by admin | Dec 5, 2023 | Headlines, Tech Talk
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DITC) has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with DFNN Group of Companies, and Plug and Play Tech Center, to harness the power of startups in the Philippines.
The MOU was signed by DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, Jojo Flores of Plug and Play Tech Center, and Ricky Banaag of DFNN Group of Companies during the recently concluded 6th Geeks On A Beach held at Panglao Island, Bohol.
“This initiative powered by Plug & Play sets out to come up with forward-looking strategies to harness the power of startups, injecting new ideas and creativity into the startup industry as well as prompt the growth of an intellectually-based economy,” said Flores.
According to Flores, the MOU is seen to accelerate the growth of the startup community in the Philippines, taking a bigger chunk of the US$3.5 billion tech/startup industry.
“We need to protect our interests where we build the products of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) by bringing everyone to build these new tech industries to protect our local industries as well, in terms of the tech/BPO industry, electronics assembly, and the like,” Flores added.
The MOU which signifies the strong collaboration of various public and private sector initiatives, is aimed at supporting the startup industry, thereby fueling the nation’s employment, bolstering foreign exchange reserves, and technological innovation that can push forward the overall economic expansion of the Philippines.
According to the MOU, stakeholders together with the government shall establish the Horizon Philippines program to catalyze the creation of new intellectual property assets that will contribute to the growth of an IP-based economy.
This approach will not only help diversify the economic landscape but will also position the country to thrive in an increasingly knowledge-driven and competitive global economy, the agreement reads.
He further said that by creating and building local tech products, the country can also use the same products to resell to other countries. The whole idea is to leverage the service industry and create and sell these to the world market.
At present, about 100 startups are making new products for the Information, Communication Technology (ICT) industry.
“Money and funds are in the private sector. Startup support funds from the private sector over the last three years raised a billion dollars from global investors and 90 percent of that is Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs). Let’s help shape our nation’s startup growth and development,” Flores noted.
Plug and Play Tech Center provides venture capital investment services. The company specializes in technological venture capital advancement by connecting blue chip corporations in industry trends as well as provide consulting services.
DFNN, Inc. is a Philippines-based information technology (IT) solutions provider and systems integrator. The Company is engaged in the provision of information technology services to financial institutions and gaming companies. It develops, operates, and maintains Web-based and wireless applications for major corporate customers with strength in solutions for financial institutions and gaming companies and provides proprietary order routing software technology and Web-advertising services to stock brokerage firms. Through its subsidiaries and affiliates, the Company also possesses licenses for electronic gaming machines (EGMs), a sports betting exchange, and digital and pari-mutuel games with the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
by admin | Nov 23, 2023 | Headlines, Tech Talk
PANGLAO, Bohol — Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) secretary Ivan John Uy opened the two-day Geeks On A Beach (GOAB)2023 international conference, Thursday, November 23-24 confidently stating that the vibrant startup ecosystem in the Philippines has been promisingly growing, with more than 1,100 startups, 60 incubators and accelerators, 50 venture capitalists, and more than 200 co-working spaces nationwide that enable collaboration.
“It is truly an honor to stand before you as we kick off the sixth edition of Geeks on a Beach. As we gather here, it is heartening to see that through our joint efforts, we have transformed the Philippines into a pivotal regional hub for startups and digital innovation. This is a statement of fact. Our vibrant startup ecosystem has been promisingly growing,” Secretary Yu said.
Yu added that the essence of Geeks on a Beach lies in the convergence of diverse minds and he is optimistic that this year’s event sees a limitless potential and a perfect backdrop for groundbreaking ideas to take flight.
Geeks On A Beach 2023 in Panglao is attended by nearly 1000 guests, technopreneurs, investors, startup hustlers, venture capitalists, angel investors, and others after a hiatus of five years.
Secretary Uy further said, the DICT commits to accelerate digital transformation and nurture the growth of the country’s startup community by launching programs aligned with the Innovative Startup Act of 2019.
“This law provides the blueprint for the advancement of the Philippine Startup Ecosystem and supports our startups by providing funding and mentorship mechanisms and streamlined processes,” Uy noted.
