by admin | Jan 9, 2016 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita, Major Events
The ACCRE (Coral growth booster) of Bohol Island State University (BISU) – Candijay, Bantay Palay (Grain saver) of the University of Bohol (UB) and Cocobot (Transforming coconut toy) of TIRServ lorded the final pitching and judging stage of the Bohol Idea to Innovation (BHL i2i) Competition held last January 8, 2016 at the Belian Hotel, Tagbilaran City.
These teams came out on top from the ten (10) finalists selected during the BHL i2i Boot Camp last October 5-6, 2015 at the Bohol Cultural Center. All teams underwent the idea development stage where they were advised by mentors from Ideaspace. In the prototyping stage, they have availed of the services and technical support of the Bohol Fablab, the first fabrication laboratory in the Philippines.
An added feature of this competition was the Co-creation Stage with nine (9) Japanese mentors who met with the Bohol teams for five (5) days and did surveys, field interviews and final prototyping. Bohol ICT Council Chairperson Lai Biliran, DOST-Bohol’s Engr. Marcial Tanggaan, Yorbs Electronics’ Roy Bayonas and Concept Mobile’s Thomas Ridenour were the judges and panelists during the final pitching and presentation. During the closing program, messages of support were given by Tagbilaran City Mayor John Geesnell L. Yap II and Bohol Gov. Edgardo M. Chatto who were represented by Mr. Valentino Gamutin and Dr. Glenn Doloritos, respectively.
Launched in July 2015 during the Sandugo Regional Trade Expo, the Bohol Idea to Innovation (BHL i2i) Competition, the first of its kind in the province, promotes innovation and start-ups in developing technology-based solutions to local problems through digital fabrication. The competition is composed of four (4) stages, namely boot camp, prototyping, co-creation and exhibition.
The BHL i2i Competition is spearheaded by the Department of Trade and Industry – Bohol Provincial Office, in coordination with the Bohol ICT Council, Bohol Fabrication Laboratory (Fablab), Bohol Island State University, Provincial Government of Bohol and the City Government of Tagbilaran. (Engr. Jerome John J. Gabin, DTI-Bohol)
by admin | Dec 19, 2015 | Headlines, Tech Talk
The provincial government of Bohol held the ICT Sector Planning workshop on December 17, 2015 at the Casa Rey Francis Inn and Restaurant. The whole day even was attended by the various stakeholders of the Information and Communications Technology sector. This sector includes the Bohol Investment Promotion Center (BIPC), the academe (HNU, UB, STI, BISU), DOST-ICTO, Bohol ICT Council, the Tagbilaran City government, BEPO, DTI, EDCOM, Bohol ICT Unit, TESDA-Bohol, DepEd-Bohol, Philippine National Police (PNP-Bohol), Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), Google Educators Group (GEG), PGBH-SEEM, freelancers, TaRSIER117, Techtalks Tagbilaran, Globe Telecom, Philippine Call Center Institute, DTI and other groups interested in the ICT industry.
City Mayor Baba Yap, in his inspirational message, said that there are interested parties that are willing to locate their BPO operations in Tagbilaran City and the city government is committed to make the city attractive to investors in this industry. Currently, the Sangguniang Panglungsod is developing the incentives code for this industry.
Ms. Lai Biliran, the chairperson of the Bohol ICT Council presented the massigve opportunities for job generation in the ICT sector. Even nurses and other graduates of medical courses can find employment in the BPO industry with the increasing trend of outsourcing the medical records processing to the Philippines. In an online survey conducted by the ICT council a few years ago, Boholanos working in the BPO industry in other cities are willing to relocate back to Bohol if similar job opportunities are available.
Ms. Marjoe Narca of HNU facilitated the planning workshop.
The ICT industry is currently an US$18B industry in the country and the revenue generated is expected to exceed OFW remittances in the near future. Bohol’s share of this market is very small and is contributed by small enterprises operating locally and some foreigners who opened offices here. Although a small industry in Bohol, BPO operators are already doing inbound and outbound call center operations, software development, drafting, engineering and architectural designs, content development, graphics, animation and photography.
The perennial challenge to the small ICT enterprises is the high cost and low bandwidth of business grade Internet connections. While guaranteed bandwidth leased line connections are already available, these are very expensive and would not be economically viable to use by small enterprises.
Participants to the ICT Sector Planning Workshop.
by admin | Dec 15, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
TAGBILARAN CITY, December 15 (PIA)–Neither Governor Edgar Chatto nor the Bohol Peace and Order Council (PPOC) received any formal copies of the fact finding mission results which a peasant group sent to investigate alleged human rights violations in Trinidad.
