Lunes, Oktubre 18, 2021

Villar sets 10th OFW and Family Summit on Nov. 19

AS a sign of their continuing gratitude to our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Senator Cynthia Villar announced the holding of the 10th OFW and Family Summit on November 19, 2021 (Friday), which will be done virtually for the first time due to the pandemic. “This is our way of saying ‘Thank You’ to our OFWs, our modern-day heroes. An OFW was the first customer of my husband, former Senator Manny Villar, when he first started his housing business,” related Villar. She said the event is an annual offering of the Villar Family together with the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG), where the senator serves as its director, to our OFWs who have been sacrificing their lives to give their families a decent and comfortable life. “Through the dollar remittances they sent back home, our OFWs also help keep the country’s economy afloat amid the pandemic,” also said Villar. Unlike before when thousands of OFWs and their families trooped to the World Trade Center in Pasay City to join the summit, Villar noted that the November event will be done virtually. “We are doing this to keep everybody safe and protected since the coronavirus is still around us although our health officials and health experts have been reporting a downtrend trend of cases of Covid-19,” stressed Villar. “We invite our OFWs and their family to participate virtually in the 10th OFW & Family Summit 2021,on November 19,2021. You can visit my facebook page Cynthia A.Villar and the Villar SIPAG fb page for further details. Registration is now open, just visit https://ofwsummit2021.villarsipag.org/registration,” said the Senator. Villar related the theme for this year’s event is “Masiglang Buhay Sa Makabagong Panahon” which she believes is timely because we are all struggling to live a normal and happy life amid the coronavirus pandemic that crippled the world economy. She expects thousands of OFWs and their beneficiaries to participate in this virtual event wherein they can interact anew with private and government institutions for concerns ranging from access to financial services, social benefits, legal assistance, among others. The summit hopes to teach our OFWs financial literacy, which they can use as a tool to grow their money in their homeland. “Aside from teaching our OFWs how to wisely invest their savings and grow their income, it is equally important to educate them how to protect their hard-earned money and how not to fall victims of human trafficking, illegal recruitment and investment scams,” Villar said. Participants will also have a chance to take home a house, pangkabuhayan package and other prizes.

Lunes, Oktubre 4, 2021

9th Globe Media Excellence Awards launched to honor VisMin journalists, content creators

lobe continues to celebrate and promote press freedom through the 9th Globe Media Excellence Awards (GMEA). GMEA recognizes media practitioners and content creators from Visayas and Mindanao who excelled in their field of work amid the challenges posed by the global health crisis. The theme for this year is Padayon Digital—a play on the Visayan word, padayon, which means to continue. It is a tribute to the media’s diligence in moving forward to digital spaces and a symbol of Globe's consistent support to the Visayas and Mindanao press. Support is crucial in the new normal and GMEA brings that message across by spotlighting stories that uplift lives and communities. “We’re proud to host the Globe Media Excellence Awards, now in our ninth year, to recognize the outstanding work of the VisMin press. Amid the ongoing pandemic, the roles of media, bloggers and social media influencers have been most crucial in keeping the public credibly informed and have played a part in helping people see through the health crisis,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Chief Sustainability Officer and Senior VP for Corporate Communications. There will be nine awards for digital and print, two for broadcast, and three special awards. All entries must be anchored on at least one of four Globe sustainability pillars: Care for Environment, Positive Societal Impact, Care for People, and Digital Nation, in line with Globe's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Categories for digital and print are Explanatory / Investigative Story of the Year, News Report of the Year, Column of the Year, Explanatory / Investigative Video Story of the Year for Digital, Photo of the Year for Digital, Breaking News of the Year for Digital, Social Media Advocacy of the Year for Digital, and Digital Storytelling (Best Blog Post and Best Social Media Video). For broadcast, the categories are News Report of the Year for Radio and News Report of the Year for TV. The special awards are Newsmaker of the Year, Editor of the Year, and #KwentoNgTagumpay: Uplifting Lives Through Digital Technology. This last award recognizes inspiring stories of triumph amid adversities of communities and individuals. Globe first launched its Media Excellence Awards in 2012 to encourage excellence among traditional media organizations and, later on, digital media practitioners to create positive societal changes. GMEA 2021 covers Bacolod, Cebu, Tacloban, Bohol, Dumaguete, and Iloilo in Visayas and Cagayan de Oro, Davao, General Santos, Iligan, Bukidnon, and Zamboanga in Mindanao. Cash prizes await winners of each category. Entries may be in English, Bisaya, Hiligaynon, or Chavacano. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2021. To know more about the Globe Media Excellence Awards, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/globe-media-excellence-awards

