Archive for January 2017
Google Philippines Has a New, More Permanent Home (in a Place That Should Not Be Mentioned)
The e-mail invitation I got in my Google inbox from TeamAsia just had the subject, “Google PH special announcement for 2017.” Opening the e-mail message, it said I had to click to go to the RSVP form. Of course, clicking it brought me to the Google Docs Form that automatically saves a filled-up form to the owner/sender’s Google Drive.
In the form, it started with “Google has a big announcement on January 26…” and continued on by specifying the date (January 26th) and the two versions of the event – morning or afternoon. Further reading revealed two options:
The morning event will have the keynote and a ceremony. PERK: You’ll be among the first ones to hear the news.
The evening event will recap what happened in the morning, and we’ll enjoy the night away. 😊 PERK: Think fun trivia night!
Naturally, I chose the evening event. Who doesn’t want a fun trivia night?
But here’s the kicker – everyone who were privately invited cannot reveal where the announcement is going to take place. It’s supposed to be a secret; and you shouldn’t even dare mention it, tag it or check-in on any social networking site, or anywhere online.
Wait! Who was that guy who was the archenemy of Harry Potter? Yeah, that guy! The name-that-should-not-be-mentioned. The eerie request just sounded so familiar, right?
I arrived at the place-that-should-not-be-mentioned and was greeted by the TeamAsia associates at the lobby of the place-that-should-not-be-mentioned (Haha! I love repeating this phrase!) Since I was pre-selected to the media event, they gave me a ready-made, clip-on name tag of-sorts that bore my name, and asked me to have a seat while I wait for someone to escort me to the designated floor. Hmm… really spy stuff, huh?
I smirked when I saw the lobby seats – it was made from fiberglass or some sort of polymer material that is only just about a foot-and-a-half high without seat cushions. “Oh, boy! My mom can’t even sit on these! They’re way too low and hard,” I told myself quietly. Trendy isn’t for everyone, y’know? One of the bloggers was already there, also waiting for our escort.
When our escort arrived, there were already about 8 or 10 of us waiting in the lobby. The lobby security guy had to use his ID to open the clear-plastic barriers where you tap your ID onto the scanner. We followed our escort (can’t describe our escort – he was a guy) to the elevator and he pushed the floor number of the place-that-should-not-be-mentioned. (See? I can’t even mention the floor!)
When the elevator doors slid open, we were ushered to an all-glass entrance. Another ID tapped and the glass doors open. Tadah! The familiar Google Philippines logo with back-lighting was the first thing I noticed upon entering but before I could get my trusty camera-phone, we were rushed to a lounge area with modern seating looking like a restaurant (the first lookalike that came to mind was Single Origin in Bonifacio High Street Central). In the center was what looked like a kitchen center counter-top which is common in American households. “Hey! There are chafing dishes with food in it! Finally! Food!” ROFL!
All around one side of the wall were painted quotations in Filipino, quoting famous sayings like “Basta’t driver, sweet lover” and other funny idioms. LOL! The other side was a wall of glass windows spread one end ’til the other in an “L” shape, that gave a magnificent view of the metropolis at night. Then, I remembered we were just one floor below the penthouse of this very tall building in the place-that-should-not-be-mentioned.
I looked around and saw a coffee vending machine. Great! I went for it and stopped short of doing anything – just staring. “How do you operate this thing?” Good thing one of the kitchen staff saw me staring stupid at the dang machine too long and offered to help.
“What kind of coffee, sir?” she said in Filipino.
I answered, “Americano. Black. No milk, no sugar.” I added, “If you go black, you’ll never go back!” but she never noticed my joke. #sayang
Yay! Coffee at 8 o’clock in the evening!
After talking to people from TeamAsia and other bloggers I knew, we were ushered to the buffet-kitchen-center-countertop-lookalike (why I love using dashed words I wouldn’t even know). There was white rice and brown rice and lots of meat, including the much-loved Pork Sisig. There was salad but most of the dishes served meat cooked the Filipino way. I assumed dinner would be served at this event but guessing Google, they’ll surely go healthy like lots of greens, probably just chicken for meat, potatoes, bread and others. Haha! I was wrong! That was awesome!