The conduct of the GOAB in time for this year’s Philippine Startup Week shows the limitless potential inherent in Filipino technopreneurs. “Investing in Filipino Homegrown Heroes as Global Game Changers,” encapsulates our unwavering dedication to providing the necessary support for our local Startups to thrive,” Secretary Uy concluded.
Founder’s panel discussion insights
Right after the DICT secretary’s keynote was a panel discussion with some of the startup founders in the country namely; Roland Ros, CEO and Founder of Kumu; ER Rollan, CEO and Founder of GrowSari and Steve Sy, Founder of Great Deals Ecommerce.
These three founders were one in saying that the biggest challenge in the startup industry is understanding the whys and the type of mindset to have in starting a company and building a startup.
Roland Ros said, sacrificing everything for the motherland is worth it in making a difference to operate in the environment of efficiently growing into a unicorn and becoming a sustainable business.
ER Rollan noted that understanding the whys and how mindset in establishing a company, and be prepared to be at the last benefactor of your endeavor. “That is the toughest part of a startup. The next unicorns of startups will come from the Philippines,” he added.
Steve Sy of Great Deals E-Commerce said that for every challenge there is an opportunity and this gives people values. e-commerce is fast paced; the challenge is to adopt to the growing e-commerce technology.
“As an entrepreneur, you don’t get much sleep but getting up and thinking in upscaling, growing your revenue with minimal expenses. The key to startups is an efficient scale/upscaling for all founders,” he said.
These three are all homegrown prominent startups in the country that still faced so much challenges in efficiently managing their startup business, but with the Philippines coming up as an emerging and the fastest growing economy in Asia, they see that 2024 is the base for the startup ecosystem in PH to grow.
by admin | Sep 16, 2023 | Headlines, Major Events, Tech Talk
Movers and shakers of the Philippine startup community, innovators and investors, and global and national leaders are set to gather for the sixth edition of the tech-famous Geeks On A Beach (GOAB) international conference on November 22 to 24 at the renowned Panglao Island in Bohol, Philippines.
Spearheaded by GeeksPH and co-organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), GOAB will be a bold exclamation mark to cap the 2023 Philippine Startup Week events to be held nationwide.
About 500 participants are expected to discuss at GOAB the trends and forecasts on tech, startup and design, with conversations and interactions aimed at enabling the best to ride the wave of technological advances.
DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy is expected to formally open GOAB.
“We are as excited as our alumni and the startup community in bringing GOAB back. Ten years after the first GOAB and a pandemic-induced hiatus, there are certainly a lot of new and positive developments to celebrate from the advance of digitalization, the rise of AI and more funding raised by Filipino startups,” said GOAB founding organizer Tina Amper of GeeksPH.
Apart from Amper, the other members of the GOAB founding organizing team are Dave Overton of Symph, Mark Deutsch of Happy Garaje and Doris Isubal-Mongaya of PRWorks.
Serving as GOAB advisors are Manny Ayala of Hatchd and Endeavor PH, Plug and Play Tech Center’s Jojo Flores, Shoppable’s Chris Blanquera, Stephanie Caragos of Syntactics, Embiggen Group’s Paul Pajo, and Christina Laskowski of Silicon Valley-based Science and Technology Advisory Council.
Founders, CEOs, thought-leaders
The speakers at GOAB are a veritable who’s who in the startup space locally and internationally.
With the beautiful Panglao beach as backdrop, GOAB will feature headliners admired and sought after by the tech community: DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy, Chris McCann of Race Capital, Mohan Belani of e27, Earl Valencia of Plentina, Gina Romero of Connected Women Philippines, Symph’s Albert Padin, Jason Torres of Mashup Garage and Neon Playground, Foxmont Capital Partners’ Franco Varona, Katrina Rausa Chan of IdeaSpace and QBO Innovation Hub, Jen Bilango of CoinsPH; Jay Fajardo of Medifi and LaunchGarage, Ron Baetiong of Podcast Network Asia, Haifa Carina of DEVCON Philippines, Ashley Uy of Synacy, John Naranjo of Ingenuity PH, Paulo Campos of Kaya Founders, Republiq’s Bryan Yap, Vince Loremia of Cleaningly and Tudlo, Jayvee de Leon, Earvin Ang of Aqwire PH, Pia Bernal of Kickstart, Jack Madrid of the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines, and Leah Rasay of the Communications Design Association of the Philippines.
