BDO and SM continue holiday tradition of honoring overseas Filipinos through Pamaskong Handog 2025

Tara na, Kabayan! Celebrate Christmas with BDO and SM at Pamaskong Handog—a yearly tradition of gratitude and love for overseas Filipinos and their families.

For many Filipino families, the holiday season is a time of reunion, celebration, and gratitude. But for millions of overseas Filipinos (OFs), who continue to work away from home, Christmas often means another year spent watching milestones from afar. 

To honor their sacrifices and to bring families closer despite distance, BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDO), together with SM Supermalls, once again stages its annual community celebration Pamaskong Handog on Dec. 6 in SM City Sto. Tomas, and on Dec. 13 in SM City Laoag. 

Pamaskong Handog, a beloved tradition for more than a decade, began as BDO’s heartfelt gesture to give thanks to Filipino migrant workers in destinations such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Italy, and the Middle East. Over the years, it has grown into a series of joyful gatherings, empowering families to come together and feel the warmth of “Pasko sa Pinas.” 

This yearly celebration has always stood as a testament to BDO’s continued commitment to Alagang Kabayan—a brand of care rooted in understanding the dreams, challenges, and resilience of OFs. While BDO ensures that every remittance reaches home safely and conveniently, Pamaskong Handog strengthens the emotional connection—reminding every OF that they are seen, valued, and celebrated. 

Abot ang pangarap kasama ang BDO at SM 

This year’s message, “Abot ang pangarap kasama ang BDO at SM,” underscores a simple yet deeply meaningful truth: Dreams are not meant to be carried alone. Whether it is building a home, funding a business, preparing for retirement, or securing education for children, Filipinos can rely on BDO and SM to provide support, guidance, and opportunities every step of the way. 

Through various products and services such as BDO Kabayan Savings, BDO Pay, Kabayan Loans, Cash Agad and other financial solutions, BDO ensures that every Filipino family—whether at home or abroad—has access to secure and supportive banking services that help make dreams achievable. 

A celebration filled with joy, music, and meaningful connections 

This year’s Pamaskong Handog festivities promise to be vibrant and heartfelt. Making the celebration even more special is the return of long-time BDO ambassador for remittance Piolo Pascual, whose genuine advocacy for Filipino families has made him a familiar and comforting figure in BDO’s community engagements worldwide. 

Joining the fun are lifestyle personality Small Laude, bringing her lovable wit and energy, along

with audience-favorite comedy and content group Beks Battalion, who are set to fill the gathering with laughter, games, and unforgettable holiday cheer. 

Attendees can look forward to exciting prizes, family activities, and the chance to reconnect with kababayans—celebrating the Filipino spirit of togetherness. 

A homecoming of the heart 

Year after year, Pamaskong Handog has touched the lives of countless Filipino families—rekindling memories of hometown fiestas, laughter-filled reunions, and the joy of simply being together. More than just an event, it is a celebration of identity, gratitude, and love—honoring those who have given so much to uplift the lives of the people they love. 

BDO, through Alagang Kabayan, continues to stand by OFs—not only during the holidays, but in every season of their journey. Because no matter the distance, one truth remains constant: Ang pangarap, mas kaya kapag may kasama. Abot ang pangarap kasama ang BDO at SM. 

For more updates and to watch Pamaskong Handog Live, please follow BDO Kabayan Facebook Page.

Globe DevCon 2025: Inspiring Students to Innovate in the Digital World

Globe reached another milestone in its drive for innovation and talent development with the successful staging of Globe DevCon 2025, the third annual Globe Developers Conference held last October 9 at The Globe Tower in Bonifacio Global City. With the theme “Harnessing the Power to Create,” the full-day event gathered over 1,000 developers, engineers, and students to explore how AI-driven technologies can tackle real-world challenges and create meaningful impact in people’s lives.

More than just a tech gathering, Globe DevCon 2025 served as a launchpad for purpose-driven innovation. The event empowered the next generation of student developers and creators to dream boldly, build meaningfully, and connect with industry leaders shaping the future of digital progress. 

“At Globe, we believe the future is built by the bold ideas of today’s youth. Globe DevCon 2025 is more than an event, it’s a launchpad for student innovators to explore, connect, and create with purpose,” says Anne Calma, Head of Marketing Youth Cultures at Globe. “By giving them access to real-world tech and industry mentors, we’re not just inspiring them, we’re investing in the future they’re ready to shape.”

The event saw strong youth participation, with 194 student attendees from 27 universities nationwide, including University of the Philippines - Manila, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, National University, University of Batangas, STI Lucena, and Our Lady of Fatima University-Valenzuela. These numbers reflect Globe’s expanding reach among young innovators and its leadership in nurturing digital changemakers across the country.

“I realized that innovation isn’t just about coding, it's about creating change that matters. [Harnessing the Power to Create] means believing that creativity and innovation can coincide to shape a better future,” said John Michael G, Papa, a senior student at Pateros Technological College. “[The Globe DevCon 2025] sparked a fire in me to dream bigger and create impactful, yet meaningful innovation.”

To further learning and engagement, students earned leaderboard points by engaging in student challenges: attending breakout sessions, sharing insights on social media, and redeeming and donating Globe rewards points on the GlobeOne App.  Exhibits like MongoDB database solutions, the AWS AI stylist for color analysis, and the Huawei Robodog captured imaginations and showcased the real-world potential of emerging technologies.

DevCon 2025 featured solution showcases, fireside chats, and tech demos that highlight innovations developed within Globe. This year’s DevCon is also made possible through the support of AWS, Couchbase, Huawei, MongoDB, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Amdocs, Oracle, Searce, Cisco, and F5. Their collaboration underscores the shared commitment to empowering developers and advancing the country’s digital innovation ecosystem.

In line with Globe’s #GoForIt campaign to pursue your dreams and passions, DevCon 2025 continues to foster connection and collaboration between students and professionals, empowering learners to turn ambition into action. As technology becomes central to every student’s journey, Globe remains committed to providing opportunities for growth, creativity, and impact—inspiring the next generation to #GoForwardTogether.

To learn more about the Globe Student Program, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/student-program.

A Blockbuster Night: BDO Pay hosts exclusive ‘Meet, Greet & Bye’ world premiere

A night full of energy. BDO endorsers Belle Mariano and Piolo Pascual (left photo)—who play Geri and Tupe Facundo in ‘Meet, Greet & Bye’ pumped up the crowd with a fun groufie inside a packed Cinema 2 at SM Megamall—a clear sign of the excitement around the film and its partnership with BDO.  

The cheers grew even louder when JK Labajo (right photo), who plays Leo Facundo, made a surprise appearance to greet the audience. Joining the Facundos onstage were BDO leaders Dave Khodr and Genie T. Gloria, making the world premiere a celebration shared by fans, partners, and the wider BDO community.

Celebrating the Filipino family. Roy L. Villareal, Senior Vice President of BDO Digital Banking, opened the program by highlighting how meaningful it is for BDO to support a movie that honors Filipino families. He shared that, much like the film, BDO remains committed to bringing its products and services closer to every Filipino household—wherever they may be.

The Alagang Kabayan success. Genie T. Gloria, Senior Vice President and Head of BDO Remittance (center), stands with members of the Digital Customer Experience team. Their strong collaboration helped make the premiere a sucess, and more importantly, continues to strengthen BDO’s commitment to making banking easier and more accessible for OFWs and their families around the world.