Vibal Foundation Relaunches Filipiniana.net

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Vibal Foundation, Inc. (VFI) relaunched its digital library and research portal Filipinana.net last March 25, 2022. The website aims to become the largest source of public domain documents on Philippine studies.

What is Filipiniana.net?

Filipiniana.net stores digital versions and summaries of unpublished or out-of-print documents written in Filipino, English, or Spanish. With its relaunch, scholars and enthusiasts have free access to original source texts, transcriptions, annotated translations, and other information related to Philippine history and culture. Readers can also browse through various topics related to the Philippines and Spain.

The digital repository was first introduced in 2006 by VFI founder and publisher Gaspar Vibal. However, after a few years, the in-house team lost access to the original materials posted on the website. With a new team of web developers, editors, and staff in 2020, VFI decided to revamp the digital library in time for the quincentennial celebration.

What’s New?

Filipiniana.net is back with new content and a new user interface. In its 2022 release, readers can find four collections of documents on Filipino-Spanish relations. Each entry per collection contains the original version, English translation, executive summary, and related links.

The First Circumnavigation of the World features the annotated documentation of Antonio Pigafetta, including the discovery of the Philippines by the Spanish fleet in 1521. The Jose Felipe Del-Pan collection features his anthology of unappreciated works from 1851 to 1891–a critical period in the growth and maturity of the Filipino mind. The Works of Jose Rizal contains his literary works during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. The Parnaso Hispano-Filipino features an anthology of literature that sums up the Filipino and Spanish experience. It contains classic plays, poems, and essays written in original Spanish text with English translation.

The relaunched website also has a Create Your Notebook feature that allows registered users to write private documents and copy and paste content from the collections to their user notebook. 

Visit Filipiniana.net at https://filipiniana.net/ to explore its new content and features.

Why Do Philippine Forex Traders Choose MetaTrader 4?

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Forex trading is getting more and more popular worldwide. According to statistics, the daily turnover of the market for the period 2016-2019 increased from $5.1 to 6.6 trillion. Experts attribute this trend to the 24-hour Forex trading ability from anywhere with an Internet connection.

To conduct transactions about 54% of traders use MetaTrader 4 or MetaTrader 5 platforms. MT4 is more popular due to its simple interface. They also use MetaTrader 4 a lot in the Philippines. To get acquainted with this platform, experts recommend choosing trusted brokerage websites (for example, fbs.com). This approach will prevent merchants from losing money.

Key MetaTrader 4 Benefits

MT4 is suitable for beginners and experienced traders. This is due to easy navigation and the availability of quality support. Among other advantages, there are:

Availability of different language versions — thanks to this, traders from different countries can use the platform in their mother tongue.

Presence of extensive charting options — MT4 provides the visitors with many useful tools for this. Such a benefit makes it possible to analyze the technical aspects of the market more deeply.

Quick access to main functions — thanks to this, a trader can receive information about the account state, the transaction history, etc. in seconds.

Expert Advisors availability — this is a built-in add-on that automatically provides business councils (where necessary).

In addition, it’s important to mark a modern communication tools presence. The advantage makes it possible to arrange multiple long chains of messages.

Ability to Personalize the Platform and High Safety Level

It’s also worth noting that MT4 can be configured individually according to the trader’s needs. The user can create personal indicators and electronic advisors. This makes the trading process incredibly convenient.

The user's personal information and ongoing transactions are encrypted using advanced digital security protocols. Thus, the account hacking or leakage of personal data probability when using MT4 is close to zero.

Easy to Install and Remove

For the program MT4 installation, a trader needs only to:

Download the setup file (.exe). It takes several minutes.

Launch the downloaded file. After that, it’s needed to follow the installers instructions.

Create a demo or real account. The trader should enter the actual personal information for it. Before the users start trading, they need to familiarize themselves with the terms and conditions.

For MT4 deleting, a trader should go to the All Programs menu and click the corresponding button next to MetaTrader 4. Then the user has to delete the data folder of the same name on drive C. To receive more information about the removal process, visit, for example, the FBS website.

MetaTrader 4 System Requirements

For launching MT4, the user’s PC should have the following characteristics:

CPU with a frequency of 1.7 GHz or higher;

free hard drive space of at least 50 MB;

RAM equals 256 MB or more.

MetaTrader 4 may be launched on Windows, macOS, or Linux. Also, there are mobile MT4 versions for iOS and Android. The platform is compatible with Chrome, Opera, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari browsers.

SSS asks members, employers to keep online login details to themselves

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Social Security System (SSS) President and CEO Michael G. Regino today urged members, pensioners, and employers of the state-pension fund to secure their login credentials on the My.SSS portal and other personal information to protect their accounts from fraudulent transactions.

Regino issued the reminder following several complaints from SSS members that their accounts with the My.SSS were being subjected to fraudulent transactions perpetuated by scammers and other unscrupulous persons.   One of the reasons why such fraudulent transactions occur, SSS insiders noted, was the tendency of some members to share their login credentials with unauthorized persons. These login information, Regino noted, should be kept confidential by accountholders to protect themselves from scammers.   Regino likened the SSS login credentials to the Personal Identification Number (PIN) that bank depositors use to access their accounts at the Automated Teller Machines (ATM). An ATM card PIN is a multi-digit number required at bank ATMs for carrying out transactions and is initially provided by the banks. This PIN can be reset or changed to a new PIN by the card owner but is kept as a strictly confidential information by the user.    “We have asked our stakeholders not to share their usernames, passwords, and other login details on their My.SSS accounts to unauthorized individuals. Giving your username and password to another person is like sharing your ATM PIN,” Regino said. “Anyone with this information could use your My.SSS account to avail of monetary benefits without your authorization.”   The SSS chief cited a case wherein a member sought the assistance of another person while trying to create and access his My.SSS account on the Internet. It turned out that the person from whom the SSS member sought for help is a fixer and scammer who later drew a salary loan from the account without his knowledge.   Regino also advised members not to entertain unofficial online groups in various platforms, like Facebook, that allegedly offer easier access to SSS online accounts and provided technical assistance for a fee to loan-seekers.   “We do not recognize these unofficial online groups, even those found on Facebook. We consider them illegal, and they cannot facilitate SSS transactions on behalf of our members,” Regino said.   He added that online transactions and services offered by the SSS portals are free, except when a member is requesting for a replacement of the Unified Multi-purpose ID Card (UMID), which carries a minimal fee.   Regino said members may visit the E-center in local branches and they will be assisted by SSS employees in their online transactions. “All our branches have an E-center containing several computers connected to the Internet. We have employees stationed there who are ready to help our members in creating and accessing their My.SSS account as well as guide them navigating and using the online portal for their transactions.”   Regino said the SSS management also regularly update its online facilities, such as the My.SSS Portal and SSS Mobile App, to better serve its members. In 2021, the Mobile App was redesigned to make it more user-friendly and easier for members to navigate and conduct their online transactions through mobile phone facilities.   He also reminded members, pensioners, and employers that they cannot be held accountable for fraudulent transactions once a member connives with a fixer.   Under Republic Act No. 11032, or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, and Republic Act 11199, or the Social Security Act of 2018, make it illegal for members to engage the services of fixers.   SSS works closely with law enforcement agencies to curb the illegal activities of fixers. “We are determined to file charges against them who are taking advantage of our members and employers,” Regino concluded.   They may report these fixers or scammers to the Special Investigation Department (SID) through e-mail at fid@sss.gov.ph or at (02) 8924-7370.