Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Tuesday, August 4, 2015

Will Drones Fly Over Boracay During Geeks on a Beach Tech Confab?

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Drones, also known as unmanned aerial vehicles or UAVs, will be flying over the world-famous white sand beaches of Boracay on the second day of the upcoming Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) tech conference this August 20-21, 2015.

“Some of the most exciting developments in the world are happening with drones. These cool aerial gadgets are helping people do things in new and exciting ways. Drones and similar devices are going to rule the world so we better get ready,” said Tina Amper, TechTalks.ph founder and GOAB lead organizer.

In the Philippines, drones have been used to survey damage and assist search-and-rescue operations after disasters. It also has enormous potential for use in other fields such as tourism and agriculture wherein drones have been used to count livestock and monitor the health of crops in other countries.

Drones-on-a-beach or the “drones track” discussion during GOAB is set on August 21, Friday afternoon, while the “fly-in” for participants bringing their drones to Boracay is set on August 22, Saturday morning, pending favorable weather conditions and venue permissions.

“Those who are curious about drones can join this event and find out what the fuss is all about. If you already have a drone or want to buy one, joining the event can help you get tips from the experts before choosing your own,” said Amper.

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Ericsson announced the appointment of Sean Gowran as President and Country Manager for Philippines and Pacific Islands as of August 1, 2015.

Prior to his appointment, Sean headed Engagement Practices for Ericsson in North East Asia and was based in Beijing, China. He has been with the company for the past 28 years, and has held leadership roles in Research and Development, customer solutions, business and technology development, sales and operations.

From 2010-2013 Sean was Executive Vice President of Ericsson Greater China, where he was responsible for sales and operations in South China, covering the provinces of Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hainan. In 2005 he was President of Ericsson Taiwan, and two years prior to that was Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Ericsson US, where he was responsible for business and technology development with a number of operators, including Verizon, Nextel, and Sprint.

Sean has also held leadership roles in various Ericsson offices around the world, including Ireland, Mexico, Sweden, Indonesia, the United Sates, Taiwan, and China. With his years of experience in Asia, he shared that he is looking forward to his new role.

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The photo above is the Chinese Garden in Luneta, one of several areas in Rizal park where the DEpartment of Science and Technology (DOST) – Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Office’s Free Wi-Fi Internet access in Public Places Project is have a pilot run. Soon, public places like parks, town plazas, schools and government offices in 967 municipalities will have Free Wi-Fi Internet Access.

The Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project of the Department of Science and Technology’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Office has awarded data connectivity for fourteen Points of Presence (PoP’s) of the project to a Joint Venture of Innove Communications and Yondu Solutions, both subsidiaries of Globe Telecom, for a sum of PHP 74,844,000. These PoPs are slated to serve as the backbone and distribution hubs for Internet connectivity for the 967 municipalities connected under the project.

Fourteen POPs are distributed in the country’s three island groups and are located in the following areas: Luzon – 1) Tugegarao City, Cagayan; 2) Dagupan City, Pangasinan; 3) San Fernando City, Pampanga; 4) Lipa/Batangas City, Batangas; 5) Legazpi City, Albay; 6) Puerto Princesa City, Palawan; Visayas – 7) Iloilo City, Iloilo; 8) Cebu City, Cebu; 9) Calbayog City, Samar; 10) Tacloban City, Leyte; Mindanao – 11) Cagayan De Oro City, Misamis Oriental; 12) Pagadian City, ARMM; 13) Davao City, Davao del Sur; 14) Zamboanga City, Zamboanga. The original plan to use Butuan City as one of the POPs was changed to Cagayan de Oro City to maximize the coverage area needed by the project.

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After the announcement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that it will lodge a diplomatic protest with the Canadian government over the illegal waste shipment they sent to the Philippines, environmental watchdogs Basel Action Network (BAN) and BAN Toxics (BT) today called on the DFA and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to alert the Implementation and Compliance Committee (ICC) at the Basel Convention regarding Canada’s negligence to the treaty.

