THE FINANCE department is considering tapping the proposed national ID system to spell out benefits due to cardholders to discourage revenue leakage from entitlements granted to senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
Mar 142017
Mar 132017
JAPANESE businesses have expressed interest in investing as much as P198.5 billion in the Philippines, according to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).
Mar 132017
PHILIPPINE power plants ended 2016 with a total installed capacity of 21,423 megawatts (MW), up 13%, though dependability statistics showed only slight improvement.
Mar 132017
One political analyst has said that President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s rise to power stems from voter frustration with the prevailing system of the government. His victory was a protest against the failure of previous administrations to solve corruption and criminality. But many critics of the President view his promise of change and reform to be a pitfall if he does not deliver.
Mar 122017
THE Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the telecommunications industry will be submitting to President Rodrigo R. Duterte this week, a draft executive order (EO) that will cut the permit process for putting up telecommunication infrastructure to seven days.
Mar 122017
THE Department of Energy (DoE) is proposing a threshold of P3.5 billion for power generation ventures to be declared as projects of national significance, a status which frees them from tedious permitting and regulatory hurdles.
Mar 122017
For many years now, the Government of Japan has been one of the largest providers of bilateral assistance to the Philippines. The Philippines undertakes several projects funded by Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans or grant aid from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). To preserve the JICA fund strictly for the execution of appropriate projects, the Governments of Japan and the Philippines have agreed, under an Exchange of Notes, on a tax assumption scheme, whereby the Philippine Government will assume all fiscal levies and taxes due from Japanese companies operating as suppliers, contractors and/or consultants, and from Japanese employees in the Philippines, in relation to the implementation of such projects.
Mar 122017
Joel Alejandro and Andrea Relucio’s ‘Sali’ save-a-life app which aims to universalize CPR education and training captured the Sandoz HACk Healthcare Access Challenge in London, United Kingdom. Sandoz President Richard Francis hands the prize for the Sandoz HACk Healthcare Access Challenge to Andrea Relucio and Joel Alejandro [by Joel Alejandro via Rappler] Alejandro invented ‘Sali’ save-a-life app to create a population capable of administering, and motivated to do CPR anywhere and anytime. The app also connects users to a network of fellow life-savers who can provide auxiliary support. Alejandro and Relucio represented the Philippines as one of the 6 finalist teams that spent 2 days getting feedback from experts to help them refine their pitches. On the last day of the event, they presented their final works to 5 panelists, including Sandoz CEO Richard Francis. They will receive seed funding worth EU 20,000 *(P1.066 million) and mentorship from all of the experts in the event to help bring their ideas into life. “The immediate plan is to build the team who shares the same vision as we do. With that being said, it will be more on recruiting the right people who can contribute a little bit of themselves for the greater good of the project and the industry,” said Alejandro. “The Philippines has poor emergency medical response. The gap in that situation is education and access to information and infrastructure. We want to provide that through equipping the people who are there first hand when the emergency happens. ‘Sali’ Read More …
Mar 122017
The Philippine Volcanoes dominated the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy 2017 in Qatar, eventually winning the series with a resounding defeat of Thailand. The Globe Philippine Volcanoes celebrate their win in the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy [by Shemeer Rasheed via The Philippine Rugby Football Union] The Philippine National Rugby Team emerged champions in the Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy series after winning the finals match with a score of 41-7 against the Thai nationals. Volcanoes team captain Daniel Matthews led the team with 16 points and clinched the Most Valuable Player award of the competition. "A real team effort to win this tournament. The players put in the hard yards and really played for each other. This win was for all our supporters, we appreciate all the support we have received," Matthews said in a media release of the Philippine Rugby Football Union. Despite entering the series seeded at 4th, the Philippine team bested 10 other countries in the series to take home the championship – winning the match against Nepal and Qatar on their 1st day, they continued their streak by defeating Iran on the 2 nd day, onto the semi-final battle with Singapore. After a close match ending with a buzzer beating victory, the Volcanoes clinched the finals slot. The Philippine Volcanoes championship guarantees the Philippines a spot in the Asia Rugby Sevens Series (ARSS A7s) against the best 8 men’s teams in the region. The A7S will have three legs and will be played from September 1 to October Read More …
Mar 122017
Gateway Gallery’s SiningLakbay ongoing exhibit is letting viewers see Philippine history in art using the digital augmented reality (AR). SiningLakbay [via The Araneta Group] The AR interface allows gallery visitors with smart phones to see paintings “come to life” as they watch and hear the “live re-telling” of historical events depicted in the gallery’s SiningSaysay collection of arts. The Layar mobile application and Wi-fi access are made available to visitors who can direct their gadget’s camera to scan the painting to see 3 minutes of video and hear audio narration. The “SiningLakbay” enriched art experience brings together artists, historians, curators, editors, filmmakers, and technology providers in a collaborative project between the University of the Philippines and the Araneta Center intended to appeal and create historical awareness among today’s digital savvy generation. SiningLakbay [via The Araneta Group] The featured exhibit of “SiningSaysay” presents large paintings of prehistoric Philippines up to the time of former President Benigno Aquino III depicted in 30 paintings by artists from the UP College of Fine Arts as well as renowned artists such as Junyee, Benjie Cabangis, Randy Solon, Bim Bacaltos, Jonal Salvosa, Ding Hidalgo; brothers Simkin and Vincent de Pio with their father Gig de Pio; Janice Young, Aileen Lanuza, Romy Mananquil, Don Artificio, Grace Alfonso, Norman Dreo, Cris Cruz, Romy Carlos, Norly Meimban, Julius Samson, Michael Velasco, Neil Doloricon, Adi Baen-Santos, Ben Infante, Angel Cacnio, Grandier Bella, Dennis Dasco, and the late Abdulmari Asia Imao, National Artist for Visual Arts. “SiningLakbay” viewing at the Gateway Read More …