Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Manila Dev Challenge 2013 Announces Winners

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It is not very often that I get to be in a room filled with geniuses!, and they happen to be part of the world where I live and breath. The IT industry has continued to become so cool and elite mostly because of the rockstar developers that are totally changing, and practically dictating, the way we live in this interconnected and online society.

Triple Webby award-winner Freelancer.com was able to gather the best bunch of smart guys and gals in a room together while having a bit of fun fueled by pizza, coffee and cola. The Manila Dev Challenge, that was held a few days ago at SaDoCe located at the Smart Tower in Makati, definitely attracted a lot of great minds.

From the many hopefuls who submitted their works online, there were just 40 finalists who competed for the final rounds. The surviving finalists, who undertook six grueling hours of nonstop coding, maybe first timers in a coding competition, but they were already in the Startups and IT professional industry for quite some time now.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

CMO Asia has conferred Asia’s Best Brand Award to Globe Telecom in recognition of its marketing leadership in the telecommunications sector both local and regional.

Globe was chosen based on the following criteria: a) Mind Share – indicates a brand’s strength inside the minds of the consumers of the respective product category; b) Market Share – shows a brand’s strength in a certain market in terms of consumers’ actual buying behavior; and c) Commitment Share – indicates a brand’s strength in encouraging consumers to buy that brand in the future.

“Branding is important since it provides the interface between the consumers and the company and shows how much a service or product is accepted by the public. Currently, Globe continues to sustain its growth momentum complemented by robust subscriber acquisitions which leverage on the success of our various marketing efforts across all brands. This Award, therefore, is proof that we are on the right track,” said Yoly Crisanto, Head of Globe Corporate Communications.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I've read somewhere that the country’s leading and largest multimedia conglomerate, remained on top of the ratings game in July with more Filipinos tuning in to its programs with a total day audience share of 42%.....

But to what extent?.... by feeding us with lengthy afternoon-until-evening tele-dramas, old school superstitions and far-flung barrio beliefs, local versions of foreign reality and talent shows tweaked to the Pinoy taste, sensationalized tabloid news composed of street gang rumbles and vehicular accidents, commercials and ads in disguise of business and entrepreneurship shows, pseudo-science crap that they don't bother to explore any scientific basis, poorly Tagalog-dubbed Korean, or whatever, tele-dramas that loss its magic after being converted into a "Tagalized" joke , and a lot of other so-called madlang people "entertainment" filled with conyos and Fil-Am "ingliseros" that's only making us insecure of our height, the color of our skin and our carabao english.

It is sad to say that these shows were all designed for the no-brainer and "mabababaw ang kaligayahan". They don't exactly teach you but only "tease". What is worst is that many of us were already brainwashed and, with very little argument, has readily accepted these inferior and low-quality TV programs.

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Cesca Litton, Patti Grandidge, Aly Borromeo and Ivan Henares all share one thing in common. They may not be today’s larger-than-life superstars, but their confidence, wit, and sense of perseverance in everything they do are worth everybody’s attention and second glance.

Like Cesca, Patti, Aly, and Ivan, leading device manufacturer Huawei has unveiled its newest top quality smartphones that deserve a second look. Slim and flawless, crystal-clear and long-lasting, the Huawei Ascend P6 and Huawei Ascend Mate are the latest handsets from Huawei packed with exciting features and superb functionality for a differentiated smartphone experience.

The Huawei Ascend P6 is the world’s thinnest smartphone at 6.88mm, and is designed with precision and flawless beauty to perfectly fit one’s hand. Effortlessly turn snapshots into flawless portraits with its amazing 5-megapixel front-facing camera. The Huawei Ascend Mate combines best-in-class features across the board including a giant crystal-clear 6.1" HD screen and an unparalleled 48-hour battery life via its massive 4050mAh battery.

Kuya Paolo Pingo : Smile Ka Din, Konti Lang

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McDonalds' latest commercial has gained popularity, both positive and negative, and I'm not talking about the previous Minions toy craze collectables found on every happy Meal, or even the Smurfs 2 collectable toys that they followed next (but not as cute as the Minions toys).

What I'm really referring to is Kuya Paolo Pingo - yeah ....that character that depicted a somewhat.... himself.... which caught the attention of many viewers as to how to react appropriately to the commercial. From being sexist II meant to say racist - aftershock of that Chito Miranda video scandal) to "getting sympathy or pity from the mass audience", there has been a lot said about the new TVC of McDonalds.