The Terms of Reference of the Mechanism for Promoting Implementation and Compliance provides that a “Party that has concerns or is affected by a failure to comply with and/or implement the Convention’s obligations” may submit these concerns to the ICC. BAN and BT are asking the Philippines to not just lodge a protest but to tell Canada that they are taking the case to the ICC if Canada continues its disregard to the Convention.

“The Philippine government needs to do more than just protest in this case,” said BT Executive Director Atty. Richard Gutierrez. “It is in the government’s best interest and the interest of the global community to ensure that this dumping will not happen again and that no other countries should suffer the indignity that we are experiencing because of Canada’s non-compliance. The ICC can help ensure this.”

The DFA said it is still waiting for some documents from the DENR and the Bureau of Customs to back its note verbale to the Canadian Embassy.

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Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) turns 3 this year and a lot has been said and even more has been learned. It's time to put all of the learnings to the test, are we ready? Let's all find out: Sink or swim, as they say!

The geeks are going back to the one of the World's best - BORACAY BEACH, BABY! Where the sand is like powder and orange sunset has power. Boracay, with its pristine seas and world-class amenities, is the perfect place for this year's conference.

Geeks on a Beach is the honest-to-goodness, no holds-barred conference where people speak the truth about startups, tech and design.

Real people come to GOAB. People with dreams. Those that are looking to get started. The ones that are trying to make it over the hump. Those that have something important to say. Talented, forward-thinking, good people.

Heroes have come to hang out by the beach. BUSINESS people. Investors. Founders. Founders' buddies. Hotshot designers. Smart-a Developers. And you know what the good part about it is? Everybody gets a chance to speak up. You know what's even better? Nobody has to be forced to dress up. GOAB has cracked the code to the perfect half and half of events - important exchange of ideas in an environment that is not daunting. So leave your long-sleeved plaid shirts AT HOME, pack your tank tops and short shorts and book your flights for Boracay for August 20 and 21, 2015!

The main event is two days but the activities happen over four days. There are pre-event get-togethers and welcome drinks. Workshops and training sessions. Networking and pitching events. Product demonstrations. Breakout talks for niche interests (bring out your flying drones!). Post-event demos and fun group activities. All centered around the invaluable ideas that will be SHARED in the keynote talks.

"Ginugunita Kita" & Kammerchor Manila Highlight 2015 Maningning Awards on Sept. 3

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Jesse Lucas set to music a poem by Maningning Miclat titled “Ginugunita Kita” and was welcomed by viewers when first aired on TV and was passed online by hundreds of netizens last May.

Critics, music lovers and avid fans watched it, and seven other Lucas songs of Maningning poems, at the Aldaba Recital Hall of the UP Diliman Theater on the fifth and last Saturday of the same month. Said songs, and more, will be featured at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines on September 3, back to back with the 2015 Maningning Miclat Trilingual Poetry Awards featuring Kammerchor Manila. It is aptly entitled “Ginugunita Kita.”

Lucas is a multi-awarded composer for film, television, theater and dance. Miclat was a trilingual poet, award-winning visual artist and art teacher. Directed by film and theater actor Roeder Camaňag, the performance will feature soloist Banaue Miclat-Janssen and master cellist Renato Lucas, together with singer Al Gatmaitan and artist Delphine Buencamino.

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Lazada, the Philippines’ One-Stop Shopping and Selling destination, recently partnered with ABS CBN’s Bantay Bata 163 in reaching out to children displaced by recent calamities.

Last July 3, 2015, Lazada Philippines, together with Bantay Bata 163, brought smiles and laughters to over 100 kids when they visited the Bantay Bata Site located in NHA Calauan, Laguna. Lazada PH employees together with the company’s CEO, Inanc Balci, shared an afternoon with the kids through healthy lunch, games, and other fun-filled activities.

Later that afternoon, the kids of Bantay Bata in NHA Site Calauan Laguna received school supplies and educational toys. The afternoon was filled with joy and hope as Lazada Philippines pledged its support to the cause of helping out Filipino children.

