The 2030 Project Introduced This Year’s 17 SDG Youth Champions

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We all have our goals: #SquadGoals, #TravelGoals, #RelationshipGoals, and the list goes on. But these student leaders from Manila have their own unique goal, not just for themselves but for the Philippines and the whole world.

The 2030 Project is a non-profit, youth leaders’ volunteer-based initiative, composed of student leaders all over the country. Committed to contribute in attaining. the United Nation’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Agenda by 2030 by empowering the Filipino youth sector through its training programs; advocacy awareness, advocacy sharpening, project formulation, project development, project implementation, and project recognition

Now on its 2nd year, the organization proudly launched the LEADers Unite 2017: #OurGoals, a one-day seminar-workshop which aims to create awareness about the 17 SDGs, to craft sustainable and inclusive community based projects, and to build an active community of Filipino youth leaders that will collaborate towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Agenda by 2030, with the theme “The future we, ASEAN leaders, are going to create.” LEADers Unite 2017 aims to tackle today’s compressing issues: poverty, inequalities, and climate change.

The summit was divided into three panel sessions: End Poverty, Fight Inequalities, and Tackle Climate Change, which featured 17 Youth Champions who consistently created a sustainable impact in their own communities with their advocacies and prominent thoughts as leaders across different sectors.

Experience Augmented Reality with Lenovo's Star Wars: Jedi Challenges

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It was just a few weeks ago when I was discussing with the Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan about the next technology offering of Lenovo, when he said they were to introduce Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) integrated with their devices, and true enough their latest event featured such technologies.

Capitalizing on the popularity and upcoming new movie of Star Wars, Lenovo held an event on November 8, 2017 at Chaos City of Dreams Manila featuring their partnership with Disney and the Star wars franchise.

Special appearance of cosplay and gaming icons Alodia Gosiengfiao and Ashley Gosiengfiao, plus YouTuber Chris Cantada made the launch more interesting as we get to interview, take photo ops and selfies with the three as they endorse Lenovo's latest product offerings.

Techies will surely highly anticipate the availability of the smartphone-powered augmented reality gadgets composed of a headset, lightsaber, and tracking beacon - all inspired by Star wars.

Cusi: DOE to Contain Mindoro Oil Spill

The Department of Energy (DOE) is moving fast to contain the oil spill that occurred on November 6 within the vicinity of the DMCI Power Plant in Brgy. Sta. Isabel, Calapan City.

According to Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi, the DOE is closely coordinating with concerned government agencies, such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), to contain the damage brought about by the oil spill in the area.

"The DOE is primarily concerned with the safety of the people in the vicinity,” Cusi said as he directed the DOE to coordinate with concerned industry players for regular updates on the containment activities, and information on the cause of the oil spill.             

The DOE is also working on how to secure the oil and power supply requirements to protect the welfare of consumers in the area following the disruption caused by the oil spill, he added.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, specifically its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), will look into possible violations of environmental standards.

The DOE will conduct with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) and National Power Corp. (NPC), in coordination with local officials, a comprehensive performance assessment and audit of the entire power sector system and facilities in Mindoro this week to address the issue.

The DOE emphasized that during incidents like this, protocols to be followed should be in accordance with Department Circular No. ‎‎98-02-003 directing all operations of oil rigs or platforms, power plants, oil tankers and barges carrying, producing and/or utilizing crude oil-based products to report all oil spills or environmental incidents to the Department of Energy within 8 hours for verbal/preliminary report and 48 hours for written report.

Asia’s Songbird Leads the Star-Studded Performances at Love Gala

Get ready for an unforgettable night of performance, artistry, and charity to raise HIV awareness
and honor the movers in the advocacy.

Asia’s Songbird Regine Velasquez-Alcasid leads the popular and phenomenal artists who will be showcasing their talents in a night of special performances at the Love Gala charity and awards fundraiser.

A staunch supporter of the HIV-AIDS advocacy, Regine appeared alongside other celebrity-advocates in an awareness campaign video that went viral online earlier this year.

