Companies in Philippines Urged to Strengthen Cyber Security Readiness Ahead of European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Fortinet identifies key industries impacted by the EU’s GDPR compliance requirements, and recommends steps to prevent, detect, and remediate data breaches on Personally Identifiable Information

Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions today advised organizations in the Philippines to make final preparations to abide by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective 25 May 2018.

This law protects the personal information of all citizens of the European Union (EU) and will be enforced through fines, sanctions, and injured-party compensation. It is quite similar to an existing law in the Philippines, the Data Privacy Act of 2012, which subjects any business located in the country to stringent data protection laws that could cost offending organizations fines and jail time of up to six years.

As such, industries impacted by GDPR will need to review all business processes involving personally identifiable information (PII) and assess their organisational readiness to meet the 72-hour data breach reporting mandate.

The GDPR finely balances the rights of EU citizens to control their personal data against the responsibilities of organizations to protect that data both in the course of normal operations as well as in the case of data breaches. Significant new EU personal information protections include the right to explicitly approve personal data usage and a “right to be forgotten,” enabling people to demand that an organization purge any personal data about them. While businesses and governments with a physical presence in the EU will need to abide by GDPR, it may also apply to firms with significant EU customer or client bases.

Despite the impending deadline, most Asia Pacific businesses, which serve the EU market or have significant transactions that capture PII are still not fully prepared. According to the third biennial EY Global Forensic Data Analytics Survey by Ernst & Young (EY), only 12 per cent of firms in APAC have a GDPR compliance plan in place.

“While GDPR affects private and public sector organizations handling PII, certain key industries will have heightened exposure as a result of the volumes of PII data they handle as well as the nature of their business,” said Peerapong Jongvibool, Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, Fortinet. “These include e-commerce-based organizations operating internationally, as well as companies that serve significant numbers of tourists, visitors, or expatriates from the EU.”

Fortinet lists the top three industries impacted by GDPR:

• Retail − Retail businesses most likely to curate GDPR-relevant PII data include cross-border e-commerce operations, multi-venue retail chains, hospitality, travel, and F&B businesses. Brick-and-mortar businesses serving EU customers can also find themselves liable to GDPR PII protections. Paying with a credit or debit card, providing shipping address information and participating in a customer loyalty program all fall under the protection of GDPR.
  
• Healthcare − GDPR extends its coverage to non-EU organizations storing or processing the medical information of EU persons. GDPR enacts particularly stringent protection and processes for handling particular types of PII medical information. In general, an organization may collect and process personal medical information only if it is necessary for patient treatment and diagnosis, and with the explicit consent of the patient. GDPR also mentions genetic data as an area of particular concern.
  
• Financial Services - Financial organizations often maintain huge stockpiles of PII data on account holders. They also consume and generate vast quantities of highly personal marketing data to support selling financial services and assessing credit worthiness of commercial and individual customers.

Organizations preparing for GDPR must focus on reconfiguring their business processes and IT architectures, as well as reducing exposure of PII data.

Fortinet advises enterprises in the Philippines to take the following steps to accelerate GDPR compliance:

1. Engage a third-party firm to assess data protection practices and exposure to GDPR rules.
2. Conduct a comprehensive data audit to understand data source, collection and processing. It should include documenting where GDPR-impacted data is stored, how it is communicated between systems within the domain, and any external clouds or third-party data custodians.
3. Determine how long it takes for data-breach detection and mitigation and what is required to improve these processes to meet GDPR requirements. This element of the action plan should also include a detailed security assessment.

“At the end of the day, complying with GDPR may well turn out to be the right thing to do to protect the privacy and interests of all stakeholder communities linked to an organization,” concluded Jongvibool. “As onerous as GDPR might seem, it could mark a big step towards restoring public confidence in the ability of businesses to deliver social benefits while simultaneously curbing social risks.”