But, despite not being furnished any report on the International Fact Finding Mission (IFFM) which Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) organized to dig on alleged human rights violations committed by the military encamped in San Vicente, Trinidad, Gov. Chatto sent out at least two memoranda directing concerned government agencies to act on the matter in the complaint.
The proactive Chatto said despite not getting the copy of the mission results, he asked concerned agencies to address the allegations and for LGUs to conduct assemblies to talk to the people about the allegations.
In September, the IFFM talked to the governor at the Mansion, went to the Special Forces camp in Carmen before proceeding to San Vicente where they interviewed residents to establish the truth of the Hugpong sa mga Mag-uumang Bol-anon (HUMABOL) complaints of alleged of human rights violations.
According to Rafael Mariano, APC Chairperson, national chairman of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and IFFM member, “farmers in Sitio Panaghiusa [San Vicente] are being harassed.”
He cited that 802nd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, have been encamping within the vicinity of San Vicente, and together with Capitol’s Community Development Program-Purok Power Movement, have been threatening the operation of the Talibon-Trinidad Farmers Association (TTFA) rice mill which serves about 30 Bohol barangays.
After the IFFM finished their mission however, not one of the members went back to furnish formal report, sources at the PPOC and the Office of the Governor confirmed.
Instead, the IFFM published its findings of the allegations in a local newspaper.
“We afforded them the courtesy of a reception at the mansion, the very least they could have done to show good faith was furnish us copies of their findings so we can work on our end,” added member of the PPOC who was also at the Mansion courtesy call.
Despite the failure to show good faith, Governor Chatto asked the Department of Agrarian Reform, Philippine Army, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, concerned local government units including concerned non government agencies to respond to the allegations of violations.
At the PPOC, DAR representative Marcelito Concepcion confirmed that, with the Chatto letter, DAR revisited Sitio Panaghiusa and conducted forum with the residents.
The people confirmed that they petitioned for a camp to be set up in their barangay, he said even as he added that they surveyed the subject lot where the camp sits. There was no conversion, it was a grazing area and the camp sits only on a thousand square meters, Concepcion added.
A directive also tasked local government units to conduct barangay assemblies to bring down the issues, the governor said. Months ago, the governor also asked the PPOC secretariat to write to the IFFM to obtain a copy of the findings.
It is unnecessary but still, by the dictates of good faith, we asked for a copy so we could work on what needs to be done, Chatto said during an interview after the PPOC.
Not content with the newspaper article lambasting the government for the alleged violations, the APC also submitted the IFFM report to the United Nation’s Commission on Human Rights, Mariano said in newspaper reports.
This week, APC lambasted Bohol government for not addressing on the IFFM findings conducted in San Vicente last September 20-22. (rac/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Nov 21, 2015 | Headlines
By Jerome Auza
What would you say when you are on stage with US President Barack Obama and Alibaba CEO Jack Ma in front of the leaders of 21 nations and global corporations?
Engineer Aisa Mijeno of SALt.PH had this opportunity on November 18, 2015 during the APEC Summit in Manila. SALt.PH is a Philippine startup company that developed a lamp that generates power using salt water as the electrolyte for the lamp’s galvanic cells. She was invited by the White House to be at the APEC panel moderated by Obama himself.
Obama played matchmaker for Mijeno and Ma. Mijeno’s company has been looking for financial support for the mass production of the SALt lamps while Ma has signified its support for small companies.
SALt is a recipient of numerous local and international awards. Mijeno’s appearance at the APEC Summit on November 18, 2015 was the latest and perhaps the most high profile international exposure for her company. His brother Raphael Mijeno is the co-founder of SALt.
The company is one of the startups supported by Ideaspace Philippines and since their completion of the startup program at Ideaspace, they have reaped several awards. They have been featured in numerous online magazines and newspapers as well as on TV.
The concept of using saline solution as electrolyte in a galvanic cell is not new. The galvanic cell is the basis for most of the batteries we use. However, SALt’s innovation is that they have made the lamp easy to use and maintain. Its electronics drive LED bulbs to produce light. It can also charge mobile devices through its built-in USB port.
They have designed it such that it can be mass produced and sold at a price that is affordable. The target market are communities that do not have electricity.
A glass of water and 2 tablespoons of salt can produce light for 8 hours. Sea water may be used also. A properly maintained SALt lamp will need a replacement of its metal plates every six months in order to continue producing light.
The inspiration to develop the lamp came to Mijeno when she was working with a community up in the mountains of Kalinga. The tribes have to go to the town a few times a week to get kerosene to be used as fuel for their lamps. Not only was this very inconvenient and expensive for them, the kerosine lamps are also fire hazards.
