january 2012
U.P. News 5
UPD and DOST launches training software for call centers Albino C. Gamba, UPDIO
UP Diliman (UPD) and the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Industry (Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST- PCIEERD) launched a trial balloon for their Learning English Applications
for Pinoys (LEAP) last November 22 at the Richmonde Hotel in Eastwood City, Quezon City. The project involves a stand-alone computer program that will primarily address deficiencies in basic English
language issues among Filipinos. LEAP is a software developed through the joint efforts of the UPD College of Engineering’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, the Department of Computer Science, the College of Arts
UPV profs bat for immediate passage of land use bill Lyncen M. Fernandez
At least three professors of the UP Visayas are batting for the immediate passage of the National Land Use bill, saying it would provide a rational and integrated framework governing Philippine watersheds. The UPV mentors issued their call during the 11th General Assembly and National Watershed Conference held November 22- 24, 2012 at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City. The assembly had for its theme: “Sustaining Watershed Services,
Meeting Future Needs.” Prof. Pepito R. Fernandez Jr. of the Division of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, sat in the conference as chair of the newly-formed Watershed Academic Consortium (WAC). The WAC is in partnership with Central Philippine University (CPU), St Paul’s University (SPU), University of Iloilo Phinma (UIP), and West Visayas College of Science and Technology (WVCST) with the goal of developing an integrated
UP property re-zoned for urban development Monica Joy Cantilero
The Quezon City Council has reclassified a UP property into commercial zone, allowing for its development into a hub for shops and offices. Under City Ordinance No. SP-2160, series of 2012, the UP Diliman East Campus Property — currently occupied by the UP Integrated School — has been reclassified from its present institutional classification to special urban development zone. T h e m ove wa s t a ke n “ i n v i e w o f t h e r e d e ve l o p m e n t v i s i o n a n d proposed land uses” for the lot. Ayala Land, Inc. is currently developing the area located along Katipunan Av e . i n t o t h e U P To w n C e n t e r “What would change is the permitted uses in the area,” said Quezon City Councilor Ricardo T. Belmonte Jr. in a via text message. With the rezoning, the property can now be used as host for retail shops, restaurants, offices, galleries, and recreational facilities. “Ayala Land will develop it similar to the
Ayala Technohub,” said UP President Alfredo E. Pascual, in a phone interview, refer ring to the UP proper ty along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City which the firm developed under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement. The old buildings of the UP Integrated School, the current occupant of the property, will be torn down this summer after the school’s offices and classrooms for basic education have been transferred to the new school facilities nearer to the college buildings, said UP Vice-President for Development Elvira A. Zamora. The new school buildings, valued at P260 million, have been donated by the company as part of the BOT deal. Completion of the project, pegged at P3 billion, has been set for the last quarter of next year. (http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?sect ion=Economy&title=UP-property-re-zoned-for2 2) urban-development&id=65242)
watershed management and sustainable development of the Iloilo watershed and rivers. Levi de los Santos, another WAC representative from CPU also attended the event. The team’s participation in the assembly was sponsored by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI), a non-profit organization assisting local government units in adopting a bioregional or integrated framework for urban watershed management and sustainable development. The CUI supports organizations like the WAC, an advocacy entity helping implement integrated watershed management systems in local government units. The two other UPV faculty members who attended the conference were former College of Management (CM) dean Dr Joy Lizada, Program Expert/ Site Coordinator of the Emerging Interdisciplinary Research Development Program funded by the UP System titled, “Towards Good Water Governance for Development: A Multi-case Analysis,” and current CM dean, Prof. Mary Ann Gumban, coordinator and fund manager of the Western Visayas Local Governance Resource Consortium (WVLGRC), a coalition of UPV, CPU, WVCST and University of San Agustin in support of local governance. Lizada’s attendance was sponsored by the EIRD project she is helping to implement, while that of Gumban’s was sponsored by the GIZ. (http://www.upv.edu.ph/upv/index.php/96news-and-features/788-upv-profs-advocatefor-the-immediate-passing-of-the-national-landuse-law
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Photo courtesy of UPDIO
UP Scientists with President Pascual during awarding ceremonies at the Executive House, Diliman
Gisela Concepcion, Carla Dimalanta, Christopher Monterola, Caesar Saloma, and Maria Helena Yap, from UP Diliman;
Professors Rex Victor Cruz and Evelyn Mae Mendoza, both from UP Los Baños; and Vicente Belizario Jr., Maria Carmela
Lapitan, and Carmencita Padilla, from UP Manila, all retained the highest title of UP Scientist III.
and Letters’ Department of English and Comparative Literature, and Department of Speech Communication and Theater Arts. The DOST bankrolled the study through its “Interdisciplinary Signal Processing for Pinoys (ISIP) Project 7: Development of an English Language Training Software for Call Centers.” With the growing call center industry in the Philippines, the demand for call center agents dramatically increased. According to Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), the BPO sector can grow to up to $20 billion by 2016, and the country’s GDP can also increase from six to nine percent depending on how well the employment in the industry is sustained. BPAP is the umbrella association for the IT-BPO and Global In-House Center (GIC) industry in the Philippines. It plays a “pivotal role in sustaining rapid growth of the IT-BPO and GIC industry by ensuring an enduring supply of high quality labor, supporting service innovation, and providing country visibility.” BPAP’s forecast could be achieved if the demand of the industry to provide first-rate call center agents is met. However, BPAP data show that majority of the current college students and college graduates in the Philippines do not possess the necessary competencies for the IT-BPO and GIC industry. This is demonstrated in the present hiring rate in the call center industry wherein only three to eight percent of the total applicants pass the screening process. If not addressed, the problem may lead to a failure to supply the workforce needed by the BPO industry in the coming years. It is the problem of poor English language skills that the LEAP project wants to address. By arresting the difficulty in the earlier stages, i.e., with the high school and college students, in the long term, the country could meet the call center industry’s manpower demand, as well as those of the other sectors. LEAP has two modules; the grammar and vocabulary module, and the speech module. The grammar and vocabulary module is designed to improve communication skills in English in order to cope with the demands of working in a global workplace. The program consists of various types of exercises that guide the user in improving his/her vocabulary, grammar and reading comprehension. A trainee is not allowed to proceed to the next exercise unless he/she gets the required number of correct items. Passing rate for each exercise is 60 percent. The full version of the software, together with the speech module, is set for release in July 2013. Present during the launching were Dr. Cristina L. Guevarra, PCIEERD executive director; Dr. Susan P. Festin, project leader of ISIP Project 7; acting director III of CHED’s Office of Policy, Planning, Research & Information, Dr. Maria Teresita M. Semana; and Penny Bongato, BPAP Executive Director for Talent Development. (http://upd.edu.ph/~updinfo/ dec12/index1.htm, reprinted with per mission from UPDIO) The members of the of the Inter-dsiciplinary Signal Processing for Pinoys Program during the launching of the trial version of LEAP.