Honda Philippines Celebrates HSDC’s 10th Anniversary and Thanksgiving Day

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Leading motorcycle brand strengthens its take on road safety programs

Honda Safety Driving Center (HSDC), the first motorcycle riding school in the country that provides comprehensive training for both 2-Wheel and 4-Wheel vehicles and even truck certification, celebrates its10th anniversary and thanksgiving day along with the Honda group of companies namely Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI,) Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI,) and Honda Manufacturing Parts Corporation (HPMC.)

HSDC offers programs in road safety training which aims to help safeguard the well-being of motorcycle riders and automobile drivers.

The institution also conducts training courses for Beginners and Refreshers, as well as Seminars that provide the rules of the road and demonstrate proper and legal safety maneuvers for motorcycle riding. These programs are ideal for those who want to learn safety techniques, relearn driving, and awareness as a Safe Road User.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, HSDC updates the public about the projects they have done so far after the launch of the One Honda Road Safety (1HRS) for our Family Campaign, a joint advocacy of the Honda group of companies. This was awarded as one of the best road safety programs by the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists. This is HSDC’s milestone and long-term commitment to building a community of safe and responsible road users.

HSDC also launches its newest services, such as the Basic Group Riding Course, the Big Bike Safety Riding Course, the Executive Driving Course, and Kids on Safety Program.

The celebration also coincides with the thanksgiving and awarding of the Certificate of Appreciation to all of its road safety program partners. Since it is important to HSDC that its riders make it home safely, it awards its partners to recognize their efforts in helping make this goal into a reality.

HSDC sets to strengthen its programs on road safety, accident prevention, and risk reduction through its new training innovations and Dealer Road Safety Program, which features training courses and audiovisuals to provide customers with road safety tips. These tips also aim to eliminate bad habits on the road, which alarmingly cause accidents that kill over 10,300 Filipinos a year according to the World Health Organization. This is why it is important for HSDC to provide these courses to promote intelligent, safe and responsible motorcycle riding.

This is aligned with Honda’s commitment not only to provide quality products and services with technological expertise, but also safe riding practices for every Filipino family to further experience the joy of riding Honda motorcycles and driving Honda cars.

For more information about Honda Philippines and its upcoming events, go towww.hondaph.com or follow the official Facebook page atfacebook.com/hondaph/.

foodpanda Goes Green with the Launch of the ‘No Cutlery’ Option for Over Fifty Restaurants"

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As the world observes the theme of ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ for World Environment Day this June, the on-demand food delivery service in the Philippines, foodpanda, is recognizing the huge opportunity and responsibility it has in shaping the country’s food industry and its consequential impact on food and plastic wastage in the world.

foodpanda is striving to limit its impact on the environment by waging a war on plastic and launching an opt-in and opt-out function for plastic cutlery. Starting June, customers of the food delivery service will have the option to say “no” to disposable cutlery. With many orders being delivered to either offices or homes, where cutlery is readily available, foodpanda is hoping this initiative will significantly reduce the use of plastic cutlery.

“We hope that this campaign would encourage customers to opt-out of disposable cutlery since many of them are ordering food from their homes or offices. And with this, we estimate that this option can help reduce foodpanda's usage of plastic utensils by 30% in 2018,” says Iacopo Rovere, CEO of foodpanda Philippines.

foodpanda is launching the ‘no cutlery’ option with more than 50 participating restaurant partners such as S&R New York Style Pizza, Yabu, Tim Ho Wan, and Frankie’s across its three key cities in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao.

The opt-in cutlery function marks the first step in the food delivery company’s efforts to reduce its impact on the environment. Other initiatives in the pipeline for the upcoming months include replacing plastic bags with brown paper bags and increasing the number of cyclists and walkers in the delivery fleet, with hopes that less motorized vehicles will be used.

With these combined initiatives, foodpanda hopes to make a difference to the way plastic waste is viewed and reduce the overall environmental impact from food packaging waste. If you already have easy access to cutlery or if you do not need it for your meal, foodpanda appeals to you to please consider opting-out to help reduce plastic usage.

