Author: Max Limpag

Max Limpag is a journalist, blogger, and developer based in Cebu. He started as a reporter covering City Hall in 1996. He has written on technology for various print and digital publications since 1999 and twice won the Philippine Blog Awards for technology and sports. He co-founded the new media start-up InnoPub Media.

Cebu-Cordova bridge done by 2021; CCLEC signs P19B loan agreement

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date February 10, 2019
No Comments on Cebu-Cordova bridge done by 2021; CCLEC signs P19B loan agreement

CCLEX loan agreement — LOAN FACILITY. Representatives pose with the finance documents after the signing of the P19 billion loan agreement.

The Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) is on track to be finished by mid-2021 and will transform the economy and social landscape of Cebu, according to officials of the company undertaking the project.

The Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) signed on February 7 a P19-billion loan and security agreement with 6 banks: Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation, Development Bank of the Philippines, Robinsons Bank Corporation, Union Bank of the Philippines, Bank of the Philippine Islands, and Security Bank Corporation. CCLEC is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC).

The total project cost of CCLEX is projected to be P30B. The rest will be funded by MPTC through equity or supplemental loans, said MPTC President and CEO Rodrigo Franco.

Vote of confidence as investment destination

“This financing facility is also a vote of confidence for the attractiveness of the City of Cebu and the Municipality of Cordova as investment destinations,” Franco said. “The CCLEX is expected to transform the economic and social landscape of Cebu.”

CCLEC President and General Manager Allan Alfon said in welcoming guests to the signing that he looked forward to the ceremonial drive-through to mark the opening in a little over 2 years.

Construction of the CCLEX started last July 5 and all 21 piles of the main bridge’s Tower 2 have been completed while 17 of the 21 piles at Tower 1 have been constructed. These, the company said, form part of the bridge’s main foundation.

Cordova Mayor Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho said her town has been preparing its people and implementing infrastructure projects ahead of the completion of the 3rd bridge.

Outstanding partnership model

Francisco Fernandez, executive assistant of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, said they could see the project “from our 8th floor office and we would testify that things are progressing very well. ”

Fernandez spoke for Osmeña during the signing and said the Cordova-Cebu City bridge was an “outstanding model for public-private partnership.”

“First, it reflects our philosophy that government should only provide a service that the private and civic sector are unable or unwilling to do so. Metro Pacific and all the other entities are willing to fill a need so please go ahead then we can reserve our resources for the other needs of our citizens.” Fernandez said.

The project is also a “model of bipartisan support.”

“This was approved by the previous administration and continued by the present administration and today it is receiving unanimous support from the council and all the other government and non-government agencies. It is a fantastic example of what unity can do,” he said.

“Most of all, it is outstanding because the taxpayers do not pay for this project, it is the users. Those people who are not willing or are unable to use this project, they do not have to pay for it. In fact, the City of Cebu and the Municipality of Cordova are not going to spend a single centavo of taxpayers’ money for the bridge,” he said. Instead, they will earn from this project.

3rd bridge Adelino Sitoy — **MORE INFRA PROJECTS FOR CEBU.** Secretary Adelino Sitoy of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office talks about other infrastructure projects being undertaken in preparation for the 3rd bridge.

More infra projects

Secretary Adelino Sitoy of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office said that as part of the preparation of the bridge, government has started to build a coastal highway from the CCLEX approach in the Cordova side to the Gabi Bridge “in order to be nearer to the beach areas of Lapu-Lapu.”

Sitoy said P187 million has already been released for the project with a further P400 million to be disbursed soon. He said what is needed after this would be a skyway to connect the bridge to the passenger terminal of the Mactan Cebu International Airport.

And there’s more, said Sitoy, who shared that he had been dreaming about the 3rd bridge for close to 30 years.

“We look forward to another bridge, to Getafe in Bohol from Cordova,” Sitoy added.

Tags Adelino Sitoy, Allan Alfon, Cebu Cordova Link Expressway, Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation, Mary Therese Sitoy-Cho, Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, Rodrigo Franco

Events Sports

SM to stage 9th SM2SM run; huge prizes, premium raffle items at stake

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date January 9, 2019
No Comments on SM to stage 9th SM2SM run; huge prizes, premium raffle items at stake

For the 9th year, SM Cebu City will be holding the much-awaited SM2SM Run on February 17.

With over P600,000 in cash prizes and premium items like phones and TV sets to be raffled off, the SM2SM Run is the biggest running event in southern Philippines and one of the top events in the country.

“We just want people to have fun,” said Marissa Fernan, SM Prime Holdings Inc. Vice President. She said the run offers Cebuanos an avenue for a healthy activity that will also take them around Cebu City.

SM2SM Fun Run — **FUN RUN.** SM Prime Holdings Inc. Vice President Marissa Fernan talks about the SM2SM Run during a press conference. With her is Race Director Joel Baring.

SM City Cebu, said Fernan, is the only mall in the country that has consistently hosted a high quality running event like the SM2SM Run.

Race Director Joel Baring said they are hoping to sign up 6,000 to 7,000 runners this year. Last year’s edition had 5,000 runners.

Since registration was opened on December 15, 1,000 have already signed up, organisers said.

Registration fees for the run are P950 for the 21K, P750 for the 12K, P650 for the 8K, and P550 for the 4K. Students and persons with disabilities can get P100 discount in all categories by presenting their school IDs or PWD IDs. A group of 10 registrants can get 1 free slot. Registration is ongoing at the booth on the 2nd level of SM City Cebu Northwing, near Metro Dental and Flawless.

SM2SM Run Medals — **FINISHERS’ MEDALS.** Those who finish 21K and 12K will get these medals.

Those who sign up for Age Categories will need to submit a photocopy of a government ID.

Gun starts for the respective distances are 4 am for 21K, 4:30 am for 12K, 5 am for 8K, and 5:30 am for 4K. The route will cover Mabolo, Banilad, University of San Carlos Talamban, Lahug, University of the Philippines, Capitol, Fuente Osmeña, Plaza Independencia, and Sergio Osmeña Boulevard.

All 21K and 12K runners will have timing chips and will receive finishers’ medals if they complete their event.

SM2SM offers the most lucrative prizes among events in the country. The Male and Female 1st placers of the 21K Open Category will each receive P50,000. The 2nd placers will get P30,000 each while the 3rd placers will receive P20,000. Those who finish from 4th to 10th will each get P3,000.

Top male and female finishers of the 12K Open Category will each get P20,000. The 2nd placers will each receive P10,000 and the 3rd placers P8,000.

Apart from these prizes for top runners, SM2SM Run will be raffling off 9 Samsung Galaxy 9, 9 LED TV sets, and 9 trip packages outside the country. Fernan said they are still talking to a potential partner for 9 roundtrip tickets abroad.

SM2SM Run Route

Tags Marissa Fernan, SM2SM Run

Business Lifestyle

Bo’s Coffee turns Capitol branch into tribute store

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date December 18, 2018
No Comments on Bo’s Coffee turns Capitol branch into tribute store

Bo's Coffee Capitol Steve Benitez — SHOWCASE THE BEST. Bo’s Coffee founder Steve Benitez discusses the concept behind the tribute store during opening of the first such branch – Bo’s Coffee Capitol.

Bo’s Coffee, a brand known for its promotion of Filipino coffee, has opened its first tribute store in its hometown in Cebu.

A tribute store, according to founder Steve Benitez, is a flagship branch that offers people a new coffee experience. He said the concept took 3 years to plan and was meant to “showcase the best of what we offer.”

The company picked Bo’s Coffee Capitol branch – the first Bo’s outlet, explained Benitez – for its first tribute store because it is “about paying tribute to our roots here in Cebu.”

Bo’s Coffee expansion

Benitez founded Bo’s Coffee in 1996 and has since expanded throughout the country. It recently expanded overseas by opening 5 stores in Qatar. Bo’s plans to have 200 stores and be present in 5 countries by 2020.

Central to the tribute store concept is the coffee bar. Specially trained baristas are able to prepare coffee using Philippine beans in various ways – from cold drip to pour over.

Cold drip coffee — **COLD DRIP COFFEE.** Potent brew that takes about 8 hours to prepare. This one you drink on ice.

“The tribute store is where you can experience the best coffee in the Philippines,” he said.

It serves coffee made from coffee beans handpicked in Sagada, Benguet; Mount Kitanglad in Bukidnon; Mount Matutum in South Cotabato; and Mount Apo.

Purple Midnight Bo's Coffee — **PURPLE MIDNIGHT.** Tasty iced tea with wild hibiscus and blue ternate. This you must try.

Bo’s coffee bar

“Our version of a perfect blend is not only the sensuous taste and aroma of Philippine coffee but also the overall presentation of Philippine culture – its indigenous and nearly forgotten products, Filipino music and artistry, and even Philippine-grown tea,” Benitez said in a press statement.

