Globe, DQ Institute, DepEd collaborate to nurture digital intelligence in public schools

Globe Telecom, in partnership with the DQ Institute and the Department of Education, are leading the way in nurturing digital intelligence in the country. With more and more Filipino having access to the internet and smartphones, there is a growing need  for discerning online citizens nationwide.

 

The commitment of Globe, the DQ Institute, and DepEd includes measurement of the digital intelligence quotient (DQ) of our youth through pilot surveys in public schools around the country. The study will serve as a benchmark to nurture and improve our digital intelligence as a nation.

In conjunction with the research, Globe continues its push for increased digital literacy and online responsibility in schools through two key programs. Through the Global Filipino Schools (GFS) Program, every DepEd division in the country is provided a teacher training hub to bring 21st century learning in public schools through technology. The program equips one showcase school per division with free internet connectivity, mobile ICT equipment for learning, and teacher training on ICT integration in the classroom. Currently, there are 143 GFS learning institutions in 15 out of 18 regions around the country. Next year, Globe aims to bring the GFS Program to all 18 divisions.

 

The showcase schools, in turn, train teachers in neighboring schools on 21st century learning approaches through technology. Also, through the company's Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP), students and teachers are provided free workshops on responsible digital citizenship. Workshops cover principles on online safety and security, online etiquette and responsibility, online leadership and empowerment, and how to identify false information from credible information online.

 

As part of the partnership, Globe will be undertaking a DQ test in 12 schools under the telco's GFS program. The test is part of a national study to determine and measure the digital intelligence of kids in public schools in the Philippines. DQ is defined as the sum of technical, mental and social competencies essential to digital life. It encompasses the skills and values that are needed to thrive as responsible netizens to answer the demands of the digital era. These skills empower citizens to have ethical and responsible use of technology, an attribute that marks the leaders of tomorrow.

 

Globe thus becomes the first telco in the Philippines to help conduct this test that will gauge the DQ of the public education sector. Upon completion, the results of the survey will be used as benchmark of cyber-risk exposure and digital citizenship level of students in the Philippines. This will provide Globe first-hand data to help it further improve the area of digital learning among GFS school members through its DTP. It can also provide the opportunity to discover new ways or modules for learning. 

 

The national study is part of an international DQ Study, the preliminary results of which shall be presented during the 2018 World Economic Forum to be held in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

 

The study is derived from DQ World.net (https://www.dqworld.net), an online education platform that teaches Digital Citizenship Skills to kids aged 8 to 12 in order to empower them to become discerning digital citizens. DQ World was developed by the DQ Institute, an international think-tank committed to improving digital education, culture and innovation through cross-sector collaborations, global dialog and big data research. It is a spin-off group from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and Infollution Zero in South Korea, formed as a coalition in collaboration with the World Economic Forum.

 

"Globe Telecom is supporting DQ Institute in determining the digital intelligence quotient of the Philippines through the multinational DQ Study. This enables us to create new learning techniques to elevate the learning experience of children in the Philippines. Through our Global Filipino Schools, we will be able to help more students adopt to the new digital environment and help shape the future leaders in our country," said Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications Yoly Crisanto.  

 

"We strongly believe that the cultivation of digital intelligence will help lead children of today to become not only capable citizens in, but also passionate and innovative leaders of, tomorrow's digital economy. We're glad to bring the Study to the Philippines and we invite all government and ICT leaders here to partner with us to bring award-winning digital intelligence education to primary school students," says Dr Yuhyun Park, founder of the DQ Institute.

 

There are eight core DQ citizenship skills that children must be equipped with:

• Digital Citizen Identity, which is the ability to build and manage a healthy congruent identity both online and offline with integrity.
• Screen Time Management, which helps kids manage their time in front of the screen—multitasking and engaging in online games and social media with appropriate self-control.
• Cyber Bullying Management, which is the ability to detect cyberbullying situations and handle them wisely.
• Cyber Security Management, which is the process of protecting sensitive data through the creation of strong passwords and managing various cyberattacks.
• Privacy Management, which is the ability to handle with discretion all personal information shared online for full protection of one's and others' privacy.
• Critical Thinking, which is the ability to distinguish between true and false information, good and harmful content, and trustworthy and questionable contacts online.
• Digital Footprint Management, which is about learning and understanding the nature of digital footprints and their real-life consequences and how to manage them responsibly.
• Digital Empathy, which is being empathetic to the needs and feelings of the kids, as well as that of other users, online. 

