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Thursday, September 24, 2020

DOTr: Anong choice mo? Sa MAAYOS o MAGULO?



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Anong choice mo? Sa MAAYOS o MAGULO?
Gusto ba nating manatili tayo sa sistemang magulo, siksikan, agawan, may mahabang pila at matagal na paghihintay sa mga pantalan upang makabiyahe o makapagpadala ng kargamento?

Kailangan ba tayong magtiis at magtiyaga dahil magulo ang sistema?

Nakakadagdag ito ng stress at gastos!

O, gusto ba natin ng isang maayos na paraan ng pagbibiyahe, kung saan pagdating natin sa port area ay komportable na lang tayong sasakay sa barko, dahil bago pa man tayo umalis ng bahay ay may ticket at sure seats na tayo?

Kailangan pa bang i-memorize yan?

Bahagi ng plano ng Maritime Sector ng Department of Transportation, sa pangunguna ng Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), ang pagpapatupad ng isang Unified Electronic Ticketing System.

At malapit na itong maisakatuparan!

Sa isang public demonstration at test run na isinagawa kamakailan sa Port of Batangas at Port of Calapan, ipinamalas ni PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago ang malaking pagbabago at kaginhawaan na maidudulot ng Unified Electronic Ticketing System para sa mga pasahero, port personnel, at iba pang stakeholders.

Kabilang sa benefits ng sistema ay ang mga sumusunod:

1. Malaking bawas sa pagpila at paghihintay sa loob ng mga pantalan;

2. Mas mabilis na transactions na magbubunga ng improved productivity;

3. Malaking bawas sa human-to-human contact kaya iwas-hawa sa COVID-19;

4. Mawawala ang mga iligal na practices tulad ng "fixing," “scalping” o "under the table," sa mga transactions.

5. Mas ligtas na ang mga biyahe dahil tiyak na ayon ang bilang ng pasahero sa kapasidad ng barko kaya’t walang overloading; at

6. Mas episyenteng port services na mas makakatugon sa iba't ibang pangangailangan ng mga pasahero at mga negosyante.

Ang Unified Electronic Ticketing System ay isang malawakang proyekto para sa mga pantalang saklaw ng PPA sa buong bansa. Hangad ni PPA GM Santiago na maipatupad ito sa lalong madaling panahon, habang limitado pa ang operations dahil sa pandemya 'pagkat walang interruption sa pagpapatupad. Higit pa rito, mas magiging madali ang transition sa oras na regular na ang biyahe.

Isa ang PPA sa mga pangunahing ahensya na daliang tumatalima sa direktiba ni DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade na magsagawa ng mga digital transformation sa mga work processes at systems, bilang bahagi ng “new normal” at upang maisulong ang ease of doing business.

Matatandaang kamakailan lamang ay inilunsad ng PPA ang paggamit ng Electronic Payment Portal o EPP, kung saan maaari nang magbayad online kahit nasa bahay ka lamang. Layunin ng programa ang mas mapabilis at mas maging efficient ang pagbabayad para sa mga transaksyon ng ahensya.

Gov’t, private sector need to mold S&T workforce together – DOST-SEI, PIDS study



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic prompted a renewed appreciation for Filipino science and technology (S&T) workers, the Department of Science and Technology - Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) recently released a collaborative study with state think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) to give an outlook of future S&T labor requirements in the country.

Entitled “The Future S&T Human Resource Requirements in the Philippines: A Labor Market Analysis,” the study sought to provide a foundation for policy and strategy development concerning the country’s S&T human resources development (STHRD) efforts, which has huge influence on economic growth and resiliency.

The fast-paced development of technologies seen in this era known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution leads to constant disruptions in the labor market, and hence governments need to examine the state of its S&T workforce as well as forecast which skills and competencies will be vital for the jobs of tomorrow. This and many more findings were discussed by PIDS researchers Jose Ramon G. Albert, Ana Maria Tabunda, Carlos Primo David, Kris Francisco, Charlie Labina, Janet Cuenca, and Jana Flor Vizmanos in the joint paper.

The study utilized available data from population censuses, labor force surveys, and other data sources—mainly from the Philippine Statistics Authority’s (PSA) Labor Force Survey (LFS) from 2010 to 2018—to portray current trends in the supply and demand of S&T human resources in the country.

Overall, findings suggest that while the total S&T workforce forms only a small portion (5%) of the country’s total labor force, and that the diverse S&T occupations differ in growth potential in terms of employment, there is the need for both government and private sector to support the promotion of most S&T disciplines given that new jobs emerge from new technologies and industries.

The findings provide valuable policy recommendations on the the administration of DOST scholarship programs. For instance, DOST and private sector could incentivize young students for pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), not just in senior high school or college but even as early as junior high. The study furthered that financial assistance, while helpful, may not be enough to fill the pool of S&T human resources required in the future. Government and the industry should be in close coordination to ensure the matching of capabilities of S&T professionals with the demands of the labor market.


