Shopee Apprentice Program Upskills Young Emergent Leaders

MANILA, JUNE 30, 2022 - By 2030, the digital economy is projected to generate up to PHP 5 trillion (USD 101.3 billion) in economic value in the Philippines. With e-commerce set to become a key pillar of the economy in the near future, there lies an opportunity to develop emerging tech talents to support this rapid growth. Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, recognizes the need to upskill young Filipino talents and mold them to become tech leaders of tomorrow through its Shopee Apprentice Program. 

Open to top university students, the Shopee Apprentice Program aims to develop future leaders in the tech industry by equipping them with critical skills such as problem solving, effective communication, and adapting to a fast-paced working environment. Throughout the duration of the internship, Apprentices are immersed in Shopee’s collaborative work culture. They are given the chance to gain firsthand experience working on impactful large-scale projects in the e-commerce and digital finance industry. Apart from the exposure and valuable work experience, Apprentices can also expect to receive guidance and mentorship from Shopee’s top leaders as their internship journey progresses. Upon completion of the program, successful Apprentices have the option to join an accelerated track for the Global Leaders Program, Shopee’s 2-year flagship graduate program for young professionals. 

This year’s batch of Apprentices is a diverse mix of top students from prestigious local and international universities. To mark the beginning of their internship journey, the Apprentices were welcomed with an on-site event held at the Shopee office. The gathering allowed them to get to know one another, and hear the advice and testimonials from Apprentice Program alumni and mentors. Through their sharing, they were able to get an idea of what is in store for them and what to expect, as they embark on their rigorous internship journey. 

Karen Perez, Head of People at Shopee Philippines, shared “The Shopee Apprentice Program is a testament to our commitment to developing leaders of tomorrow. We look forward to maximizing our platform to provide even more opportunities to hone the skills of young tech talents,  even at the career preparation stage.”

The impending growth of the local tech industry emphasizes the need to develop and prepare young tech talent. To support this growth, Shopee is always on the lookout for young Filipinos interested in becoming drivers of growth in the tech industry. Learn more about how you can become an apprentice today and a leader tomorrow, by visiting: https://careers.shopee.ph/apprenticeprogram/.

Jollibee Group and Yoshinoya International hold partnership ceremony

The Jollibee Group and Yoshinoya International hailed its partnership in a ceremony that culminated in a beef bowl toast led by Jollibee Group President & CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong (front row, 3rd from left), Asia Yoshinoya CEO Tetsuya Naruse (front row, 4th from left), Jollibee Group President for Philippine Business Joseph Tanbuntiong (front row, 2ndfrom left), and Jollibee Group Chief Real Estate and Design Officer William Tan Untiong (back row, 3rd from left).

 The Jollibee Group welcomed Yoshinoya International executives in a Partnership Ceremony on June 25 to celebrate their collaboration that will bring the authentic Yoshinoya Japan beef bowl experience to the Philippines.

Yoshinoya, Japan’s world-famous Beef Bowl Chain, is the first foray into Japanese food by the Jollibee Group. Jollibee Foods Corporation formed a joint venture with Yoshinoya International Philippines Inc. (“Yoshinoya International”) to operate the Yoshinoya stores in the country, with plans to expand to 50 stores in the long term.

The Yoshinoya International executives who attended the private ceremony were Tetsuya Naruse, CEO of Asia Yoshinoya International Sdn Bhd (“Asia Yoshinoya”); Shigekazu Miyata, President of Yoshinoya International; and Shigeo Kurokawa, Director of Yoshinoya International.

Asia Yoshinoya CEO Tetsuya Naruse hailed its partnership with the Jollibee Group during the partnership ceremony. “In the history of Yoshinoya, I can say that we have never encountered a company such as yours. I’ve met the best partners that we could work with and I’m really looking forward to this partnership.”

"We would like to thank Yoshinoya International for partnering with Jollibee Group. Together, under Yoshinoya Jollibee Foods Inc., we will grow and expand Yoshinoya in the Philippines, and we will work hard to make it the No. 1 Japanese restaurant in the country," said Joseph Tanbuntiong, President for Philippine Business of the Jollibee Group.

In a disclosure released in February 2021, the Jollibee Group said it aims to be the leading market developer of foreign restaurant brands in the country, as these foreign franchised brands are expected to contribute to the sustainable growth of its domestic business.  Jollibee Group continues to see the success of brands like Burger King, Panda Express, and PHO24 and will apply the same success drivers in expanding Yoshinoya.

Partnership for success

Like the humble beginnings of the Jollibee Group, Yoshinoya started as a family-run shop located at Nihonbashi Fish Market in Tokyo. Today, Yoshinoya has more than 2,000 global locations.

“Our dreams to make it big one day in our respective markets have driven Yoshinoya and the Jollibee Group to continuously work hard and always strive for excellence,” said Tanbuntiong. “With similar values and a true love for great tasting food, we see a strong foundation for success in this partnership.”

“I met Jollibee Group Founder and Chairman Tony Tan Caktiong, and after our conversation, I concluded that there is no other company that we would like to do this partnership with. And although some years have passed since then, we have reached this moment today and it’s all thanks to all your efforts,” added Naruse.

