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SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017
Jimbo Gulle, Editor
Roger Garcia, Issue Editor
LGUs
Local Gov’t Units
mslocalgov@gmail.com
SUCCESS STORY
20-YEAR OFW TURNS HYBRID RICE PRODUCER By Abe Almirol
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EVER CHANGING TIMES FOR TACLOBAN CITY
A FORMER overseas contract worker ,and Tondo-born electrical engineer have turned into becoming a hugely successful agri-entrepreneur who now runs a 36-hectare hybrid rice farm in Nueva Ecija. Having been raised in the streets of Tondo, Manila relatively Danilo Bolos, has never even imagined himself owning such a huge farmland and becoming a full-time rice planter. “I’m not a farmer’s son,” he quipped. It all started when I personally witnessed my wife’s cousins from Sta. Rosa (Nueva Ecija) became so successful in farming and eventually becoming financially independent. I never really dreamt to get rich. Initially, I just wanted to have at most three hectares of land where I can plant and build a modest farmhouse (Bahay Kubo) where I could at least spend some quiet country lifestyle,” he said. For many years he was content at growing registered inbred seeds—then the highest yielding type of rice prior to year 2000 when there was no hybrid rice yet in the market. He bought foundation seeds from Philrice (Philippine Rice Research Institute) and grew those seeds for his own family’s use on an original three hectares of rice field and farm land that he owns.
By Robbie Pangilinan
mualdez. Tourists have started to flock to the famous Kalanggaman Island and since the 2013 calamity, there has been a steady increase of tourist arLMOST four years after suffering from rivals (both domestic and foreign) in the city, according to the regional devastation brought about by Super tourism office. Pre-Yolanda, Tacloban used to have 43 hotels. Today, there are now 75 Typhoon "Yolanda," Tacloban City has hotels and expansions are also under way. recently earned the distinction of being number One of the big malls extended and opened an annex; still another one one in terms of growth rate in the entire Region of is opening in the north. Four malls and a couple of large supermarket chains have also been established recently. Eastern Visayas (Region 8). Other tourist spots in Tacloban City include the Santo Niño Shrine, San And for one fleeting moment, the entire populace have totally forgot- Juanico Bridge, the Memorial in the Astrodome, and the Price Mansion ten all woes and bad memories of the calamity that failed to expunge the which will be open soon. The National Housing Authority builds the houses and the city’s counterhopes and faith of the people of Tacloban as they merrily celebrate the part is the land. We have almost 8,000 homes annual Sangyaw Festival. in the north but we are targeting 15,000 homes The Festival is the city’s way of showing for 15,000 families,” Romualdez said. the world that the future is bright and full of The lady mayor disclosed that the Univerhope for Tacloban and its people. Locals and sity of the Philippines is also moving to that foreign tourist trooped to Tacloban to bear town where a hundred hectares is waiting. witness to the city’s joyful celebration. The regional hospital, ABRMC, is almost finThe month-long celebration was highlightished as well. ed by the Sangyaw Parade of Lights which More than three hectares of the town will features brightly lit and decorated floats and be developed into an eco-tourism zone. with street dancers partying to the upbeat There will also be an agri-tourism zone and “Sangyaw Theme.” industrial zone. The festival likewise featured a host of ac“We want to preserve our downtown area tivities that include a grand motorcade, the but a lot of people live in the danger zones so inauguration of the Sangyawan Park at the we will relocate them and create economic Balyuan Grounds, a Job and Business Fair, activity for them as well as livelihood in that Battle of the Bands, and the Balyuan Rites. area. It’s actually upland and inland so it’s In addition, A Golf Tournament was staged safe from storm surges,” continues Mayor together with National Jet Ski Competition. Cristina. The pageant for Miss Tacloban and the MisTacloban Mayor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez leads a However, with progress come some probter Sangyaw Tacloban also provided pomp to the month-long event and was capped by successful Sangyaw Festival, where dancers perform on the lems as well, like heavy traffic. streets with costumes laced with LED lights (above). “We’re dealing with the traffic. We might the Annual Sangyaw Foundation Ball, Waray Sonny Espiritu reroute some and bring back the one-way Talents Concert, Fiesta Trade Fair, Fluvial and routes. We are also limiting transportation Land Processions, and Pontifical Mass. Tacloban City’s steady growth has been noted despite the continuing like the tricycles especially in the downtown area. We’re also considering challenges as it has regained its position as the economic hub of the region. moving some of them to the north area to have more transportation op“The city is booming in terms of business, but right now, we’re focus- tions there; also to and from the north,” says the mayor. “Definitely by end of this year, we will come up with the new branding ing on the new townships in the north because after "Yolanda," many people who lived near the shoreline were affected so we needed to look of our city. We are working on it already and we continue to promote the for homes them to live in safe areas,” said Mayor Cristina Gonzales-Ro- city,” ends Mayor Romualdez.