In line with this, Lazada is giving away P300 worth of vouchers with a minimum purchase of P3000, exclusively for the Toys, Kids, and Babies category. These vouchers will be available every month for a week from July 27 until October 2015. Enjoy this discount using the voucher code BANTAYBATA and for every voucher used, P50 will be donated to Bantay Bata 163.

Grab the opportunity to help out and head on to http://www.lazada.com.ph/bantay-bata-163/ and spread the joy of giving.

Juan Big Idea: "A Voyage Towards Marketing Eminence" South Luzon Edition

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Junior marketers, fasten your seatbelts as the Philippine Junior Marketing Association officially unveils its next destination!

Join us as we travel down South for our First Chapter Event this academic year…

“JUAN BIG IDEA: A VOYAGE TOWARDS MARKETING EMINENCE, South Luzon Edition” happening this 16th of August, 2015 at Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Gymnasium, Quezon Province!

We have invited three distinguished speakers who will impart with us some techniques on how we can create powerful Personal Branding that will truly help us to achieve career success in the dynamic world of Marketing!

The fee is only Php300 for member schools and Php350 for non-member schools inclusive of lunch, freebies and certificate.

Let’s unravel the best version of ourselves, junior marketers!

WazzupPilipinas.com is an official media partner.

For inquiries, you may reach Ralph Gonzales at 0927 961 7480/ 0919 298 9373 | pjma.rrcgonzales@gmail.com or Ivan Paderon at 0927 881 9471 | pjma.irpaderon@gmail.com

#PJMAChapterEvent #JBI2015 #OnePJMA

UP 49ers’ 61st Year: Transcending Excellence

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Keep the fire burning: these are the words UP 49ers has always lived by. As an organization, it is rooted to a deep sense of camaraderie and excellence. It is through these values that it has grown into what it is today. Since 1954, this group of young men and women has realized their ideals of excellence and service to the community at large. Recognizing the roles of students on the development of the fields of mining, metallurgical, and materials engineering, UP 49ers has continually provided avenues for student involvement.

In its 61st year, the organization continues the tradition of excellence. In celebration of its anniversary this September, it has prepared a lineup of events transcending its own benchmarks. To empower students in their respective fields of study, now on its 6th year is the National Mining and Metallurgical Engineering Summit, an event in advocacy to form responsible engineers in mining and metallurgy. With delegates from all over the country, it promotes solidarity in tackling the current issues faced by the industry. It is a three-day event filled with talks from noted individuals and companies practicing mining and metallurgy, a quiz bee, plant tours, and capped off by a socials night.

This September also marks the first ever Materials Innovation: Materials Science Fair where high school and undergraduate students present their studies on the related fields of materials science and engineering. In line with the spirit of innovation is the Materials Design Competition where project designs are presented for specific engineering problems. Discoveries are being made by the day; one innovation at a time can revolutionize the future.

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Hashtag #OTWOLMediaDay was trending earlier during the launch of the newest Primetme Bida teleserye show of ABS-CBN's Dreamscape Entertainment Television entitled "On the Wings of Love." The "most romantic teleserye" will soon be brought to us starting August 10, 2015 and will star one of the most popular love team in Philippine showbiz - James Reid and Nadine Lustre.

Members of the media had the opportunity to get first dibs to the very first TV series starring the love team known to everyone as JaDine. The media day was hosted by the charming VJ Ai of Myx and co-moderated by Aaron Domingo, Media Relations Manager of ABS-CBN.

The On The Wings of Love Media Day was held at the 14th floor of the Eugenio Lopez Jr. Communications Center Building located at E.Lopez Drive corner Mother Ignacia Street Diliman, Quezon City.

James Reid will portray the role of Clark, a young man living in America who wants to give his siblings in the Philippines a good life after their mother died, and Nadine Lustre will play the role of Leah, a young woman who wants to go to America to be able to help her family.