DUBAI: Ayala Group of Companies will be conducting road shows across the UAE to roll out a unified program meant to take its services for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) to the next level by way of a one-stop shop encompassing everything from real property to remittance, health care, education, even virtual wallets.
The move came as Ayala Corp. celebrates its 185th year experiencing, what One Ayala Managing Director John Philip S. Orbeta described as, “profitability (that) has improved steadily with 10-year net income Compound Annual Growth Rate at 15 percent.”
“Sa tingin naming, mayroon kaming maitutulong sa mga OFWs, 185th anniversary pasasalamat sa mga Pilipino. We are here (in the UAE) to tell the OFWs na nandito kami na partner ninyo, a reputable company,” Orbeta told The Filipino Times during presentation of One Ayala at Hotel Swissôtel Al Ghurair, Nov. 16.
The event, which had about a hundred attendees from the local Filipino community led by Consul General Paul Raymund Cortes himself and Labor Attaché Felicitas Bay, brought together the various companies under the Ayala Group, the representatives of whom took turns explaining the synergy and collaboration they have developed to better service OFWs.
“When you are an OFW, usually may pamilya ka sa Pilipinas; nagpapa-aral; gustong mag-ipon or invest… financial literacy. Lahat ng produkto naming nandito. Lahat nang iyan pwede naming i-provide ang service,” Orbeta said.
He said they will hold roadshows “to explain this.”
Cortes lauded the efforts, saying: “We continue to support the endeavors of Ayala One in spreading knowledge on financial literacy and investment particularly in real estate investment.
“Financial literacy has been a priority of the Consulate in spreading awareness of the need to be savvy with our hard-earned finances and our dreams and visions of investment.”
For his part, Manuel Arbues II, Ayala Land International Sales regional head for North America and the Middle East, in his presentation, said the country’s “largest and most-experienced real estate developer, covers all market segments from luxury, for which it has Ayala Land Premier, to upscale (Alveo), middle income and the OFW market for which the company offers Avida; affordable (Amaia) and even socialized housing for which it offers BellaVita.
He told The Filipino Times that OFWs planning to invest in condominium units should consider the ongoing Metro Manila Subway Project which cuts through the metropolis from Quezon City to Alabang and on to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Seven out of the 13 proposed subway stations will be near or at Ayala Land Inc. estates – among them Vertis North and Arca South.
Here are the companies under comprising the one-stop shop:
• AYALA LAND is the Philippines’ leading developer of sustainable estates, offering a diverse mix of properties such as residential, retail, office, hotels, and leisure developments, that support local economic growth and nation-building.
• The 168-year-old BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (BPI), is rolling out BPI Pamana Padala giving insurance coverage to OFWs remitting to their own account; BPI Moneyger for OFW beneficiaries; as well as auto loan, housing loan business loan and a short-term fund for retirement. BPI has 31 partners in UAE including Al Rostamani and UAE Exchange.
• MYNT a partnership between Globe Telecom, the Ayala Corp. and Ant Financial, that provides innovative and first-in-world fintech solutions and operates GCash, which can provide money transfer in 10 minutes by way of an e-wallet and will be launching its Dubai corridor; and Fuse, a tech-based lending company that enables Filipinos to get microloans to business loans without the traditional requirements set by banks and other lending institutions.
• APEC Schools comprise of the strategic partnership between Yuchengco’s House of Investments together with the Ayala Corporation, forming an educational institution aimed at transforming the lives of young individuals. The institution, covering more than 20 branches across Luzon helps build each student’s character, mindset, and habits by providing personal attention and focused skill-building to prepare them for the real world.
• Ayala Healthcare Holdings, Inc. (AC Health) which was established in June 2015 as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ayala Corp. that provides affordable, quality, generic medicines through Generika Drugstores, and bringing quality primary care closer to communities through FamilyDOC Clinics. The group has also diversified and digitized healthcare through technology platforms that leverage the power of data analytics, such as MedGrocer, an FDA-licensed e-Pharmacy and delivery service, and Vigos Health Technologies, AC Health’s in-house health technology group.
