by admin | Apr 16, 2017 | Editorial
The devil and the deep blue sea moment proved to be much tougher than it seems.
The incident in Inabanga last Tuesday ignited the glowing coal burning in us. We, who have picked the pen as our weapon in telling people how we have fared against the escalating demands of civilization thought we were braver than the rest. We thought with a journalist’s responsibilities as our blanket of authority and the idealism stoking the embers of service for God and men, handling information is easy. No it is not.
We opened our radio sets Tuesday morning for the customary breakfast news while a steaming mug of black brew sits on a platter. It was supposed to be just like any ordinary breakfast. But the news about the bandits being able to settle in the remote upstreams of the lazy Inabanga River unsettled us.
Then, we were elated and tried mentally composing our supposed to be aptly worded salute to the joint police and army force, for getting the 11 bandits. Seconds later, we were thinking again.
Hardly have we emptied the mug, we have lost count of how we have revised and re phrased the manner we could relay the information. So we decided to get a clearer picture by getting to the site and hearing it from the horses mouth.
There were coordination meetings, such where operational details would normally keep the media off. But at least there would be one single source of information, we thought.
We thought wrong. Nobody was speaking and everyone was asking questions nobody can answer.
Such is the beginning of the victory that the terrorists have achieved in Inabanga.
When local officials and the military failed to consider what they know that terrorism thrives in fear, failing in the critical job of bringing information down is exactly feeding the fodder.
We thought managing crisis is a strength of our local officials. What they did with Inabanga is sure thing not anything nearer than we thought.
When you have an information vacuum in a crisis, believe us, there speculations come rushing in to fill the abyss.
When you have people whose times to relay information is to the national media, then you deprive the more culturally grounded information workers the opportunity to dissipate the boiling babel.
So, why when calls for screening information which officials did not tell, trust that the people who obtained them would readily take the task.
So we have a babbling insanity at out midst, and we can hardly control it.
Here, you can hardly blame people when they think and decide for themselves based on the limited information they get.
And we have a terror getting fanned across, eating everything in its path.
by admin | Apr 7, 2017 | DTI Updates, National News, Tech Talk
QBO Innovation Hub, an established partnership between the public and private sector including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), IdeaSpace Foundation, and J.P. Morgan, opened its startup enablement programs to help speed up growth and learning for Philippine startups and entrepreneurs.
“We are excited to create success stories that will inspire Filipinos to start their own companies instead of pursuing opportunities overseas,” said QBO and IdeaSpace President Butch Meily. QBO will start offering programs and services to startups including access to QBO’s networking events such as classes, workshops, mentorship, feedback sessions, and use of its co-working space.
Available services also include professional consultations on legal, accounting, marketing and design, corporate and government partner resources referrals, incorporation assistance, business registration, intellectual property filing, and investors and potential partners pitching.
“DTI hopes that with our partners from industry, academe, and other government agencies such as DOST and DICT, our initiatives will help advance the development of our local startup ecosystem and increase the number of high-growth oriented enterprises that will bring the Philippine brand in a global scale,” emphasized DTI Trade and Investments Promotions Group Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado.
Through QBO, startups will also have an opportunity to join J.P. Morgan’s Incubation Program, a stage agnostic module that will be available to select and high-potential startups all year round. It initially plans to enroll 15 startups by the end of 2017.
“As one of the world’s leading financial institutions, J.P. Morgan celebrates new ideas and we are committed to supporting entrepreneurs in the country, especially those with underserved backgrounds. Engaging with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at their early stages is critical and we are excited about the tremendous opportunities they will bring to developing sectors and generating jobs, which are both vital in promoting prosperous and thriving communities,” said Roberto L. Panlilio, Senior Country Officer, J.P. Morgan Philippines.
To avail the said services, startups need to have an initial interview with the QBO team and undergo initial assessment. Through this, a customized plan will be designed to match with the resources needed by the startup. QBO launches hub for startup programs 2| P a g e QBO was launched in 2016 with DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez and PLDT Group Chair Manny V. Pangilinan. It aims to link innovators, explorers, investors, academic institutions, start-up mentors, funders and enablers as well as a broad spectrum of partners and stakeholders from both public and private sectors to convene in constructive interaction.
“The Philippine startup ecosystem is growing incredibly quickly, fueled by a young population engaged in the internet and digital, and more importantly, by entrepreneurs that demonstrate incredible determination and commitment.
