Prominent local stakeholders enter strategic partnership under PeSO to elevate Philippine Esports




August 2020 - The largest and most credible esports companies and personalities in the Philippines have come together under the revamped banner of the Philippine Esports Organization (PeSO). Backed by telecommunications giant, Smart Communications, PEsO is comprised of the most recognizable names in Philippine esports – Bren Esports, Gariath Concepts, Mineski Philippines, The Nationals, PlayBook Esports, Tier One Entertainment, TV5, and TNC Holdings.




PeSO has the distinction of being the sole organization accredited by the International Esports Federation (IESF) since 2012. PeSO’s member organizations had previously worked together under the banner of the Esports National Association of the Philippines (ESNAP) and the Philippine Southeast Asian Games Esports Union (PSEU) for the successful staging of the first ever esports event in the SEA Games held in the Philippines in 2019. The AESF had sanctioned the PSEU to execute the SEA Games esports tournament. The AESF had also signed in March 2020 a landmark agreement with the IESF, wherein the IESF recognizes and acknowledges AESF as the sole federation for esports in Asia, while the AESF recognizes and acknowledges the IESF as the sole international federation for esports.

The Philippine E-Sports Organization (PeSO) has been accredited by the International e-Sports since 2012.

PeSO President Mr. Brian Lim with other member countries of the IESF in 2012

In the 2019 SEA Games Esports Tournament, Bren Esports, Gariath Concepts, and TNC worked under the leadership of The Nationals Commissioner Ren Vitug to be the National Technical Officials (NTOs) of the tournament, while Mineski Philippines and TV5 co-produced and streamed the event for all the participating countries. Distinguished individuals from Bren Esports, Mineski Global, PlayBook Esports, and Tier One Entertainment provided the coaching and management staff for Team Sibol, the Philippine National Esports Team. Gariath Concepts managing partner Joebert Yu was also overall competition manager for the tournament.

Member organizations of the Esports National Association of the Philippines (ESNAP) have merged with PeSO for a powerhouse group to elevate Philippine esports.

To kick off this significant milestone, PeSO will be mounting the Philippine Qualifiers for the 12th IESF World Championship to be held in Eliat, Israel in December. This year’s Philippine Qualifiers will be an online format, featuring DOTA2 and Tekken 7. Team Sibol’s Andreij “PBE.Doujin” Albar took him the bronze medal in last year’s IESF World Championships, and PeSO is confident that this time, Team Sibol can match, if not exceed, last year’s contingent’s performance and standing.

"With the support of Smart Communications, there is no doubt that we are in a stronger position to place in this year’s IESF World Championships,” said Brian Lim, president of PeSO. “Smart’s commitment to support and grow esports and the national team, Sibol, is crucial and is definitely appreciated.”

Jane Jimenez Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart, had this to say about Smart’s support for the esports national team: “Our goal is to continue leading the way to bring glory to Philippine esports. After supporting Team Sibol in the 2019 SEA Games, Smart reaffirms its commitment to the esports industry by looking for the next members of Team Sibol who will represent the Philippines in the IESF World Championships. “




PeSO has also applied for accreditation from the Philippine Olympic Committee to be the official National Sports Association (NSA) for the Philippines, giving it the main responsibility to govern and develop esports nationwide. PeSO’s application for NSA accreditation is bolstered by the unified presence of the biggest and most credible collection of esports stakeholders in the Philippines, who have tirelessly worked towards the industry’s growth and betterment since the early 2000s.




The search for the newest members of Team Sibol starts this September 2020. Details on the Philippine Qualifiers for the 12th IESF World Championship will be announced through the PeSO Facebook Page. TV5 and Cignal, who have been strong advocates of esports on Philippine airwaves, will air the Philippines Qualifiers on One Sports and One Sports Plus.










For more info on the Philippine Esports Organization (PEsO), visit the following links:





Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/philesports/


Website (under construction): https://www.esports.com.ph

Inevitably, there are numerous issues of importance that have taken a backseat because of the ongoing pandemic. One of them is HIV, which has not only been a cause for concern for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, but the entire human race as well. And while the DOH recently announced that HIV cases have gone down by an astounding 68% in the 2nd quarter of 2020, they also note that it is no cause for celebration.



Whether the number of cases has truly gone down or is simply unreported due to lockdowns across the country, the fact remains that there are still new cases daily. In fact, before the pandemic, DOH statistics revealed that the country averaged 35 cases on a daily basis.