Apart from just preparing your drink, the baristas at the tribute store’s bar can interact with customers and talk coffee with them.

Benitez said they are trying out the concept here with the plan of replicating it in other areas such as Manila.

Bo's Coffee — **COFFEE BAR.** At the bar, you can order coffee made from Philippine beans and prepared various ways by specially trained baristas.

“We will continue to work on giving the best customer experience,” Benitez said.

The store also highlights products by social enterprises they partnered with. The interiors highlight the work of local artisans such as renowned designer Kenneth Cobonpue.

Bo's Coffee Steve Benitez — **BEST OF THE PHILIPPINES.** Steve Benitez says the tribute store is the company’s way to “showcase the best of Philippine artistry and talent.”

“We want to showcase the best of Philippine artistry and talent in the most ambitious project we ever had. The tribute store will be the commemoration and statement of the brand’s promise that this homegrown brand will continue to pave empowerment to the communities we serve,” Benitez added.

Bo’s Capitol has 300 square meters of space and can seat up to 110 persons. It is open daily from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Tags Bo's Coffee, Steve Benitez

Business Events Lifestyle

Looking for gift ideas? Check out Pop District Bazaar in Mandani Bay on December 10-11

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date December 1, 2018
No Comments on Looking for gift ideas? Check out Pop District Bazaar in Mandani Bay on December 10-11

Rather than giving your usual Christmas gifts, why not hand out artisanal products made by local small businesses this year? One of the best places to buy these products from will be the Pop District Bazaar on December 10 to 11 at The Tent, in Mandani Bay in Mandaue City.

Jayneil Enriquez, District Events Head of Marketing and Promotions, said Pop District Bazaar highlights small businesses in Cebu and offers them a venue to sell their products.

She said most of the locators are “lifestyle vendors” who sell garments, toys, and other fashion items. She said there are also vendors of men’s gear and locally crafted bags and shoes, including branded pairs made in Carcar.

One of the fashion locators is No Filter, a Cebu-based company whose products include NSFW (not safe for work) shirts with texts about sex.

“We sell parody and gag tees. We have statement tees that are bold enough to express the thoughts you are too afraid to say. We have no filter, we say what we want to say. If offended ka, wa mi labot,” No Filter says in a disclaimer near their items.

Enriquez said one locator imports hard-to-find cosmetics such as certain lines of lipsticks.

She said Pop District Bazaar will have 2 types of food vendors: outdoor tenants that cook a varied range of menu and food types and indoor tenants that offer packaged products.

Among the food locators is SumTim Fishy with its delicious jars of gourmet danggit. The small company named after the owner’s children was present during the press conference to display their products.

Other locators will be selling various pre-loved items.

Mitch Ledesma, District Events Head of Resource Mobilization and Sponsorship, said they expect more than 100 locators during the bazaar.

District Events General Manager Charmaine Ong De Leon said the idea behind the event is to support local businesses and give a venue for Cebuanos to see what they can offer.

District Events Head of Leasing Ruby Pansoy said the event supports online and startup businesses. She said the theme of the bazaar is “Polar Express.”

No Filter Cebu shirts — OFFENDED? “Wa mi labot,”says No Filter, a company that sells statement shirts that include text about sex.

Local music will also be highlighted during the event with the company’s partnership with FatBoys Production. Local and national “influencers” will also be made available for meet and greet during the event.

To make it easier for people to go to the venue, the company has partnered with Angkas, which assured them of priority for bookings from the venue. The company said they are also talking to MyBus to make it easier for attendees to go to and from the venue.

Tags Mandani Bay, No Filter, Pop District Bazaar, SumTim Fishy

Business

Megaworld to build Spanish-inspired residential tower in The Mactan Newtown

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date October 23, 2018
No Comments on Megaworld to build Spanish-inspired residential tower in The Mactan Newtown

To be built in time to mark the 500th year of the circumnavigation of the world by the ship that inspired its name, the La Victoria Global Residences will add 181 units to the residential inventory at the 30-hectare township The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu City.

“We launch this tower 500 years after Magellan was appointed captain of Galleon Victoria’s expedition and we hope to complete this in 2022 when we commemorate the ship’s 500th year of circumnavigation,” said Megaworld Cebu Properties, Inc. President Noli Hernandez.

The building is the 4th residential tower at the township in Lapu-Lapu City. It will have 20 storeys with 181 units ranging from studio of up to 40 square meters, 1-bedroom units of up to 53 square meters, 2-bedroom units of up to 80 square meters, and 3-bedroom units of up to 118 square meters.

Megaworld La Victoria Global Residences Noli Hernandez — **NEW RESIDENTIAL TOWER.** Megaworld Cebu Properties, Inc. President Noli Hernandez with an artist’s rendering of the La Victoria Global Residences, the company’s 4th residential tower at The Mactan Newtown.

P1.5 billion projected sales

Hernandez said units will be sold starting at about P160,000 per square meter. He said the company projects total sales of the project to reach P1.5 billion.

All units will have their own balconies that face the sea and mountains, Hernandez said during the press announcement today in Cebu City.

The main lobby of La Victoria Global Residences “will be designed with elements and installations that are significant to the Spanish expedition,” he said.

He said that the tower will have an amenity deck at the 3rd level with an infinity pool and kiddie pool. It will also have a covered pool lounge and wooden sunbathing deck.

Megaworld La Victoria Global Residences — **LAUNCHING.** Megaworld Cebu Properties, Inc. President Noli Hernandez and Megaworld Corp. Senior Assistant Vice President and Head, PR & Media Affairs Harold Geronimo talk about La Victoria Global Residences during its launch in Cebu today.

Right in the center

“La Victoria is actually right in the center of the whole township. We are placing so much importance on this project not only because it signals the success of our township but also because of its historical significance,” he said.

Megaworld launched in 2011 its 1st residential development in the township, 8 Newtown Boulevard. It was named Best Luxury Condo Development in Cebu in the 2016 Philippines Property Awards and the Outstanding Residential High-Rise Development in the 2016 Real Estate and Property Awards by FIABCI-Philippines.

The following year, the company launched One Pacific Residence. This won the Best Residential Architectural Design in the 2017 Philippines Property Awards, the company said. In 2016, Megaworld launched One Manchester Place.

Most units, except for a very few, have been sold, said Hernandez.

La Victoria Global Residences at The Mactan Newtown.

More tourists expected

“We already sold out 3 residential projects and more foreign retirees still looked for properties in our townships. More people who found work inside the Mactan Newtown are also looking for their own residential spaces,” Hernandez said.

“In a few years we also expect more tourists to come to our townships as we bring our 2 Megaworld homegrown hotel brands: Savoy Hotel and Belmont Hotel to the Mactan Newtown,” he said.

The Mactan Newtown is Megaworld’s only township that has its own beachfront. The company said it hosts 10,000 BPO and office workers. It is also the location of the Lasallian-supervised Newtown School of Excellence.

Tags Harold Geronimo, La Victoria Global Residences, Megaworld, Noli Hernandez, The Mactan Newtown

Tech

Working on a desktop? You must install this app

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date September 19, 2018
No Comments on Working on a desktop? You must install this app

Station OneNote — ONENOTE. Station allows you to use services like Microsoft OneNote in a single app and then quickly switch among the different work windows.

When you look into how you work on a desktop or laptop nowadays, you’d probably find you do most of your work on a browser.

When before we used to send emails via software like Outlook, now many of us work on emails using browser via products like GMail and custom domains running on online services provided by Google and Microsoft.

When before we had to work on documents and share files through local company networks or via USBs or CDs, now many of us use office suites online like Google Drive or Office 365. Apart from the ability to work from anywhere, these services also have built-in collaboration and file sharing.

When before we used to call up colleagues through internal company phone systems or PBX (remember extension numbers?), now we collaborate via chat systems like Slack or even Facebook Messenger.

With all these services going online, many of us end up working with several browser tabs or windows open. At times, you might end up accidentally closing a tab because it occupies the same browser instance of a site you want to leave. The arrangement also leaves your work windows alongside productivity sinkholes like Twitter or Facebook.

That is where the Station app is useful. It organizes hundreds of web applications and services into a single app and makes them accessible via a smart dock.

Station was also built as “as a work only, distraction-free platform.” Apart from the interface that encourages you to focus on your work window, it also centralizes the notifications, the bane of modern connectivity.

Rather than get buzzed every time somebody shares a file on Google Drive or sends an email or even a chat message, your notifications are listed in a single central window. You also have the option to snooze notifications for a period of time or turn these off by toggling a Do Not Disturb button.

Station has all the important work web apps that your company probably already uses: GMail or the soon-to-be-sunsetted Inbox by Gmail, Outlook, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Google Drive, Facebook Workplace, Hangouts, Trello, Asana, among hundreds of others.

