by admin | Apr 23, 2016 | Local News / Bohol Balita, Tech Talk
Click Prio topped the recently concluded Startup Weekend Bohol 2 (SWB2) held last April 15-17, 2016 at the Bohol Island State University in Tagbilaran City. ClickPrio gives patients access to their doctors with a tap of a button. It is an online queuing system specifically designed for hospitals and clinics.
The Startup Weekend is a 54 hour all action event where participants pitch an idea, and teams are formed to work on the ideas that have the highest votes. The SWB2 had 8 teams completing the event out of 8 selected ideas.
At 2nd place is Nice Cat, which is a pet merchandise brand that sells products for cats, cat owners, and cat lovers. With the creation of a lovable brand, a cast of compelling characters, and a business model in reverse to the likes of Disney and Pixar, it hopes to rule the industry with it’s furry goodness.
E-Trike Tours offers a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly, authentically local option to tourists. Standard rates (no overcharging), friendly drivers and your safety assured. They teach drivers the value of doing sustainable business: offering good service, good rates and taking care of their customers.
The teams were advised by the following mentors: Robin Gurney of ANDAKIDZ, Thomas Ridenour, a React Native Mobile Developer, Dan Pantinople, a Creative Lead of Symph, Paolo Rigotti of Gelateria Milano and Sharon Sesaldo of TechTalks.PH.
The judges for the competition are as follows: Albert Padin, Chief Technical Officer of Symph, Pip Cimafranca, a Senior Ops Manger, and Aimee Lim of Gerarda’s.
The event lead organizer is Ashley Uy of Symph and Jay Paul Aying of Bagol Labs, and were assisted by Jane Alcantara of Auza.Net, Ben Skelton, Charles Barette of Fab Lab, Ms. Lai Biliran of The Bohol ICT Council and Zion Campo of Tarsier Times.
The facilitators of SWB2 are Goldy Yancha of Ideaspace and Angel Abella of TechTalks.PH.
by admin | Apr 23, 2016 | Opinion, Tech Talk
By: Jerome Auza
I cringe every time I see a chart on my Facebook wall showing economy indicators “improving” during the Pres. Benigno Aquino administration. The way most of these charts are shown do indicate that a lot has improved in this administration, which is true, by the way. The problem is that these charts are not showing a complete picture and oftentimes fail to show the achievements by the previous administration.
You see, I deal with charts and charts data every day of my professional life. And with the computerized tools currently available for anyone to generate charts and publish them, it is easy to intentionally or unintentionally mislead the readers by showing a chart to highlight an improvement.
So I raise an eyebrow if I see telltale signs that a chart can be misleading. For example, someone declared that “Unemployment, went down consistently. From 7.3% in GMA’s administration, to 5.8% now.” Then the graph in Figure 1 is shown:
Figure 1. PH Unemployment rate from 2006 to 2016. Source: Tradingeconomics.com, Bureau of the Treasury, Philippines
What’s wrong with this chart is that the percentage numbers shown do not start from zero and thus you see a zoomed in line which shows a downward trend. It shows that the unemployment rate improved in 2010, when Aquino became president. But what if we look at all the data from further back? In Figure 2, we see a longer trend from 1996.
PH Unemployment rate from 1996 to 2016. Source: Tradingeconomics.com, Bureau of the Treasury, Philippines
The biggest drop in unemployment rate happened in 2005. Is this because of GMA’s achievement in generating jobs at that time? It’s hard to say because the unemployment definition was changed at that time. The old definition of unemployed considered only two criteria:
1) Without work and looking for work; or
2) Without work and not looking for work due to valid reasons.
And the current definition consists of persons in the labor force who are reported as (1) without work; and (2) currently available for work; and (3) seeking work or not seeking work because of the belief that no work is available, or awaiting results of previous job application, or because of temporary illness or disability, bad weather or waiting for rehire or job recall. The new definition of unemployed was adopted starting April 2005 per NSCB Resolution No. 15 dated October 20, 2004
One thing is clear though: that from 2005, the unemployment rate is trending down already and towards 2016, it seems to go downward faster. Perhaps if the 2008 worldwide financial crisis didn’t happen, we could have even better unemployment numbers.
So in short, the unemployment number was trending down already prior to 2010 and the Aquino administration maintained the downward trend and possibly increased the downward rate towards 2016. So it is right that the unemployment numbers improved in Aquino’s administration. It should also worth mentioning that the improvement started in GMA’s administration.
