EDITORIAL - Ivermectin: Boon or bane?
At the end of March, the World Health Organization released its statement on the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin......»»
AI: Boon or bane?
There is an AI photo editing app taking social media by storm......»»
A new Immigration Law for Bagong Pilipinas
The end of the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be both a boon and bane to the global tourism and travel community. Now that we all have gone back to normal lives, it gave birth to what is now called as “revenge travels.”.....»»
BRICS expansion: Boon or bane?
The BRICS alliance, comprised of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has emerged as a significant player in the global geopolitical landscape since its inception in 2006. Over the years, BRICS has demonstrated its potential to influence international economic policies, trade agreements, and even security affairs. The proposal, therefore, to expand BRICS by incorporating six more nations, namely Mexico, Indonesia, Turkey, Nigeria, Egypt and Vietnam, is worthwhile as all of them are emerging economies with substantial influence in their respective regions. This expansion could enhance the economic and geopolitical clout of the BRICS alliance, bringing together a diverse group of countries with considerable resources, markets, and geopolitical importance. The inclusion of these six nations would significantly bolster BRICS’ economic power. Mexico, Indonesia, and Turkey, in particular, possess large and dynamic economies, adding greater diversity to the group’s financial portfolio. This expanded BRICS could collectively represent a substantial portion of global GDP, potentially rivaling the G7. The proposed expansion would give BRICS access to a broader range of natural and human resources. For instance, Nigeria and Egypt are rich in natural resources, while Vietnam offers a young and dynamic workforce. This resource diversity can stimulate economic growth and cooperation among member nations. The inclusion of these nations could strengthen BRICS’ influence in their respective regions. Indonesia, for instance, is a key player in Southeast Asia, while Nigeria holds sway in West Africa. This regional influence could help BRICS in pursuing its collective interests on the global stage. Expanding BRICS may enhance security and stability by providing a forum for member nations to collaborate on regional and global security issues. With increased representation, BRICS could become a more influential force in addressing challenges such as terrorism, cyber threats and regional conflicts. While the idea of BRICS expansion holds promise, it has its challenges and considerations. The inclusion of additional nations may lead to conflicting interests within BRICS. The current members already have diverse economic, political, and strategic goals, and adding more voices to the mix could complicate decision-making processes. Some proposed new members, such as Turkey, have complex geopolitical relationships with existing BRICS countries. Balancing these tensions while fostering cooperation will be crucial for the success of an expanded BRICS alliance. The existence of the G7 grouping adds another layer of complexity. The G7, consisting of economically advanced Western nations, has historically set the tone for global economic policies. The expansion of BRICS could create competition or cooperation between these two blocs, impacting global economic dynamics. The expansion of BRICS would undoubtedly significantly impact the world economy. With an enlarged membership, BRICS could exert greater influence over international economic policies, trade agreements, and financial institutions. This could lead to a more balanced and equitable global economic order. An expanded BRICS could challenge the dominance of Western-led institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. This may lead to the creation of alternative financial institutions that better represent the interests of emerging economies. BRICS’ expansion could facilitate increased trade and investment among member nations. This could create new business opportunities and stimulate economic growth, especially in regions with emerging markets like Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America. A larger BRICS alliance would have a stronger voice in global economic governance. This could result in more inclusive policies that consider the needs and priorities of developing nations. Therefore, the idea of expanding BRICS represents a compelling proposition with the potential to reshape global economic and security dynamics. While challenges and complexities exist, the benefits of an enlarged BRICS alliance, including financial strength, resource diversity, and enhanced regional influence, cannot be ignored. However, the success of such an expansion would depend on the ability of member nations to navigate divergent interests, manage geopolitical tensions, and effectively cooperate on a global stage. More importantly, the relationship between an expanded BRICS and the G7 will play a crucial role in shaping the future of global governance. In an era of evolving international relations, an expanded BRICS could be a key player in driving positive change on the world stage. The post BRICS expansion: Boon or bane? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Branding governance
