CHED and DOST to Hold APEC Conferences and Policy Talks on Science and Technology in Higher Education

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We were at the press conference organized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) with regards to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2015 conferences scheduled on August 10 to 15 - a two-part series of conferences namely the Policy Partnership on Science, Technology and Innovation (PPSTI) on August 10 to 12, and High Level Policy Dialogue on Science and Technology in Higher Education (HLPD-STHE) scheduled on August 13 to 15. This conferences will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

CHED and DOST combine forces to bring us a series of APEC conferences specific to policy talks highlighting Science and Technology in Higher Education. The DOST and CHED will host the talks.

The panelists during the press conference held on August 7, 2015 at the Sulo Riviera Hotel in Diliman, Quezon City was led by DOST Secretary Mario Montejo and CHED Secretary Patricia Licuanan. Other members of the panel were DOST Usec Amelia Guevarra, CHED Commissioner Minella Alarcon, and CHED Director Napoleon Juanillo. DOST Assistant Secretary Raymond Liboro was also there to moderate the panel, As well as DOST Undersecretary Rowena Guevarra, and other personalities from both the DOST and CHED.

Yours truly was representing Vigattin Radio of Radyo Inquirer being one of the co-anchors of the radio show aired every Saturday from 10 to 11 am. I was with Elison Barcelo, CEO of Vigattin Inc. I noticed that there were no bloggers invited to this particular press conference which was surprising because we were actually listening to the initiatives of government agencies that were supposed to be embracing technology in full force.

Best Cities in the Philippines for First-Time Homebuyers

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In real estate, the adage “drive and drive until you qualify” holds true, especially in the case of Metro Manila. As homes in the capital become more expensive, many first-time homebuyers whose work base is either Makati, Bonifacio Global City, or Ortigas Center are looking further afield in search of their dream home.

The good thing is that areas that surround the capital abound with affordable options for these homebuyers. Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) picked the top cities and towns around Metro Manila for first-time buyers, using five factors to judge the best: market popularity, prices, inventory, and ease of commute to the capital.

1. San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan
Average home price: Php495,999
Inventory: 590

Although San Jose Del Monte, situated just north of Quezon City, has been previously known as the government’s go-to site for mass relocation projects, the city is now shedding that image and is fast becoming an economically important city. Big-ticket real estate projects, such as Ayala Land’s Altaraza Town Center, are putting San Jose Del Monte on the map. Homes in the city are still quite affordable, which average Php495,999, and plenty of inventory is available.

Start and End Your Day Informed with Yahoo News Digest

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In this day and age when news travels as fast as the speed of light, the challenge is to keep up without info-overload stress. Yahoo News Digest offers a solution by providing news delivered in digests twice a day, in a beautiful and seamless design. You can even choose from four different editions of the digest – United States, United Kingdom, Canada and International.

Yahoo News Digest offers a compilation of global headlines in the morning and in the evening, with topics ranging from world, politics, technology, science, sports, health, entertainment, odd news and business. As soon as they are notified that the digest is ready, users can scan the summary, as well as read units of information called “Atoms,” which provide context to each story, including maps, infographics, videos, photos and more.

The digest summarizes news from respected sources such as Reuters, BBC, and the Associated Press and supplement it with relevant information -- Wikipedia entries, related tweets, videos and maps. In case users missed some articles, the app provides a countdown to the next digest and an option to go back to previous digests.

The app was created to serve people’s daily need to stay informed about the most important news and events around them. The algorithms, which were developed at Summly, smartly reduce stories to the most fundamental elements and meaningfully combine them with select point of views sourced from around the web.