A
Danilo Bolos (right) and his son
For the past 20 years, that piece of land was planted, season after season with such inbred seeds. Being high yielding, the seeds gave him 150 to 180 cavans per hectare. He was content at his earning until he had the chance in getting introduced to the hybrid rice growing program of the Department of Agriculture (DA). The program taught farmers how to grow hybrid rice seeds. From then on, Bolos made sure to take farming more seriously and probably on a larger scale this time. He attended seminars provided by the government—DA technicians and municipal agriculturists—that enabled him to soon become an “expert” at hybrid rice farming. “I felt that farming isn’t something that should just be taken as a hobby. But it should be studied very seriously and must be considered as a full-time job,” said Bolos. “When it was just being introduced, many criticized SL-8. They said it was disease-prone, and the rice spoils fast,” he said. “Then, hybrid seeds even sold lower in the market by P1 per kilo compared to other seeds.”
SARANGANI BAY: MINDANAO’S NEW DIVE HAVEN SARANGANI is Mindanao’s new scuba diving haven. This discovery was made by media divers and underwater photographers from Manila, Cebu, and Davao in the recent Sarangani Dive Safari organized by the Provincial Government of Sarangani and the Department of TourismRegion 12. One of the country’s unheralded underrated dive spots, Sarangani Bay has been proclaimed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources as a Protected Seascape and listed as one of the country’s Key Marine Biodiversity Areas.
It covers an area of 215,950 hectares and a 226.4-kilometer coastline, covering the municipalities of Maitum, Kiamba, Maasim, Alabel, Malapatan, and Glan, as well as the City of General Santos. According to Sarangani Gov. Steve Chiongbian Solon, the dive expedition explored other areas in Sarangani Bay in addition to the popular Tinoto dive spot at the Lemlunay Resort in Maasim. A licensed scuba diver, he said the group dived at the Tuka Marine Park in Kiamba, Rocky Beach and Maasim Reef which is both located in Maasim. Meanwhile, tourism regional direc-
tor Nelly Nita Dillera said that diving will be a new addition to the sports and adventure tourism products being offered by Soccsksargen or Region 12. She said the DOT 12 and the dive operators in the region took part in the Dive Resorts Travel Fair in Manila last year promote the area to the international market. Tuka abounds in 2-meters long bumphead parrot fishes, dorid nudis, various chromodiris, batfishes, and sea turtles. Maasim Reef boasts of juvenile white-tipped sharks, huge fan corals and gigantic bat fishes, and astounding gardens of marine flora.
Mediamen and dive volunteers at the recent Sarangani Dive Safari.
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SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017 D2 Standard TODAY Manila
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P3-B MARAWI TELECOM PROJECT TO CONTINUE
By Nash B. Maulana
C
OTABATO CITY—Modern-day telecommunication features of a Marawi City that is risen from the ruins of its current siege will include a faster, state-ofthe art Wi-Fi Internet connection and broader range of mobile phone signals. The TierOne Communications International recently reaffirmed its P3-billion investment commitment for telecommunications projects in Marawi, saying it will be over and above a P20-billion government rehabilitation spending previously announced. TierOne president Jonathon Bentley Stevens said the investment program seeks to put up a telecommunications carrier in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, with Marawi as the proposed site of its first rollout pro-
gram. The TierOne telecommunications program is capable of providing cellular service in 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, and broadband wireless internet to homes and enterprises, as well as WiFi for public or common areas. With the fastest internet service of 3,000 kB/s download speeds, it will provide coverage for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services. It will be using the latest technology such as fiber optics and satellite relay with international gateway facility.
Stevens said TierOne’s “commercial preparations for project” have been deferred, after the company had put up “the initial facilities such as transmission towers,” since the National Telecommunications had not prior allocated telecommunications projects for the ARMM. The project has been further slowed down by the Marawi siege, which prompted the company to re-evaluate its business plan and program of works. “In previous years, we were not able to get a spectrum from the Regional Telecommunications Commission since the National Telecommunications Commission had not allocated the same for the ARMM. So we did not start commercial operations in the region even though we had already put up the initial facilities such as transmission towers,” Stevens said.
“However, we believe that with the oft-expressed desire of President Rodrigo Duterte to open up the telecommunications sector in the Philippines, this is the right time to restart the project,” he added. Lawyer Ishak Mastura, ARMM Regional Board of Investment chairman and managing head, said that during its 3rd Joint Management Committee and Board of Governors Meeting Tuesday, the RBOI-ARMM approved the P3-billion investment of TierOne. “In today’s interconnected world with the rise of social media, web-based businesses and a global supply chain using the internet, such investment in telecommunications by TierOne in the ARMM will make the region more integrated and plugged into the rest of the country, while allowing the region to access and compete in the burgeoning Asean econo-
FIRST AETA UP GRAD HONORED
my, as well as, the global market,” said Mastura. Stevens said TierOne has been better prepared to continue with the pending rollout program for Marawi City to complement the government’s rehabilitation and reconstruction program for the devastated city, one by putting up there its planned state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure projects. The company has earlier decided to instead start its first pilot program of telecommunications project by installing facilities in the ARMM government compound in this city, serving ARMM government agencies. TierOne intends to eventually cover the entire geographical areas of the ARMM, with US$60 million or P3 billion in investment package, and an assurance of infusion of additional capital as needed for expansion.