Globe increases overall 4G download speeds nationwide by up to 25 percent

Globe announced significant improvements to its network quality nationwide to deliver a better user experience to its customers. By using Facebook’s Connectivity Analytics tools to identify network performance issues and prioritize network investments, Globe has enabled its customers to see marked improvements and lower latency in their overall experience on the Globe network. Overall 4G download speeds across Globe’s nationwide network increased by 25 percent compared to the third quarter of 2020. Davao and Central Visayas also recorded a 25 percent increase in download speeds, while the Caraga Administrative Region consisting of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat Islands registered a 6 percent hike. Overall download speed in Mindanao went up by 5 percent. Globe aims to replicate the efforts in other parts of the country where the company is expanding and upgrading its network. “Our collaboration with Facebook Connectivity has been instrumental in driving significant network improvements for our customers’ experience. We have seen that our customer experience has improved and is on par with global top tier telcos. We will continue to work together to identify opportunities to improve connectivity, especially as Globe rolls out 5G technology in the different regions of the Philippines,” said Joel Agustin, Globe Senior Vice President for Program Delivery, Network Technical Group. As part of its commitment to deliver fast, reliable and high-quality internet connectivity in the country, Globe has earmarked an unprecedented P76 billion in capital expenditures this year. Bulk of the total budget will be for data network builds. Globe has already begun delivering on its commitment to improve connectivity in the region with its outdoor 5G services covering 95 percent of NCR as of end-August 2021. More and more cities in Metro Manila and around the country are experiencing the benefits of Globe’s 5G technology. The company strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs. To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

Biyernes, Setyembre 17, 2021

Another sperm whale found dead on Boracay beach

ANOTHER sperm whale was found dead off the coast of Boracay Island, Aklan Friday morning, September 17, 2021. Haron Deo Vargas, a marine biologist of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, said the sperm whale carcass had beached in Sitio Laguna, Barangay Manocmanoc in Malay, Aklan. On Wednesday, a carcass of a sperm whale was also found by residents at Bulabog Beach in Barangay Balabag. The dead whale was said to have been washed by waves again and was found the next morning off the coast of Barangay Manocmanoc. Reports from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said a dead dolphin was also found Wednesday on the shores of Barangay Pook, Kalibo, Aklan. "I do not know yet why we are seeing dead bodies of sperm whale strands at the beach of Boracay. I hope this is all a mere coincidence," Vargas said. At least two backhoes have been utilized to bury the first dead sperm whale along Tabon Port. DENR personnel has yet to bury the second whale as of Frida

Huwebes, Agosto 26, 2021

Young Pinoy joins ‘hacking for defense’ program of US gov’t

A young Filipino based in Arizona has been accepted as part of the “Hacking for Defense (H4D)” program being held this fall at Arizona University. Valenzuela City-born Francis Mendoza said that the program is under the National Security Innovations Network, enabling him to work with several defense and intelligence communities in addressing emerging threats and security challenges in the United States. Mendoza studied robotics and autonomous systems (with concentration on artificial intelligence) at Arizona State University. “I am excited to apply my cybersecurity and autonomous systems skills to develop a compelling prototype that will be in production by the end of the term. For a more secure and more prepared America,” he said. Prior to H4D, Mendoza completed his first live-fire cyberwarfare exercise as part of the “Cybersecurity of Energy Operational Technology” course at Arizona State University, in partnership with the Office of Naval Research. Through this event, Mendoza said he learned how to attack and defend mission-critical infrastructure. The highlight of the exercise was successfully crippling a simulated version of the Washington state power grid. “This is a new and terrifying age of warfare. Before, one needed hundreds of thousands of soldiers, billions of dollars, and approval from Congress to launch a campaign that would cost you dearly in terms of capital, sweat, and blood. Now, all one needs is a couple thousand dollars, a laptop, an Internet connection, and a small but elite team to launch a single attack that can cripple a nation’s mission-critical infrastructure and bring it to its knees,” he added. Among those considered vulnerable to cyberattack, he said, includes oil and gas pipelines, water purification plants, power grids, nuclear centrifuges, payments systems, and entire fleets of autonomous vehicles. “In the span of nanoseconds, the balance of power can shift, with the attackers never identified, vanishing without a trace,” Mendoza said.

