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Sulu offers fishing solutions
JOLO, Sulu Province — The provincial government here on Tuesday is offering a solution to the ongoing woes of fishing companies following the ban imposed on commercial fishing boats inside the Sulu Sea. Governor Abdusakur Tan disclosed that the conditions the provincial government will offer to them will surely benefit it and the fishing companies operating in Zamboanga Peninsula and from regions in Southern Luzon. Tan said that one of the conditions is for fishing and canning companies to establish their canning factories in Sulu and pay their business license and income taxes in the province, as he explained that establishing a canning factory in this province would generate employment and income for the people of Sulu whose main livelihood is fishing. “This will also allow the province to benefit from the proceeds of the resources they are harvesting in the Sulu Sea by way of business permit tax and income tax,” Tan said. He added that it will be unfair to the provincial government that fishing boats of multi-million companies are fishing in the Sulu Sea but paying their taxes in Zamboanga City where the majority of their canning factories are located. “Our province does not earn anything from their catch and yet they are fishing in the Sulu Sea,” Tan said. “Where is the logic there?” “While we may allow them to fish in the Sulu Sea, the SPLG will also adopt some restrictions for them to follow,” he added. The restrictions include the prohibition of fishing in areas where sea corals are located in order not to destroy the coral reef ecosystem of the Sulu Sea. Tan stressed that coral reefs build homes for millions of species of marine life and protect coastlines from storms and erosion and once the coral reefs are destroyed, everybody will experience a shortage in the supply of fish. The post Sulu offers fishing solutions appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
The Advantage of Adopting the Right Digital Tools for your Business
Amid the uncertainty in customer behaviors and trends from the crisis, this much is clear: updating the business for a digital-first world, led by purpose, is now a must for almost every company. To do so, they must determine where new business value exists in the new normal, what digital business models will capture it, and which tools and behaviors will support the adaptability and resilience that these models require. On this section, we talked to the creators behind the award-winning platform made for businesses like yours. The Digital Advantage Companies need an understanding of 3rd Platform technologies to capitalize on improved decision-making and to deliver enhanced, customized experiences to stakeholders. The rapid acceleration of 3rd Platform technology adoption means that corporates need to actively be looking for ways to improve their operational efficiency and customer service, otherwise, they will be in danger of falling too far behind digitally-native competitors to ever catch up. Efficiency Past recessions show that controlling costs by improving operational efficiency—a task for which digital solutions are perfectly suited for—is more effective in sustaining businesses through financial turbulence than traditional cost-cutting measures alone. The biggest efficiency play is automation. Streamlining operations and automating manual processes result in greater speed, less waste and more focus on revenue-generating activities. The economics of automation is simple: the same work is performed faster and with fewer mistakes, while human capital resources can be redeployed to higher-value tasks or to fill critical gaps. Convenience Company bank accounts are available in any device, the only things you need are internet connection and a few taps on the screen. This brings about an increase in customer satisfaction as they are able to constantly keep track of their account balances and manage the information on their personal profile (i.e. add new mailing address, e-mails, telephone numbers, etc.). In addition to this, there is no need to go to the bank to get checks as they can be instantly sent via email. 24/7 Reliability Online banking services are available 24/7 all year round, even on weekends. There is no need to line up and wait for the bank to open in order to conduct certain operations. This is a huge advantage that comes with digital solutions Security With all the recent news about data breaches, you might be wondering about the security of mobile and online banking. Security is top priority for banks when choosing whether or not to offer online banking. All banks use “Pentagon-grade” encryption technology and sophisticated firewalls. Mandatory security upgrades are required by bank regulators, so you can be confident that keeping your information secure is one of your bank’s utmost priorities. As digital transactions increase and productivity grow, companies must take proactive steps to protect their data privacy and security and adopt models that give them governance over their data. Today’s Platform Driven Solutions Self-service account management, bills payment and electronic fund transfers are considered the basic banking functions that each business should have. Account management allows viewing of account balances and transaction history without going to the bank. All these were made easy and accessible, by just logging into UnionBank’s The Portal app. Bills Payment, on the other hand, gives businesses access to a large list of billers. They can pay their water, electricity, telco, and other utilities online. BIR ePayment is also available, allowing users to pay taxes online. If the company is an accounting firm, they can also pay for their client’s taxes on The Portal app. Electronic fund transfers save companies time and reduce their risk exposure. Just upload the batch crediting file on the platform and it automatically disburses it to their recipients. Clients can also set up their recipients in UnionBank Business Banking so they receive email and SMS notifications every time they are credited. All these are made possible without stepping inside a branch. Batch Electronic Funds Transfer is also now made available for UnionBank Transfers and PESONet. This enables the streamlining of bulk account to account transfers to another UnionBank account or to other bank accounts. This has highlighted the ease and convenience of going digital to corporate clients versus processing transactions through the traditional way of banking over-the-counter or paying via cheques. Going beyond the basic functions of a normal digital banking tool, The Portal’s self-enrollment feature allows businesses to conveniently self-enroll their nominated accounts and users through the simple enrollment steps. Once completed, access to The Portal is granted and clients may enjoy the convenience of processing their funds transfer instructions online. In addition, there is an option to initiate the enrollment of the beneficiary accounts individually or in bulk. This can be essential for clients that need a payee maintenance feature to ensure that the initiated transactions are only credited to enrolled account. With the convenient, hassle-free and straight-through processing in The Portal, businesses can easily push fund transfers in the comfort