Bill to Exempt Startups From Taxes on First Two Years – Senator Bam Aquino

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Speaking in the Cebu press launch of the upcoming Geeks on a Beach (GOAB) international tech conference, Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV announced that he is refiling a bill exempting startups from taxes on their first two years of operation.

Senator Bam Aquino has consistently shown support to startups or innovation-driven enterprises based on apps, saying proper support for the homegrown startup community may yet produce the next Facebook or Twitter.

“The bill encourages the growth of more Filipino startups by giving them enough time to stand on their own. This reaffirms the government’s recognition of the importance of startups and commitment to innovation,” said Senator Bam Aquino.

Filed by Senator Bam Aquino last May 7, 2014 as Senate Bill 2217, the Startup Business Bill which was not made into law in the previous congress will be refiled by the senator after the opening of the 17th Congress later this month.

He will also be giving a keynote speech during the fourth GOAB, a one of a kind conference that combines the latest tech development with a fun environment which will be held in Bellevue Hotel in Panglao, Bohol this August 25-26, 2016.

Impact Hub Fellowship on Sustainable Energy Solutions with WWF and PEF

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The deadline, July 24, 2016, of the Impact Hub Fellowship on Sustainable Energy Solutions with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Peace and Equity Foundation (PEF) is fast approaching.

With the aim to build a better Philippines by searching for innovations in the energy field, specifically Renewable energy, Energy efficiency, Access to energy (off-grid solutions), Energy systems, Energy reduction, and basically anything which has to do with energy, the fellowship encourages everyone to come forth with innovative solutions.

The highlights of ideas and enterprises who applied in the last weeks (Powergrass, BioCoal and Sustainable Alternative Lighting – SALt) are on the crowdicity page: https://impacthubmanila.crowdicity.com

PEF, WWF together with Impact Hub Manila supports the best and most innovative ideas and business enterprises which address the need for sustainable energy solutions through the Impact Hub Fellowship Program. It is an incubation program for startups which focus on renewable energy; energy efficiency, access to energy and off­grid solutions, energy systems plus energy consumption reduction. WWF Philippines President & CEO Joel Palma said, “With our partners, we are excited to search for innovative ideas and enterprises which are aligned with our core values and objectives.” 

The Fellowship program is designed to attract, select and support impact­oriented entrepreneurs and help them realize their innovations for a more sustainable world. “Being topic focused in our delivery of fellowship programsis unique in the incubator / accelerator space and ensures that we are targeting the key pressing,” said Lizan Kuster, co­founder of ImpactHub Manila. Participants are given the chance to winmore than₱​2.5 million worth of fellowship prizes. This includes ₱1.5 million seed funding, skill development trainings, mentorship, access to a stimulating workspace at Impact Hub Manila and valuable networks. “We doubled and tripled the number of fellows we will support for this year from just one startup team the last time which enables us to support more entrepreneurs,” Kuster added. 

Aspiring entrepreneurs or early­stage startups are welcome to apply,though the startup teams applying must be able to register their business in the Philippines and be able to work and live in the Philippines as well. Applications were open from June 16, 2016 until July 24, 2016 on http://www.impacthub.ph/incubation­fellowship­energy­wwf­pef. Impact Hub Manila in collaboration with WWF and PEF conducted idea development workshop on June 22, 2016 and pitching workshop until July 21, 2016. The teams must submit their business plan as an entry for the Fellowship Program. Fifteen startups will be chosen to pitch in front of a panel of judges. The selected six to eight startups will participate in a six­ week business training program, called the Kick Program. Two to three teams will be selected as winning fellows of the program. These fellows will be incubated for six months. At the incubation phase,the Fellows will undergo further training to have their enterprise be ready for investment, and further customer validation of their product or service network.

Iya Villania Continues to Trust Claritin: The Expert Against Allergies

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Claritin Allergy 101 event re-introduces 7-month pregnant Filipino celebrity Iya Villania, who's soon to be a mother to a baby boy, as brand ambassador. 

An event held on July 13, 2016 at Cafe Naya of The Palace in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, to one again feature the Loratadine antihistamine as RediTabs (10 mg orally disintegrating tablets) which melts in your mouth as soon as you put the tablet in. The event also gave everyonean overview about Allergy, and how Claritin remains to be the number one brand to treat allergies.

We learned that Iya is allergic to cats, specifically to husband Drew Arellano's pet cat, but thanks to Claritin, she can cope with the allergic reaction. I wanted to ask if she finally encouraged her husband to get rid of the cat but I assumed the pet was allowed to stay because Claritin anti-allergy was effective or "expert" enough to do the trick.

Needless to say, Claritin is also safe for pregnant and lactating women. But just to be sure, always consult the experts - your doctors - since we all know that we may have different reactions to certain medicines. Claritin also has a version for kids so no worries just in case the baby inherits the allergy. You'll Claritin's Chewable Tablets. The great taste, convenient packaging and non- drowsy formula allows children to enjoy life without suffering any allergic reaction. They can literally ‪#‎stopandsmelltheflowers‬ without fearing any symptoms to occur.

During the event, they had a guest doctor who gave us an overview about allergies and its different kinds. She also answered inquiries from the attendees, and my question about tests or procedures we could take if we want want to know in advance what are we allergic to.