By continuing to develop ideas into innovative products and technologies, startups can evolve to become great companies that positively impact the future of the Philippines” said DOST
Undersecretary for Research and Development, Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara. QBO is the first innovation hub in the country, pioneering the first public-private effort to establish an innovation ecosystem in the Philippines following success stories of Silicon Valley in the United States, BLK 71 in Singapore, and MaGIC in Malaysia.
by admin | Apr 4, 2017 | DTI Updates, Features, Headlines, National News
QBO Innovation Hub, an established partnership between the public and private sector including the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), IdeaSpace Foundation, and J.P. Morgan, opened its startup enablement programs to help speed up growth and learning for Philippine startups and entrepreneurs.
“We are excited to create success stories that will inspire Filipinos to start their own companies instead of pursuing opportunities overseas,” said QBO and IdeaSpace President Butch Meily.
QBO will start offering programs and services to startups including access to QBO’s networking events such as classes, workshops, mentorship, feedback sessions, and use of its co-working space.
Available services also include professional consultations on legal, accounting, marketing and design, corporate and government partner resources referrals, incorporation assistance, business registration, intellectual property filing, and investors and potential partners pitching.
“DTI hopes that with our partners from industry, academe, and other government agencies such as DOST and DICT, our initiatives will help advance the development of our local startup ecosystem and increase the number of high-growth oriented enterprises that will bring the Philippine brand in a global scale,” emphasized DTI Trade and Investments Promotions Group Undersecretary Nora K. Terrado.
Through QBO, startups will also have an opportunity to join J.P. Morgan’s Incubation Program, a stage agnostic module that will be available to select and high-potential startups all year round. It initially plans to enroll 15 startups by the end of 2017.
“As one of the world’s leading financial institutions, J.P. Morgan celebrates new ideas and we are committed to supporting entrepreneurs in the country, especially those with underserved backgrounds. Engaging with Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) at their early stages is critical and we are excited about the tremendous opportunities they will bring to developing sectors and generating jobs, which are both vital in promoting prosperous and thriving communities,” said Roberto L. Panlilio, Senior Country Officer, J.P. Morgan Philippines.
To avail the said services, startups need to have an initial interview with the QBO team and undergo initial assessment. Through this, a customized plan will be designed to match with the resources needed by the startup.
QBO was launched in 2016 with DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez and PLDT Group Chair Manny V. Pangilinan. It aims to link innovators, explorers, investors, academic institutions, start-up mentors, funders and enablers as well as a broad spectrum of partners and stakeholders from both public and private sectors to convene in constructive interaction.
“The Philippine startup ecosystem is growing incredibly quickly, fueled by a young population engaged in the internet and digital, and more importantly, by entrepreneurs that demonstrate incredible determination and commitment. By continuing to develop ideas into innovative products and technologies, startups can evolve to become great companies that positively impact the future of the Philippines” said DOST Undersecretary for Research and Development, Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara.
QBO is the first innovation hub in the country, pioneering the first public-private effort to establish an innovation ecosystem in the Philippines following success stories of Silicon Valley in the United States, BLK 71 in Singapore, and MaGIC in Malaysia.
by admin | Mar 28, 2017 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
PASIG CITY—Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez and European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen affirmed the long-term partnership of the Philippines and the EU on trade and development with the completion of the third phase of the EU-Philippine Trade Related Technical Assistance project 3 (TRTA 3) on 28 March.
“By working on trade-related issues through the project, the EU and the Philippines collaborated on strengthening the framework for trade policy for inclusive growth, and enhancing our capacity to implement a competition policy and a national quality infrastructure that would protect consumers and improve compliance with international standards,” Sec. Lopez said during the closing ceremonies of the third phase of the EU-Philippine TRTA3.
“This will also help increase our access to international markets, and facilitate cross-border movement of goods,” he added.
“We are committed to support the strengthening of Philippines’ integration into the world economy, and to contribute to the country’s inclusive growth goals,” Ambassador Jessen said, with the EU already committing EUR 6.1 million for a fourth phase of the programme.
The EU has been supporting the Philippines with trade-related technical assistance since 2005. TRTA 3, the third phase of the program (2014-2017), aimed to build capacity among stakeholders for the Philippines’ integration into the international and regional trading and investment system. The project components covered Trade Policy, Competition Policy, National Quality Infrastructure, Sanitary and Phytosanitary Conformity, and Trade Facilitation.
The trade chief explained that the program worked with both public and private sectors to actively participate in global trade.
“Trade is a lever for economic growth, job creation, and poverty reduction. As ASEAN chair in 2017, the Philippines also recognises the strong implications of trade for regional cooperation and stability,” he said.
A highlight of the TRTA3 closing program is the launch of the Philippine Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (PhilRASFF), a state-of-the-art web-based alert system for food authorities to immediately respond to food safety incidents. These include contaminated food products found on the Philippine market or at the Philippine border, as well as food-borne disease outbreaks involving marketed products.
