BREAKING

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Welcome to the NBA G League


Wazzup Pilipinas!

The NBA and Gatorade announced that beginning today the NBA Development League (NBA D-League), the NBA’s minor league, will officially become the NBA G League.

Beginning with the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will feature 26 teams, an expansion of four teams since last season, 22 of which are owned and operated by NBA franchises.

For the first time this coming fall, NBA teams can sign up to two “two-way” players to NBA contracts. These contracts allow “two-way” players to be with their NBA parent team for up to 45 days, spending most of the season in the NBA G League.

The NBA G League has more than tripled in size since it debuted with eight teams during the 2001-02 season. Last season, nearly 1.5 million fans attended games, marking the eighth straight year the league has surpassed 1 million fans.

For the 2017-18 season, the NBA G League will unveil new on-court uniforms and collaborate with the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI) on programs to enhance player sports performance and recovery. Gatorade will begin to incubate its latest product and equipment innovations into NBA G League locker rooms, and teams will have the opportunity to collaborate with Gatorade to help players maximize their athletic potential and on-court performance.

“This is a pivotal moment for the NBA G League,” said NBA G League President Malcolm Turner. “The league is experiencing unprecedented success both on and off the court, and our partnership with Gatorade is helping to drive momentum and create exciting opportunities for innovation, sports performance and player development.”

Forty-four percent of players on 2016-17 end-of-season NBA rosters had NBA G League experience, while 65 percent of players selected in NBA Draft 2016 presented by State Farm® spent time in the NBA G League last season, including more than half of the first-round picks.

To support today’s launch, the NBA G League debuted its new website, NBAGLeague.com, an updated NBA G League app, a slate of updated social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, and a new official handle (@nbagleague) and hashtag (#NBAGLeague). Additionally, NBA G League merchandise is now available at NBAGLeagueStore.com.

Gatorade was a founding partner of the league, dating to the inaugural 2001-02 season.

Brillante Mendoza Presents “Anak” at TV 5 on June 25


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Anak, the latest episode in the Brillante Mendoza Presents series will warm the hearts of viewers with its family oriented theme when it airs at TV 5 on June 25 at 10:30 pm. The series is a collaboration between TV 5 and Director Brillante Mendoza with support from SM.

Starring real life couple Harlene Bautista as Risa and Romnick Sarmenta as Lex, Anak follows the story of an old barren couple who make a pilgrimage to the Obando Fertility Rites to petition for a child.

A few years later, the wife conceives miraculously despite her age, but undergoes a difficult pregnancy which is life threatening to both her and her unborn child. She suffers from hypertension and delivers prematurely, causing a huge risk to her newborn child. After a month of enduring the hardships of caring for a premature baby at the hospital, the couple are finally able to bring home their baby and become a family.

Viewers of this latest masterpiece by Director Brillante Mendoza will also have a glimpse of the festive traditional Obando Fertility Rights. Celebrated every May, pilgrims and locals dance and sing to ask Obando’s three patron saints: San Pascual, Santa Clara and Nuestra Señora de Salambáo to grant their wish for a child. Throughout the fertility dance ritual, they ask the saints for the spirit of life to enter in to the wombs of women for a child to be conceived.

Other Anak cast members include Perla Bautista as Joy Bismark, Bea Saw as Michelle Hernandez, Gay Quililan as Lydia Martinez, and Kimmy Maclang as Beth Salud. Arianna Martinez wrote the episode with Armando “Bing” Lao as creative consultant.

From Classes to Career: 3 Lifehacks for Fresh Graduates


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So you’ve managed to survive endless presentations in class, aced the grueling quizzes, and defended your undergraduate thesis. Congratulations, you’ve finally earned your bachelor’s degree! You’ve done it!

Now, welcome to the real world, it’s time to find a job and start doing adult things like paying bills and managing finances. Here’s a pro-tip, not everything can be taught in school, there are just some lessons you have to pick up as you start work.

With Carousell, we share three hacks to give you a head-start in building your business acumen as you transition from student to salaryman, ready to take on the world.