Republic of the Philippines Department of Health CENTRAL OFFICE BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE
Invitation to Bid PROCUREMENT OF VARIOUS GOODS 1.
The Department of Health (DOH), through the Continuing Appropriations Act of 2016 and General Appropriations Act CY 2017 intends to intends to procure the following projects listed below: Cost of Bidding IB No. Name of Contract ABC (PHP) Documents (Php)
2017-097-A
Procurement of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food – Re-Bid
390,002,960.35
50,000.00
2017-163
Procurement of Etofenprox
101,762,540.00
50,000.00
2017-265
Procurement of D-dtranscyphenothrin
49,973,000.00
25,000.00
2017-267
Procurement of Insecticide Treated Screen
143,079,200.00
50,000.00
2017-274
Procurement of Co-Amoxiclav
12,462,500.00
25,000.00
2.
The DOH now invites Bids from eligible Bidders for the procurement of the above-caption projects. Delivery of the Goods is required as specified in Section VI. Schedule of Requirements. Bidders should have completed contracts similar to the cited projects, equivalent to at least twenty five percent (25%) of the ABC. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in Section II. Instructions to Bidders.
3.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using a non-discretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act (RA) 9184, otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act”. Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, partnerships, or organizations with at least sixty percent (60%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines, and to citizens or organizations of a country the laws or regulations of which grant similar rights or privileges to Filipino citizens, pursuant to RA 5183.
4.
CLASSROOM BLESSING. Tanza Mayor Yuri Pacumio (right) and Dr. Cherry Lou de Mesa (second from left), DepEd district supervisor, lead the ribbon cutting of the new 24-classroom buildings of Felipe G. Calderon Elementary School in Biwas, Tanza, Cavite on Tuesday.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from the COBAC Secretariat, G/F, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Sta. Cruz, Manila and inspect the Bidding Documents at 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday. It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS), provided that Bidders who interested to participate shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.
5.
Republic of the Philippines Office of the President
PHILIPPINE DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BIDS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE
The DOH will hold a Pre-Bid Conference and the Submission and Opening of Bids at COBAC Conference Room, G/F, Building 6, Department of Health, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila on the schedule given below: IB No.
2017-097-A
Name of Contract Procurement of Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food – Re-Bid
2017-163
Procurement of Etofenprox
2017-265
Procurement of D-dtranscyphenothrin
2017-267
Procurement of Insecticide Treated Screen
2017-274
Procurement of Co-Amoxiclav
Activity (Date & Time) Submission Pre-bidding and Opening Conference of Bids
PDEA Bldg., NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Barangay Pinyahan Quezon City 1100, Philippines www.pdea.gov.ph
Invitation to Bid for Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of PDEA Regional Office X Building Bid Reference No. 2017-24 1.
17 July 2017; 9:00 AM
31 July 2017; 9:00 AM
2.
17 July 2017; 9:00 AM
31 July 2017; 9:00 AM
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) now invites bids for Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of PDEA Regional Office X. Completion of the Works is required 240 working days upon receipt of Notice to Proceed. Bidders should have completed a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly, in SECTION II Instructions to Bidders.
3.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using nondiscretionary “pass/fail” criterion as specified in the 2016 Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.”
6.
Bid must be duly received by the COBAC-A Secretariat at the address below on or before the date given above. All Bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated below: Amount of Bid Security (Not less than Form of Bid Security the required percentage of the ABC) (a) Cash, Cashier’s/manager’s check issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank.
(b)
(c)
(d)
Bank draft/guarantee or irrevocable letter of credit issued by a Universal or Commercial Bank: Provided, however, that it shall be confirmed or authenticated by a Universal or Commercial Bank, if issued by a foreign bank. Surety bond callable upon demand issued by a surety or insurance company duly certified by the Insurance Commission as authorized to issue such security. Bid Securing Declaration
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), thru its Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), through the General Appropriations Act (GAA) Capital Outlay 2017 intends to apply the sum of NINETEEN MILLION PESOS (Php19,000,000.00) being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) for the Supply of Labor and Materials for the Construction of PDEA Regional Office X Building. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.
Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorships, cooperatives, and partnerships or organizations with at least seventy-five percent (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines. 4.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from 8:00 AM to 4:00PM only.
5.
A complete set of Bidding Documents may be acquired by interested bidders on July 13, 2017 from the address below and upon payment of the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents, pursuant to the latest Guidelines issued by the GPPB, in the amount of Twenty-five Thousand pesos only (Php25,000.00). It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the applicable fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.
Two percent (2%)
Five percent (5%)
6.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on July 13, 2017 at 9:30AM at PDEA Main Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City 1100, which shall be open to prospective bidders.
7.
Bids must be duly received by the BAC Secretariat at the address below on or before July 25, 2017 at 9:30AM. All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 18.
No percentage required
Bid opening shall be at COBAC Conference Room, Ground Floor, Bldg. 6, Department of Health, Sta. Cruz, Manila. Bids will be opened in the presence of the Bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address above. Late bids shall not be accepted. 7.
The DOH reserves the right to reject any and all Bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
8.