She continues her advocacy this December 1 on World AIDS Day by performing at the Love Gala, Asia’s Premier Charity and Awards event, at the BGC Arts Center.

Aside from Regine, the other artists performing at the Love Gala include Asia's Phoenix Diva Morissette Amon, Hanggang singer Wency Cornejo, and respected theater actor Audie Gemora.

Also lending their beautiful voices to the Love Gala are Radha Cuadrado, Shiela Valderrama, Nicole Asensio, Phi Palmos, and Polly Cabrera.

In between these star-studded performances, the Love Gala will also honor the first-ever Ripple Awards winners, 10 brave individuals who have made a significant impact in spreading HIV-AIDS awareness, stopping the spread of the virus, and helping to fight the stigma suffered by their communities.

Tickets to Love Gala can be bought at lovegala.org/tickets, with 10% of ticket prices going to HIV-AIDS organizations to help fund their life-saving health programs.

The Love Gala is a collaboration among private and public institutions and youth-oriented organizations that want their HIV-AIDS advocacy efforts to reach a larger mainstream audience. According to the latest data from then Department of Health, around 30 incidences of HIV infection are observed every day in the country.

Institutions and organizations coming together for Love Gala are the following: AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Better Together Initiative, Black Maria Pictures, Castro Communications, Decent Image of South Signal Association (DIOSSA), Dentsu Jayme Syfu, Nectar Nightclub, Philippine National AIDS Council, Pilipinas Shell Foundation Inc., Pinoy Plus Association Incorporated, Positibong Marino Philippines, Sustained Health Initiatives of the Philippines (SHIP), Taguig City Government, The Red Whistle, The LoveYourself Incorporated, UNAIDS, the US Embassy and World Health Organization-Philippines.

DOE Asks NAPOCOR to Work for Total Electrification

LEVEL UP: Speaking on behalf of DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi during the National Power Corporation’s (NAPOCOR) 81st Anniversary, Usec. William Felix Fuentebella challenged the power firm to further raise the bar of excellence, stepping up their performance to ensure the delivery of quality, reliable and affordable electricity services, especially to far-flung off-grid areas.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi urged the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) on Monday to work for a more stable and affordable power supply as the government moves for the total electrification of the country, specially the far-flung communities.

Cusi made the exhortation through Energy Undersecretary Wimpy Fuentebella who represented the DOE chief on the occasion of NAPOCOR’s 81st anniversary celebration held at the NPC building in Quezon City.

Cusi stressed that the Duterte administration wants to provide power to all of the remote, underserved or unserved areas in the Philippines.

“In serving the country’s peripheries, the NPC must double its efforts to lower electricity prices, achieve stable power supply and enhance the resilience of electric power infrastructures to ensure continued growth,” Fuentebella said.

During the NAPOCOR anniversary program, the Missionary Electrification Development Plan (MEDP) was highlighted as the DOE’s vision and ‎‎2016-2020 roadmap for off-grid power development projects.

With the National Electrification Administration (NEA), NAPOCOR will move to provide resilient, reliable and high-quality electricity services to off-grid provinces in the country.

“All these require the re-thinking of our current electric power infrastructure,” said Fuentebella, who batted for the introduction of innovative and emerging technologies.

During the celebration, NAPOCOR President Pio J. Benavidez turned over to the DOE a copy of ‎‎‎‎2018-2022 National Power Corporation Missionary Electrification Plan (MEP ‎‎‎2018-2022) which forms a major part of the MEDP.

The rationalization of the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification (UC-ME) should make the power industry in off-grid areas more self-reliant and less dependent on subsidies in the long run, said the DOE official.

“I understand that there is so much to be done. But looking ahead, all this would mean that the country’s rural communities would be in a far better position than they are today,” Fuentebella said.
       
The DOE underscored the role NAPOCOR plays in the energy sector’s total electrification goal as mandated under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.