Tools like Google Keep, Evernote, Microsoft OneNote, even SimpleNote are there. For messaging, there’s Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Google Chat, Skype, WeChat, and even Telegram.

Station also supports Android Messages, which allows you to send and receive messages on your computer via a connected Android device.

Station is available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. I work on all three platforms and this makes Station indispensable. Whereas before I’d use different apps to use the same set of online services on different operating systems, now I just use Station. This is how I use OneNote, which has native apps for Windows and Mac but not for Linux.

It also allows you to use multiple accounts for services that allow it. That way, you can have Station open your personal email along with your office address.

Tags collaboration, Google Suite, Microsoft, Office 365, OneNote, Station

Food

Marco Polo holds tapas night to open Sabores de España

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date September 14, 2018
No Comments on Marco Polo holds tapas night to open Sabores de España

Where 2 of Cebu’s pre-eminent food writers head to, there you follow. In last night’s Sabores de España opening at the lobby lounge of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, it was the station that held Manchego cheese.

I’d return with Manchego cheese in my luggage, culinary writer Aissa dela Cruz told our group of bloggers and writers. She said she buys it during trips outside the country because it’s “so much more expensive here.” It’s hard cheese so it keeps well, she pointed out.

Dr. Nestor Alonzo, food columnist for The Freeman, quickly headed to the platter shortly after hamming it up with Marco Polo Plaza Cebu General Manager Brian Connelly as he took photos of the tapas spread. “Take photos of him taking photos,” Connelly said as he playfully posed with Alonzo.

Marco Polo Sabores de España — **Manchego cheese**

Culinary journey

And it was to the Manchego cheese – traditional Spanish cheese, Alonso explained to me – that I returned to again and again last night.

Sabores de España, now on its 12th year, is part of the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s widely anticipated and annual Culinary Journeys. The series highlights the culinary prowess of the Marco Polo team – from Bisdak favorites in January to Swiss, Indian, Spanish, and French throughout the year.

Sabores de Espana Marco Polo Plaza Cebu — Chorizo in puff pastry

“I also want to remind everybody that this is the 12th year that we’re holding this event,” Connelly said in a short speech to open the event. “It is our commitment to continually develop the different cuisines in the different parts of the world, in different countries, so that we could share the rich tapestry of food around the world with our guests, our friends, and our customers,” he said.

Connelly said he grew up in a part of the United States that was colonized by Spain and thus was heavily influenced by Spanish cuisine.

Dr. Nestor Alonzo and Marco Polo Plaza Cebu General Manager Brian Connelly.

Cutting of jamon serrano

He ended his speech with a recommendation for the guests to try Marco Polo’s sangria saying their culinary team did a great job in preparing them. He particularly recommended the white sangria.

To officially mark the opening of Sabores de España, Marco Polo held a ceremonial cutting of the jamon serrano. Connelly led the cutting along with longtime Spanish food consultant Gema Pido, Amigos de España en Cebu President Myra Gonzalez, and Honorary Consul to Spain Anton Perdices.

Cutting of jamon serrano Sabores de España — **CUTTING OF THE JAMON SERRANO.** Cutting the jamon serrano to mark the opening of Sabores de España are (from left) Marco Polo Plaza Cebu General Manager Brian Connelly, Amigos de España en Cebu President Myra Gonzalez, Honorary Consul to Spain Anton Perdices, and longtime Spanish food consultant Gema Pido.

After the ceremony, Gonzalez gave a short speech wishing the festivities success.

Sabores de España will run until Sunday, September 16. On these dates, Spanish dishes such as the mainstay paella, jamon serrano, fabadas, lengua estofado, and assorted tapa will be made available along with the international lunch and dinner buffet spread in Cafe Marco.

Facebook Live broadcast of the opening

More photos of the Sabores de España opening

Chef Juanito Abangan Sabores de España — Chef Juanito Abangan oversees preparations of the Spanish spread.

Marco Polo Cebu Sabores de España — Sangria

Sabores de España Marco Polo Plaza Cebu — Bonquerones

Tags Brian Connelly, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, Sabores de Espana

Sports

Milo-FCB Road to Barcelona trains kids football skills, values

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date September 7, 2018
No Comments on Milo-FCB Road to Barcelona trains kids football skills, values

More than just skills, participants to Milo Philippines’ Road To Barcelona will be taught the values of humility, effort, ambition, respect, and teamwork, officials said in a press conference at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel today.

About 160 boys and girls from all over the country will gather at the Cebu City Sports Centre this weekend for a football camp by coaches from the renowned FC Barcelona Youth Academy. The Road To Barcelona, a partnership between Milo and FC Barcelona, is now on its 2nd year.

The participants, who are all from 10 to 12 years old, will be trained to play football the “Barca way” by Jordi Aguilar and Albert Batalla. That involves training on ball skills, keeping possessions, and the vaunted tiki-taka system of possession play and passes, Aguilar said.

Values of teamwork

But more than these skills are values like teamwork, Aguilar said. As example, he cited their practice of a group celebration of victories and goals to recognize that achievements are by group effort and not of the individual alone.

Milo Philippines will pick 7 players from the 160 that it will bring to Spain for a 9-day training camp in Camp Nou in Barcelona, the home of FC Barcelona.

Milo Philippines Consumer Marketing Manager Robbie de Vera said, “Milo is very excited and honored to continue its advocacy to get more kids into sports and help advance Philippine football with FC Barcelona. Our goal for this year is to further enrich the ‘Road to Barcelona’ experience by reaching more Filipino kids and reinforcing the values that encourage more kids to dream big and become champions in life.”

The event is done in partnership with the Cebu Football Association (CFA).

Improve local football

CFA board member Nimrod Quiñones said events like Road to Barcelona help improve the level of local football. He said local coaches will be helping during the 2-day camp and would also be picking up lessons and tips that they will bring to their respective clubs and schools.

Quiñones said during the press conference that there is noticeable improvement in the skills of the current crop of young football players compared with their age group a few years back. He credited this to programs like those undertaken by Milo.

Evaluation

De Vera said they will pick the players to bring to Spain based on an evaluation process that takes into account 70% values and 30% skills.

Organizers said Cebu was chosen to host the event because it is among the football hotbeds in the country. The province has the most number of licensed football coaches, de Vera said. It also had the most number of participants to the program, he added.

Also present in today’s press conference was Ethan Jacob Roxas of Paref-Springdale. Roxas was among the players brought to Spain by Milo in the inaugural Road To Barcelona last year. Roxas said the program allows young football players like him play with athletes on a higher skills level.

Tags Milo, MILO FCB Road to Barcelona

Events Tech

Access sites, apps for free and win prizes with freenet app

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date September 2, 2018
No Comments on Access sites, apps for free and win prizes with freenet app

DAILYGAYA PROMO. From left, Kim Vargas, Senior Public Relations Officer for Voyager Innovations; Dindo Marzan, Managing Director for hatch, marketing technology arm of Voyager Innovations; Nick Wilwayco, Head of PR and Communications for Voyager Innovations, during the Cebu briefing on freenet.

More than just an app by which you can access websites and apps for free, freenet is now a platform where users can win prizes and rewards.

“Our freenet users get to enjoy free data access to our partner sites, while getting rewarded at the same time with points that they can redeem for items in the freenet shop. With the Dailygaya raffle promo, they get the chance to win more rewards. We’re happy to share this awesome digital experience to more Cebuanos,” said Dindo G. Marzan, managing director of hatch, the digital marketing technology arm of Voyager Innovations.

Marzan was in Cebu recently to share the update on freenet with local bloggers and journalists.

Freenet Cebu — **FREENET.** Dindo Marzan, Managing Director for hatch, marketing technology arm of Voyager Innovations, talks about freenet in a briefing with Cebu bloggers and journalists.

Digital campaigns

Freenet started as a way for people to access websites and apps like Facebook for free. It’s more than just free access now, Marzan said during the press conference.

He said companies like Lazada and BPI partner with their platform to mount digital campaigns. With BPI, for example, the bank saw an increase in mobile banking after a campaign for people to use its app with freenet, Marzan said.

The app now has 7 million users.

To reward its users, freenet is giving away prizes ranging from PayMaya credits, smartphones, to brand new motorcycles via its Dailygaya raffle promo. The promo runs until September 29. You can register until September 24.

Freenet Dailygaya prizes

There have already been 2 Cebuano winners in the promo, Marzan said.

To join, one only needs to install the freenet app and sign up for an account.

On Sundays, P2,000 worth of Sodexo GCs are up for grabs. On Mondays and Fridays, freenet will give away 10,000 freenet points that can be used to redeem airtime load, data packages, as well as gaming pins.

