Ajinomoto Philippines Supports Healthier Coastal Communities Through Dampalit Cleanup Drive

 

Joining the International Coastal Clean Up Day celebration, Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) took action at the Dampalit Mega Dike in Malabon, through a coastal cleanup drive in partnership with the Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) and the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR).

Located along the coast of Barangay Dampalit, the 8.6-kilometer Dampalit Mega Dike serves as an important flood-control structure and habitat for coastal and marine biodiversity in the CAMANAVA area. This underscores the importance of keeping its coastal spaces clean and protected.

APC President Daizaburo Koga said, “Addressing plastic pollution in beaches, rivers and waterways is a huge challenge, but small actions can collectively create a wave of change. Every piece of waste we collect helps create a cleaner coast, protect marine life, and preserve our oceans for future generations.” With 40 volunteers on the ground, more than 500 kilograms of solid waste were collected during the activity.

ASSIST highlighted the importance of sustained partnerships in translating environmental goals into meaningful action. “We are happy to see the continued growth of Ajinomoto's partnership with ASSIST for marine conservation and waste reduction. ASSIST is proud to work alongside partners like Ajinomoto who remain consistently committed to driving real, lasting environmental change—and we hope to see even more organizations follow suit,” said Francis Macatulad - ASSIST Director for Business Development.

The coastal cleanup is part of APC’s dedicated efforts to translate its sustainability commitments into concrete initiatives.The company always finds ways to contribute to Ajinomoto Group’s global goal of extending the healthy life expectancy of one billion people and reducing its environmental impact by 50% by 2030.

About Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST)
ASSIST (Asia Society for Social Improvement and Sustainable Transformation) is a self-sustaining pan-Asian NGO working at the intersection of social impact and sustainable transformation. True to its role as a Partner for Progress, ASSIST collaborates with corporate and institutional funders to deliver co-created initiatives as well as award-winning flagship programs that convert social investments into lasting local capacity. Explore our work and partner with us: www.assistasia.org

B1G2 Technologies Appointed KinoSec Distributor in the Philippines

B1G2 Technologies International Inc. has been appointed as the official distributor of KinoSec in the Philippines, bringing autonomous penetration testing technology to enterprises, managed service providers (MSPs), managed security service providers (MSSPs), and IT service companies.

KinoSec is making waves in cybersecurity with its autonomous penetration testing platform, designed to identify and validate vulnerabilities across web applications, APIs, cloud environments, and networks.

The platform's capabilities include a standout benchmark result: KinoSec's Zeus engine achieved a 99.04% exploitation success rate across a 104-challenge black-box web benchmark, outperforming the published results of a five-person human pentesting team at 87.5%. KinoSec also reports that Zeus can pentest 1,000 companies in a single day, compared with the typical capacity of a human pentester handling 5–10 companies per month.

From AI Innovation to the DEF CON Competition Stage

KinoSec's momentum extends beyond product performance. At DEF CON 34 in August 2026, KinoSec won the Hack The Box Capture the Flag (HTB CTF) competition, solving all 37 of 37 challenges and finishing first against human teams working under the same time constraints. KinoSec was also named a Circle of Excellence awardee for Most Innovative Company of 2026 at the 17th Asia CEO Awards. KinoSec has also joined the NVIDIA Inception Program, which supports startups developing AI and data science technologies.

KinoSec reports a 99.04% success rate on the 104-challenge XBOW benchmark, successfully exploiting 103 challenges under fully autonomous, black-box testing conditions—with no source-code access.

The result highlights KinoSec’s ability to identify and validate exploitable vulnerabilities across web applications and digital attack surfaces, helping security teams move beyond basic vulnerability scanning toward more practical, attacker-focused testing.

Expanding Access to Autonomous Security in the Philippines

Through this partnership, B1G2 Technologies will help introduce KinoSec's technology to the Philippine market, complementing its existing cybersecurity solutions and services, including vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT).

The collaboration also creates opportunities for service providers to expand their offerings through white-label autonomous pentesting—enabling eligible partners to deliver security testing and branded reports under their own company names without having to build an entire pentesting operation from scratch.

“Organizations need to understand not just where vulnerabilities exist, but which weaknesses can actually be exploited. KinoSec gives us an exciting opportunity to help businesses and cybersecurity partners adopt a more proactive, scalable approach to security testing,” said Mr. Ciriaco Santos III, President of B1G2 Technologies International Inc.

New Growth Opportunities for Cybersecurity Service Providers

B1G2 Technologies is actively looking for MSPs, MSSPs, IT service providers, and cybersecurity partners interested in expanding their service portfolios with autonomous penetration testing. Partners can explore opportunities to offer recurring security testing, white-label reports, and scalable services to their customers.

Organizations interested in becoming a B1G2 Technologies partner or requesting a product demonstration may contact marketing@b1g2.io or visit https://b1g2.io

About B1G2 Technologies International Inc.

B1G2 Technologies International Inc. provides cybersecurity solutions and services to Philippine organizations, with a portfolio spanning endpoint security, cloud security, threat intelligence, cybersecurity awareness, and vulnerability assessment and penetration testing. B1G2 is the exclusive distributor of ESET in the Philippines.

