Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

The Amazing Race Asia Season 5 Debut Sizzles as the Best Performing English OP Premiere of 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas!

AXN has delivered yet another stunning original production (OP) with the adrenaline-fueled The Amazing Race Asia Season 5. The highly anticipated series raced to the top during its premiere amongst all English general entertainment channels on Thursday, October 13 at 9pm, becoming the best performing English OP to premiere in Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines this year.*

“AXN responded to a huge demand for the return of The Amazing Race Asia and we have delivered a series that has captivated audiences across the region. The journey our intrepid racers embark on is a rollercoaster of emotion: it’s stressful, dramatic, endearing and funny,” said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President and Head of Content, Production and Marketing, Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia. “We have a wonderful line-up of racers whose quirky personalities, diverse relationships and comedic antics make for a fantastic viewer experience. We are very encouraged by the initial performance and know that it will gather even more momentum as the series builds.”

“Asia’s Got Talent was a record-breaking OP for the broadcast industry last year so we are thrilled that AXN has out-performed itself yet again with the premiere of The Amazing Race Asia Season 5. AXN is truly Asia’s home of powerful, premium original productions,” said Virginia.

Filipino viewers embraced their national teams: married couple Eric & Rona and beauty queens Maggie & Parul, ensuring AXN clinched the number one spot in the series’ timeslot amongst 22 English general entertainment channels.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"In the Philippines, when a window closes, another door opens." - James Deakin

What does sitting in an airport waiting for a flight for almost two days does? Well, for James Deakin, it means more time to post humorous stuff like memes on his Facebook wall so he could at least share some laughter to his friends and followers. Talk about somehow making wasted time a bit more productive.

I find it funny to be seeing posts that poke fun of the "No More Window Hours" traffic scheme of i-ACT led by the MMDA. It surely is somewhat funny to be so literal in the meaning of "window" and how it should not be allowed on the roads.

Filipinos are truly humorous by posting their own collection of photos where riders use their motorbikes to carry and transport almost everything possible. Like what most people are saying "If there's a wheel, you'll find a way" or something close to that effect. Lol!

Who wouldn't be impressed with these riders or back-riders for being able to balance on a motorbike almost everything they could think of. It is also quite baffling that they are getting away with it...or I wouldn't really know since I haven't seen any news about traffic enforcers stopping and giving tickets to such cases.

"I wish them luck on their business endeavors so that they'll be able to buy a decent delivery truck, they look like a hard working people..." - RJ Nicolas

"Couldnt even put these on any 4 wheel drive without roof racks... the ingenuinity of the pinoy when trying to avoid the 300 pesos delivery charge hahaha good ol trusty yamaha kawasaki..."- Amy Abay

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Sales of SUVs have surged over the past few years, but Maserati didn't have one to sell. Its portfolio consisted of luxury sedans, the Quattroporte and the Ghibli, and sumptuous GT cars like the GranTurismo. Now they have the Levante - Maserati's SUV."

The Maserati Levante was recently launched marking it a very historical moment as per statement of Wellington "Willy" Soong. Chair and President of Autostrada Motore Inc., during the night of October 12, 2016 when we personally witnessed these amazing vehicles proudly displayed at the Palace Pool Club in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig city.

Indeed, the Levante is a turning point in Maserati’s history." But it was a necessary turn.

"The Levante was conceived around three main pillars: design, exclusivity and performance, and it represents the optimum blend of these three elements in the SUV world."

Interviewing Willy, he revealed that the Maserati Levante costs around Php 8 to 9 million and upwards. What would make you buy a high-end SUV? Please do check out our video interview with him for his answer that we may agree or find debatable depending on our lifestyle, and also probably on how we perceive our precious moments here in this world. Do we really deserve to pamper ourselves with a very much rewarding luxury or do we need to spend our money for only the necessities?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We are once again asking for your support for our Bb. Grand International Philippines Nicole Ignacio Cordoves as she competes for the Miss Grand International beauty pageant to be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on October 25 (Las Vegas, USA) 7:30PM, October 26 (Manila, Philippines) 10:30AM.

Nicole is a perfect global ambassadress for Miss Grand International. She's an eloquent speaker which is an advantage for this pageant's cause. After seeing her in various interviews lot of people are saying now what a great public speaker she is.

