Madam Secretary’s New Season Promises More Surprising Mysteries This October

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There’s no telling what happens next in the latest installment of the highly charged political drama, Madam Secretary, when it premieres on October 6 on Sony Channel.

The stakes get higher in the new season as office and home politics collide, making U.S. Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord’s (Tea Leoni) life more difficult. Despite her apolitical leanings, she contemplates in accepting the role of Vice President which was offered to her by President Conrad Dalton (Keith Carradine). Will she give up her current position to hold the second highest office in the White House?

Season 3 will find Elizabeth pushing for Dalton’s reelection as she and her husband Henry (Tim Daly) struggle to save their marriage while their youngest son. Jason (Evan Roe), faces a major personal dilemma.

As she faces one crisis after another, Elizabeth realizes that ultimately, her most important duty will take its toll on her personal life: to prioritize her family and to protect her country at all costs.

Madam Secretary Season 3 premieres the same week as the U.S. telecast on October 6, every Thursday at 8:50 pm. First & Exclusive on Sony Channel

Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, GSat Channel 48 Global Destiny Cable Channel 62, and Cable Link Channel 39.

Theater in Alternative Platforms Presents 1st Anniversary of Amapalaya Monologues on October 15 at Peta Theater

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To celebrate one year of ‘hugot’ artistry, the Theater in Alternative Platforms shall present a one-night only anniversary show of the very popular “Ampalaya Monologues” on October 15 – Saturday from 6 pm – 10 pm at the PETA Theater Center located at Eymard Road, E. Rodriguez Q.C.

“Ampalaya Monologues” shall showcase 15 of their best monologues and 5 new ones. There will be a combination of Dance, Live Music, and other exciting surprise twists. As a prelude, some of today’s best Spoken Word artists in the country will be featured as special guests.

“Ampalaya Monologues” is an episodic play that features a collection of short monologues about love, heartaches and bitterness, as written by Mark Ghosn. Inspired from Eve Ensler’s play Vagina Monologues, the show is set in an actual bar and tells the inspiring stories of diverse individuals who’ve tasted the different flavors of bitterness that love has to offer.

The story of the character on each monologue varies --- there’s the bitter queen who got dumped for her own bestfriend, the boy next door who’s trying to get out of the friendzone, the single lady who is a forever third wheel, the NBSB and her almost-lover, the LDR couple, the womanizer who got cheated on, the guy experiencing his first moved-on moment, and many more. No matter what your heart’s story is, there’s an Ampalaya Monologue ready to pull its string.

Code Black, Sony Channel’s Well-Rated Medical Drama, Returns for a New Season this October

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Experience the continuing medical drama as it unfolds in every tense-filled episode of Code Black in its second season starting October 5 on Sony Channel.

In the busiest emergency room in the country, ER Director Dr. Leanne Rorish (Marcia Gay Harden), her fellow resident physicians and interns brave the lack of manpower and meager resources to muster enough courage in handling seemingly insurmountable odds which they face on a daily basis to assist patients with the most serious injuries.

This season, Emmy and Golden Globe nominated actor, Rob Lowe, joins the cast as Ethan Willis, an aggressive and rebellious military doctor who imparts his knowledge in combat medicine. Other new characters include Han (Noah Gray-Cabey), a sweet and sociable new doctor; Noa Kean (Emily Tyra), a confident and defiant street-smart doctor; and Charlotte Piel (Nafessa Williams), a former child star who leaves her acting career to become a doctor.

As pressure mounts and tension increases, Rorish and her colleagues have no choice but to deal with difficult decisions in life-and-death situations under extremely demanding circumstances. And no matter how much it takes, no matter what is at stake, they must fight tooth and nail to save life and limb for their patients to survive.

Code Black Season 2 premieres the same week as the U.S. telecast on October 5, every Wednesday at 8:50 pm. First & Exclusive on Sony Channel

Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, GSat Channel 48, Global Destiny Cable Channel 62, and Cable Link Channel 39.

Gripping Racing as Michelin and Marquez Master Motorland

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Michelin’s first visit to MotorLand Aragón in Spain for a MotoGP race provided an exciting encounter which saw Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) take victory at the Gran Premio Movistar de Aragón.