And there were a variety of beers – San Miguel Light, Corona and Stella Artois. I took a Stella because I like Belgian beer; it’s got that taste of craft beer or micro-brewed beer.
Then, I joined the second batch for the tour of the Google Philippines office. Google occupied the entire floor of the place-that-should-not-be-mentioned (and the floor-that-should-not-be-mentioned too, I suppose). Google Philippines’ meeting rooms were all named after famous places like Palawan and Bohol, to name two that I remember.
The Google Philippines lobby had a vertically-shaped, framed, embossed map of the Philippines (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) with the familiar Google Maps pin which pointed out in the map where the place-that-should-not-be-mentioned was located, and with a lighted Google Philippines logo above. During the morning event, they had a ceremony of lighting this Google Philippines logo on the map, sort of saying “We officially have a permanent office.” The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Ramon Lopez was Google Philippines’ guest of honor who ceremoniously switch on the light.
Back to the tour, we came upon “the office,” the no-barriers, curve-shaped, connected desks where the Philippine Googlers worked. I think half of them are occupied while the others were recognizably vacant (hint: still hiring?). I looked underneath and saw snake-like, rectangular metal tubings looping up and down, and all around, between workstations. “Nice structured cabling,” I told myself, then quickly realized how geeky I quietly sounded for admiring the cabling work. LMAO!
Google Philippines also has a “Lactation Room” specially created for breastfeeding moms who needs to use a breast pump in private, complete with a refrigerator to store breastmilk. “How about a room for dads?” I hollered. We all laughed.
We came back to the lounge that looked like a restaurant and bantered some more with the guys in my table and the Team Asia people until the host of the event announced that it was time for Trivia Night! Since we were already 5 or 6 guys at the table we were sitting at, we decided to form one of the groups. The host said we needed to name our group. We all looked at each other as if silently saying the same thing, and one of my group mates started writing down our group’s name on the laminated board: The Guwapings! (Okay, take a gander as to how to translate that to English! Go #GoogleTranslate)
To cut this already long story short, our group The Guwapings won! Google Philippines was never for extravagant gifts and prizes since it started holding annual media events the past three years. So, we each won a simple, generic but Google-engraved ball pen with a wooden desk accessory to hold ball pens, paper clips, notepads and stuff.
OMG! I arrived a little past 7:00PM and we ended this event at 11:30PM. But it was a fun night!
Here are the summary highlights to other Google Philippines announcements during my visit to the place-that-should-not-be-mentioned:
- Google Philippines is supporting the growth of the country’s digital economy with a Google.org grant to DigiBayanihan, a nationwide digital literacy program that promotes digital inclusion among Filipinos;
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- Google Philippines Country Manager Ken Lingan: “Two out of 5 Filipinos are still missing out on the huge opportunities that come with being online. We want to empower them with digital know-how so that they can make the most of the Internet”;
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- DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez: “With the population getting more connected and engaged every day, it is necessary for individuals, businesses, and communities to have the right skills to thrive in today’s modern economy. That’s why we welcome Google’s (Philippines) commitment to promote digital inclusion and empower every Filipino online, and in effect, drive the country’s economy forward”;
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- Google introduced the launch of the Launchpad Accelerator program in the Philippines. This is a 6-month program to help tech startups build successful companies that includes a 2-week, all-expense-paid training at Google Headquarters in Silicon Valley where they get access to Google engineers, resources, and mentors, and get credits for Google products, among other benefits;
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- Google said that the Philippines’ online market value is set to reach US$19 billion by 2025, making e-commerce a major economic driver in the next 10 years;
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- Google Philippines Country Manager Ken Lingan: “Our local developers and startups are instrumental in creating impactful businesses that are tackling tough local and global issues. We see the importance of their role in what will be a booming e-commerce in our country in the very near future because what they do has direct impact in people’s lives”;
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- Real-estate start-up Zipmatch is the first Filipino participant in Google’s Launchpad Accelerator;
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- Google Philippines released 188 new local sites on Google Street View, including key attractions and landmarks from Batanes to Palawan to Guimaras. There are now over 300 sites from across the country have been made available on Street View since the launch of the first collection in 2015;
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- Google Arts and Culture is a website and app that lets users explore artworks, artifacts, and more from over 1,000 museums, archives, and organizations that have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring their collections and stories online. The app is available on desktop, mobile web, iOS and Android.