Due to the influx of new economic activities and eco-tourism in off-grid provinces, additional power supply is needed to be consistent with the government’s objective of bringing economic development in these areas, the DOE concluded.

Sebastian Castro and Fifth Solomon Encourage Your Squad to Know Your HIV Status

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The LoveYourself, Inc. redefines its semi-annual community-based HIV screening day by extending loving oneself to also taking care of friends with its new campaign, the #LoveSquad.

“We chose LoveSquad for this HIV screening day, because it is always better to have friends supporting one another, especially to potentially life changing events in their lives, like knowing one’s HIV status,” said LoveYourself, Inc. Executive Director Ronivin G. Pagtakhan.

This year’s #LoveSquad is led by Blued ambassador Sebastian Castro and Fifth Solomon, who urge groups and individuals to know their HIV status.

LoveYourself also encourages all fitness buffs, jet-setters, bookworms, and all lovers of life out there to #LoveSquad on 26 November 2017 (Sunday) at Victoria Court Malate as it offers a fast, easy, and totally anonymous HIV screening day.

The event starts from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and interested clients should register at go.loveyourself.ph/lovesquad.

Pagtakhan pointed out, “The objective of #LoveSquad is to reach out to key-affected populations like the youth to promote HIV screening as a regular part of one’s self-care routine and of course, to remove its stigma.”

Targeting the millenials and beyond, #LoveSquad is LoveYourself’s response to the growing number of HIV cases in this age bracket.

According to the Department of Health-Epidemiology Bureau data, a total of 1,013 individuals were diagnosed in June, to which twenty-seven (27) years old is the median age. In particular, the age group 25-34 years old composed the half of the newly diagnosed individuals with HIV and about 32% were aged 15-24 years old.

LoveYourself’s army of trained counselors will assist clients as they undergo HIV screening and the results will only take up to 15-20 minutes.

On results reliability, #LoveSquad will use the 3rd generation rapid test kits for its accuracy as previously tested.

The #LoveSquad is also LoveYourself’s contribution to the commemoration of World AIDS Day, apart from its major participation in holding the first Love Gala -the Asia’s Premier and Awards Gala which also cover the pioneer Ripple Awards for outstanding HIV and AIDS movers in the Philippines and Asia.

#LoveSquad is supported by DOH- Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., Blued, Victoria Court, and Save the Children.

For more details on #LoveSquad and other LoveYourself’s services, individuals may visit the group’s official website at www.loveyourself.ph or follow and like its social media channels: Facebook- @loveyourself.ph, Twitter- @loveyourselfph, and Instagram- @loveyourself.ph.

LoveYourself has two established community-based clinics - LoveYourself Anglo along Shaw and LoveYourself Uni in Taft-Buendia. Both clinics are open every Wednesdays to Saturdays from 12:00 nn -7:00 p.m., and Sundays at 9:00 a.m.-2:00p.m.

Plan International Philippines Partners with the Department of Education to Implement Flexible Learning Programs

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Non-profit organization Plan International, through a continuous partnership with the Department of Education, is guiding more than 18,000 girls and boys to have access to quality education and essential life skills needed for a better future.

In July 2013, Plan International, with support from Dubai Cares[1], started the Real Assets through Improved Skills and Education for Children Girls (RAISE) program in the Philippines to address the challenges faced by disadvantaged children and youth in accessing quality education and developing essential life skills.

It began in the provinces of Northern Samar and Masbate, which both remained to be among the poorest provinces in the country with a poverty incidence of 43.5 percent and 40.6 percent[2], respectively.

Targeting the underserved children and youth demographic, particularly girls aged 10 to 19 years old, the program aimed to support their completion of primary and secondary education, and contribute to the reduction of the dropout rate in the two provinces. 