Michelin’s range of Power Slick tyres were put to good use today as the riders chose many different configurations to get the best performance over the 5,077m circuit. Pole-setter Marquez chose to go with the hard front and rear compounds and he made a good start as the lights changed to signal the start of the race. The current championship leader initially got the holeshot, but a frantic first-lap ensued as the lead changed hands several times. Maverick Viñales (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) - also using the hard front and rear option - led as the field crossed the line for the first time, a position that was taken from him on lap-two by Marquez, before Viñales then recaptured the lead and held it until lap-eight. The Suzuki rider then surrendered top-spot to Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP), who had chosen the medium front compound and paired it with the hard rear. Marquez then made his move and seized the initiative on lap-12 as he progressed to the front of the pack. The Spaniard continued at a relentless pace - which saw him set the fastest lap of the race on the 15th circulation. Marquez increased his advantage as the race drew to a close and crossed the line almost three-seconds clear to take his fourth victory of the season and extend his championship lead.

The crowd of 69,714 fans at trackside were treated to a fascinating battle for the final two podium places as Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) and team-mate Rossi produced an enthralling contest which saw the current World Champion Lorenzo - medium front and hard rear - take the spoils after the pair had traded places over the closing stages. Viñales took fourth position, with Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) crossing the line in fifth to take the Independent Team Rider award, this was after an exciting three-way battle with Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda Team) in sixth and Aleix Espargaro (Team SUZUKI ECSTAR) seventh. Pol Espargaro (Monster Yamaha Tech 3) was eighth, followed home by Alvaro Bautista (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) in ninth, with Stefan Brad l (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) rounding out the top-10.

With today’s colder air and track temperatures, tyre choice was always going to be a vital factor and with the experience and advice from the knowledgeable Michelin technicians the riders were able to make informed choices. This did lead to different combinations of tyres which saw the hard front and hard rear paired together, along with the medium front and hard rear and the medium front and medium rear being matched together, again emphasising the choice that Michelin is providing to make sure all riders have a tyre to choose that will give them the optimum performance during the race.

Michelin will now head east for the three-week back-to-back races in Japan, Australia and Malaysia, with the first being the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi on Sunday 16th October.


Tim Walpole – tim.walpole@motocom.co.uk – Phone: +44.7976.397.265
Alessandro Barlozzi – alessandro.barlozzi@fr.michelin.com – Phone: +33.6.42.23.55.93

Marc Marquez – Repsol Honda Team:

“Today was a great race and this has been an important weekend for the tyres to work well. The grip was really good, but the drop was a bit bigger than at other circuits, because here we have long corners and we really stress the tyres. We found a good set-up for the second part of the race with the used tyre and the front was working really well. Michelin brought the hard front and it was certainly the right one for these temperatures. I am happy with the weekend because I enjoy this circuit and this year it was no different, I really enjoyed it again!”


Nicolas Goubert - Deputy Director, Technical Director and Supervisor of the MotoGP Programme:

“We have had quite a challenging weekend here at Aragón with temperatures being much cooler in the morning than we expected, so this gave a number of obstacles to overcome. All of the technicians worked very thoroughly with their teams and riders throughout the three days to make sure they made the most informed choice for today’s race, and the closeness of some of the racing showed that again we have tyres for all types of machines, riders and styles. Marc’s victory was very impressive and he set the fastest lap of the race after two-thirds distance, so we are very pleased with that as it shows the tyres worked well as the race wore on. We will take a lot of positives from this weekend, but we also learned quite a lot about how these tyres perform when the track gives very little grip during the cold mornings and we will use this data as we go forward. We now head to three long-haul races which will all have their own special challenges, but we are up for the task and excited by what is ahead.”

The Hair Laboratory with L'Oréal Professionnel's Style My Hair App

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L'Oréal Professionnel launches the Style My Hair app, eliminating pre-hairstyling jitters for good.

We've all had this hair dilemma: we spend months pining over a hairstyle and hair color we want to try, until salon day comes and the crippling fear of making a mistake forces us to stick to the usual. For women, a new 'do gone wrong is almost as good as fatal—it's enough to jolt them out of being adventurous and going for what they know works. However, the non-commitment to new hair may finally change as L’Oréal Professionnel launches its newest hairstyling app, Style My Hair.

It's the stuff hair dreams are made of: Style My Hair contains an extensive catalog of hairstyles and hair colors that users can virtually see on themselves as they upload a photo to which their chosen hairstyle and hair color is digitally rendered. Simply put, women can see the result of their chosen hairstyle and hair color even before they proceed with having them done, totally eliminating the fear of choosing a look that doesn't end up suiting them well. The Style My Hair app is more than a hairstyle and hair color test lab, however, as its social media and hair maintenance components make it an all-around go-to resource for all things hairstyle. Users can share all their looks in their very own hair gallery, and view the necessary L’Oréal Professionnel hair care products to help them maintain their chosen look.