I would agree. She's very well spoken which is a great quality for a Miss Grand International to have. Even if she's talking about eating candy or going to get a burger, she makes it fun! She makes you want to listen to her.

She's very charming and look at that body! She may have some stretchmarks at her ass, but she's confident to the max!

Since nobody is indeed perfect, physically, intellectually, socially and other known aspects, we are counting on her to give a great fight for the Miss Grand International crown.

It's also time to showcase our beautiful costumes from the Philippines. Did the national costume worn by Nicole here suits her features? Is it also authentic to the Philippine culture?

The design is great, however the color might just be a little off in reference to Filipino traditional wear. I mean, black and green? I've seen so many Filipino cultural dress on the Internet and we have so many fabulous carnival-like costume like what we see at Masskara or Sinulog festivals which are undeniably so colorful. Would it be a greater blast if Nicole wore something as colorful as our fiestas?

In any case, our full support goes out to Nicole. Knowing Filipinas, their beauty are truly competitive among many other nationalities. We have proven that so many times as we get a spot at almost every top position of most beauty pageants.

Good luck to her on October 25. Lose or win, she would remain one of our amazing beauty queens we can be sincerely proud of.

Oyayi: The Newest TV Program That Kids and Families Will Surely Love

Wazzup Pilipinas!

CBN Asia, Inc. and the National Council for Children's Television proudly present Oyayi, the newest TV program that kids and families will surely love!

In the photo are Oyayi characters Kuya Maki and Kuwago Zhibago with kiddie hosts Clarence Delgado and Mutya Orquia last October 17, 2016 on the morning show Umagang Kay Ganda of ABS-CBN TV network.

Oyayi or Hele, which means Lullaby, is the newest children's TV program produced by CBN Asia, Inc., in partnership with the National Council for Children's Television. Children and their parents will have another reason to bond and have fun, while learning valuable lessons together at the comfort of their homes.

The show aims to cultivate, promote, and rekindle among the youth timeless lessons such as love for family and for others, appreciation for arts and culture, preservation and conservation of our environment and natural resources, wise and responsible use of technology and social media, disaster preparedness and much more!

It seeks to ignite kids' passion and love for country, encourage them to be responsible citizens, and equip them to be responsible citizens, and equip them to use and maximize their talents and skills to its greatest potential that will benefit the country and future generations to come.

Oyayi will begin airing this Sunday, October 23, 9:30 am on ABS-CBN.

Pitogo Elementary Students Join DOE’s Energy Smart Kids Bandwagon

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi’s marching order to prioritize the protection and welfare of energy consumers, the Department of Energy-Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office (DOE-CWPO) led by Ms. Helen Arias conducted an energy empowerment briefing with 51 Grade 5 students of the Pitogo Elementary School, Makati City on October 17, 2016 at the PNOC-Mini Theater.

“We have to start educating our youngsters in relation to our energy advocacies to create a sturdier foundation for our future generation." Sec. Cusi encouraged.

This batch of Grade 5 Pitogo students joined the bandwagon of Energy Smart Kids by pledging to commit to turn off lights and appliances when not in use; using lights and appliances only when needed; conserving electricity, water & other resources for a healthier the environment.

Following the DOE’s celebration of Consumer Welfare Month this October, the students were exposed to true-to-life energy applications.

The DOE-CWPO staff oriented the students and their Head Teacher, Ms. Anabelle Pagala on the “Basic Electricity Concepts,” which was about the process of getting electricity into their homes.

Also discussed were “Household Energy Conservation Tips” to teach the children on how to save electricity and money, which could redound to increasing their daily allowances.

The students were also given desk exercises to work on. In the exercise called “Sources of Electricity Word Search,” they were asked to encircle the given energy sources in the puzzle.

In “Who Left the Lights On,” logic was required to determine the culprit among the names mentioned in the given energy themed short story.

These fun activities were incorporated to unleash the potentials of the students so they will be more imaginative in creating opportunities to find solutions to problems.

In September, Grade 5 students from South Cembo Elementary School together with their school teacher and officers participated in the same educational program.

Annually, the DOE-CWPO is spearheading these series of activities in celebration of CWM in compliance with Proclamation No. 1098 held every October.