Akbayan to CA: Reject Castriciones

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Farmer leaders of Akbayan Party-List trooped to the Senate gates on Tuesday to urge members of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) to reject John Castriciones as the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Members of Akbayan brought giant thumbs-down signs to the Senate to show their disapproval over the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to appoint Castriciones.

Akbayan demanded the CA to reject Castriciones for his anti-farmer stances, some of which came out during the hearings of the Commission.

In previous speeches, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin pointed out Castriciones' flaws including continuing the cancellation of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards, his inaction in installing agrarian reform beneficaries to their land, and his approval of land conversion which is a deadly scheme against farmers.

"Naniniwala kami na ang dapat maupo bilang kalihim ng DAR ay mga lider na may malasakit para sa mga magsasaka at hindi matatakot na tumindig para sa hustisya na tatlong dekada na nating ipinaglalaban," Sumilao farmer leader and Akbayan nominee Yoyong Merida said.

"Malinaw ang panawagan namin sa mga miyembro ng CA: huwag maging traydor sa mga magsasaka. Piliin lamang ang isang kalihim na papanig sa interes ng mga magsasaka na siyang mandato ng DAR," Merida added.

A Comprehensive Guide to Travelling with a Drone

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Traveling with a drone is a tricky task. There are certain things which you need to know before actually experiencing the situation. If you are fully prepared for every sort of situation you might experience then it would cause you less inconvenience. You need to do some homework and also know about technicalities involved once you fly your drone to an exotic area. Below mentioned are some tip that will definitely help you.

Make a list:

The first thing you must do before traveling is to make a checklist. It is important to have it because once you are traveling there are a lot of things on your mind. You might forget as small a thing as an SD card and it would create inconvenience. So make sure you have the drone, the batteries, the charger, the SD cards etc. you can either write them down or make a soft copy on your cell phones and double check before you leave the house.

Know about the aviation rules and laws of your destination:

Once you decide the place to which you are going you have to do some homework i.e. you need to know about the aviation laws of the area. There are some basic shared laws of every country like avoid crowded places, do not fly in the commercial zones or in the cities or avoid certain buildings etc. You need to know about them to avoid any inconvenience in future.

Set up location:

Always research the location before actually going there. You need to know about the landmarks or scenery. You can use Google maps or search on the internet about the area which you are going to visit and capture.


Specified Drone bag:
As drones are getting smaller and smaller in size you might not want to put it in your main luggage as not to harm or destroy it. So it is advisable to have a separate bag for the drone. It would prevent it getting mishandled and damaged.

Always carry your drone in hand carry:

While passing through security checks it is advisable to carry your drone with you. In that case, you can reopen your bag and have it checked as many times as they want it to be without any unnecessary delays.

Choose several perspectives:
While capturing through your drone at an exotic place, always remember to capture from at least 3 different perspectives. To enhance the footage you can get a sharper image drone and capture from wider perspectives.


Keep drone in front of your eyes:

This is also important. Direct video streaming is good as long as it works properly. Once you lose sight of your drone and the signal gets disrupted you might lose the drone. If it is in front of your sight you can prevent it from getting lost. 

Conclusion:

These were a few things which are must-dos if you are traveling with your drone for the first time. In addition to that make the best out of your time. Fly your drone for the extra time. Get used to with the surroundings. Capture on selected times like early morning or sunset to get the best images as possible.

Renaissance Gallery Celebrates its 15th Anniversary

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In celebration of its 15th Anniversary, Renaissance Gallery, a leading purveyor of non-representational art in the country, presents “XV” which opens on June 10 till June 22 at the SM Art Center, with cocktail reception on June 13 at 6 pm.

Featured are the works of Hermes Alegre, Bien Benitez, Remy Boquiren, Arley Carig, Macoy Coching, Addie Cukingnan, Melvin Culaba, August Espino, Egai Fernandez, Allain Hablo, Sam Penaso, Jay Ragma, Jucar Raquepo, Cid Reyes, Genesis Rovero, Ronaldo Ruiz, Aner Sebastian, Resty Tica, Valen Valero, Mellisa Villasenor , and Janice Young.