Monetise existing assets; Getting entrepreneurial

Assets are things that bring value or revenue to your life and business. As a student, your assets were probably your textbooks, notebooks and calculators. Now that you’re about to start a new phase in life, you won’t have much use for these things anymore.

One option would be to throw everything away. But why waste this entrepreneurial opportunity? You spent some good money on these books, it’s better to recoup the costs.

At Carousell, there’s a ready marketplace for you to find potential buyers for your preloved textbooks.

Textbooks is one of our top 10 categories for preloved items. Subjects range from auditing and accounting to biochemistry. The community is also very active as new batches of students come in hunting for their textbooks every year.

By opting to sell off your old textbooks, you’re not only clearing precious space in your home but also earning some extra pocket change.

Besides textbooks, a change in wardrobe is likely to follow suit. You’ll need to swap out your casual university wear for something more formal for job interviews and work days.

Your usual quick outfit of tank top, polo shirt, denim jeans and sneakers won’t cut it anymore, not if you want your future boss and colleagues to take you seriously.  Or worse, you might even need to clear out clothes to make way for more work clothes.

Instead of discarding or giving away your preloved clothes, just like the textbooks, you could consider selling them off on Carousell. Men and Women’s fashion are the two most popular categories on the Carousell marketplace and there’s no shortage of buyers looking for a good deal.

In looking at the things you won’t be needing in your next stage in life and selling them, you’ve cleared up your place and earned a fair bit of money from all those sales.


Business of bargains

Now you’ve made a few extra dollars selling your preloved college items, it’s time to start checking out the styles and accessories for the young urban professional.

In any transaction, you’ll want to practice fundamental business principles. Buy low, sell high.

As you’re just starting out, perhaps it’s not such a good idea to break the bank on that brand new Zara blazer or those glamorous heels. The trick is hunting for those great deals that increase your personal brand value without having to fork out a fortune. Think profit margin.

Carousell is a great place to find bargains to complete your professional attire on a budget. Carousellers such as @adoptatop or @cbylapins have a range of functional and chic fashion, from blazers to formal shoes at affordable prices.

In your first few months of work, maximize your paycheck by choosing to buy preloved items.


Building relationships

With all this talk on buying and selling, it’s also important not to forget the networking and building relationships with clients.

The community is a huge part of Carousell and what we do. It’s simple to start connections with our in-app chat.
Carousell Groups is also a great place to meet and chat with other who share similar interests. On Carousell, we have groups ranging from Lego collectors to book lovers.

It’s always good to maintain ties with the university and your alma mater. Who knows, maybe someone you helped out selling a textbook on the cheap might be end up in a position to return the favour in the future.


With a marketplace where buying as easy as chatting, it’s also a great platform to get to know people, all whom may one day be part of your professional network.

24 Agencis, 20 Transports Groups and Cooperatives Push for PUV Modernization


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The PUV Modernization Program, a long overdue reform in the road-based public transportation system, got government agencies, transport groups and cooperatives to work together for the first time.

At least 24 government agencies and 20 transport groups and cooperatives from all over the country showed their support for the program during the launch held at Camp Aguinaldo yesterday. Given program's scope and range, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) sought the assistance and support of relevant agencies and groups to move the program forward.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade especially thanked transport groups for working with the government instead of rallying in the streets. Groups such as Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Association (FEJODAP), 41. 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK), Alliance of Transport Operators d Drivers Association of the Philippines (ALTODAP), and Coalition of Operators, Drivers, Employees, Atbp. (CODE-X), and ACTO expressed their support during the launch.

“Kung kami lang po, hindi namin kaya. Kailangan sama-sama ‘yung mga mananakay, operators, at drivers na makiisa sa magandang layunin ng programa. At kung mabigyang katuparan ang programang ito, pangako sa inyo, tuluy-tuloy ang dayalogo at pag-uusap. Kung may mga punto at bagay-bagay na dapat pag-usapan at baguhin, pag-uusapan natin ‘yan at babaguhin,” Tugade told reporters after the launch.