“Part of who we are in Yoshinoya Holdings is being ‘For the People,’ which means reaching as many people as possible with our tasty and value-for-money food—this is also what the Jollibee Group is all about. I look forward to working well together and I commit that we in Yoshinoya will give our full support to the Jollibee Group,” he added.

Now ready to serve the same superior tasting and authentic Japanese Beef Bowls, Yoshinoya is set for its grand opening slated this July.

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About Jollibee Group

Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC, also known as Jollibee Group) is one of the fastest-growing restaurant companies in the world. It operates in 34 countries, with over 6,200 stores globally with branches in the Philippines, United States, Canada, the People's Republic of China, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Brunei, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Egypt, Panama, Malaysia, South Korea, and India.

Jollibee Group has eight wholly owned brands (Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Mang Inasal, Yonghe King, Hong Zhuang Yuan, Smashburger); six franchised brands (Burger King, Panda Express, PHO24, and Yoshinoya in the Philippines; Dunkin' and Tim Ho Wan in certain territories in China); 80% ownership of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf; 60% ownership in the SuperFoods Group that owns Highlands Coffee and PHO24;and 51% ownership of Milksha, a popular Taiwanese bubble tea brand.

Jollibee Group, through its subsidiary Jollibee Worldwide Pte. Ltd. (JWPL) owns 90% participating interest in Titan Dining LP, a private equity fund that ultimately owns the Tim Ho Wan brand. It also has a joint venture with the THW Group to open and operate THW restaurants in Mainland China. Jollibee Group also has a business venture with award-winning Chef Rick Bayless for Tortazo, a Mexican fast-casual restaurant business in the United States.

Jollibee Group was named the Philippines' most admired company by the Asian Wall Street Journal for ten years. It was also honored as one of Asia's Fab 50 Companies and among the World's Best Employers and World’s Top Female-Friendly Companies by Forbes. In 2020, Gallup awarded the Jollibee Group with the Exceptional Workplace Award, making it the first Philippine-based company to receive the distinction.

Jollibee Group has grown brands that bring delightful dining experiences to its customers worldwide, thus spreading the joy of eating to everyone.

To learn more about Jollibee Group, visit www.jollibeegroup.com

Travelling in 2022

June 30 was our first International travel within the norms of complying Covid 19 precautionary requirements. It's tough wearing a mask from June 30 to July 3. Well after July 3, people around us do not wear masks so we had to stop wearing too. We're all vaccinated. Sometimes it's scary but knowing the protocols were strict upon entry to this country we're in, I guess it won't be Covid19 that'll kill us but something else.. hahahaha..

Kidding aside, we know people here don't see covid19 as a threat but something else. And everything has divine reasons and purposes... 

In Sha Allah... 

Oh, and sunscreen is very important...

Fitness—and wellness—the perfect gift for the man of the house

We have always tried to think of many things to give the man of the house—Father, Daddy, Dada, Papa, Tatay—that one perfect gift every time there’s a special occasion, whether it’s his birthday, Father’s Day, wedding anniversary or Christmas. Mostly, these are functional items like clothes, leather goods such as a wallet, belt or footwear, and in this age of digitalization, digital devices, if the budget fits.

But how about taking the gift-giving thing up a notch, something that the man of the house can truly appreciate? Like fitness, for example. He can’t eat or use it just like traditional gifts, but he can certainly reap tons of benefits from it.

Our Dads are the ones who usually tire themselves out just to be able to work and provide for the family and as such, may be prone to certain ailments because of lack of exercise, an activity that will help fortify his body in the most natural way. And this is where Kwun Tong, Taiwan-based Johnson Fitness comes to the fore.

Taiwan Excellence Award winner Johnson Fitness is certainly not your ordinary line of commercial and home fitness equipment. Yes, they resemble the most common of fitness apparatus in the market, but what Johnson Fitness promises is to make exercise to achieve fitness in body and mind more fun, hassle-free and totally enjoyable for that complete workout experience at home or at the gym.

The Johnson Fitness line include various fitness and wellness brands such as the Matrix, Horizon and Vision, all state-of-the-art training equipment composed mainly of treadmills, elliptical machines, exercise bikes, and other strength and functional training systems like climbmills (for the commercial equipment category).

The Johnson Fitness treadmills, for example, are true sights to behold, definitely a must-have for home or small neighborhood gyms or robust training centers. The treadmills come with built-in Bluetooth speakers to make running totally enjoyable, whether playing music, movies and TV series even without headphones.

They also come with clear and precise workout feedback information that includes distance, calories, time, speed, heart rate and incline, and also allows connection via Bluetooth to heart rate monitors and popular fitness apps. For Dads who want to track the progress of their exercise regimen, these features really do come in handy.

Or if Dad has his personalized entertainment fare, the Johnson Fitness treadmills come with a smart device holder to keep smartphones, tablets, even water bottles, and more in good view and easy to reach.

Best of all, when not in use at home, the Johnson Fitness treadmill deck folds vertically to save space when not in use.

Selecting gifts for a loved one like Dad on important dates used to be nerve-wracking, but not anymore. Thanks to Johnson Fitness, and the decision-making just got easier.

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