One of the Fastest Growing IT Companies is Set to Change the Playing Field

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In the highly competitive world of information technology, being bigger does not mean being better. While size may, to some extent be an advantage, more often, it is the ability to understand what the customers need, the insight to know where the industry is going and the keen sense to spot what trends there are, that sets companies apart into leaders and followers. Third Pillar Business Applications, Inc. despite being a new player, is already proving to be a company that leads rather than follows because it believes that business organizations must have a strong foundation for its business applications to sustain and support its growth. Furthermore, to have a strong foundation, an organization must start by having reliable and accurate business data to work with.

Third Pillar puts utmost priority in good data governance and data quality. It believes that every company must have a robust sales and marketing solution to boost sales output and customer service. It also needs a good procurement application to help reduce cost. In this regard, good data governance and data quality; sales and marketing; and procurement are the areas Third Pillar is focusing on to help transform its customers to being innovative and revenue earning organizations.

Founded only three years ago by a group of business and IT veterans, the company has now grown into a trusted and reliable business solutions provider because of its key strategic partnerships with industry leaders namely, Salesforce – the innovative company behind the world’s #1 Customer Relationship Management Platform that helps organizations sell, service, and market their products smarter. Salesforce enables companies to build meaningful long lasting business relationships with their customers resulting in increased sales revenue. BackOffice Associates - a worldwide leader in information governance and data modernization solutions. Its award-winning products are built on a revolutionary platform and can address the needs of business users that want to unlock the value of their data assets. CPM Consulting, a BackOffice Associates, LLC Company, which provides professional consulting services by aligning, designing and implementing SAP solutions for business planning and financial consolidation. Consus Global Consutling, one of the leading consulting firms in the spend management space, adds positive impact to the bottom-line of its customers by helping them achieve guaranteed savings in their annual spend.

Power Supply to Normalize by End of April

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of the Power Task Force Election 2016, the Department of Energy (DOE) remains keen on ensuring that power supply in the country will be adequate, reliable and stable for the entire summer period, especially during the national and local elections.

“Our team is currently assessing the power supply situation by closely coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and the power plant owners/operators in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao to make sure that the generating facilities which are currently on maintenance shutdown will be back online ahead of the election period,” Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada said. She emphasized that these planned outages are more on the integrity assessment of the plants to ensure that these are sound and running during the elections period.

Sec. Monsada added that the yellow alert only means that we have a limited or thin reserve power; and based on the outlook for Luzon, yellow alert status will only register in the afternoon of today as reserve power will normalize in the evening.

Moreover, it has been reported to the DOE that the National Grid Corporation of Philippines, as the system operator, has already alerted the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., the operator of the 600 MW Malaya Plant to run this generating facility in an effort to augment the power supply. The DOE has also coordinated with the Interruptible Load Program participants for provisional power supply of about 826 MW to supplement the available capacities.

Luzon power generating plants undergoing maintenance shutdown are targeted to be back online before April ends. Expected to be back on stream tonight are the 300 MW Calaca Unit 2 which suffers from turbine problem, and TMO Units 5 and 6 totaling to 119 MW which extended its maintenance works. Other plants with scheduled maintenance are the 382 MW Pagbilao Unit 1, 190 MW Magat Hydropower plant, and 145 MW San Roque Unit 3.

Comedy Curiosity: Comedy Cartel Live at Le Cafe Curieux

Wazzup Pilipinas!
Catch the Philippines Premier Stand-Up Comedian Mike Unson and the Comedy Cartel as they satisfy your comedy curiosity with their funny punchlines and antics at their show at Le Café Curieux on April 22, Friday,9:30 pm! A production of eCircle Entertainment & Management Corp. andSanctum 2.0! Bring everyone you know and let's all laugh 'til we can't take it anymore! See you guys next week!

Scarlet Nights: Live Comedy Series with Mike Unson

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Watch as the Comedy Cartel's live comedy series is back at the Scarlet Wine Lounge
entitled "Scarlet Nights" at the Fort Strip BGC on April 30, Saturday, 8pm! 