Fujitsu Philippines to Complement the Cloud Service Needs of Businesses

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Fujitsu Philippines, Inc., a global leader in information technology (IT) systems integrator and solutions provider, continues to expand its roster of cloud services to optimize business operations in the country.

Mark Oliver Pandy, head of Fujitsu Philippines’ managed services business unit, said that the company now offers an array of trusted Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) cloud solutions that deliver high level of flexibility and security suited to address the needs of these businesses.

“We are taking the lead of introducing the benefits of cloud technology in the Philippines,” Pandy added, “And we know that this set of cloud solutions are suited not only for small and medium scale businesses but also for more established ones. These solutions can help them boost operations while cutting tremendous costs.”

Fujitsu IaaS cloud solutions diminish the spending for maintaining physical servers by reducing upfront costs. Companies usually spend large amount of capital for physical servers. As an asset, it can last for over three to five months. But, IT systems can only maintain them for a span of one to six months, which means that the company will have to spend another capital for buying or upgrading it.

By using IaaS cloud solutions, the company could align these costs to actual operating expenses rather than investing for physical servers or leasing co-location facilities, which both need a number of servers and administrators.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Three startups were awarded at the Impact Hub Manila / KMC MAG Solutions offices located at the 19th floor of Uptown Place Tower 2 in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) this morning of October 18, 2016, as the winners of the Impact Hub Fellowship on Sustainable Energy Solutions with World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and Peace and Equity Fund (PEF), supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Incubation Program.

The winners were Cleverheat, HiGi, and Solar Sari-Sari Store.

CleverHeat aims to reduce the world's carbon footprint of the world by developing thermally-driven and energy efficient products. They create alternative refrigeration/air-conditioning system that is driven by heat from the sun. You can get to know more about them at their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/cleverheat.io and at the video we took during the awarding ceremonies which will be uploaded at our YouTube channel at http://www.YouTube.com/user/wazzuppilipinas

HiGi has a mission to bring energy closer to people’s heart by creating more accessible clean energy to BoP & establishing credible channels for economy flow across the social pyramid. They convert water hyacinth (abundant pest plants) into cooking energy centralized by the compensation business model. As of starting point, Philippines has more than 100 million people and 65% still cooking with firewood and charcoal, targeted market currently is over 35 million across Luzon, and Mindanao, in the first year of operation. You can also get to know more about HiGi at their official web site http://www.cleverheat.io/ and at our video on our YouTube channel.

Solar Sari-Sari Store empowers communities and individuals through renewable energy. They focus on delivering products and services that deliver great value and produce highly positive social impacts for all their customers through a profitable, sustainable, and innovative social enterprise. They also provide research and development services and technical advice on the design and deployment of renewable energy products. As a Filipino company, they take pride in utilizing local talents and resources in delivering world-class solar energy consulting, research, design, and deployment in the country. Learn more about them at their official site: http://www.solarsolutions.ph/

All three startups will each receive Php 800,000 worth of prizes of which Php 500,000 is a cash prize.

In the cohort phase of Impact Hub's second Fellowship, the best experts in their fields mentored 8 teams where they trained these disruptive energy entrepreneurs for 8 weeks and 10 sessions. The eight teams faced each other in a final pitching session on October 6, 2016.

The startups were also invited to pitch at another event, Bootstrap Manila, an innovation event to be held on October 22, 2016 at Axon of Green Sun Hotel located in Makati, where the fellows will pitch infront of a international delegation coming from Berlin, Bangalore and Jakarta.

The government of Berlin, together with GIZ has initiated a program that seeks to bring together the start-up ecosystems of Berlin, Manila, Bangalore, and Jakarta. The Manila leg of the initiative is being organised by Impact Hub Manila and Launchgarage.

Formed and organized in Berlin during this year’s Asia-Pacific Week last May, its vision is to provide cross-city exposure, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and market immersion. A road show in these Asian cities is being organized where every city hosts the international delegation.

Below is the official press release of the event:

Impact Hub Manila, one of the country’s leading innovation labs and startup incubator and accelerator, joins the energy conversation with its second fellowship program focusing on Sustainable Energy Solutions. In partnership with the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), and supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Impact Hub looks for the best and most innovative ideas and business enterprises designed to address the need for sustainable energy solutions in the country today.

