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Alongside the credit facility, the two parties also implemented digital account management and payment systems for Green GSM’s driver network. Through PNB’s corporate banking platform and digitized onboarding processes, account opening and activation times are significantly reduced, helping Green GSM strengthen operational management as it expands driver network.

As cities continue to seek lower-emission transport solutions, financial systems, digital payments, driver management and operating standards are becoming increasingly important to supporting mobility platforms at scale.

In the Philippines, Green GSM is building mobility model through the integration of technology, an all-electric fleet, and standardized operating systems. Following its strategic partnership with Xentro Group in 2025 and the launch of the Green Xentro fleet in Rizal earlier this year, the company continues to expand its presence through long-term collaborations with local partners and domestic financial institutions.

“We appreciate Green GSM’s long-term development direction in the Philippines, not only in advancing low-emission mobility, but also in the way the company is building an operating model with scalability and clear governance foundations,” said Mr. Edwin R. Bautista, President and Chief Executive Officer of PNB. “The transition toward sustainable transport will require ecosystems capable of supporting stable long-term growth, together with the financial and operational foundations needed to enable that expansion.”

Ms. Le Thi Thu Trang, Chief Executive Officer of Green GSM Philippines, said: “For Green GSM, developing an all-electric mobility model is not only about expanding the fleet, but also about building an operating system that is stable, standardized, and capable of sustainable long-term growth. Our partnership with PNB will help strengthen the financial and operational foundations needed to enhance service quality and support Green GSM’s continued expansion in the Philippines.”

Green GSM develops its all-electric mobility model through the combination of technology, standardized operating systems, and professionally trained drivers. The platform is supported by real-time monitoring and operational systems designed to maintain service consistency across major urban areas.

The partnership with PNB further reinforces Green GSM’s long-term direction in the Philippines, where the company continues to strengthen its operating foundations, service standards, and driver support systems in order to maintain service quality as operations scale further.

Hashtag: #GreenSM

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About GSM & Green SM

GSM (Green Smart Mobility) is a pioneering multi-platform company operating all-electric ride-hailing services. With a focus on sustainable transport development, GSM operates a mobility model powered entirely by VinFast electric vehicles, combining technology, service standards, and operational ecosystems to support the future of low-emission urban mobility.

Green GSM is GSM’s official brand in the Philippines and is part of the broader Green SM global ecosystem, alongside Xanh SM in Vietnam and Laos, and Green SM in Indonesia. Across all markets, the brand focuses on delivering modern mobility experiences through VinFast electric vehicles, professional drivers, and operating systems built around safety, consistency, and service quality.

About Philippine National Bank (PNB)

Philippine National Bank (PNB) is one of the Philippines’ largest private commercial banks in terms of assets and deposits. The bank provides a full range of financial and banking services to individual customers, businesses, institutions, and overseas Filipino communities. With a history spanning more than a century, PNB continues to focus on growth strategies driven by digital transformation, operational efficiency, and sustainable development in the financial sector.

Shares in Masayoshi Son’s technology investment group surged in Tokyo trading, lifting its market value to about ¥47.2 trillion, or roughly $296 billion, ahead of Toyota’s ¥45.7 trillion after the carmaker’s stock fell nearly 5 per cent. The move placed SoftBank at the top of Japan’s corporate valuation table for the first time in more than two decades and added momentum to a Nikkei 225 rally that pushed the index above 67,000.

The change is more than a stock-market milestone. It reflects how the AI boom has reshaped capital allocation in Japan, where investors are assigning higher value to companies with exposure to semiconductors, data centres, power infrastructure and generative AI platforms. Toyota remains one of the world’s largest and most profitable carmakers, but its valuation is now being weighed against a slower earnings outlook, tariff pressure, currency swings and the heavy cost of electrification.

SoftBank’s advance has been driven by a powerful combination of portfolio gains and expectations that its AI-linked holdings could generate fresh liquidity. The group’s exposure to Arm, the British chip-design company it took public in 2023, has become a key pillar of its market value. Arm’s technology is used widely across smartphones, cloud computing and increasingly AI-related chips, giving SoftBank a central position in the semiconductor supply chain.

OpenAI has become the second major driver of investor attention. SoftBank has committed tens of billions of dollars to the ChatGPT developer and is positioning itself as a core financier of AI infrastructure. Expectations that OpenAI could move towards a public listing have intensified interest in SoftBank’s asset base, even as analysts continue to debate how much of the group’s valuation depends on private-market pricing and future monetisation.