The event is hosted by one of the rising comic of Comedy Cartel "The Future" himself Joseph Montecillo., 

Featuring Chris Bacula & the Philippines Premier Stand-Up Comedian Mike Unson 

Laugh 'til your face turns red w/ laughter and get your much needed comic relief! 

Reserve your tickets now! Call or text 09178860706 for reservations!

Participation Deadline for AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search 2016 in the Philippines Extended to 23 April 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The AirAsia Runway Ready Designer Search (AARRDS) 2016 will see participants from Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand battle it out to be AirAsia’s Most Promising Designer of 2016.

This regional designer search is part of AirAsia’s continuous effort in developing talents and empowering youth across the region and will be a platform for young aspiring designers to catapult their careers in the fashion industry.

The participation deadline for the Philippines has been extended to 23 April 2016 to accommodate the requests for walk-in participants, and to enable more participants to submit their entries. Interested designers can walk-in on audition day on Saturday, 23 April 2016 to register at 9.00AM (GMT+7) at the Aqua Room, level 5 of Best Western Antel Plus Hotel located in Makati Avenue, Makati City.

Applicants must bring to the audition venue the following judging materials: 

a) registration form available at klfashionweek.com 

b) one (1) artboard depicting three (3) ready-to-wear womenswear sketches with a theme inspired by any Asean cities

c) one (1) artboard with fabrications, 

and d) one (1) artboard with a written description of the design inspiration in English or a mood board.

Strategic Measures in Place to Ensure Power During Elections

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Power Task Force Election (PTFE) 2016, led by the Department of Energy (DOE), lays down measures to ensure that power supply is sufficient, stable, and reliable before, during, and after the conduct of national and local elections on 09 May.

"Actually, we have two task forces that are looking into the integrity of the power supply chain to secure supply of electricity particularly during the period one week before and one week after the election day, especially within and near the voting precincts," said Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada.

Sec. Monsada further averred that since December last year, the PTFE has started ground works, including coordination meetings with energy stakeholders, and identification of tasks and responsibilities of member agencies in employing strategic and preparatory measures to ensure availability and stability of power supply not only for the elections period, but for the entire summer months.

The PTFE's latest and ongoing initiatives to ensure that all systems nationwide are ready and in place prior to the elections include conduct of tabletop drills and information, education and communication campaigns among stakeholders (i.e., Distribution Utilities, Generation Companies, Transmission Companies, and various government energy agencies) to equip them with best practices during crisis management; directive to DUs to ensure power supply by contracting needed capacities ahead, and making sure that backup power is available should power failure occur; prioritization scheme for the provision of electricity service to voting centers; and advisory to gencos to undertake maintenance either ahead or after the critical period to enable all available plants to run on full capacity during these times.

Artistang Artlets Proudly Presents Pendulum by Rani Mae Aberin

Wazzup Pilipinas!

What will you do if someone else is controlling your life for you?

Lurking at dimensions we thought did not exist, the god of time Kronus and his apprentice Hana are tasked to manage the time and destiny of the people in this human world.

Are you willing to be bounded by the laws of time and space? Or will you find a way to keep the past and the precious memories?

Artistang Artlets, the Official Theater Guild of the Faculty of Arts and Letters of the University of Santo Tomas, on its 35th Season, proudly presents: “Pendulum” by Rani Mae Aberin, a story about time and destiny– and how these two are important in life, love, and relationships.

Pendulum will be directed by Janus Matthew Martinez and produced by Christine Ann Camille Baria. This will be staged from April 26, 27 & 28, 2016, with the time slots 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7pm at the Education Auditorium, Albertus Magnus Building, University of Santo Tomas.

For inquiries please contact Kristianne Coleen Cañamo (09153967730), or visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ArtistangArtletsUST. Twitter: @artstngartlts

IPC to Banks: Your Cybersecurity Measures are Not Enough

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Local cloud services pioneer and IT security specialist IPC strongly urges financial institutions to safeguard their systems by deploying up-to-date security measures to ensure data and network protection. IPC called on banks to check on their current data security setup, stating that even the most secure institutions are not exempt from the alarming increase in crimes perpetrated online.

