Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

DOE Rallies Students to Learn Energy Conservation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of its mission to empower energy consumers, the Department of Energy (DOE) headed by Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi enjoins the academe to inculcate the value of energy saving to their students.

“We are here to guide our younger generation who will be the ones running not only the energy sector, but the nation as well,” Cusi said.

“Supplementing the learning process of the students by exposing them to a real-world working environment helps arouse their interest and unleashes their potentials to become future scientists, engineers or energy experts,” Cusi explained.

In the second half of 2016 alone, the DOE’s Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office (CWPO) facilitated the conduct of 11 half-day consumer workshops dubbed as EnerSmart Kids Program and EnerREADY Project attended by various students in Metro Manila.

For the EnerSmart Kids Program, a total of 200 Grades 4, 5 & 6 from South CEMBO, Pitogo, San Jose, and Nemesio Yabut Elementary Schools in Makati City attended lectures and performed Science experiments at the DOE Central Office in Taguig City.

The sessions were capped by the kids’ “Pledge of Commitment” to be “Energy Cost Busters” by practicing energy efficiency and conservation measures in their own homes.

Among those who participated in the DOE program were students from the College of Computer Engineering & Communication and Engineering, STI Global City; College of Technology students and senior high school students from the University of Makati and Electrical Engineering students from the Technological University of the Philippines, Taguig Campus.

More than 200 students were given an overview of the electricity supply chain, including fundamental electricity concepts and a laboratory tour at the DOE-Lighting and Appliance Testing Laboratory.

Meanwhile, as part of the agency’s efforts to mainstream Gender and Development (GAD) in the energy sector programs, activities, and projects, the EnerREADY Project was pursued by the DOE-CWPO on-site in the following schools in Taguig and Makati City: Bangkal High School, Fort Bonifacio High School, Bagumbayan National High School and Gen. Pio del Pilar National High School.

EnerREADY is a Career Talk that aims to promote gender equality in the energy sector, encouraging young students to pursue technical careers based on their interest, passion, and strength in technical subjects and not on gender stereotyping as to the roles of women and men as perceived or dictated by society.

More than 400 Grade 10 pupils benefited from this activity through interactive and experiential learning with the female energy experts who shared their actual experiences, including the challenges they hurdled in order to achieve their career goals.

With the continuing Consumer Education Program of the CWPO, public elementary, high school, and college institutions interested in visiting the agency located at the Energy Center, Rizal Drive cor. 34th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, can get in touch with Ms. Helen B. Arias, Chief of the CWPO at telefax no. ‎ (02) 840-22-67 or trunkline no. ‎479-2900 local 329; email at energycwpo@gmail.com.
PHOTO CAPTION: ENERGY READY STUDENTS: DOE-Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office staff led by Helen B. Arias with Engr. Arlyb Joy R. Pestana and Engr. Pia Louren C. Gatinga from the DOE-Energy Resource Development Bureau; Engr. Eduardo B. Fernandez of the DOE-Electric Power Industry Management Bureau and Engr. Martha Isabel S. Dealino and Engr. Katrina Mae S. Royo from the Manila Electric Company as guest resource persons pose after the ENEReady: A Career Talk on Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Energy Workforce last 24 November in Fort Bonifacio High School, Makati City.

Socialites Production Proudly Presents "Marketing on Fleek: The Art of Captivating Millennials"

Wazzup Pilipinas!

SHOUTOUT TO ALL THE MILLENNIALS!

Gather the squad as we take it to the next level. Wear your flower crowns and wake your boho spirit as we bring you the fabbest and most lit marketing seminar of 2017. Get ready to be captivated with something new and trendy mixed with a touch of the corporate world.

Socialites Production brings you, "MARKETING ON FLEEK: The Art of Captivating Millennials"

Let us slay together at PUP Bulwagang Balagtas on February 7, 2017.

#ONFLEEK2017
#MarketingOnFleek
#COACHELLAPARTY

Hong Kong Tourism Board Launch "Best Of All, It's In Hong Kong" Tourism Campaign

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Not only because it's just an hour and a half away, Hong Kong has so many attractions to offer for every tourist who wants to maximize his or her trip for a more memorable and worthwhile experience.