But it was for me touching indeed. Heartwarming to say the least. Well, the intention was to indeed create a discussion among the people who will watch it for the first time, and share the experience among friends and colleagues - by tapping onto the subconsciously "good" personality of people.

Out from that commercial came memes (as with other popular topics online).... In majority, these memes were not designed for the purpose of attacking the commercial or even the lead characters portraying the roles of brothers.

It was endearing and oh so cute as many tried to create their own version of giving out just the right "Konti Lang" smile!

Court of Appeals Has Declared The Fort as Part of Makati City

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"The Court of Appeals has declared portions of Fort Bonifacio, including the upscale locale of Bonifacio Global City, all in all a total of 729 hectare, as being part of Makati City and not Taguig City.

This sort of ends a 20-year legal battle that started during congressional debates over Makati’s cityhood.

The CA’s Sixth Division ordered the Taguig City government to “cease and desist” from exercising jurisdiction over several areas within Fort Bonifacio, which were earlier declared part of its territory.

I'm sure this decision will be tried and tested in the Supreme Court - the last resort by means of law.

Also, Makati taxes are higher than Taguig. This might have some implications for those who are situated in the Fort.

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Anne Curtis and Martin Nievera impressed a lot of followers recently as we bear witness to an interesting music video collaboration between the two popular celebrities.

We all know that Martin Nievera is no doubt a master in singing but Anne Curtis is still more appropriately called "Annebisyosa" for a reason.

But this music video is making a lot of people think twice now that we saw a much improved It's Showtime host doing even a rap segment in the video....sent shivers down my spine.... but I finally was able to catch my breath when she successfully ended it beautifully. Are we going to see more rapping from Anne soon?

All I can say is that it was AnneMazing! The arrangement was awesome. I really loved it. The project was good for both Martin Nievera and Anne Curtis. It was indeed a nice tandem and collaboration. Kudos to the people responsible in bringing the two together in a sensational duet.

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Whoah!I'm not sure if she wants to impress (being a newbie and all) or she wants to molest to get back on her detractors when she was running for a Senate seat, but this newly elected Senator is probably after the same people who made Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto's days like a living hell when the Senator was bombarded with criticisms of many forms. One of them was with a great number of memes all making a laughing stock out of the politician.

Memes, according to Wikipedia is "an idea, behavior, or style that spreads from person to person within a culture." A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas, symbols, or practices that can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals, or other imitable phenomena. Supporters of the concept regard memes as cultural analogues to genes in that they self-replicate, mutate, and respond to selective pressures. Meanwhile, the Oxford Dictionaries, are humorous images, videos, or pieces of text that are copied and spread rapidly by Internet users.

Newly-elected Senator Nancy Binay’s proposed bill amending Republic Act 9262 may contain provisions aimed to criminalize humorous internet memes.

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I've read from Cosmopolitan Magazine facebook page, as well as other online media outfits out there, and of course many social media accounts, are now also spreading some good news about celebrities getting engaged just very recently.

"Sorry, ladies! Jericho Rosales is off the market! The actor is now engaged to host Kim Jones".

That moment of a sudden pinch in your heart wishing it was you. Hahaha! But then, t'was such a joy seeing couples conquering love's challenge for eternity.

Jericho revealed the engagement via mobile photo sharing service Instagram:
“I love you, Miss Jones. You are the love of my life. Thank you for saying YES (to forever) to me. Happy birthday! God is amazing! Yeeeeeehaaa! We are #engaged !!!” he said.

Kim on the other hand took to micro-blogging site Twitter to announce the engagement.

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Finally someone says something worth saying about the Chito Miranda : "You private videos and ridicule the people in it, thinking you're better than them. Mahiya ka naman."

Oo nga naman. It's none of our business, they didn't do this on purpose, and they're not hurting anyone. Why should they be made a mockery of by hypocritical moralists? Sila ba, hindi nagse-s*x? Ever? Kaya ba ganun na lang ang bitterness sa mga taong may s*x life?

