Surveys Are Only There to Mind Fuck Us

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Senator Sergio "Serge" Osmena III said that it may just be a tight fight between Duterte and Poe for the presidential position while Bongbong Marcos and Leni Robredo for the vice presidential spot. With Chiz Escudero nearby as third.

But that's just according to the surveys. We all know surveys are 100% accurate and reliable (and will never be reliable at any point of the immediate future), especially with Filipinos being scattered all over the country 's islands, and that most votes can also be found at far-flung provinces who have no access to social media or have not been reached by the surveyors.

Should we rely on what surveys say? and just pick among the top on their lists? Can't we do our own research about the candidates and choose wisely from our own findings?

Whether they admit it or not, the surveys are a form of conditioning the masses. It's one way of brainwashing the voting public. Never believe anything that you have not personally witnessed or learned.

Those who have the funds can practically craft their own promotional and intentionally exaggerated portfolios, ads, commercials, campaign propaganda, etc., and would definitely have an edge over the less affluent.

Most of these candidates would keep on saying they are not as well do as their counterparts, but we see their posters, ads, commercials, etc., everywhere. I would not debate with them if they will say they are donations from supporters, or financial support from those who believe on their leadership, or capacity to win. Whether they admit it or not, someone or some group(s) is banking on them. What do they give in return once they win this election? I don't think a simple thanks will suffice.

Overall, surveys further confuse us because they just give us a glimpse of  a fraction of the insights of a very few. They should not be allowed in the first place because surveys can obviously be used to either strengthen or weaken the lead of a candidate.

I know it is difficult to choose among candidates with their own imperfections and issues. But it's better to choose the lesser evil on our own rather than let others do the choosing for us.

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.