Pinoy Short Film Competes in Greece

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Filipino short film “Pipo,” which centers on a boy’s dream of having his family picture taken despite the odds, continues to establish its presence on the world stage after being officially selected to compete at the IndieCrete International Film Festival from August 19 to 21 at the Paradiso Theater in Crete, Greece.

Maliksi Morales stars as the boy who comes up with a lot of ideas, including making up rumors to convince an old photographer, played by Lou Veloso, to take a picture of his family at a bargain price. Chanel Latorre, Ramon Palencia, and Katherine Carel provide support as members of Pipo’s family.

Aside from showing problems caused by poverty and environmental concerns through the boy’s story, award-winning filmmaker Richard Soriano Legaspi says that his film also pays tribute to manual film cameras and all the photographers who we often forget to thank for documenting precious moments in our lives.

Before vying for several awards, including Best Film, Drama award and others, in the Summer Edition of the film festival, “Pipo” also competed in the U.S., Colombia, India, Malta, Portugal, Taiwan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mexico, Germany, United Arab Emirates, and another Greek film festival in Athens.

Danish Film Starring Mercedes Cabral Premieres at Cinemalaya

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The Danish film “Rosita,” in which acclaimed actress Mercedes Cabral plays the title role, will have its Asian and Philippine premiere at the 12th Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival on August 13, Saturday, 6:15 p.m. at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater).

Cabral, who portrays a Filipina mail-order bride torn between an old man and his son, will grace the film’s screening, which is part of Cinemalaya’s “Indie Nation” section. She's known for her remarkable roles in Brillante Mendoza’s award-winning films “Serbis,” “Kinatay,” and “Thy Womb” before she won her first Best Actress award at the 2015 World Premieres Film Festival for Alvin Yapan’s “An Kubo sa Kawayanan.”

It was Mendoza who recommended Cabral to Danish filmmaker Frederikke Aspöck when they met at the Marrakech Film Festival in Morocco. Aspöck eventually won Best Director for “Rosita” at the Moscow International Film Festival last year. She broke into the international film festival scene when she bagged the Premier Prix de la Cinéfondation at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 for her short film “Happy Now.” The female director’s feature film debut “Labrador” (Out of Bounds) also made the rounds of international film festivals and also got favorable nods from critics worldwide.

In “Rosita,” Cabral stars with internationally recognized Danish actors Jens Albinus, who portrays the middle-aged widower Ulrik, and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, who plays the role of his son Johannes, along with Julie Agnete Vang, Mads Riisom, Lise Baastrup, and Jacob Moth-Poulsen.

IPC Urges PH Biz to Innovate with Digital Work Tools

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Local cloud services pioneer IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) recently announced that it will be holding regular digital enterprise innovation seminars for business owners and entrepreneurs, free of charge.

Entitled “Gear up to Innovate: An essential blueprint for digital transformation”, the session aims to emphasize to Filipino businesses the importance of taking on a digital mindset in today’s highly connected world. Insights about digital best practices will be shared and the most relevant cloud-based business tools will be explored in-depth.

“Digital is the new Normal. If a company doesn't take advantage of today’s plethora of readily available enterprise applications, it runs the risk of being left behind by competition who do,” said Niño Valmonte, Director for Product Management & Marketing at IPC. “Doing business in this day and age compels us to adopt a digital mindset, and the fastest and most cost-efficient way to do it is through the cloud.”

Attendees will be engaged in an immersive demo of collaborative business applications and witness how workplace productivity can be elevated through these tools. More importantly, IPC will elaborate on the effective ways to migrate business processes to the cloud.

The “Gear up to Innovate” seminar series starts on August 19, 2016 and will run until the end of the year. It will be held at 1:30 PM - 5:50 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from there on at 34F RCBC Plaza Tower 2, Ayala Avenue, Makati City.

Participants will be accommodated on a first come, first served basis. To register, visit http://gearup.ipc.ph.