Some would comment that they didn't have to videotape the act. For some, that's what's more disturbing, not the act itself. Especially for the people involved because they're celebrities, hindi na natuto sa mga naging scandals before. They would say that these personalities always think it wont happen to them, but if the material is there, it most probably will.....and in this case...it did!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Living a life that gets better every day is about knowing one's passions and priorities. Each morning that we wake up is an opportunity to create and collect special memories that will be remembered and will stand the test of time.

The stories that we collect every second of our lives, coupled with our experiences, are what we share with family and friends. We enjoy reminiscing past experiences and sharing personal events that they have not witnessed. These chit-chats allow us to reconnect and enable our loved ones to always become part of our lives.

Times meant for reconnecting, reminiscing, and sharing are best experienced over good food and fine wine. But since such occasion calls for something calming and laid back, it is suggested to have a wine that's not so heavy and can be consumed in a cool way.

“Whenever we have conversations with friends, it is always nice to stay alert and focused.That's how we can foster better relationships – through active listening. And there's a perfect wine for such kind of gathering, something that sweet, red and Carlo Rossi,” says Von de Torres, Managing Director of Emperador Distillers.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

What are your thoughts on student political activism in schools, universities and colleges? Both in public and private schools. Like Anakbayan, Akbayan, etc party lists calling on students to, "Stand up for your rights."

What do you call those students asserting their legal rights? Student activism? or Student deactivism? What about those who exploit their rights and those who are preventing their rights? Activism is not limited to popular demonstrators always rallying along Mendiola. Stereotype.

Yeah, in our school they're defacing walls and other facades and giving themselves high fives over it. Yeah, no problem with students asserting their rights. Question is, are those political parties recruiting members among students using their plight as an initiator to join them?

Short term: If you really are that sad in life and you want to blame government or big business - let it out.

Long term: That's a line you would likely omit from your CV's when you apply for a job.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We should take note that no amount of slutty clothing, mind-altering substance, or socio-cultural influence should place blame on the rape victim. Rape is ALWAYS the rapist's fault. Erase your bias. Spread the word!

Sometimes, I don't get why pervs always place the blame on such factors: provocative clothing, their being drunk, and call of flesh. Why not to themselves? If skimpy clothing is the cause of rape, then why do I still hear of men raping women in cultures where they wear full-body clothes? Burkha fetish, anyone? I don't think rape occurs in nudist colonies. but then again I might be wrong.

During primitive communal when people are nomadic, there is no cloth, no alcohol, no tv, no minority, weather is present. Sex is a normal practice. with consent. No marriage either. So don't blame it to things... blame it to the system!

DOST Scholarship Exam for AY 2014-2015 Is On September 2013

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The Department of Science and Technology-Science Education Institute (DOST-SEI) through the Department of Education (DepEd) announces on Friday that the DOST-SEI Science and Technology Undergraduate Scholarship exam for AY 2014-2015 is on September 22, 2013 (Sunday) in designated testing centers nationwide.

The scholarship is open to all qualified graduating high school students from public and private high schools nationwide. DOST offers two types of undergraduate scholarships - RA7687 for qualified applicants who belong to families with low socio-economic status and MERIT for qualified applicants regardless of their families' socio-economic status.

Criteria for Eligibility for RA 7687 Undergraduate Scholarship
1. natural-born Filipino citizen
2. poor, talented, and deserving student who belongs to a family whose socio-economic status does not exceed the set values of certain indicators.
3. top five percent (5%) of the regular high school graduating class; or
4. member of the graduating class of a DOST-SEI identified or DepEd recognized science high school.
5. resident of the municipality for the last four years as attested by the barangay;
6. of good moral character and in good health
7. qualifier of the 2014 S&T Scholarship examination

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Have you guys seen taxi cabs deployed with GPS-enabled mobile here in Metro Manila? There's even a small number of taxi cabs in Cebu that has those setup which was said to have been issued by a certain telecom company. Apparently, the gadgets are used for GPS-roving-mapping purposes.

There is also a World Bank funded study where they are conducting an ongoing transit app competition. They are trying to map traffic now so we know how to fix it fast and easy.

GrabTaxi, EasyTaxi, TaxiHero,....there's so many taxi startups but so litlle time. It wont be long now before every taxi driver will be equipped with a GPS-enabled smartphone and taxi app.

Well, the only app I've tried so far was GrabTaxi, originally MyTeksi from Malaysia, and it was an awesome piece of app.