UP TO SPEED
Blue Jeans partnership
SM Group is looking forward to being a partner of Levi Strauss & Co. in its local expansion plans.
The Levi’s brand continues to achieve sustained growth within the Philippines. Tessie Sy-Coson, vice chairperson of SM Investments Corp and chairperson of SM Retail, is optimistic about the planned expansion of Levi’s in the Philippines.
“We see a lot of opportunity in further growing the retail portfolio, and part of the growth is cultivating partnerships with leading brands such as Levi’s, which has been at the forefront of sustainable fashion and patronized for its quality and brand leadership,” she said.
“The Philippines is an important market for Levi Strauss & Co., and a core piece of our international expansion strategy as we double down on our commitment to Asia,” Nuholt Huisamen, SVP and managing director, East Asia Pacific, Levi Strauss & Co., said.
Bayad seals tour venture
Bayad, the pioneer brand in the outsourced payment collection service, officializes its partnership with Gateway Express Travel and Tours, a travel agency arm of the El Roi Group of Companies.
El Roi Group of Companies is an international institution headquartered in Dubai that specializes in ticketing, hotel bookings, local and international tours, immigration consultancy, and a variety of online network marketing services. On the other hand, GETT is also widely present in Metro Manila and South Luzon.
Through its partnership with Bayad, GETT will integrate a one-stop-shop solution in its web platform at www.gettnetwork.com.
Bayad president and CEO Lawrence Y. Ferrer shared, “We continue to empower businesses like GETT to bring financial services closer to Filipinos. Through our partnership with GETT, we recognize the need to address the call for financial inclusion as we also reach underserved populations in the regional area.”
GETT president and CEO Mark Anthony O. Bas added “We are honored to partner with Bayad as we enable seamless end-to-end financial solutions and share the same goal of ensuring that no community is left behind in the country’s financial landscape.”
Brew view
The Coffee Heritage Project, with event partners Newport World Resorts, Manila Marriott Hotel, and the Coffee Science Center, is mounting a 3-day annual coffee lifestyle event entitled “Manila Coffee Festival 2024” on 15, 16 and 17 March from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. MCF 2024 will be held at the MGBX Convention Hall, Manila Marriott Hotel, Newport World Resorts, Pasay City.
The mainstay highlight, the “Single Origin Bar”, persists in championing Filipino coffee farmers’ pride by showcasing their single-origin coffees for festival-goers to sample and enjoy. To deepen the appreciation of our heritage, the coffees will once again be served with cultural performances from all over the country by the communities that grow them. Apart from this display, a series of talks and lectures paneled by industry personalities and experts are also held during the festival. “KapeTalks” presents topics spanning the wide range of our contemporary local coffee, culture, and lifestyle scenes. In addition to our lineup in MCF.