Boix House Redux Project: Crowdfunding a Heritage House in Manila

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Want to save a heritage house? A non-profit organization called the Kapitbahayan sa Kalye Bautista atbp. Lugar, Inc. (KKB) has started a crowdfunding initiative to restore the historic Kasa Boix and transform it into a community center and creative space. 

The Kasa Boix was considered an architectural gem in its time. It was built in the neo-Renaissance style along Barbosa (now Bautista) St. in Quiapo by Don Marciano Teotico in 1895. Over the years, the house was used as a dormitory and an office, among others. Notable people who lived within its halls include former president Manuel L. Quezon and poet/journalist Jose R. Teotico. The house is adjacent to Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, also a historic heritage house, where heroes Julio Nakpil and Gregoria de Jesus lived. 

Now, Kasa Boix has visible deteriorations and a structural engineer is urgently needed to assess its stability and commend retrofitting guidelines. This is why KKB is starting a crowdfunding effort to help save Kasa Boix. The group envisions the house to be adaptively reused as a community-cum-creative space for the enjoyment of the residents in Quiapo as well to serve as a model of conserving other heritage sites. 

ICT Forums for Government Professionals: TechTalks for Civil Servants on June 29

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The digital age is laden with opportunities and risks. It is now a directive of the government that public officers be on top of the most recent advancements in information and communications technology (ICT) as well as familiar with the threats that exist online.

In line with this, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) ICT Office calls for the ICT training of government professionals through the TechTalks for Civil Servants symposium on 29 June 2015, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Audio Visual Room, Mezzanine, PHILVOLCS Building, Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

Organized by the National ICT Competency Management Service (NCM), the TechTalk for Civil Servants is a whole day event for government professionals from national government agencies (NGAs), state universities and colleges (SUCs), as well as local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila.

Some of the topics to be discussed are on modern business styles, social media personal branding, mobile learning and digital scammers. Meanwhile, TechTalks speakers hail from both public and private sectors.

TechTalks for Civil Servants is part of the series of events launched in line with the 2015 ICT Month.

Cyber Literacy Talk on June 30

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The turn of the 21st century has seen the integration of the Internet within the lives of most people. At this day and age, most people have a myriad of devices on-hand that enable them to stay connected and share information with whoever they want to, regardless of where they might be.

That said, while cyberspace has granted people such unprecedented connectivity and information-sharing, it can prove to be a dangerous place to tread, especially for those who are unaware. High school students, for instance, comprise a big part of the population that spend a considerable amount of time surfing the Internet and Social Networks. Such group of people are susceptible to the various risks and dangers lurking in cyberspace. Vital information such as home addresses, account details, and other confidential documents can be stolen from right under their noses, and the aftermath of such information theft can render them powerless.

Apart from information theft, the Internet has a vicarious culture where users can anonymously target other users with harsh and mean-spirited comments and retorts; for an uninitiated Internet user, such online attacks can become anywhere from a mild nuisance to a serious emotional issue.

On that note, the Cybersecurity Division of the DOST-ICT Office knows that the Internet can be used to create a positive change as long as the public is properly equipped to handle such technology. As such, the Cybersecurity division shall hold a Cyber Literacy Talk on the 30th of June.