It was once observed that an archipelago like the Philippines would more likely find it difficult to be united as a nation. Compared to smaller countries like Singapore, for instance, whose progress has been undeniably immense, ours is harder to pull together. Is it our so-called “halo-halo” culture? Regionalism is either a bane or a boon depending on where you stand. Some say the rise of leaders from Mindanao brought up the issue of “Imperial Manila” where funds were more likely to be funneled. The general sentiment on this matter is that Manila’s limited use of its vast influence led to the provinces’ slow growth and development. On another significant note, it is believed that the term “Imperial Manila” was born sometime after the toppling of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. through the People Power Revolution. Some say the whole thing was done “without the participation of provincials,” as Amando Doronila once wrote in his column. This is, of course, highly debatable, as history is often interpreted in various ways. Strangely enough, the issues of unity and equality once again rise to the fore with the release of Memorandum Circular 24 issued on 3 July. In said memorandum, “Bagong Pilipinas” will serve as a “branding and communication strategy characterized by a principled, accountable and dependable government.” The concept is hinged on the government’s commitment “to assisting Filipinos in realizing their ‘goals and aspirations.’” Moreover, the logo would be “incorporated into the letterheads, websites, official social media accounts, and other documents of all state agencies and entities.” “Bagong Pilipinas” is to be our rallying cry, the reason for being, an end goal. The response was immediate, and why not? It has been one slogan and logo controversy after another lately, from the rebranding of the tourism campaign slogan and logo to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp.’s new logo. Now “Bagong Pilipinas” is said to be just another unoriginal creation, in fact reminiscent of “Bagong Lipunan,” or New Society, during the regime of the President’s father from 1972 to 1986. In a couple of public speeches, President Bongbong Marcos has referred to a “New Philippines.” From his campaign call for unity, the messaging carried across by the jingle titled “Bagong Pilipinas, Bagong Mukha” composed by Filipino rapper Andrew E of “Humanap Ka Ng Panget” fame, to his choice of Cabinet members not all entirely allied with his party, BBM is clearly intent on forging the path to the Philippines he envisions to be better. There is a growing opinion that President Marcos Jr., having inherited a slew of ills from previous leaderships, would really like to begin again with a fresh slate, though that being impossible, at least with a fresh mindset for all. This, Bagong Pilipinas is a reminder made into policy for all of us, top to bottom, side to side, that we should really just simply “love the Philippines” first to make our dreams come true. The post Branding governance appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
AI to stay relevant in BPO, group claims
As artificial intelligence is causing global worry over the loss of jobs for humans, executives of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines maintain that AI would bring more benefits than harm, particularly to their industry. CCAP president Mickey Ocampo said artificial intelligence would be more helpful, than detrimental, to the BPO industry. He said the country’s contact center and business process management sector continues to evolve amid the emergence of new technologies, particularly Generative AI, which is quickly being incorporated into various tasks across the information technology and business process management or IT-BPM industry. “The impact of a generative AI will come within the next, maybe, two to four years. This will allow our country to develop using upskilling our people. Generative AI will increase productivity as at a certain level we will be able to handle more calls or more non-voice inquiries. AI will also generate additional jobs,” he said during Daily Tribune’s Straight Talk program last Tuesday. Ocampo said their group is confident the sector could easily keep its position as the world’s top provider of voice and business process outsourcing services and it’s being the “heart of customer experience (CX)” with the adoption of Generative AI, which critics say could either be a boon or a bane to the BPO industry. “Generative AI can be used to automate and enhance various aspects of customer interactions. Some examples are chatbots and virtual assistants. There are automated email responses for faster adaptability. To illustrate, in the past, when an agent needed to respond to a customer’s call, he had to look at the CRM and backtrack or even go to the knowledge base. Now, these things are automated, further enhancing agent productivity,” Ocampo said. CCAP managing director Rosario Cajucom-Bradbury said Generative AI will have an impact on client business, in the way services are delivered and in the corporate services of providers, namely, human resource and finance, among others. She said the use of Generative AI