of their own homes or offices. This pandemic serves as a widespread test case for the effectiveness of these digital solutions, many of which will be permanent fixtures and lead to long-term changes for many businesses. Organizations that embrace digital solutions have greater resiliency in the face of adversity and are way ahead of the competition, which will enable them to recover faster and pivot from playing defense to chasing growth. While many believe it is too idealistic to have a good workplace culture and excellent compensation, many jobseekers significantly consider these two factors when applying for a job, according to two studies. The 2021 Employee Experience Survey by Willis Towers Watson reported that 89 percent of respondents believe a positive employee experience is a crucial driver of engagement, while a 2023 survey from the online recruitment platform JobStreet found that 53 percent of Filipino job seekers would like to know the salary range offered while still in the recruitment process. Aside from great benefits and compensation, employees in the IT industry pointed out that a good work culture and environment, as well as training programs, are the top priorities of job seekers. Vanessa Liwanag, business development director at Yondu, acknowledged the company’s role in her growth, “Yondu has helped me develop my leadership, decision-making, and communication skills through its effective leadership training programs. The company also helped me grow personally because of its hybrid setup. This allows me to have a work-life balance. I can still care for my family and health while contributing to the organization.” Leather, who specializes in securing networks from vulnerabilities, noted that training programs are essential as trends continuously evolve. IT professionals need to keep up in order to be efficient. Steph, a software solutions engineer, echoed this, adding that since the industry is highly competitive and fast-paced, getting equipped with the right skills and knowledge is essential. Grace, a malware researcher, said that one advantage in the IT field is that since it’s a broad industry, there is always much to learn and room for improvement. Yondu, an IT solutions company wholly owned by Globe, offers all these benefits and compensation, a good working environment, and training programs to Yondudes, a nickname for its employees. Competitive pay and benefits are OK for Yondu as the company ensures this through regularly benchmarking market data and best practices. There are also tailor-fitted rewards programs according to talent segments. Yondu also ensures its employees remain competitive and well-equipped by industry standards through various training, reskilling, and upskilling programs to hone their skills in the constantly changing tech industry. Despite the fast-paced sector continuously evolving, Yondu still values work-life balance and provides programs to support Yondudes’ well-being further. “What sets Yondu apart from other organizations is its genuine focus on understanding and supporting its employees,” said Javen Babac, lead application support specialist at Yondu. “The company recognizes that employees perform their best when they feel valued and supported, and this philosophy sets Yondu apart by fostering a positive and inclusive work environment. The organization’s commitment to understanding its employees and providing the necessary resources demonstrates its dedication to employee well-being and sets a strong foundation for professional growth and job satisfaction.” The post The Advantage of Adopting the Right Digital Tools for your Business appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
One giant step: Moon race hots up
Russia's plan to launch its lunar lander on Friday is the latest in an international push to return to the Moon that includes the world's top powers but also new players. Technology, science and politics are all essential factors in the Moon race. Here is the latest: China's great leap China is pursuing plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030 and plans to build a base there. The world's second-largest economy has invested billions of dollars in its military-run space program in a push to catch up with the United States and Russia. China was the third country to put humans in orbit in 2003 and Tiangong is the crown jewel of its space program, which has also landed rovers on Mars and the Moon. The unmanned Chang'e-4 rocket landed on the far side of the Moon in 2019, with another robot mission to the near side raising the Chinese flag there in 2020. That moonshot brought rock and soil samples back to Earth, the first time that has been done in more than four decades. NASA's Artemis NASA's Artemis 3 mission is set to return humans to the Moon in 2025 including its first woman and first non-white astronaut. Under the Artemis program, NASA is planning a series of missions of increasing complexity to return to the Moon and build a sustained presence in order to develop and test technologies for an eventual journey to Mars. The first, Artemis 1, flew an uncrewed spacecraft around the Moon in 2022. Artemis 2, planned for November 2024, will do the same with crew on board. NASA sees the Moon as a pit stop for missions to Mars and has done a deal with Finnish mobile firm Nokia to set up a 4G network there. However, NASA said this week that the Artemis 3 mission may not land humans on the Moon, depending on whether certain key elements, including the landing system developed by SpaceX, were ready. Elon Musk's firm won the contract for a landing system based on a version of its prototype Starship rocket, which remains far from ready. An orbital test flight of the uncrewed Starship ended in a dramatic explosion in April. Russia's Luna Russia's launch of Luna-25 on Friday will be its first to the Moon since 1976 and marks the beginning of Moscow's new lunar project. President Vladimir Putin is looking to strengthen space cooperation with China after ties with the West broke down following the start of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022. New players Recent technological progress has reduced the cost of missions and opened the way for new players in the public and private sector to get involved. India's latest space mission Chandrayaan-3 entered the Moon's orbit in August ahead of the country's second attempted lunar landing later this month. But getting to the Moon is not an easy task. Israeli non-profit SpaceIL launched its Beresheet lunar lander in 2019, but it crashed. And in April this year Japan's ispace was the latest company to try, and fail, at the historic bid to put a private lunar lander on the Moon. Two other US companies, Astrobotic and Intuitive Machines, are set to try later in the year. The post One giant step: Moon race hots up appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sabotaging reforms