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Source: Press release from TeamAsia | Online research
Photos from TeamAsia | Google Philippines| @raffypekson
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Globe to Raffle Off Forty tickets to the April 4th Coldplay Concert to Its Customers
Talking about Globe Telecom being the major sponsor of the Coldplay April 4th concert…
- Sold out tickets?
- Tickets (by scalpers) too expensive?
Here’s how to win two tickets to the Coldplay concert for you and your date – only through Globe.
Subscribe to any GoSURF promo or Broadband Plan from January 15 to February 23, 2017 for a chance to watch Coldplay live! A total of twenty (20) lucky subscribers will win two (2) tickets each!
Register to any Globe GoSurf promo or subscribe to any Globe Broadband plan, and you can earn raffle entries to win tickets to Coldplay’s “A Head Full of Dreams Tour in Manila” concert on April 4, 2017.
Each Globe customer can earn one (1) raffle entry for every ₱5 spent on GoSURF or a Broadband Plan. The more offers availed, the higher chances of winning!
Globe Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Business, Issa Cabreira shared, “We know that music is an integral part in every Filipino’s lives and Globe is here to elevate your music experience by allowing you to enjoy music in a different perspective. With Globe, you can listen to your favorite artists like Coldplay on Spotify, or catch it via live stream from their L.A. concert on YouTube, or even watch them perform live by joining our raffle promo. We want all our customers to get this chance and experience watching their favorite artists here in Manila, or even abroad.”
“This time, by simply registering to any GoSurf promo or subscribing to a Broadband plan, all our customers can get a chance to win tickets to the most-anticipated concert of Coldplay this 2017,” Cabreira added.
Incidentally, through Globe’s “Fly-Away Promo, Globe Telecom awarded two of its loyal customers, Monique Lim and Cristina Santiago, to watch Coldplay perform at the Allianz Stadium in Sydney Australia last December 13, 2016. They won a total of ₱230,000 worth of prizes which includes a 4-day, 3-night trip to Sydney with round-trip airfares, concert tickets, hotel accommodation, and pocket money.
How to win two tickets to the Coldplay A Head Full of Dreams Tour in Manila:
Globe Prepaid and TM customers:
Text RAFFLE REG (name/address/email/age/gender) to 2363 once, for FREE (e.g., RAFFLE REG JUAN DELA CRUZ/#4 Atis St., Cubao, Quezon City/jdc@gmail.com/25/M).
Globe Postpaid and Platinum customers:
Text RAFFLE REG YES to 2363 to register.
Globe Broadband customers:
You are automatically registered to the promo.
How to check your raffle entries:
Text RAFFLE ENTRIES to 2363 for FREE. Raffle entries earned will be updated within five (5) days after registration to GoSURF. Broadband customers may call the hotline at (02) 730-1000 to check their earned raffle entries.
Draw results will be announced on February 25, 2017 online, via text message, and official Facebook and Twitter accounts.
Winners must confirm until February 26 that they will claim their prize. Upon confirmation, they will be notified via SMS on how to claim their winning tickets.
With your Coldplay’s A Head Full of Dreams Tour entries, you also get a chance to be part of Globe’s Wanderland Music and Arts Festival on March 4, 2017!
Whatcha waiting for?
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Source: Press release, Corporate Communications Group, Globe Telecom | http://www.globe.com.ph/globecoldplay
Photos from sources.
