GoSURF50 Changes PH Index as 2nd Most Affordable Mobile Data Service in Asia Pacific

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The top selling mobile data promo of Globe Prepaid, GoSURF50 was upgraded with 1GB of mobile data allocation to further support customers’ digital lifestyle. In terms of mobile data pricing, GoSURF50 is now the 2nd most competitive offer across the Asia Pacific region at only P48.82 per GB in comparison to top prepaid telco offerings in the region including Brunei, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

The promo offered at retail price of only P50, valid for 3 days, also includes unlimited texts to all networks as well as free access to Facebook. GoSURF50’s 1 GB of data gives customers 700 MB for surfing while the remaining 300 MB allocation allows access to the customer’s app of choice such as Snapchat, Viber, Spotify Basic, YouTube + Daily Motion, Clash Royale, or Clash of Clans.

With 700 MB of data, one can enjoy streaming YouTube videos for 200 minutes; 600 posts and 880 likes on Facebook; 200 posts on Twitter; 100 Instagram uploads; and about 500 push emails.

According to Globe Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Business Issa Cabreira, “With the upgraded GoSURF50, we continue to provide our customers affordable promos that give them the most value for their money. Value added services such as free access to select apps as well as bundling core services such as unlimited SMS also allow us to provide a richer mobile experience.”

Globe Prepaid customers can subscribe to the new GoSURF50 and choose their free content via *143#. To check remaining MBs just send GoSURF STATUS to 8888. Customers will be notified immediately upon consuming 100% of the MB allocation.

To know more about the new GoSURF50 visit glbe.co/B1GGERGoSURF. For Globe Prepaid’s latest offers, visit http://www.globe.com.ph/surf/plan/gosurf50.

Hontiveros Files Six Health Bills in 15 Days

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Barangay health workers with no health insurance? That will soon change.

Keeping true to her campaign promise, Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed six essential bills within her platform of universal healthcare, fifteen days in on her first term.

One of her priority bills is the proposed legislation seeking PhP 6,000.00 as basic wage for barangay health workers or BHWs. Senate Bill No. 214 also seeks to provide training and accreditation to BHWs, currently serving in a volunteer basis.

“Barangay health workers aid the community in primary care like maternal and childcare and health education,” said Hontiveros. “But they are not given enough training and compensation for their service”, she added.

Having gone around the campaign trail, Hontiveros recalled her conversations with BHWs. She cited the case of numerous BHWs not being covered by PhilHealth. Hontiveros also served as PhilHealth director until October last year

“It’s a sad situation when health workers themselves are not insured of their health”, said Hontiveros. “Senate Bill No. 214 seeks to remedy that”, she added. Her bill seeks to provide BHWs with PHilHealth, GSIS and Pag-Ibig benefits.

According to latest data, there are 219,433 active BHWs in the country spread out in 42,000 barangays. The former PhilHealth Director sees the numbers as an opportunity: “The BHWs are or first responders. Imagine if we enhance their skills through more trainings”, she argued. The said bill promises a six-month Community Health Worker Education and Program to produce skilled medical professionals.

Hontiveros seeks counterpart funding from the national government to augment the support to BHWs given by local government units.

In addition to her bill on BHWs, Hontiveros also proposed legislations on the extension of maternity leave, strengthening of the HIV-AIDS law and the anti-hospital deposit law, establishment of the National Health Promotion Institute and providing mandatory PhilHealth coverage for persons with disabilities.

Hackzilla in Manila: Hackathon for Disaster Response Management

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Build the Tech, Stop the Carnage, Save the World!

Freelancer.com kicks off the largest inter-collegiate hackathin for disaster response management dubbed as Hackzilla in Manila.

The first-ever Hackzilla in Manila is Freelancer.com’s inter-collegiate hackathon. Within 36 hours, students will be challenged to build mobile applications, websites, and various other technological solutions that will concentrate on alleviating the harmful impact of natural calamities.

This year’s theme is Preparing the Philippines to effectively respond to natural disasters through the use of technology.

In partnership with the Philippine Disaster Response Foundation (PDRF), The Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Project NOAH, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Developers Connect Philippines (DevCon), and the Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE), Freelancer.com’s event Hackzilla in Manila will happen from July 22 to 23, 2016 at the Freelancer.com office, 30th floor, Ecotower, 32nd cor 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

WHAT: HACKZILLA IN MANILA
WHEN: 22 - 23 July 2016
WHERE: Freelancer.com Office
30th floor, Ecotower, 32nd cor 9th Avenue,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Below is the official Press Release:

On June 22, 2016, the whole of Metro Manila joined together in #MMShakeDrill--a massive earthquake drill aimed to prepare citizens for a 7.2-magnitude earthquake caused by the movement of the West Valley Fault.

Organized by the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) together with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA),  the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), and various other stakeholders, the metrowide event aims to mitigate the widespread loss of lives and properties.

Such preparation is not unfounded paranoia: more than ever, it is a necessity. With the Philippines having been hailed as one of the world’s most disaster-prone countries, the country must acknowledge the inevitable onslaught of supertyphoons and earthquakes (much like it had during Typhoons Yolanda and Ondoy) in the years to come. Being caught off-guard without proper disaster response strategies is the worst thing that could happen.

Creating Technologies to Combat Calamities

As a firm believer in the capability of technology to empower Filipino talent and catalyze positive change in communities, the world’s top online freelancing website Freelancer.com has spearheaded an innovative hackathon that will rally college students to pitch their transformative ideas to address societal problems.

With Preparing the Philippines to effectively respond to natural disasters through the use of technology as the theme of the first-ever Hackzilla in Manila, Freelancer.com’s inter-collegiate hackathon, students will be challenged to build mobile applications, websites, and various other technological solutions that will concentrate on alleviating the harmful impact of natural calamities.

In partnership with the Philippine Disaster Response Foundation (PDRF), The Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Developers Connect Philippines (DevCon), and the Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE), Freelancer.com’s event Hackzilla in Manila will happen from July 22 to 23, 2016.

To qualify:

1.    Students must be currently enrolled in a CHED-accredited school;

2.    Each group can have a maximum of five (5) members. (Group members do not necessarily have to come from the same school.)

3.    Groups looking to join the competition will have to submit via the Sign Up form at http://www.hackzilla.io/sign-up/ the following details:

○     A brief write up providing the profile of the team members including Github (or similar) references showing capability through past projects;

○     A short 2-minute video, uploaded on YouTube, outlining their hackathon pitch in line with the event theme.  

4.    A maximum of 12 teams will be selected by the organizing committee, consisting of Freelancer.com senior engineers and staff, to compete in the event; 3 alternate teams will also be identified in case some of the selected teams decide to pull out of the event

5.    Deadline for submission of entries will be on July 8, 2016.

6.    Selected and alternate teams will be notified via email on July 15, 2016.

7.    Competing teams should be present on July 22 at the Freelancer.com office, 30th floor, Ecotower, 32nd cor 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The winning team will be announced on July 23, with the finalists’ entries judged by representatives from Freelancer.com and its partner organizations.

To know more, visit: www.hackzilla.io