Consumer groups have petitioned the Court of Appeals to take back its permanent injunction on the Energy Regulatory Commission ruling stopping San Miguel Corp. from breaking its supply contracts. The Power for People or P4P Coalition cited the real threat of a chain reaction in other power producers holding straight pricing contracts similar to SMC’s units to make a mockery out of the competitive selection process, or CSP since they can always go to the courts to overturn ERC decisions. The CA injunction effectively opened the door for SMC to discard the PSAs without any consequence. Under the PSA, a unilateral termination of the contract will mean heavy penalties including P255.5 billion for a “Termination in the Event of a Default.” The CA injunction took away all the safeguards in the contract against unilateral actions which was what SMC wanted. ERC issued an order blocking SMC from forcing consumers to shoulder fossil fuel volatility costs which it committed initially to absorbing during the auction for the PSAs. Based on ERC records, some 23 straight-price contracts are at risk of following the footsteps of SMC which will mean higher rates since the court injunction can undermine the regulatory powers of the ERC. P4P said consumers are now at the mercy of power companies which acquired the freedom to trick us into committing to a contract, “only to back down when it is no longer profitable for them.” Consumers are without a choice but to pay higher prices in such a situation. In the 2019 PSA auctions, SMC’s generation companies South Premier Power Corporation, or SPPC, and San Miguel Energy Corporation, or SMEC, secured 650 megawatts or MW and 330 MW supply deals, respectively. SMC in response to consumer groups’ skepticism over the ability of fossil fuel power plants operators to comply with a fixed price contract, insisted it will voluntarily shoulder risks. In May last year, SMC filed motions for price adjustment claiming that it had incurred P15 billion in losses from SPPC and SMEC. Late last year, ERC denied SMC’s motions for price adjustments. Instead of appealing the ERC order, SMEC and SPPC filed a petition for Certiorari before the Court of Appeals to suspend their PSAs and reverse the ERC’s decision. CA quickly acted with a temporary restraining order suspending SPPC’s 670 MW PSA while SMEC’s PSA remained after the 16th division of the court denied SMC a TRO. The catch, however, was that the CA consolidated the two cases into the 13th division which acted favorably to SMC. The recent injunction order, thus covered both SPPC and SMEC, thus ending the PSAs. To make up for the lost capacity of 670 MW, two emergency Power Supply Agreements, or EPSA, was bid out with SPPC cornering a supply of 480 MW. In the five months that the SPPC PSA was suspended, electricity bills have jumped from P1,370.90 to P3,363.53 for an average household. P4P described the battle between ERC and SMC as an experience in which big businesses ultimately hijack power purchase bidding systems that are in place to protect consumers. It added that SMC dared to bid for the same power requirement shortage of Meralco that it caused. The spirit of competitive selection and least-cost electricity thus went out of the window after the brazen legal maneuvers of SMC, the consequence of which will be shouldered by consumers. Reforms initiated to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos are negated by profit greed which frequently happens with the help of the intrusive injunctions. The post Sabotaging reforms appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dirty brew
Harmony with the communities where San Miguel Corp. — which gained fame for its renowned beer — has put up its energy plants is not what the company is projecting, as most plants have been the subject of massive complaints from residents. According to a survey by think-tank Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, most of the complaints are related to the effects on the environment of the projects. For instance, in 2017, communities and civil society organizations launched the Break Free 2017 campaign to oppose the expansion of fossil fuel industries at the project site of SMC’s Limay Coal Power Plant. Residents of Limay, Bataan complained of being exposed to the emissions of the then 300-megawatt, or MW, coal plant and the 140-MW plant of the Petron Bataan Fuel Refinery. The groups’ claim that the plant’s testing operations may have resulted in ash spills was found to be accurate by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which issued a Cease and Desist Order. Before SMC acquired the Masinloc power plant in 2018, the plant was already subjected to opposition, which led to delays in its operation during the 1990s. Environmentalists, farmers, and fishermen at the time staged protests, claiming that contaminated water from the plant would reduce the fish catch. The Masinloc power plant was then owned and operated by state firm National Power Corp. and was billed as the solution to the long brownouts that Luzon suffered daily. Using his emergency powers, then-President Fidel Ramos endorsed the quick construction of the project, displacing over 1,000 individuals in the process. It was then discovered that the plant produced over 385,000 tons of ash yearly, putting local communities’ health at risk. The previous owners of the Masinloc power plant claimed to have spent over $1 billion for its realignment to make it more environmentally friendly. SMC considered the power asset as allowing them to increase their footprint in clean coal technology. There were then also complaints from residents whom CEED said were directly impacted by some of SMCGP’s coal power plants. The residents alleged harassment and intimidation by various individuals for them to give up their properties. In 2016, SMCGP proposed to construct and operate its Limay Power Station in Limay, Bataan. A portion of the power plant site was thereafter fenced off by private individuals who claimed to have sold the property, and people were prohibited from entering or accessing the crops they had planted in the area. The situation was the same in Sariaya, Quezon in 2018, after SMCGP proposed the construction of a circulating fluidized bed coal-fired power plant in the municipality. In Mariveles, Bataan, where SMC’s Mariveles coal-fired power plant units 1 to 4 will rise, residents found themselves ousted from the property they were living on, through rights, at the peak of the Covid-19 lockdowns by alleged landowners claiming the property had been sold. SMC’s mining business is also facing its fair share of opposition. Its Daguma Agro Minerals Inc., or DAMI, was granted a coal development and production operating contract in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat by the Department of Energy back in 2002. The contract included the 17,000 hectares of collective land that the SMC mining companies planned to explore. San Miguel Energy Corp. acquired full ownership of DAMI, which was owned by a group headed by businessman Ben Guingona. DAMI has coal mines in South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat, in areas known for being rich in mineral deposits. DAMI’s projects in South Cotabato were opposed by environmental advocates, the local Catholic diocese, and the host communities, due to environmental and encroachment concerns. DAMI uses the strip mining method, a form of open-pit mining that is forbidden by South Cotabato’s 2010 environment code. The provincial board of South Cotabato rejected a resolution that would have endorsed DAMI’s mining operations since it violated South Cotabato’s ban on open-pit mining. The provincial board, however, moved to amend the code and lift the ban. Local officials are now under fire as they kept residents unaware of SMC’s tree-clearing operations. South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., in response, vetoed the lifting of the ban on open-pit mining. The classic sound bite of the company of leaving no one behind is hard to discern from the way SMC treats communities it considers as getting in the way of its massive projects. The post Dirty brew appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Google launches ChatGPT rival Bard in EU, Brazil