For further information, please refer to:
COBAC-A Secretariat Building No. 6 Department of Health San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, Manila Tel. Nos. 651-7800 local 1625 to 1627; 1650 to 52 Facsimile No.: 741-9775 GERARDO V. BAYUGO, MD, MPH, CESO III Undersecretary of Health (MS-JULY 9, 2017) COBAC – A Chairperson
Bid opening shall be on July 25, 2017 at 9:30AM at PDEA Main Conference Room, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City 1100. Bids will be opened in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted. 8.
Interested bidders may obtain further information from the BAC Secretariat c/o Mr. Arvin E. Sadullo or Ms. Jella P. Palacios at the PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM only, Mondays to Fridays starting July 4, 2017 at Tel No. (632)920-8082. However, any queries relative to the contents of the bid documents and the project requirements can only be made by bidders who purchased the bid documents not later than Ten (10) days prior to the Submission and Opening of Bids.
9.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) reserves the right to reject any and all bids, declare a failure of bidding, or not award the contract at any time prior to contract award in accordance with Section 41 of RA 9184 and its IRR, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders.
10.
For further information, please refer to: Ms. Jella P. Palacios or Mr. Arvin E Sadullo PDEA-Logistics Management Service PDEA Compound, NIA Northside Road, National Government Center, Quezon City Tel No. (632)920-8082 (SGD.) JESUS A FAJARDO, MMOAS Deputy Director General for Administration Chairman, Bids and Awards Committee
(MS-JULY 9, 2017)
By Romeo Dizon SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga— The first Aeta who graduated with a four-year degree from the University of the Philippines was honored by the province during a simple ceremony held here recently. Roman King, a certified native Aeta born in this province, graduated with a degree in Behavioral Science from UP Manila during the university’s 108th Commencement Exercises. King received his diploma wearing his traditional ancestral attire called “Bahag” was accompanied by his families and members of their tribe. The UP website describes King’s course “as an interdisciplinary and trans disciplinary approach integrating the field of psychology, anthropology, and sociology to equip the students with the knowledge and skills to understand the dynamic of human behavior related to Filipino psyche, society, and culture.” King told Gov. Lilia Pineda that he wants to take up Law Degree in the future. “If I will have another chance, “I want to pursue my studies further,”’ King said. According King, his personal educational accomplishment serves as inspiration to other members of tribe as color, size and cultural background are not hindrances to succeed. The Aetas are ingenious people living scattered, isolated in the mountain ranges of Central Luzon specially in provinces of Pampanga, Zambales, Tarlac, Bataan, Nueva Ecija, and parts of Northern Luzon. After the eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1990, the Aetas were displaced and seriously affected, forcing them to beg for alms in the streets of urban areas for foods and money. There are some who remain in the urban areas still begging specially during holiday’s season while others are working as helpers mostly from the farm of rich people in the area. They are thought to be among the earliest inhabitants of the country proceeding the Austronesian migrations as history books show.
INTL FOOD MARKET IN NEW CLARK CITY SOON
By Dexter A. See
CLARKFIELD, Pampanga—The Bases Conversion and Development Authority has partnered with French firm Semmaris and the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. for a feasibility study on the develNotice of Dissolution of opment of an InterHYDRO CHINA SUBIC LTD. CORPORATION national Food Market in New Clark City, Notice is hereby given of the dissolution Tarlac. of HYDRO CHINA SUBIC LTD. The BCDA beCORPORATION as of December lieves the whole31,2016. Any party who has any interest sale International in this regard may be give notice thereof Food Market will at Sapalo Velez Bundang and Bulilan serve as a facilLaw Offices, 11th Floor Security Bank Centre, 6776 Ayala Avenue, Makati City ity that will connect buyers and sellers of food and agricultural products both NOTICE locally and in the The State of Hawaii to Lawrence Antonio Lago, you Asian region. are hereby notified that a petition for adoption of the The project is exchild born to Marie Venensi Widmann has been filed pected to especially in the Family Court, First Circuit, State of Hawaii. benefit local farmThe petition alleges that your consent to the ers as it will proadoption of the above-named child by the petitioner above-named is not required and may be dispensed vide direct market with pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes Section access for them to 578-2(c) as amended. sell their goods at A hearing on the petition will be held on Sep 5, 2017 higher prices thereat 1:30 pm at the Family Court located at the Kapolei by increasing their Court Complex, 4675 Kapolei Parkway, Third Floor, Kapolei, Hawaii. income. With the agreeIf you fail to appear at the hearing on date and time and at the place noted above or if you fail to ment, MPIC and file a written response to the allegations reflected Semmaris will conin the Petition for Adoption, further action may be taken including the granting of the adoption without duct an FS to evalufurther notice to you. Your written response should ate and determine be addressed to the Presiding Judge, Family Court, the viability of the First Circuit, Kapolei Court Complex, 4675 Kapolei Parkway, Kapolei, Hawaii 96707-3272. Project. On the basis of the FS, MPIC Failure to obey this notice may result in an entry of a default and default judgment against you. You are and Semmaris shall further notified that the child, the adoptive parent have the option to and the natural parent have rights under H.R.S. submit to BCDA a Section 578-15 regarding confidentiality of adoption records after the child reaches age 18. proposal to implement the Project. (MS-JULY 2,9 & 16, 2017)
(MS-JULY 2,9,16 & 23, 2017
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Gadgets & Games
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SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017 rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
SONY‘S NEW OLED TV IS ALL ABOUT THE FUTURE OPPO DOMINATES P15K TO P20K PRICE RANGE WITH 48.5% SALES SHARE Coycoy Cordova (third from left), Sony BRAVIA Senior Marketing Officer and Nobuyoshi Otake (fourth from left), President of Sony Philippines, unveil the the Sony BRAVIA A1. They are joined by host Paolo Abrera and promo girls. Nathanielle Punay
By Kevin San Pedro
S
ONY unveils the newest iteration of their OLED TV line, the BRAVIA OLED TV A1 Series, featuring sound-producing screens.