While we have movements and events like Pride Month that promote HIV-awareness alongside gender equality, bringing awareness to this cause, even while on lockdown, should not stop. There are actually some ways to raise the alarm and bring the issue of HIV to the fore. Here are a few:



Accept



A good first step—especially for those who are still on the fence and have reservations on the matter—would be to acknowledge and accept that people are free to identify themselves as they wish and that there is no one way to express one’s self and one’s love—not to mention that HIV exists. With this first step, individuals will have a much easier time trying to understand and empathize with each other and possibly help each other overcome challenges such as HIV, gender inequality, and other similar issues.



Educate



One of the many benefits of this fast-paced, digital world we live in today is that seemingly-unlimited information is readily available within our fingertips. This is key because part of creating an HIV-free world also entails learning more about it, the groups of people who usually contract it, and ways in which the virus can be eradicated.



Advocate



With a clear understanding on HIV, creating a world without it would mean spreading the word, engaging in discourse, and spreading your knowledge to uninformed people. In advocating, one can also learn more through likeminded people looking to express themselves as well.



Heed



Lastly, in order to disseminate information and knowledge further while building a sense of community, it would be good to take action and support calls and campaigns such as Durex’s “No One Way Love All Ways” Campaign that supports and promotes all ways of living and expressing.



“A big challenge in the fight against HIV has always been the lack of acknowledgement and proper education on the matter.” Said Dr. Rica Cruz, Licensed Psychologist, Sex Therapist and Educator. “While our current situation presents difficulties as physical events cannot be staged, the opportunity to use available technologies such as social media and online webinars can also be utilized to our advantage. These are excellent tools for spreading the word to a wider audience from the comforts of our home while still being safe in more ways than one.”

Small businesses, content creators, and marketers can plan and schedule their content in advance with Canva’s new Content Planner

Global online design platform Canva is leading the charge into emerging social networks, it announces a raft of new social media features including the ability to plan and schedule content directly from Canva as well as new templates and publishing options for TikTok and Instagram Reels.

With much of Canva’s early success and exponential growth stemming from the overwhelming need for a quick and easy way to create eye-catching social media content, the design tool is now used by more than 30 million people from 190 countries creating everything from t-shirts to presentations, videos, posters and more.


As Canva continues to double down on its rapidly growing marketing suite, the company is looking back to its roots, today announcing a raft of new features to further empower content creators and small businesses using social media to connect with their communities.


Available from today to Canva Pro subscribers and more than 60,000 nonprofit organizations as part of Canva’s Nonprofit program, Canva’s new Content Planner now makes it possible to schedule upcoming social media content directly from the Canva Editor to a range of social networking platforms, solving the need for manually downloading individual Canva designs or paying for standalone social media scheduling tools.


“There has never been a more critical time for sharing messages on social media, particularly amid the ongoing pandemic as small businesses work to keep their customers informed, millions of people look to kickstart their own side-hustle and community groups work to stay connected despite being apart. While these product updates will add even more value to Canva’s growing repertoire of marketing capabilities, we hope they’ll also go a long way in keeping people connected, creative, and together,” said Head of Canva Pro, David Burson.


Canva’s regularly updated library of social media templates provides a wide variety of fresh content ideas with everything from sales announcements to TikTok challenges, and for those looking to publish to multiple platforms at once, Canva’s Magic Resize feature takes time-saving and productivity even further. Gone are the days of creating multiple designs with unique dimensions for each platform. With only a few clicks, Canva can automatically resize and schedule your designs optimized for a variety of social platforms.




With 80% of Canva Pro users using the platform in a marketing capacity, Canva Pro also includes access to an additional 170,000 premium templates and tools such as Canva’s Background Remover, Brand Kit, and the ability to export designs with Transparent Backgrounds.

“Canva's new Content Planner will empower anyone to amplify their social media strategy, engage their online communities and save valuable time and money. We’re excited to be rolling out this new set of marketing tools for Filipino small to medium business owners who can now plan, design, and schedule captivating social media content directly from the Canva Editor,” said Yani Hornilla-Donato, Canva Philippines Country Lead.


In addition to the new Content Planner, Canva has also launched a variety of templates to help content creators capitalize on the mass adoption of both TikTok and Instagram Reels. The new templates are available to all users along with the ability to publish from Canva’s video editor directly to TikTok.


“The emergence of these new social networking platforms presents a unique opportunity for content creators to engage with new audiences in ways that weren’t previously possible. We’re thrilled to be rolling out these new templates and publishing options as we double down on our mission of empowering our community to design anything and publish anywhere,” explained Burson.