Lunes, Agosto 16, 2021

TELUS International Philippines rolls out their COVID-19 vaccination program to complement their comprehensive Care Program

(Manila, Philippines) – With employee health and wellness a top priority, TELUS International Philippines (TIP), leading provider of digital customer experience (CX) and IT solutions, is in the midst of implementing its vaccination program for team members across its Philippine sites as it continues to offer access to its Care program for colleagues who have been affected by COVID-19. “Our goal is to offer access to the vaccine to all our team members across all our sites in Metro Manila and Iloilo. Our vaccine supply is scheduled to arrive in multiple batches, with the first batch being used for our vaccination program which started this July, and the second batch expected to arrive in the Philippines this August. The plan is to inoculate all of our team members who registered for the vaccination program this year,” said Mirei Magallona, TELUS International Philippines Country Vice President. An internal vaccine education campaign was launched at TIP in January when the company announced it would have a vaccination program for all members of the TELUS International Philippines team. True to their caring culture, the company has made the inoculation process as hassle-free and convenient as possible for team members. Shuttles are provided from the TELUS International Philippines sites to the vaccination centers and back. The organization’s own safety and health staff are also stationed in the vaccination centers to guide and assist team members as needed. Vaccination kits containing water, paracetamol, pens, and branded vaccination campaign items are also distributed in the vaccination centers to make the experience more comfortable and memorable. Team members have started sharing their happy first dose experiences with the hashtag #VaxxedandHappyHere. To ensure the health and safety of team members throughout the entire vaccination process, aftercare support is available to team members who opt into the vaccination program. Through the aftercare support program, team members receive unlimited primary care consultation on vaccine-related concerns for one year after receiving their first dose. These can be either through teleconsultations or physical consultations. “I am very grateful for the opportunity to get vaccinated through the efforts of our company. It’s heartwarming to know that TELUS International Philippines is looking after their team members’ health and welfare. It feels like I have been given a dose of hope and a chance to do great things without the concern of getting infected,” shared Justin Homer Yan, one of TELUS International Philippines’ Customer Service Representatives. Sydney Chua, a Team Leader from TELUS International Philippines, shared how her inoculation day went, “My overall vaccination experience from TELUS International was the best. They have provided us with exactly what we needed; the safe and free shuttles from the office to the vaccination center and back were convenient because travelling can be quite challenging, especially since many of us are coming from night shift. Upon arrival, security personnel from the company were there and they guided me on where I should go. During the registration, representatives from TELUS International provided us with freebies such as medicine, water, pens and treats. The entire vaccination process was very quick. They even set-up an area where we can take fun photos after our vaccination.” A support program that cares for affected employees As a parallel initiative to the company’s vaccination program, the TELUS International Philippines Care Program, first launched in 2020, provides team members who seek medical consultation, are in self-quarantine, or are recovering from COVID-19 with health and wellness guidance, resources, and a solid support structure. “Our team’s well-being and safety have always been our top priority. We developed our Care program to respond to the full range of COVID-19-related concerns – be they queries, help throughout their quarantine period, or support in managing the process from testing to recovery - to support team members whether they are working from home or onsite. We also provide a full range of services that include contact tracing, case management, and recovery support. We have chosen to take this holistic approach to caring to make our team members feel that they are not alone, and to help manage the impact of COVID-19 in the lives of our team,” said Rajiv M.Dhand, TELUS International’s Regional Vice-President for APAC. Headed by the TELUS International Philippines’ Health, Wellness and Safety Committee, the Care program is supported by team members from different company units to provide different aspects of support. Team members in self-quarantine and those who have tested positive for the virus are guided through a day-by-day recovery process that ensures they are given the proper support at the right time. This process includes regular conversations with company doctors, nurses, leaders, and members of the HR team who are important to their journey to full recovery. A toll-free Care Hotline manned by nurses and doctors is available to respond to consultations from team members on such things as TELUS International Philippines’ Care program or the company’s HMO