“This is a reality that has caused the loss of significant revenue for many businesses. The global recorded cost of cyber attacks is at $400-500 billion dollars per year― roughly fifty percent of which is from DDoS attacks,” said IPC President Rene Huergas, citing data from DDoS Mitigation partner Nexusguard. Unless executives take stock of this as a serious issue at hand, companies are most likely to lose more.

IPC acknowledges that some institutions may have inadequate system and network security layers to protect them from cyber attacks. “This poses an even greater danger to both the customer as well as the institution. As data and network security is a commodity in this day and age, now is the best time to recognize that the threats are real and can make businesses vulnerable and susceptible to attacks; banks and financial institutions being the most inclined to this kind of attack,” added Huergas.

Just recently, several Iranian hackers have been indicted following a well-orchestrated cyber attack on US banks. The criminals hit the banks with DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks on an almost weekly basis, flooding their servers with illegitimate traffic that slowed websites down and caused millions in lost business.

Nursery of Curiosities: A Solo Exhibit by Nasser Lubay All Set to Open on May 15 at Arte Pintura

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Artist Playground, Arte Pintura and Talent Factory Incorporated proudly present NURSERY OF CURIOSITIES -- A SOLO EXHIBIT BY NASSER LUBAY.

Arte Pintura Gallery is located at the G/F The Address at Wack Wack, Wack Wack Road, Mandaluyong City, and is al set to open on May 15, 2016.

An interesting highlight of the exhibit is the world premiere of “Nursery of Curiosities – The Theme,” an original music written by award-winning composer Jesse Lucas.

A specially-printed catalogue of "Nursery of Curiosities" will also be launched to accompany the exhibit.

Curated by Philip Almazan Paraan, “Nursery of Curiosities” will run until May 31.

NYSE Listed Harte Hanks Cites Filipino Workers on Eve of BPO-Call Center Opening

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Harte Hanks lauded the Philippines as one of BPO-call center destinations in the world with a good labor market and described the Filipino workforce as “eager, with a strong work ethic and imbibed with a culture of customer service.”

The American firm issued the statement ahead of the opening on Thursday (April 21) of its BPO-call center at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex, in Pasay City, a move that would integrate the company’s existing primary and two secondary locations in the country.

A local outfit, Pinnacle Real Estate Consulting Services, had said the Philippines remains the top destination for IT-BPO firms given the educated talent pool, excellent infrastructure, cost competitiveness, and adequate government support for the industry.

In a published report, they projected the BPO sector may soon overtake dollar remittances from overseas Filipinos in terms of revenues given the continued strong demand for office space.

Harte Hanks’ Philippine subsidiary employs over 2,000 BPO-call center agents, majority of whom, are assigned at Harte Hanks’ main office, in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The company had announced that it would be hiring hundreds of Filipino IT-marketing specialists for its MOA facility.

2Go Travel Makes Travel Easier With Expanded Payment Options

Wazzup Pilipinas!

2Go Travel, one of the most renowned sea and land transportation companies in the Philippines, was born out of the integration of the 2 major shipping companies in the Philippines in December 2010 when Negros Navigation Inc. bought out the Aboitiz Transport Systems (ATS) group which operated the "SuperFerry" passenger brand. The rebranding of both companies used the ubiquitous "2GO" brand in 2011 across all business units, finally naming the passenger brand "2GO Travel."

2GO Travel is the first shipping-passenger brand in the Philippines that completely changed the sea travel experience. With excellent customer service, upscale hotel passenger suites, comfortable accommodation, entertainment and cruise-like amenities, 2GO Travel provided the traveling public a unique and very affordable way to travel around the Philippines.