Google launched its AI chatbot Bard in the European Union, Brazil and a dozen other countries on Thursday and unveiled new features as it expands access to its answer to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT. The US tech giant unveiled Bard in February but delayed its release in the European Union as the bloc plans to regulate artificial intelligence amid concerns about risks associated with the rapidly growing technology. Google has raced to catch up with rival Microsoft, which has rushed to integrate ChatGPT-like powers in a wide array of its products, including the Bing search engine. Bard is "now available in most of the world, and in the most widely spoken languages," Bard's product lead Jack Krawczyk and vice president Amarnag Subramanya wrote in a blog. "As part of our bold and responsible approach to AI, we've proactively engaged with experts, policymakers and privacy regulators on this expansion," they said. The company said it would incorporate user feedback and take steps to protect people's privacy and data as it broadens access to Bard. The AI tool can now be used in over 40 languages including Arabic, Chinese, German, Hindi and Spanish. It was previously available in three languages -- English, Japanese and Korean. Google also announced new features, including receiving audio responses from Bard or answers in five different styles: simple, long, short, professional or casual. Another new feature allows users to upload photos that Bard can analyze for information. The rise of AI has raised both excitement and concerns about its potential to improve or replace tasks done by humans. AI tools have shown in recent months the ability to generate essays, create realistic images, mimic voices of famous singers and even pass medical exams, among a slew of uses. Common worries include the possibility that chatbots could flood the web with disinformation, that biased algorithms will churn out racist material, or that AI-powered automation could lay waste to entire industries. 'Extinction' fears Experts -- even the founder of ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, Sam Altman -- have warned about the potential existential risks that the technology poses to humanity. Altman and dozens of other specialists signed a statement in May urging global leaders to reduce "the risk of extinction" from AI. But the warnings have not stopped the rapid development of AI. Tesla and Twitter owner Elon Musk, who has issued his own warnings about the risks, launched an AI company named xAI on Wednesday. The xAI website said Musk would run the company separately from his other companies but that the technology developed would benefit those businesses, including Twitter. Last month, the European Parliament backed a draft law that will be the basis for the world's first comprehensive rules for AI. It includes specific provisions for generative AI systems, such as ChatGPT and Dall-E, capable of producing text, images and other media. The parliament and the EU's member states will negotiate on the regulation before it is approved and the bloc wants to strike a deal by the end of the year. The rules stipulate that AI-generated content must be declared as such and bans some AI including real-time facial recognition systems. The post Google launches ChatGPT rival Bard in EU, Brazil appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
End callous practice
Airlines’ practice of excessive overbooking, as proven in previous seat sales with huge discounts that resulted in passengers being bumped off, carries stiff penalties if the aggrieved party is persistent enough. The Mandaue City regional trial court recently provided the precedent for complaints from the army of disgruntled flyers when it ordered Cebu Pacific Air to pay P500,000 in damages to Cebu 6th District provincial board member Glenn Soco who was bumped off his scheduled flight from Manila to Cebu. Mandaue City RTC Branch 55 Presiding Judge Ferdinand Rafanan ordered Cebu Pacific to pay moral damages of P200,000, exemplary damages of P200,000, and P100,000 in attorneys and litigation expenses. The catch for Soco is that it took 12 years before he received just compensation for his ordeal, which is a stretch that entailed legal expenses that many Filipinos cannot afford. The compensation may even be short of the amount spent to keep track of the case, including the lawyer’s fees. Soco’s case, however, will greatly contribute to halting the excesses of airline firms through the indiscriminate denial of the service promised to their clients. He sued the airline for “breach of the obligation to transport him,” which he claimed had caused him inconvenience, serious anxiety, physical suffering, and sleepless nights. In Soco’s recounting, he said that on 14 April 2011, he booked a Cebu-Manila roundtrip ticket on Flight 5J 574 going to Manila on 15 April 2011, and on Flight 5J 553 on 16 April 2011, at 10:10 a.m. for his return flight to Cebu. The local executive said his ticket for the flight was confirmed. For his return flight, he arrived at NAIA Terminal 3 and got in the queue for departing passengers. He showed his ticket to one of the ground crew to get his seat number, according to the particulars of the 13-page court decision dated 20 June 2023. Soco, however, was informed by the ground crew that he could not be accommodated on the flight and when he asked for an explanation when he got to the head of the line, the Cebu Pacific personnel could not provide a definite response. Passengers behind him were “egging him to step aside” so they could continue with the queue, according to the court ruling. The scene turned chaotic and caused Soco humiliation, “and he was allegedly able to capture it on his cellphone camera,” the court said. Due to the rebooking, Soco missed his board meetings as the owner of Mandaue Integrated Manpower Services Inc., Coffee Dream Company, and Powerline Human Resources Management Inc. A Cebu Pacific Air guest service manager was quoted in the court ruling as having confirmed that Soco was not able to board. The reason given was that “the system of the defendant airline showed full capacity and he could no longer be accommodated on the flight.” “In situations like this, the standard policy of the defendant airline is to look for other passengers who are willing to volunteer their seats in lieu of other passengers with confirmed tickets who could no longer be accommodated. Otherwise, the passenger will be offered an option to either take the subsequent flight or be given a refund,” the court said. Civil Aeronautics Board Economic Regulation 7 recognizes the practice of airline companies of overbooking that does not exceed 10 percent of the aircraft’s seating capacity. While overbooking is a globally accepted practice, senators in a recent public hearing said systematic delays and cancellations are unacceptable, as well as the lack of appropriate mitigation services and crisis management personnel from the airlines who are supposed to handle complaints. What passengers get for their tribulation is more suffering from the complicated rebooking or refund procedure. The height of insensitivity of airlines is making customers talk to chatbots instead of customer service representatives to make their complaints. They can spend for robots but inconvenienced passengers are given chips and bottled water. The post End callous practice appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Innovation key to United Neon’s sustained creative space leadership
