Globe Board Approves New Capex of US$300 Million for Network Expansion

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The Globe Board of Directors approved new capital expenditure (capex) of US$300 million for network expansion, consisting of US$160 million for mobile; US$50 million for corporate data; and, US$90 million for broadband. Previous to this new approval, the Company’s 2016 capex availment and capex cashflow were the same at U$750 million. The additional network spending will bring 2016 capex availment to U$1 billion while the capex cashflow will range between U$750 – 810 million depending on the final network build completion in the fourth quarter of this year.

In line with Globe’s vision for the Philippines to become an admired nation for having first world Internet connectivity, the Company is kick-starting an additional mobile capex program for more deployment of LTE services using the 700 megahertz (MHz) and 2600 MHz frequencies, increased 3G capacities and further expansion of mobile coverage. Consistent with the Company's commitment to the government for the improvement of mobile internet services and expanding LTE coverage across the Philippines, Globe plans to roll-out additional 700 LTE 700 sites, close to 2,700 LTE 2600 sites and additional core and transport upgrades.

In parallel, Globe has started the deployment of fiber broadband technology that will provide ultra-fast internet access to two million homes in 20,000 barangays by 2020. Lastly, Globe is investing for capacity augmentation of its corporate data network to address the bandwidth requirements of enterprise clients for the use of various data solutions to improve business efficiency, enhance productivity and boost competitiveness.

“Guided by our new purpose of ‘creating a Globe of Good’, the Company is aggressively fast-tracking a multi-pronged network infrastructure and capacity expansion build to provide our customers a better internet experience”, said Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu. “We are leveraging our additional 700MHz and 2600Mhz spectrum by investing heavily on LTE to improve both mobile data and fixed wireless broadband. The Company is now in the best position more than ever to deliver the best video platforms and expand our data services, in line with the future of our business.” “Mr. Cu added.

From a product perspective, data has remained Globe’s catalyst for growth across all the product segments. For the first half of 2016, the Company’s data-related revenues accounted for 50% of consolidated service revenues, up from 37% in the first half of last year. Total data revenues, which consist of mobile data, home broadband and corporate data services, reached Php29.6 billion in the first six months of the year, up 48% from the Php20.0 billion pesos reported last year.

Carbon Black Lands Top Score in Prevention and the Highest Score Possible In Detection Capabilities Criteria

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Carbon Black, the leader in next-generation endpoint security, today announced that the company was named a “Leader” in the Forrester Research Inc. report, The Forrester Wave: Endpoint Security Suites, Q4 2016, achieving the highest score possible in the detection capabilities criteria and the top score for the prevention capabilities criteria.

"Carbon Black offers a strong balance of prevention, detection, and remediation functions without relying on signature blacklists," according to the Forrester report, authored by Chris Sherman. According to the Forrester report: “antivirus technologies have become less effective at protecting employee endpoints and servers. Numerous competing technology vendors have risen up to take aim at the stagnant antivirus market as a result.”

As one of these competing vendors, Carbon Black earned a “Leader” distinction.

Said Carbon Black Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Morley: “The emerging next-generation endpoint-security market must go beyond prevention to incorporate detection and remediation capabilities, empowering business to get to the root of their security issues. We believe we are the first and only next-generation antivirus (NGAV) company designated as a ‘Leader’ by Forrester.”

According to the Forrester Report: “With its more recent acquisition of Confer in 2016, the company demonstrates its commitment to a more balanced portfolio, with prevention and detection capabilities.”

Carbon Black’s leadership is built on having a complete endpoint-security solution that addresses evolving customer demands to include market-leading prevention, detection and remediation.

The Cb Endpoint Security Platform uniquely couples behavioral-based prevention techniques, with detection and response capabilities, delivering a complete endpoint security platform. Carbon Black’s disruptive behavioral-based prevention monitors all processes on an endpoint for attack patterns. When these patterns emerge, Carbon Black immediately and definitively prevents the attack and offers visibility into what the attacker tried to do.

Customers can use the Cb Endpoint Security Platform to replace legacy antivirus technology, lock down critical systems, and arm incident-response teams with advanced tools to proactively hunt down threats. The Cb Endpoint Security Platform is the only solution that provides the flexibility and security required to grow and evolve with an organization’s security needs, and is available in the cloud or on-prem. Through Carbon Black’s extensive partner program, and integration with IBM’s BigFix, Carbon Black provides robust remediation capabilities.