The vast collection of looks featured on the Style My Hair app are powered by French fashion and beauty website PureTrend, who also provides a substantial in-app discussion of each look. Looks are trend-based, and can be personally curated by users through an accessible "like" button. The Style My Hair app virtually simulates the salon experience, as users can also modify their choices based on cut, color, color intensity, and hair length. Finally, users can simply tap on the Find My Hairdresser option to locate the nearest L’Oréal Professionnel hair expert that could execute their virtual hair look in real life.

The Style My Hair app is the first step to a total L’Oréal Professionnel in-salon experience. L’Oréal Professionnel hair experts are geared to fire up the app as they meet their salon clients, taking them through discovering possible hair looks they can do for their styling session. This makes each salon experience a new and exciting one, where women no longer dread a new hair look that doesn't end up suitable for them.

The Style My Hair App is available for download in Android 4.0 phones and on the App store, for IOS 7.0 and above. The app will also be used to aid L’Oréal Professionnel hair experts in prescribing looks for their clients.

Rise in Online Rental Fraud: A Global Concern

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Online rental fraud is now a rising concern for tenants and property investors all over the world. In England, the police recorded a 44 percent increase in scams reported with 3,200 unfortunate house hunters affected.

Indeed, this only represents a fraction of the total fraud numbers, as victims of fraud hold a certain stigma.

“Nobody wants to admit that they were fooled by an online fraud,” said Dr. Paul Hermann, cofounder and managing director of Lamudi—the global online property portal. “The property market going online made everything easier for everyone, and that includes fraudsters,” Hermann added.

A survey by YouGov—the international Internet-based market research firm—recorded more than 1 million cases of rental fraud in 2013 in England. And this is in a country where the real estate market has been online for more than 20 years. Companies like Rightmove, established in the early 21st century, have matured into public limited companies and have all but ironed out any fraud vulnerabilities.

Naturally, the problem is just as much of a concern in the emerging markets. Property renters and buyers operating overseas are the most common victims, because in most cases they cannot travel onsite to inspect the property. In certain situations, a con artist will gain access to the incoming mail account of an agent or homeowner through a phishing scam. In some unfortunate cases, a buyer will make a deposit, and the con artist will disappear leaving no trace.



So how does it work?

The initial step for the scammer is to complete a fake inquiry for an online listing. The inquiry template will have an outbound link that appears to send the advertiser back to their account but in reality, it will send the unsuspecting victim to a fake log-in prompt to retrieve information to phish. At this point, the scammer now has access to the advertiser’s email account and can intercept new emails. To cover their tracks, the con artist will delete the original email and reply from a new email account. Each scam will involve three victims: the phished advertiser, the second advertiser who acts as a pawn, and, of course, the potential renter or buyer.



How can you mitigate the threat of fraud?

However, it is not all bad news for online home-hunters. New online sites like Lamudi have the latest anti-phishing software making their website and email accounts impenetrable. Moreover, they only allow vetted and verified agents and owners to list on their classified website.

“Building trust is a core pillar on which we built our property platform business,” said Hermann. “Realizing that fraud is a real issue, we ensured that our website has the latest anti-fraud technology and Rocket Internet, our parent company, provided the capital investment for us to get the best technology in the business,” Hermann added.

“A lot of companies see this self-defense expenditure as a cost they are unwilling to incur,” Hermann noted. “For us, it was point one on our priority list, and our international property investors have responded favorably to the enhanced security we can offer them,” said Hermann.

Nevertheless, the responsibility not only lies with online real estate platforms to counteract this fraud threat, but on financial institutions also who in some cases allow new users to create bank accounts online without due diligence. This potentially opens up a window of opportunity for cyber criminals. In Germany, for example, where Lamudi is based, it is next to impossible to open up a bank account without proof of residence and identification.

What is clear is that a collaborative approach needs to be taken by all stakeholders to counter the problem, and that includes the education of end users on how to safely use online property sites.

Enabling Startups to Thrive In Co-Working Spaces

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Leading the efforts to support and empower small, start-up businesses to be productive in the workplace, Microsoft and Penbrothers showcase what the latest cloud technology combined with a new working environment can offer.


Co-working space jam

Think community, openness, collaboration, sustainability – in a shared working environment where the coffee shop meets the office cubicle – that is what a co-working space is, basically. But in a deeper sense, co-working spaces are the result of a goal to come up with strategies to better deal with risks and problems of new, more flexible types of work.

One of Microsoft’s dream is to reach out to everyone, to have inclusivity that can open experiences to a wider range of people and businesses. Not only is Microsoft for big, established enterprises, it also empowers the growth of small, start-up businesses, entrepreneurs, and freelancers by offering them tools and technology that can help in opening opportunities and expanding horizons.

