President and Chief Executive Officer of Maybank Philippines Incorporated, Choong Wai Hong said that the launch of Maybank Premier is a milestone for the Bank, which has been strategically managing the financial needs of high-net worth individuals since 2014. "We are excited to bring Maybank Premier to the Philippines which will allow us to better cater to our Premier clients' specific requirements and provide them with priority service and preferential banking products and services. The opening of the Premier center will also enable us to deliver an even more tailored service to our Premier customers."

"Maybank Group has on-the-ground presence in all ten ASEAN countries and our clients can leverage our strong network to access the region and seek in-country as well as intra-region solutions. For instance, Premier clients get to perform their banking needs in the comfort and privacy of our Premier Centers here in the Philippines, as well as in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia and Brunei. As economic and business ties within the region continue to strengthen, we are confident that the differentiated ASEAN proposition which Maybank offers will add significant value to our clients," Wai Hong added.

Maybank Premier is a personalized banking service focused on delivering Wealth Advisory and Solutions, Relationship Benefits and Lifestyle Privileges for high net worth individuals. Each Premier client will be assigned a Relationship Manager, who, with the understanding of their client's risk profile and financial goals, will provide customized solutions and recommend appropriate banking and investment products. The assigned Relationship Manager will then create a strategy that will assist their clients in growing and preserving their wealth and legacy for generations to come.

The Maybank VISA Infinite Credit Card, which is concurrently launched, is catered for Maybank's Premier clients who are frequent travelers and enjoy the finer luxury in life. The credit card entitles clients to 1% cashback on overseas spend, complimentary airport lounge access, the widest range of airlines for miles redemption, travel protection of up to Php10 million and now the lowest conversion fee for foreign currency transactions at 1.65%. It also provides Maybank's Premier clients access to golfing, shopping and culinary privileges worldwide.

Maybank has been serving the community in the Philippines for more than 20 years with 73 branches across the country, committed to providing a unique customer service as well as the best in financial services and products to clients. Aligned with its mission of Humanising Financial Services, the Bank continuously strives to deliver relevant innovative solutions to maintain and strengthen its presence in the country and also deepen its relations with its clients.

To know more about Maybank Premier, visit Maybank's website or your nearest Maybank branch.

Maybank's Cashville Kidz program aims to address the need for financial education in Philippine schools and is in line with the national agenda of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) of promoting financial literacy and inclusion among school-aged children. The BSP has been a strong advocate of the "Banking on Your Future" campaign which encourages savings among children and young adults. Similarly, Maybank's financial literacy program strong supports the Department of Education's Financial Literacy Education for teachers and learners, and its integration in the K to 12 curriculum.

With the theme "Lighting Up a Brighter Financial Future for the Next Generation of Youth in the Philippines", CashVille Kidz program is structured to create greater awareness about the importance of Financial Literacy starting with elementary school children. The pilot run of the Program will be in Metro Manila schools for SY 2019-2020. CashVille Kidz program aims to complement BSP's effort in raising financial consumer awareness and strengthening consumer empowerment.

CashVille Kidz is a creative animated cartoon series designed to teach elementary children the importance of money, in order to prepare them to meet future financial challenges. The 8-episode animated series focuses on specific financial lessons that range from the importance of saving money to developing positive spending habits and making smart investments, eventually enabling participants to make informed financial decisions with confidence and raise their financial capability.

In giving the overview of the Cashville Kidz, Shahril emphasized: "The age of digitisation presents many challenges for the future generation. One of these seem to be the lack of sound financial management skills. Through CashVille Kidz, we hope to strongly contribute in educating young school children on the importance of money management habits in an exhilarating experience."

'We are thankful to Maybank Foundation for its continued commitment and support to the Philippines, and choosing its next expansion area for the successful CashVille Kidz Program. We are confident that the program will leave an indelible mark in the communities we serve in the country," said Wai Hong.

He added: "For the pilot phase, in collaboration with our program partner MoneyTree Philippines, we are selecting 8 primary schools in Metro Manila, targeting 1,200 students from Grades 4 to Grade 6 who will be under trained teachers. Like in all countries where Maybank operates, one of the key guiding principles for the bank is to grow with the community, advocating financial education as a tool to provide a holistic financial solution, in line with our mission of humanising financial services."

CashVille Kidz was first aired in Malaysia in February 2013, and the program was recognised by the Malaysian Ministry of Education as one of its programs and accepted as an extra co-curricular activity that awards participating students with co-curricular points. The program was subsequently introduced in Cambodia in 2016 and has been endorsed by the National Bank of Cambodia and the Ministry of Youth, Education and Sport as a program to help improve financial literacy level of Cambodian students. As of 2018, more than 1,500 teachers has been trained to conduct CashVille Kidz in more than 800 schools across Malaysia and Cambodia, with more than 180,000 students participating and benefitted thus far.

CashVille Kidz has won many international awards, among them the "Efma-Accenture Innovation Awards 2013" in Paris and the "Global CSR Awards 2014" in Bali, and these awards has established Maybank as a financial literacy education champion and paved the way for this flagship initiative to be easily replicated and upscaled in other countries where Maybank has presence. Most recently, the CashVille Kidz Financial Literacy Program was awarded Gold in the Best Community Programme Award Category in the prestigious 11th Annual Global CSR Summit and Awards 2019.

Also announced during the launch event were the first batch of scholars under the Maybank Group Scholarship Program. Given out to deserving students since 1972, this year marks the first time that the scholarship has been awarded to incoming university students outside Malaysia.

#ChallengeofChoice. The theme for MGAC this year offers an experience where every decision does matter and unfolds different experiences throughout the challenge.

#MGAC2019 is all set to bring a journey of experience:
YOUR MISSION - Flex your skills and start your mission the moment you step into MGAC.
YOUR GAME - A game where everyone is welcome to participate, regardless of your educational background.
YOUR CHALLENGE - A brand new and unique approach to test your limits.
YOUR DECISION - Every decision matters which brings a unique journey for every Challenger.

This year's MGAC Philippines National Levels were held on June 3 and June 4, at De La Salle University - Manila (DLSU) and Ateneo de Manila University (AMDU), respectively. The five students who emerged victorious are: Stanley Lee, Business Management, De La Salle University; Elisa Miclat, Advertising Managament, De La Salle University; Sunyoung Won, Applied Economics, De La Salle University; Joaquin Francisso, Business Administration, University of Philippines; and Hazel Tan, Management Engineering, Ateneo de Manilla University.

The five Global Finalists are shortlisted from more than 4,000 applicants from top universities in the Phillipines. They will be facing other challengers at the Global Finals from around the world for a shot at being named the Global Champion and/or part of the Champion team. The Global finalists will also have a chance to join the Global Maybank Apprentice Programme (GMAP), a prestigious, international management trainee programme designed to develop future leaders of the bank across the region.

To find out more about the Maybank GO Ahead. Challenge 2019, the Global Maybank Apprentice Programme, and this year's challengers, visit www.goaheadchallenge.com.my.