He also allayed fears that the program will affect the livelihood of PUV drivers and operators.

“Ang administrasyong ito, pabor sa anumang kabuhayan. Pero dapat lang, ang kabuhayan ay hindi kikitil ng buhay,” said Tugade referring to the many accidents involving old and dilapidated public utility vehicles.

Hitachi Data Systems Wins Two VMware Innovation OEM Partner of the Year Awards


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Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE:6501), today announced that it has been honored as a winner of two VMware Partner of the Year awards in the Innovation OEM Partner category for its exceptional efforts both globally and in EMEA at the VMware Partner Leadership Summit 2017.

The two awards recognize the company’s accomplishments in 2016, including unprecedented year-over-year revenue growth and continued integration between Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) offerings and VMware vSphere, vSAN, vRealize and NSX solutions. Furthermore, with its next-generation Programmable Data Center concept, HDS enables customers to consume IT and data services from both traditional and cloud-native workloads, addressing the needs of the entire application portfolio. 

“Digital transformation requires a modern, agile IT environment to take advantage of emerging trends and requirements. In collaboration with VMware, we’ve focused on engineering new ways to deliver capabilities that meet customer business objectives, reduce business risk and anticipate future customer needs. We appreciate the recognition for all that we’ve accomplished over the past year and look forward to expanding upon that success with VMware to help customers realize the power of their data for both today and tomorrow,” said Mike Walkey, senior vice president, Global Partner Organization, Hitachi Data Systems.

“For years, VMware and HDS have worked together to help customers on their transformation journey. In 2016, we raised the bar for our partnership with VMware in EMEA and globally. Our successful collaborations have resulted in a digital platform that offers flexibility, agility and a point from which customers can achieve outcomes above and beyond infrastructure modernization,” said Steve Furniss, vice president, Solutions and Products, Hitachi Data Systems EMEA.

VMware is pleased to recognize this year’s Global Partner Innovation Award winners, which are given to a select group of partners for their exceptional efforts in 2016,” said Ross Brown, senior vice president, Worldwide Partners and Alliances, VMware. “VMware is proud to seeHitachi Data Systems win these awards and we look forward to our continued collaboration.”

ePLDT VITRO Makati and Clark: The Only Data Centers in PH with Global Tier 3 Certificate


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Companies are highly dependent on IT in delivering mission-critical services. With this, it has become a standard for colocation providers to design their data centers with high availability and efficiency in mind to ensure that their customers’ businesses are at their optimal state.

ePLDT, Inc., with its ongoing efforts to push for business resilience through its network of data centers, recently announced that its two flagship VITRO Data Centers in Makati City and Clark, Pampanga are the first and only in the country to receive the ANSI/TIA-942 Rated 3 Design Certificate. The standard is based on all physical infrastructure like site location, fire safety, architectural, electrical, mechanical, security, telecommunication and other critical data center requirements.

The guidelines set by ANSI/TIA-942 emphasized the redundancy design of the data centers to ensure the highest availability during unplanned maintenance and infrastructure expansion. This means that ePLDT’s data centers in Makati and Clark have a concurrently maintainable site infrastructure where each of its components—including all the circuit breakers, panel boards and power strips—can be removed, replaced or serviced without affecting the operations of colocation customers.

“Choosing the right data center that supports the growth trajectory of local businesses is a critical decision for owners,” said Nerisse Ramos, Chief Operating Officer of ePLDT Group. “Because of that, we designed our data centers based on the latest best practices in the industry, putting a premium on the business resiliency needs of today’s businesses in the country. To receive such certificate means that the data centers adopted international infrastructure design yet are flexible enough to suffice the needs of local businesses.” 

Ragnarok Online Closed Beta is Now Open


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Ragnarok Online (RO), the most popular MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) in the Philippines which revolutionized the landscape of online gaming will once again open the gates of Rune Midgard.

Publishing partner companies Electronics Extreme Ltd., and ELITE, began its CLOSED BETA TEST on June 20, 2017, 3:00 pm. Henceforth, beta testers got firsthand experience and involvement on this phase by helping the ROPH team in providing the best MMORPG experience.