In cooperation with the EU RASFF, ASEAN RASFF and the International Network of Food Safety Authorities (INFOSAN), the PhilRASFF system enables competent authorities to file notifications and exchange information–whether as a result of inspections or through foreign notifications–on consumer complaints or companies reporting food safety incidents.
PhilRASFF will also strengthen the capacity of the Philippines to efficiently tackle food safety risks and to contribute to the overall safety of food marketed in the ASEAN. The PhilRASFF was implemented by the TRTA 3 in partnership with the Philippines Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Trade Undersecretary and TRTA 3 Steering Committee Chairman Rodolfo Ceferino said that the collaboration of stakeholders contributed to the successful outcomes of TRTA3 activities.
“A pro-active government, the collaboration of our development partners, and stakeholder participation in decisions that would affect trade, would combine to shape Philippine competitiveness,” Undersecretary Ceferino said.
The TRTA3 covered a wide range of activities supporting the country’s priorities, including supporting the development of the Philippine Export Development Plan (PEDP), strengthening the capacity of the DTI and relevant government agencies on trade policy and trade negotiations, as well as hands-on training and capacity-building for staff at the departments of Agriculture, Health (Food and Drug Administration), Justice (Office for Competition), and Finance (Bureau of Customs).
Other highlights of the TRTA3 closing program included testimonials from beneficiaries on protecting the value of Filipino traditions and promoting women’s role in the economy by devising a collective trademark for the famous T’nalak cloth as well as working with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to combat illegal fishing.
TRTA3 success stories can be downloaded at http://www.eutrta3phils.org/uploads/2/4/8/1/24810749/traderelatedtechnicalassistanceproject3.pdf
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DTI – OSEC, Public Relations Unit
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E-mail: PRU@dti.gov.ph
www.dti.gov.ph
Enabling Business, Empowering Consumers
by admin | Dec 1, 2016 | DTI Updates, Headlines, National News
TAGUIG CITY—The Trabaho, Negosyo at Kabuhayan (TNK)-Employment and Livelihood Summit piloted yesterday (1 December) aimed at wrapping up policy recommendations from previously held sectoral summits to chart a new employment agenda, in line with the administration’s development path.
Sectoral summits, whose recommendations feed into the TNK-Employment and Livelihood Summit include the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Summit, the Manufacturing Summit, Construction Congress and Information Technology-Business Process Management (IT-BPM).
“We want to identify the strategies to increase employment levels, improve access to employment opportunities, and address our skills requirement,” said Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez.
The government, through DTI and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), gathered the public and private sectors and members of the academe to develop a national employment program, a strategic plan that supports the National Development and Security Strategy geared towards the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022.
The trade chief strongly encouraged the meeting to invest in job generating industries such as those in Industry and Services sector, specifically manufacturing, construction, IT BPM, retail trade, and tourism.
“Government is cognizant that we should make these industries attractive to investors hence, the action plan will allow us to prioritize,” he said.
He also called on participants to invest in the country’s human capital to help address the perennial problem of skills mismatch and to sustain the growth of Philippines industries
The two-day TNK Summit with the theme “Malasakit at Pagbabago Tungo sa Kaunlaran at Katiwasayan,” also aimed at preparing the workforce for the industry’s current and future needs.
The government aspires to draw a “shared agenda on employment creation and livelihood development that will contribute to the development of the President’s socio-economic agenda,” said DOLE Sec. Silvestre Bello III, adding that DOLE will continue implementing a “responsive, enabling and equitable labor policies, law and regulations.”
On the first day, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) discussed the country’s employment situation.
DTI reported specific recommendations from the Manufacturing Summit held on 28-29 November, and shed light on the Manufacturing Resurgence Program, inclined to generate decent jobs and promote inclusive growth. It also reported on the results of the Philippine Construction Congress for Employment Generation held on 23 November.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), meanwhile, discussed public investments in infrastructure sector and its impact on employment. The National Housing Authority (NHA) tackled strategies on creating jobs through mass housing, while the Department of Tourism presented the Tourism Roadmap 2022.
The Philippine Retailers Association stressed the potential of retail trade as major source of employment, while the IT-Business Process Association of the Philippines on IT-BPM’s future direction.
On the second day, the meeting is expected to focus on the development of global MSME, industries, labor, export and entrepreneurship.
“We hope that together, government, business and the academe, can craft an action agenda that we can all pursue at the start of next year,” Sec. Lopez said.
Outcomes of the TNK-Employment and Livelihood Summit will be submitted to President Rodrigo Duterte, for his consideration. The Cabinet Secretary, through Undersecretary Gloria Mercado, showed support for the Summit, adding that similar initiatives are aligned with the government’s “collaborative, participative poverty reduction strategy.”
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