Sharon Cuneta Rants About Slow Wi-Fi (Internet), Netizens React Harshly

Wazzup PIlipinas!

Sharon Cuneta, like most everyone else, posted on Facebook her frustration about the slow "Wi-Fi" of which she is most probably referring to her Internet connection.

She is not alone on that particular fact since it is actually a nationwide dilemma where people have been complaining to the telco companies providing Internet services that are rather slow compared to the rest of the world. Several studies have shown that we have relatively one of the slowest, if not the slowest, Internet aside from being very expensive.

But netizens reacted to Sharon Cuneta's post and proceeded to blame mostly her husband, Kiko Pangilinan whom they say had several years as a Senator but was powerless to do anything about it.

"I cannot believe (or take) how super SLOW wi-fi still is in the Philippines. How can I expect my country to progress a little faster if it doesn't even have the very basics necessary in this new techie world we move in? So beyond frustrating. Imagine if something like a document was very, very urgent, bound to affect a whole bunch of people, and you couldn't get it across because e-mail (or something as simple as a video upload) just wouldn't fly? Oh, please Lord, let them fix this never-ending problem. It's bad enough that we have to deal with the traffic situation and would rather stay home. Now we can't even expect to get things done ASAP sitting on our butts. Grrrrr!" - Sharon Cuneta

Globe Telecom Acquires New Way to Market Your Brand Via Video Push Notifications

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Globe Telecom, through its Digital Ventures division and subsidiary company AdSpark, recently announced its partnership with Incoming Media for its mediaphoneX solution to power video notifications within selected mobile applications. First to integrate are SEATS, the restaurant booking app, and Mynt, the financial services app.

“The Philippines is one of the most dynamic mobile and digital countries in the world, and Globe and the AdSpark team are the perfect partners to take us into this market. We are excited about their level of innovation and hope to take what we learn in the Philippines to other markets in the Asia Pacific region.” said Mark Adams, CEO of Incoming Media.

Incoming Media is the leading mobile video engagement and advertising platform for brands and operators. The mediaphoneX solution uses predictive data analytics and intelligent content pre-loading to enable the creation of personalized, flawless mobile video experiences. Through the use of on-device, energy-efficient machine learning and context-based predictive data analytics, the Incoming platform learns and understands how each viewer consumes video on their device.

Alongside AdSpark, a Globe subsidiary that is data driven mobile first and digital marketing agency that delivers highly profiled campaigns depending on the need of its clients may it be location based or customized to consumers’ spending behavior, interests and others, have acquired mediaphoneX which is being used by SEATS, a multi-channel restaurant reservation platform that is available on both web and mobile.

SEATS aims to enhance the dining experience by providing diners an easy way to make table reservations 24/7 right on the mobile phone and by providing restaurants with the right tools to manage reservations more efficiently, improve in-house productivity and overall, provide their customers with better service. SEATS provides free, instant and guaranteed reservations at the top restaurants in the metro.

“Globe chose to partner with Incoming based on their unique technology. Their team has spent many years developing a mobile video notification that puts a quality user experience at the center of their solution. We are looking forward to seeing an increase in engagement and additional monetization opportunities for both SEATS and MYNT, and other applications to come.” said Glenn Estrella, Vice President of Globe Telecom’s Digital Ventures and President of AdSpark.

“Globe is always out looking for new innovations to help businesses flourish. Through this new acquisition of mediaphoneX, we have redefined push notifications from as simple as SMS to videos that direct you to the website,” Estrella stressed.

This video push notification technology is available through AdSpark and is currently being offered to Globe Telecom clients.

Si Maria Isabella at ang Guryon ng mga Tala Mula sa Artistang Artlets ng UST

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“Isang kwento ng pag-ibig at pagsusumikap ng isang dalagita at ng isang batang matadero para sa tunay na kaligayahan ng buhay.”

Inihahandog ng Artistang Artlets, ang Opisyal na Samahang Pang-teatro ng Pakultad ng Sining at Panitik ng Unibersidad ng Santo Tomas, sa pakikipagtulungan sa Cecilo Apostol Elementary School, ang isa na namang natatanging pagtatanghal para sa kanilang ika-36 na taon.