During the Ragnarok Online’s Q & A Session, last May 12, 2017, Kamphee “Ken” Phiromwad, Managing Director of Electronics Extreme, and ELITE CEO Johnny Paek revealed some of the most awaited game details:

·         It will be protected by EasyDefender (Solid proof from Thailand), this improves the game experience with its anti-bot and cheat protection systems;
·         FREE TO WIN: All Key-items could be dropped in game. All you need is teamwork and assiduity. It will provide everything that gamers need to advance and thrive in-game;
·         An special Revo-Classic version of the game starting with the 2-1 class, with class 2-2 and high class expected within 6 months and 1-2 years, respectively;
·         The return of the demised Morroc Town;
·         Monsters will be back to their original spawn point and will ignore the level differences between players and monsters;
·         Guild Wars will be released within the first 3 weeks with Godly Items not be immediately available but will soon be released;
·         Customized events for the Philippines;
·         Revival of team competition through the Ragnarok World Championship; and
·         There will be 2 available servers in CBT, namely, Thor and Loki.

ELITE, ensures that there is a continuous improvement of game experience through gathering of data during and after CBT. There is also a 24/7 customer support that will be available to handle all concerns that the players may encounter.

*CBT Client ready for download on their official website.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Fil-Am Whiz from Silicon Valley to Keynote 5th Geeks On A Beach


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Helping raise roughly $40 million for a Silicon Valley company before it produced its first intelligent wearable headset is just one of several feats for this Filipino-American for a serial entrepreneur and "World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer" awardee.

Yobie Benjamin can talk about several amazing things during the 5th Geeks on a Beach (GOAB 5) in Puerto Princesa, Palawan on August 24-25, said Tina Amper of TechTalks.ph and organizer of this annual tech startup event in the Philippines.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is GOAB co-organizer.

TechTalks.ph members Happy Garaje is responsible for branding; PRworks for media and public relations; and Sym.ph for web development of Geeks on a Beach.

“We hope the presence of Benjamin will inspire local startups and M SMEs. But more important, we are looking forward to having this global technology leader to interact with industry leaders and the startup community to drive action for the betterment of the Philippines and the world. GOAB continues to aim for measurable impact by facilitating potential projects and business deals not only for individual companies but also for the Philippine startup ecosystem,” Amper said.

For starters, Amper pointed out that this former political prisoner during the Marcos dictatorship days raised $40 million for Avegant, the company that makes and sells the Avegant virtual reality video headset and Skully, an intelligent motorcycle helmet that helps you see what is happening at the back, receive and make calls, and communicate with nearby vehicles.

Benjamin recently raised $18.5 million for Token that provides software to banks that enables them to issue a new payment type designed specifically for use in the digital era.

According to Amper, Geeks on a Beach gathers hundreds of technology entrepreneurs and professionals along with concerned government agencies to also look at ways of leveraging technology to help address Philippine social and environmental problems.

Amper said, this former political prisoner’s social concerns can be seen in his involvement in yet another company that is developing the ability to perform 50 diagnostic tests using only a drop of blood. This service, he said in a talk at Stanford University in Silicon Valley, will soon be given for free to whole populations in return for big data.

In Kenya, Benjamin is involved in Wildlife Works that sells carbon credits for protecting the rainforest and wildlife from poachers. The poachers, he said, included Al Shabbab terrorists. In Brazil, Benjamin’s company applied the same business model to mobilize the coastal population to protect mangrove forests.

Geeks on a Beach has partnered with the City of Puerto Princesa in Palawan. Known for its environmental advocacy, the city is the location of the world-famous underground river. The Tubbataha Reef, one of the world’s biggest ecosystem, is located some 92 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Princesa.

PLDT Innolab is supporting GOAB 5 as co-presenter while A Space is co-producer. The sponsors include Payoneer, Z alora, PouchNATION, Istorya.net, Synergy 88 Digital, Uniform Solutions, and NXTLVL Academy.