Fortinet Recommended in NSS Labs Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS) Test

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Superior IPS Performance Resulting from Years of IPS Technology Investment and Security Fabric Innovation



"Today’s newly discovered vulnerabilities are being exploited at machine speeds that are outpacing the capability of IT teams to patch. This is increasing the urgency for many enterprises to integrate effective IPS capabilities with their overall security architecture. The latest NSS Labs results reinforce a decade of Fortinet IPS technology leadership, providing devices that scale from 150 Mbps up to 120 Gbps to help organizations of all sizes close gaps in their attack surface.” - John Maddison, senior vice president of products and solutions, Fortinet


Fortinetthe global leader in high-performance cybersecurity solutions, today announced the results of the latest NSS Labs Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS) group test report. The testing revealed that Fortinet’s FortiGate 600D earned a 99.7% rating for Security Effectiveness, the lowest Total Cost of Ownership per Protected Mbps in the Security Value Map and received NSS Labs’ coveted ‘Recommended’ rating.


NSS Lab’s NGIPS report is the industry’s most comprehensive test of security effectiveness for Intrusion Prevention Systems offered today and helps security customers select the best solutions based on real-world performance.

The FortiGate 600D IPS achieved a security effectiveness score of 99.7%, blocking 100% of live attacks used in active threat campaigns and stopping 99.45% of attacks from NSS Labs’ entire exploit library.

The FortiGate 600D was one of only four vendors capable of thwarting 100% of the evasion techniques used in NSS Labs testing.

Intrusion Prevention is Critical but Not All Systems Are Equal

Recent attacks like WannaCry and Petya have highlighted how quickly unpatched vulnerabilities can be exploited on a global scale. The ever-increasing number of operating systems, applications and new devices running on networks challenges even the most diligent IT teams trying to keep up with the latest updates. IPS solutions can provide protection from these newly disclosed vulnerabilities and advanced evasion techniques, providing enterprises with the critical time needed to test and push new patches to their various systems, but not all solutions are created equal.

This is why Fortinet consistently invests in extensive third-party testing and validation of its solutions. Working with organizations like NSS Labs provides customers with the data needed to select the most effective security solutions to defend their businesses and ensures that Fortinet continues to deliver the most effective and highest performing cybersecurity to meet their needs.



Dedicated NGIPS Protection with Superior Security Fabric Integration

As an extension of the Fortinet Security Fabric, FortiGate IPS meets all the requirements of a standalone next-generation solution by combining a high-speed, effective IPS engine with evasion techniques, context and reputation awareness, extensive application and user control capabilities, advanced threat detection, and a performance-optimized platform.

FortiGate IPS functionality leverages the Fortinet Security Fabric and FortiOS to deliver real-time updates that continuously defend against the latest threats and zero-day attacks emerging across the threat landscape. Powered by purpose-built hardware and Fortinet Security Processing Units (SPUs), FortiGate IPS provides leading in-line protection with performance that won’t slow down enterprise networks.



Supporting Quotes

“NSS Labs is focused on empowering enterprises to make informed decisions based on independent real-world testing results. We applaud Fortinet’s commitment to third-party testing. Fortinet’s Recommended rating in our 2017 NGIPS Group Test makes them a great option for any business looking to strengthen their security architecture.” -
Vikram Phatak, chief executive officer of NSS Labs



Additional Resources

Please visit the Fortinet Intrusion Prevention System Homepage to learn more about FortiGate IPS.
Download the NSS Labs Next-Generation Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS) Individual Test Report and Security Value Map here.

Follow Fortinet on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Join the conversation on the Fortinet blog.
When It Comes to Intrusion Prevention, FortiGate IPS Stands Alone in the IPS Market

How Traveling Can Help to Write a Good College Essay

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How Not to Write a Clichéd College Essay: 10 Ways Traveling Will Help You

Writing better essay needs you to be more exposed to information. You can travel throughout the world, visiting various countries and at the end you come back with information. Many of us take traveling as a pleasure or just an activity. However, you should know that traveling consists of several events. The vital thing you need to know is that traveling aids in better knowledge to in terms of writing good content. College students who write better essay have either been exposed to information through books or by practices experience.