On Tuesdays, freenet gives away PayMaya credits while on Wednesdays, they will raffle off a Supreme 4K action cam. On Thursdays, users have a chance to win a Huawei Y6 2018. On Saturdays, freenet users get the chance to win 3 JBL FLIP speakers, a GoPro session, an iPhone 7+, a PS4, or a Yamaha SZ1.

Winners are announced daily on the freenet Facebook page.

Freenet concert

With freenet, those who shop on Lazada and transact via PayMaya can do so free of data charge. It also has Netzee Hour, which allows people to use certain sites for free on different hours of the day: post photos on Facebook from 7am to 8am, read tweets on Twitter at from 12pm to 1pm or play Mobile Legends and PUBG from 8pm to 10pm, the company said in a press release.

Members of the freenet community are also offered “missions” that allow them to earn points that can be redeemed for prepaid load, data packages, gaming pins and gift coupons. Users also get the chance to watch FREENIVERSAYA: A freenet concert on September 20 by redeeming a concert ticket inside the app using their points. The concert will have performances by artists like Bamboo, KZ Tandingan, Gloc9, Moira Dela Torre, Shanti Dope, Ben&Ben, and Hashtags.

Freenet can be downloaded by users of any network. Those in Smart, Sun, and TNT, however, get free access to apps and sites of top brands in the country including PayMaya, Lendr, Lazada, Philippine Star, and many more.

Tags Dindo Marzan, freenet, Kim Vargas, Nick Wilwayco, Voyager Innovations

Tech

Cebu schools dominate Accenture innovation contest

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date August 18, 2018
No Comments on Cebu schools dominate Accenture innovation contest

CIT Accenture Program The Future — SPEECH HELP. Cebu Institute of Technology students receive their grand prize for winning Accenture’s Program The Future 2018 with Tingog, an app that seeks to help teach speech to children with cleft palate.

A student project that seeks to teach speech to children with cleft palate was named the grand champion of Accenture Philippines’ Program The Future 2018 today during the finals in Taguig City.

The team from Cebu Institute of Technology University won the top prize with their Tingog app, which seeks to help children with cleft palate and speech difficulties learn how to speak. Tingog is meant to complement professional speech therapy, the students said in an earlier interview.

The CIT students won P300,000 while the school got P50,000.

A team from University of San Carlos won the Accenture Tech Vision Award for its project, Tactus. The project taps internet of things and artificial intelligence to allow blind people to read via a glove that transforms words into Braille feedback on the finger tips.

Sumulong College of Arts and Sciences completed the winners with a project aimed at preventing flash floods by using sensors.

Five teams from Cebu made it to the national finals. CIT had another finalist that proposed using tech to manage and monitor Cebu City’s free medicines program. University of the Philippines Cebu made it to the nationals with its Cancervive, an app to support cancer victims in their treatment. University of San Jose Recoletos, meanwhile, had a finalist team that proposed a portal to analyze and assess needs of communities hit by calamities.

Program The Future is an annual event started by Accenture five years ago as a way to link up with the academe.

“The intent really is through the months-long program, we want to help students rediscover their power to shape the future through technology,” Accenture Advanced Technology Centers in the Philippines Managing Director Arvin Yason said in an earlier interview.

“We’re also helping them see that it’s not just about technology it’s also about creativity, imagination, teamwork–because we’re a very team-oriented organization–and the power of technology to make the world a better place,” he added.

Tags Accenture, Cebu Institute of Technology University, Program The Future, University of San Carlos

Tech

Boost your internet connectivity with Linksys mesh WiFi system

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date August 16, 2018
No Comments on Boost your internet connectivity with Linksys mesh WiFi system

Linksys Velop WiFi — VELOP comes in different packs with different number of nodes.

With family members having multiple devices requiring good internet connectivity, modern homes now require good WiFi coverage. Apart from good internet provider service, one can improve coverage by using new devices like a mesh WiFi system.

Signing up for high-speed Internet service and using the default modem as WiFi router is like having a large pipe and using a faulty faucet, said Linksys Philippines Country Sales Manager Jason Villados.

Among the common problems of WiFi connectivity at home are: dead spots in certain areas, multiple SSIDS or WiFi access point names, gadgets not always connecting to the strongest network, interruptions during real time streaming such as during Facetime or Skype calls, speed reduction due to channel interference, and multiple and inconsistent product experiences working with various devices.

Villados said all these problems can be solved by using a mesh WiFi system like their Velop Whole Home MeshWifi Systems.

Villados launched Velop in a press event in Cebu City on Tuesday.

Seamless WiFi experience

He said a home mesh WiFi system like Velop offers a “seamless WiFi experience similar to an enterprise system.” He said it offers consistent and complete coverage of a home or even a small office.

Using a router and extender setup will have unstable WiFi signal that degrades over the distance. This can present a problem when one uses a gadget and moves to another part of the house, Villados said. The setup also provides poor WiFi to such devices as security cameras or smart TVs.

A mesh WiFi like that of Velop, on the other hand, “creates continuous connections at the edge, providing high performance WiFi to devices on the edge of the home, such as security cameras,” he said.

Linksys Velop Home WiFi — **CEBU LAUNCH.** Linksys Philippines Country Sales Manager Jason Villados talks about the Velop Whole Home MeshWifi Systems during the launch in Cebu.

Simple to set up

“Velop is compatible with any ISP modem or gateway,” the company said in a statement. It comes in several packs that differ on the number of nodes. The different nodes are placed in various areas of the house or office to create the seamless connection.

Villados said the system is very simple to set up and one needs only to install an app to be guided on the configuration as well as the optimal placement of nodes for a reliable and consistent connection.

The company said the system offers True Modular Mesh Design. “Each node is built to connect with each other over WiFi or wired Ethernet or combination of the two for best performance. They auto-configure to connect in multiple different mesh topologies.”

Velop also has Intelligent MeshTechnology “that simplifies WiFi networking and optimizes end-to-end performance. The Velop system adapts to a user’s WiFi needs. It self-heals and optimizes to consistently deliver fast, flawless WiFi everywhere in the home.”

Automatic updates

The system is interoperable and one can just add nodes to extend coverage.

Velop also “comes with custom Amazon Alexa “skills” that can turn the guest network on/off and read back the credentials of both the main and guest networks.”

With automatic software updates, Velop “will always remain up-to-date and highly secure without having to update hardware.”

“Velop will automatically monitor for updates and apply new software that unlock new features, resolution to security vulnerabilities, and improved performance as they become available,” the company said.

In Cebu, Velop can be purchased in NGenius IT Hub, Metro PC, Thinking Tools, Octagon Computer Superstores, and Silicon Valley.

The Dual-Band systems cost P5,995 (1-pack), P10,995 (2-pack), and P15,995 (3-pack).

Tags Jason Villados, Linksys, Velop Whole Home MeshWifi Systems, WiFi

Community

Vivant Foundation lights up Hilotongan School with off-grid solar power installation

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date August 13, 2018
No Comments on Vivant Foundation lights up Hilotongan School with off-grid solar power installation

WHEN students of Hilotongan Integrated School (HIS) were ushered into the computer lab after a turnover ceremony on Friday morning, Grade 9-Prudence pupil Barbi Villadolid headed to computer unit 7, opened Microsoft Word, and typed 2 words: Thank you.

Villadolid expressed on her computer monitor the gratitude the school and the wider island community felt for being the recipient of an off-grid solar power installation by the Vivant Foundation.

The foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Cebu-based energy company Vivant Corporation, installed solar panels, batteries, and the system that finally allowed the school to use computers that have been idle for lack of power.

Vivant Foundation Hilotongan — **TURNOVER.** Vivant Foundation Executive Director Shem Garcia (center) turns over a solar panel to Hilotongan Integrated School Principal Nelita Cervantes to mark the turnover of the solar power system that now powers the school. The turnover was held at the school last Friday. With them on stage are Vivant Corporation Assistant Vice President Grant Clark (4th from right), DepEd 7 Assistant Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez (4th from left) and other officials from DepEd and the local government unit.

LED lights, electric fans

The solar power system also allows the school to finally have LED lights and electric fans in its classrooms.

Before the system was installed, students took turns using a laptop charged by a generator, said Vivant Foundation Executive Director Shem Garcia.

HIS Principal Nelita Cervantes said that to use computers, students used to take a 30 to 45-minute boat ride to Bantayan Island that costs P20 roundtrip and rent computers at an internet cafe by the minute. That is a fortune for students lucky to have P10 as daily allowance, Cervantes said.

Hilotongan Vivant Foundation — **COMPUTER LAB.** Grade 9 student Barbi Villadolid (left) works on her unit during a tour of the computer lab after the turnover ceremony. The solar power installation donated by Vivant Foundation powers this computer lab as well as the lighting and ventilation in all of the school’s classrooms.