The media partners are e27, Tech in Asia, Auza.net, Innopub Media, Geeks in Cambodia, Asian Journal Publications, Balikbayan Magazine, Mobile Ecosystem Forum, ConnectedWomen.co and QueenCityCebu.com, The organizational partners are the Philippine Software Industry Association, the National ICT Confederation of the Philippines, UP CebuINIT, Digital Commerce Association of the Philippines, Developers Connect,Science and Technology Advisory Council - Silicon Valley, Mynimo, Teradoor, Israel Chamber of Commerce Philippines, and the Cloud Security Alliance Philippines.

GOAB is organized by Techtalks.ph, powered by Sym.ph, branding by Happy Garaje, and pr by PRWorks.

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

NCCA, DOT Launch KulTOURa Mobile Travel Guide


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There is a new mobile app that can help tourists enjoy their stay in the country by giving them a better appreciation of Philippine culture and history. As a bonus, it’s great for students too.

This is the Kultoura Philippine travel guide app which the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Department of Tourism (DOT) launched today in collaboration with PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications and InnoPub Media.

Representatives from Smart, NCCA, DOT and InnoPub sign the memorandum of agreement for the KulTOURa app at Rizal Park Visitors Center.

The Kultoura app features information on heritage sites, historic schools and churches, nature parks, popular attractions, famous landmarks and other must-see places in various parts of the country. The app also contains colorful details of the history of selected cities and provinces, including their famous personalities, delicacies and other interesting trivia.

Available as a free download for Android and iOS devices, the app is continuously being updated to provide more relevant content and encourage travelers to explore the country. It will soon offer other services such as a chat bot, which can give automated travel advice; allow users to take virtual tours; and enable purchases via a digital marketplace.

Though initially designed as an aid for tourists, the mobile app is also a handy resource for students. The comprehensive information found on the app can help them gain a better understanding of the rich culture and history of the country.

‘The Flats BGC’ Sets to Rise as First Dorm in BGC


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Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. (FBDC), master developer of Bonifacio Global City, recently commenced with its first dorm development inside the city. Called The Flats BGC at 5th Avenue, the project is a dormitory building created for the city’s hundred thousand-strong workforce. It will rise along BGC’s prestigious 5th Avenue, across St. Luke’s Medical Center, and accessible to major thoroughfares EDSA, Kalayaan Avenue, C-5 Road, and 32nd Avenue.

FBDC is looking at BPO and office workers as potential occupants. 375 units in 16 floors will provide a total of over 1,500 beds. Each unit is fully furnished with a bed and mattress, workstation, wardrobe cabinet, toilet and bath, and a mini kitchen. This development will employ a dynamic property management team to take care of the administration, safety, and security.

“There is currently a strong demand for living spaces inside BGC, especially from employees. From current estimates of 120,000, we are expecting about a hundred thousand more workers coming in until 2019. FBDC wants to provide them alternative and relatively more affordable housing options to save them hours of commuting into the city considering the traffic congestion these days,” said Eli Yaneza, FBDC Business Development, Property Planning and Office Leasing Manager.

FBDC is now accepting partnerships with corporate accounts through lease arrangements for their employees. A handful of locators have already expressed inclination to include accommodations in The Flats BGC at 5th Avenue as part of their compensation package.






The Flats BGC at 5th Avenue serves as FBDC’s exploratory project on the trend of co-living ─ a modern, urban lifestyle that puts a premium on openness, sharing, and collaboration. This communal living setup allows individuals to enjoy the luxuries of aspirational modern homes at a fraction of the price. All occupants will enjoy the full benefits of a BGCitizenship, including primary access to the various events sponsored by BGC, as well as firsthand information on sales, promos, and other happenings.


FBDC broke ground for The Flats BGC at 5th Avenue in December last year after the project was awarded to infrastructure conglomerate Megawide. The Flats BGC at 5th Avenue will start operating by the start of 2019. More information may be obtained by contacting Eli Yaneza at esyaneza@fbdcorp.com.
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