Assist working alongside agents when handling calls will increase their efficiency, productivity, and resolution in delivering customer service. “Thus, the call agent is provided the opportunity to have more focused active listening and genuine empathy rather than being preoccupied with navigating the system for resolution. Filipinos’ innate trait of service orientation combined with the power of Generative AI will enhance the employee’s experience at work which would translate to an even more satisfying customer experience — therefore helping the Philippines retain being the ‘heart of CX’ and at the same time meeting or even exceeding growth targets,” Bradbury explained. Additional 1.1M jobs Ocampo said with the use of Generative AI by CCAP members, they can generate an additional 1.1 million jobs for Filipinos until 2028, covering all types of BPO services, namely, finance, insurance, medical, and health, and overall cost-based customer service for fast moving and consumer goods. “And if we go back to the generative AI, new job roles are created. Generative AI will be useful to the end users and the consumers and the business. We will continue to upskill our workforce to cope with AI,” Ocampo said. The aggressive target is part of the 2028 IT-BPM Roadmap, which was launched in the third quarter of 2022, coinciding with the start of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. It also sets a target of 2.5 million full-time employees (2.3 million to be accounted for by CCAP-member firms) and a 40-percent countryside expansion. In 2022, the contact center sector employed 1.4 million individuals, which was 87 percent of the 1.6 million total employment in the local IT-BPM industry. Ocampo said the impact of Generative AI would be reflected in the sector’s figures in two to four years, clarifying that the emerging technology was not factored in when the IT-BPM Roadmap was set “because it surfaced just about seven months ago although AI had already been widely used across the industry.” These and more interesting issues and developments would take center stage in the upcoming Contact Islands Conference 2023. With the theme “The Philippines, the Heart of CX,” the conference is set to once again facilitate a world-class delegate experience and an excellent venue for the exchange of views, coaching, networking, and benchmarking for the sector’s leaders and decision-makers. The conference is set for 26 to 28 July at the Dusit Thani Mactan in Lapu-Lapu City Cebu. The post AI to stay relevant in BPO, group claims appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Balik Manggagawa online system: boon or bane for OFWs?
In a dimly-lit avant-garde dining place at the charming Raffles Hotel in Singapore, I lost my phone and along with it, perhaps more than five years of data and memories......»»
Philippines a slowly ageing society – PIDS study
via rappler.com – The Philippines will transition to an ageing society by 2032, and for the economy, this could be both boon and bane, according to a study of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS). A December 2018 PIDS study dove into United Nations data from 2017 to project Read more ».....»»
EDITORIAL - Ivermectin: Boon or bane?
At the end of March, the World Health Organization released its statement on the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin......»»
Zoom-time
If there’s anything that this COVID pandemic will leave in its wake aside from a long, deep trail of sorrow and suffering it will be Zoom, the app that’s become the boon and bane of billions of people worldwide......»»
Parks aims to become best version of himself
Being the namesake of his legendary father is both a boon and a bane for Bobby Ray Parks Jr......»»
Binance ban a boon to local crypto firms
Local crypto traders are now experiencing as much as four times higher transaction volumes as investors shift their tokens from Binance......»»
EDITORIAL - Finally, plastic license cards
It says a lot about the quality of governance and ease of doing business in this country that it takes forever just to obtain a plastic driver’s license card......»»
EDITORIAL — An endangered lake
In January this year, President Marcos directed the Department of Agriculture to increase fish production to meet the national demand......»»
EDITORIAL — The cost of negligence
As of early evening yesterday, the death toll from a vehicular collision in Cotabato stood at 17, with four others needing hospitalization for injuries and severe burns......»»
EDITORIAL — Irresponsible driving
As travel increases this Holy Week, motorists are expressing concern about a road accident this month that penalized an innocent driver. Video footage showed a Toyota Innova traversing the northbound lane of the Skyway Stage 3 on March 10 when a motorcycle moving beyond the speed limit counter-flowed, colliding head-on with the Innova......»»
EDITORIAL — Next, speedy justice
After a year of being on the run, Arnolfo Teves Jr. is finally being brought back to the country to face multiple indictments for serious offenses. Teves was arrested Thursday in East Timor’s capital Dili by local police. He had been hiding in plain sight in Timor-Leste, occasionally posting videos taunting Philippine authorities who wanted him for multiple murder cases......»»