Considered as one-of-its-kind, the A1 series boasts of Acoustic Surface technology, a breakthrough in sound technology which creates a more unique overall viewing experience with richer and accuratelyplaced sounds. The new models feature soundproducing screens which create vibrations and sounds throughout the panel depending on the visual content displayed. Imagine a bird chirping and moving from one side of the screen to the other, the screen
would respond and produce sounds depending on the bird’s position on the screen. The Acoustic Surface is employed in favor of physical speakers found on the rear or sides of conventional TVs. Along with its innovative sound technology, the display quality of Sony’s A1 series also received a significant upgrade. OLED displays are now at the forefront of display quality, from smartphones to TVs. OLED technol-
ogy is leading the charge towards better and more realistic visuals. Using this technology, the A1 series introduces “true” blacks by removing noise and grain in the dark areas of visual content as well as saturating colors creating a more vibrant display. The upgraded display quality was made possible by the new 4K HDR Processor X1 Extreme, installed in all of the new models, which serves as the heart of the TV and pushes the potential of the OLED panel. “The processor removes blur and glare, enhances contrasts and allows a higher level of brightness thereby significantly improving picture quality,” said Coycoy Cordova the Senior Marketing Officer of Sony BRAVIA, adding that other technologies in the TV’s hardware work in tandem
with the processor achieving the most realistic visual quality. “Sony is always at the forefront of innovation and we lead the future of television by bringing the new range of 4K HDR TVs, especially the Sony BRAVIA OLED TV. We want to elevate TV viewing experience and bring reality right in the comfort of your own home,” said Nobuyoshi Otake, President and Managing Director of Sony Philippines. The A1 series was initially released to the public last February during the Consumer Electronics Show 2017, the biggest technological event of the year. Their new OLED series are offered in 55-inch and 65-inch sizes but Sony assures consumers that both sizes are similar in terms of display and sound capabilities.
MOTO E4 NOW AVAILABLE AT LAZADA, RETAIL STORES MOTOROLA recently launched the Moto E4 Plus, which features a massive battery and provides exceptional value for money, in response to the needs of today’s dynamic consumers, including on-the-go millennials, Following its local launch in the Philippines, Motorola Moto E4 Plus, can now be availed through Lazada and in major retailers nationwide starting this weekend with an SRP of P8,999. Moto E4 Plus provides nonstop fun and connectivity, empowering users to do more, enjoy more, and get more out of life.
Consumers will find it difficult to put the Moto E4 Plus down: Featuring a vibrant, 5.5” HD display wrapped in smooth metal, the smartphone is easy on the eyes as it is feature-packed. The Moto E4 Plus’s 5000 mAh battery also spares on-the-go consumers from worrying about constantly recharging. And when it is time for a boost, there’s no need to slow down to power up, as Moto E4 Plus works with the 10W rapid charger, which delivers hours of battery life within minutes of charging. The Moto E4 Plus is also equipped with a fingerprint reader, for securely
unlocking and accessing the screen in an instant. The smartphone’s advanced camera features a 13MP autofocus rear camera and a 5MP front camera with a selfie flash for capturing beautifully sharp photos – even in low light. Users can share unlimited photos, music and videos with its 32GB internal storage capacity. Moto E4 Plus is packed with Android™ 7.1, an updated version of the world’s most popular operating system, for slick and fast performance. Exude elegance with Moto E4 Plus’s stylish colors: iron gray and fine gold.
IGNITE CROWNS QWIKWIRE AS YEAR'S TOP START-UP FIRM IGNITE, the premier innovation conference staged by TechShake in partnership with dentsu X Philippines and IGPI Singapore came to a hugely successful close with “QWIKWIRE, secure cross-border billing and payment platform,” being declared as “the start-up company of the year. The group won in the pitch competition, the highlight of the one-day event. They brought home $5,000. “Winning was definitely a good thing. We’re in the middle of raising money so exposure will be very useful in getting more investors. Thank you to the organizers of Ignite. The event was great. There were a lot of investors and start-ups. It was a great place to network. Even without the win, it was well worth it,” Ray Edison Refundo, CEO of QWIKWIRE said. Qwikwire topped the list of 10 finalists from over 100 pitchers, and was selected by a panel of eight prominent judges from the digital community that comprised Arnaud Bonzom, Director in Corporate Innovation, 500 Startups; Yashuhiro Seo, Partner, Spiral
Willy Kuhne of Google Philippines talks about ‘Innovation in Google.’
