Subic Freeport eyed as top ICT center in RP

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT — Seeing the potential of this premier Freeport becoming the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) flagship of the Philippines, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is teaming up to make this vision into a reality.

PLDT Subictel President Dennis Magbatoc said the two corporations have agreed in principle in promoting Subic Bay’s ICT capabilities that would directly compete with the country's ICT leaders like Manila, Cebu, Davao, and Laguna.

The two companies, including the PLDT’s subsidiary Subic Telecom (Subictel) will be signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) next month to seal the deal.

Magbatoc said the agreement would pave the way for tripartite collaborative projects that would benefit the Subic Bay Freeport’s ICT industry.

PLDT’s most recent P40-million ICT investments here would be the prime projects that the group would develop. Among these projects are the fiber optics cable that connects Subic Bay to Manila and the rest of the Luzon grid, along with the P20-million Innovation Laboratory (InnoLab) that was unveiled last year by Subictel.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza said the P20-million Innolab will be included in the itinerary for potential investors visiting Subic Bay.

He said that Subic Bay’s IT and telecommunications infrastructure, available and soon-to-be-offered telecoms solutions that cater to business process outsourcing (BPO) operations, retail and manufacturing businesses, and even the hotel industry, will be staged at the Subic Innolab, the fifth such PLDT facility in the country.

“With this one-stop IT center, the SBMA will get to showcase the IT aspect of doing business in Subic, on top of its other strengths like strategic location, tax and duty-free perks, highly-skilled manpower, superb support industries and infrastructure, and a highly secured and tourist-friendly environment,” said Arreza.

“When it comes to IT support, we now have everything and anything you need,” Arreza added, referring to the “fully loaded” theme of Subictel’s Innolab. By JONAS REYES - Manila Bulletin

Prof Danny Piano, Subic Bay Freeport Chamber of Commerce President, Councilor Ed Piano, Chairman of Olongapo City Telecom and IT Board, and Hon. Armand Arreza talked about the latest in telecommunications in Olongapo City Subic Bay Freeport.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTT2jCWf7Lw

SCITE 2009 IN OLONGAPO

The two-day Student Conference on Information Technology Education (SCITE) 2009 was held in Olongapo City Convention Center (OCCC) last January 28–29, 2009.

Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. warmly welcomed the participants from different IT Schools in Region 3 in his address during the opening day of the said conference.

The SCITE 2009 is a yearly gathering organized by the Philippine Society of I.T.Educators of Region 3 (PSITE Region 3) and Student Society on I.T. Education (SSITE) to be a venue in the exchange of knowledge and the latest developments in technology and to encourage the students to be competitive in the area of Information Technology.

The event was attended by 1,502 delegates in the opening day with the most number of participants coming from Micro Asia College of Science and Technology of Iba, Zambales. There were 1,373 delegates in attendance the next day with Wesleyan University Philippines having the biggest delegation.

The participating schools competed in different categories namely: Reinventing the I.T. Invention, Pop Dance Competition, Website Development, Programming Competition Using Java and C#, SSITE Digital Poster Making Contest, SSITE Chapter T-Shirt Design and SCITE Quiz Bee at I.T. Documentary Film Making.

Several IT Schools from Olongapo garnered awards in the different categories. Gordon College placed 2nd in the Website Development and Programming Competition Using C# categories. Columban College topped in the Reinventing the I.T. Invention category and copped 3rd place in the SSITE Chapter T-Shirt Design and 2nd place in the SCITE Quiz Bee. Lyceum of Subic Bay got 3rd place in the SCITE Quiz Bee but snatched the top spot in the Pop Dance Competition. STI-Olongapo placed 3rd in the Programming Competition Using Java category.

The SCITE 2009 was hosted by Gordon College - College of Computer Studies for this year headed by. Erlinda S. Casela, Dean of Computer Studies of Gordon College as the Organizing Committee Chair.

PSITE Region 3 worked hand in hand with Globe Telecom, Inc., PLDT SME Nation, CAL (Computer Assisted Learning) at Cybercity Teleservices in making this event a success.

Mayor James “Bong” Gordon, Jr. delivers the welcome remarks during the opening day of the Student Conference on Information Technology Education (SCITE) 2009 which was held at the Olongapo City Convention Center recently.

PAO/chay

OLONGAPO CITY ID SYSTEM

Mayor James ‘Bong’ Gordon Jr. and City Councilor Edwin Piano who is in-charge of the IT (Information Technology) projects of the city, led the inauguration of the The Olongapo City ID System Center at the Olongapo City Hall grounds recently.

“May 3 systems na inilabas under the Olongapo City ID system, first is yung Public Transport Color Coded Scheme (PTC2S) na para sa mga drivers. Mayroon ding VMS o yung Volunteer Management System kasama dito yung mga Balikatan Ladies, Teachers, Pulis at yung mga dati nang mga volunteers ng Subic Bay,” explained Piano.

“Yung pangatlo naman ay yung PATS o yung Public Assistance Tracking System. Magkakaroon lahat ng city councilors ng ganito pati na yung mga nasa Mayor’s Office,” added Piano.

Through PATs, the services and help given by the councilors to the city’s constituents will me monitored

“Kung may humihingi sa amin ng assistance, is-swipe lang namin yung ID nila at mairerecord na yung assistance na ibinigay namin o kung ini-refer namin sa ibang agency. Ang kagandahan ng sistema na ito, makikita kung sino yung talagang nangangailangan o kung nang-aabuso lang dahil marami ding nangangailangan at dapat balanse lahat ng tulong na ibinibigay,” said Piano.

“Magiging instrumento din ito upang malaman kung ano ang klaseng tulong na kailangan ng mga tao upang makabuo ng tamang programa para dito,” added Piano.

Olongapo City will be the pioneer in implementing this kind of technologically advanced ID system to further improve the public service system of the city.

“Ang mga IDs na ito ay equipped with magnetic strip, barcode at yung RFID (Radio Frequency ID) ay babasahin ng isang ‘movitron’ para makuha ang impormasyon na naka-store sa ID. Dahil sa RFID, magiging isang ‘access card’ ang iyong ID na maaring maging DTR (Daily Time Record) at iba pang mga purposes,” said VJ Cajudo, manager of the Olongapo City ID System Center.

This ID system will also be implemented in Traffic Management.

“Sa traffic management naman, bibigyan din ng ID ang mga traffic officers at is-swipe lang nila yung mga ID ng mga nahuhuli nilang violators at magkakaroon na ng record at ita-transmit yung information sa system administrator,” explained Cajudo.

“Mamomonitor dito yung mga discrepancies at yung mga hindi pa nababayarang violations ng mga drivers,” added Cajudo.

Several drivers and volunteers have already been issued with IDs.

“Ang pinaka focus ng system na ito ay mabigyan ng mas efficient na public service ang mga tao,” Cajudo concluded.

The project was made possible with the cooperation of Senator Richard Gordon and Congresswoman Carissa Coscolluela. The technology was developed by Jimec Global Holdings.

Si Mayor James ‘Bong’ Gordon at City Councilor Edwin Piano sa isinagawang inauguration kamakailan ng Olongapo City ID System Center sa Olongapo City Hall grounds.

PAO/Don