EDITORIAL — Lights off for one shared home
Since the first Earth Hour was staged in 2007, participation in the event has grown exponentially......»»
EDITORIAL - Under lock and key
The Civil Service Commission has reminded all government officials and employees of the April 30 deadline to submit their sworn Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2023......»»
Do These 5 Things Immediately After Moving to a New Condo
So you’ve moved into your new The Arcady at Boon Keng condo and all your belongings are inside. You’re excited and tired at the same time, but are there important things you should do before unpacking? The short answer is yes- read up on our five tips for a more seamless move. Let People Know […] The post Do These 5 Things Immediately After Moving to a New Condo appeared first on Kagay An......»»
Tech titan Amazon sees profit climb as cloud promises boon
Online retail colossus Amazon on Thursday said profit surged in the recently ended quarter on growing sales and more efficient deliveries, with its cloud business promising even better days ahead. The e-commerce colossus said it made a profit of $9.9 billion on sales that tallied $143.1 billion in the recently ended quarter, with more than half its operating income made from Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud unit. Google parent Alphabet and computing colossus Microsoft this week reported rising quarterly profits, playing up demand for cloud computing enhanced with artificial intelligence. Investors, though, had hoped for better performance from Google Cloud causing the company's shares to slip. While Amazon Web Services (AWS) grew 12 percent when compared to the same quarter a year earlier, the unit's growth lagged that of rival cloud businesses operated by Microsoft and Google. "I remain very optimistic about AWS," Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy said on an earnings call. "There's a lot more there for us; then you look at the very substantial, gigantic new generative AI opportunity, which I believe will be tens of billions of dollars in revenue for AWS over the next several years." Amazon just weeks ago said it would invest up to $4 billion in AI firm Anthropic. The success of OpenAI's ChatGPT, a chatbot released last year that can generate poems, essays, and other works with just a short prompt, has led to billions being invested in the field. Anthropic agreed to use Amazon's chips to develop its next models and to use AWS for "mission-critical workloads." Amazon has already announced it aimed to soup up its Alexa voice assistant with generative AI, which the firm said would allow users to have smoother conversations. Retail rebound Amazon earnings "soared past expectations" in the quarter, according to Insider Intelligence analyst Zak Stambor. "We had a strong third quarter as our cost to serve and speed of delivery in our stores business took another step forward," Jassy said, adding its ad business grew "robustly" and AWS cloud computing business "continued to stabilize." "The retail giant's slowdown last year appears to be in the rearview mirror as it has embarked on significant cost-cutting throughout this year and sharpened its focus on key growth areas, such as its high-margin online marketplace and advertising," Stambor said. A top US antitrust regulator sued Amazon in September, accusing the online retail behemoth of running an illegal monopoly by strong-arming sellers and stifling potential rivals. "Our complaint lays out how Amazon has used a set of punitive and coercive tactics to unlawfully maintain its monopolies," said Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan. Robots and drones Amazon said Thursday it will hire 250,000 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees in the United States to handle shopping demand in the months ahead. Amazon said last week that it will expand drone delivery of certain purchases to a third US state as well as to Britain and Italy by the end of 2024. The US firm has installed a new robotics system in one of its Texas logistics centers, featuring technology like automated vehicles, mechanical arms, and computer vision technology. Amazon already uses 750,000 robots in its warehouses to speed up deliveries. "The better they get at delivery, the more it continues to grow the e-commerce market overall and Amazon's place within that market," said Insider Intelligence analyst Andrew Lipsman. But increased productivity via robots won't fix underlying Amazon worker issues, critics say. Amazon early this year eliminated some 27,000 jobs in a move it said at the time was necessary, after years of sustained hiring. Ads shine Advertising continues to be "a major bright spot" for Amazon and it has started using generative artificial intelligence to help sellers create "eye-catching" ads in its online marketplace, analyst Stambor said. Insider Intelligence expects Amazon's US advertising business to bring in nearly $34 billion this year a major leap from before the COVID-19 pandemic. The post Tech titan Amazon sees profit climb as cloud promises boon appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»