Succeeding this show is “Ambidextrous,” a group exhibition of artists working in both representational art and abstraction, which opens on June 24, with cocktail reception on June 25 at 6 pm. The show runs until July 4.

XV is curated by noted art critic, writer and visual artist Cid Reyes.

The Art Center is on the 4/F, Bldg. A, SM Megamall, EDSA cor. Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City. For inquiries, call Margaux Romero-Oracion at mobile: 0925-555-7790.



“XV”

THE FIFTEEN YEARS’ JOURNEY OF RENAISSANCE ART GALLERY

By CID REYES

Years and years after leaving college as students taking units in European history, we may have forgotten pretty much about the rise and fall of empires and the religious wars that divided Christendom, but it is a safe bet to say that none of us has ever forgotten the one word that summarizes the whole history of mankind since the Medieval Age: Renaissance! From the Latin root word meaning “rebirth,” Renaissance stands for the intellectual flowering of human knowledge that spanned philosophy, literature, science, and – in the field for which it is best known for: the arts. Think Leonardo da Vinci! Think Michelangelo, whose genius inspired the phrase “Renaissance Man!”

Against this brief background, we come to appreciate the inspiring idea that gave birth to an art showcase named Renaissance Art Gallery. Not surprisingly, it was a “brainchild” conceived in 2003 by the couple Manuel “Noli” and Agnes Romero. Already steeped in the appreciation of all things beautiful, such as jewellery and painting, Noli and Agnes recognized the genuine talent and skill of Filipino artists, many of whom have become personal friends, and whose works have comprised their own private collection. The Romero couple felt that a genuine way of expressing their appreciation is to help promote Filipino artists of various generations and artistic persuasions, both representational and non-representational. The criteria that are uncompromisingly observed are quality and excellence. And proof of the Romeros’ commitment to this conviction is the sustained “staying power” of fifteen years’ existence in the very competitive field of the art market.

And if further proof were needed, Renaissance Art Gallery continually lives up to its very name. The past many years have all been a compelling experience of re-freshening the vision of Philippine art as an essential expression of the Filipino soul, a “re-birthing” of the ideals that created the Filipino artist. While only the artist himself can find his own direction, or yes! a re-direction, Renaissance Art Gallery can be his precious avenue that allows for experimentation and revalidation, always receptive and sensitive to the personal journey of artists in their highly individual styles and techniques.


Impressive indeed is the list of solo exhibitions racked up in the past fifteen years since Renaissance Art Gallery opened its doors at the SM Megamall’s “ArtWalk,” where it has remained to this day. Indeed, many of these presentations were “debut” shows, the first held and granted especially for the younger generation of artists, who at that stage of their artistic development and maturity, needed and deserved encouragement and appreciation. In fact, these shows were so successfully launched and promoted that the artists were said to have been “discovered” by the art community and the public at large. In turn, these artists express their gratitude by continually exhibiting with Renaissance Art Gallery and participating in significant events such as “XV” – Fifteen Years of Renaissance Art Gallery!

No doubt: even Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo will be raising a toast! So: Here’s to the next fifteen years of Renaissance Art Gallery!

DOE Eyes Non-OPEC Oil, Stockpiling as Cushion vs Rising Prices

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to source petroleum products from Russia and other non-OPEC countries to establish a strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) to cushion the impact of the rising price of oil in the international market.

“The government is aware of the country’s vulnerabilities to abrupt changes in the international oil situation and impending threats on the same, hence we are formulating various strategies to address those vulnerabilities to cushion the impact for our consumers,” DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said on Monday as he revealed the two-pronged strategies.

Cusi has tasked the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) to prepare for oil trading and retail to provide competition to existing oil industry players and pacify domestic oil prices. Cusi is ex-officio Chairman of the PNOC-EC.