From the data gathered through their “New World of Work’ survey, Microsoft ventures that as enterprises adapt to the changing business landscape, they must simultaneously adopt new ways to communicate with their workforce and associates that are grounded in available and inexpensive technologies and spaces.

The good news is, with Office 365’s improved cloud technology, files, documents, and data can be created, edited, and shared through any device – be it a PC, Mac, an iOS device, Android, or Windows – with anyone in real time. This helps businesses connect better with customers and co-workers with a wider range of communication tools. Space is not a problem, as 1 TB per user will provide plenty of space for files. Because the files are stored online, it can be shared with people in or outside a company, wherever, whenever. 

Eshna Esu, Operations Manager Penbrothers

Flexible solutions for flexible productive spaces

Penbrothers is one co-working space that not only offers a ‘space’ for renters but also finds and manages services to help companies reach new goals and solve current problems. It seeks to help businesses in the Philippines tackle operational needs and reach their goals, whether it is to expand internationally, grow the company or simply need consulting from an outside expert.

With many co-working spaces now cropping up in the metro, Penbrother’s main differentiation from the rest is its top operational services that provides a full suite of human resources services and strong legal assistance that helps companies in their day to day business. And now, with their partnership, where Microsoft applications are showcased in Dell laptops and devices to offer a better office technology experience for their renters, Penbrothers steps up the game in the co-working business. 

Frank Rich - Commercial Marketing Lead Microsoft Philippines

Tovia Va'aelua - Microsoft Innovative Enterprises Lead Microsoft Philippines

John Erwin Magno - IT Trainer

Microsoft’s partnership with Penbrothers aims to enable employees with the right technology, support and work environment that empowers them to be more productive and efficient and thus preparing them for a new world of work.

One tool that Microsoft offers to Penbrothers residents is the Windows 10 Pro for Business, an upgrade from the Windows 10 Home that enables businesses to do great things from anywhere, has the built-in security and flexibility to keep up with business growth. It is safer and more secure, with enhanced encryption that protect companies from modern security threats. Windows 10 Pro Business gives agile, cost-effective features that helps companies better manage and protect systems and data.

Showcasing Microsoft’s cloud, productivity, and collaboration via Dell’s newest line of gadgets, companies residing in Penbrothers are given access to new capabilities that will not just do work faster, but also reinvent how things are done and communicated. As Office 365’s intelligent cloud and other features can be used in different devices such as computers, tablets and mobile phones, this helps workers with their need to seamlessly connect, interact, and share with one another, highlighting the essence of an effective co-working.

But this is just the beginning. With the growth of entrepreneurship and startups in the country, Microsoft is looking forward to enabling more co-working space partnerships and thrive in this innovative space.

Know more about Microsoft and its Windows 10 Pro for Business, Office 365, and Cloud offering, log on to https://www.microsoft.com/en-ph/.

Two World Title Fights Set for One: Defending Honor in Singapore on 11 November

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The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), has just announced additional bouts for ONE: DEFENDING HONOR, which is set to rock the Singapore Indoor Stadium on 11 November. In the main event, ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki will defend his title against Eduard Folayang of the Philippines. In the co-main event, ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat Gafurov will do battle with former titleholder Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia in a highly-anticipated rematch.

Tickets for ONE: DEFENDING HONOR are available at http://www.sportshub.com.sg/sportshubtix/Pages/one-defending-honor.aspx

CEO of ONE Championship, Victor Cui, stated: “2016 has been an amazing year for ONE Championship. After meeting with the biggest names in the industry at the Asia MMA Summit, we are proud to announce a spectacular fight card set for the Singapore Indoor Stadium this November. We are going in with two world title fights that will set the ONE Championship cage ablaze with world-class MMA action and excitement, along with a series of really solid supporting bouts.”

Lightweight veteran Shinya “Tobikan Judan” Aoki of Shizuoka, Japan, is one of the world’s most decorated mixed martial artists. He is the DREAM Lightweight Champion, former Shooto Welterweight Champion, and the reigning ONE Lightweight World Champion. The 33-year-old Aoki is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under Yuki Nakai and has won multiple grappling tournaments across the globe. He also holds a black belt in judo. A veteran of over 40 professional bouts which includes an impressive 25 victories by submission, Aoki’s reputation as a grappling specialist is unrivaled. Aoki is currently riding a nine-fight win streak, and is set to step back inside the ONE Championship cage to defend his lightweight title against Eduard Folayang.