”Impact Hub’s fellowship program is unique in the startup incubator space as we are topic-centered. When we started this program last year, we focused on innovations in mobility and logistics in partnership with LBC Express, which SkyEye Inc won. This year, we are looking for more highly-scalable and impact-oriented disruptive ideas geared towards finding sustainable ways of producing and consuming energy,” LizAn Kuster, one of Impact Hub’s co-founder states.

CLEVERHEAT, HIGI, AND SOLAR SARI-SARI STORE PROCLAIMED WINNERS

After receiving over fifty applications, the fellowship announced on a high note the three startups getting the unanimous nod of the selection jury during the awarding ceremony held on October 18, 2016. These are Cleverheat, a solar-powered refrigeration system; HiGi, makers of environment-friendly briquettes for cooking; and Solar Sari-Sari Store, portable solar energy stations for lighting, water purification, mobile phone charging, and refrigeration. These 3 Fellows will now enter the incubation phase, where they receive prizes valued at PHP800,000 each team.

”Another uniqueness is that we do not take shares, to really support the start-ups,” Kuster says.

Coy Navarro, Cleantech Expert and ADB consultant stated, “We are excited to partner on the endeavor of harnessing awareness in the cleantech sector and promoting sustainable energy solutions that will benefit the country. We are delighted about the quality of the startups.”

All the partners are aligned and Roberto R. Calingo, Executive Director of PEF says, “PEF is always on the lookout to finding ways and means to really give the underserved communities access to solutions. We believe it is in encouraging entrepreneurship that we can maximize our impact.”

Representatives from the program’s partners compose the board of judges who chose the winners, namely: Jose Angelito Palma, President and CEO of WWF-Philippines; Dr. Ria Adoracion Lambino, VP for Sustainable Production and Market Engagement of WWF-Philippines; Ferdinand “Ding” Fuellos, Senior Portfolio Officer at PEF; Coy Navarro, Cleantech Venture Capital Expert (Consultant) of Asian Development Bank; Michael McCullough, Managing Director of KMC MAG Group; Jaime Ayala, Founder and CEO of Hybrid Social Solar; and Mathias Jaeggi, Impact Hub Manila Co-Founder.

“Energy is a pressing issue not just in the Philippines, but globally. Especially after the historic Paris agreement, there is more knowledge and growing interest about climate change and clean technology. And WWF is honored to be taking an active part in the discussion together with esteemed institutions like PEF, Impact Hub and ADB,” Ria Lambino from WWF states.

BOOT CAMP AND INCUBATION STAGE

Prior to the announcement of winners, eight finalists went through an intensive 2-month accelerator program called Kick. Kick is the ultimate startup boot camp intended to develop business models and other necessary key entrepreneurial competencies and skills. It culminated in a final pitch day on October 6, 2016.

Only the winning enterprises move on to the next and final phase of the program – the incubator stage, as part of their fellowship prize. Apart from a substantial seed funding of PHP500,000.00 each, Cleverheat, HiGi, and Solar Sari-Sari Store also get access to the collaborative co-working community of Impact Hub, facilitated introductions and connections to like-minded peers, investors, and experts on energy and entrepreneurship, and continuous training, mentoring, and coaching over the course of six months, all in the hopes of making their individual enterprises successfully thrive and impact the industry.

BOOTSTRAP MANILA - INTERNATIONAL INNOVATION EVENT, October 22, 2016

Besides of incubation support they will be also exposed to a greater audience, to inspire more entrepreneurs. The first exposure will happen this October 22, 2016 in Green Sun, Makati at Bootstrap Manila, where they will be pitching in front of the international audience.

Bootstrap is an initiative of the City Senate of Berlin and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) revolving around the startup ecosystems of Berlin, Bangalore, Manila, and Jakarta. 30+ delegates from each ecosystem visits on the StartHubs Asia Berlin Roadtrip each other's cities to immerse themselves in the network, share their best practices and experiences, and establish relationships that will mutually benefit their respective startup cities. Manila is represented by Impact Hub Manila and Launchgarage Slot are available here: http://bootstrapmanila.com.

Globe Seeks Support of Vice Governors in Building Telco Infrastructure

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom is seeking the support of the League of Vice Governors of the Philippines in building telco infrastructure in the country in line with its vision of ushering the country to become a digital nation by 2020.