Ventures; Naohiko Hatae, Vice President, Cyber Agent Ventures; Alex Alabiso, Director in Corporate Innovation, Kickstart Ventures Inc.; Kazuo Koike, Executive Director, dentsu X Philippines; Retno Diwati, SEA Regional Manager, Fenox Venture Capital;
and Kentaro Hashimoto, Co-Founder & CEO, GNB Acceleration, and Ryan Dominic Sy, Business Development Officer, Venture Capital Holdings Corp(Ph). “All the pitchers were great. Even if Qwikwire was the sole winner in this event, I’m pretty sure most of them can easily bag a deal with the investors who were present. Our country needs more events like this. Anything that ignites a tech-driven revolution that’ll change the way we do things, we will fully support,” declared Ryan Dominic Sy, one of the judges. Ignite, which was held last July 1, at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Bonifacio Global City, and attended by over a five hundred people also included a conference, and an exhibit. The conference featured renowned speakers in the field of innovation like Donald Lim, Country CEO Dentsu Aegis Network Philippines, Arnold Bonzom, Kei Shimada, Chief Lab Officer, dXlab; and Willy Kuhne, Agency Business Lead, Google PH. The panel discussants included Jennifer Alcabao,
Director ICCP SBI Venture Partners; Paul Rivera, Co-Founder & CEO, Kalibrr; Vikram Bharati, Investment Lead, Reapra & Coent Ventures; Mario Berta, Founder & CEO, Flyspaces; Manny Ayala, Managing Director, Endeavor Philippines; and Yuma Tanaka, Associate, Draper Nexus. The exhibit featured 20 local and international startups. Each participant had an interactive booth that highlighted new technologies and products for all attendees to see, experience and collaborate with. Kazuo Koike, Executive Director of dentsu X commented, “It was a huge success due to the close cooperation of all stakeholders. I am extremely confident that the event was able to contribute in sparked the interest of local and international investors towards the growing startup community in the Philippines, and gathered first-hand information about the quality of startups and investors in the country. I felt the power of start-ups and would love to see them grow. I see a lot of opportunities here.”
OPPO Philippines recently launched the mid-range smartphone OPPO F3 with its unique dual-selfie camera feature, sleek body and attractive package. In the latest GFK Philippines May 2017 report, it shows that OPPO F3 emerges as the No.1 smartphone for the price band of P15,000 to P20,000 smartphones, with a dominating 48.5% market share. OPPO F3 started well in the market with 22,000 unit sales in the first three days of availability last May 2017. This reflected its strong acceptance from consumers because of the unique dualselfie camera setup. The groufie camera enables an extraordinary experience in capturing amazing selfies with more range at any situation. Plus, the metal body and sleek body gives customers the luxurious feel appropriate for its price, along with ample 4GB RAM for multitasking and 64GB storage for all files needed. Additionally, OPPO also retains its No.2 smartphone brand position in the Philippines. A sign that the Philippine market well accepts the wide range of lifestyle-centric lineup of the brand. “The OPPO F3 is a well-received smartphone since the beginning, our competitive package, sleek design and trending dual selfie camera setup are the reasons why it is successful.” said Stephen Cheng, OPPO Philippines Brand Marketing Manager. Last June 16, OPPO released the F3 Black edition for more color options to choose from. Customers may now select from three colors available which are Gold, Rose Gold and Black for a more lifestyle-centric smartphone experience. The OPPO F3 is available nationwide in any OPPO concept and dealers stores for a special discounted price of Php15,990, under the Back-to-School Promo until July 31, 2017. All unit comes with a pre-installed screen protector and soft-transparent case for added value and protection. For more details about the OPPO F3, please visit https://www.facebook.com/ OPPOPH/ or log on to http://www.oppo. com/ph/index.html.
HP PRINTER’S... From D4 for replacement shall be shouldered by the customer. Take advantage of the onsite exchange warranty upgrade for a hassle-free post-sale support. Simply complete the registration requirements at www.hp.com/ph/promotions to start enjoying the best deals and promo from HP. With the HP GT 5810 All-in-One Printer and the HP DeskJet GT 5820 Wireless Allin-One Printer, users can print up to 8,000 or 5,000 pages using the color or black set, respectively, for high-volume printing at an extremely low cost. So, hurry and get a hold of the HP DeskJet GT 5810 All-in-One Printer or the HP DeskJet GT 5820 Wireless Allin-One Printer to experience instant, quality printing. To avail of other HP warranty services, call the official HP Warranty Hotline at (+632) 867-3551 or visit www8.hp.com for more exciting promos. See posters and print ads for more details.
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SUNDAY, JULY 9, 2017 Riera U. Mallari, Editor rumallari@thestandard.com.ph
Gadgets & Games
HEAD TO WONDERLAND WITH ACER‘S HELLO KITTY LAPTOP
Inside the box is the impossibly cute laptop which comes in a pink and white body that pays homage to the character’s signature colors.