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Globe to Temporarily Suspend Mobile Services During Dinagyang Festivities
PRESS STATEMENT (January 20, 2016) — Globe Telecom will comply with the directive of the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to temporarily suspend mobile services in some areas of Dinagyang festivities in Iloilo City.
Globe General Counsel Atty. Froilan Castelo said the company will always comply with directive of the NTC, particularly in relation to public safety and security. “Similar to the directive we received from the NTC during the recent Black Nazarene and Sinulog events, we are compelled to temporarily suspend mobile services in some event areas of the Dinagyang festival and we would like to appeal for our customers’ understanding,” Castelo said.
The Dinagyang Festival is a religious and cultural festival in Iloilo City, Philippines held on the fourth Sunday of January, or right after the Sinulog in Cebu and the Ati-Atihan Festival in Kalibo, Aklan. It is held both to honor the Santo Niño and to celebrate the arrival on Panay of Malay settlers and the subsequent selling of the island to them by the Atis. For this year, it will be held from January 20 to the 22nd.
Source: Corporate Communications Group, Globe Telecom | Wikipedia.org
Photos from Wikimedia.org Creative Commons Attribution | 1 | 2 | 3
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Globe #CyberPinoy Campaign to Showcase Cyberwellness, Internet Safety and Social Media Responsibility
#CyberPinoy is a campaign by Globe Telecom that aims to showcase cyberwellness, or the ability to use the internet safely and responsibly. As more people like Globe’s customers embrace the digital lifestyle, the Globe #CyberPinoy campaign also wants to safeguard Globe customers against the dangers of the digital world, which includes identity theft, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, voyeurism, online harassment, sharing of fake news, among many others.
The Globe #CyberPinoy campaign is the first of three short films, which premiered on Globe Telecom’s Facebook and Twitter accounts last week. It presents the story about Millennial Hannah who is about to go on an adventure in Hong Kong. In the video, Millennial Hannah shows how important it is to ‘think before you share’, allowing her to be more careful in revealing her personal details on social media.
I think my friends and relatives who are parents of millennials will appreciate sharing the Globe #CyperPinoy campaign video with their kids, teens and yuppies because we are all for cyberwellness, internet safety and social media responsibility. Much more, guarding ourselves against today’s dangers of identity theft, cyberbullying, cyberstalking, voyeurism, online harassment, and sharing of fake news, to mention a few of the negative consequences of using the internet.
Watch it here!
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Source: Press release from the Corporate Communications Group, Globe Telecom
Video source: GlobePH Facebook | GlobePH Twitter
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ADDENDUM:
Globe launches #CyberPinoy cyberwellness campaign to promote online health and safety
PRESS RELEASE UPDATE (January 20, 2016) By Corporate Communications Group, Globe Telecom
Nearly half of Philippine internet users are at risk of falling prey to cybercriminals due to online habits that make them highly-vulnerable to attacks, prompting leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom to launch the #CyberPinoy cyberwellness campaign which promotes safe and inspiring digital nation.
“Being in the forefront of digital innovations — from providing reliable mobile and broadband connections to world-class content offerings, global partners and more, Globe continuously seeks solutions that will support its sustainability philosophy to allow it to operate in a socially responsible way. Thus, we believe that being a purveyor of digital lifestyle, it is also our responsibility to promote online health, safety, and positive digital citizenship for all,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications.
As an advocate of safe and responsible use of the Internet, Globe came up with #CyberPinoy to unify all its efforts to embrace a digital nation such as Protech101, Stop Spam, and more recently, the Digital Thumbprint Program.
ProTech101 is an online information drive that seeks to inform netizens of the dangers of online crimes by reminding them to keep their accounts and valuable information safe while Stop Spam is an initiative to address the proliferation of spam and scam messages through a Globe channel (http://www.globe.com.ph/stopspam ) where customers can reports such incidents.