Now, Villadolid said in an interview, they are able to listen to lectures comfortably in their airconditioned computer lab and use the computers to work on their assignments and projects. From presentations on manila paper, she said, they have started to submit digital reports.

“Our school rooms are now well-lighted and well-ventilated because of solar power. Our students can now use computers,” Cervantes said during the turnover ceremony at the school.

Hilotongan is an island barangay off Bantayan Island. It is accessible by boat only during high tide.

Improve students’ performance

The donation is seen to help the school improve its performance in educational measures, said Department of Education (DepEd) Central Visayas Assistant Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez. He said the facility and the comfort of studying with the electric fans in classrooms and air conditioning in the computer lab will increase the interest and eagerness of students to attend classes.

Garcia said the foundation chose HIS because it has the biggest student population, at 734 pupils, among un-energized islet schools in Cebu Province.

Juvimar Montolo of DepEd Cebu Province said she is sure academic performance will improve at the school. She said the area performed poorly in science and she sees the donation as helping the school do better on the subject.

The solar rooftop panels power the 2 computer processing units and 46 monitors connected to it in the high school computer lab. It also powers the 6 computers in the grade school computer room and the air conditioning for both rooms.

The installation also powers the school’s sound system as well as the perimeter lights that secure the campus at night. Vivant also upgraded the school’s electrical wiring.

Hilotongan Island Vivant Foundation — **ROOFTOP INSTALLATION.** This rooftop installation powers the schools computer lab and the lighting and ventilation in all classrooms. Vivant Foundation made sure the system will function even under cloud cover.

More than enough

“The solar power system includes inverters and batteries that ensure that lighting and appliances continue to function even when there’s cloud cover and that perimeter lights remain on at night,” the company said in a statement.

The solar rooftop system is more than enough for the school’s future load, the foundation said.

Garcia said the foundation spent over P4 million for the Hilotongan project. The installation, however, is just one component of the Liadlaw Off-Grid Solar Electrification Project. The project is named after Liadlaw, the pre-Christian Visayan god of the sun.

The other component, which is unique in the country, is the equipment donation and training of senior high students of Bantayan National High School on solar power installation and maintenance as part of the Electronic Installation and Maintenance (EIM) national certificate.

Training of students

The Bantayan students who will be trained on solar power will then maintain the off-grid installation in Hilotongan. This exchange allows the EIM students to get actual experience on solar power and HIS to have its systems checked regularly and maintained.

The donation and new EIM curriculum that incorporates solar power has sparked interest among students in Bantayan National High School. For the first year of EIM, 32 students enrolled in the course. This dropped to 15 the next year when students realized there were no equipment to work with. After Vivant’s donation, enrolment this year shot up to 90.

When these students graduate, they will have 2 certifications: for EIM and solar power.

A step ahead

Apart from maintaining the Hilotongan system, these Bantayan students will be able to work on other solar projects in the area, Garcia said.

He said he talked to people who have businesses in Bantayan Island and they told him their hesitation with using solar power is the lack of workers to maintain it. Garcia said the foundation hopes that when the students graduate from the course, they can serve as local workers to maintain installations and encourage businesses to adopt solar power.

Garcia said the students will be “a step ahead of other electricians” when solar power use at home and business go up exponentially as it did in China and other developed countries.

He said the foundation hopes to work on more schools in the future.

Tags Bantayan Island, Hilotongan Island, Shem Garcia, Vivant Corporation, Vivant Foundation

Food

Top Chinese restaurant Hai Shin Lou opens in Cebu

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date August 9, 2018
No Comments on Top Chinese restaurant Hai Shin Lou opens in Cebu

The freshest ingredients prepared by top-notch chefs from Hong Kong are what distinguishes Hai Shin Lou dishes from those of other Chinese restaurants, said one of its founders.

Hai Shin Lou held a soft opening today, August 8, 2018, as part of preparations to a grand inauguration on October 10. The Cebu branch of the highly-regarded Chinese restaurant is located at the ground level of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu. It is only the restaurant’s second branch – the owners previously having decided not to expand beyond the first one they set up in Makati City, said co-owner Alejandro Tengco.

Hai Shin Lou Marco Polo Plaza Cebu — **Steamed Shrimp Dumpling**

Tengco said their group is very particular with the food and service at the restaurant, which they opened on December 8, 2003. He said they thought that expansion via franchises would dilute the brand and these new locations would not be able to keep the quality.

Seafood King

Tengco said that among the restaurant’s most loyal patrons were the Ty family and their businesses. Through the years, the Tys told them they wanted to open a Chinese restaurant and wanted to work with them. Tengco said they were eventually convinced and saw the opportunity to partner with the family and open in a top hotel in Cebu.

Hai Shin Lou means “Seafood King” and the phrase banners the restaurant’s specialty, Tengco said in an interview. The restaurant is so particular with the quality of their ingredients that they produce their own soy sauce and chili sauce, which Tengco highly recommends. In preparing its tasty Fish Fillet with Home Made Bean Curd in Hot Pot, he said they use fresh Lapu-Lapu that they fillet themselves. The tofu they also made from scratch in the kitchen.

Hai Shin Lou Cebu will be headed by Executive Chef King Kwong Chan, one of the best roasting chefs in Hong Kong, the restaurant said. Working with him are Chinese Dimsum Chef Moon Chau Lo and Chinese Wok Chef Raymund Hui, who are also from Hong Kong.

Fine dining Chinese cuisine

We are fine dining Chinese cuisine, Tengco said. We do not compete with these “noodle stores.”

Tengco said that in terms of menu prices, Hai Shin Lou Cebu will be about 10% higher than those offered by Chinese restaurants in the city. The restaurant will also have menu packages that start from P7,888 for a table good for about 10 to 12 persons.

Tengco is confident that just as how it fared in Manila, Hai Shin Lou Cebu will also be the top Cantonese food destination in Cebu.

He said that they will soon offer in Cebu roast goose, which is a favorite among many food afficionados, with some flying to Hong Kong just to buy it.

Soft opening

Tengco said they are still tweaking the operations and enhancing the training of the staff now that they have finally opened to the public. He said they would only be catering to 50 diners at a time during the soft opening and advised people to call ahead for reservations at +6332 234 8155 or +6332 234 8188 or send an email to [email protected].

He said they are also working to source ingredients from local suppliers.

Hai Shin Lou Cebu is open daily at 11:30 am to 2:30 pm for lunch and 6 pm to 10:30 pm for dinner. The restaurant said in a statement it will serve full capacity by the second week of September,

The restaurant has a capacity of 200 persons with 9 private rooms.

More photos of the soft opening of Hai Shin Lou Cebu

Hai Shin Lou co-owner Alejandro Tengco — **HAI SHIN LOU STORY.** Co-owner Alejandro Tengco talks about how they started Hai Shin Lou and why they eventually decided to open in Cebu.

Tags Hai Shin Lou Cebu, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu

Community Feature Tech

5 Cebu teams make it to national finals of Accenture Program The Future 2018

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date July 31, 2018
No Comments on 5 Cebu teams make it to national finals of Accenture Program The Future 2018

Technology solutions to monitor Cebu City’s free medicines program, facilitate and track donations for calamity-hit communities, teach speech to kids with cleft palate, support cancer patients deal with their disease, and help the blind read via conversion of text into Braille feedback topped Saturday’s Accenture Program The Future 2018 in Cebu.

The five student teams chosen from the 11 that joined the semifinals in Cebu will head to Manila on August 18 to compete in the national finals.

“Your solutions and apps prove that you can accomplish extraordinary things by combining talent, collaboration, technology, and compassion for others,” said Accenture Advanced Technology Centers in the Philippines Managing Director Arvin Yason during the awarding of winners.

“Help future-proof talent”

Program The Future: The Accenture Technology Campus Challenge, Yason explained in a press conference after the event, was started five years ago to reach out to the academe.

“Through Program the Future, Accenture is actively collaborating with the academe to help future- proof talent, equipping them with the necessary skills to succeed and lead in the digital age,” the company said in a briefing paper.

“The intent really is through the months-long program, we want to help students rediscover their power to shape the future through technology,” Yason said. “We’re also helping them see that it’s not just about technology it’s also about creativity, imagination, teamwork–because we’re a very team-oriented organization–and the power of technology to make the world a better place.”

Arvin Yason Accenture — **EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.** Accenture Advanced Technology Centers in the Philippines Managing Director Arvin Yason: “Your solutions and apps prove that you can accomplish extraordinary things by combining talent, collaboration, technology, and compassion for others.”

New technologies to solve social problems

This year, the competition’s theme is “Tech4Good.”

Accenture said the competition provides students the opportunity to learn about new technologies such as blockchain, cloud, Internet of things or IoT, extended reality, data analytics, and artificial intelligence.