Si Maria Isabella at ang Guryon ng mga Tala ay hango mula sa maikling kwentong The Kite of Stars ni Dean Francis Alfar. Sa panulat ni Eljay Castro Deldoc, isa ito sa mga natatanging dula na naipalabas sa Virgin Labfest 2015 at 2016 sa Sentrong Pangkultura ng Pilipinas. Ang pagtatanghal ng Artistang Artlets ay sa ilalim ng direksyon ni John Michael Peña at sa pamamahala ni Mary Claire Aquino.

Ito ang mga sumusunod na araw at oras ng pagtatanghal:
November 15- 11 AM | 1 PM | 4 PM | 6 PM

November 16- 10 AM | 1 PM | 3 PM | 5 PM

November 17- 2PM | 4PM

Lugar ng pagtatanghal:

Tan Yan Kee Audio Visual Room,
Tan Yan Kee Student Center, UST

Ang dula na ito ay LIBRE para sa lahat.

Para sa mga katanungan, tawagan o i-text si Mary Claire Aquino sa 0915-117-3255.

Maaari din kaming i-like o i-follow sa aming mga sumusunod na social media accounts:
Facebook page: fb.com/ArtistangArtletsUST
Twitter: @artstngartlts
Instagram: @artistangartlets

Website: artistangartlets.wordpress.com

#SMIGTLilipdNa #CREATExDESTROY

SAP Launches the SAP Digital Boardroom in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Customers to Have “Single Source of Truth” of Key Business Performance Metrics for Succeeding in Today’s Digital Economy

SAP SE today announced the launch of the SAP Digital Boardroom at its Philippines office in Taguig. The SAP Digital Boardroom is a planned breakthrough digital approach that aims to contextualize and simplify performance reporting across areas of business in real time. Built on the SAP BusinessObjects Cloud solution, SAP Digital Boardroom is expected to utilize line-of-business data from the SAP S/4HANA suite and SAP HANA Cloud Platform to provide a single source of truth about a company’s critical business metrics. This approach aims to help companies monitor and drive change in the digital economy.

“SAP Digital Boardroom gives senior management and C-Suite executives access to business data and analytics, allowing them to gauge their company’s standing in the market as compared to their competitors. Personal business information such as financial performance, customer count, supplier system and more can be viewed almost immediately with real-time content, which are needed for faster and better decision-making.,” said Ryan Poggi, Managing Director, SAP Philippines.

He continued, “The essential business intelligence has already been embedded in the system for better and faster reporting as it provides a holistic 360 degree view on the company’s business position in the market. Using the Digital Boardroom to address challenges in the digital economy, company executives can obtain comprehensive data-driven insights answering ad hoc questions and simulate the impact of “what-if” scenarios to financials and operations. Overall, it simplifies the boardroom process in terms of time and effort, leveraging real-time analytics to allow companies to effect decisions and Run Live across their value chain.”

Suspension of Writ of Habeas Corpus will Lead to More Abuses, Add to the Growing Climate of Impunity

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Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to suspend the privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus as a response to the country's worsening drug problem and lawlessness would lead to more abuses.

Hontiveros also said that the suspension of the writ would contribute to the growing climate of impunity brought about by the thousands of unresolved extrajudicial killings.

The Senator explained that the privilege of the writ grants a person the right to report or question an unlawful detention or imprisonment before a court. She said that during the Marcos regime, the suspension of the privilege of the writ led to arbitrary arrests of members of the political opposition and citizens.

"Dangerous idea"

"The president's suggestion to suspend the privilege of the writ, despite the explanation of his spokespersons that it was merely an 'idea', is dangerous in itself. It is the seed of undemocratic rule similar to the Marcos dictatorship," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros also said that the President, under the 1987 constitution, can only suspend the privilege of the writ in cases of invasion or rebellion and when public safety requires it.

"The government kept on saying that the country is safer now. However, the President's plan to suspend the privilege of the writ negates this narrative. It only adds to the fear and anxiety of the public," Hontiveros said.