2GO Travel also expanded the travel routes not only by sea but also by land as well connected major cities around the Philippines via bus connection, making the travel experience more hassle-free. Moreover, the brand also pioneered the first prepaid travel card that can be purchased as the perfect travel gift to popular tourist destinations around the Philippines. With its commitment to take land and sea travel to the next level , 2Go Travel has clearly helped boost domestic tourism by making travel comfortable and fun and providing cruise packages for families, friends or corporate groups, complete with an all-in cruise, hotel and tour itineraries in one affordable package.

In order to further its growth with more payment options available to its customers, 2Go Travel partnered with Globe Business, the enterprise ICT arm of Globe Telecom, to acquire Globe Charge, an innovative solution that transforms mobile phones into point-of-sale (POS) card terminals that accept debit and credit card payments. Globe Charge harnesses the integration of a smartphone and an innovative mobile card reader into a mobile point-of-sale (POS) unit, empowering enterprise and SME customers with a convenient payment device and eliminating the need for traditional and more expensive card terminals.

With Globe Charge, 2Go Travel can now accept credit card payments from its customers, further growing its customer base, increasing its revenues, and sustaining its position in the market as an innovative company which constantly seeks to provide efficient and hassle-free service.

“Globe Business really is a great partner for us,” Stephen Tagud, Senior Vice President for 2Go Travel said. “We want to make traveling as smooth as possible for our customers and with Globe Charge, this makes payments options much easier and more accessible for a lot of them.”

Mike Frausing, Globe Business’ Senior Advisor for Enterprise and IT Enabled Services Group shared, “We are thankful to 2Go Travel for the trust and confidence they have given us in enabling their sustained growth as they expand their payment capabilities through Globe Charge. As the leading ICT enabler in the Philippines, Globe Business provides customers with the right technology, infrastructure, and know-how to help them focus on their business.”

For more information about Globe Business, get in touch with a Globe Business Account Manager or call the Globe Business Premium Support Center at +63 2.730.1288 toll-free using a Globe mobile and landline. You can also visit www.globe.com.ph/business for more information. 

Maxine Medina is Grand Winner at Binibining Pilipinas 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations to Maxine Medina (Binibini 29) for winning the Miss Universe Philippines 2016.

When everyone else was rooting for either Kylie Verzosa or Nicole Manalo, it was a surprise to finally hear Maxine's name as the grand title winner.

Kylie was winning most of the special awards that most people thought she would be the chosen one. But I guess the judges have something else in mind for her for giving her the Miss International title instead.

Meantime, Nichole was given the Miss Globe title. We also saw her sister Bianca Manalo so very emotional and supportive.

The other winners are:

Binibining Pilipinas 2016 International – Kylie Verzosa (Binibini 31)
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Intercontinental – Jennifer Hammond (Binibini 26)
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Supranational – Joanna Eden (Binibini 13)
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Grand International – Nicole Cordoves (Binibini 11)
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Globe – Nichole Marie Manalo (Binibini 28)
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 1st runner-up – Angelica Alita (Binibini 38)
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 2nd runner-up – Jehza Mae Huelar (Binibini 37)

TechIsland 3.0: Educate, Enable, and Empower the MSMEs

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Change the way you do business with technology! 

PLDT Smart SME Nation is back with the country’s biggest tech conference: TechIsland 3.0!

This event will be held on April 22, 2016 at Harbour Tent of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila from 8 am until 8 pm.

TechIsland is PLDT Smart SME Nation’s annual business conference that aims to enlighten micro, small, and medium enterprises on the value of technology and its use in solving business challenges.

First launched in 2014, TechIsland has successfully brought together the brightest minds of the industry and allowed participants to explore new technologies in ICT. Because of the success of this revolutionary avenue of exploration in the digital frontier, PLDT Smart SME Nation unveiled TechIsland 2.0 the following year. The TechIsland 2.0 tapped into utilizing business solutions that would enable entrepreneurs to ride the digital wave and master the latest trends in technology.

PLDT Smart SME Nation now takes technological exploration to the next level with TechIsland 3.0.

