Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, July 23, 2015

The National ICT Summit 2015: The Internet is "Ugnayan Para sa Kaunlaran" Day 1

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The 2nd Day of the National ICT Summit started with the presentation of the recap of Day 1 by Virgilio Gaje, the Public Relations Officer of the CIO Forum.

The National ICT Summit 2015 or NICT Summit 2015 had Senator Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV during the ribbon cutting ceremonies and the keynote message. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo was also there to provide a keynote message. DOST-ICTO Undersecretary and Executive Director Louis Napoleon Casambre delivered the welcome remarks. Joining them are Denis Villorente, President of the CIO Forum; Clarito Magsino, President of CIOF Forum; and George Kintanar, Chairman of the CIOF Foundation.

Joe Pasqua, Executive Vice President of MarkLogic then discussed The Turning Point of Data. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary Adrian Cristobal followed with a talk entitled Competitiveness Activities Towards AEC.

Former Deputy Commissioner and now author Carolina Colborn told us the story of how she went out of the country to find her dreams, and how the Internet helped her achieved it. She is now happily married to a foreigner and has written books about her adventure.

US-Based Tech Entrepreneurs Hold Meetup for Geeks on a Beach Int’l Tech Confab

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Tech entrepreneurs, designers, and startups based in San Francisco, USA met up last July 2, 2015 at the San Francisco Airport Marriot Waterfront Hotel Lounge to talk about the Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) international tech startup confab this August 21-22.

STAC Silicon Valley and Global Filipino Network organized the said meetup with TechTalks.ph and GOAB lead organizer Tina Amper, who is now concluding her rounds in the United States to whip up support for the upcoming big event.

Now in its third year, GOAB was first conducted on the beaches of Boracay Island, Philippines in September 2013 where more than 300 participants attended. It is set to return to Boracay this August after holding the event at Moevenpick Beach Resort Hotel Cebu last year.

Unlike other international conferences, GOAB is unique for the beach fun vibe yet productive atmosphere that offers participants opportunities to network, learn about the latest on tech and entrepreneurship, and secure business deals.

GOAB holds the distinction of being the leading national tech startup conference in the Philippines with last year’s event gathering over 400 participants and global speakers like Dave McClure of 500Startups and Maria Ressa of Rappler.com, among many others.

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LDF Events Management will held its first ever Pinoy Entrepreneur Summit: Getting INto Business - From Passion to Action on October 14, 2015 (Wednesday) 10:00 AM- 5:00 PM at Megatrade Conference Center, 5/F Bdg. B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.

Pinoy Entrepreneur Summit: Getting INto Business - From Passion to Action is a fun and dynamic gathering of the youth, aspiring entrepreneurs and young professionals who want to get inspired in transforming their ideas and passion into real businesses. This is an ideal space to discover new innovation and trends especially for young entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs who want to improve their business strategies and practices. Participants and visitors will be able to form collaborative partnerships that will help them turn their breakthrough moments into reality.

With a well-balanced line up of topics and speakers, this summit will certainly help individuals to mold and bring out their entrepreneurial skills and spirit. Come to the event, hear and learn from our top entrepreneurs and experts like Earl Martin Valencia-IdeaSpace Foundation, Gian Scottie Javelona-Orange Apps Inc., Janette Toral-Digital Filipino.com, Homer Nievera-NegoSentro, Ifore Yu-Chicken Charlie, Mark Rivera-Minka The Toothbrush Movement and Karen Bordador-Sister Secrets, who will talk about various topics such as Social Entrepreneurship, Ecopreneurship, Technopreneurship, Fashion Entrepreneurship and Foodpreneurship.

Don’t miss this opportunity to participate in a unique summit like no other, bringing the culture of the youth and 101’s in business together in one place!

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Mala-piratang pagkilos ng China sa West Philippine Sea, itigil na!

Kumbinsido si dating Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Rafael M. Alunan III na makasasama sa tunay na layunin ng China para magpatuloy ang kanilang kaunlaran kung paiigtingin pa ang agresibong pagkamkam sa ating mga teritoryo sa West Philippine Sea.

