Ayala Group pivots to adapt amid pandemic

MANILA, Philippines — The Ayala Group is working to find a balance between protecting lives and restoring livelihoods as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The group has adopted a structured work-from-home arrangement to keep majority of its 56,000 employees safe. A remote work setup helped employees adapt faster to digitization with online tools and learning platforms provided by the conglomerate,” Ayala chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala said in a recent online session with the Makati Business Club.

He said that despite these new challenges, Ayala also recognizes opportunities in digital technologies as a way to reshape industries.

“As more and more Filipinos adapt to online shopping while they confine themselves to their homes, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) observed that 81 percent of transactions are now done via online channels, up from 71 percent before the quarantine. Transactions via the BPI app also grew by 118 percent, while platform enrollments increased by 125 percent,” Zobel said.

GCash’s total users doubled during the quarantine period, while its transaction volume doubled in June, compared to pre-quarantine levels, data from Globe showed.

With the change in consumer behavior, Ayala Malls is likewise adapting to the increasingly digital consumer behavior.

“To facilitate online shopping, Ayala Malls started DriveBuy, a curbside pickup system where customers can quickly and safely claim their online purchases without having to enter the premises. Ayala Malls continues to reconfigure its spaces to meet growing digital demands,” Zobel said.

The group is also putting in place digital initiatives in its healthcare business to be able to cater to the needs of consumers.

“The recent heightened interest in telemedicine gave way to AC Health and Globe’s 917 Ventures’ HealthNow, a digital teleconsultation platform that, in its web-based pilot phase, matched 11,000 consultation requests with its pool of volunteer doctors. Due to this success, HealthNow will be relaunched this month as an all-in-one mobile health app that can help netizens consult a doctor through video, buy medicine for delivery, and book clinic and lab appointments,” Zobel said.

In all, Zobel said an improved digital internet infrastructure could support the delivery of essential services and keep people connected.

He rallied his fellow businessmen to continuously help the government in responding to the pandemic and its economic aftermath.

“I believe that it is only when we pool our collective intelligence, resources, and commitment will we be able to overcome the challenge of COVID-19, with Speed, Scale, and Stamina,” Zobel said.