 

 

Globe blocks nearly 2,500 illegal sites with #PlayItRight

Globe Telecom stepped up its drive versus illegal content by blocking a total of 2,471 domains or sites in 2017 that hosted lewd content and child pornography as part of its #PlayItRight advocacy campaign.

 

The company has taken a stronger stance to combat child pornography by blocking websites and related content as stipulated in the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 9775 or the Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009.   "As a purpose-led organization, we have a responsibility to ensure that our products and services will not be used for illegal activities.   Globe Telecom is strongly committed to help address child pornography in the country," said Yoly Crisanto, SVP for Corporate Communications.   She emphasized that the company will actively look out for illegal sites that contain vulgar content involving children.  

 

Having partnered with global and local content creators and distributors for its content business, Globe has also taken an active role in promoting legitimate sources of online content.  In 2017, the company launched the #PlayItRight advocacy to help the entertainment industry curb piracy and protect intellectual property rights.  "Our advocacy #PlayItRight goes beyond anti-piracy, it also aims to protect customers against malware and other cyber security threats that normally accompany illegal content or torrenting sites," Crisanto revealed.

 

"With today's highly accessible and affordable data and content packages, downloading content from legitimate sources has become so easy and convenient," she said.  "As more mobile and home broadband customers get used to streaming videos on their devices, it is imperative for us to provide our customers with safe and quality content, at the same time, protect the sources of original content including the licensed content of its global partners," she added.

 

She said that the #PlayItRight campaign sends a strong message to the public to consume digital content the right way. "We want everyone to consciously behave positively online and stop illegal torrents or other illegitimate online sources. Let's create new habits that would encourage people to create original content more and give them what's rightfully due them," she said.

 

In 2014, Globe introduced Spotify that changed the way Filipinos download music, helping curb illegal download of mp3 music from illegitimate sources.

Robinsons Retail expands acceptance of GCash QR payments

 

(L-R: Albert O. Tinio - CEO of G-Xchange Inc., James Mauricio Aujero - Head of Merchant Solutions, Mynt, Thelma Roxas- Jacob – General Manager of Ministop, Robina Gokongwei- Pe – President and COO of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc., Ernest Cu –President and CEO of Globe, Gina Salgado – VP of Robinsons Inc.- Business Center, Jose Luis Reyes - Vice President of Business Development, Mynt)

Strengthening partnership with Robinsons Retail, GCash scan to pay feature is now available at all Robinsons Department Stores nationwide to provide another hassle-free cashless shopping.

At the same time, Robinsons Specialty Stores Inc. has also started accepting GCash scan to pay in its brands Topshop/Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Warehouse, and G2000 in Ayala malls.  Ministop has also onboarded selected branches.

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu demonstrates to Robinsons Retail Holdings President and COO Robina Gokongwei- Pe how GCash QR  works

With this new GCash feature, shoppers will have faster payment experience, keep track of their expenses and minimize the risk of carrying cash.

"What we are offering is safety and convenience.  With GCash scan to pay feature, consumers don't need to carry coins with them while merchants no longer have to look for small change which can delay a transaction.  Hopefully, one day, this will become the standard in paying in the Philippines to make life easier," said Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu.  Globe, together with Ant Financial and Ayala Corp., owns Mynt, a financial technology company which operates GCash.

"Strengthening our partnerships to promote cashless transactions is one way to give our customers better experience in our stores. Retail is becoming more digital and we are embracing this phenomenon across our formats," said Robina Gokongwei-Pe, President and COO of Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc.

To use GCash scan to pay feature, a customer only needs to either download to his smartphone or update to the the latest version of the GCash App, create an account and fund the GCash wallet through over 12,000 cash in outlets located across the country including Globe Stores, Robinsons Business Centers, among others. Once done, the customer just has to tap on Pay QR and point the phone's camera at the counter's QR code to scan to pay.

GCash currently has over 4,000 QR codes in use nationwide including the biggest players in the country's retail industry even as it continues to roll-out the system in the coming months to more retail outlets. GCash is aggressively promoting this cashless payment system to encourage smarter and easier transactions among Filipinos.

Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2018 celebrity judges revealed

6.2K Likes & 1,317 Shares

7.3K Likes & 2,956 Shares

The Grand Coronation Night of the Miss Iloilo Dinagyang 2018 will be on January 20, 2018 at the University of San Agustin Gym.