H
ELLO Acer laptop. It’s a dream come true for Hello Kitty superfans as Acer launches limited edition laptops themed after everyone’s favorite Sanrio character. From opening the box to powering on the unit, the limited edition laptop is a trip to Hello Kitty wonderland in itself. It comes in a yummy pastel pink box decorated with Kitty White’s character and cute floral and
lace elements. Inside the box is the impossibly cute laptop which comes in a pink and white body that pays homage to the character’s signature colors. The lid is clad with polka-dots, with Hello Kitty sitting at the center, making sure to put anyone in a good mood before they get to work or play! Upon lifting the lid, a bright pink keyboard and Hello Kitty trackpad are revealed. The trackpad is also decorated with the famous Sanrio character’s face—a happy sight and surprise for the Hello Kitty lover. To cap off the Kitty wonderland experience, the adorable character also awaits to greet its users as soon as
the notebook is powered on and once the laptop finishes the start-up. While looking every bit the dream laptop, the Hello Kitty Limited Edition notebook is highly capable and packs a mean punch too. It comes with eight hours of battery life to make sure users are covered for a full day out, Dolby audio-experience cinematic surround sound for working on that next big project or watching the latest TV series, the latest generation Intel Core processors and Iris graphics to make sure performance is at its best, up to 16gb system memory, Precision Touchpad, and Acer BluelightShield designed to reduce the bluelight emission from the screen.
Indeed, the Acer Limited Edition Hello Kitty Laptop is the superfan’s dream wrapped in a pretty bow. It retails at P45,999.00 SRP, but with any HSBC credit card, getting your paws on a unit is easier with up to 36-month installment plans at 0% interest at any Villman store. Other installment plans are available too with select credit cards—just march on over to select laptop dealers nationwide before stocks run out! To learn more about the Acer Limited Edition Hello Kitty Laptop, visit www.acer.com.ph, follow @acerphils on Twitter, and visit the Acer Philippines Facebook page at www. facebook.com/AcerPH.
FUJITSU ETERNUS SPEEDS UP IT SOLUTIONS FUJITSU Philippines recently announced that its Fujitsu ETERNUS AF650 all-flash system is now certified by SAP as an enterprise storage solution for the SAP HANA platform. Now available in the Philippines, Fujitsu offers businesses with a perfect solution convenient for real-time operations all into one flash storage. Purposely-built for a lasting performance, the newly-arrived Fujitsu ETERNUS AF650 gives an ideal solution perfect for any kind of business data. The Fujitsu all-flash storage system delivers leading storage performance and automated quality of service management enabling a maximum system utilization and a fast ROI. Existing as a stand-alone solution or as part of the integrated system PRIMEFLEX for
SAP HANA, the ETERNUS AF650 supports ultra-reliable non-stop operations for in-memory computing systems running on SAP HANA, delivering an impressive 12TB of main memory storage capacity, and total capacity of some 3PB. With all-flash drives now gaining mainstream acceptance for use with enterprise applications and databases, lightning-fast response times from the Fujitsu ETERNUS AF650 enhance the performance of workloads running on SAP HANA—supporting a high level of data availability and integrity. System improvements mean reduced power consumption, helping lower operational expense. The ETERNUS AF650 also takes up less space on the data center floor than previous-
generation systems providing equivalent storage capacities. This capacity can be further extended by Fujitsu’s marketleading deduplication and data compression technologies, providing real-world usable storage capacities up to 5x these volumes, depending on data type. The faster response times from all-flash systems also make server and desktop virtualiza-
tion more accessible. Fujitsu has integrated the entry-level ETERNUS AF250 into the PRIMEFLEX vShape solution, providing up to 740TB of all-flash capacity.Thanks to faster data throughput, organizations can now run more virtual machines from a single system. PRIMEFLEX vShape is certified for virtualization software from market leaders VMware and Microsoft. PRIMEFLEX vShape is also
available with a NetApp all-flash FAS system. Meanwhile, for organizations looking to provide the expansion space for next-generation hyperscale data environments, Fujitsu’s high-end ETERNUS DX8000 storage systems now deliver all-flash SSD capacities of up to 70PB—enough to provide headroom for even highly aggressive and unpredictable data-growth scenarios.
Pricing and availability
The updated Fujitsu ETERNUS AF250 and AF650 systems, PRIMEFLEX for SAP HANA, PRIMEFLEX vShape and the ETERNUS DX8000 series are available directly from Fujitsu and from selected partners in the Philippines. Pricing varies according to configuration and outlets nationwide.