The latest surge followed SoftBank’s plan to invest up to €75 billion in AI infrastructure in France, including data centres and power-intensive computing capacity. The first phase is expected to involve about €45 billion of investment to build 3.1 gigawatts of capacity by 2031, with further expansion potentially taking the total to 5 gigawatts. The project places France at the centre of Europe’s push to develop sovereign AI infrastructure, helped by its nuclear-heavy power system and available industrial sites.

SoftBank is also moving to create public-market vehicles around AI infrastructure. SB Energy, its power and data-centre platform, is preparing for a potential US listing and has been linked to a valuation above $50 billion. The company is involved in large-scale power projects designed to support AI workloads, including a 1.2-gigawatt data-centre development in Texas. A separate robotics venture, Roze, is also being prepared for a possible listing, highlighting SoftBank’s attempt to build an ecosystem around energy, construction automation and computing capacity.

Toyota’s fall in ranking does not signal operational weakness. The carmaker reported operating income of ¥3.8 trillion for the financial year ended March 2026, supported by vehicle sales and pricing power despite tariff costs and rising expenses. It remains a global force in hybrid technology, production efficiency and supply-chain management. However, investors have become more cautious about its growth outlook as the auto sector faces higher regulatory costs, slower battery-electric vehicle adoption in some markets, and intensifying competition from China-based manufacturers.

The contrast between SoftBank and Toyota captures a broader reordering of Japan’s equity market. AI-linked names, chip suppliers and infrastructure companies are drawing strong inflows, while parts of the auto sector and older industrial groups face questions over margin durability. Kioxia, the memory-chip maker, has also climbed sharply this year, showing how investor enthusiasm has spread beyond SoftBank into companies tied to storage and high-performance computing.

The rally has strengthened the profile of Son, whose investment record has swung between spectacular gains and painful losses. SoftBank’s Vision Fund suffered heavy write-downs after the collapse in technology valuations in 2021 and 2022, while earlier bets such as WeWork damaged confidence in the group’s risk controls. Its comeback has been powered by a more concentrated AI narrative, but that also leaves the shares vulnerable if expectations around OpenAI, Arm or infrastructure listings are revised lower.

The measures apply to online platforms with at least 8 million users in Malaysia, bringing Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube within the scope of the rules. Companies must introduce age-verification systems for new users and checks for existing account holders, while strengthening safeguards against harmful content, cyberbullying, grooming, scams, child sexual abuse material and other online risks identified by regulators.

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission has framed the move as a child-protection measure rather than a general restriction on internet access. Children under 16 are not being cut off from the internet, but they are no longer permitted to own private social media accounts in their own names. Parents will not face penalties if children bypass the rules, but platforms that fail to comply can face fines of up to 10 million ringgit.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil had signalled the age floor last year, arguing that children were being exposed to online harms at a scale that demanded firmer platform accountability. He has said the policy is aimed at stopping under-16s from opening accounts independently, while allowing supervised access under parental control. Officials have also pointed to the spread of scams, online gambling, predatory contact and bullying as risks that existing moderation systems have failed to contain.

The enforcement places Malaysia among a growing group of governments testing age-based restrictions on social media. Australia has moved ahead with a comparable under-16 model, while the United Kingdom and several European governments are examining tougher obligations on platforms, age checks and design features that can encourage prolonged use by minors. Indonesia and Turkey have also discussed stronger limits for children’s access to social platforms.

Malaysia’s approach marks a significant shift in Southeast Asia’s digital regulation, where governments have increasingly moved from voluntary platform pledges to statutory obligations. The country has already required large social media and messaging platforms to obtain operating licences, with authorities saying the regime is intended to combat cybercrime, harmful content and misuse of online services. The under-16 rule adds a more targeted child-safety layer to that broader regulatory framework.

The most difficult part of implementation is likely to be age verification. Platforms may need to rely on identity documents, digital identity systems, facial estimation technology, parental confirmation or other mechanisms. Each option raises trade-offs. Stronger verification can reduce false age declarations, but it can also require users to hand over sensitive personal data. Privacy advocates have warned that age checks could create wider data-collection risks unless platforms limit retention, secure information properly and avoid using identity data for advertising or profiling.

Child-rights and free-expression groups have also questioned whether a blanket age rule will protect vulnerable users or push them towards less visible online spaces. Critics argue that determined teenagers may use virtual private networks, borrowed accounts, false birth dates or overseas registration routes to evade the restriction. They say a safer approach would combine age-appropriate design, stronger default privacy settings, rapid removal of harmful content, limits on addictive features and meaningful complaint channels.