Eduard “Landslide” Folayang of the famed Team Lakay in Baguio City is one of the Philippines’ most experienced mixed martial artists. After more than eight years as a professional competing in various promotions, the wushu specialist has amassed a stellar 16-5-0 mixed martial arts record. Folayang figured in impressive victories in his last two bouts, overcoming both Tetsuya Yamada and Adrian Pang, showcasing a highly-improved wrestling and grappling offensive arsenal. Currently at the peak of his abilities as a combat sports athlete, Folayang will get the opportunity of a lifetime when he steps inside the cage across ONE Lightweight World Champion Shinya Aoki.

Marat “Cobra” Gafurov of Dagestan, Russia, is the reigning ONE Featherweight World Champion. An undefeated mixed martial artist with 14 wins and no losses, Gafurov is a high-level grappler with 10 of his wins coming by impressive submission over top-caliber opponents. Rarely challenged and always dominant, Gafurov captured the featherweight title with a gutsy victory over former champion Narantungalag Jadambaa in an epic battle. Now the two are set to lock horns once again inside the ONE Championship cage in a much-awaited rematch.

Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Narantungalag Jadambaa of Mongolia is one of the top contenders in ONE Championship’s deep featherweight division. At 12 wins and four losses, Jadambaa has faced the biggest names in Asian MMA and has wins over notable ONE athletes Adrian Pang, Honorio Banario, and Koji Oishi. In his last two bouts, Jadambaa finished two highly-regarded fighters in Kotetsu Boku and Eric Kelly, earning him another shot at reigning champion Marat Gafurov.

Eddie “The Magician” Ng is a 30-year-old lightweight standout originally from Hong Kong. He is a ONE Championship veteran who has been with the promotion since its first event in 2011. At his best, Ng is a devastating striker with lightning quick hands and feet, as well as a highly technical grappler with a wide range of submissions. Training out of Evolve MMA in Singapore, Ng works with the best talent in one of Asia’s top martial arts gyms. He returns to the ONE Championship cage looking to bounce back from a recent setback, but will have to go up against Adrian Pang.

Adrian “The Hunter” Pang is a mixed martial arts veteran from Queensland, Australia, with a 22-9-2 professional record. The 38-year-old Pang has decimated opponents with his power and no-frills approach to striking in nearly two decades as a professional MMA athlete. He is known for his incredible durability and overwhelming strength, along with his ability to walk through opponents with relative ease. Pang looks to make a triumphant return to the winner’s circle against Eddie Ng.

26-year-old Timofey Nastyukhin is a professional mixed martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s stacked featherweight division. He owns a 10-2-0 record with all of his wins coming by spectacular finish. With four submissions and six knockouts on his resume, Nastyukhin is considered one of the finest offensive fighters in the promotion. He owns stoppage wins over top fighters Rob Lisita and Yusuke Kawanago, and now returns to action against Japanese MMA veteran Kotetsu Boku.

Kotetsu “No Face” Boku, although originally from South Korea, is a Japanese mixed martial arts legend and the former ONE Lightweight World Champion. With more than 30 professional fights on his fight resume, Boku has the experience of a seasoned veteran and has seen it all inside the cage. Always a crowd pleaser, Boku utilizes his dynamic boxing background with world-class grappling to subdue his opponents. He’ll now get the chance to put on a show once again opposite Russia’s Timofey Nastyukhin.

21-year-old Singaporean prospect Amir Khan is a professional mixed martial artist competing in ONE Championship’s stacked lightweight division. He is considered one of the most promising young talents to represent the country on the international stage of MMA. Khan is currently riding a two-fight win streak with both victories coming by way of knockout. He will make his much-anticipated return to competition by taking on the undefeated Samir Mrabet.

Samir Mrabet is a 31-year-old professional mixed martial artist from Brussels, Belgium, by way of Monarchy MMA in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Unbeaten at four wins and no losses, Mrabet owns three highlight-reel finishes over solid competition and is currently on a two-fight win streak in ONE Championship. Featuring a robust ground game coupled with a solid striking arsenal, Mrabet is set to take on Singaporean prospect Amir Khan.

Women’s Brazilian jiu-jitsu legend Michelle Nicolini is a 34-year-old professional mixed martial artist competing in the ONE Championship women’s strawweight division. Nicolini is a member of the BJJ Hall of Fame and an eight-time black belt world champion, and owns a 2-1 record which includes two impressive submission victories. A tremendous technical grappler, Nicolini recently relocated to Singapore to join the Evolve Fight Team and will make her ONE Championship promotional debut against Egypt’s Mona Samir.

