Voyager, PayMaya innovations recognized at Asia Communication Awards

Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines, the digital innovations and financial innovations units of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), respectively, were recently named as finalists in four categories at the prestigious Asia Communication Awards (ACA), for breakthrough technology platforms developed in the past year.

Voyager's digital and mobile lending platform Lendr, as well as online store maker TackThis!, are both finalists for the Best Emerging Market Initiative Award. TackThis! was also shortlisted under Best SME Service.

PayMaya, meanwhile, is among the frontrunners for the Innovation Award at this year's ACA tilt.

"We are honored to be included again this year as finalists at the Asia Communication Awards. This inspires us to do more and build more for the unconnected, uncarded, and unbanked segments," said Orlando B. Vea, President and CEO at Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines.

Emerging-Market Innovations

"Like most of our platforms, these three key product innovations from Voyager and PayMaya address unique needs of emerging-market consumers and businesses. They're part of our digital innovation factory. On top of market traction, this recognition from ACA helps validate our innovation process," said Benjie S. Fernandez, Chief Operating Officer of Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines.

Lendr (www.lendr.com.ph), the country's first 24/7 digital and mobile loans marketplace, is making banking loan applications more convenient by digitizing the entire process through a digital loans marketplace. Today, users can apply for loans from China Bank Savings and PNB Savings Bank through Lendr, with more partner banks to be onboarded soon.

This is especially beneficial to individuals who need to take out a loan but do not have the time to do so, or are out of reach by traditional brick-and-mortar banking networks. With more than twothirds of Filipino adults still unbanked, Lendr proposes a compelling financial inclusion proposition that could benefit many individuals.

TackThis!, on the other hand, allows enterprises to expand the market reach of their products by bringing them online. TackThis! (www.tackthis.com.ph) provides budding e-Commerce entrepreneurs with a hassle-free online store management platform, a concierge service should they not have the capability to create digital materials for their products, and digital marketing support so they can promote their stores and products to potential online buyers.

To date, only 1% of small and medium businesses in the country have an established online presence, although the number has been rising rapidly over the past few years, thanks to breakthrough services such as TackThis! that helps in stimulating the growing digital economy.

PayMaya (www.paymaya.com), meanwhile, gives users who want to transact online--particularly the young Internet users who are active users of digital services--the ability to do so through its innovative mobile app that grants them an instant virtual VISA card.

With only less than 10% of Filipinos owning a credit card, PayMaya ensures that those who want to reap the benefits of these new and exciting digital services are able to do so whenever they want. All they have to do is download the PayMaya app for their iOS and Android smartphones and they're good to go.

Growing Digital Economy

"With a fast-growing Internet population of close to 50 million people, the Philippines is poised to become one of the biggest and most active digital economies in the region. And with the platforms developed by Voyager and PayMaya, more and more people will surely benefit from this digital revolution," Vea added.

Smart Communications, Voyager's mother company, is also nominated at the ACA for Best Brand Campaign for Sun Cellular's "Choose Better" campaign; for Best Emerging Market Initiative for its Free Internet promo; for the Social Contribution Award for its Smart TechnoCart education initiative; and as the Operator of the Year.

Organized annually by London-based industry publication Total Telecom, the annual ACA gives recognition to outstanding performance by Asian carriers, multimedia content providers, vendors, and other communication service providers.

This is not the first time that Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines have been recognized at the ACA. Last year, Voyager Innovations' PowerApp, the patented technology behind the data-in-sachet offerings of Smart won the Innovation Award at the ACA. For more information about breakthrough digital and financial innovations from Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines, visit www.voyagerinnovation.com and www.paymaya.com.