With the emergence of new technologies, new public consumption habits, and other uncertainties, the advertising landscape has been evolving at an unprecedented speed. One important factor that advertising agencies and all other corporations should have to keep up with the ever-changing trends in the industry is the ability to innovate. For United Neon Advertising, the country’s pioneer out-of-home media company, innovation has been a key to their formidable leadership in the creative space. In fact, when it was founded in 1937, United Neon was among the first companies in the Philippines to introduce commercial signs and has been one of the country’s leading innovators long before the word was actually used as a business differentiator. Today, United Neon still banks on their innovative spirit to sustain and thrive in the creative space soliciting fresh inputs from everyone in the organization and keeping great ideas flowing. “Innovation is the lifeblood of corporations,” said United Neon Innovation head Benjamin Ernest Lim. “Without innovation, a company wouldn't be able to keep up with the constantly evolving demands of its customers. Customers are always in search of new and better things and if you can't provide it, then those customers will jump over to your competitors,” he explained. A solid testament to their trailblazing innovation is the award-winning and the Philippines’ first ever Naked-Eye 3D LED billboard which continues to draw crowds in its BGC location. Onion Bulb Productions, United Neon’s official production arm, recently bagged its first award from the Philippine Marketing Association for being the first in the country to execute naked eye 3D LED billboard ads. The said ads went viral and has since become an iconic attraction in the city. OBP holds the distinction of being the first recipient of such award from the official and biggest organization of Filipino marketers. “More than just new technology, innovation is all about finding new ways to do things and coming up with new ideas. In the case of United Neon, we're focused on coming up with new ways to help our clients engage with their target audiences,” Lim said. Lim also debunked the myth that innovations and creative solutions require expensive executions. “Our task is actually to come up with marketing solutions that have a clear return on investment for brands. We don't want our clients to advertise just for the sake of doing so. Running an ad has to have a clear purpose while making sense for everyone involved, and a justifiable cost comes hand in hand with that,” he explained. Lim cited the continuing trend of creative advertising. “It feels like everyone is busier than ever now, and so what we're seeing is that it has become more important to come up with creative ads that can capture the attention of the people that you want to reach and ads that people actually want to see,” he said. “Engagement is the name of the game now because the average consumer is already exposed to so many types of media 24/7. We're constantly thinking about new ways to help brands catch the attention of the people that they want to talk to so that they can tell their stories,” he added. Lim said United Neon is committed to learning and adopting all the latest technologies that will emerge in the advertising space to ensure that they offer the best creative marketing solutions to their clients. “We're always on the lookout for the new things being developed both here and abroad. We have teams that regularly go to international exhibits and conferences as well as constantly communicate with foreign partners so that we know about the trends and new marketing solutions being developed,” he said. “In my view, we're just beginning to see some new and daring ideas being executed in the advertising space. I believe that over the next five years, we'll see even more brands release creative campaigns that really draw the eyes of people in partnership with creative agencies and media owners,” Lim said. Lim also emphasized the importance of people culture to capacitate and empower their team. “A lot of executives expect their people to take care of the business. I believe that a company must first take care of its people and then those same people in turn will take care of the business. There are so many aspects to taking care of your people, so the HR & People Culture departments play a crucial role these days,” he said. Setting the bar high in the creative advertising space in the Philippines, it is no wonder that United Neon is also looking into more opportunities in both the local and international scene. Lim further adds: “We believe that there's a lot of growth potential in the Philippine market but we're always open to pursuing great opportunities. Stay tuned for more spectacular marketing executions from the United Neon team." The post Innovation key to United Neon’s sustained creative space leadership appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Mayor pitches P. Princesa fish port plan
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The city government hopes to get private sector support for its planned integrated fish port when it pitches the idea to commercial fishing operators this week. Mayor Lucilo Bayron on Monday said that the establishment of the fish port in Barangay Buenavista in the eastern coast of Puerto Princesa will help streamline operations, enhance efficiency and foster growth in key fishing sectors. He said the city will host prominent figures from the Philippine Fisheries Development Authority and the Frabelle Group of Companies. The city administration will present to the guests the detailed designs for the proposed one-stop-shop complex that will have landing facilities where fishing boats can safely unload their catch, storage facilities, market halls, support services for seafood processors, fueling station, transportation networks, and regulatory and administrative functions. It will also have a cold storage unit, a processing plant, an ice plant, commercial establishments catering to fishing necessities and supplies, banking services, money transfer services and wholesale and retail fish markets. Among the expected guests are the PFDA general manager and Frabelle president Sandy Sandoval, who helped organized the meeting. The local government plans to be in charge of site development, including reclamation, rockworks, commercial port and fish landing, and construction of a breakwater, causeway, essential horizontal projects, and fuel stations. The fish port is estimated to cost P1.6 billion to build and can be funded through a bank loan. The post Mayor pitches P. Princesa fish port plan appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Decades-old EPIRA needs to catch up — DOE