Aside from all the shopping from the numerous large malls, and amusement from all the colorful theme parks, there are so many tourists attractions to enjoy. I've learned at the event that Hong Kong also has many areas where you can hike and camp out to enjoy their mountains or wilderness.

This is why it was not surprising that Filipinos emerged as the number one tourist of Hong Kong. There is no doubt that we have totally embraced Hong Kong as our "quick" and most affordable best choice for our weekend getaways or simply to enjoy special holidays like the Christmas and New Year seasons.

But one of the many reasons why Hong Kong is often visited is also because of its culinary delights. There are so many choices to feast upon that many chefs also go there once in a while to get inspiration for their next gastronomic masterpiece.

This is the reason why the Hong Kong Tourism Board has focused on "food" as a campaign theme to attract us even further to come and visit Hong Kong more often. They've tapped select chefs to become their ambassadors for their Hong Kong Tourism ads with a campaign slogan of "Best of All, It's In Hong Kong", and their list of endorsers included Chef Margarita "Gaita" Araneta Fores, an internationally renowned chef from the Philippines who's already making waves globally for her amazing creations.

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The seafood restaurant from Davao that we all love - Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps - just recently opened its second branch in Manila and we were fortunate enough to be invited to a lunch treat at their newest location at SM Mall of Asia (MOA). We were also invited by Zomato for a dinner treat at the same restaurant but we had to give up that second serving as we were still full from the earlier meal.

We could still recall our first encounter with the restaurant brand during their first branch in Manila, specifically at their SM North EDSA branch, and we couldn't stop thinking about it since then. Of course, we saw ourselves revisiting the branch again after that first branch launch. Their seafood specials of shrimps and crabs are really something to look forward to especially for special occasions or when we simply want to reward ourselves for doing a great job.

Since the price for seafood is a bot expensive similarly for most restaurants, it is at Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps where you won't regret spending a bit more. The food is really "fresh from sea to table" and their "plastic bag" and eat with your hands on the table ala "Boodle Fight" way is truly memorable. True enough, this is when "it's fun to be messy" is an understatement. You do need to "un-mind" the mess so OCs (Obsessive-Compulsive) are not allowed here. Lol! Just kidding, you can eat however you want it. There's nobody stopping you from enjoying your meals.

Though the SM MOA branch is a bit small, it has a second floor to add a few more tables for diners. The second floor is also a great place to get a little more privacy from passersby seeing you eat up all those yummy seafood dishes..hahaha. Seriously, I wouldn't mind being seen getting messy with my seafood as if you really want to enjoy the experience, they are meant to be eaten by hand.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We now say goodbye for now to the cast of Oyayi as they end their first season this Sunday, January 29, 2017 but hopefully we get to see them again for the second season as "Kuya Maki" played by Frederico "Icko" Gonzalez reveals during the event that talks are already ongoing for the continuing shows. Also, it was highly assured during their grand launch last year that the organizers of the show, along with their partners, will be working hard for another season so that the value-enriched Oyayi will again educate our children every Sunday morning. For me, I would want to see the show for many more seasons since our children deserve quality shows like these that would help mold them to be better citizens.

Along with Kuya Maki, the team leader of "Pangkat Oyayi," during the farewell event for Oyayi were two other characters namely Bon Haribon (inspired by the Haring Ibon or Monkey-Eating Eagle) and Tama Raw (inspired by the Tamaraw) but we were missing Kuwago Zhibago (played by Ruther Urquia), a robotic owl, and his three sidekicks, the Tornilyons (shaped as nuts and bolts), also Tele Bobby (the character with a television head), plus the other three hand puppets Diva Butanding, Dok Pil and Tarsiera, inspired by indigenous endangered species such as butanding (whale shark), pilandok (mouse deer), and the tarsier.

However, as what you have read on our title, the event was also the launch of the third season of Superbook, the Bible-based animation that I grew up with during my formative years. This is the new version of the animation as it now uses 3D CGI unlike the previous 2D animation from its original run. The cartoon was also run in Tagalog dubbed for both versions to make it more engaging for Filipinos. I generally like the show in whatever language it is presented, but we really shouldn't worry since the children nowadays are fast learners and more adaptive even with English as the means of conversation. It also helps to create familiarity with the English language so that our children will be more competitive in international opportunities. But we don't really need to argue as both languages have their own respective benefits.