Specifically, Globe is looking to rationalize the permitting process to mitigate bureaucratic red tape and other political hurdles that stand in the way of deploying telecommunication infrastructure such as cell sites and fiber optic cables. If implemented, this would enable the company to improve data connectivity at lower rates.

Emphasizing that data connectivity is a key driver of economic growth in the Philippines, Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu emphasized that a collaboration with the government in developing key telecommunications infrastructure would enhance digital capabilities of the country, enabling local industries and communities to access services and improve productivity. He pointed out that existing telecommunication infrastructure in a given locality, or the lack of it, is oftentimes a direct result of the LGU permitting environment. Securing different permits at LGU level could be very challenging, from the sheer number of permits to the different political personalities that mobile operators have to deal with, said Cu, adding that it takes at least 8 months to complete the permitting process, involving around 25 permits. “We would like to reiterate our call for a closer collaboration with the government as we set out in building a telco infrastructure that would provide world-class data connectivity even in areas outside our major cities,” said Cu.

Early this year, Globe launched a plan to create an internet superhighway nationwide. The plan aims to deploy fiber optics in 20,000 barangays by 2020 to provide ultra-fast internet access to around 2 million homes nationwide. Globe plans to deploy fiber optics in 1,000 sites before the end the year. So far, deployment of fiber optics has been completed in about 300 sites. One of the most important advances in broadband technology, fiber optics offer the fastest way to access data, providing consumers with higher download and uploads speeds, lower latency and faster internet browsing,

Globe is also maximizing the use of additional frequency assets obtained from the sellout of San Miguel’s telco assets. This is in line with its commitment to the National Telecommunications Commission to deploy about 4,500 multiband, multimode software defined radio base station equipment to 95% of total municipalities and cities in the country, for the improvement of overall customer experience in terms of the speed and reliability of mobile internet services.

To date, Globe has completed the deployment of LTE 700 in 200 sites, mostly within Metro Manila, and LTE 2600 in 900 sites, mostly within Visayas and Mindanao. According to Cu, the sites where the LTE 700 and LTE 2600 have been deployed cover major business districts, and highly-urbanized and populated areas in the country. Cu further disclosed that Globe also expanded its GoWiFi network to 500 sites that include Ayala Malls, fast food chains, bus terminals, convenience stores and other public places. He added that Globe is working on widening its WiFi coverage and plans to deploy GoWiFi services in close to 1,000 sites across the country. This will provide WiFi coverage not only for Metro Manila but also for Davao, Cebu, Bulacan, Cavite, Cagayan Valley, Cagayan de Oro, Nueva Vizcaya, Dumaguete, Zamboanga, and Boracay.

Kids Eat for Free at Burgoo and Gumbo Restaurants on Halloween Weekend!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Exciting treats await all kids this Halloween at Gumbo and Burgoo restaurants. Kids eat free at all outlets from October 28 to November 1. This is the time of the year where they can wear and parade their unique and striking Halloween costumes and moreover, exciting treats, such as bags full of chocolates and candies will be given to all kids who come in Halloween costumes. Interesting and thrilling Halloween designs will be seen all over the place. And to complete the ambience, the staff will also put on their exciting masks and costumes.

Celebrate Halloween at Burgoo found at T. Morato, Quezon City; Rockwell Center, Makati City; The Podium, Ortigas Center; Gateway Mall, Araneta Center; SM Mall of Asia; Robinsons Galleria, Quezon City; The Block, SM City North EDSA, SM City Marikina, SM Southmall in Alabang, The District Ayala Mall in Cavite; The Terraces Ayala Mall in Fairview; Vista Mall in Taguig; and Solenad 3 in Sta Rosa Laguna. For reservations and inquiries, please call 9277396, 8981815, 6875565, 7264663, 9136112, 5560091, 6336256, 4420115, 4771932.

Visit Gumbo at SM Mall of Asia (5560238), The Block 442-0106, Mega Atrium (6353015), Robinsons Manila Midtown (5671820), Gateway Mall (440-4632), Robinsons Magnolia (7209632).

ABM Global Solutions, SAP Introduce S/4 HANA Through Simulation Workshop

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In an era where digital revolution is the new game, ABM Global Solutions (AGS) has been at the forefront and has continued to introduce innovations to enable businesses to optimize their operations through its digital solutions offerings. A trusted business management solutions provider in the Philippines and an ePLDT subsidiary, AGS, together with SAP, the leading enterprise software company in the world, successfully launched TECH TALKS: ERP Simulation for S/4 HANA at the SAP NAC Office in Taguig City.