"Learn to trust democracy"

The senator urged President Duterte to maximize the government's democratic institutions in promoting his public order and safety agenda.

"The President must learn to trust our democratic processes. Proper law enforcement and standing behind the protection of human rights and observance of the rule of law are the best methods to ensure public safety," Hontiveros concluded.

NBA Store Philippines Marks NBA Cares 10th Anniversary with Donation to Knowledge Channel Foundation

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) and NBA Store Philippines, managed by International Athletic Trading Company, Inc. (IATC), donated Php 235,000 to Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) for the benefit of students of Yapak, Talaga, and Roman Tantiangco Elementary Schools, mountain communities in Morong, Rizal. 

NBA Store Philippines staged a retail promotion that donates a portion of NBA Name and Number T-shirt sales proceeds from Aug. 10 to Sept. 13 to KCFI to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of NBA Cares. The donation will fund multimedia learning resources and teacher workshops for the three public schools. 

Last Nov. 11, NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson and IATC Vice President of Marketing Bea Lim presented the cheque donation to KCFI Head of Access Doris Nuval at the NBA Store in Glorietta 3.

Senate Misses the Opportunity to Side with Real Heroes

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“It was a missed opportunity.”

This was how Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros described the Senate’s failure to pass a resolution expressing the sense of the institution that the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos is not a hero and not entitled to be buried in the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB). 

“I am sad that the Senate missed the opportunity to defend the truth and our history from the Marcoses’ historical revisionism and negationism. It missed the chance to be on the side of real heroes,” Hontiveros said.

"I, however, commend my fellow colleagues who bravely responded to the test of history and defended the truth and the country’s struggle for collective memory," Hontiveros added.

In a vote of 8-6-6, the Senate failed to get a majority vote to pass Senate Resolution No. 86, authored by Hontiveros, which states that the crimes of Marcos to the country, and the human rights violations committed under his regime, render him unfit to be given a hero’s burial.

Senators Hontiveros, Franklin Drilon, Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Grace Poe, Bam Aquino, Francisco "Kiko" Pimentel, Joel Villanueva and Leila De Lima voted in favor of the resolution. Those who voted against were Senators Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao, Vicente Sotto, Ping Lacson, Gringo Honasan, Cynthia Villar and Dick Gordon. Meanwhile, those who abstained were Senators Ralph Recto, Sherwin Gatchalian, Sonny Angara, Miguel Zubiri, Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Nancy Binay.

"Ball in Duterte's court"

Hontiveros said the ball is now in the court of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“From the start, this issue, while imbued with valid legal and constitutional questions, is ultimately a political and moral question addressed entirely to President Duterte. The President ultimately has the power to defend the country’s history or be a tool of the Marcos family’s attempt to rehabilitate its image and whitewash its crimes against the people."

"What law?"

Hontiveros also refuted Duterte’s excuse that he was merely following the law on the said issue.

"There is no law compelling President Duterte to give Marcos a hero’s burial. Even the Supreme Court’s decision does not command the Executive branch to do anything. Lest we forget, this all started with President Duterte. What he started, he can end,” Hontiveros said. 

Hontiveros said that if President Duterte proceeds to bury the remains of the late dictator in our heroes’ cemetery, he will satisfy no law, public clamor and interest. "It will not be in the pursuance of national healing and reconciliation. The President will only satiate the whims and madness of the Marcoses. He will be remembered as the President who exonerated a dictator’s brutal legacy at the expense of our history and the dignity of the Filipino people,” she concluded.

ASEAN Transport Officials Convene to Enhance Cooperation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Transport officials and delegates from the 10 Member States of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) gathered today for the opening of the 42nd ASEAN Senior Transport Officials Meeting (42nd STOM).

The STOM, which works under the direction of the ASEAN Transport Ministers, held plenary sessions to discuss various projects and policies designed to enhance regional cooperation, particularly in the aspect of transportation. The meetings will run until November 16. Within this period, STOM officials will also hold separate sessions with this year’s dialogue partners: China, Japan, and Korea.