Canva’s Content Planner and scheduling currently supports Facebook pages and groups as well as Twitter, LinkedIn, Slack, Pinterest, Weibo and Tumblr with more platforms coming soon.

Holcim Philippines has partnered with construction sector webpage Pinoy Builders to better communicate with building industry professionals who are increasingly using digital platforms for industry news and learning and development.






Leading cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines, Inc. has partnered with an emerging digital platform for the construction sector to better reach industry professionals on how the company’s various solutions and offerings can support them in their projects.






Holcim Philippines has tied up with Pinoy Builders, a website focused on providing relevant and helpful content for construction professionals in the Philippines including industry trends, project management tips and building material use updates. Specialists and experts from Holcim Philippines serve as resource persons on topics such as cement, concrete and health and safety.






Holcim Philippines Senior Vice President for Marketing and Innovation Ram Maganti said the partnership is helpful in the company’s efforts to reach the country’s construction professionals who are steadily using online platforms for industry news and professional development.






"The Philippines is a very digitally savvy country and majority of professionals in the Philippines' construction industry are millennials who are 'digital natives'. With its steadily growing number of subscribers and followers, Pinoy Builders is helpful in our efforts in engaging and positively influencing the construction industry. We are excited in continuing to contribute to this platform to let Filipino building professionals know how our offerings and solutions can help them in their projects,” he said.






Pinoy Builders has also recently branched out to provide webinars in collaboration with building industry groups such as the United Architects of the Philippines and Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers. The first webinar on cement basic and cement types featured members of Holcim Philippines’ technical services team.






Launched in April 2019, Pinoy Builders attracts about 150,000 visitors per month making it a powerful platform to communicate and engage with members of the building industry.

Quarantine Creativity: 19-year-old Thea Sophia Disabelle only had a bottle of Silver Swan Soy Sauce, large plate, and a limitless imagination to create unique works of art.

As the quarantine keeps everyone at home for their safety, many young Filipinos spend their time honing their skills and creativity, finding ways to express themselves. With all this free time on their hands, there are those who even go the extra mile when it comes to being creative.


This was certainly the case for 19-year-old communication student Thea Sophia Disabelle, from Bantayan Island, Cebu, who stirred buzz on the internet after creating art not just through traditional mediums, but also using a medium no one thinks could be used for art: soy sauce. Yes, the very same soy sauce you ordinarily see in kitchens at home.


“It all started when I poured a little amount of soy sauce into a saucer, since I needed it for my fried fish,” said Thea, who made her first soy sauce artwork back in March using Silver Swan Soy Sauce, a staple in their pantry. “After that, I paused for three seconds while staring at it—something was beautifully formed. After I had my breakfast that day, I asked myself, ‘Why not make art using soy sauce?’”






Working with soy sauce

Photo from Thea Sophia Disabelle’s Facebook Account

While Thea always had access to Silver Swan Soy Sauce as it was the family’s preferred brand since her childhood, it would take her a few more months before trying to make another soy sauce artwork after her first one. This time, however, people took notice.


“I posted it on Facebook and didn't expect to get many likes, comments and shares,” she said.

“Fortunately, it really went viral and I was so overwhelmed.”


Although Thea also creates art using more traditional mediums such as paint, pastels, and pencils, she likes the convenience that soy sauce allows, recommending it to artists who may have challenges getting art materials during the quarantine. Silver Swan Soy Sauce, made of high-quality soybeans, also provides artists a unique texture to work with, distinguishing it from the usual materials and providing a tamang-tamang timpla even to art.


“The texture looks so cool after a while,” she says. “Artists just need soy sauce, a large plate, and imagination. It's tricky to do this kind of artwork because one wrong move, you'll have to start all over again. It might be an ephemeral artwork but it's worth the effort.”


Inspiring young Filipino creatives

As some artists find new ways to make breathtaking art during the quarantine using everyday items, Thea believes that there’s really no limit to what anyone can create as long as they keep trying. She herself wants to pursue a fine arts course and eventually turn her hobby into her life’s work.


“I encourage them to be creative and make use of their time through art,” she says. “You don't need expensive art materials—you just have to go to your kitchen, get some stuff and make it your masterpiece. It's just a matter of creativity, dedication and willingness to learn something new. You just have to be creative in making nothing into something. That's how art works.”


As a token of recognition for Thea’s astounding creativity and resourcefulness, NutriAsia, makers of Silver Swan will be sending her and her family more of their products for their use—whether it’s for their food or for more of Thea’s art.