conversations about sex, barriers remain when it comes to discussing Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) as the feelings of shame and stigma remain which prevent people from accessing information and resources that can help Filipinos develop safe sex habits.
The lack of access and conversation contributes to the continued rise in the number of people who test HIV-positive in the country. July 2021 data from the HIV/AIDS & ART Registry of the Philippines (HARP) showed that 1,045 Filipinos tested HIV-positive while 60 people died of AIDS-related complications. This means 33 people tested positive every day from January to July 2021.
HIV cases in the Philippines continue to rise especially for youths aged 15-24 years old
Faced with these numbers, Durex continues to strengthen its mission to promote safe sex with its new SEXducated video series available on the Durex Facebook and YouTube channel.
SEXducated with Durex
Targeted toward millennials and Gen Zs, singles, and stay-at-home couples, the SEXducated with Durex video series is a fun and creative treatment to lessons on practicing safe sex. The show gives light to HIV awareness and how to improve one’s overall sexual health.
“It’s part of our responsibility as a brand to empathize with our consumers’ needs and give them safe and practical solutions,” said Matt Davis, Reckitt Marketing Director. “Through SEXducated with Durex, we aim to provide a safe space and have a thoughtful discussion on topics that beg to be talked about.”
Singles and young people can learn from the boys of Boys Night Out (Sam YG, Slick Rick and TonyToni) and Elijah Canlas as the four debunk HIV myths with hard facts. They can also learn from Dr. Kilimanguru, as he addresses need-to-know information about HIV. While couples can find ways to rekindle their relationships as they explore the topic of seeking pleasure through intimate acts with Dr. Rica Cruz.
With Durex’s SEXducated series, Boys Night Out and Elijah Canlas debunk HIV myths and learn hard facts about safe sex
Dr. Kilimanguru or Winston Kilimanjaro Tiwaquen is a doctor who gained fame on TikTok for his medical advice videos known for being easy to understand and entertaining because of his use of hugot lines and jokes. Through his videos, delivered in colloquial Filipino, viewers learn about the simplest medical issues from the common cold to HIV, and even COVID-19. Meanwhile Dr. Rica Cruz is a sexologist and media personality whose expertise is on sexual pleasure and sexual behaviors. Dr. Rica believes that sexual ownership is sexier than sex.
Together Dr. Kilimanguru and Dr. Rica Cruz, viewers learn need-to-know facts about HIV and having sex safely, intimately, and pleasurably
Protection, Preparedness, and Education (PPE)
Enabling Filipinos to “Always Come Prepared,” Durex fulfills its role as a responsible brand through ongoing partnerships with various organizations. To date, Durex is distributing condoms to the beneficiaries of the Commission on Population and Development (POPCOM), San Lazaro Hospital – Nagasaki University Collaborative Research and Laboratory, Positive Action Foundation Philippines Incorporated (PAFPI), Pasig City Government, Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines (SHIP), The Red Whistle, and LoveYourself, Inc.
The need to connect is very human and so is the need for open conversation about something as natural as sex. And with the isolation possibly triggering more intense feelings, it’s important to protect oneself from risks that can be otherwise prevented.
With its SEXducated campaign, Durex encourages Filipinos to always come prepared and enjoy sex safely. Learn more about practicing safe sex with Durex via their Facebook page.
REFERENCE:
John Paulo Ondra Caparros
Public Relations Department – SBU BLAZE
Strategic works, Inc.
+639173068591
john.caparros@stratworks.ph
2nd Floor Zaragoza Building, 102 Gamboa Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City PH
Shopee equips individuals with industry knowledge essential in the digital landscape.
E-commerce continues to play a significantly important role in the Philippine market and is estimated to be worth US$12 billion by 2025.[1] As more consumers turn to e-commerce, and as more businesses capitalize on the potential of the emerging digital economy, there is also a rising demand for qualified tech talents. According to Linkedin, tech roles make up the majority of “emerging jobs” in the region, with robotics engineer, cyber security specialist, and javascript developer roles making the job trend list.
Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, prepares and nurtures students and professionals for the digital landscape through its various talent development initiatives. One of these is the Shopee Apprentice Program which is an internship program designed to develop young tech talents into leaders through high-impact projects, specialized learning and development training, and mentorships led by Shopee leaders.
Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “As the demand for tech roles rises, Shopee will continue to train and equip the next generation of leaders through initiatives like the Shopee Apprentice Program. We will ramp up our efforts to provide proper mentorship and a well-rounded work experience for individuals joining our internship program.”
These Participants of the Shopee Apprentice Program highlight how they gained significant professional and personal growth to jumpstart their careers in e-commerce.
For Kyla, the Shopee Apprentice Program was an enriching experience. With a specialization in data science and analytics and equipped with advanced coding skills, she created end-to-end training portals during her stint with the Shopee Business Intelligence Team. “Even though the entire program was held virtually, Shopee translated their work culture online which is a great factor in my whole experience as an apprentice. I learned a lot from my mentors and also improved my skills in terms of presentation, time management, and communication. The program encouraged me to step up and be more confident to drive better results with what I do. I am glad a lot of people supported me throughout my whole Shopee journey,” Kyla shared.
Lance, another Shopee Apprentice Program participant, said that his experience was eye-opening, improved his problem-solving skills, and helped him understand the industry better. He worked with the People Team and displayed exemplary standing not only when it comes to his studies but also with his work at Shopee. “With Shopee, I learned how to look at a multifaceted problem, break it down into its constituent parts, and build it back together to form a comprehensive, results-driven strategy. With this mindset, I was able to drive concrete impact by implementing workable solutions that will help drive the business forward.”
After finishing the program, Kyla highly recommends other individuals check out the program for growth and new learnings. “For those who want a career in e-commerce and tech, the Shopee Apprentice Program can definitely equip you with the necessary skills through their mentorships, training, and projects. You can definitely drive your own growth as well as bring value and positive impact to Shopee through this internship. If you are up for a challenge to do meaningful work, the Shopee Apprentice Program might just be for you,” Kyla shared.
Through this partnership, Shopee and the Department of Health aim to raise awareness on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination through education
Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, partners with the Department of Health (DOH) to promote education about COVID-19 vaccines through in-app and social media initiatives. As the Philippines aims to vaccinate 70% of its population within three to five years, this partnership between Shopee and DOH augments the concerted effort of the private sector and local government units to encourage Filipinos to get vaccinated and protect themselves and their loved ones against COVID-19.
While the local government rolls out COVID-19 vaccination programs, the vaccine hesitancy rate among Filipinos continues to increase, going from 47% in January 2021 to 61% by the end of the first quarter. They remain resistant to the vaccine due to three key reasons: concerns about potential side effects, uncertainty about efficacy, and skepticism.
Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is honored to partner with the Department of Health to educate Filipinos on the importance and benefits of vaccination. Through our collaboration with DOH, we can provide the community with accurate and science-backed vaccine information. With proper education, we aim to raise the public’s awareness and hopefully encourage more people to get vaccinated.”
Beverly C. Ho, MD, MPH, Director IV, at Health Promotion Bureau DOH, said, “This partnership symbolizes what we, in the Health Promotion Bureau, want to do—meet people where they are and make living healthy easy. That’s why we are thankful to use Shopee’s platform, one that effectively reaches and engages millions of Filipinos, to make RESBAKUNA reach a wider audience. The immense potential this partnership holds, not only in increasing vaccine confidence but in improving overall health literacy among Filipinos, truly excites us.”
Starting this month until August, users can learn more about vaccines’ safety and effectiveness from DOH and World Health Organization representatives. On June 23, 9:00 PM, users can watch a discussion on “Fake vs Fact on COVID-19 Vaccine Safety and Efficacy”on Shopee Live. Shopee will post helpful information about the vaccines on its official social media pages. A separate microsite will also be available on the Shopee app.