SAP S/4HANA is a real-time ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) suite for digital businesses built on an advanced in-memory platform and offers a personalized, consumer-grade user experience with SAP Fiori. It allows midsize to large enterprises to connect all of their business processes, obtain live information and insights, and seamlessly integrate their enterprises within the digital world. This core digital solution also supports the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, real-time analytics, mobile, business networks, third-party systems, and a number of other functions.

The workshop engaged Chief Financial Officers, Chief Information Officers, Procurement, and Sales and Marketing Heads of various companies in an immersive and interactive simulation experience. Participants were grouped together as hypothetical companies where they had to outperform other teams in terms of sales, savings, and growth in a number of simulated challenges based on real-life business scenarios through the S/4 HANA system. At the end of the activity, participants were able to differentiate S/4 HANA from classic SAP ERP.

The workshop aims to educate attendees on how SAP S/4 HANA can empower business users with insights to act in the moment and utilize its immediate, intelligent, and integrated features to go beyond the usual automation of their entire processes. Participants of the event were also encouraged to digitize their business processes to enjoy the opportunities and overcome the common challenges of any business such as data decentralization, business disruptions, excessive spending, and manual errors due to absence of an integrated system.

Cusi Underscores Continuous Supply of Safe Electricity to Poor Communities

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Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi today emphasized the giving of access to safer electricity supply as it continues to make power available to our less privileged Filipinos.

From July 8, 2016 to October 14, the DOE-MERALCO partnership has energized a total of 18,026 households in the areas of Gaya-Gaya, San Jose del Monte and other municipalities in Bulacan, Laguna and some parts of Rizal, Happy Land Aroma, the BASECO Compound, Isla Puting Bato and Parola Area in Tondo, Manila.

“I am committed to accomplishing the marching order of the President to provide our people the chance to enjoy a more comfortable quality of life through the delivery of safe, stable and reliable electricity services,” Sec. Cusi said referring to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Household Electrification Program in collaboration with Manila Electric Co. (MERALCO) as he thanked MERALCO for its cooperation and commitment in energizing the said areas.

The DOE Secretary also thanked the Local Government Unit leaders for their active involvement in ensuring there will be safe and legal electrical connections to protect their communities.

“We would like to express our gratitude to our partners for making household electrification possible, dahil para ito sa maliliit na tao, sa mga hindi napapakinggang boses at sa mga taong nangangailangan ng ating tulong sa sektor na ito,” Cusi said.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

SAP SE recently announced that it is the first multinational technology company to be awarded the worldwide Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certificate, recognizing its global commitments and actions in achieving and sustaining gender diversity and equality in the workplace.

The EDGE Certification is the premier standard and methodology for evaluating a corporate commitment to gender equality. Launched at the World Economic Forum, the EDGE assessment methodology is distinguished by its rigor and business impact.

SAP’s worldwide certification process began in March 2016 — after it became the first tech company in the United States to achieve EDGE Certification earlier this year. Global certification, which requires that countries that comprise 80 percent of an organization be included, was awarded after a third-party review of company data, gender practices and employment policies, and employee survey results in an additional 12 countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Japan, Singapore and the United Kingdom. Criteria examined in the review include recruitment and promotion, leadership development training, mentoring, flexible working and company culture.

“SAP must be at the forefront to take businesses beyond bias,” said Bill McDermott, CEO of SAP. “This global certification marks a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to eliminate bias in the workplace. We are very proud of our investments in technologies and programs to drive inclusion. This certification is another step in our leadership on this critical issue, all geared toward helping the world run better and improving people’s lives.”

SAP has a board-level commitment to reach 25 percent of its leadership positions filled by women by the end of 2017. This commitment has been reinforced by action. As of Q2 2016, women make up 24.1 percent of the company’s leadership and 32.5 percent of all employees.

SAP’s actions to achieve gender equality extend beyond employment totals. Last month, SAP conducted a pay equity analysis on its U.S. employee base, proactively increasing the compensation of employees that lacked pay parity. Additionally, SAP announced a machine-learning tool that, among other capabilities, detects biases in job postings.