Ayon kay Alunan, Lead Convenor ng West Philippine Sea Coalition, mababalewala ang lahat ng nakamit na kaunlaran ng mga Chinese kung magpapatuloy sila sa pambu-bully sa ating bansa. “Dapat lamang na lumingon ang China at balikan ang kanilang mapayapang paraan ng pag-unlad. Pero masyadong naghahanap ang China ng kaguluhan sanhi ng kanilang agresibong pagkilos sa West Philippine Sea at nakasasama pa ito para sa pangdaigdigang kapayapaan,” paliwanag ni Alunan na nangunguna sa pagtutol sa maling pagkilos ng China sa karagatang higit na malapit sa Pilipinas.

Iginiit pa ni Alunan na mataas pa rin ang kanyang pagtitiwala na wala tayong nilabag na anumang alituntunin, bagkus naniniwala pa rin ang ating bansa sa mapayapang pakikipag-usap at pagsasampa ng petisyon sa International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). “Wala naman akong bahid ng pagdududa na napanatili nating mga Pilipino ang mataas na moralidad hinggil sa aksiyon ng China.

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Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) unveiled its latest series of printers and projectors, in the company’s bid to further solidify its status as the leading brand in Printers and Projectors.

According to FutureSource Consulting, the leading research and forecasting company for consumer electronics, entertainment, and education, Epson Philippines has captured 31% market leadership and has joined many Epson companies worldwide that contributed to the brand’s unprecedented 14 consecutive years of global leadership in the projector category.

Epson also led the local market for printers with an incredible growth of 11.3% in 2014. The latest annual IDC report has placed Epson printers on top with 35.9% market share.

“Envision Innovation Today”, held at the Grand Ballroom of City of Dreams, served as a fete for customers and partners. During the event, Epson launched its latest projectors and printers that will further advance Epson's position as an industry game-changer.

“As the Filipino’s brand of choice in both the projector and printer categories, we are pleased to share that innovations in technology have allowed Epson to once again improve on these products lines -- offering more durable and even more reliable products for our customers,” said EPC Head for Marketing Division Ed Bonoan.

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As one of the original Epson PRO, an eminent group of photographers and graphic artists in the Philippines, distinguished Filipino photographer George Tapan has been a long-time Epson user, and considers Epson as part of his family.

Thus, he now showcases the diversity of Filipino tribes in his latest exhibit displaying photos printed using Epson printers. The exhibit entitled “Abot-Tanaw ni George Tapan” is being held at the National Museum of Anthropology located at the Old Finance Building along Finance Road, Ermita, Manila. The exhibit was unveiled last June 19, and will run Tuesdays to Sundays from 10 AM to 5 PM until August 16.

“For this exhibit, I used Epson scanners and printers, because in my eye, Epson produces the nearest natural color. The right color, archival ink, and the variety of paper or media to choose from is why I chose Epson as a partner for exhibits, including this one. For the “Abot-Tanaw” exhibit at the National Museum, I used Epson’s archival paper that produces no glare, to help me showcase the beauty of the subjects and photographs without using an encasing glass.”

“Abot-Tanaw ni George Tapan” features the diverse culture of the Philippines as shown by the different indigenous tribes around the country. The subject matter is close to his heart, as showing recognition to these indigenous tribes is part of his personal advocacy. “We should never forget the indigenous people; we should show them respect and give them dignity. Without them, there is no us,” he elaborated.

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We believe everyone is in equal footing when it comes to online work. This is because the job requires a lot of creativity and logical thinking which we can do at the comforts of our own homes rather than out there among the hustle and bustle of the corporate world. I envy those who get to avoid the traffic congestion or the long queue at every public transportation spot including the MRT or LRT train stations.

The work at home professionals don't suffer as we do who would normally sweat it out amidst a huge crowd and exposed to all the dust and pollution, including the dangers of getting robbed or swindled in the dangerous streets of Manila. I've had my share of pickpockets and other modus operandi just to rob me of my hard-earned money.