The Department of Energy is carefully studying the Republic Act 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 or EPIRA to ensure that the more than two decades-old law can keep up with the changing energy landscape while upholding the interest of the consumers. “Right now it is a case of there is always a continuing effort to amend the EPIRA so that we can adjust certain parts that may require some tweaking,” Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla said in a recent interview with reporters. Lotilla said the EPIRA amendments can be related to the Energy Regulatory Commission’s powers and penalties it may impose and the Philippine Competition Commission's powers relative to the energy sector. “These are just some of the things that we need to clarify, but even without these amendments within the framework of the existing EPIRA we will proceed,” he added. The EPIRA passed during the time of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, mandates ERC and PCC to promote competition, encourage market development, ensure consumer choice, and penalize abuse of market power in the restructured electricity industry. The law also promotes competition by creating a level playing field, among others, in the competitive retail electricity market. In a hearing at the House Committee on Energy last week, Undersecretary Sharon Garin, disclosed that the EPIRA should be realigned to ban foreign-owned or foreign government-backed enterprises from engaging in power transmission. The DoE has drafted a bill backed by lawmakers to include additional paragraphs in EPIRA that would effectively ban the involvement of companies controlled or acting on behalf of foreign governments in the country's electric transmission business. Once the bill is passed into law, state-run enterprises currently operating in the country will be forced to divest their investments within 10 years. Private Electric Power Operators Association President Ranulfo Ocampo, in another hearing on Tuesday, feared that the proposed revisions in EPRIA may push government authorities to compete in the generation sector, which might discourage investments. Meanwhile, Meralco's First Vice President and Head of Regulatory Management Jose Valles also warned that lower investments in the generation sector can lead to higher electricity prices due to the absence of competition amid fewer players. Currently, the country's transmission system is solely operated by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, a private company whose 40 percent stakes are owned by the State Grid Corporation of China. The majority, or 60 percent, is controlled by a group of Filipino businessmen led by Henry Sy Jr. and Robert Coyiuto Jr. NGCP holds a 25-year franchise to solely operate the transmission assets of the government under the Republic Act 9511 signed in 2008. The post Decades-old EPIRA needs to catch up — DOE appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
European lawmakers move against AI
European Parliament lawmakers have taken a crucial first step towards EU-wide regulation of ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence systems that Brussels hopes to put speedily in place. Parliamentary committees on civil liberties and consumer protection overwhelmingly voted for a position text calling for curbs on how AI can be used in Europe, while still fostering innovation in the sector. The text is to be put to the full parliament next month for adoption before negotiations with EU member states on a final law. Lawmakers called Thursday’s vote “historic” and hoped it would lead to “the world’s first rules on artificial intelligence.” Their text picks up the main lines from a European Commission proposal made two years ago, but suggests adding bans on biometric surveillance, emotion recognition, and predictive policing AI systems. It seeks to put generative AI systems such as ChatGPT and Midjourney in a category requiring special transparency measures, such as notifications to users that the output was made by a machine, not a human. The parliament’s text also seeks additional criteria as to what constitutes a “high-risk” AI area of application, which could reduce the scope of that designation. The commission’s proposed list covers AI in critical infrastructure, education, human resources, public order and migration management. But the MEPs want an additional threshold to be met, requiring that threats to safety, health or fundamental rights are also deemed to be in play. Threat The CCIA, a European industry lobby group representing major tech companies, said that, while “the parliament made some useful improvements to the text,” it was “abandoning the risk-based structure” of the European Commission’s proposal. “The best way for the EU to inspire other jurisdictions is by ensuring that new regulation will enable, rather than inhibit, the development of useful AI applications,” said CCIA policy manager for Europe, Boniface de Champris. The European Consumer Organization though endorsed the parliament injecting “beefed-up protections for consumers” in its text compared to the Commission one. “Although AI may improve our lives in many ways, there are well-founded concerns that AI systems can also harm consumers. People must be properly protected against the risks of these new technologies,” said Ursula Pachl, deputy director of the organization. While EU work towards legislation has been going on for some time, the potential — and potential perils — of AI has exploded into the public consciousness only in the last few months, since ChatGPT burst onto the scene at the end of last year. Image-generation AI such as Midjourney and DALL-E has since sparked an online rush to make lookalike Van Goghs or a pope in a high fashion puffer jacket, while AI music sites have impressed with their ability to produce human-like singing. “It’s enough to turn on the TV since the last two, three months, almost every day, to see how important this file is becoming for citizens,” said one of the lead MEPs on the European Parliament text, Drago Tudorache. Policymakers in Europe and other regions of the world are increasingly concerned about how the technology can be used for fakery, to fool people and sway public opinion and elections. That has spurred Elon Musk and some researchers to urge a moratorium until legal frameworks can catch up. In the commission proposal, AI companies would be required to maintain human control over their algorithms, provide technical documentation and have a risk-management system for “high-risk” applications. Each EU member state would have a supervising authority to make sure the rules are abided by. MEPs also want AI companies to put in place protections against illegal content and on copyrighted works that might be used to train their algorithms. They also want to prevent the scraping of photos posted on the internet for training algorithms unless the authorization of the people concerned is obtained. The post European lawmakers move against AI appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Google answers ChatGPT challenge with Bard expansion