coverage, information on COVID-19, inquiries on medical-related benefits, and the company’s vaccination program details. Another unique feature of the company’s Care Hotline is the mental health wellness assistance that team members can receive upon calling. “With the majority of our team members working remotely and the unique stress factors that the pandemic brings, being able to provide real-time assistance to team members who may be experiencing mental, emotional, or psycho-social strain is something we definitely prioritized. Aside from the support and emotional first-aid that the leaders in our team have been trained to provide, we also wanted our team members to have immediate access to medical advice wherever they may be,” shared Magallona. Team members in quarantine also receive a kit containing personal hygiene products, multivitamins, energy drinks, critical medical equipment like a digital thermometer and an oximeter, face masks and face shields, alcohol, betadine gargle, grocery items and juices, and company branded items so they can feel the support of the company throughout the recovery process. In addition, help is offered for errands that team members in self-quarantine may need. TELUS International Philippines also offers free PCR testing for team members who have been asked to self-quarantine for their peace of mind. To celebrate their completion of the quarantine period, those who have gone through the process (even those who eventually tested negative) are rewarded with a family feast with their loved ones. “We work closely with our respective partners to ensure that we are providing the best support – both mentally and financially – to our team members. We want them to feel that they are not alone in navigating the challenges of the pandemic. Our vaccination program is the next important step we’ve taken to extend our caring culture toward achieving herd immunity in the country,” added Dhand. ### About TELUS International Philippines TELUS International Philippines, Inc. is a leading Philippines-based provider of digitally enabled customer experience and business process solutions and is a proud member of the TELUS International family. Today, TELUS International Philippines has a team of almost 18,000 and has six sites strategically located throughout Metro Manila, and a seventh site in Iloilo, which support some of the world’s top brands. About TELUS International TELUS International (NYSE & TSX: TIXT) designs, builds and delivers next-generation digital solutions to enhance the customer experience (CX) for global and disruptive brands. The company’s services support the full lifecycle of its clients’ digital transformation journeys, enabling them to more quickly embrace next-generation digital technologies to deliver better business outcomes. TELUS International’s integrated solutions span digital strategy, innovation, consulting and design, IT lifecycle including managed solutions, intelligent automation and end-to-end AI data solutions including computer vision capabilities, as well as omnichannel CX and trust and safety solutions including content moderation. Fueling all stages of company growth, TELUS International partners with brands across high growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, healthcare, and travel and hospitality. TELUS International’s unique caring culture promotes diversity and inclusivity through its policies, team member resource groups and workshops, and equal employment opportunity hiring practices across the regions where it operates. The company is building stronger communities and helping those in need through large-scale volunteer events that have positively impacted the lives of more than 150,000 citizens around the world and through its five TELUS International Community Boards that have provided $4 million in funding to grassroots charitable organizations since 2015. Learn more at: telusinternational.com.

Linggo, Hulyo 25, 2021

Arms cache recovered from slaughterhouse administrator





A 51-YEAR-OLD slaughterhouse administrator in Malay, Aklan is in hot waters after police operatives confiscated from his residence a cache of firearms and ammunition.


Police Lieutenant Colonel Don De Dios, chief of Malay police, identified the suspect as Niel Quintin, a resident of Zone II, Cubay Sur, Malay, Aklan. The operation was conducted by operatives of Malay police Saturday night.

"We thank the community for their trust in our PNP (Philippine National Police) in sharing their series of information to ensure peace and order in the town of Malay," De Dios told this writer in an interview.

Seized from the suspect were a .45 caliber pistol, two pieces of 40-millimeter grenade launcher ammunition, one 12 gauge shotgun with two pieces of ammunition, and a homemade improvised .22 caliber rifle.

The search warrant was issued by Judge Bienvenido Barrios, executive judge of the Kalibo Regional Trial Court.

Currently, our investigator is preparing charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives against the suspect," De Dios added.

Earlier this year, Malay police operatives also seized firearms against another suspect on Boracay Island

Villar sets 10th OFW and Family Summit on Nov. 19

AS a sign of their continuing gratitude to our Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Senator Cynthia Villar announced the holding of the 10th OF...