Taxes Every Future Homeowner Should Keep In Mind

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Lamudi lists down legal dues that you need to know to be a responsible homeowner.

Due diligence does not stop when you have raised the amount you need to acquire a property. The responsibility of a homeowner starts as soon as the deed of sale is signed and goes on until forever. Thus, while you are preparing for your monthly amortization, it is best to familiarize yourself with the taxes and legal fees that you are about to face.

Real estate buying is a tedious process both financially and legally. However, property assets and investments that will soon be under your name and inside your pocket is definitely worth the trouble. To arm your property purchase, Lamudi Philippines lists down the basics that are essential to know.

Real Property Tax

One major law relating to owning a home is paying the Real Property Tax (RPT) every year. Once you step into your new home, it is advisable to have it appraised and assessed for accurate taxation values. All real property are evaluated according to current and fair market value prevailing in the locality where the property is situated. Owners will pay an RPT rate of 2% on properties in cities and municipalities in Metro Manila, while 1% if the property is located in the provinces.

It is imperative to always pay the RPT on time for it will incur penalties that will add burden to your tax obligations. Delinquent payments subject the payer to payment interest at the rate of 2% per month delayed to a maximum of 72% or 36 months. Then again, while late payments are crucial, paying in advance is also rewarding. Discounts are given to homeowners who settle their taxes beforehand.

For taxpayer’s conveniences, other payment options are also available. The RPT can be paid in full or annually and by installment or quarterly. For yearly schedule, payment is due on or before the 31st of January each year, while paying quarterly must be consistently paid on these dates: first quarter, on or before March 31; second quarter, on or before June 30; third quarter, on or before September 30; and on or before December 31 for the fourth quarter.

For payment or to inquire on your home’s RPT, just go to the Treasurer’s Office of the city or municipality where your property is located.

Aside from the Real Property Tax, there are other fees that are equally important. These fees and taxes for real estate transactions in the country are usually divided between the buyer and the seller and are subject to mutual agreement. However, the Contract of Sale or the Deed of Sale must specifically declare the parties in charge of shouldering the costs to avoid confusion or legal problems.

Capital Gains Tax and Other Taxes

The seller’s responsibilities includes Capital Gain Tax, which is 6% of the selling price, zonal value, or fair market value of the property, whichever is higher; and the Business Tax, if applicable, the rate of which will depend on the LGU where the property is located.

On the other hand, the buyer’s accountabilities is comprised of the following:

●     Documentary Stamps Tax – 1.5% of selling price or Zonal Value, whichever is higher

●     Transfer Tax – rate depends on location of property (ranging from 0.25% to 0.75% of selling price or zonal value, whichever is higher)

●     Registration Fee or the graduated rate based on the selling price

Owning a house is a lifetime responsibility, so to break free from possible legal problems in the future, it is best to be familiar and reliable in doing your duties and responsibilities as a taxpayer and as a homeowner.

DOE Taps USAID for Review of Energy Mix

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The Department of Energy is tapping technical experts to discuss possible collaboration in coming up with a responsive and dynamic energy mix for the Philippines.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi met with members of the USAID’s Building Low Emission Alternatives to Develop Economic Resilience and Sustainability (B-LEADERS) recently to discuss the formulation of an optimal energy mix and look into local reserve requirements.

“Our main concern now is to increase the availability of quality, reliable, secure and affordable supply,” Secretary Cusi said, stressing the need for power supply amidst the fluctuating power supply situation of the county.

“We are also looking at establishing an “army of reserves” so that when there is lack of supply, we have something to rely on,” he added.

The DOE will be coordinating with the USAID B-Leaders and will form a team that will conduct a review of the current energy mix.


“We want to be certain on the decisions that we will make in order to entice more investments.” Sec. Cusi said.

The study will focus on the energy requirements for economic growth trends, load consumption profiles for energy consumers, emerging energy technologies and local industry readiness, transmission configurations and network development. The team will also look into the availability of indigenous energy for ensuring stable pricing to lessen dependence on energy that is dependent on international market prices.