Google on Wednesday said it is opening Bard, a rival to Microsoft-backed ChatGPT, to 180 countries as it expands its use of artificial intelligence across its platform. Executives at an annual Google developers conference in Silicon Valley said that generative AI will also be used to supercharge the tech giant's leading search engine. "We have been applying AI for a while, with generative AI we are taking the next step," Google chief executive Sundar Pichai told thousands of developers gathered for the event. "We are reimagining all our core products, including search," he said. Google is racing to catch up with rival Microsoft, which has rushed to integrate ChatGPT-like powers in a wide array of its products, including the Bing search engine. Microsoft's dash into AI came despite fears about the technology's potential threat to society, including its impact on the spread of disinformation and whether it could make whole categories of jobs obsolete. Cathy Edwards of Google Search said the new experience would be akin to a search that is "supercharged" by a conversational bot. Other Google executives laid out how generative AI is being woven into Gmail, photo editing, online work tools, and more. The company's AI efforts would be carried out in a "bold and responsible" way, senior product director Jack Krawczyk said during a briefing. Google's expansion meant it removed a waitlist for Bard, letting users around the world engage with it in English after months of testing it out in the US and Britain. Bard will be modified to support 40 languages in the coming months, according to Krawczyk. "We're excited to get Bard into more people's hands," Krawczyk said. "We're pretty fired up about where Bard is going." Google also announced browser "extensions" that will imbue apps and services such as Gmail and Maps with AI features. Bard technology will enable features such as filling in the text to help draft emails and suggesting ideas for an artwork by scrutinizing a picture of available supplies. Google is also letting partners build such extensions, including one from Adobe that will let users generate images, Krawczyk said. The tech titan also unveiled new Pixel devices including a $1,799 foldable smartphone with a bendable screen that is the size of a tablet computer when opened. "You're getting the best of both worlds," Google senior vice president of devices Rick Osterloh said of the Fold. "It's a powerful smartphone when it's convenient and an immersive tablet when you need one." Google also added a new tablet and a lower-priced version of its flagship smartphone to the Pixel lineup. Risky tech? Google's announcements came a week after rival Microsoft expanded public access to its generative artificial intelligence programs, which are powered by models made by OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. The AI-enhanced features of the company's Bing search engine and Edge internet browser became open to anyone. The services have been enhanced with the ability to work with images as well as text, and Microsoft intends to add video to the mix. Despite the rollouts by two of the world's biggest companies, risks from AI include its potential uses for disinformation, with voice clones, deep-fake videos, and convincing written messages. A range of experts in March urged a pause in the development of powerful AI systems to allow time to make sure they are safe. Their open letter, signed by more than 1,000 people, including billionaire Elon Musk and Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, was prompted by generative AI technology from Microsoft-backed firm OpenAI. A prominent computer scientist often dubbed "the godfather of artificial intelligence" recently quit his job at Google to speak out about the dangers of the technology. Geoffrey Hinton, who created some of the technology underlying AI systems, maintained that the existential threat from AI is "serious and close." The post Google answers ChatGPT challenge with Bard expansion appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
HPG-7 on tieup with private firms: This can help catch carnappers, owners of altered vehicles
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Carnappers and owners, who alter their vehicles, beware because you may likely get caught by the Highway Patrol Group in Central Visayas (HPG-7). Police Colonel Neil Francia, regional chief of HPG-7, gave this warning as the HPG-7 tapped private companies to help them in identifying stolen and altered vehicles. Francia was […] The post HPG-7 on tieup with private firms: This can help catch carnappers, owners of altered vehicles appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Spend the holiday season at SM Southmall’s Happiness Factory
Celebrate the busiest time of the year here! Step into the futuristic workshop where Santa and his robo-squad “gifts” love to the world through instagrammable displays, a selfie room, and a gifting area care of SM Cares Bears of Joy. Each bear bought will benefit the SOS Children’s Village. At the heart of the production is a 32-feet towering Christmas tree decorated with gears and hundreds of sparkling lights. The Happiness Factory is located at the mall’s Food Street Concourse. SM Southmall has more happiness in store for shoppers, so make sure to mark your calendars with these activities/events. South Yuletide Markets The Christmas bazaar will have a display of different knickknacks and gifts you can take home to the family. The South Yuletide Markets are there for the holidays so check them out at the Event Center and South Yard (near Door 4). Santa’s Here Santa and the squad are visiting SM Southmall. Catch Santa by the Christmas centerpiece and the Outdoor Holidrive on Dec. 24 to 25 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. Snap a photo and get a special treat! Take a trip at SM Southmall’s Outdoor HolidriveBack by popular demand, SM Southmall is bringing back Outdoor Holidrive: an immersive drive-thru Christmas experience! It will run from Nov. 4 until Jan. 8 at the mall’s West Parking Area. The drive-thru has four main attractions. Glee Town with large Christmas displays, welcoming toy soldiers and snowmen will surely put a smile on your face. The Sweet Forest will satisfy any Southies’ sweet tooth with its giant dessert displays and festive elves. Find toys, gifts, and smiles at the Happiness Overload Station, and The Light Tunnels will surely a bright spectacle you wouldn’t want to miss. Wave at the Christmas characters from the comfort of your car or come hang out with the crew, and try out other activities such as the Philippines’ first Donut Slide, Nitrodrift car racing, and more. Walk-in entrance to the Outdoor Holidrive is free. However, each ride and activity has its own fees; the Drive-thru Outdoor Holidrive has a purchase requirement of Php 2,500.00 worth of single or accumulated receipts dated from November 4, 2022 to January 8, 2023. Rides such as the Donut Slide, Nitrodrift cost about Php 100 – 150 per turn. Happiness SquadSanta’s squad will be at the Outdoor Holidrive on all Sundays starting Nov. 20 until Dec. 24 to 25, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Come and watch their special performances and be entertained. They will definitely put you in a merry mood! Outdoor Holidrive, in partnership with VIYLine Group of Companies and URC is open at the mall’s West Parking from Nov. 4 to Jan. 8, 2023, from 4 p.m. – 10 p.m.. Visit @smsouthmall on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok for more information......»»