Plenary sessions are set to explore potential investment opportunities, while breakout sessions will touch on FinTech, EduTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, ClimateTech and other category-specific themes catering to youth and women.
GOAB will also have pitching opportunities, business coaching, matching, investors’ roundtable, and exhibits from various stakeholders. A highlight of GOAB this year would be the celebration of the impact of a new law, the Innovative Startup Act, and DICT’s programs to the Philippine startup ecosystem.
A day prior to the conference, on Nov. 22, GOAB will also hold special Masterclass sessions on “Empowering Rural Communities through AI Outsourcing”, “Maximizing Business Growth with a Cloud Services Framework” and “Global Expansion for Software Development Agencies”, as well as an exclusive dinner with investors.
Conference tickets and information are now available at the website https://www.geeksonabeach.com/
A different kind of geek conference
As in past GOAB editions, conversations and connections are expected to happen beyond conference and breakout sessions, making the event a premiere connector event among tech investors, innovators and enablers from the Philippines and abroad.
The exciting beach venue, the stellar roster of speakers, and conference agenda have set GOAB apart since it was first held in 2013. Previous GOAB editions were held in Boracay, Cebu, Panglao and Puerto Princesa.
This 2023, GOAB returns to Panglao for the sixth edition.
by admin | Feb 21, 2019 | Tech Talk
Private sector partnership now joins in the government orchestrated move to provide the infrastructure for development in opening a fast and free wireless fidelity (wifi) connection at the government’s state college here.
Thanks to Google’s Google Stations in partnership with Smart Communications, the ripples from the Presidential promise of making accessible free wifi hotspots anyone can connect to, gets to Bohol Island State University, this month, according to Smart.
During the 2016’s State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte has promised to put up free wifi hotspots in public areas in the country.
Even as the government stirred itself to provide a strong broadband backbone from which this wifi can get through, a latest report from the World Bank on fast broadband speeds says, every 10-percent increase in broadband internet penetration, this translates to a 1.38-percent increase in a country’s gross domestic product growth.
As shown that internet penetration is directly proportional to economic growth, the government through its Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) put up its Pipol Konek: Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project which aims to accelerate the Philippine government’s efforts in enhancing internet accessibility for Filipinos so that, in turn, economic, social, and educational opportunities will be bolstered, and the growing Digital Divide can be bridged.
Pipol Konek have live spots in Alburquerque HS, gym, Anda, Baclayon HS, Calape RHC, Dagohoy, Danao, Dauis, Tagbilaran City, Garcia Hernandez, Guindulman, Getafe plaza, Maribojoc town Hall and RHU, Loon town hall and plaza, Baclayon in Montaña and Plaza, Loay, Lila, Mabini, Jagna, Guindulman plazas, Sagbayan, Pilar, CPG Pitogo, Pangalo, San Miguel, Sierra Bullones, Sikatuna, Trinidad, Valencia, Talibon, Tubigona nd Ubay.
Along this, the government has also pressured telecommunication companies to up their services, to which, Smart readily responded.
With Google, Smart has made google stations fast and efficient, according to the DICT.
With a strong broadband carrier partner, Google has announced that they are bringing their fast and free WiFi initiative, Google Station to the Philippines, and to BISU in Bohol.
According to google, Google Stations are basically high-quality, free WiFi hotspots that anyone can connect to.
The company first rolled out the service in India, before it expanded to Mexico, Thailand, Indonesia and now, in the Philippines.
And the good things, Google Stations will be developed in more than fifty locations by the end of this month,” Mahesh Bhalerao, Global Director of Google’s Next Billion Users Partnerships was cited in news reports.
Google with both PLDT and Smart for the initiative would now make also it possible for the provision of hotspots in public locations like malls, markets, bus stations, and markets.
Among the 50 google stations which would be live and operational within the end of February would be the one at Light Rail Transit-2 (LRT-2), Metro Rail Transit-3 (MRT-3), Araneta Bus Port, Cebu South Bus Terminal, Clark International Airport, Davao International Airport and Batangas Port.