ACUDEEN BAGS $6M FIN TECH FINANCING DEAL SMALL and medium scale enterprises have constantly been the fastest growing and most innovative types of businesses in the Philippines and the Asean region. But out of over 70 million SMEs, only about 10% have regular access to formal financing resources. The rest have to contend with less formal means of financing, such as borrowing from family, friends and even unscrupulous entities just to satisfy their working capital needs. This is also partially due to the existing stringent loan policies practiced by most local prestigious financial institutions who prioritize minimizing risk rather than assisting these SMEs to grow and progress. Because of this, Acudeen Technologies, Inc. was founded on March 31, 2016 with the aim of helping SMEs boost their cash flows and capital requirements in a timely manner by providing invoice discounting services via digital platforms. A baby in the financial industry, this Fin Tech firm was able to seal a $6 million (P300 million) financing deal with Rizal Microbank, a unit of Philippine-listed Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC). Rizal Microbank president Bong Roxas and Acudeen CEO Magellan Fetalino III both believe that the money will finance the invoices and receivables to the startup’s network of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), as well as
Rizal Microbank president Bong Roxas (left) and Acudeen CEO Magellan Fetalino III.
Micro-SMEs (MSMEs) in the Philippines. Fetalino said: “Our platform allows for fast transactions from receivables uploaded cash within five minutes to seven days, giving MSMEs better control of their cash flow. Currently, we have about 200 SME clients and I am confident about having more than 2,000 before the year ends.” Roxas added: “The biggest problem of MSMEs in
the country, who are mostly unbanked and underserved by banks, is how to access affordable credit. With this partnership, we’ll be able to reach out to more MSME business operators. It is really aligned with our enhanced business model.” “SMEs are the main fuel of our economy, contributing to about 40 per cent of our GDP. And yet the business environment in our country is not designed for them to grow,” Fetalino said, noting Acudeen has started reaching out to SMEs in emerging cities to educate them about financial inclusion. “We want to reach out to SMEs nationwide. Recently, we had our financial workshop, ‘SMEs the “Xcelerate: Excel Accelerate—Iloilo’ through our partnership with the Philippine Chamber of Commerce & Industry—Iloilo Chapter, and the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group. More than 600 entrepreneurs representing 400 Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Iloilo and the whole Panay gathered to witness panel discussions about how to accelerate business growth, the financial environment we work in and a financing workshop for MSMEs. Acudeen will continue to widen its market reach targeting other key cities such as Bacolod, Cebu and Davao, as well as boost further its presence in Manila.
TOP HOSPITALS NOW EQUIPPED WITH SMART WIFI SERVICE HOSPITALS and healthcare centers have been improving their facilities and amenities to promote healing to patients, and comfort to their families, and friends. As part of its service, Smart Wifi is now available in leading tertiary hospitals nationwide so patients and visitors alike can conveniently access the Internet for work, or for pleasure. In partnership with Smart Communications, the wireless subsidiary of PLDT, carrier-grade WiFi has been installed at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center, De Los Santos Medical Center, Marikina Valley Hospital, Philippine Orthopedic Center; and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Metro Manila; Sacred Heart Hospital of Malolos; Central Luzon Doctors Hospital; Bacoor Medical Hospital and Emilio Aguinaldo Hospital in Cavite; Davao Doctors Hospital in Davao City; West Metro Medical Center in Zamboanga City. A backhaul capacity of up to 1 gigabit per second allows users to have the best digital experience when accessing their emails and social media accounts; making video and voice calls using apps; downloading movies or watching them online; playing eGames; and checking out relevant digital content and services that are available online. “The deployment of Smart Wifi in hospitals is in line with our efforts to make Internet as pervasive as possible. By installing Smart Wifi in areas where many people converge, we help democratize access to high-speed Internet so people can surf like never before,” said Jovy Hernandez, FVP, and Head of Enterprise groups for PLDT and Smart. More than just providing entertainment for the patients and their visitors, Smart’s WiFi facility helps the digital transformation of hospitals become a reality. Correspondence between the hospitals, and their clients and suppliers are made sea mless through the Internet. Most of these hospitals have enabled mechanisms for easier room reservations, social media queries, and feedback systems through a patient portal. “The nationwide rollout of Smart Wifi complements the ongoing network expansion and modernization program across the country. The network upgrade has resulted in significant improvements in voice, SMS, and mobile Internet coverage and quality, particularly on its LTE (long Term Evolution) service. All these form part of an overarching effort to make the Internet accessible to all,” said Eric R. Alberto, Chief Revenue Officer of PLDT and Smart. Asian Hospital, Makati Medical Center, De Los Santos Medical Center, Marikina Valley Hospital, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Sacred Heart Hospital of Malolos, Davao Doctors Hospital, and Metro Medical Center are partly owned by Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), a sister company of PLDT. Smart is in the midst of re-equipping its cell sites to provide better indoor coverage and increase the capacity of each cell site to handle more calls, texts, and ever-increasing mobile data traffic.
HP PRINTER‘S FREE 2-YEAR WARRANTY PROMO EXTENDED HP is extending its latest promo to July 31 to give more customers the chance to still avail of a free 2-year onsite warranty and a free HP Black Original Ink Bottle when they purchase the HP GT 5810 All-in-One Printer or the HP DeskJet GT 5820 wireless All-in-One Printer at any authorized HP reseller nationwide. The free two-year, on-site exchange warranty, which includes free delivery of replacement printer to customer site, is applicable for Metro Manila purchases, while carry-in warranty is applicable for selected provincial areas only. For repairs that require replacement parts, the cost Turn to D3