Mona Samir of Cairo, Egypt is a professional mixed martial artist with a 1-2-0 record. She made her promotional debut against ONE Women’s Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee a year ago, and has since then gained additional fight experience in other MMA promotions. She returns to ONE Championship to take on a monumental challenge against eight-time BJJ black belt world champion Michelle Nicolini.

Additional bouts for ONE: DEFENDING HONOR will be announced at a later date.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

The Passing of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago

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"I join the nation in mourning the passing of Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. The Filipino people lost a champion of women rights and defender of the country’s sovereignty. I send my prayers and thoughts to her loved ones during this time of grief.

My party, Akbayan, had the chance of working with Senator Santiago on several important issues. In 1999, she and Rep. Etta Rosales filed the Anti-discrimination bill to protect the rights of each and every citizen regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

Senator Miriam, a fellow Ilongga, is also one of our staunchest champions of the Reproductive Health Law. With her, reproductive health and women's rights advocates weathered enormous obstacles to the law's passage. With the broader movement for reproductive health, we share the victory of having given ordinary Filipino women the right over our own bodies and the power to determine the welfare of our families.

We also had the privilege of working with her in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and national interests. We thank her for joining us in filing a joint resolution that sought to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

I am saddened that we didn’t have the opportunity to work together in the senate. With her passing, I will continue to find inspiration from her tireless advocacies and her work in public office to pursue legislation for the welfare of ordinary citizens and the sovereignty of our nation. This would serve as a fitting tribute to her memory." - Sen. Risa Hontiveros

IPC Cites Hybrid Cloud as Key Step Towards Business Success

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Local cloud and data center services pioneer IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) believes that Hybrid Cloud setups, a combination of public cloud infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and physical hardware-driven systems, are key business growth strategies, especially for medium to large enterprises that already have operational IT systems in place.

Businesses of today face challenges that not only dampen growth but moreso threaten their very survival. As the digital age forces companies to rely heavily on ICT (information and communications technology), business processes are changing and IT systems have become mission-critical, thus compelling CTOs to seek IT infrastructure options that bring high systems availability without breaking the bank or getting into a fight with the CFO.

A Hybrid Cloud configuration involves the use of public cloud resources combined with hosted physical machines to run and maintain specific systems for an organization. There are companies that would like to take advantage of the cloud but would also like to maintain data or applications using their own physical resources. This setup is a viable solution to a slew of business concerns, i.e. maintain control over a particular component or set of data within a system, backup and disaster recovery, security or compliance issues, and data sovereignty. In addition, the public cloud components allow companies to scale up or down as needed and pay only for what is used.

According to IPC’s director for product management & marketing Niño Valmonte, a hybrid approach enables companies to maintain control of an internally managed private cloud while relying on the public cloud as needed. Though they operate independently, they can be setup to communicate over an encrypted internet connection in order to fulfill specific tasks.

For instance, during peak periods in the retail industry such as the holidays, applications, or even portions of applications of an order entry system can be migrated to the public cloud, thus providing more stability. This will also allow for more flexibility and scalability.

“IPC is in the best position to help companies achieve a hybrid cloud setup that is efficient, secure and effective, being both a highly experienced Internet data center operator and pioneer cloud IaaS provider in the country,” Valmonte said. “We leverage our state-of-the-art data center facilities and robust network infrastructure to provide the entire spectrum of IT infrastructure solutions ranging from data center co-location, hosted private cloud infrastructure, hybrid cloud, virtual private cloud, and public IaaS.”

On the rise

Ease of use and customization possibilities are key drivers for businesses shifting to hybrid cloud setups. A study by the International Data Corporation (IDC), revealed that over 70% of enterprises in Southeast Asia are integrating hybrid cloud in their IT strategy. According to IDC, enterprises realize that adopting hybrid cloud is important to reduce cost and achieve business transformation, agility and scalability.

“2016 will be a big year for solutions built on hybrid cloud architectures with 65% of Asia Pacific enterprises to commit for its implementation,” said Chris Morris, Vice President, Cloud and Services, IDC Asia/Pacific.

IDC believes that the big drivers for increased implementation of hybrid clouds are IT’s continuing quest for optimized infrastructure, and the ability of solution builders to source application and infrastructure components from multiple providers to construct a hybrid cloud-based solution.

“With increasing cloud spending, many enterprises will have begun use of hybrid solutions without direct involvement. With the business unit managers increasingly buying their own cloud solutions, hybrid cloud architectures can proliferate, and sometimes not be aligned with the enterprise architecture,” added Morris.