NBA Store Philippines Celebrates 10 Years of NBA Cares by Supporting Filipino Education Initiative

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The three NBA Stores in the Philippines, which are managed by International Athletic Trading Company, Inc. (IATC), announced today the launch of a retail promotion to support Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI) in providing more Filipinos with access to quality education.

To commemorate the 10-year anniversary of NBA Cares, the league’s global social responsibility program, all three NBA Stores in the Philippines will donate a portion of NBA Name & Number T-shirt sale proceeds from Aug. 10 to Sept. 13 to KCFI. Proceeds from this initiative will fund the foundation’s education program focused on providing multimedia learning resources for students in grades K-12 and training teachers from public schools in the National Capital Region of Luzon.

“As an organization, we are aware of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and how achieving inclusive and quality education is a global priority,” said IATC President and CEO Melvin Lloyd Lim. “We value this opportunity to work with Knowledge Channel Foundation and look forward to bringing this program to life as our own way of giving back to the Philippine education system.”

“We want to provide the Filipino children with multimedia learning resources that provide an enriching academic journey,” said Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. President Rina Lopez Bautista. “Given the popularity of the NBA in the Philippines, we are excited to see how this initiative will enable more people to contribute to our mission of uplifting the lives of fellow Filipinos from poverty through education.”

KCFI is a not-for-profit organization helping empower Filipinos through educational media for the past 17 years. Knowledge Channel’s on-air, online and on-demand educational videos and other multimedia learning resources are accessible to more than 5 million learners in both formal and alternative learning systems in an estimated 6,000 schools and learning centers nationwide. In addition, KCFI is immersed in training teachers and stakeholders who implement the KCFI educational program in the Philippines.

NBA Name & Number T-shirts are part of the comprehensive selection of authentic NBA merchandise available at all three NBA Stores in the Philippines, which also offer official jerseys, footwear, performance gear, lifestyle apparel, basketballs, toys and collectibles. The NBA Stores at Glorietta 3, Mega Fashion Hall and TriNoma carry products from all 30 NBA teams, and feature brands such as 2K Sports, adidas, Mitchell & Ness, New Era, Panini, Spalding, Stance, and many more.

For more information on Knowledge Channel Foundation, visit www.kchonline.ph and follow the official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/knowledgechannel). For all the latest news and updates on the NBA Stores in the Philippines and the NBA, visitwww.nba.com and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba), Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines) and Instagram (@nbastoreph).

Hontiveros: Imprisonment Awaits Hospitals Violating Anti-Hospital Deposit Law

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Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros is pushing for a 4-6 year imprisonment for hospital administrators and officials who are guilty of violating the Anti-Hospital Deposit Law.

Hontiveros, who is the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, filed Senate Bill No. 216 that seeks to amend the existing Anti-Hospital Deposit Law and impose stricter penalties.

"Emergency-case patients are in life-and-death situations", Hontiveros explained. "The state must do its best to provide hospital and medical services to the people. The government must guarantee that they will not be denied hospital treatment just because they cannot give an advance payment," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros' bill proposes a 4-6 year imprisonment for erring hospital administrators and officials who demand any deposit or other form of advance payment, as a prerequisite for admission or medical treatment of an emergency patient. In addition, from the current PhP 100,000, Hontiveros' bill seeks to raise the maximum penalty to PhP 1,000,000.

The Senator explained that harsher penalties will ensure compliance, especially if it includes eventual revocation of hospitals' licenses to operate. “Upon three (3) repeated violations committed pursuant to an established policy of the hospital or clinic or upon instruction of its management, the health facility’s license to operate shall be revoked by the Department of Health”, includes the bill filed by Hontiveros.

However, Hontiveros was quick to say that her bill provides tax deduction for hospitals that will admit indigent or poor patients in cases of emergency. "I am confident that majority of our hospitals are compliant with the law. We will make sure that their efforts in partnership with government hospitals to help close the public health care gap are duly recognized," she said.