What Phl’s S&T Workforce looks like

The study looked into the current state of the country’s S&T workforce, the specific S&T fields that are critical to future job requirements, as well as the projection of level of demand for specific disciplines. Below are some interesting findings of the joint paper:

The S&T workforce constitutes only a small portion (5%) of the total workforce. The highest among the S&T fields is Engineering (2.8%), followed by Computing/Information Technology (1.9%). The other three major fields, namely, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Math and Statistics are lower than 1%. (Note: Following U.S. classifications, medical and health occupations are excluded from S&T occupations.)
The future demand will be highest for workers in the field of Engineering. The demand projections reveal that the labor market will still favor the Engineers, at least within the Philippines. (Note: The demand projection focuses solely on domestic demand and does not consider international demand for workers with S&T background.)
The supply projection reveals significant increase in the number of S&T workers with Computer Science and IT background. Gap estimates, however, predicts a domestic oversupply for these professionals, which is reminiscent with the 1990s ‘Nursing boom.’
Both supply and demand of S&T workers will further grow in the future. Notably, the future appears most favorable for Engineers as these workers will comprise majority of the country’s future demand.
The domestic economy will also demand more S&T workers in the fields of Life Science, Physical Sciences, as well as Math and Statistics.

The top 10 S&T occupations with the highest projected employment growth in 2020-2025 are the ff.: 1) Systems administrators; 2) Systems Analysts; 3) Industrial Engineers; 4) Web and Multimedia Developers; 5) Applications Programmers; 6) Civil Engineers; 7) Database Designers and Administrators; 8) Electrical Engineers; 9) Building Architects; and 10) Computer Network Programmers.

Though the number of statisticians shows a declining trend, the demand for statisticians remains high due to the explosion of data analytics.

There are also identified specific S&T occupations with negative projected employment growth in 2020-2025, namely: Town and traffic planners; Chemical Engineers; Mathematician and Actuaries; Chemists; Electronics Engineers; Farming, Forestry and Fisheries Advisers; Mining Engineers, Metallurgists and related professionals; and, Biologist, Botanist, Zoologist and related scientists.



Challenges in S&T labor market

Citing prominent studies from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and World Economic Forum, the study supported the insight that workforce’s chance of survival in the changing market will highly depend on the supporting infrastructures’ capacity to adapt and the workers’ ability to retrain through education. Rapid technological changes have already accelerated demand for highly-skilled workers while slowly taking off the scene the lower- and middle-skilled workers. This presents a challenge across all Philippine industries.

“The continuous struggle to promote STEM among the students to increase not just enrollment to related courses but also to boost overall interest in science among the general public shows you that the government’s stance is on the right track, but there truly has to be enhanced collaboration with all stakeholders for us to better prepare for the changes in technology and the economy,” said Dr. Josette Biyo, Director of DOST-SEI.


What can be done?

Aside from close coordination between the government and the private sectors in implementing programs and developing strategies, much of the work remains on building a sound S&T culture. The study affirms that there is a need to encourage the young population to go into STEM fields; however, the government needs some re-strategizing.

For one, the government’s STEM promotion programs need to adjust to the changing times by utilizing “new media” as opposed to relying on formal channels and traditional media. Aggressive media campaigns through social media platforms, could be used to generate ‘hype’ and educate both children and parents on the role and importance of STEM workforce in the society.

The study also incites a thorough review on DOST Scholarship administration. It highlights that the timing of scholarships is crucial. The paper recommends that financial support should be concentrated at the onset of the tertiary level or in junior high school as it is then when students’ inclination to STEM is developed.

Other recommendations include taking steps to increase enrollment and graduates of STEM while ensuring quality and reducing drop-out and failure rates across all levels of STEM education. To this, Biyo said DOST-SEI is already taking steps.

“In implementing our programs, we carefully analyze what kind of gaps we’re trying to fill whether in terms of STEM promotion or teacher training. The key for us, as ascertained by this study, is to adapt to the needs of this era for us to build an environment that is inviting for our young minds,” remarked Biyo.

The results of the collaborative study were presented via an online webinar early this September before a select body of educators, government representatives, and policy-makers. Both DOST-SEI and PIDS look to share the paper to a wider audience in the future.



Bank branches in Cebu are protected from Covid-19



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Coronavirus is still a thorn in the flesh, and its effects are being felt globally. Moreover, scientists are uncertain of the cell life of the virus. Every day there is a discovery about the virus mutating which makes it hard to come up with an antivirus. Though there are researches being conducted none has proven to be effective. Hence getting an anti-virus will take longer than expected. However, life needs to continue even amid the pandemic.

Your business needs to grow, and future investments made. For this reason, governments are relaxing their mitigation measures to give the economy a chance to recover. Some states have even introduced new laws to help in cushioning their citizens.

In the Philippines, the House of Representatives and the senate introduced the Bayanihan Act RA No. 11469. Therefore, various banks are expected to follow the new law and other regulations to ensure the borrower and the lender are safe. Therefore, we're going to discuss how Cebu Bank is coping with the new regulations to guarantee its consumers' safety.