Another study, made by Frost & Sullivan, shows that Hybrid IT is the “new normal” for companies in the Asia-Pacific. “At their core, successful hybrid cloud strategies support the delivery of high-value applications and services to the business, while at the same time driving cost and inefficiency out of the IT infrastructure,” the report said.

Hybrid cloud environments are becoming more popular in the marketplace, as they enable IT to remain flexible and respond quickly to market demands, as well as providing lines of business with the resources they need to succeed. Additionally, cloud users recognize that different workloads or applications perform optimally in differently configured environments: configurations that work well for one application or workload may not work for another. And many workloads share data that is drawn from different sources outside of where the application itself resides. As such, businesses are integrating a variety of infrastructures to create a complete, hybrid cloud environment.



Boosting digital shift

“Adopting a hybrid cloud strategy is definitely key to boosting digital transformation. It allows companies to utilize the cloud for scalability while keeping critical data and processes in check whether in their offices, or colocated in IPC Data Center. This way, companies enjoy a highly flexible and customizable IT environment,” added Valmonte. “Digital is the New Normal, and the time to make the digital pivot is now.”

According to Gartner, digital transformation has become a key factor in future business growth and success, and the latter will be defined by how well companies, organizations, and governments leverage the technology to enable partner and customer engagement across a wide range of digitized processes.

IPC, through its carrier-grade, telco-neutral data centers, provides highly secure colocation services as well as its IaaS product, IPC CloudServers, or a hybrid setup that involves both. With expertise in the full range of IT infrastructure implementations, IPC is able to efficiently assist businesses in setting up their own hybrid systems.

Learn how IPC’s infrastructure-as-a-service can solve real life business problems at cloud.ipc.ph.

Globe Launches Free eLibrary to Benefit Over 15M Public School Students Nationwide

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Over a thousand educational e-books appropriate for K-12 learning will be made available to over 15 million public elementary and high school students and some 500,000 public school teachers nationwide beginning September 30 as part of the Global Filipino School (GFS) program of leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom.

The GFS Library launch coincides with the National Teachers Day celebration of the Department of Education (DepEd) at Ateneo de Manila University in Davao City where Globe is one of the participants.

“With the expansion of the Global Filipino Schools Program and awareness of the GFS Library around the country, public schools can more effectively make use of reading resources and promote digital learning to more students and teachers nationwide, particularly in schools where access to quality books is limited and usage of technology for learning is not maximized,” said Fernando Esguerra, Globe Director for Citizenship.

GFSLibrary.com is a web-based platform that provides free and quick access to digital story books for children and young adults as well as textbooks on core subjects such as Math, Science, English, Filipino, Music, Arts, among others. The ebooks may be opened via their desktop, laptop or mobile device using any basic ebook reader.

Mindanao Oil players Urged to Explain Unusual Price Reductions

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) is asking the oil players in Mindanao to explain the unusual price reductions in gasoline products that may be breaching provisions under the existing law.

Based on the monitoring of the DOE-Mindanao Field Office (MFO), the price adjustment of the oil companies in Mindanao from the period of 30 August to 6 September 2016 was a huge PhP3.00 rollback, hence attracting the attention of the agency.

While price rollbacks like this are a welcome development for the consumers, the DOE cautioned that sudden and sustained huge decreases in oil prices might qualify as an “anti-competitive behavior” under the Oil Deregulation Law.

This market behavior puts both the smaller oil players and the consumers at a disadvantageous position in the long run. Smaller oil players may actually lose its market share and end up closing, allowing the remaining oil players the chance to dictate prices to the detriment of the consuming public.

Relative issues brought about by this market behavior include the peddling of petroleum products using in the “bote-bote” scheme and the alleged smuggling of oil products from nearby countries.

Currently, the DOE-MFO has already been coordinating with local government units (LGUs) concerned and the Bureau of Fire to eliminate the “bote-bote” scheme while also discouraging consumers from patronizing such activity as this may endanger public safety and health

On the alleged smuggling of oil products, the DOE is now in talks with the Bureau of Customs as this may hurt not only the oil industry players, but also the economy of LGUs in Mindanao and the rest of the country. Taxes are lost, affecting the delivery of basic services to our people.

Moreover, the DOE is closely coordinating with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the possible convening of the DOE-DOJ Task Force to determine any violations of the law.

The DOE has given assurances of its continuous vigilance to protect the welfare of the energy consumers.

Globe Drive Versus Unauthorized Signal Boosters Yields Arrest of Illegal Seller

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom’s campaign against the use of illegal repeater has led to the arrest of an individual suspected of selling such equipment.