One of the practical experiences is traveling.

Traveling Widens Your Mind

Our normal brain operates under the influence of environment. You must ensure that the surrounding gives you a good atmosphere for mind to effectively operate. Traveling widens your mind and creates permanent pictures in mind. You are aware that some essays require experience for you to effectively write. For you to achieve that, you need to ensure your mind is exposed to information. You widen your mind by traveling and learning new cultures.

It Gives Plenty of Examples to Include in an Essay

You may have visited several places. The event in the process of visiting and coming back is attracted in mind and you can use it as examples in the content. How to write an effective essay, you need to use different examples. Traveling exposes your mind to these examples. Visiting a certain community, aids you with the knowledge of culture and language of the community. You need to embrace traveling for better examples in content in writing.

It Improves Problem-Solving Skills

Argumentative essays require you to give valid points. These valid points are important in solving different problems with facts and figures. Traveling boosts your problem solving ability. With relevant facts obtained through traveling, you can solve different problems you face in providing facts in the content. By solving different types of problems, you can be able to know how to write a great essay.

It Boosts Your Creativity

The content of an essay is the predominant factor that lectures look specifically in an essay. For you to generate a great content, you need to have a creative mind. By traveling you creativity in producing ideas is improved widely. Seeing various cultures, places, and activities helps you to be creative in producing relevant ideas.

It Builds Your Confidence

Traveling makes you to build on your confidence as a college student. EssayZoo.org team believes in confidence in order for you to give out the best content. Traveling builds your confidence because you will be sure of the points you produce. You need to travel a lot for you to give vital facts in the content of essays. For instance, when you visit a national park you will be sure to give facts about wild animals.

It Grows the Tolerance and Openness to Different Views

Traveling makes us to respect and uphold tolerance. Is very important for you to understand others and be tolerant. Traveling helps you to be tolerant in cases where there is interaction. A simple visit in a country can change your attitude of writing. You need to notice that when you interact with others, your attitude and openness is figured easily. Interaction in class and with lecturers is greatly shown and this in turn helps you better your content writing.

It Discourages Monotony of Mind

Our own minds are made in such a way that when you confine to one place it also confines. Many college students have been able to write a great essay because of disconnection from regular activities. I strongly advise you to take a trip in a different environment. When you visit different places, you explore your mind. Obvious problems can be forgotten easily and new solution gotten.

It Improves Your Knowledge

Traveling alone boosts your knowledge about something. Various things are only learnt in class. But in writing and effective essay, you need more information and practical experience. The knowledge about events and occasions stuck in mind creating an easy way to write an essay. To view different customs and way of life is indeed fantastic to the mind.

Improvement of Language

It is important especially for a foreign student to travel and learn new languages. The language used in content writing can be improved easily by traveling. Learning new language for can help your mind generate vital ideas irrespective of the race. Write an essay for me is an idea that students have in mind when they are unable to produce one. You can better your content by improving on the new language leant during a given visit to a country or place.

Traveling Educates

Education or knowledge about something can also be achieved by traveling. We visit places and learn different diversities of culture, sporting activities and also physical features. With this knowledge, you will be good in writing a good essay. As much as knowledge is obtained from class, you can achieve additional knowledge by traveling. You will be educated about animals, sports, culture, events, and political issues when you visit and learn places that have these activities.

Final thoughts

Travelling is important for students especially when you want to gain practical experience. Traveling helps you acquire knowledge and skills in writing a good essay. Through memories created, you can be able to give valid information and idea in the essay. So you should embrace visiting various places to boost your knowledge in writing. However you should not take traveling as leisure but as a learning experience.

Things to do in Palm Springs - California

The Pond Estate

Wazzup Pilipinas! Now if your planning to travel from Manila to Palm Springs, California. Or may came from any part of the globe. You may see  things you may do, tourist to visit or places to stay for your memorable epic travels. See my options or interesting to do list in Palm Springs California.