The Bayanihan Act RA No.11469

The Act was introduced to protect the borrowers from being exploited during the pandemic by the financial institutions. The law requires the lenders to give a grace period or extension to borrowers on all outstanding loans. The extension granted shouldn't be less than 30 days. That's not all; the law also states there shouldn't be any additional interest, charges or penalties attached to the low interest online loans. Additionally, the Bayanihan Act has also been enforced to keep Filipinos safe from Covid-19.

According to the new law, institutions are supposed to follow certain parameters before opening their doors. This is what prevents the spread of the virus and keeps the infections in check. Hence, Cebu Bankers Club (CBC) adheres to the new law, which guarantees you get the financial help needed and still keep safe amid the pandemic.



About Cebu Bankers Club

The club is made up of various firms that share a common interest. It includes universal, commercial, savings and thrift banks. The club is located in Cebu province, which is one of the largest provinces in the Philippines.



Over the years, the club has worked to ensure the community receives the best financial services. For this reason, the club has focused on SMEs to ensure the group grows and lifts the country's economy. This, in turn, increase the rate of employment.

However, when Covid-19 struck, things began to change, and banks needed to adapt. The huge drop in the number of transactions was a sign that things would not be as normal. For the institutions to survive during the pandemic, they had to be strategic.



This is why the Cebu Bankers Club (CBC) came with a resolution on March 24th, 2020. The club advised the institutions in Cebu to shorten the banking hours. However, this is just one of the measures taken to keep employees and consumers safe.



In the section below, we will break down how Cebu Banks have managed to remain safe from Covid-19.



Cebu banks remain safe from Covid-19

The banker's club on Friday 18th, 2020, after long negotiations, assured the public that banks in the region are safe form Coronavirus. The report was given after the club was certain its members have adhered to the health protocols. Hence, banking services would resume but within the parameters given.

According to Romeo Comabig, the CBC president, the banks have put in place various health measures to contain the spread of the virus within the banking halls. He continued to breakdown the measures and explained them vividly to give consumers a better understanding of how the protocols work. In his report, the president said the clients and bank personnel must have face masks and face shields when inside the bank. At the same time, the body temperatures of every person should be checked before entering the branch. That's not all. A logbook is placed at the entrance where the names of the people who come in are recorded. The purpose of this is to help with contact tracing if need be. Additionally, the institutions are also expected to have alcohol and hand sanitizers at the entrance and specific lobby locations. This makes it easier for one to access the sanitizers without crowding on one access point.

Romeo further stated clients need to avail online banking services to cater to their consumers. The measure won't only reduce the risk of spreading the virus but also make it easier and convenient for them to offer their services. He also stated banks need to install transparent plastic or acrylic barriers, which will separate bank personnel and clients. Apart from the barriers, they're also required to limit the number of clients allowed into the banking halls. This helps to keep social distance, which prevents the spread of the virus.

The president continued to say the staff need to follow certain parameters. The banks are expected to observe staggered lunch breaks and no communal foods are to be allowed into the facility. Additionally, the bank personnel must remain in the facility and not cross over to other branches to avoid spreading the virus. However, if a branch has been compromised, the facility must be locked down and undergo thorough disinfection. When it comes to the exposed personnel, they're to be tested immediately and placed under self-quarantine.

Comabig further assured the public that when a branch opens its doors, the health protocols are already in place to ensure your safety. However, certain branches have reported positive cases, and the president assured the masses the bank managers had taken the required action.

The bank managers have locked their facilities down to disinfect them for several days, as stated by the health ministry. This is a measure to keep the rate of infections in check as their clients continue to access their services.


Advantages of online services during a pandemic

The pandemic has forced many businesses to take multiple precautions. The safest way to work now is online. If you can get a service online, use this method to keep you healthy. For example, you can even get a quick loan online. You don't have to go to the bank and stand in line with gloves and a mask. It refers to platforms that offer financial aid to individuals through the internet either by using a Smartphone or laptop. The online lenders are legit and will need detailed information about you.

Hence, one will be expected to upload relevant documents which will be accessed to see if you qualify for the loan. If the information given doesn't meet the lender's parameters, then your loan request won't be approved.

Once your loan request is approved the cash will be sent to your count within a few hours. Additionally, the interest rates are favorable and the loan tenure is pocket friendly. However, not all platforms are legit, therefore, do thorough research before subscribing to their services.

In the Philippines, online loans in 24 hours are provided by http://robocash.ph/. It's one of the online lending platforms that provide Filipinos with short-term loans. The firm is legit and has been listed under the SEC. This proves your interest is protected, and the firm cannot go against it.

When it comes to the loan tenure, one can opt for 7-30 days depending on the loan applied for. The interest rate is affordable and ideal for you as a lender. For new clients, the first loan can be obtained without interest at all. For subsequent loans the rate will be 1.5% per day, which is lower than the normal market rate.

The RoboCash company has many advantages. For example, you don't need collateral for the loan. Documentation is minimal, and your loan application is approved within 15 minutes. The funds are sent directly in cash or by card. And RoboCash also provides you with a service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.And most importantly, the loan can be obtained online, you do not need to go out of the house and put yourself at risk. In the current situation it is very important.

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