Here are some of the celebrity judges and guests (L-R):
- Sinon Loresca (Eat Bulaga's Catwalk King)
- Bea Rose Santiago (Miss International 2013)...
- Andrea Biondo (Gentlemen of the Philippines & second runner-up at the Mister Universal Ambassador Pageant)
- Maureen Wroblewitz, Guest of Honor (Asia's Next Top Model Cycle 5 Winner)
- Rachel Peters (Miss Universe 2017 Top 10; Miss Universe-Philippines 2017)
- Norman Tinio (Pageant Executive & Blogger of https://normannorman.com/)
- Shamcey Supsup-Lee, Host (Miss Universe 2011 3rd-Runner-up; Miss Universe-Philippines 2011)
- Maxine Medina (Miss Universe 2016 Top 6; Miss Universe-Philippines 2016)

Tickets are now available at Alta Moda, Gen. Luna st., Iloilo City. A free public viewing will also be provided outside the venue.



Kodak Express by Colours Profile at Gaisano Capital Lapaz

 

 

 

 

 

 



Chef Miguel Treñas

Introducing Chef Miguel. He also runs the Ang Kamalig restaurant of the RJT Group but lends his expertise on continental dishes at Geronimo’s.

 

Chef Miguel is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, California, USA. One of the top graduates of his class, his love and passion for new food creations and flavorful dishes can be seen in the menu he has cooked up for Geronimo’s.

 

Watch Chef Miguel cook at their open kitchen. Try the pasta, burgers, steak, sandwiches. Take a picture of Chef Miguel working in the kitchen, and the best submission wins a dinner from two.

See you all at Geronimo's! Say Geronimo! Hey Geronimo!

Virtualahan: Breaking down employment barriers for PWDs

(From L-R):  Kickstart Ventures President Minette Navarrete; Globe Telecom Head of Innovation Mikey Garrovillo; Virtualahan co-founders Ryan Gersava, Rose Gersava- Villamor, Elsie Losala-Gersava, Josh Gersava;  and Ashoka Philippines Chairman Rico Gonzalez. Virtualahan is one of the five winners of  Globe Future Makers Program.

Finding a sustainable source of income is one of the biggest challenge that People with Disabilities (PWD) face on daily basis. People with medical, mental and physical limitations are not just battling for their condition but enduring the inequality in the workplace primarily because of discrimination.

Virtualahan, a social enterprise based in Davao City is changing the system using a business model that upskills, employs, and empowers people with disabilities to become productive members of society.

"We equip people with skills and the right mindset so they can start working online as remote employees for digital businesses around the world. We have taken advantage of the power of the internet and the growing outsourcing industry to fulfil our mission which is to promote inclusive and sustainable employment, decent and productive work for all in a workplace that treats everyone as an equal," said Ryan Gersava, Virtualahan Founder.

Virtualahan was recently declared as one of the winners of Globe Future Makers Program, the social innovation program of Globe Telecom held in cooperation with the Singtel Group of Companies to help enable emerging social innovators create a positive impact on society with the help of technology.

"We see a lot of potential in Virtualahan in solving the need for gainful employment of PWDs and those with medical conditions who often face discrimination. We believe that innovations like this one plays a key role in making wide scale impact to help drive social development in the Philippines," said Chelle Gray, Director for Globe Citizenship.

"With the  technology support and mentorship of the Globe Future Makers program this will help us deal with our challenges in delivering our services, optimizing the tech aspect, improving our e-learning platform, even cut other practices to save on costs by using different tools and expansion to help those with no access to the Internet," declared Gersava.

Gersava, a Licensed Medical Technologist, put up Virtualahan when he was denied of employment due to a medical condition despite having high qualifications. With the help of two siblings, Josh an IT professional and Rose, a registered nurse, they set up Virtualahan which is a play on "virtual" and" eskwelahan," a Filipino term for school. The social enterprise is a 100% virtual company which keeps their operations lean and highly functional. It is a very innovative and highly scalable model that uses technology to deliver positive impact.

Virtualahan recruits, screens, and qualifies candidates to undergo an intensive six weeks' skills and capacity building program that allows unemployed PWD to become self-earning and dependable members of the family and the community. Successful graduates are then provided with employment support through direct hiring, referrals, and online job preparation. They are employed as virtual assistants, customer service representatives, transcriptionists, data managers, among others.

"The work from home model is the best strategy that we found to help people with mobility issues to earn a decent income. We create structure, accountability, management and the opportunities for advancement and set these people to deliver maximum value. In the process, we are building a support network that meets in person and online to nurture confidence, teamwork, and social equality among our members, "added Ryan.

For the past two years, Virtualahan served 127 beneficiaries from 20 different cities across the country. It has also represented the Philippines in major international competitions like the ASEAN Impact Challenge in Singapore, has spoken to international conference like the Social Enterprise World Forum in Hong Kong, was accepted in prestigious fellowships like The DO School in Germany, The Global Good Fund in USA, and represented the country at The Youth Assembly at The United Nations in New York.