The students underwent training and mentoring sessions by Accenture employees on design thinking and the new technologies that they should tap in building their solutions, Yason said.

He said the program received 132 submissions from 21 schools all over the country.

In Cebu, the following teams won and will compete in the national finals:

Team: A1 of Cebu Institute of Technology University
Project: Aeon

Aeon is an app and platform that will help Cebu City Hall’s Long Life Program, a project that delivers maintenance medicines to residents with with hypertension, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. The app aims to solve problems on the program such as manual recording by digitizing records. It uses GPS to verify and track deliveries. It also has a predictive stock ordering capability to make sure there is enough stocks for beneficiaries. The platform can also be used to gather health data of beneficiaries to evaluate potential health risks.

Team: Aid 2.0 of University of San Carlos
Project: Tactus: Tactile text to Braille glove for the blind

Tactus taps AI and IoT to transform text into Braille feedback on the fingertips of a glove. The team says it offers a “portable, wearable, and affordable” solution for the blind and visually-impaired to read.

Team: Amigos of University of San Jose Recoletos
Project: JUANation

The project taps IBM Watson AI to analyze data from verified news sources about calamities and then generate assessments, based on location and population, on needs of the community for donations. It also taps the blockchain for monitoring of the donations.

Team: Repository Blues of University of the Philippines – Cebu
Project: Cancervive

The project is a support platform for people with cancer deal with their ailment. It has a profile of the patient, a private diary to track the treatment, reminders and tracking of medications, and a community portal for interaction with other cancer patients and medical personnel.

Team Coop of Cebu Institute of Technology University
Project: Tingog

Tingog is an app that aims to teach speech to children with cleft palate. It is meant as a complement to professional speech therapy. During the presentation, team leader Fritz Hoyle said the team will be working with Smile Train Philippines to deploy the app, whatever the outcome of the contest.

Yason said the teams in this year’s edition of the event “pleasantly surprised us in terms of the readiness of their prototypes.”

Unlike in the previous staging of the events when they focused on specific technologies, Yason said this year is more open-ended in terms of solutions.

Integrate multiple technologies

“That actually mimics real life. In real life, we rarely deliver solutions just on one technology. When we build solutions for our clients, we integrate multiple technologies,” Yason said.

“The evolution this year is tech for good. We wanted these students to actually look at society’s problems and ask themselves how can we start solving these problems with new and emerging technologies,” he said.

The 10 finalists that made it to the national competition will get P20,000 cash each team. The team that deploys solutions closely aligned with Accenture’s Tech Vision will receive P50,000 cash. The grand champion will win P300,000 cash and the school will receive P50,000. The Accenture mentor of the winning team will get a gadget.

Community Entrepreneurship Tech

OCEAN18 conference in Cebu to focus on how to protect, expand homegrown innovation

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date July 25, 2018
No Comments on OCEAN18 conference in Cebu to focus on how to protect, expand homegrown innovation

A conference that started after the World Economic Forum was held in the Philippines in 2014 will focus this year on homegrown innovation and “how to protect, grow, expand, and make sustainable our own industries.”

“We’re beginning to worry about our industries, like we consume a lot more shoes from outside the Philippines than shoes made here. We’re beginning to lose our furniture industry, we’re beginning to import more and more rice, we’re beginning to depend so much on imports and our exports are also declining so we wanna try to make sure that we can focus on that,” said Winston Damarillo, co-chair of OCEAN18 and founder and CEO of Amihan Global Strategies.

Multi-sectoral strategy for growth

The Open Collaboration with East Asian Networks or OCEAN18 will be held in Cebu this November.

Organizers said that the conference seeks to “shape the future of the Philippines by bringing together indiepreneurs, sector industry champions, and policy makers to create a multi-sectoral strategy for economic growth.”

Damarillo said indiepreneurs or independent entrepreneurs are early-stage ventures “have the potential to scale up tremendously and shake up their sectors.”

Damarillo is a venture capitalist and founder of several successful startups.

Unlike in the previous two stagings in 2014 and 2016, however, this year’s OCEAN conference will have a series of masterclasses throughout the country starting in this Friday, July 27, at the Crimson Resort and Spa in Mactan, Cebu.

OCEAN18 Cebu — **HOMEGROWN INNOVATION.** Cecilia Martinez-Miranda and Winston Damarillo discuss the theme of the OCEAN18 conference in Cebu and masterclass roadshow.

6 high-impact sectors

This will then be followed by masterclasses in Iloilo, Davao, and Manila.

The masterclasses will focus on 6 high-impact sectors identified by the team: Creative Economy, Education, Food, Global Filipino Engagement, Healthcare, and Tourism, said organizer Cecilia Martinez-Miranda.

This Friday, Damarillo said indiepreneurs will learn about business basics that are “foundational” to enterprises.

This Friday’s masterclass in Cebu will have Damarillo, who is also a WEF Young Global Leader, discuss key business fundamentals. Niña Terol of Kick Fire Kitchen will handle a session on design thinking techniques, and Richard Dacalos of Upstart the Game will talk about effective pitching.

At the end of the day, participants will close the master class with a round of benchmark pitches.

Global Filipino

In coming up with the 6 high-impact sectors, Damarillo stressed the importance of engaging the “Global Filipino.”

“We call them OFWs. That is so 1980s because we tend to forget that 10 million Filipinos are no longer in the Philippines and some of them go out to work overseas but a good part of them are Filipinos who have emigrated from the Philippines who still care a lot about the Philippines. And they remit a lot of money,” he said.

“The idea of this particular discussion is how do we look at those Filipinos who are still very connected to the Philippines as an expansion of our market. The Filipinos who are not in the Philippines, they have a lot of buying capability. They would be the most likely to patronize our exports. And they miss the Philippines, they miss our content. they miss our products and I think it’s a huge opportunity for us to address them as a buyer of our services and not just remitter of money,” Damarillo said.

The masterclass workshops are free and organizers will choose 6 teams to represent each high-impact sector and attend the OCEAN18 in November. They will also get mentorship and assistance in getting access to markets.

Filipino way

Damarillo said that in encouraging entrepreneurship, the country should look to build “Filipino startups the Filipino way, not the Silicon Valley way, not the Singapore way.”

“I think the model that would work in the Philippines is more like the examples of Injap Sia of Mang Inasal, from small to big and growing it. An example more like Penshoppe of Bernie Liu, right from tshirt to an empire. More like Jay Aldeguer from tshirts to Island Souvenir,” Damarillo said during the press conference to announce OCEAN18.

Damarillo said that what differentiates OCEAN18 and the masterclasses from other events is that “we’re going grassroots.”

“We wanted to make sure that as many people are touched. Dili lang siya novelty, it impacts our overall economy not just the tech economy,” he added.

OCEAN18 is a collaboration among the Global Shapers Communities of the Philippines, independent initiatives of the World Economic Forum; DevCon Philippines, a nonprofit aimed at promoting IT Pinoy Talent, and Kaya Collaborative, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring, educating, and mobilizing diaspora youth as partners to long-term, locally led social change in the Philippines.

Feature Tech

Boost your home, office security with network cameras

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date July 19, 2018
No Comments on Boost your home, office security with network cameras

CP Plus ezycam HC10 — CP PLUS EZYCAM HC10.

Easy to install and convenient to use, the CP Plus network camera line offers a great option for home and office security.

With increasing incidents of theft and vandalism near where we live in Lapu-Lapu City, our family decided to install a security camera. We studied options for video surveillance including standard CCTV packages and decided that our best option was to use an IP camera system.

Unlike the old analog CCTV camera, IP or internet protocol cameras are digital video surveillance systems that connect to your home network and the internet. The digital capability allows you to remotely control the camera, store video footage, listen to and talk to people within audio range, and even set triggers such as movements to capture photos and video clips.

ezykam cp plus — **CONTROL.** You can control and configure your ezykam cameras on your computer by accessing it using its IP address (example 102.168.1.17). To find out your camera’s IP address, you can use an app like Fing. Notice the REC notification to indicate that the camera is recording video. This was triggered by the motion detection system when the trisikad passed by.

We checked on a few options and decided on the Ezykam line of CP Plus. I had attended a company demo some months back and was familiar with the line.

Ezykam EP10, HC10

We got the Ezykam models EP10 and HC10 from CP Plus distributor RC Goldline. The EP10 retails for P3,490 while the HC10 sells for P2,490. The 2 units have basically the same functionalities except for a key difference: the EP10 allows 360-degree pan and tilt while the HC10 is fixed.

Installation and setup of the devices were easy. You just need to follow the manual on which parts to attach to which, download the app, and then go through the process of connecting to the devices. To connect, you just need to scan a QR code at the bottom or behind the unit. Not being a handyman, it took me longer to install the camera to the ceiling outside the house than to set the system up. You can then control or configure your ezykam camera through your desktop by entering its IP address (such as 192.168.1.4). To find out the IP address of your camera, you can use an app like Fing to scan your network.