The Cb Endpoint Security Platform is powered by the “Cb Collective Defense Cloud,” which provides an assessment of what’s safe and what’s not, based on advanced-analytic techniques applied to data from millions of endpoints. It continuously records data from more than seven million endpoints protected by Carbon Black products, and constant interactions between the Cb Collective Defense Cloud and Carbon Black’s offerings strengthen the system’s ability to identify malicious activity and become more resilient over time.

Download the complete Forrester Wave™: Endpoint Security Suites, Q4 2016 report

Lawin Disrupts Communications Services in Some Parts of Northern Luzon

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Globe gears up restoration activities and business continuity protocols.

Two-hundred twenty five (225) kph-strong winds from Typhoon Lawin resulted in commercial power interruption, multiple fiber cuts and service disruption in parts of Northern Luzon. Globe reported voice, call and data service disruptions in selected areas in Abra, Cagayan, Kalinga, portions of Ilocos Norte and Apayao.

Customers in the said areas will temporarily experience difficulty in accessing communications services. PAGASA has donwngraded Lawin from supertyphoon to typhoon level offering opportunities for early restoration of Globe services. Network redundancies were activated to alleviate the impact of service disruptions to customers.

Globe technical teams have already been deployed to restore damaged facilities. In the meantime, Globe is also in close coordination with government agencies to deploy relief operations in areas affected by the typhoon. Further advisories will be released to update customers on the restoration of various services.

As of 3:30 pm Thursday, about 95% of Globe Telecom’s total wireless network in northern Luzon are already online, enabling the company to provide critical telecommunication services in areas severely affected by Typhoon Lawin.

Following accelerated restoration efforts implemented by the company, Globe Telecom’s mobile services have been immediately restored in key areas that include Baguio, Benguet, Laoag, parts of Tuguegarao City and Cagayan including Ballesteros, Cauayan and other areas in Isabela.

Globe assures its customers that it will continue to step up restoration efforts until we have completely restored voice, text and data services are fully restored in all typhoon-hit areas.

Meanwhile, Globe also began reaching out to typhoon victims in Cauayan, Isabela by setting up a Libreng Tawag and Libreng charging station across Cauayan City Hall to assist residents who needed to assure their family and friends of their safety or to request for aid if necessary. The facility is available from October 20-22, 8 am to 6 pm. —Yoly Crisanto, Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications.

CBN Asia Premieres Oyayi this October 23 on ABS-CBN

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CBN Asia, in partnership with the National Council for Children’s Television (NCCT), premieres its newest kiddie show for the whole family entitled “Oyayi”, this October 23, 2016 on ABS-CBN. 

The show aims to create an awareness among the Filipino children about the environment, culture, family, and arts through educational and fun-filled episodes that teach them to be wise citizens at their young age. 

“There are many programs that children can watch but they are not designed for children. We need quality children’s programs that will teach values in a very entertaining way,” says CBN Asia’s Executive Vice President-Chief Operating Officer Robert John Tan, the Director of the show. 

Oyayi, a Filipino word which means lullaby, is based on a children’s storybook written by Fernando Rosal Gonzalez. It was the chosen winner in the NCCT Nationwide Search for the Coolest Television Proposal in 2012. 

After months of preparations, it was successfully molded into an all new quality children’s show co-produced by CBN Asia and NCCT. 

Rinnai: Advanced Precision Cooking Ranges to Enhance Your Culinary Passion

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Rinnai, the largest manufacturer of gas appliances in Japan since it was established in 1920, recently launched its series of cooking ranges at an event held at the Atrium of SM Megamall on October 19, 2016.

Dubbed as Rinnai: Passion and Precision, the event highlighted its new brand ambassador, Celebrity Chef Rosebud Benitez who can be seen in her show called Quickfire, a 10-minute television cooking show broadcast several times daily on GMA News TV, a sister station of GMA Network.

Chef Rosebud, together with Masashi Morita, Marketing Manager from Rinnai Japan, went around the display showcase of Rinnai cooking range to talk about its basic features. Mitsui Industria Corporation, distributor of Rinnai products in the Philippines. 

The key management handling the brand like Rinnai Japan's Naohito Shibata and Mitsui Industria Corporation’s General Manager John Chuakaw, also shared their messages on stage.

A pasta dish cooking demo was also done by Chef Rosebud so the attendees can actually see one of the cooking range in action.

NCCA Leads Dayaw 2016 Festivities as Part of Commemorating Indigenous People's Month

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The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) held on October 19, 2016 a press conference at its office lobby in Intramuros, Manila to formally initiate the start of the series of activities lined up as part of the commemoration of Indigenous People's Month. It is said that we are to expect a month-long series of activities that will end sometime third week of November.