Through Board Resolution No.5-5, S’ 2018, the PNOC-EC has been directed and authorized to engage in the retail or selling of petroleum products sourced from Russia and non-OPEC members to independent petroleum dealers and to individual public consumers.

Currently, the DOE only requires oil companies to maintain a Minimum lnventory Requirement (MlR) of in-country stocks equivalent to 30 days of crude and products for refiners, 15 days of products for importers/bulk suppliers, and seven days of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stocks for LPG players.

The creation of the SPR is founded on a number of joint international studies, according to the DOE-Oil Industry Management Bureau.

In 2003, the Philippines and Thailand had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly study, investigate and assess the possibilities of cooperation, including the identification of strategic locations for oil stockpiling and distribution points.

Another study was conducted in 2004 by the US Department of Energy to assist the country in assessing the options and potentials for strategic oil stockpiles as well as give recommendations to enact legislation pertaining to the oil stockpiling program.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry assistance also came in 2004 to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a master plan and comprehensive scheme for oil stockpiling.

On top of the two mentioned solutions, the DOE continues to advocate exercising “efficient and smart diskarte” on oil consumers’ use of petroleum products, such as managing vehicle trips and its operations.

Say it with PRide

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In celebration of Pride Month, we uncover how CASTRO Communications, from being a startup PR firm to becoming one of the most gender-progressive companies in the industry, has found its ultimate cause.

Representing the PR in Pride—that's what CASTRO Communications has shaped up to be. From a hopeful start-up to a full-fledged communications agency that represents one of the most remarkable gender movements of today, CASTRO is both known for impeccable PR partnerships and its role in pushing the LGBTQ+ agenda in the Philippines.

The brainchild of Martin Castañeda, who spent his early professional years in the Corporate Communications arm of L'Oreal Philippines, CASTRO recognized the opportunity to penetrate the lifestyle PR market as more and more brands clamored for non-traditional and creative ways to communicate with the media and the public. As Managing Director, Martin knew that growing the business wasn't a task he could do alone, so he sought out the services of long-time friend Janlee Dungca, formerly an events professional. Together with the rest of the team, CASTRO slowly built its lifestyle and luxury portfolio, partnering with companies such as Branded Lifestyle Inc., distributor of Ray-Ban and most luxury eyewear brands in the country, and the L'Oreal Philippines flagship, with its lineup of hugely successful brands such as L'Oreal Paris, Kerastase, L'Oreal Professionnel, NYX Cosmetics and Kiehl's. Other well-known brands include Nivea, Levi’s, Guess, SM and Celeteque.

Martin Castaneda

Janlee Dungca

Lui Castaneda

In 2014, Martin and Janlee (the latter named as CASTRO's PR Director) welcomed frequent collaborator Lui Castañeda into the agency fulltime as CASTRO's Accounts Director. This move proved to be a truly auspicious step for the agency, as from there CASTRO grew both in terms of clientele and employee size—two telltale signs of highly competitive and successful startups. Currently, CASTRO has expanded its client portfolio to include household FMCG brands such as Toblerone, Cadbury, Cheez Whiz, Eden Cheese, Oreo, Belvita, Tang and Berocca, and has partnered with the most successful celebrities and content creators in their campaigns and events. The depth of PR services it provides is executed by CASTRO's solid team of hardworking employees, a creative group of individuals who have become both colleagues and friends.

As the Martin-Janlee-Lui trifecta developed CASTRO's commercial success, they also started to be recognized as one of the most progressive, pro-LGBTQ+ companies in the country. The name CASTRO itself was inspired by Castro District in San Francisco, where the yearly LGBTQ+ Pride Parade found its early beginnings. Individually, CASTRO's founders are LGBTQ+ members and advocates themselves, who actively contribute to the cause apart from their full time responsibilities in the agency. Janlee is a member of LoveYourself, a non-profit organization that aims to spread awareness on HIV-AIDS prevention, testing and treatment, especially towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. Martin and Lui also continually push forward the Pride advocacy in their various interviews and features.