CP PLUZ ezykam EP10 — **CP PLUS EZYCAM EP10**. This has pan and tilt capability.

Ezykam app for iOS, Android

The ezykam app for iOS and Android also makes it easy to monitor not just one camera but several others on your phone. That way, you can actually surround your house or office with different ezykam units and have a comprehensive video surveillance system that costs less than what CCTV systems used to sell for.

The ezykam cameras have a motion detection system with sensitivity settings that you can define. You can then set it to send you an email whenever it detects movement and provide app notifications. At the same time, it will also take photo snapshots and videos and save it to a microSD card for later retrieval via app download. You can also set it to send these files to a NAS or network attached storage via FTP if you have a home computer network.

You can also set the ezykam cameras to record videos on certain days and hours. The system will just overwrite the data on your microSD if it needs the space.

The exykam also has excellent night vision capability of about 10 meters. The video and photos it takes at night are clear and people’s features are easily discernible.

Video monitoring

You can also define several preset views with ezykam for devices like the EP10 that supports pan and tilt. That way, you can let the camera pan to a certain view just by entering its preset number. You can even set it to do vertical and horizontal patrols.

We’ve used the cameras for several weeks now and are very happy with its performance. We’re now assured that if anything untoward happens within our immediate vicinity, we’ll be able to capture it on video. It also allows us to remotely check our home whenever we’re out for work or even traveling. The most important feature, however, is that all these capabilities and control are available on the phone.

CP Plus ezykam phone — **MONITORING, CONTROL ON YOUR PHONE.** You can monitor and control your network of CP Plus ezykam cameras on the phone via its iOS and Android apps. This makes home or office security mobile and convenient.

Tags CCTV, CP Plus, EP10, ezykam, HC10, IP camera, network camera

Business Tech

Want to market to Chinese tourists? Go digital, mobile, social, says airline exec

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date July 7, 2018
No Comments on Want to market to Chinese tourists? Go digital, mobile, social, says airline exec

China is the world’s largest outbound tourism market and offers a lot of opportunities for destinations like Cebu and the Philippines, said AirAsia China, North Asia President Kathleen Tan.

To engage with Chinese tourists, however, brands have to go digital, especially mobile, Tan said.

“What’s happening is that if you look at China they now have 1 billion smartphone users, it’s a cashless country right now. Everyone pays using the mobile,” Tan said during an interview held at the launch of AirAsia’s daily Cebu-Shanghai flights.

AirAsia China Kathleen Tan — **AIRASIA** China, North Asia President Kathleen Tan with AirAsia Philippines CEO Dexter Comendador.

Tan said “social media is a must-have channel today” for brands.

“AirAsia is a very big brand in China because we started before anyone. We were the first low cost airline-we put the low cost concept into China. When we started no one has heard of the AirAsia brand, no one has heard what is the low cost concept,” she said. “So we spent a lot of years educating young Chinese and it is now a brand that when you search on Baidu, AirAsia is a brand name that pops out.”

Tan said this is important because young independent Chinese travelers comprise a huge market.

Events Feature Travel

AirAsia launches daily Cebu-Shanghai flights; Cebu told to be ready for influx of Chinese tourists

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date July 7, 2018
No Comments on AirAsia launches daily Cebu-Shanghai flights; Cebu told to be ready for influx of Chinese tourists

Cebu is the “perfect destination” for Chinese tourists because they are into diving and love the water and islands, said AirAsia China, North Asia President Kathleen Tan.

AirAsia launched today its daily Cebu-Shanghai flights at the new Terminal 2 of Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA).

“Cebu has so much to offer. You have a rich culture and amazing, beautiful islands,” said Tan during the inaugural ceremonies. “The Chinese love to eat. Food is very important to them, and shopping.”

“Cebu,” Tan told those gathered at the event, “your city will never be the same again with China coming in.”

AirAsia Cebu-Shanghai — **DAILY FLIGHTS TO SHANGHAI.** AirAsia launches its daily flights to Shanghai with an inaugural at the newly-opened Terminal 2 of Mactan Cebu International Airport. Present during the event are (center stage, from left) AirAsia Philippines Chairperson Maan Hontiveros, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Antonio Chiu, Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale, AirAsia China and North Asia President Kathleen Tan, Chinese Embassy Deputy Consul Wu Xiaomin, and AirAsia Philippines CEO Dexter Comendador.

Long-term growth

AirAsia Philippines CEO Capt. Dexter Comendador said the new terminal provides the airline “great capacity for long-term growth and expansion in Cebu as AirAsia’s hub.”

He said AirAsia now has 3 planes based in Cebu, which is the most outside Manila, ground equipment to support it, and about 200 employees.

“It’s a huge investment for us but we’re very happy that we did the right thing in connecting with China. It’s the largest market.” Comendador said.

AirAsia Shanghai-Cebu — **MUCH TO OFFER.** Cebu has much to offer to tourists based in China, said AirAsia China, North Asia President Kathleen Tan.

Market doing very well

He said they initially only wanted to divert passengers from Boracay, with the closure of the island in April, but “we found out that the market is working very well.”

“It’s a good problem for me,” Comendador said, “because when Boracay opens, I will need to find other planes to fly that route because I cannot, I will not, pull out the routes that we have established as alternate to Boracay.”

Tan described the development as “very exciting” because the airline has been able to connect “Cebu to a very important market. China is now ranked as one of the biggest outbound travel market in the world.”

Encouraging response

She described the initial response as very encouraging, with the inaugural flight from Shanghai to Cebu set to arrive past midnight at 99% of load capacity with 179 passengers.

Tan said forward sales also show good booking rates. She said they are aiming to have at least 80% load factor for the routes.

She said the Chinese “now have a big appetite for travel.” It is a “lifestyle commodity” especially for travelers from Shanghai.

She also said that she learned from Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Antonio Chiu that after they opened their routes to China, there have been Chinese business people who expressed interest in investing in Cebu.

Young, independent travelers

Tan said many of their customers are those born in the 1980s and 1990s and they see more independent and young Chinese travelers. To engage them, she encouraged those in the industry to go digital, mobile, and social.

Cebu Vice Governor Agnes Magpale welcomed the new routes as opportunities for Cebu to get more exposure to the Chinese market.

Magpale said that with the opening of Terminal 2, Cebu can accommodate more international flights.

Cebu is ready

“Cebu is really, really ready for more Chinese tourists,” she said during the event.

“With these added flights, we know that we will hit our 10 million mark for Cebu. We’ve asked the hotels, the resorts and they are really ready. The Provincial Government as well as the City Government are right behind the business community to make Cebu ready,” she added.

Chinese Embassy Deputy Consul Wu Xiaomin said that last year, the number of tourists from China to the Philippines increased 75%, the fastest growing among foreign markets.

“Tourism brings economic benefits both to the host country and the tourists’ home country,” he said. “I believe that improved relations between the Philippines and China is a key factor in the improved tourism market.”

AirAsia Cebu-Shanghai flights — The cake to mark the new flights.

Facebook Livestream of event

Tags Agnes Magpale, AirAsia, Dexter Comendador, Kathleen Tan, Shanghai

DigitalNomad Feature Lifestyle Travel

Millican roll pack: the backpack for travelers, digital nomads

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date May 28, 2018
No Comments on Millican roll pack: the backpack for travelers, digital nomads

Millican Maverick backpack — LARGE POCKETS. Millican’s Maverick backpack has large external pockets, including 2 in both sides large enough to carry a 600ml flask. One side pocket has an attachment to carry around a tripod and walking stick.

With enough room for a laptop, tablet, phones, portable drives, voice recorder, tripod, selfie stick, pocket WiFi, power cord extension, numerous data cables and several paper notebooks, the Millican roll pack is the backpack for travelers and digital nomads.

I got a 25-liter Maverick roll pack during a sale by the Primer Group, the exclusive distributor of the brand in the country, and it is one of the best purchases I’ve ever had. I’ve used the Millican bag exclusively for weeks and can say that it is the best backpack that I’ve had in the decades of carrying one.

I’ve gone through all the usual brands – Hawk (my go-to brand for years), The North Face, Jansport, and Case Logic – but nothing comes close to Millican in utility, durability, and style.

For one, I finally have a bag that can fit all the stuff I carry around for work or leisure.

Millican MAvericks rollpack — **TRAVEL, WORK FROM ANYWHERE.** The Millican 25-liter Maverick roll pack has room enough to carry all the things I need to work from anywhere.

Hidden laptop sleeve

The Millican has a hidden laptop sleeve at the back panel that’s perfect for my 13-inch Macbook Air. With its padded protection, I don’t need a separate laptop sleeve like I did with the other bags. The hidden pocket can hold a notebook of up to 15 inches. It is also lined with “100% waterproof recycled polyester,” according to the company.