Among the topics to be discussed is the implementation of short and medium term work plans under the Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan (KLTSP), the transport blueprint for 2016 – 2025. The KLTSP is an important pillar of the ASEAN Economic Integration, which aims to make the region stronger and more competitive.

Transportation Undersecretary Garry de Guzman, acting STOM Leader for the Philippines, highlighted the role of transportation in making the ASEAN community integrated.

“It is through transportation projects and policies that we make this region a little smaller and a lot more united. By building transportation networks and connecting our cities by air, land, and sea, we empower different industries and businesses. More importantly, we empower our people,” de Guzman said.

Other transportation projects in the agenda include the establishment of an ASEAN Roll-on Roll-off Shipping Network, ASEAN Single Shipping Market, ASEAN Single Aviation Market and other air services agreements, and development of sustainable transport-related policies and strategies.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, ATM Chairman, underscored how these efforts are consistent with the direction taken by the Duterte administration in terms of transportation infrastructure.

“The Philippine government concurs to the fact that the failure to invest, means failure to grow and develop our social and economic fabric,” Tugade said. “We’re using the battle cry build, build, build, which aims to solve issues on lack of employment, high price of goods, traffic, and transportation. The Philippine government aims to build more railways, urban mass transport, airports, seaports, more bridges and roads, and new and better cities.”

After STOM plenary sessions and discussions with dialogue partners, the ATM will convene from November 17 – 18 to adopt recommendations made by the senior transport officials.

 

*Photo from GMANetwork.com

GDG Cebu Holds Its’ Biggest Google Tech Conference

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Get ready Cebuanos!

The largest Google Tech Conference in the Philippines will be coming to you this November 19, 2016 at SM Seaside Cebu CenterStage. GDG DevFest Cebu 2016 is a whole day event composing speaker sessions across multiple product areas, all-day hack-a-thons, code labs, workshops and more .

“This year’s theme is ‘Unity for development, Unity for a better future’. The goal is to bring developers together to share knowledge, exchange ideas, and express their passion for technology.” said Shad Roi de la Cruz, current GDG Cebu Community Manager.

GDG DevFests are large, community-run events. It  provides the opportunity for tech-savvy individuals to learn about the latest technologies and other developer products. Major topics for DevFest Cebu will be Android, Web and Cloud technologies, and the Internet of Things. Keynote speakers from Manila, US, Singapore, as well as the Google Chrome and Cloud Team will be imparting their experience and knowledge on Google technologies to over 1000 participants, composed of professionals, students, businessmen, and tech enthusiasts.

The event is organized by Google Developer Group (GDG) Cebu, one of the main GDG chapters in the Philippines. It is a group of enthusiastic Filipino developers and volunteers interested in collaborating and learning about new technologies. GDG Cebu is an independent group; the activities and the opinions expressed are in no way linked to Google, the corporation.

50 Shades! The Musical Parody Is Back By Popular Desire

Wazzup Pilipinas!
 

With a successful run early this year, 50 Shades! The Musical Parody will bring its sexy back in Manila this December. Steam up your holiday season and catch its limited run from December 15-17, 2016 at the Music Museum - with only 4 shows on sale now.

Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists around the world with million copies sold worldwide and a blockbuster movie. A sexy, hilarious romp, 50 SHADES! The Musical Parody is a laugh out loud night of fun that audiences won’t want to miss! The show has audiences rolling on the floor, dancing in the aisles and begging for more.

The musical opens with a ladies book club deciding to read Fifty Shades of Grey. Through their interpretation of the novel, the audience is led on a hilarious roller coaster ride of this unlikely bestseller. The show is full of dance numbers and 11 original songs including “How Much Can I Take?”, “I Don’t Make Love”, and “There’s a Hole Inside of Me”.

Like the book series, 50 SHADES! The Musical Parody is surely not for those under the age of 18, but does not cross boundaries that would make general audiences squirm.

50 SHADES! The Musical Parody will rock your world—and it’s even more fun in a group! Take your friends, take your co-workers and, as Time Out Los Angeles says, “TAKE YOUR INNER GODDESS TO THIS SMASH HIT!”