Early this year, University of Santo Tomas (UST) Hospital came under fire when Andrew Pelayo took to social media to air his grievance regarding his wife’s miscarriage due to the hospital’s refusal to provide treatment before any deposit was made.

"Kahit saan natin tignan, mas mahalaga ang buhay ng tao kaysa anumang deposito. Ang deposito ay mababayaran. Ang buhay na nawala ay hindi maibabalik o matatawaran," Hontiveros concluded.

Home Credit and Samsung Bring Back its Samsung Galaxy J Series Promo

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Due to popular demand, Home Credit Philippines and Samsung Philippines have decided to bring back the Samsung Galaxy J Series Promo where consumers can get a hold of the latest Samsung Galaxy J5 2016 and J7 2016 at 0% interest from August 5 to September 4, 2016.

Home Credit Philippines is a consumer financing company that offers easy, simple, and fast loan installment plans to Filipinos. The company only requires two valid IDs and an initial cash-out for the loan application. The approval process can take as little as 15 minutes, after which the consumers can take their Samsung J Series phones home.

"Our first 0% promo with Samsung for the J Series smartphones last summer was a huge success, and there is demand from customers even after the promo was over,” remarked Home Credit Philippines’ Head of Sales, Adam Bernasek. “So it was a very easy decision for us to bring back the promo with Samsung, and help more people get their hands on the amazing J Series phones.”

Customers may avail of the Samsung Galaxy J5 2016 for as low as ₱1,199 per month, or the Samsung Galaxy J7 2016 at ₱1,499 on instalment-basis for 6 months, through any of Home Credit’s retail partners.

The all-new Samsung Galaxy J5 and J7 2016 both feature 48GB memory, which can store thousands of selfies. At the same time, both units feature two new technologies, Signal Max and Ultra Data Saving, both first launched in the Philippines through the J5 and J7 2016. Signal Max provides for wider signal coverage and enhanced call quality. While its Ultra Data Saving feature enables consumers to save up to 50% on their mobile data consumption. Imagine how many more additional hours of internet browsing, video and music streaming, and photo uploads you can do with these savings. They also feature HD Super AMOLED displays, for true-to-life colors and clearer and deeper images. They even have improved cameras, with a 13MP back and 5MP front camera, f/1.9 aperture and LED front flash, both units produce high-quality pictures even in low-light conditions. They also come with 3,100 mAh and 3,300 mAh, for J5 and J7 2016 respectively. On top of these, they also feature Ultra Power Saving to help extend battery life, as well LTE Dual SIM, for added convenience.

"We are happy to be providing Filipinos the option to purchase the gadgets, appliances, and electronics they need via affordable loan installments, allowing them to manage their finances better. And we are very fortunate to have partners like Samsung who share the same vision," said Bernasek.

For more information, please visit www.homecredit.ph.

Another Podium in Team Suzuki Pilipinas’ Belt at SAC Round 4

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And the Philippine flag is on the podium once again in the international racing scene! Amidst the very tough races, Team Suzuki Pilipinas made sure that they got a podium on their belt when they go home. 

In a series of heart pounding laps, April King Mascardo, Eane Jaye (EJ) Sobretodo and Mario Borbon Jr. battled it hard with their equally strong contenders to win a trophy. The race track was bumpy and tricky but first timer Sobretodo was able to lead the pack of riders on Race 1 when teammate April got an overshoot after leading the first laps of the competition. However, the chicane caused him to overshoot as well, resulting to a crash. 

The team concluded with 5th for Mascardo, 9th for Borbon Jr. and 11th for Sobretodo – all riders with improved lap times. On Race 2, EJ took the lead but was cornered by his equally aggressive contenders. 

This gave the chance to April to advance into the race. Positioning first on the last lap, April went fast and got out of the pack giving chance to other contenders Jefri Tosema of Indonesia and Rozaliman Zakaria of Malaysia to get in the lead. 