Telcos scramble to catch up with capex plans after Duterte s promise to fix red tape
After the Duterte administration promised to fix excessive government red tape, telecommunications companies are now in a mad rush to fulfill their investment plans this year in a bid to make up for the delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic......»»
WHO warns of drawn out pandemic as South Africa cases top 500,000
The UN health agency warned that the coronavirus pandemic would be lengthy and could lead to “response fatigue”, as the case count in South Africa topped half a million. Although many Latin American countries have begun relaxing stay-at-home measures, the virus is still spreading quickly across much of the region Six months after the World Health Organization declared a global emergency, the novel coronavirus has killed more than 680,000 people and infected more than 17.5 million, according to an AFP tally. South Africa is by far the hardest hit country in Africa, accounting for more than half of diagnosed infections, although President Cyril Ramaphosa said the fatality rate is lower than the global average. Health authorities had been expecting a surge in cases after the gradual loosening of a strict lockdown that was imposed at the end of March. Nigeria on Saturday also announced it would ease a lockdown in the commercial capital Lagos, allowing churches and mosques to reopen next week. An emergency WHO committee reviewing the pandemic “highlighted the anticipated lengthy duration of this COVID-19 outbreak, noting the importance of sustained community, national, regional, and global response efforts”. “WHO continues to assess the global risk level of COVID-19 to be very high,” it said in its latest statement. The agency also said the effects of the pandemic “will be felt for decades to come”. Mexico overtook Britain to become the third hardest hit country in virus deaths — after Brazil and the United States — with more than 46,600 fatal cases. Although many Latin American countries have begun relaxing stay-at-home measures, the virus is still spreading quickly across much of the region, which has now recorded more than four million cases and almost 200,000 deaths. Half of them are in Brazil, where President Jair Bolsonaro said he believes “nearly everyone” will catch the virus eventually, after himself recovering from it. The US, the hardest-hit country in the world, has now tallied more than 4.6 million cases and 154,319 deaths. Vaccine race The outlook was bleak in Asia as well, where India and the Philippines reported record increases in new daily infections. “We are waging a losing battle against COVID-19, and we need to draw up a consolidated, definitive plan of action,” said an open letter signed by 80 Filipino medical associations. Japan’s Okinawa declared a state of emergency after a record jump in cases on the islands — many linked to US military forces stationed there. The pandemic has spurred a race for a vaccine with several Chinese companies at the forefront, while Russia has set a target date of September to roll out its own medicine. However, US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci said it was unlikely his country would use any vaccine developed in either nation. “I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone,” he said. As part of its “Operation Warp Speed”, the US government will pay pharmaceutical giants Sanofi and GSK up to $2.1 billion for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine, the companies said. ‘Day of freedom’ France, Spain, Portugal and Italy all reported huge contractions in their economies for the April-June quarter, while Europe as a whole saw gross domestic product fall by 12.1 percent. Daily case numbers in Switzerland have crept up again in recent weeks, while Norway recorded its first virus death in two weeks. At least 36 crew members confined to a Norwegian cruise ship have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the operator Hurtigruten said on Saturday. Despite the resurgence in cases, there have been demonstrations in Europe against the curbs. Thousands protested in Berlin on Saturday urging “a day of freedom” from the restrictions, with some demonstrators dubbing the pandemic “the biggest conspiracy theory”. In South Korea, the elderly leader of a secretive sect at the centre of the country’s early coronavirus outbreak was arrested for allegedly hindering the government’s effort to contain the epidemic. People linked to Lee Man-hee’s Shincheonji Church of Jesus accounted for more than half of the South’s coronavirus cases in February and March, but the country has since appeared to have brought the virus under control. The pandemic has also continued to cause mayhem in the travel and tourism sectors, with more airlines announcing mass job cuts. Latin America’s biggest airline, the Brazilian-Chilean group LATAM, said it would lay off least 2,700 crew, and British Airways pilots overwhelmingly voted to accept a deal cutting wages by 20 percent, with 270 jobs lost......»»
Casino gaming around the globe
Gaming has always been a popular human activity. Long before land-based casinos were built, casino games existed and flourished. Bingo, for example, first appeared in.....»»
Catch-up Fridays eased for teachers
JENIELITO "Dodong" Atillo, spokesperson of the Department of Education (DepEd-Davao), clarified during the AFP-PNP press conference held on Wednesday morning, March 27, 2024, at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, that the implementation of “Catch-up Fridays” has been streamlined to alleviate any perceived burden on teachers......»»
Amigas group celebrate March Birthdays
The Amigas group had a small get-together at Blackbird at the Nielson Tower this month for their March birthday celebrants. Among them was the author, Lanie Fung......»»
Companies State it Takes More Than 6 Months to Fill Cybersecurity Positions
The latest Kaspersky survey found that 48% of companies require over half a year to find a qualified cybersecurity professional. A lack of proven experience was cited as one of the biggest challenges, along with the high cost of hiring and global competition in talent acquisition. With global labor markets continuing to clamor for InfoSec […].....»»