Book Museum Cum Ethnology Center of Marikina Tour

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In the absence of actual travel, they used to say reading books, magazines or newspapers is the most affordable, fastest and easiest way to learn more about different destinations, cultures, traditions and other worthwhile stuff about our country and the world.

However, in these times when books are quickly being replaced by online content from blogs and social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and so many others, publications of traditional media outfits have immediately embraced the impending death of the printed form of publication and has incorporated their own online version to keep up with the times. They have now invested heavily on the management of online content to support their printed materials. Whether they publicly admit it or not, they are destined to die sooner than expected. Nothing can stop us from evolving and developing towards the more reasonable ways.

The Internet now rules when it comes to online promotion and presence since most of us just Google search for information using our Internet-connected smartphones and the convenience of Wi-Fi connectivity almost everywhere. From coffee shops to hotels, to malls and even government offices, the Internet has become no longer a luxury but a necessity for everyone, that they are all offering Internet connectivity for free.

Though most book buyers these days just purchase books to add to their personal home library collection, some would still say reading the actual book remains somewhat therapeutical. There is simply the incomparable feeling of flipping the actual pages of a book that would never comes close to swiping or tapping away from our smartphones or tablets.

The development of this trend is not only beneficial to the survival of our trees as we would no longer have to cut them down just to print paper for the publication, but it also made information to be effectively shared to the most number of people possible. Thus the words "viral" and "trending" has become an "IN" terminology that forever changed the way we send and receive information.

This is probably why there is now what they call a Book Museum cum Ethnology Center. Where else would these quickly decaying publications finally reside but at a museum - to be preserved and protected so that the next generation would still be able to see them when they are totally gone from this world.

Singtel Group’s Go Ignite Opens Doors to Local Startups

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The most promising local growth startups working on solutions in the Internet of Things (IoT), big data analytics, content delivery, cyber security, or customer experience enhancement space have a huge new opportunity to scale their business through Go Ignite, the recently-announced innovation alliance of the Singtel Group with its European counterparts.

The alliance, composed of the innovation arms of Deutsche Telekom (hub:raum), Orange (Orange Fab), Singtel (Singtel Innov8), and Telefónica (Telefónica Open Future), offers to help top startups in the Philippines and abroad find business development opportunities, accelerate the commercialization of their innovations and bring their business outside their home market. Up to five innovative startups will be selected for the program: the global call for startups to apply will be open until 11:59PM CET on April 30, 2016. Applications are submitted via the Telefonica Open Future platform. Shortlisted startups will be invited to pitch to the Go Ignite Alliance members.

“We are thrilled to see developments like Go Ignite giving Philippine startups a path to penetrating the global market. Through the collective resources of these four major global carriers, any startup shortlisted to the top five would have a wealth of opportunities and services to help them accelerate their global growth aspirations,” said Minette Navarrete, President of Kickstart Ventures, Inc., a wholly-owned venture capital firm of Globe Telecom which is also a part of the Singtel Group.

Kickstart is a founding member of Singtel Group’s Innov8 Sparks, a network of technology startup support and funding initiatives. Kickstart helps startups by breaking down barriers that prevent founders from accessing capital, mentors, and markets. The VC firm’s network of business connections build virtual bridges to enable close and relevant engagement between the business community and startup founders.

DOTC, LTFRB Launch Alabang-Makati P2P Bus Service

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of the Department of Transportation and Communications’ (DOTC) program to modernize the public utility bus (PUB) system, the DOTC and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) have launched a third point-to-point (P2P) route between Alabang and Makati.

“Residents from southern Metro Manila and parts of Cavite will now have a more convenient transportation option that will provide them significant travel time savings and enhanced passenger experience when traveling to the central business district,” said DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya.

The winning operator, RRCG Transport, will have pick-up points at Alabang Town Center in Alabang and Greenbelt 1 in Makati.

“We hope that other bus operators will also join us in our bid to raise the standards for public transportation by offering higher quality services to commuters,” added Abaya.

The P2P routes that are currently operational are Trinoma-Makati, offered by Froehlich Tours, and Ortigas-Makati, offered by HM Transport. Another route will be available this week, which is the North EDSA-Ortigas. More services will be launched in the coming weeks once the operators acquire new buses for the Alabang-Ortigas and Fairview-Makati routes.

The P2P bus service is a new PUB category created by the DOTC that offers commuters another safe and reliable mode of transportation. It allows shorter travel time, as buses depart on a fixed schedule and travel directly from the terminal to the drop-off point.