As expected, the lovable and cute Gizmo mascot was there to entertain the children with his dance-along with the official Superbook soundtrack "The Salvation Poem." The children were actively participating in the sing and dance portion just as how they did during the Oyayi soundtrack dance, and very engaged as well with the many games that were held that day giving the children some prizes like stickers and notebooks.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Social media users are often criticized for being too harsh, or should we say, too open. It has become a no holds barred venue that could be an outlet for posting of either rants or raves especially when there's too much hate or love for something or somebody.

This openness makes most of us so vulnerable because we tend to reveal even sensitive or confidential information that could lead us to danger if it falls into the wrong hands. Our lives may be in jeopardy if it is taken advantage by cunning individuals that are up to no good. On the other hand, social media can also be used by shady individuals to malign or ruin the reputation of individuals too. There is so much false news and information proliferating online that many are getting brainwashed or confused on what to believe.

Statements on social media could make or break anybody if taken too far. The advantage is with those that have the financial resources that could easily run a massive campaign online for or against anybody.

Meantime, there are some entities or organizations that require us to submit our personal information that we know could also be a source of threat for us, just as how the COMELEC was hacked and robbed of its precious data that is all about the many Filipino voters. Who knows what they will do with all those information about a few million Filipinos?

An attendee gave a tip that we should also think twice about sharing personal information like emails and addresses with institutions or corporations. If absolutely necessary, use a separate email account not linked to any other accounts. I agree because we wouldn't know if they could use these information to penetrate, access and control our personal accounts.

Thus, we do need to have some sort of regulatory body that could help prevent such occurrences to persist and also to identify and penalize the erring individuals or groups. We need to talk more about our privacy and the impact of data breaches on our rights.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"I don’t really believe in resolutions. (Because why wait a year for it, right?)

Let’s be honest. How many of us diligently pen down our resolutions in the last few days of the year and successfully spend the next 365 days sticking to them?

But Bing is onto something -- Bing tracked a 48 percent increase in users searching for “calendars and planners” in January* – clearly indicating how planning for the rest of the year is on most people’s minds.

In fact, Bing tracked a 48 percent increase in users searching for “calendars and planners” in January* – clearly indicating how planning for the rest of the year is on most people’s minds.

But perhaps 2017 is the year for you to finally make a resolution and keep it. We asked Bing what searches saw a surge at the start of the year in Asia and rounded up actionable tips on how to NOT break your resolutions.

With that, we have 10 tips on how NOT to break your New Year’s resolutions!"

Mine will be #10 and #2.

But #8 is also interesting. I'm going to get a new friend from Space and Skype with him to say (from Translator), "ylqm 'lHqu'! (because Skype Translator also has Klingon!)

What is yours?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The world never stands still. In the technology space, this means that constant innovation and discovery is the key to a solution provider’s survival and growth.

In the cybersecurity arena, this creed is even more vital. Many hackers are brilliant people. There’s only one way to get the better of them – be even more brilliant. And faster and more creative.

Which is why R&D is crucial in the security technology business. Cybersecurity solution providers must deliver open, integrated security and networking technologies that enable enterprises to see and react rapidly to changing attack techniques, increase proactivity, and scale and provision their security along with business growth. To cope with this breadth of demands – sometimes in very short time spans − technology providers need to be able to cross traditional boundaries, allowing them to innovate across the entire ecosystem.

Fortinet is at the forefront of such innovation. In 2016 alone we were granted close to 80 patents in such diverse areas as CASB, malware detection techniques, data leak protection, virus detection, hardware acceleration, DDoS and cloud services.

However, the cyber threat landscape is continuing to become more challenging in 2017. Here are a few areas that Fortinet has identified for intensive R&D during the coming year:

Burn Soriano Targets Another Big Win in Upcoming Bout

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After scoring a highlight-reel finish in his last bout, Filipino homegrown talent Burn “The Hitman” Soriano looks for another scintillating performance as he is set to have his first scheduled match under the ONE Championship banner in 2017.

Soriano will be squaring off with Malaysian standout Saiful “The Vampire” Merican on the undercard of ONE: THRONE OF TIGERS, which takes place at the 12,000-seater Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 10 February.