A recent joint entrapment operation between police authorities and Globe security personnel led to the arrest of Raymundo Canete, a 28 year-old resident of Block 69, Sitio Panghulo, Floodway, Barangay San Juan, Taytay, Rizal. Canete is allegedly the delivery boy of Mark Lewis Chua, a resident of Lot 17, Block 1, Ather St., Greenwoods Executive Village, Pasig City, who is allegedly engaged in selling signal booster/repeater through online selling portal OLX.

Based on a report made by QCPD District Special Operation Unit, Globe investigator Eddie Catalo sought police assistance in addressing online selling of illegal repeaters. Acting on Catalo’s report, DSOU-QCPD led by PINSP Danilo Sonbgalia conducted entrapment operation at the corner of General Santos and General Roxas Sts. (in front of PNB Farmers’) in Cubao, Quezon City. The entrapment operation led to the arrest of Canete right after he handed a set of signal repeater to Catalo in exchange for P1,000.00 used as a marked money.

Seized from Canete were 1 unit of signal booster, 1 unit of repeated amplifier and 1 unit of signal antenna. Police authorities recommended the filing of appropriate criminal case against Canete and Chua.

National Telecommunications Commission Memorandum Order No. 01-02-2013 prohibits the sale, purchase, importation, possession or use of signal boosters operating on the 800 megahertz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 2100 MHz frequency bands without the approval of the regulatory agency. Violation could entail penalties and even imprisonment. Online selling of illegal repeaters is also in violation of Section 4 (a) of RA10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. According to Ronald Uychutin, Globe Vice President for Security and Anti-Fraud and Investigation, the use of repeaters or signal boosters, without any permit from the NTC, causes network interference that that could result in dropped calls, garbled lines, and weak signal.

Globe Broadband Lets You Relive Your Favorite Netflix Originals at Flick Street

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Last quarter, Globe Broadband announced one of its biggest content partners to date, Netflix. In celebration of the partnership, fans can experience their favorite Netflix Originals for real, through various immersive executions located at Bonifacio High Street in BGC.

Kicked off at Globe Telecom’s 917 celebration (September 17) – and running through September 30, fans can relive the iconic settings of Orange is the New Black, The Get Down, and Stranger Things. Participate in all booth activities and post your photos to your social media accounts using #GlobeNetflix to win exclusive and exciting Globe – Netflix merchandise.

Take your mugshot with Piper and the rest of the Orange is the New Black inmates.

For as low as P1299, fans get to enjoy free 6 months of Netflix, as part of their Globe Broadband plan on top of speeds of up to 10 Mbps and 100GB data allowance (on DSL). At Plan 1599, customers can enjoy a free Chromecast that will let them watch their favorite Netflix Originals on any HDMI-capable TV, speeds of up to 15 Mbps, and 150GB data allowance. Sign-up now until September 30 at the Bonifacio High Street pop-up store to enjoy priority handling.

Customers can learn about the new Globe Broadband plans by visiting www.globe.com.ph/broadband.

Senator Urges Government to Wage War Against Malnutrition

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“There is a real and silent war that the government must embark on; it is the war against malnutrition.”

This was the statement issued today by Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros as she pushed for the passage of a legislative measure to scale up nutrition support for infants in the crucial first 1,000 days.

Hontiveros’ Senate Bill No. 1145 otherwise known as the “Healthy Bulilit Law” mandates the Department of Health (DOH) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) to increase nutrition support to all children in the first 1,000 days. The said bill was deliberated on Tuesday by the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, which the senator chaired.

The neophyte senator characterized a child’s first 1,000 days as crucial and intervention at this time is key to combatting nutritional stunting.

“Amid the government’s anti-drugs campaign, it must not neglect to look after the well-being of our children. Currently, under-nutrition remains the underlying killer of children as it makes them vulnerable to bout of infections, low birth weights and wasting. The government must launch a war against malnutrition. This is the real war that must be won,” Hontiveros explained.

The senator also expressed alarm regarding the grave effects of malnutrition on the Philippine economy. Citing a report by the Save the Children International, Hontiveros said that the economy lost at least P328 billion or the equal of 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2013 due to the impact of childhood stunting on workforce productivity and education.

Hontiveros said that under-nutrition undermines economic development. She said malnutrition leads to lower level of education, reduced labor power and productivity as a result of premature deaths and additional education due to grade repetitions.

“This must end. We need to strengthen the government's commitment to provide children all the necessary nutrients to ensure their healthy growth. We must ensure that we have healthy bulilits who will grow up to become healthy Pinoys and Pinays," Hontiveros said.