Maniolas

Abenson managing director Winston Lim MANILA, Philippines–The Abenson brand has long been attached to everything that has to do with appliances. Recently, the 45-year-old Abenson chain opened its flagship store beside Ascott Hotel, Bonifacio Global City. Abenson managing director Winston Lim shares here his thoughts on appliance retailing and the company’s mission to bring the ‘good life’ to Filipinos. Q: Retailing appliances has many pain points as customers go through a process of information search, face-to-face inquiry, product demo, delivery and after-sales. How does Abenson address customer irritants and annoyances? A: At Abenson, our mission is to bring the ‘good life’ to every Filipino home. In our 45-year history, we have seen how our customers’ priorities have changed, both at the level of sophistication of the products that they buy and their expectation of what the “good life” is. Appliance and gadget shoppers want to bring home the best products that fit their lifestyles in the fastest, easiest and safest way possible. Our newest channel on the Internet—www.abenson.com.ph—offers the same products and services nationwide to those who now prefer to shop online with their credit cards or choose the convenience of cash-on-delivery. Our network of over 80 stores is the leading appliance store chain and is still expanding nationwide. A product’s journey from our store to your home is also guaranteed safe by people who have been screened and accredited to provide honest and professional service. Abenson “Para Sigurado” was our tagline many years ago, and it still rings true Read More …

Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: “What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” ― C.S. Lewis Not to go much into the who, what, where, when and why, but at one point in my school career, I accepted an invitation to attend a summer leadership conference. It was not what I expected. Of the handful of memories that I’ve retained from that three-day experience, most of them involve me, surrounded by a group of much more enthusiastic participants, moving my hands in some sort of cheer. Every speaker that came to talk to us had to be met with an OUTSTANDING (O-U-T * S-T-A-N-D * I-N-G out, out standing)! Walks to perform community service involved us “Singing in the rain.” Perhaps I was just being a grumpy teenager, whose thoughts, more often than not, rested longingly on the fanfiction chapter I wanted to be working on, but couldn’t–and yet, even as my voice slipped in between all the others, I didn’t really feel a part of the group. On the last night, my team (a subset of the larger masses) gathered around a campfire, glow-in-the-dark necklaces clinging to us as if we were as attractive to fireflies as we were to mosquitoes. One by one, the others each talked about how surprised they were to have found a family there. I thought, I’m not even sure I remember most of your names, and thinking back on it now, only two faces Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – Providing Connectivity to regions of the country which require terrestrial services, Globe Business recently announced its tie-up with VT iDirect Inc. (iDirect), a company of Vision Technologies Systems Inc. and a world leader in satellite-based IP communications technology, with its very small aperture terminals (VSAT) to bolster its portfolio of services for its business clients. Through VSAT, the corporate and enterprise information and communications technology arm of Globe Telecom will be running data services in the Philippines over an MPLS network, targeting automated teller machines or ATM banking, mining and government services as initial markets. The iDirect Evolution platform, coupled with the iDirect X3 remote, provide flexibility and efficiency necessary to help Globe deliver services that meet the demands of customers, which include large companies, multinational corporations and the like. “Globe Business further increases its influence in the region by partnering with iDirect Asia as we combine our expertise for Philippine businesses to leverage on best-in-class satellite capabilities. This synergy further strengthens our commitment to provide our customers leading technologies to enable them to advance their ICT functions,” said Globe Business senior vice president Nikko Acosta. “Our partnership with Globe Telecom by way of Globe Business marks iDirect’s initial entry into the Philippines and further demonstrates VSAT’s strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region. It showcases one of the unique value propositions that satellite can deliver, being able to provide high-speed connectivity to regions of the country that had previously been unconnected,” acknowledged iDirect Asia general manager Tom Read More …