Winning the Globe My Future Makers is an important milestone for Virtualahan in expanding its advocacy to more areas in the country and eventually to the world.

 

OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE ONE YEAR EXPIRY OF PREPAID LOAD

 

Globe Telecom will comply with the NTC-DICT-DTI Joint Memorandum Circular No. 05-12-2017 prescribing a one (1) year expiration period for prepaid load.  Effective January 5, 2018, all Globe prepaid load with denomination of 300 pesos and above will carry a one (1) year expiration period. 

 

We welcome the latest directive of the DICT granting a six months extension on the implementation of the 1-year load expiration for denominations below 300 pesos.  

 

Telecommunications as a business requires complex, advanced and real time systems that should be extensively tested, bearing in mind the impact to our 57 million prepaid customers, including transactions and voice, SMS, and data traffic that these systems support. The 6-months extension will give us ample time to prepare for the smooth and seamless implementation of the expiration change across all denominations.

 

Among the changes that we will address are the following:

 

1.   Expansion of Capacity. Extension of the load expiry will require additional capacity and additional cost. While we have built adequate capacity for 2018, we will need to build more capacity and purchase additional licenses to accommodate the change. This will include purchase of licenses and software programming by third party vendors.

2.  System Tests. We will conduct optimization and interoperability tests to minimize any adverse impact to customers when we implement changes and expand the capacity of  several information technology systems.  

3.  Additional Number Series. To fully implement the change, we will need additional number series from the NTC. Otherwise, we will run out of numbers as a direct result of the longer load expiration period. Moreover, we need to define and fully test the new number series before making them available for our new customers.

Furthermore, there may be new conditions applied to prepaid services within the next six months to ensure a sustainable quality of service. -Atty. Froilan Castelo, General Counsel

 

 

 

 

 

IVolunteer: Making a sustainable impact in volunteerism

 

The young and dedicated iVolunteer team.  From L-R:  Danielle Najos, Jasmine Salem, Jennilyn Redublo, and Danalynne Dumaliang

 

Building a better Philippines takes a collective effort and not just a one-man team. But volunteering towards nation building takes a whole lot of education and understanding before one can truly grasp the whole concept of volunteerism and create a sustainable impact. Often, there are also mismatches for demand for volunteers and availability of volunteers.

 

These are the pain points shared by JB Tan and Bel Padlan, the people behind iVolunteer, one of the five startups which won the Globe Future Makers social innovation competition participated in by 135 individuals and groups. Tan noted the difficulties in finding volunteering opportunities even during the onslaught of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 which opened up the floodgates for more volunteers.  People want to volunteer but they didn't know how and where to go.

 

This situation prompted Tan and Padlan to come up with iVolunteer where they partnered with many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help develop volunteer engagement facilities, make a sustainable impact on the community and create a holistic program for the beneficiaries. iVolunteer also helps volunteers find opportunities as well as encourages people to sign up as volunteers. IVolunteer is not just a website but a venue for education on how to become a volunteer.

 

"There was really a mismatch when it comes to demand for volunteers and the available volunteers. But there are problems every day that necessitates the need for volunteers, so why don't people volunteer every day? With our website, we want people to become conscious first and educated enough on how to become a volunteer, and to realize that everyone regardless of status in life can be a volunteer," shared Tan. "Volunteers are your so-called every day heroes, often unheralded, always in the background, never mentioned often, but are the ones most adamant in helping build a nation."

 

With their vision about volunteering and leveraging technology in furthering their cause, Tan said the benefits they received from winning the Globe Future Makers Program could help them reach out to more people.

 

"With access to Globe, we have a big marketing channel through SMS, Data or Internet to promote volunteerism. Technology can really help us elevate the level of understanding and professionalism among volunteers, remind them that they signed up for this to show their commitment, and probably institute a rewards system, though we should be careful about this. We want to delight them as well but be cautious against making it a livelihood. So that's about using technology, facilitate volunteerism and provide Volunteer Delight."

 

Chelle Gray, Globe Citizenship Director said:  "Globe always espouses volunteerism even among its employees so this is something dear to our hearts.  Hopefully, through Globe Future Makers, we can help iVolunteer further their cause and encourage more people to participate in this worthy undertaking."

 

The Globe Future Makers program which Globe introduced early this year seeks to influence and build a whole ecosystem of social innovators with the help of technology. Globe teamed up with Ashoka, the world's largest professional network of social innovators as well as venture capital firm Kickstart Ventures to give the winning teams an opportunity to receive coaching and mentorship from some of the best social innovators around the world as well as meet possible investors.