But as proud LGBTQ+ individuals, Martin, Janlee and Lui's staunchest act in showing their support for the agenda is choosing to work with and collaborate with members of their community. Throughout CASTRO's seven years in the industry, they have continually hired employees, commissioned suppliers and worked with LGBTQ+ groups and individuals, and consider it as their way of changing the stigma against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in society. Locally, one of CASTRO’s most valued members is Niko Pedro, a proud gay man who does consultancy work for the company and also works as a consultant for a local news network. Outside the Philippines, CASTRO has expanded in Singapore, with an office headed by happily married gay couple Alvin Miranda and Jappy Reyes, both established marketing professionals.

In an interview she did last 2016, Janlee defined CASTRO’S practices as ways of "debunking myths about LGBTQ+ people perceived to always be parloristas or sex workers." As CASTRO built its corporate brand, the trio realized that their pro-LGBTQ+ stand has become an essential part of the company's identity—in fact, it's become the introductory line in their client pitches. The CASTRO directors consider this brand DNA both a privilege and a responsibility, for they now recognize their role as frontliners in the cause to raise awareness on gender equality in the workplace, both locally and internationally.

As Martin works on expanding and starting an office in the US, he explains: "We founded CASTRO in the hopes of introducing a new lifeblood to the Philippine PR and branding industry, which I built with transgender women I trusted for their talents and work ethics. I did not expect that our personal identities would affect and inspire the LGBTQ+ movement both in and outside the country. Now, as CASTRO fully imbibes this spirit in our DNA, I only look forward to how the company can continue to push the Pride agenda through our unique place in the PR industry."

Cusi: Total Electrification Key to a Bright Future

Wazzup Pilipinas!

TOTAL ELECTRIFICATION: Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi addresses the 46th Annual General Membership Assembly of Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NONECO) on Sunday (27 May) during which he vowed to pursue total electrification of its coverage areas.

Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi reiterated on Sunday (27 May) the government’s plan to provide electricity services to the whole of Northern Negros, as well as all communities across the country so that present and future generations can be empowered.

On the occasion of the 46th annual membership assembly of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NONECO), Cusi asked NONECO to closely coordinate with the National Electrification Authority (NEA) to fully realize its electrification plan.

Cusi said that the Department of Energy (DOE) endeavors to remove the challenges in providing electricity to all communities across the country so that Filipinos are assured of a brighter future.

"We have to act now [on electrification], because our children on areas without power are already in their growing years,” said Cusi.

“We cannot take back the time when they have to read their school lessons at night without having a conducive environment for learning,” he added.

Data from NEA showed that NONECO has electrified 158,629 households as of March 2018, out of its baseline data of 200,000. This means, 21% of NONECO's franchise area, or nearly 41,000 households remain unserved or underserved.

At the same time, Cusi underscored the need to introduce smart grid technologies all over the country because of their proven efficiency in significantly reducing systems losses and other operational inefficiencies.

He also called for the adoption of the Resiliency Compliance Plan (RCP) which aims to make the power industry resilient to both natural and man-made calamities.

The RCP outlines best practices in disaster management that will make the energy sector more sustainable.

According to Cusi, consumers, as members of the Third Party Bids and Awards Committee (TPBAC) under the Competitive Selection Process should also be involved in the process of contracting agreements to ensure transparency.

The committee is involved in reviewing and approving power supply contracts of a certain power distribution utility (DU).

"Once implemented, the consumers can have a representation in the DU's power supply contracts, and will result in a more favorable and lower electricity rates,” said the DOE chief.

Cusi is also asking public support for DOE’s initiative to reflect the unbundled electricity rates under the proposed standard electric bill format across all DUs.

"We find the need for DUs to provide such information to our consumers so that they will know what they are paying up to the last peso. This advocacy [standard electric bill format] is for all of us to become more informed electricity consumers, thereby becoming more empowered."