U.S. President Barack Obama (center), poses for a photograph with Alibaba billionaire Jack Ma and Aisa Mijeno, an engineer and social worker, at the APEC CEO Summit in Manila on Nov. 18, 2015.
Photographer: Seong Joon Cho/Bloomberg
Caption from Bloomberg.com
by admin | Nov 20, 2015 | Headlines, National News
By: Ben Emata
I am very apprehensive that the reclamation project being undertaken by China in the disputed territory could trigger a big conflict that would involve military strengths and participation of powerful nations. As we see Pres. Obama when he visited our country for the APEC meet, told Pres. Aquino of his concern of the China’s work in the territory that is clearly under dispute by and among Asian nations. Obama even urged China to stop its reclamation program around the territory which the latter responded by saying boldly no country around the world could tell them such thing. In this simple exchange of words, it is obvious that China is bent on working on the island that does not belonged to it.
With the words of Obama, he also gave two battleships to the Philippines to bolster its patrol in the ares. Likewise, the American president also gave assistance to other Asian countries like Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, etc. who also have similar claims to the islands. Tensions that existed between the two giants for sometimes now utterly grew bigger and could trigger wildly unless restraint by cooler heads. I am just hoping such scenario would not take place and that cordial relationship around the world would prevail.
Judging from the situations, I could see the stubborn behavior of China to settle the dispute by way of diplomacy. Earlier, it rejected the arbitration move initiated by our country in the UN tribunal making it more complicated. I could see the ground for its refusal to settle matter peacefully – – is the fact that China is so far away from the site of controversy, more than a thousand nautical miles to be more specific while it is so near to Palawan. To make the story short, China could lose in any friendly discussion insofar as the issue of ownership is concerned.
I am very much involved in the situation because it involved our country and people and that I always hope for friendship and peace. China once declared that the Philippines is the troublemaker in the region. I was laughing of the malicious insinuation since our country is so small and poor and could not possibly make even a sound oif sort. If there exist a matter of bullying, the same could be done by China considering its strength and influence in the area.
It is very fortunate that our country has never been a problem in the region. We had been a good neighbor and we exist peacefully with one another. We admit we have so many problems with our people insofar as existence and opportunities are concerned but we kept them unto ourselves with pride and honor. We never claimed to have stood higher than our friends but instead humbly accept our position with pride. Our system of government calls for consultation and acts of congress for support and never by ourselves.
We trust into the hands of our maker and our friends our position hoping China would understand us much better and treat us on the same level. We just want respect on our sovereignty, tradition and culture from everybody. We want peace in and around us and maintain good relationship with everybody. Friendship cannot be derived from misunderstanding and disrespect but by good relationship in a cool environment., We hope this will be the case. BEN EMATA Bennex News Service.
by admin | Nov 17, 2015 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
Lawyer Victor de la Serna continues to sow lies after lies, and the latest of which is the alleged P1 billion which he said, was illegally stashed by the Chatto administration from the coffer of the Provincial Government of Bohol.
De la Serna’s orgy of spreading spurious facts and figures has turned into a circus because of its repetitivenes and transformed into a blatant public nuisance over the airlanes which he used as medium.
According to the records from the Provincial finance department , the province has appropriated P1.6 billion budget for this year and if the allegation of de la Serna is true, that is taking P1 billion from the P1.6 billion budget, the province has to stop operating .
The P1.6 billion annual appropriation will go to, Operating Expenses, capital outlays of the different departments, attached offices and devolved hospitals and the salaries and wages of 1,400 regular, contractual and casual employees under the Personnel Services.
Another direct recipient of the annual budget are the different programs of the Province under the HEAT IT BOHOL HELPS LIFE development framework.
The source said, the Province is still in the process of implementing the different Programs, Projects and Activities (PAP) for calendar year 2015.
It said that every transaction of the Province has to pass through several and different layers of internal control measures, which make sure that all collections are recorded and deposited in the bank with expenditures examined as to accuracy, completeness of supporting documents, its propriety and legality.
Reliable sources also pointed out, that if the allegation is true, the province could not have been awarded with Seal of Good Governance (SGLG) from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
The source stressed that in order for a local government unit to become a recipient of the said award, the LGU must pass all the three core assessment areas, namely Good Financial Housekeeping, Social Protection and Disaster Preparedness which the province had accomplish with flying colors, hence, the award.
The SGLG award symbolizes integrity and good performance of a local government unit.
The source said, each financial transaction of the Province of Bohol, has to pass through different layers of internal control measures such as availability of an appropriation, completeness of supporting documents and availability of cash.
The procedures are designed to prevent and ensure that the resources of the government are not stolen or wasted. (NPS)