The ICT 4 Biz: Connecting Your Business with the Right People, held last June 17, 2015 at the Sequioa Hotel located in Quezon City, was particularly aimed to provide decent online employment opportunities for all. This was part of the ICT Expo 2015 with a theme of ICT For All: No Juan Left Behind series of events celebrating June as the ICT Month.

What was very interesting about the event was it highlighted Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). We are now looking into e-commerce as a viable source of work opportunities for our PWDs. Since the skills required are more about online expertise rather than having all limbs functional, it makes sense that we should be tapping them who really deserves both our attention and admiration.

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"Noel Cruz is one of the most versatile & distinguished repaint artists in the doll community. He is most recognized for his character & celebrity based dolls due to their uncanny resemblance to the people they portray.

His repaints as well as his portraits are done with intricate detail to the point of being naturally lifelike in essence.

Noel attempts to raise the bar and bring a fresh take to the common mass produced doll with every face he paints. Noel's specialty is with one of a kind repaints. The beauty of repaints is that almost no two are exactly alike just as no two artists are alike."

3 stars & a sun! I'm holding up our flag high, proudly waving it, because no one.. noooo one does this amazing creativity, but a Pinoy!

Yes! Noel Cruz is a proud Filipino! Another gifted talent whose intricate repaints on dolls are totally world-class! It makes us real proud we are Filipinos. He may be based in California, but he is still our kababayan!

Noel's paint-overs are really awesome. The dolls totally look like the actual celebs. It's like he paints life into them. Awesome work indeed! So very talented that I would want more than one for my collection. This gentleman has a true gift. This kind of talent always leaves me completely gobsmacked!

Multilingual Call Center Expands to the Philippines' Safest City, Davao

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Aiming for an even wider reach and a more dynamic presence in the multilingual offshoring industry, Open Access BPO has announced that it will be bringing its services to Davao City, dubbed as the safest city in the Philippines.

The multilingual call center will be launching its new office on August 11th in Davao, which is seen by industry experts as the nation’s next outsourcing hub. This will be the firm’s second office in the country, with the first one previously established in the central business district of Makati, which also ranks high among Philippines’ safest cities.

“The reasons for expansion are threefold. One is that the cost of doing business in Davao is a lot less, about 20 to 30 percent less than in Manila, savings which we can pass onto our clients. The second reason is for redundancy purposes. Having two different locations for customer support creates an extra blanket of security. Another reason for going to Davao is that it’s the safest city in the country,” company CEO Benjamin Davidowitz remarked.

Upon its launch in Davao, Open Access BPO looks to employ approximately 180 professionals who will be delivering English voice and non-voice customer support to company clients. The new office will be located at G/F Filandia IT Center, Quirino Avenue corner Jacinto Ext. St., 11-B Poblacion District, Davao City 8000. Filandia IT Center is one of the eight IT parks in the city accredited by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.

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The Information and Communications Technology Office (ICTO) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) was created through Executive Order (EO) 47 which transferred the former Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) from the Office of the President to the DOST. The ICTO is tasked to be the lead implementing agency of Government in all most of its ICT related efforts such as industry development, policy formulation, ICT infrastructure development, R&D, ICT capacity building for the public sector and administration of the E-Governance Fund.

The ICTO’s primary thrusts for 2011 – 2016 are in the areas of ICT Industry Development, E-Government, ICT Policy Development, ICT Infrastructure and Cybersecurity. Much of these directions are in line with the Philippine Digital Strategy, the Philippine Government’s masterplan on how to actively use information and communications technology in promoting economic andsocial growth, and in promoting efficiency in the delivery of public service. The Office is currently headed by Executive Director Louis Napoleon C. Casambre.

As one of its programs in the fourth outcome in the National Science and Technology Week, the e-Innovation Group of the DOST-ICT Office will be holding a Rural Impact Sourcing Workshop on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM at the SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City during the 2015 National Science and Technology Week .

Rural Impact Sourcing is a type of outsourcing that focuses on giving sustainable jobs in socio-economically disadvantaged areas where there are high populations but scarce employment opportunities due to lack of investors. This initiative is in line with the current Philippine Development Plan’s focus on inclusive growth through promoting online outsourcing jobs in rural areas.