There’s a separate hidden key pocket that can fit an iPad mini or a smaller Android tablet. It’s also perfect for phones and other gadgets.

The Maverick has a large front external pocket that can hold notebooks, phones, pocket WiFi, business cards, and even the 20,000mAh that powers my devices throughout the day. Behind this is an open pocket that is perfect for maps, brochures, or notebooks for easy access and inserts.

Millican rollpack — **LAPTOP SLEEVE.** The Maverick backpack has a hidden laptop sleeve at the back lined waterproof recycled polyester.

Holder for tripod, walking stick

It has 2 large side pockets that can hold a flask, more notebooks or other knickknacks. One side pocket has a holder for tripods or walking stick.

Inside the bag are several more pockets to fit even more things that you need to carry around. These pockets can fit clipboards, notebooks, and other important documents.

The roll top lid opening makes access to the stuff that you need easy. It also makes the backpack adjust to the amount of stuff you carry around. With the Maverick, I finally feel I have more room than things to stuff into it. With previous backpacks, I’d often have to carry a separate messenger bag to carry things that wouldn’t fit for longer trips or coverages that require use of more equipment.

Millican backpack — **TO THE BEACH.** Millican bags are “made to last” and provide “a protective barrier to keep the wet weather out,” the company said.

Made to last

Millican bags, the company said in its website, “are made to last.” Its outer fabric is made of Bionic Cotton Canvas, a company exclusive that is 38% cotton, 57% recycled polyester, 5% HT polyester and impregnated with a paraffin wax and a C6 DWR or durable water resistant coating.

“This creates a protective barrier to keep the wet weather out. Your bag will continue to repel water droplets as long as the fabric is kept clean and nourished every few years with a protective treatment,” the company said.

All Maverick bags use aluminum buckles “tough enough to withstand an average force of around 122 kgf (kilogram force). The aluminium is anodized, which provides a weather resistant surface without tarnishing, and the anodized trims we use are non-toxic and contain no nickel.”

Kindred spirits

If the backpack feels it was made for traveling it is because it was made by hardcore travelers.

Millican was started by Jorrit and Nicky, who met while traveling in the early 90s on the border of Ecuador and Peru. They traveled together for 2 years before returning to regular life in the UK.

“It wasn’t long before we slipped into regular life. Jobs, family, a house and a routine out in the suburbs. But there was always a flicker of light, an ember that never quite went out,” they said on their website.

“Then one story changed our lives for good. The true story of Millican Dalton, a maverick from the 1900s who swapped his existence in London for an extraordinary life of adventure in the mountains of the Lake District.”

The co-founders said Dalton inspired them to take a leap of faith and follow their own path.

“In homage to Millican Dalton, who was known to make his own clothing and rucksacks, we decided to name our company after him. His teachings still influence our decisions today,” they said.

In Cebu, Millican bags are available in GRIND and Bratpack.

Business Tech

Move to intelligent operations key to do well in business: Accenture

Post author By Max Limpag
Post date May 17, 2018
No Comments on Move to intelligent operations key to do well in business: Accenture

INNOVATION ROADSHOW. Accenture Operations Lead in the Philippines Benedict Hernandez with employees taking part of the innovation roadshow that highlights new IT like big data analytics, augmented reality, and AI.

Companies able to tap innovative talent, harness insights from large amounts of data and applied intelligence and tap benefits from the cloud and smart partnerships will be in the best position to survive disruption and do well in business, a recent global report said.

The report by HfS Research and Accenture said the future belongs to organizations that have transformed themselves into “intelligent operations”, said Accenture Operations Lead in the Philippines Benedict Hernandez in an interview on Tuesday.

“The future is about taking your business processes to become intelligent operations,” he said. “That is really capitalizing on digital disruption, access to phenomenal amounts of data, and the need to disrupt or improve the customer experience.”

Accenture Benedict Hernandez — **MOVING TO INTELLIGENT OPERATIONS.** Accenture Operations Lead in the Philippines Benedict Hernandez discusses results of a study that showed the importance of turning processes into intelligent operations in a press briefing in Cebu.

Move to intelligent operations

“The move to intelligent operations is fast becoming a make-or-break proposition for organizations, with 80 percent surveyed saying they are concerned with disruption and competitive threats, especially from new digitally savvy entrants.” Accenture said in a report on the study.

“It’s exciting to be looking at what used to be known as BPO (business process outsourcing) or BPS (business process service) and the challenge in front of us is how do we take our clients to an intelligent operations status to actually deliver all these benefits,” Hernandez said.

The research identified 5 essential components of intelligent operations: innovative talent, data-driven backbone, applied intelligence, leveraging the power of the cloud, and a smart partnership ecosystem.

Innovative talent

To move to intelligent operations, businesses need employees skilled in the new IT – data scientists, analysts, and experts on technology such as the cloud, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence.

In the case of Accenture operations, Hernandez said “talent is very important to us” and the company has 11,000 business advisors globally. “These are process experts who understand where is it that we can apply digital enhancements so that the client actually benefits.” The company also has 49,000 cloud practitioners and 4,000 data scientists globally.

“Having said that, you also have your current workforce that you continue to invest in so that they can actually be up-trained and re-skilled,” he said. Training workers to a redefined and changed nature of work is the “heavy lifting that companies need to be doing.”

“Because we’ve been automating so much over the past couple of years, what we have done is majority of the cost savings in automation is actually re-invested in up-training and upskilling everybody,” Hernandez said.

Accenture augmented reality — **AUGMENTED REALITY.** Members of an Accenture team demonstrate the use of augmented reality that allows people to virtually check out automobile models.

Data-driven backbone

Companies accumulate a large volume of data. The challenge for their clients, Hernandez said, is “how are you able to access and harness all of that data and run analytics, whether it’s predictive or prescriptive, so that you can actually improve the way the companies are performing?”

In one of the booths during the internal innovation roadshow at Accenture, a team showed how companies can spot trends in collection of payments by analyzing volumes of historical data.

Applied intelligence

Applied intelligence is using automation, analytics, and AI to improve processes. While many people see cost savings as a big driver for this, Hernandez said automating a process “benefits many other areas.”

“When the process works better, the end-customer experience is better, and there’s less of the routine tasks that people are doing, it allows the employee experience to also be better,” Hernandez said. “Now I don’t have to do all those mundane, repetitive, boring tasks because applied intelligence has already taken care of that. I can now make use of my human talent and skills to do more judgement, creative, problem-solving, more challenging, and more interesting kinds of activities.”

Automation can also eliminate human errors that expose companies to risk and compliance issues.

Leverage the power of the cloud

Companies are already plugging into “what’s available out there and have infrastructure as a service” rather than building their own. This allows them to be agile and flexible in their technology infrastructure.

“Buying and maintaining your own technology infrastructure is very costly and it actually becomes obsolete faster and faster because of just the rate of evolution,” he said.

With cloud companies continuing to evolve their offerings, “you’re able to get to the latest every time, you don’t need to do your own investment for that,” he said.

Accenture innovation roadshow — **INNOVATION ROADSHOW.** Accenture Operations Lead in the Philippines Benedict Hernandez with employees taking part of the innovation roadshow that highlights new IT like big data analytics, augmented reality, and AI.

Smart partnerships

Companies have also realized they “don’t have to be an expert in all areas” and could just tap partners to move to intelligent operations.

“In the case of Accenture, we have about 150 enterprise partners around the world of different technology and services that we work with. In AI alone, we don’t do AI on our own – we do a lot of R&D on AI but we partner a lot with Google, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services,” Hernandez said. “The main thing about the partnership ecosystem is that you can plug in to who are the best enterprises out there in their particular fields.”

This migration to intelligent operation is well underway and the nature of work that the company is getting from its clients have markedly changed.

“A lot of the companies getting into operations partnerships with Accenture is actually to innovate their operations to become more intelligent operations. And this is an example of a smart partnership ecosystem. Because they realize that I can’t do this alone. I don’t have the expertise, I don’t wanna build all that expertise so I can actually transform myself. Why don’t I work with Accenture so they can take my process to become more intelligent,” he said.

Where next opportunity is

From cost arbitrage years back, clients conversations have moved beyond that into “how do I make my process more digital, how do you allow my operations to save me money, to give me insights so I can actually improve my cash flow position, how I can be more competitive?” he said.

He said the move to intelligent operations “is really where the next opportunity for us and our clients.”

“My hope is when you now say BPO or you think about Accenture and intelligent operations, these becomes the example that comes to mind versus traditionally what we think about in BPO terms.” Hernandez added.

Tags Accenture, Artificial intelligence, augmented reality, Benedict Hernandez, intelligent operations