DOT-VI to launch BHAF Program

In time for the celebration of the Month of Overseas Filipinos and International Migrants Day, the Department of Tourism Region VI (DOT-VI) will launch the “Bring Home a Friend (BHAF)” Program today, November 24 at SM City Iloilo Cinema 6.

According to the 2015 report of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), there are 9.1 million OFWs. Meanwhile, Census of Population and Housing in 2010 accounted nearly 200,000 expatriates in the country.

Based on DOT 2016 Visitors Sample Survey, word-of-mouth plays a very big role in motivating tourist to visit the Philippines with 51.80% of tourists came to the Philippines upon their friend’s recommendation while 14.10% have friends or relatives in the country.

DOT’s BHAF Program primarily aims to encourage Filipinos both residing here and abroad to help promote Philippine tourism by inviting foreign friends to come and visit the Philippines.

Globe announces iVolunteer, Virtualahan as contingent in SingTel Group Regional Future Makers 2017

Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu (center) together with Virtualahan and iVolunteer teams

Globe Telecom has announced the two social innovation startups that will represent the Philippines in the upcoming SingTel Group Regional Future Makers 2017 competition in Australia.

Philippine representatives iVolunteer and Virtualahan were among the five startups who won the first Globe Future Makers competition participated in by 135 groups and individuals.  They will join four other finalists from Singtel of Singapore and Optus of Australia in the regional competition. The finalists were chosen based on the potential of their solutions and business models in solving broader social issues across the region.  The winner of the competition will receive a funding from the Singtel Group of companies.

iVolunteer, which is run by a group of employees from different companies, aims to encourage Filipino volunteerism by becoming a platform that links individuals to small non-government organizations (NGO).

"This is something that came out of our own passion and experiences. And we thank Globe for supporting us.  With access to Globe, we now have a big marketing channel through SMS, data or Internet to promote volunteerism. Technology can really help us elevate the level of professionalism among volunteers, remind them that they signed up for this to show their commitment," said founder JB Tan.

Meanwhile, Virtualahan also received the Online Voter's Choice prize for garnering over 1,700 shares in social media.  Virtualahan is a learning platform for capacity building for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and those with medical conditions who have previously experienced employment discrimination. It also provides remote employment for digital startups.

Founder Ryan Gersava said:  “Globe comes in by providing the necessary technical support to help us deal with our challenges in delivering our services, optimizing the tech aspect, improving our e-learning platform, even cut other practices to save on costs by using different tools and expansion to help those with no access to the Internet.  With the support given to us by Globe, we can't help but feel confident and do our best.”

Kickstart Ventures, a wholly-owned venture capital subsidiary of Globe, provided 12 weeks of mentoring and workshop to the finalists. According to its president, Minette Navarrete, most of the Philippine startups that they see right now intend to effect social change and to improve and make things more equal and accessible.

"We're thrilled to be partnering with Ashoka Foundation and Globe for the Futuremakers: teams like iVolunteer and Virtualahan remind us that innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative partnerships are key to positive change towards a better future for all,” she said.

Globe Future Makers is a program aligned with the social innovation program of the Singtel Group of Companies for Asia Pacific. It aims to influence and build a whole ecosystem of social innovators who can help create a positive impact on society with the help of technology.

Globe, DepEd share successful partnership experience at EdTechXAsia Singapore Exemplifies 21st Century learning through Global Filipino Schools Program

Globe Citizenship Manager Miguel Bermundo
and DepEd Regional Director for Central Visayas Dr. Juliet Jeruta, represent the Philippines at EdTechXAsia Singapore

Globe Telecom and the Department of Education (DepEd) underscored the importance of public-private partnerships for public schools and how this efficiently drives the integration of information and communication technologies in the Philippine education system.

Globe and DepEd were among the speakers at the recently-concluded EdTechXAsia in Singapore with the theme  “21st Century Education and 21st Century Skills.”

In their presentation entitled “Public and Private Sector Collaborations in the Philippines,” the Globe-DepEd team detailed cases of successful and sustainable 21st century learning collaborations across the country which enhanced educational growth through various tools and techniques that use the digital learning platform.

Leading these collaborations is the Global Filipino School Program (GFS), Globe Telecom’s flagship program for public school education being implemented together with DepEd.  This long term partnership seeks to bridge the educational gap through the adoption and application of technology in public schools as well as promote it as a tool for learning in classrooms.

“Education and technology help us explore endless possibilities and bridge new discoveries,” said Dr. Juliet Jeruta, regional director of the Department Of Education regional office of Central Visayas. “It helps us draw the best from everyone.”

Miguel Bermundo, Manager of Globe Citizenship said:  “It is through partnerships like these that we can jointly make the most impact in increasing the quality of education in public schools.  For its part, Globe continues to commit itself to intensifying ICT education in the country to help transform the lives of  our youth by providing environments that enable learning through technology and allowing them to keep pace globally.”

The GFS Program offers a complete ICT package. It provides a collaborative learning space in a public schools that optimizes the use of ICT in schools. These hubs are equipped with mobile devices for learning such as tablets, virtual reality goggles and projectors as well as free internet connectivity to give teachers and students access to the program’s online learning solutions, including the GFS online library.

With the help of DepEd, the program also converts every GFS-equipped school into the city’s or province’s training hub, thereby creating an avenue for teachers in the area as well as neighboring provinces, to undergo trainings and workshops. The program is especially beneficial to teachers to help them optimize and integrate technology in everyday learning.

In a 2015 study by Taylor Nelson Sofres, results showed that the GFS program successfully improved digital skills among teachers and students, particularly in the usage of mobile technology and computer software. Likewise, there was an increase in student engagement in classroom activities as well as an enhanced school culture readiness in ICT integration.