Supporters of the policy counter that age limits give parents a clearer standard and force platforms to accept responsibility for systems that have often treated children as ordinary users. They argue that voluntary parental controls have not kept pace with algorithmic recommendation systems, private messaging risks and the commercial incentives behind engagement-driven platforms. The new rules are expected to test whether large technology companies can apply credible safeguards without excluding legitimate educational, civic and social uses of digital services.

For details: https://www.eternal.hk/the-eternal-path-to-china/

Downloadable Photo: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1awiWHa161_BbmFiJVdW_dE8gIm7imaJV?usp=sharing

A Flagship Seminar with Industry Leaders

The flagship session, “Paving the Way to China Fragrance Market,” will take place on 5 June 2026 from 15:00 to 15:45 (CEST) at the Conference Hall on the Main Stage of Esxence 2026. A distinguished panel of industry experts will examine China’s economic landscape and fragrance market, offering practical and insight-driven perspectives on successful market entry strategies. The confirmed speakers are Mr. Stefano De Paoli, Italy Chief Representative of InvestHK; Mr. Haocong Weng, Director of the Xuelei Fragrance Museum; Ms. Wincy Tang, General Manager of Marketing and Partnership at Experience 11 Limited, and Ms. Cindy Chung, Director of General Affairs of Eternal Group.

Beyond the Seminar: A Full Suite of Brand Resources

Beyond the seminar, Eternal Group has curated a comprehensive suite of resources to equip brands with actionable intelligence and operational guidance. Six industry talks will be held at Business Lounge No. 8 with speakers from Hong Kong Productivity Council, PricewaterhouseCoopers, The Loops Hong Kong, as well as expertise from Eternal Group. Topics will cover regulatory compliance, emerging marketing trends, and brand storytelling tailored for Chinese consumers. One-on-one consultations will offer bespoke advisory sessions with Eternal Group’s senior experts. In addition, attendees will have access to The China Market Entry Blueprint, a proprietary guide featuring market insights and consumer trend analysis, NMPA compliance pathways and formula testing requirements, localization best practices, as well as marketing, PR, and retail channel strategies across shopping malls, pop‑ups, and museums.

“For more than 40 years, Eternal Group has served as a trusted bridge for international fragrance brands navigating the complexities of the China market,” said Ms Wendy Lau, Executive Director of Eternal Group.”With ‘The Eternal Path to China’ at Esxence 2026, we are transforming complexity into clarity—providing strategic insights, trusted partnership and a clear pathway to market success. Whether a brand is taking its first step or strengthening its existing presence, we are here to guide its journey into the China market.”

Registration & Inquiries

You are invited to attend the seminar, industry talks, and exclusive briefings. To register or schedule interviews with speakers or Eternal Group representatives, please contact the PR & Corporate Communication Department at [email protected]. To register for the seminar, please visit: https://bit.ly/3PRfOrM.

Remarks:

To access both the Conference Hall and Business Lounge, please purchase a standard Esxence ticket on VivaTicket.com. The ticket includes exhibition access (first 3 days are open to industry professionals only; the final day is open to the public). Consumers may register by contacting: [email protected].

Hashtag: #EternalGroup

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

About Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (Stock Code: 6883.HK)

Eternal Beauty Holdings Limited (Eternal Group) is the largest perfume group (apart from brand-owner perfume groups) in China (including Hong Kong and Macao) in terms of retail sales in 2023*. It primarily sells and distributes products procured from third-party brand licensors, and deploys market for these brand licensors, offering such services as brand management, and designing and implementing customized market entry and expansion plans for their brands. The Group boasts large and diversified brand portfolios that include not only perfumes, but also color cosmetics, skincare products, personal care products, eyewear and home fragrances. As at 31 March 2026, it conducted product distribution and market deployment for a total of 75 external brands, including Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, Albion and Laura Mercier, with products in different pricing tiers and of versatile features that meet the differentiated demands of consumers in Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and/or Macao. Website: www.eternal.hk

*Data source: Frost & Sullivan

About Esxence

Esxence – The Art Perfumery Event has been the International Artistic Perfumery Event since 2009, it represents for professionals and enthusiasts the opportunity to meet the real protagonists of this fascinating world of fragrances, where history and tradition combine with innovation and research. An exhibition area dedicated to excellence, together with a rich and interesting calendar of meetings and events, which offer to the public – last edition reached more than 10,000 attendees – a unique and unmissable experience. Website: http://esxence.com