In the schools, Google Stations would be up in Ateneo De Naga University, BISU in Bohol, Bukidnon State University, Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba, Columban College Inc., Holy Cross of Davao College, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, Southern Luzon State University and the University of Cebu-Main Campus.
For public places, google puts up its stations at the City Hall of Baguio, City Hall of Mandaluyong and at Ali Mall and Gateway Mall, among others. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)
by admin | Feb 13, 2019 | Tech Talk
PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. will likely end up selling their wireless communications towers to any of the seven independent private firms putting up new towers for collective use, Makati City Rep. Luis Campos Jr. said Sunday.
“We see both PLDT and Globe eventually assigning their 16,000 towers to any or all of the non-aligned firms providingshared towers, now that the government has permitted at least seven of them to operate,” Campos, a deputy minority leader, said.
“They (PLDT and Globe) will likely consolidate and spin off their tower assets into separate subsidiaries, and then put them up for saleto the independent tower entities,” Campos, who is counting on common towers to quickly boost Internet connectivity all over the country, said.
Campos made the statement after the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) authorized Aboitiz InfraCapital Inc. (AIC) to build new towers for shared use.
AIC became the sixth entity authorized by the DICT to construct new common towers after ISOC Infrastructures Inc.; ISON ECP Tower Pte. Ltd.; IHS Holding Ltd.; edotco Group SdnBhd; China Energy Equipment Co. Ltd. and RT Telecom Sdn Bhd.
“The immediate beneficiary of new commontowers isthe Mislatel consortium – the third telecommunications player that the government has brought in precisely to drive competition in the supply of superior Internet services,” Campos said.
Campos has been batting for improved public access to faster Internet connection speeds at a lower price.
He is author of a bill that seeks to reclassify Internet access as a “basic telecommunications service” so that regulators may compel suppliers to provide rising connection speeds under pain of harsh administrative fines.
“With seven independent private firmsracing to put up new towers for collective use, the Mislatel consortiumshould be able to swiftly scale up Internet service coverage, since it can opt tojust lease the new structures,” Campos said.
The consortium would spend less to build fewer towers on its own, thus enabling itto spend more for fasternetwork expansion, Campos said.
“As a business model, tower sharing is nothing new. In fact, one of the Fortune 500 firms is American Tower Corp., which owns and operates over 170,000 shared wireless and broadcast communications sites in 13 countries,” Campos said.
To improve Internet connectivity, the DICT said the country may need to roll outsome 50,000 newtowers on top of the 16,000 already built by PLDT and Globe.
by admin | Feb 12, 2019 | Tech Talk
Seven key players of e-commerce and social media platforms will be helping grow local SMEs with the latest in finance technology during the first DIGIBEEZ Summit on March 20, 2019, at Seda Hotel, Cebu City.
The digital business summit organized by the local finance technology firm Dragonpay is expected to gather Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Central Visayas.
With the theme “Digibeez: Growing the hive of finance technology”, Dragonpay aims to connect with local businesses and share fintech best practices through the event.
With speakers from reknowned e-commerce and social media platforms such as Sam Leblanc, Sales Manager of Google; Ash Mandhyan, Client Solutions Head of Facebook; Martin Yu, Business Intelligence Head of Shopee; Allan Brizuela, President of Black Arrow; Itamar Gero, Founder and CEO of Truelogic; Ron Baetiong, Founder and CEO of Chatbox PH, and Denise Haak, CEO of Quiddity, we are optimistic that this event will open better business opportunities for the local business sector,” said Robertson Chiang, founder and COO of Dragonpay Corp.
“This event will help entrepreneurs and the business community learn ways to increase revenue and expand their business through online payments and related services”, Chiang added.
Dragonpay is a Filipino-owned finance company that helps facilitate alternative payment schemes for online shoppers without bank accounts or credit cards. Its mission is to make e-commerce available to all Filipinos.
For over eight years, Dragonpay has become a trailblazer in the finance technology (fintech) industry with over 118 million completed transactions and 11 million unique users, most of whom are based in the Philippines. With this success, Dragonpay has created a buzzing hive for local businesses.
There will be opportunities to network with the speakers and fellow business participants after the talks. To register for DIGIBEEZ fintech summit, go to https://digibeez.dragonpay.ph/ or contact 0977 324 2487, 0919 967 5257.