The 30-year-old native of Narvacan, Ilocos Sur eyes a follow-up to his 15-second knockout win over Mario Satya Wirawan last August.

Soriano delivered a well-executed spinning backfist that instantly turned the lights out on Wirawan. His knockout victory was ranked as one of the jaw-dropping wins in 2016 by ONE Championship.

“I am a fighter who always looks for the finish. As much as possible, I want to give the fans what they want to see. They didn’t buy a ticket to see a boring fight. They came for an action-packed fight with an amazing conclusion,” Soriano said.

“In my upcoming fight, my fans should expect that I will have the same mentality. I will look for that finish,” he added.

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Globe Telecom signed a ground-breaking agreement with the League of Vice-Governors of the Philippines (LVGP) to collaborate in facilitating the deployment of vital ICT infrastructure, particularly in unserved and underserved communities in the country.

“ICT is rapidly changing the way that companies conduct business and the government delivers services. This agreement shows that we are one with League of Vice Governors in our desire to develop the ICT capacities of communities and businesses. We are confident this initiative would unlock more economic opportunities in the countryside and provide vital services to more Filipinos, benefitting the country as a whole,” Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu said.

Under the memorandum of agreement, which was signed by Globe Senior Vice President for Broadband Business Martha Sazon and LVGP National President Antonio Albano, vice-governors committed to provide support in relation to the deployment of telecommunication facilities in their capacity as presiding officers of Sangguniang Panlalawigan in their respective provinces.

The agreement follows repeated calls by Globe for a rationalization of permitting process for cell sites and other telecommunication infrastructure, pointing out it takes at least 8 months, involving 25 permits, to put up one cell site. This has led to considerable delay in the deployment of telecommunication facilities. In the case of Globe, the telecommunications provider has a backlog of around 3000 sites amid difficulties in securing permits from various local government units, homeowners’ associations and other government agencies.

Specifically, members of LVGP committed to ensure that only reasonable fees equivalent to the cost of regulation of ICT infrastructure in relation to the process of reviewing ordinances passed by municipalities and cities in their respective provinces. The LVP also committed to advise and encourage cities and municipalities to have a turn-around time for the issuance of permits and licenses of not more than 10 days from the submission of all requirements; exempt ICT infrastructure installed in agricultural, residential, commercial and industrial areas from zoning clearances; and to enact a uniform ordinance prescribing the barest minimum documentary requirements and that no more than 3 signatures shall be required for such permits.

The LGVP also committed to identify areas owned and controlled by the government as possible sites where ICT infrastructure may be installed, co-located or leased by Globe and to encourage cities and municipalities to do likewise. In addition, the group committed to encourage cities and municipalities to deploy at their cost and expense their respective ICT infrastructure such as fiber optic networks and communication towers to be leased by Globe and to provide the necessary assistance to facilitate acquisition of permits and licenses from cities and municipalities under the LVGP’s jurisdiction which are identified by Globe as priority areas for ICT infrastructure deployment.

Globe, on the other hand, committed to provide free Wi-Fi service in cities and municipalities compliant with the provisions of the agreement as well CCTV cameras or computer software or hardware and free internet service in select schools and public institutions or other high traffic areas such as city halls, terminals and other LGU-owned areas where there will be potentially have high Wi-Fi usage.

Under the agreement, Globe will be in charge in identifying priority areas for deployment of ICT infrastructure and to provide technical assistance to provinces, cities and municipalities in the deployment of their respective ICT infrastructure to be leased by Globe.

PHOTO CAPTION: Globe Senior Vice President for Broadband Business Martha Sazon (4th from right) shakes hands with Isabela Vice Governor Antonio Albano, LGVP National President (4th from left) following the signing of a MOA to facilitate deployment of ICT infrastructure in the country. Witnessing the signing are from left Globe Director for Sector Relations Robert Aquino; Masbate Vice Governor Jo Kristine Revil, LGVP PRO; Leyte Vice-Governor Carlo Loreto, LGVP Secretary General; Oriental Mindoro Vice-Governor Humerlito Dolor, LGVP Chair; Globe Director for Business Development Michelle Ora; and Laguna Vice-Governor Karen Agapay, LGVP Treasurer.