We see similar thing happening for GDP. Figure 3 shows the GDP from 2006 while Figure 4 shows GDB from 1960. The GDP rise started in 2002, went down a bit in 2010 and continued the trend upwards after that. If you look only at Figure 3, you will conclude that Aquino did a very good job in improving the GDP. However, if you look at Figure 4, the trend started in GMA’s time and it just simply continued the trend. Also, it seems that in 2014, the trend upwards may have started to slow down. We will know for sure after the 2015 data will be available.
Figure 3. PH GDP from 1996 to 2014. Source: Tradingeconomics.com, Bureau of the Treasury, Philippines
Figure 4. PH GDP from 1960 to 2014. Source: Tradingeconomics.com, Bureau of the Treasury, Philippines
And my last example is the PH Debt to GDP ratio. Figure 5 shows an apparently very significant improvement during Aquino’s administration, approximately 7 points improvement. However, Figure 6 shows that the biggest improvement in that ratio happened in GMA’s administration, around 20 points from the highest point until 2010 and the trend just continued in Aquino’s administration.
PH Debt to GDP Ration from 1996 to 2015. Source: Tradingeconomics.com, Bureau of the Treasury, Philippines
PH Debt to GDP Ration from 1990 to 2015. Source: Tradingeconomics.com, Bureau of the Treasury, Philippines
In summary, one should be careful not to be misled by a chart that do not show a complete picture. Charts are supposed to communicate a lot of information quickly but an incorrectly drawn chart could be misleading. In politics, it is common practice to tout an achievement by showing partial information on a chart. Watch out for zoomed in data as it would be difficult to assess the relative values on the timeline. This is especially true for long term trends like the economic indicators of the country.
In conclusion, it is very obvious that the significant improvements in the economic indicators started to improve significantly during GMA’s term and continued on by the Aquino administration. Both administrations should be commended for successfully improving our economy. Hopefully such trend will continue as the next president takes over later this year.
by admin | Apr 22, 2016 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
TAGBILARAN CITY, April 21, (PIA)—Civil society groups aligned with sustainable environment make public a document labor of love which could guide individuals, families, businesses and government on fighting back climate change on International Earth Day, April 22.
The document, now to be called the Primer on Climate Change, is a production of an environment group called Bohol Nature Conservation Society (BONACONSO), and works on the premise that men are all intricately interconnected… to animals, plants, air, water, seas, soil, earth, and the ever-expanding universe.
The primer, which would be launched during a celebration concert by alternative artist and environmental advocate Joey Ayala, calls for building a critical mass of people who would be willing to change to make things better.
“We have to redefine the idea of progress as environmental degradation is intimately connected to human degradation,” the primer’s prologue states.
Also on that day, BONACONSO is proud to initiate the events which are aid to be the first time when Earth Day celebration is being spearheaded, not by the usual government, but the private sector comprising civil society organizations (CSO).
Picking up Halad Pasalamat para sa Kalikopan (thanksgiving offering for the environment) as theme, BONACONSO, through president Pat Ruiz said while usual earth day events include shutting down of power plants for hours, Bohol is having its own line-up of events.
First event of the day, April 22, is a 5:30 Tai chi at the Key of C Promenade, which would be participated by environment advocates, health and lifestyle conscious individuals and interested public as well.
Often described as meditation in motion, tai chi promotes serenity through gentle, flowing movements.
Tai chi is an ancient Chinese tradition that, today, is practiced as a graceful form of exercise. It involves a series of movements performed in a slow, focused manner and accompanied by deep breathing.
Tai chi, also called tai chi chuan, is a noncompetitive, self-paced system of gentle physical exercise and stretching. Each posture flows into the next without pause, ensuring that your body is in constant motion.
We need to get back the feel of the earth’s balance, regain the lost energies and be one with the environment, suggests a 60 plus member of BONACONSO, Flora Loquellano.
At 6:00, to give a statement of support to renewable energies and shunning from fossil fuels, Earth Day organizers bring in races for paddleboats for entertainment.
Sea gypsy paddlers, dragon boats and amateur paddlers take to the sea in a celebration of the water as among the key life elements, Loquellano added.
While the crowd breaks for the day, an environment concert with alternative artist and nationalist Joey Ayala unfolds at the K of C Drive, and BONACONSO has also prepared numbers, Ruiz said.
It would be a night of memories, we will be offering healing and thanksgiving rituals as Joey Ayala performs environmental advocacy numbers, Ruiz said. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Apr 21, 2016 | Election 2016, Opinion
On bended knees I begged for help, Government and Women groups turned their back (My sister was raped and brutally Killed)
Maria, A mother of 6, a beautiful young mother, was forced to go abroad because of poverty, like other OFWs in the world now.