 

At present, the people that run iVolunteer are 100-percent volunteers and no one gets paid.  The organization has more 200 partners inside and outside of Metro Manila and is still looking at expandings its operations to Cebu, Davao and other regions.

 

Volunteer work which people may sign up with include tutorials particularly for out-of-school youth, soup kitchens, tree planting, relief operations, medical missions, among others.

 

Tan said their goal is to grow non-volunteers to become one-time volunteers and eventually transform them to become committed ones. The benefit of volunteerism is really two-fold: immediate output to the community and the intrinsic transformation to the volunteer himself in terms of perspective and maturity. "We want to move people eventually to higher levels of commitment that creates longer term impact; this is what we call 'volunteer evolution.'"

 

 

Globe Futre Makers: MilkTrack - Solving the problem of breast milk scarcity

From L-R:  Kickstart Ventures President Minette Navarrete,  Ashoka Philippines Chairman Rico Gonzalez, MilkTrack Founder Kevin Facun  with teammates Mark Sampayan and Richie Ryan Tan, and Globe Telecom Head of Innovation Mikey Garrovillo

The importance and value of breast milk for newborn or sick babies can never be understated. Stories have been written numerous times as to how babies' lives have depended much on the availability of breast milk while its scarcity brought dire consequences.

As a research project undergraduate, Kevin Facun and his team were tasked to create innovative solutions to answer basic problems in his community in Malolos, Bulacan. One of these concerns involved health care, particularly in hospitals in his home town where he noticed a peculiar need for breast milk.

Facun said they visited neonatal units and saw how breast milk is considered a basic necessity for babies for them to survive. "We heard lots of stories on the need for breastmilk, especially for premature babies and it's so hard to find trusted sources. What most people and mothers don't know is that breast milk is very important for premature or sick babies because formula milk is hard to digest."

The Philippine Milk Code strictly implements breastfeeding in all hospitals nationwide, but the lack of available breast milk is still prevalent, particularly in government hospitals. He said that there are 11 milk banks nationwide and only four are government owned. Private milk banks sell breast milk at P500 per bag, and a baby needs at least 3 bags a day. "So you can imagine how hard it is, especially among mothers from poor families. There's really a huge demand but supply is limited. Couple this with lack of awareness and education so we came up with an application to help for supply to cope with the demand because we know that saving lives is of importance," declares Facun.

Thus, Facun's team came up with "MilkTrack," a mobile application that will facilitate the logistical and information dissemination concerns when it comes to sourcing breast milk. Among its key features are information focused on storage of milk, proper expression and others that aim to correct common misconceptions about breast milk, plus a breastfeeding location tracker through Global Positioning System (GPS) that can zero in on government establishments, some malls and even academic institutions where breastfeeding stations are located.

Users can also use MilkTrack to sell, buy or donate milk or place an order as a beneficiary, and have the milk delivered right at one's doorstep. "We follow the guidelines of the Philippine Human Milk Bank. Mother donors need to undergo a strict testing process on HIV and Hepatitis B. We also track the medical records of donor applicants. We started this in our area in Malolos, Bulacan that served as a pilot community."

MilkTrack received a big break when it was picked as one of the top five winners of Globe Future Makers Program which seeks to influence and build a whole ecosystem of social innovators.  The program received 135 entries from individuals and startups from all over the country who want to make a difference in society through the use of technology.

 "We know that the award will take us to an even better place to help realize our dream. With the magnificent partners at Globe, Ashoka, and Kickstart and their invaluable mentoring, we are confident that we will realize that dream," Facun said.

"We believe in the advocacy of Milktrack and what they want to achieve. Globe wants to build a better world and espouse the creation of social innovators and game-changers in order to create a brighter tomorrow especially for the next generation," said Chelle Gray, Director for Globe Citizenship.

MilkTrack  plans to put up its own facility instead of going to the nearest milk bank to have the milk pasteurized.  "Other than selling the product, we wanted a modern-day bayanihan initiative because this concerns the lives of mothers and babies. Through crowdsourcing, we want this to eventually resort to a healthier nation," he said.

Facun figured its best to focus on his hometown first within 3 months but they are already eyeing Metro Manila since it has the biggest and greatest demand. The Philippine General Hospital alone, he said, needs at least 10 liters of breast milk per day.

Although MilkTrack primarily operates through its mobile app and website, Facun said there are also plans to establish a direct partnership with hospitals and doctors, with priority on Pediatrics and Obstetrics-Gynecology because they already have the network.