Hollywood Child Star Millie Bobby Brown to Bring ‘Stranger Things’ Phenomenon to AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2016

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Things take a turn for the stranger as AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2016 (APCC Manila) confirmed Hollywood child actress Millie Bobby Brown as the latest celebrity guest of the biggest pop culture gathering happening from August 26 to 28 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Brown is most known for her current role in the ongoing sci-fi thriller series Stranger Things, in which she stars opposite Winona Ryder and David Harbour. Her portrayal of the enigmatic Eleven earned her high praises, including that of Variety.com chief TV critic Maureen Ryan.

She wrote, “Millie Bobby Brown is about to be cast in a lot of projects. With a very small number of lines, Brown gave an indelible performance as Eleven; the ways she subtly yet movingly conveyed fear, sadness, doubt, love and a yearning for connection will stay with me for a long time.”

Previously, Brown was cast after an extensive search as a lead in the series Intruders, opposite Oscar winner Mira Sorvino and John Simm. Brown also took on a recurring role in the series Once Upon a Time in Wonderland, as Young Alice. She has also guested in a number of cult favorites such as Modern Family, NCIS, and Grey's Anatomy.

beep Card Starts Limited Public Trial in CAVITEX

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AF Payments Inc. announced that it is expanding for the first time to toll ways, with the Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) starting its limited public trial on Monday, August 8.

All types of beep tap-and-go cards, including PayMaya beep cards will be accepted as payment at CAVITEX for the toll fees of Class 1 vehicles. The fee is P24 if exiting in Parañaque, and P64 if in Kawit.

beep cards can be purchased or reloaded at the Parañaque Customer Service Center during the public trial phase.

The CAVITEX is a 14-km expressway along the coast of Bacoor Bay, south of Roxas Boulevard. This road project aimed to strengthen the commercial link between Metro Manila and the nearby provinces of Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas, as well as ease traffic in major thoroughfares in the south.

“Extending the use of beep cards as a payment option at CAVITEX represents another step towards making the beep card an all-in-one travel card for commuters and even private vehicle owners. We hope that the low cost of the beep card (P20) and the wide network of loading options being developed will appeal to drivers who pass along CAVITEX and are interested in passing the toll gates more quickly” said Peter Maher, CEO and President of AF Payments Inc.

“This partnership is a welcome development. The management of CAVITEX is proud to be part of the modernization of different aspects of travel in the Philippines. Now, even private vehicle owners and their passengers can feel the benefits of having the beep™ card,” said J. Luigi L. Bautista, CAVITEX President and CEO.

All beep tap-and-go cards including PayMaya beep cards are accepted in all three elevated railways (LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3) and select bus lines.

The beep card is a tap-and-go payment system accepted in all three elevated railways (LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3) and select bus lines. It can be purchased for P20, is reloadable and valid for four years. More information about beep is available at <www.beeptopay.com/> and on Facebook (beep card) and Twitter (@beep_card).

DOE-IIEE Join Forces to Audit the Country’s Power System

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The Department of Energy (DOE) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers of the Philippines (IIEE) on 8 August 2016. The parties agreed to organize Task Forces consisting of DOE personnel and IIEE members that will conduct the technical audit of the generation, transmission and distribution facilities in the country.

Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said: “It is imperative for us to immediately determine the causes, whether technical or contractual, of the current power supply situation. We have to find a lasting solution to this recurring problem as well as establishing and institutionalizing far-reaching formulae, because it is our people who are bearing the brunt of power interruptions and we cannot allow that to continue.”

On a pro-bono basis, the DOE tapped IIEE for being the only Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC)-accredited professional association in the field of electrical engineering with the necessary technical knowledge, expertise and competence to assist the DOE in addressing the current power situation. The IIEE has 47,000 licensed and competent electrical engineers and master electricians across the country.

Pursuant to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the DOE and IIEE agreed to look into current mechanisms aimed at ensuring the safety, efficiency, quality, reliability and security of the power system.