The main event of Dayaw will be held in Manila from November 21 to 23. 

Forming the panel of key personalities involved in the celebrations were OIC-executive Director Marichu G. Tellano; Dr. Edwin Antonio, Head of the National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities; Cirio Pastolero, Director IV from the Office of the Cabinet Secretary; Lee Arroyo, OIC-Executive Director of the NCIP; and Dr. Al-Anwar Anzar, Commissioner of the SCCTA.

At this media launch, the organizers also incorporated traditional music and dances as part of the program to both entertain and inform the press conference attendees of our cultural history.

Everyone in the panel gave their opening messages, as well as closing messages after a Q&A to answer all inquiries from the media and other people present at the event.

OIC-executive Director Marichu appreciates the attendance of the media and mentioned that they are grateful for the support in disseminating information. She also replied to an inquiry about partnering with the Department of Education (DepEd) in integrating the knowledge about IPs and other related matters by making it as part of the curriculum or as a subject or topic discussed in school. Our understanding is that they are already collaborating with DepEd and may soon come out with more visible solutions.

An exhibit at a nearby room was also formally opened through a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Manila Gears Up for International Innovation & Startup Conference Bootstrap Manila on October 22, 2016

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International Organisations are recognizing the Philippines as one of the leading Innovation Hubs in the region. Thus, the local startup scene will be shaken up with a major event happening this week, the organizers are Impact Hub Manila, one of the country’s leading startup incubator/accelerator, and LaunchGarage, one of the top innovation and coworking hubs in the metro,

They host the first ever Bootstrap Manila 2016, an international innovation conference, on October 22, 2016 at Green Sun Hotel, Makati from 8:00 AM to 5:00PM.

The one-day conference highlights the emerging startup scene in the country with an exciting speaker lineup of innovators and disruptors namely: Luis Buenaventura of Bloom Solutions, a fintech and cryptocurrency expert; Manny Ayala, Managing Director of the Philippine office of Endeavor, a global nonprofit focused on accelerating high-impact entrepreneurs; and Ibba Rasul-Bernardo, an IT entrepreneur committed to bringing technology to the BOP (base of pyramid).

Joining them are experts from the vibrant and established ecosystems of Berlin, Jakarta, and Bangalore - Rainer Seider the Head of Unit European and International Co-operation, Ministry for Economics, Technology and Research; Deepesh Agarwal, CEO MoveInSync Technology Solutions Pvt Ltd.; Fajar Anugerah of Bali Recycling; Geraldine de Bastion, Founder of the Global Innovation Gathering; Yatan Blumenthal, Co-Founder Betahaus/Hardware.co; and Paula Schwarz, Founder of Startupboat.

Slots are limited and tickets are available online at Bootstrap Manila.

Bootstrap is part of the four-city StartHubs AsiaBerlin Startup and Innovation Roadshow that includes Berlin, Bangalore, and Jakarta. It is an initiative of the City Senate of Berlin in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to shine the spotlight on the four important startup hubs and foster cooperation among these diverse yet interconnected ecosystems. With better communication and coordination, including knowledge sharing, among the different hubs, this innovative project aims to develop opportunities and initiatives relevant to current global concerns,

Representing the Philippine delegation are Matthew Cua, Founder and CEO of SkyEye Inc.; Joe Maristela, serial entrepreneur, member of the Manila Angel Investors Network and CEO of Katalyst.ph; Pia Angeli Bernal, Social Enterprise Investments Manager of Kickstart Ventures; Jay Fajardo, serial tech entrepreneur and CEO of LaunchGarage; and Mathias Jaeggi, serial entrepreneur, Co-Founder of both Impact Hub Manila and Sporttrip GmbH.

Another highlight of the conference is the formal presentation of the winners of the Impact Hub Fellowship Program on Sustainable Energy Solutions, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Philippines and Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF), supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Cleverheat, a solar-powered refrigeration system, HiGi, environment-friendly briquettes for cooking, and Solar Sari-Sari Store, portable solar charging stations, share the accolade for the best innovative ideas designed to address the needs for sustainable energy solutions in the country today.

Government Open Data to Improve with Data Sharing Directives

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The free-flow of information within the government is expected to improve with the National Privacy Commission’s (NPC) issuance of its latest memorandum circular (NPC MC 16-02) on Data Sharing Agreements Involving Government Agencies.

This latest issuance from the NPC reinforces its mandate to support the free-flow of information and safeguard the right to privacy of information. Privacy Commissioner Raymund Enriquez Liboro said the law was intended to strike a balance between the need for information freedom and data privacy as indispensable components of nation building. “Freedom of information is more than just access requests to government, it is about responsible data sharing. Open data will contribute significantly to improving government services and coming up with new ones, supporting innovation and growth,” Liboro said.