Cebuana Lhuillier Aralan: Expanding Access to Education Through Community-Based Learning

  

Education does not begin and end in the classroom. To develop strong literacy skills, children also need books, places to read, and resources that encourage them to keep learning. Yet for many Filipino families, particularly those in underserved and hard-to-reach areas, these basic tools remain difficult to find.

The challenges facing Filipino learners highlight the need to strengthen access to learning resources. The latest PISA 2025 results show that only 31% of Filipino 15-year-olds reached at least Level 2 proficiency in reading, compared with 69% across OECD countries. Meanwhile, the World Bank reported in 2026 that 91% of 10-year-olds in the Philippines cannot read and understand an age-appropriate text, a condition it identifies as learning poverty. These figures underscore the continuing need to strengthen foundational literacy and bring learning resources closer to children, particularly those in underserved communities.

For Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier, the idea for Cebuana Aralan took shape after he learned about the situation at Graciano Lopez Jaena Elementary School in Manila, where students lacked a library to support their reading and study needs. Seeing how the absence of a dedicated space could limit children’s opportunities to read, explore new ideas, and learn beyond their regular classes, Lhuillier saw an opportunity to address a practical need through the Cebuana Aralan Mini Library Project.

“We believe that every child deserves a fair chance to succeed and that opportunities should not be determined by circumstance. Cebuana Aralan reflects our commitment to helping create a stronger foundation for children and supporting them as they work toward their aspirations,” he said.

The need to bring learning resources closer to communities remains significant, particularly as the country continues to address gaps in reading and comprehension. The 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) found that 18.9 million Filipinos aged 10 to 64 were functionally illiterate, meaning they experienced difficulty with comprehension despite having basic reading and language skills. Recent learning assessments also show that while Filipino Grade 5 learners have made progress in reading, significant disparities remain, underscoring the importance of sustained support for foundational literacy and access to learning resources.

While strengthening the country’s education system remains a shared responsibility, initiatives outside the classroom can help address some of these gaps. Cebuana Aralan does this by providing books, digital materials, school supplies, and practical learning opportunities in communities where they are needed.

Implemented by the Cebuana Lhuillier Foundation, Inc. (CLFI), Cebuana Aralan has launched three community and school libraries, donated more than 2,500 books, and distributed 764 school supply packs. It has also introduced the C Learning eLibrary App and digital library tablets with ebooks, giving students additional ways to access learning materials.

CLFI’s experience with the project has also reinforced the importance of collaboration. Cebuana Aralan works with local governments, NGOs, community leaders, educators, volunteers, scholars, and other partners to identify areas that can benefit from the program and better understand students’ needs. The project also brings together CLFI’s Inclusive Education and Financial Inclusion programs, complementing literacy efforts with financial education and practical knowledge.

“Education initiatives are most meaningful when they respond to the realities of the communities they serve. By working with local partners and listening to what learners need, we can bring resources closer to them and create opportunities that can make a practical difference in their everyday learning,” said Jo-Ann Tacorda, First Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Cebuana Lhuillier and Executive Director of CLFI.

As CLFI looks to expand Cebuana Aralan to more remote barangays nationwide, its goal remains to ensure that a child’s location does not determine their opportunities to learn. By bringing educational resources closer to underserved communities, the program helps children strengthen their skills, build confidence, and see greater possibilities for their future.

Cebuana Lhuillier Puts Convenience at Customers’ Fingertips with Cash Accepting Machines

 

 Cebuana Lhuillier is expanding services across its nationwide branch network by introducing Cash Accepting Machines (CAMS), giving customers more ways to complete routine financial transactions in locations they already know and trust.

Developed in partnership with ECPay, CAMS enables customers to cash in, load mobile phones, pay bills, and top up, adding technology-enabled self-service options to the Cebuana Lhuillier branch experience.

“Our goal is to make every interaction with Cebuana Lhuillier as convenient and seamless as possible. CAMS gives our customers more choice in how they complete everyday transactions while allowing us to bring practical, technology-enabled services closer to the communities we serve. It is another step in making financial services more accessible, relevant, and responsive to the needs of our customers,” said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier.

The initiative builds on Cebuana Lhuillier’s more than 3,500 branches nationwide, enabling the company to introduce additional services within a physical network that reaches millions of Filipinos. By bringing more capabilities into its branches, customers can meet more financial needs with more ease.

“This is how we see innovation working at the branch level, using technology to expand what customers can access while preserving the reach and familiarity of Cebuana Lhuillier. CAMS allows us to make our branches more responsive to how customers want to transact today,” said Cebuana Lhuillier Senior Executive Vice President, Philippe Andre Lhuillier.

CAMS complements the range of financial services already available through Cebuana Lhuillier’s branches, from remittance and pawning to bill payment and other everyday financial needs. Adding self-service capabilities gives customers another way to complete selected transactions while keeping branch assistance within reach.

The initiative reflects Cebuana Lhuillier’s broader approach to innovation: bringing practical technology into its extensive physical network to make financial services more accessible, relevant, and easier to use.

As customer needs continue to evolve, Cebuana Lhuillier is also evolving how Filipinos experience its branches, turning familiar locations into more versatile touchpoints for everyday financial needs.