The audit is also envisioned to disentangle and unbundle the flaws in the generation-transmission-distribution chain that cause deficiencies in our power supply.

The agreement was brought to the table because of the recent spate of power supply reserve deficiencies due to forced outages of major plants in Luzon. These deficiencies resulted to rotational brownouts in Metro Manila and nearby provinces in the past few days.

Present during the signing ceremony were (L-R) IIEE National President Larry C. Cruz and DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi, along with Atty. Felix Wimpy Fuentebella, DOE Spokesperson; Mr. Ramon P. Ayaton, Executive Director; Engr. Rogelio M. Avenido, 1986 National President; Engr. Alex C. Cabugao, 2014 National President; Engr. Florigo C. Varona, VP for External Affairs; Pete L. Ilagan, DOE Spokesperson; Engr. Florencio D. Berenguel, National Auditor; Engr. Ariel P. Duran, Former Metro Manila Regional Governor; Engr. Hipolito A. Leoncio, 2008 National President; Atty. Gerardo D. Erguiza Jr.; Engr. Arwin L. Ardon, PNOC-RC President and Dir. Arthus T. Tenazas, DOE Legal Services.

The DOE assures the public that it continues to monitor the developments in the power industry and to exhaust all possible measures to resolve the power supply situation in the country.

Globe Telecom Positions Davao in Global Connectivity Map

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Globe Telecom is positioning Davao in the global connectivity map by aggressively building on its network infrastructure in the city that includes the construction of the Philippine end of an international undersea cable system, the only facility of such kind in the country to directly connect Davao with the rest of the world.

“Both facilities will help underpin local economic growth as it will provide support for the expanding business requirement for data not only in Mindanao region but also in the country as a whole. Both the data center and the undersea cable systems are critical in ensuring the resiliency of the country’s internet connectivity with the rest of world, particularly US, where much of internet content is sourced,” said Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu.

The two facilities will play a major role in providing the ideal IT Infrastructure and International connectivity requirement not only of businesses located in Davao, but also for enterprises in Luzon and Visayas in line with the company’s vision of enhancing business capacities of enterprises and help usher the Philippines to become a digital nation, said Cu. "Enterprises located in northern and central Philippines may consider the data center as the primary site for Mindanao and secondary site of Luzon and Visayas in the event of natural or man-made disasters, explained Cu, emphasizing that the two facilities will help strengthen the company’s overall network resiliency ensuring its customers will have seamless connectivity, and providing constant support for next-generation technologies."

According to him, the data center, which is situated in the same location as the SEA-US cable landing station, will cater to BPOs, financial institutions, internet service providers and other content providers in southern Philippines. The project, once completed, will address ICT requirements of major trade and industry centers in Mindanao region, he emphasized.

Cu explained the Globe Business’ Davao Data Center is the best location for customers looking for a data center in the Mindanao region as it is located within the region’s central business hubs. He said the facility is Seismic Zone 4 compliant, which means that it has been retrofitted for earthquake safety. Also, infrastructure and redundant security solutions have been put in place to ensure that systems remain continuously available and secure. The data center is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2017.

The SEA-US cable system, on the other hand, will ease the country’s dependence on international cable systems routed through northern Philippines, said Cu. This could prevent a repeat of a 2008 incident where major international cables were broken because of the Taiwan earthquake. As a result, the Philippines became isolated for a few days in terms of internet connectivity.

To date, Globe already completed the construction of the Davao Power Feed Equipment, a facility that will address the energy requirement of SEA-US cable system. At a project cost of approximately $250 million, the SEA-US undersea cable system will provide superior latency, delivering an additional 20 Terabits per/second capacity, utilizing the latest 100 gigabits per second transmission technology. Such additional capacity will cater to the exponential growth of bandwidth between the two continents.