“Gender equality is not a corporate social responsibility initiative or simply a cultural benefit,” said Stefan Ries, chief human resources officer, SAP. “It’s a strategic differentiator, a source of innovation and revenue driver for our company. We are proud of the recognition we’ve achieved, but we remain committed to creating a culture where employees of all backgrounds can thrive. We want to be the role model in the technology industry for providing opportunities for women, as well as for all underrepresented groups, and we hope that others in our market will follow our lead.”

“The technology industry is home to the world’s innovators, which is why diversity is of special importance. While the tech community overall has historically received low scores on gender equality, SAP is leading its peers worldwide through not only its strong public commitment but the impactful programs and efforts taking place on the ground every day,” said Aniela Unguresan, cofounder, EDGE Certified Foundation. “Through this global EDGE Certification, SAP continues to set the standard for gender equality in technology. We applaud their efforts to promote a workforce that facilitates a culture of diversity, inclusion and equality.”

Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 All-Stars Experience Basketball and Sights in Shanghai

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The 2016 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines All-Stars had an unforgettable NBA experience in Shanghai, China from October 7 to 10 with fellow Jr. NBA standouts from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Jr. NBA All-Stars from Southeast Asia played exhibition games with their peers, engaged with NBA Legend Vin Baker and toured famous landmarks including the Bund, Yu Garden, and Nanjing Road. To culminate their Jr. NBA experience, the group watched the NBA Global Games Shanghai at the Mercedes Benz Arena featuring the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans.

Ten Jr. NBA All-Stars and five Jr. WNBA All-Stars bested their peers during the National Training Camp and represented the Philippines in the NBA experience trip. Bacoleños Fritz Felix Valencia and Harold Alarcon of Taytung High School and Andrei Philip Lechoncito of St. John’s Institute; Cebuano Tracy Carl Dadang of University of San Carlos; Pangasinanense Ric Ozner Gatuz of Cherished Moment School and Manileños Jearico Nuñez of University if Perpetual Help System-DALTA; Miguel Roy Luis Tan of Xavier School; Julian Alfonso Jugo and Isaiah Miguel Blanco of La Salle Green Hills were the Jr. NBA Philippines All-Stars. Florence Jill Talas of Abellana National High School in Cebu; Rozie Amatong of Modern International Learning Center in Davao; Aloha Marie Betanio of Corpus Christi School in Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Ma. Cecilia Quilenderino of Dalig National High School in Antipolo and Carly Monreal of De La Salle-Zobel were the Jr. WNBA All-Stars.

The young cagers were accompanied by Jr. NBA Coach of the Year Elegino Chollo of Ateneo de Davao and Jr. WNBA Coach of The Year Ewon Arayi of Magis Academy who coached the Jr. NBA All-Stars during the friendly competitions.

It was a great opportunity to experience people from different walks of life and learn about their culture,” said Jr. NBA All-Star Isaiah Blanco. ““We started off as teams on the court but easily became family. I will definitely cherish the lifetime friendships I’ve formed during this trip.”

Jr. NBA Philippines is entering its tenth consecutive edition in 2017. The League’s grassroots participation program for boys and girls teaches fundamental skills and the core values of basketball to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents.

Fans can follow Jr. NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines. For all things NBA, fans can visit www.nba.com, like the NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/philsnba and follow www.twitter.com/nba_philippines on Twitter.

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i-ACT Deploys Lady Enforcers to Man Traffic Flow

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Twenty-two trained lady enforcers will now man traffic management in Metro Manila.

The women constables from the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) were deployed to the Inter-agency Council on Traffic (i-ACT), the single authority in traffic management along national roads in the metropolis.

The 22 lady enforcers will be deployed in areas with high pedestrian traffic and are seen to boost the manpower of the i-ACT, which is also looking into recruiting force multipliers from provinces to meet its requirement on the number of traffic enforcers. The MMDA shall also deploy three (3) lady motorcycle riders to complement the presence of traffic enforcers.

According to Gen. Manny Gonzales, deputy chief traffic enforcer of the i-Act, there are currently 1,509 traffic enforcers assigned to the i-ACT, mostly from the MMDA. The i-ACT is currently in discussion with Local Government Units, mall operators, and volunteer groups to help in managing traffic in Metro Manila.