She went abroad for work, but went home inside a coffin, she was raped and brutally killed in the Middle East on September 29, 1993, the family was informed of three different versions of her death, the government tried to hide to the family the real cause.
The Philippine Embassy informed Maria’s family only on October 4 for reasons the family didn’t know.
Maria from North Cotabato, her family sought the help of the Secretary of the Department of Labor, the Transportation Secretary and even various women groups including, the militant Gabriela in Manila to help them, and at least- facilitate the transfer of her casket from an international airline in Manila to Davao City, but they failed. Worse they were given a run around.
Maria’s youngest sister, then a correspondent of a known national broadsheet called several women’s group in Manila to help as no one in the family was there to attend for the transfer- the family was struggling to raise funds to pay for the casket, they were told the airfare from manila to Davao is expensive that a human fare.
Endless calls made from October 4 to October 20, but the government was INUTILE and none of the so-called women’s groups either progressive, militant or moderate came to the family’s rescue.
On October 19 at exactly, 12:00 midnight, a stranger visited Maria’s sister in her house in Davao, a man who claims to be a staff of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte informed them, that the transfer and payment for the casket was underway and the family need not worry about the payment because Duterte sent a staff to Manila to help the transfer and the payment.
The same staff told the family “Ayaw na mo sige ug hilak, kay ugma sa buntag moabot na ang lawas diri sa Davao (stop crying, tomorrow morning the cadaver will arrive here in Davao).
Seconds, after the man told the sister, someone was calling him over his handheld radio and the staff told the sister, Duterte wants to talk to her.
In between sobs, she talked with Duterte over the radio, heard Duterte said ” ayaw na kagoul, tabangan ta mo, sultihi lang ko ug naay pay kulang kay aron madala imong igsoon sa iyang pamilya sa North Cotabato (don’t worry, I will help your family, just tell me if you need more help to bring the casket to her family in North Cotabato).
Unknown to the family, Duterte was monitoring the arrival of the aircraft the following morning.
When the cadaver was opened inside the funeral homes along F. Torres St. in Davao, family members were disoriented, the youngest sister horrified but a man with open arms comforted her and told her “be strong, Pray. I understand the pain.”
She did not realize, she was heavily crying in Duterte’s arms.
Inside the room, Duterte comforted the family, he cried with them as the family shouted for justice.
When everyone was settled and calm, Duterte stood up and told the family in vernacular “we have a problem here, the Philippines does not have BILATERAL LABOR AGREEMENT WITH MANY COUNTRIES and EVEN IF WE FIGHT NOW, IT WILL BE AN UPHILL FIGHT.”
Duterte even went to North Cotabato on his motorbike a day before Maria was laid to rest.
The family is coming out now, because they now deep inside their heart, BELOW THE BAD MOUTH OF DUTUERTE, LIES DUTERTE’s SOFT HEART—READY TO PROTECT ANYONE SPECIALLY THE DISADVANTAGED AND THE FAMILY OF POOR RAPE VICTIMS.
THIS IS MY STORY, it took me two days to draft this story, because I cannot continue writing-crying as I remember the tragic moment how my sister was brutally killed, and how a stranger-RODRIGO DUTERTE came to our rescue.
It pains me to hear people crucifying Duterte when they themselves have yet to try his kind of leadership, they don’t know Duterte inside out.
I am Editha Zaragosa Caduaya, youngest sister of Maria.
The girl at the right side of the picture.
Reposted with permission from this Facebook post
by admin | Apr 21, 2016 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
TAGBILARAN CITY, April 21 (PIA)–Nipasidaan ang Commission on Elections (Comelec) nga hugot gayud nilang ipatuman ang liquor ban kalabot sa nagsingabot nga eleksyon.
Sa gipagawas nga Comelec Resolution 10095, nakalatid nga sugod Mayo 8 hangtud 9, bawal ang bisan kinsa nga mo-inom, magbaligya o modalit og bino sa tibuok nasod.
Ang bisan kinsang molapas sa liquor ban mahimong mabilanggo og unom ka buwan hangtud usa ka tuig, kuhaan na usab kini og katungod nga makabotar sa tibuok niyang kinabuhi ug kun empleyado sa gobyerno, bawalan na kining makagunit og bisang unsang posisyon sa gobyerno.
Ang mga langyaw lamang ang dili sakop sa liquor ban.
Apan mahimo usab nga mo-apply og exemption ang mga establisimyentong adunay certification gikan sa Department of Tourism (DoT) nga tourist-oriented sila o ginabisita sa mga langyaw. (ecb/PIA7-Bohol)