The SEA-US cable is being built by a consortium of 7 international telecommunication companies, that include Globe Telecom and will link 5 countries and territories that include Manado (Indonesia), Davao (Philippines), Piti (Guam), Oahu (Hawaii, United States) and Los Angeles (California, United States). The SEA-US project will be approximately 15,000 kilometers in length, provides route diversity from the North Pacific, avoiding earthquake prone areas in East Asia. The cable system is expected to provide more efficient connectivity to approximately 1.5 billion people. Aside from Globe Telecom, members of the SEA-US consortium include PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia International (Telin), Telkom USA, GTI Corporation (a member of the Globe Group of companies), RAM Telecom International (RTI), Teleguam Holdings (GTA) and Hawaiian Telcom (HTEL).

In addition to the construction of the data center and the SEA-US undersea cable system, the telecommunications operator is also embarking on an aggressive deployment of fiber-optic broadband technology and utilization of additional spectrum assets such as those in the 700 megahertz (MHz), 1800 MHz and 2600 MHz bands in Davao City. Furthermore, Globe is also rolling out a fiber optic cable system in the country, including Davao. The objective is to create an internet superhighway by deploying fiber in 20,000 barangays by 2020 and provide ultra-fast internet access to around 2 million homes nationwide.

*Photo Caption: Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu (2nd from right) and Davao City chairman of the Association of Barangay Captains and Councilor January Duterte (3rd from left) lead the opening of the power feed equipment site of the SEA-US cable landing facility located in Barangay Talomo, Davao City.

PH Auto Industry Vehicle Sales Exceed Expectations

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Carmudi Philippines—the local arm for the leading vehicle platform around the world—expressed confidence that online vehicle sales in the country will follow suit over the stellar sales performance achieved by the local automotive industry in closing the second quarter of 2016.

Carmudi Philippines Managing Director Abhi Mohan said that following the high vehicle sales numbers, they are expecting constant growth on all sectors concerning vehicle sales.

“We believe that the online sales atmosphere would follow suit in providing a strong commercial environment for the local automotive industry. For example, since more and more people are buying brand-new units, more pre-owned vehicles will be up for sale,” he explained.

He was referring to the 167,481 sales record posted by the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) for the first six months of 2016, posting a 27.4 percent surge against the 131,465 sales tallied in the same period last year. The said figures also surpassed highest monthly record.

Citing his previous claim that vehicle sales for the second and third quarter of 2016 would pose a challenge in the annual sales target for the year, Mohan now expresses confidence that those numbers will be met, and eventually exceeded.

“I could never be happier that I was wrong regarding the turnout of sales. This proves that the Philippine automotive industry would enjoy a remarkable sales performance all throughout the year,” Mohan said.

According to Mohan, he was surprised to learn about the figures, saying that despite the challenges for June, automotive sales remain stellar.

Medical Series Set In A World Of Crime And Mystery Enthralls Viewers With Its Dark Charm

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Phenomenal TV series Body of Proof proves to be a masterful piece of work which mesmerizes viewers with the shadowy appeal of each episode.

Dr. Megan Hunt was the head neurosurgeon at a Philadelphia hospital. She eventually lost her job due to an unfortunate accident which caused her to have paresthesia, a condition brought about by severe nerve damage and which brings about tingling and numbness to her hands. Without prior awareness of the condition, she performed an operation in which the patient died.

After a few years, Dr. Hunt was able to acquire a job as a medical examiner. Considering her extensive experience as a medical practitioner, she is able to dig deeper into some of the most mind-boggling crimes performed on a dead person’s body. Mimicking a seemingly modern day Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Hunt utilizes extraordinary ways of solving the puzzles. While on the job, she is supported by her boss, Dr. Kate Murphy, and her fellow medical examiner, Peter Dunlop, who is a former policeman. Dr. Hunt may be the best in her field, but how does she juggle her personal and work life with the pressures from the police department?

Body of Proof is created by Christopher Murphey. It stars Dana Delaney as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, and Nicholas Bishop as Peter Dunlop.

Catch Body of Proofon Sony Channel everyThursday at 8:50pm.

Sony Channel is available on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, Destiny Cable Channel 62, Cable Link Channel 39.