With the youth being greatly represented in the online community, Globe has also decided to adopt the Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) of Optus and Singtel in Australia. DTP is an award-winning program that teaches high school students to understand the impact of their online behavior and how to be safe and responsible for their online activities. Through three workshops, the students learn how to discern proper online behavior, be aware of technology’s impact on their social activities, and develop skills on how to use technology to help them achieve life goals.
While the internet provides wonderful experiences, it is also home to unscrupulous persons such as scammers, fraudsters, bullies, and sexual predators who are out to harm or take advantage of other people.
Online scam topped the list of complaints received by the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG) from 2013 to 2015 with a total of 366 incidents, followed by online libel with 240 cases, online threats with 129, identify theft with 127 and anti-photo and video voyeurism with 89.
Likewise, the 2014-2015 Cybercrime Report of the Department of Justice’s Office of Cybercrime showed that cyberespionage attacks or intellectual property theft is on the rise with 31 percent of the 614 recorded attacks directed against small businesses while 33 percent involved internet/ATM fraud and identity theft.
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New Video Blog About the Philippines from Portuguese Travel Blogger and Videographer João Cajuda
Here’s a new find – a new travel video blog about the beauty and wonders of the Philippines created and produced by a Portuguese.
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João Cajuda is a travel blogger and videographer from Portugal who travels the world to produced content for the Travel Channel and more than 30 hotels, including for Mandarin Oriental, Kempinski, Four Seasons, Small Luxury Hotels, among other groups.
In 2013, João Cajuda was finalist of the worldwide travel video contest Biggest Baddest Bucket List (Best Job in the World 2013), chosen from over than 5000 candidates.
In 2016, João Cajuda his blog was ranked in the top 15 most influent travel bloggers in the world by Rise.
João Cajuda is the owner of Adventure Travel Agency called LEVA-ME, being tour leader and organizing tour groups to selected destinations as Morocco, Tanzania, Thailand, and others.
João Cajuda’s professional experience extends in TV and cinema in Portugal, New York and Los Angeles with a degree in Marketing, Publicity and P.R. to do what he loves the most – travel and produce leading video content for hotels, tour companies and tourism boards.
Sources: www.joaocajuda.com | www.facebook.com/cajuda.pt
Photo and video from sources.
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Microsoft Cloud Solutions Summit Partners Independent Software Vendors for More Innovative and Disruptive Solutions in the Philippines
Twenty-nine cloud partners from five industry tracks gathered together November last year at the Microsoft Cloud Solutions Summit at the Blue Leaf Filipinas Halls in Parañaque City, as Microsoft and its independent software vendor (ISV) partners staged cloud application solutions for various industries.
The Cloud Solutions Summit helped executives and business owners discover how embracing the hybrid cloud model can help IT manage increasing security and complexity in line with changing business needs. This event followed Microsoft’s recent general availability of Windows Server 2016 and System Center 2016 in the Philippines, which are directed at helping enterprises accelerate moves to the highly secure hybrid cloud.
During the Cloud Solutions Summit, Microsoft and its ISV partners showcased cloud application solutions for manufacturing, retail, banking, healthcare and small & medium enterprise (SME) sectors for businesses to jump start their digital transformation journey. Participating ISVs presented their cloud app pitches similar to the “Shark Tank” reality TV show, with My-Checkpoints emerging as winner. My-Checkpoints (www.my-checkpoints.com/help/aboutus.html) is a performance and rewards platform developed for BPO companies designed to provide fun incentives and rewards to their employees.
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About Microsoft
Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
Microsoft Philippines, the local subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation, has been constantly bringing innovation and making its technology available to Filipino businesses and individuals since 1995. As a committed and trusted partner in nation-building, Microsoft Philippines has made it its mission to fuel growth and healthy communities, as well as transform locally-based businesses and empower them to compete in the global economy.
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Source: Press release from Dominguez Marketing Communications
Title photo from source | Photo collage from Facebook @MicrosoftPhilippines
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Bits and Snippets of the Philippines 