The program started with one pilot school in Bohol in Region 7 which is known to be a strong advocate of ICT integration in the classroom and for applying 21st century learning techniques in the public school setting.  

At present, 142 schools from 16 out of 18 regions nationwide are already implementing the program, with a goal of having at least one GFS in all DepEd divisions by 2020

AirAsia Celebrates Asean’s Golden Jubilee by Giving Back to the Region

MANILA, 14 November 2017 - AirAsia has launched AirAsia Loves Asean, a series of initiatives focused on education, talent development and the economy to celebrate 50 years of Asean.

Air Asia Group CEO Tony Fernandes

AirAsia’s CreateCamp Search Reveals First Storyteller Grand Winner

Nationwide search showcases Filipino millennials skills in photography, videography,

and social media communications

Manila’s bet Paolo Garrido takes home over one-million pesos worth of prizes, free AirAsia trips, Nikon D5600 camera and much more!

irAsia has revealed the grand winner of its first-ever social media reality contest called #AirAsiaCreateCamp: The Search for the Next AirAsia Storyteller. Paolo Garrido from Mapua Institute of Technology bested four other finalists from Baguio, Cebu, and Iloilo and has been officially named member of AirAsia’s community of storytellers.

#AirAsiaCreateCamp is AirAsia’s social media reality search for young, aspiring, and creative individuals with photography and videography skills.  The competition aims to develop and empower young Filipino talents by providing mentorship programs and technical know-how.

After an initial judging period from over 500 entries, participants were narrowed down to 50 with select panel of judges declaring top 5 finalists in August based on creativity, originality, and quality of storytelling.

AirAsia Philippines CEO Captain Dexter Comendador said, “Aside from the quality of work, admirable level of skills and creativity, we would like to emphasize the value of hard work, attitude, and passion among the youth. Paolo represents these values during the rigorous camp that took them from highlands to islands for one month period.”

Paolo Garrido from Mapua Institute of Technology, Raymond Baguilat from University of Baguio, Angela Cara Durano from De La Salle University in Cebu, and John Paul Saluba from University of Iloilo were among the top 4 contenders. They traveled to Bohol, Palawan, Tacloban, and the Cordilleras under the mentorship of AirAsia storytellers Patrick Martin, Kyrke Jaleco, Neila Lomotan, Ayen dela Torre, Rachel Halili, Javi Cang, Enzo Cruz, Benj Ramos and Paolo Cuarteron. Their final entries documenting their journey were shared in AirAsia’s social media platforms for public voting.

“AirAsia’s success story is about the power of a dream, a strong mindset, and an exciting history fueled by passion, creativity, and adventure. There are so many stories out there for everyone to discover, through #AirAsiaCreateCamp we are providing the platform for these young aspiring talents to shine,” Comendador added.

The grand winner received over 1million pesos worth of  prizes composed of AirAsia Philippines flights to domestic and international destinations, Apple Macbook Pro 13, Nikon D5600 camera,  fully sponsored three days two-night stay at Amorita Resorts in Bohol, and  is now an official member of AirAsia Storytellers community.

Keep updated with AirAsia’s CreateCamp search via #AirAsiaCreateCamp and #CreateCamp or go to www.airasiacreatecamp.com.

Another round of Canada Nursing Career Expos set

Enhance Visa's Canada Nursing Career Expo will be back this November to offer opportunities for Filipino nurses in the Visayas.

Exclusive partners from Canada are coming back to the Philippines for the expo. The series of information sessions are set in three key locations on November 11, 13 & 14, 2017 in Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo respectively.

Tony Burke, Vice-President of OMNI College in Vancouver, Canada, will be sharing about their unique Licensing Program for Nurses which will provide specialized training for nursing professionals in the Philippines so they can become registered nurses in Canada and be eligible for permanent residency. OMNI College is one of Canada’s top institutions specializing in healthcare programs for foreign-trained nurses.

“OMNI College has a track record of 95% success rate in training nurses for the Canadian Practical/Registered Nurse Licensing Exam since it was founded in 1999. Our commitment to our client’s success drives us to continually strive for excellence,” says Ron Burke, CEO and founder of OMNI College.

With this expo, Enhance Visa and OMNI seeks to bridge the knowledge gap for well-trained Filipino nurses who lack the proper information on how to qualify for employment in Canada. It is open to all nurses. Nurses who are NCLEX passers and/or who have working experience are highly encouraged to participate.

“Enhance Visa seeks to empower Filipinos by arming them with the proper knowledge so they can make informed choices about their career and ultimately, their future. Canada is a good choice to pursue both,” says Eden Dumont, Managing Director of Enhance Visa.

Catch the event on the following dates:

November ​11 ​- ​Cebu ​(Radisson ​Blu ​Hotel)

November ​13 ​- ​Bacolod ​(Bacolod ​Business ​Inn)

November ​14 ​- ​Iloilo ​(Seda ​Atria ​Hotel)

The expo is among Enhance Visa's line-up of events for 2017 as part of the its campaign to encourage Filipinos to take the first step and make a move towards a better future. It is their 5th immigration event this year and the 2nd immigration event for nurses looking to move to Canada. Hundreds were in attendance during the first Canada Nursing Career Expo held last January.

Enhance Visa specializes in immigration consultation to Canada, Australia and New Zealand and is the industry leader in providing effective Study to Permanent Residency pathways to these countries. For more information on the event, contact Enhance Visa at 0917 770 2685 or visit their website at www.enhanceimmigration.com. Follow Enhance Visa on Facebook for updates @enhancevisaph.