Smart backs DevCon Summit 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Leader in innovation Smart Communications supported the recent Developer Connect Philippines Summit 2016 at the SMX Convention Center, to help provide relevant information and resources to the growing developer community in the Philippines.

Dubbed as the country’s biggest developer conference, “Dev Future Forward” was participated in by more than 1,500 developers, students, and IT industry leaders.

“We appreciate Smart for supporting initiatives like this. We all know that Smart is at the forefront of innovation. By supporting DevCon, it is basically telling everyone that the industry welcomes up and coming developers to help spur innovation here in the Philippines,” said Mon Ibrahim, Program Director, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT). “To all the developers, please continue acquiring knowledge and making meaningful innovations for the country.”

The two-day conference featured talks and panel discussions on The State of the Philippine Programming Talent, Developing Augmented Reality Apps, Best Practice in Software Development, Rediscovering Developer Opportunities in the Philippines, Government Initiatives for the IT Industry, Bridging the Gap Between the Academe and IT Industry, Service Leadership, Developing Apps and Platforms for Emerging Markets, Trends in Mobile and Web, and Philippine Developer/Tech Communities.

“A lot of the tools we have been using are actually created by these developers. This is a venue to open up new opportunities to innovate,” said Paul Pajo, Developer Evangelist of Smart DevNet, during the panel discussion on Rediscovering Developer Opportunities in the Philippines.

Aside from providing venues for innovation, Smart also provides training and equipment to partner educational institutions so that the culture of innovation starts at school. “Through this, we hope to bridge the gap between the industry and academe so that graduates can easily transition to become the country’s future innovators and technopreneurs,” said Steph Orlino, Smart Public Affairs Senior Manager.



During the conference, Voyager Innovations and PayMaya Philippines likewise showcased its growing suite of APIs for developers, including APIs for payments such as PayMaya Checkout and PayMaya vault, the freenet SDK for enterprises for easy whitelisting of apps and mobile website, as well as the Chikka API which allow developers to create and integrate SMS-based platforms and integrating multi-carrier SMS capabilities to their apps.



“I believe our developers as young as they are, can actually be the future in building this nation. Their technical know-how is very much vital in creating the products that can actually change or make a dent in the society, that’s why we at Voyager supports the DevCon,” said Justin Dayrit, Business Unit Head of Communications Technology, Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart.



"It was a blast to be here in DevCon Summit for the first time. As students, a lot of what you learn from here motivate you to continue pursuing your course and never stop encoding your dreams. Strive hard even if it's difficult, because nothing is easy," said Alyssa Mae Marcial and Alex Alfred Villanueva, IT students from Cavite State University.



DevCon is a non-profit, non-government organization comprised of volunteer developers and non-developers that organize events and talks to improve the talent of Pinoy IT and create a community where they can interact with other developers.



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OFW & SME Business Christmas Expo set on December at SM Cebu and Megatrade Hall

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Small and Medium Enterprises compose a large part of the economy – home-based and community livelihood enterprises are also part of this segment. From delicious food items to beautiful and elegant decorations, it is a no-brainer that these business thrive through the support of the consumers whom its products are reaching out to. The thing is, most of them are not that easily noticed by the mainstream market.

On its 15th year anniversary, Ex-Link Events is reaching out to home-based and community livelihood enterprises to gather and showcase their best products and services at the OFW & SME Business Christmas Expo this December.

Aside from the exhibits, the OFW & SME Christmas Business Expo is poised to be the grandest Christmas gathering for OFWs, Balik-bayans, SMEs and Community Livelihood Enterprises, partnering with various government and private organizations such as the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, the Rotary Community Corps, Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc., the Department of Trade and Industry, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Junior Achievement of the Philippines, Inc. and the Rotary Club of Mutya ng Pasig to kick off the yuletide season with a bang with a mix of activities that everyone will enjoy!

The OFW & SME Business Christmas Expo will be held at the Cebu Trade Hall of SM City Cebu on December 2 to 3 (Friday to Sunday) and at the Megatrade Hall 2 of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City on December 21 to 23 (Wednesday to Friday).

For inquiries, reservations and partnerships, contact (02) 633-0153, 643-3887, SMS 0920-924-2532 or email info@exlinkevents.com.

22nd ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting Ends Today

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The weeklong meetings among transport ministers and officials of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) concluded at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila today, with several transport initiatives and policies considered and adopted.

The 22nd ASEAN Transport Ministers Meeting (ATM) chaired by Department of Transportation Secretary Art Tugade was preceded by the 42nd Senior Transport Officials Meeting (STOM) and related discussions with dialogue partners, Japan, China and Korea.

The ministers commended the strong start in the implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Transport Strategic Plan (KLTSP) 2016-2025 and reaffirmed commitments to intensify cooperation to realize the AEC 2025 vision, which calls for a deeply integrated region that would contribute towards a highly cohesive ASEAN economy.

The Ministers also adopted and launched the ASEAN Road Safety Booklet as a tool for dissemination of key highlights from ASEAN Regional Road Safety Strategy in enhancing public awareness on the importance of the road safety in the region.

“The collective aspiration is to cut down accident rate to almost zero. We have to adopt to solutions such as road engineering,” Minister Khaw Boon Wan of Singapore said in a press conference.

Further, the ATM welcomed the adoption of ASEAN-United States Aviation Cooperation Terms of Reference, which would include areas of aviation safety, efficiency, harmonization, security, as well as economic regulation.

The ministers also applauded the efforts of the Philippines to “Build, Build, Build,” which is consistent with the ASEAN objective of seamless connectivity.

“We aim to enhance trade, attract investments, facilitate movement of goods and people, and boost tourism. With aggressive transportation infrastructure and sustainable transport policies, we hope to ultimately provide a better and higher quality of life to our people,” said DOTr Undersecretary for Maritime Felipe Judan, who represented ATM Chairman Sec. Arthur Tugade.



The 23rd ATM Meeting will take place in Singapore in 2017.