With over a thousand expected attendees, TechIsland 3.0 will most definitely be grander than the last two. Not only is this year’s conference open to industry leaders, business owners and IT professionals, but it’s also welcoming game-changers in the field of marketing, sales, operations, finance, and many more!

TechIsland 3.0 is set to go beyond boundaries and discover uncharted terrain. Seasoned speakers will dive into different revolutionary practices that challenge the standard business mindset, giving MSMEs a new perspective and potentially changing the way entrepreneurs manage their businesses. Together, like-minded professionals will conquer new territories and markets in today’s dynamic business landscape that continues to make the shift into the digital platform. With TechIsland, PLDT Smart SME Nation strives to provide entrepreneurs and MSMEs with more opportunities to explore their options for growth and make it big in business.

Change the way you do business with technology. Read more information at http://www.techisland.ph.

5 Tips for Tiptop Voice

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Imagine a world without VOICE.

Imagine for a second that no human being could produce voice. How would teachers educate? How would lawyers defend their client? How would salespeople, preachers or politicians convince people to buy in to their idea? How would singers sing their songs?

The voice is the most powerful sound in the world. While other sounds may be louder, only the human voice has the power to convey messages that could move, shape or shake the world.

As the VoiceMaster of the Philippines, I am a living testimony of how the voice is such a powerful force. For 20 years, my voice has not only brought thousands of brands and characters to life, but has also inspired and motivated millions of Filipinos around the world. It is with my voice that I am also able to empower other people to discover their own voice, through the organizations I have founded such as Philippine Center for Voice Acting, Voice of the Youth Network, Microphone Club and Voice Care Philippines.

Last April 16, the whole world celebrated World Voice Day. Various organizations from different parts of the world conducted their respective events to celebrate our most miraculous and powerful instrument, which is the voice. Here in the Philippines, we celebrated World Voice Day through a tribute to professional voice users – those whose occupations rely mainly on the voice. Through my radio programs and advocacy organizations, we published a podcast with tips on how to take care of the voice.

Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Grand Coronation Night Winners

Wazzup Pilipinas!

40 candidates vying for 6 coveted crowns. Who will win tonight?!?!
Even though tonight Pia Wurtzbach is giving up the crown, she will forever be our Miss Philippines!

KC Concepcion and Xian Lim host the Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Grand Coronation Night happening at the Araneta Center, also known as The Big Dome.

#BbPilipinas2016 candidates dance onstage. The ladies strut their stuff during the opening number with a Telepopmusik !!! I really love a good opening dance number and this one was reminiscent of the Commander production in Miss Universe 2010.

The #BbPilipinas2016 intro shows that rashguards are definitely in fashion now. I totally have a high respect for women who can still dance while using those...what...are they shoes...I mean heels!

The winners of the first four special awards has been recognized.

The Special Awards goes to:

Miss Friendship - Bb. 16 Vina Openiano
Miss Talent - Bb. 16 Vina Openiano
Best in National Costume - Bb. 3 Angela Fernando
Miss Photogenic - Bb. 31 Kylie Verzosa

Binibining Pilipinas 2016 judges include #MissUSA Olivia Jordan, Ian Veneracion and Paolo Roxas, the son of Mar Roxas.  Other judges include Laurenti Dyogi of ABS-CBN, Cory Vidanes of ABS-CBN, Ambassador Joseph Bernardo, Ambassador Igor Khovaev, Ambassador Jan Top Christensen, Ambassador Roland Remorteele, DTI Secretary Adrian Cristobal. How many diplomats do we have as judges again? No offense, I'm sure they are very good at what they do but ...

We also see some of the previous Binibining Pilipinas winners present at the Big Dome tonight! Paula Shugart is also in the house. Nichole Cordoves sizzles, loving Laura Lehmann's angelic face (Ateneo's courtside reporter! From courtside reporter to Bb Pilipinas host real quick) and Ariella Arida wins best outfit of the night. Slay girl, slayyy. 

Fabio Ide and Bianca Manalo are also here to support younger sister Nichole Manalo.