The Freedom of Information (FoI) Executive Order was recently issued by the government, and the privacy commission clarified that the Data Privacy Act (DPA) cannot be used as a shield against FoI. It pointed out that the DPA is for the protection of any personal data that may be contained in government records that is not relevant to the freedom of information request, particularly when it affects private citizens.

The government is considered the largest collector and repository of personal data. E-governance initiatives and innovations in public services allow for citizens to avail of these services online, eliminating the need to queue up or having to fill out paper-based forms with personal data that the government already has.

The Data Sharing Issuance requires that personal information controllers (government agencies) to implement safeguards for data sharing. These safeguards include adhering to data privacy principles, entering into Data Sharing Agreements, reviewing technical security measures when allowing online access, and providing for the return, destruction or disposal of transferred personal data. Violation of directives contained in the issuance may lead to sanctions.

Mustard Seed Holds Business & Tech Blogging Seminar for Bloggers

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Mustard Seed Systems Corporation recently invited business and technology bloggers to a Business & Tech Blogging Seminar on September 29, 2016 held at the Limbaga 77 Cafe & Restaurant located in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

The seminar's guest speaker was Chay Lazaro, Creative Director for Gadgetmatch and a contributor for Rappler. She discussed techniques on blogging and gaining more followers for blogs.

It was a bit off since both online publications or media outfits do not consider themselves as blogs. But what separates  blogs from news, or reviews and features, sites? I believe there is a thin line already on how to make your site, whether it's a blog or anything else, as long as it's online, they would follow the same rules and principles just like any other site.

Since the main owner, Josh Villanueva, of Gadgetmatch also came from Rappler, we would see the reason why their site also gained momentum. I've been seeing Josh even at product launching and events outside the country, and though they reviews some gadgets on loan from the brands, Chay has revealed that they also pay for their own travel fares and some times also buy their own units too to passionately put content on their sites.

They also made extra efforts on their video productions since Gadgetmatch was originally known for their YouTube video channel. This is where Chay's strength comes in as she is the Creative Director of the team handling the "creative" requirements of the site. This includes making their videos memorable by being graphically pleasing and interesting enough.

UP ACES Proudly Presents Blackout 2016: Tidal Revelry

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The University of the Philippines Association of Civil Engineering Students (UP ACES) is a non-stock, non-profit, duly recognized organization at the UP College of Engineering.

Established as the premier organization of the UP Institute of Civil Engineering in 1954, UP ACES continuously promotes academic excellence, professional growth and social awareness to its members and the community through its meaningful activities. The organization is one of the top organizations in the UP College of Engineering, producing distinguished alumni and garnering numerous achievements in the University. This October 21, UP ACES proudly presents one of the biggest college parties in the university – BLACKOUT. Now on its 7th year, BLACKOUT 2016 is themed Tidal Revelry and will be held in Le Reve Events Venue.

Mid-semester chill

Happening on a mid-semester, BLACKOUT aims to provide an opportunity for college students to take a well-deserved break from all the hustle and bustle of the university life. BLACKOUT will surely give students from all over the metro a night of unwinding and overloading fun they surely would not want to miss.

High-profile DJs and MC

Prepare yourself for the #Arrgasm-ic beats delivered by the one and only, DJ Arra Pascual.

Known as “Asia’s most dominant female DJ”, DJ Arra Pascual garnered the title by not only showcasing her exceptional talent in the Philippines, but also in other countries in Asia such as Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and India.

Free-flowing booze and drinking gimmicks

Raves are not complete without free-flowing booze served to the participants. What makes BLACKOUT a must-attend rave party is the free-flowing Bacardi booze everyone’s going to enjoy! BLACKOUT is one of the first college parties in the university to have free-flowing Bacardi. Not just that, BLACKOUT will also feature an Alcohall of Fame, an exciting drinking gimmick where people will drink their way to the Alcohall of Fame, and a Breezer pong game, as well. In this year’s Blackout, Bacardi will show the crowd that #ItsNotAPartyWithoutBacardi.

Benefit party

Nothing feels better than having fun for a cause. BLACKOUT aims to raise funds for a chosen charity and all of the event’s proceeds will go to this institution.

Ensnare your senses. Indulge in tidal revelry. Prepare to be blacked out.

Schedule/Venue

Le Reve Events Venue

 28 Sgt. Esguerra Ave, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila

October 21, 2016