NONECO is serving nine towns in the region: the cities of San Carlos, Escalante, Sagay, Cadiz, and Victorias; and the municipalities of Calatvara, Taboso, Manapla, and Enrique B. Magalona.

PHOTO CAPTIONS

CUSI WITH NEGRENSES: Member-consumers of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NONECO) listen intently as Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi delivers his keynote address during its 46th Annual General Membership Assembly on Sunday (27 May) where he discussed initiatives of the Department of Energy to address energy security issues.

ENERGY ISSUES: Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi together with National Electrification Administration (NEA) Administrator Edgardo Masongsong tackle energy issues during the radio program of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (NONECO), which held its 46th Annual General Membership Assembly on Sunday (27 May).

Types of Projects and Their Main Characteristics: A Guide for Students

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Normally, every student is required to work on at least one project during his or her education.

Projects in a campus environment cannot be treated like projects in a high school environment.

Students are required to work on professional campus projects as possible, adjusting what they will face in the world of work. But many of them do not realize how to achieve systematization on campus projects. This article will explain the types of projects and what to do to ensure they are professionally done.

Every project is born of a need and is aimed at achieving a result within a limited time, with a beginning, an end and some objectives that determine the scope and resources of it. Each project is unique, since it does not involve a routine operation but a specific set of operations. That is why there are many types of projects and it is common for a project team to often include people who normally do not work together because they come from different organizations or come from different geographical locations.

This and other peculiarities of a project make it necessary to be managed and guided by experts to deliver the results within the budget, the deadline and the quality that have been foreseen and always providing learning. Hence the importance of good project management, which is the application of knowledge, skills and techniques for effective and efficient execution. It can also be understood as a strategic competence for organizations, since it allows them to link the results of the project to business objectives and, therefore, compete better and strengthen a stronger market position.

The project management processes are divided into five groups applicable to all types of projects: preparation, planning, execution, monitoring and delivery. The knowledge involved in project management is based on ten areas: 

Scope: refers to the impact that the project has on the environment in which it operates. For example, the number of people addressed or the incidence of the results obtained from its execution.

Time: the short, medium or long term also determine the management of a project, as well as the phases or iterations in which it is divided.

Integration: knowing how to integrate tasks, classify them and find a sequence between them is fundamental for the management and achievement of results in the execution of a project. The best example is the IT project. Most IT projects require integration between design, technology, user tastes, and budgets that all require integration-based management. Therefore, most professional IT projects use professional help that can be found over the Internet. 

Based on my experience, Assignment.EssayShark employs some people who are experts in writing programming assignments. They are clearly one of the best examples of solutions for every IT project, both in an educational environment and in a professional environment.

Cost: the measurement of costs allows us to have an idea of ​the budget that we must have to guarantee the continuity, sustainability and viability of the planned actions.

Quality: the results of a project cannot be of any kind. They must respond to quality standards and the main objectives.

Shareholder management: they are those who support the project and its execution in some way. Project management must also manage the contributions they make and implement their decisions.

Communications: knowing how to transmit messages is a fundamental task for the integration of tasks and good execution.

Risk management: it is essential that we know what we are facing while managing a project: risks, threats, external factors, etc.

Human resources: it is necessary to manage the technical and technological resources on which the tasks are supported; we must do the same with the personnel who execute the tasks.

Supply: the channels of resources, raw materials and other elements necessary for the start-up of tasks must be guaranteed. Otherwise, the project will lose continuity.

What are the main types of projects?

When talking about a project it is always necessary to specify something else that allows defining the area or sector where their competences will be developed. There are many types of projects, but the most common are:

Simple projects: those whose tasks do not have too much complexity and which can be done in a relatively short time.

Complex projects: those that demand more planning or whose tasks are numerous and require an organization. The high-speed train in Mecca is a good example.

Whatever your project, you should make sure it's done in a clear workflow. It is important for you to ask for professional help if the quality of your project is completely non-negotiable.