Duterte Witnesses Signing of Globe with Huawei, Nokia, Wuhan FiberHome

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Increasing investments to continuously improve internet services in the country, Globe Telecom signed several agreements involving its technology partners Huawei Technologies, Nokia and Wuhan Fiberhome International Technologies amounting $750 million over a period of 5 years to accelerate use of new LTE technologies to enhance its data services and improve customer experience.

"Globe is deeply committed in giving a wonderful experience to our customers by continuing to build and invest on our network. We are confident that our collaboration with Huawei, Nokia and Wuhan FiberHome will translate into a more robust Globe network that will meet the country’s future digital demands,” Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu said.

The agreements signed by Globe include the deployment of new LTE spectrum in the country. Specifically, Cu and Globe Director Fernando Zobel de Ayala signed a memorandum of confirmation with Chen Yuhua, the head of Nokia international business, relating to the implementation of this project in Visayas and Mindanao. A similar memorandum of confirmation was signed between Globe and Huawei CEO Kevin Gao relating to deployment of LTE spectrum in Luzon.

This project aims to provide wider LTE coverage and better indoor penetration, through an estimated 4,600 sites in the country. The project will increase data and fixed-wireless broadband capacity to provide telecommunications services in many areas in the country that at present have no access to broadband services. In addition, the project will strengthen telecommunications infrastructure and address the adverse impact of typhoons that constantly hit the country as well as enhance support to the government’s thrust for higher availability of broadband internet services.

Mike Wang, President at Nokia Networks Greater China, said: “This is a significant agreement with a longstanding collaborator. It strengthens Nokia’s position as Globe Telecom’s premier end-to-end solution provider. We are committed to delivering technologies that allow operators to smoothly transit to intelligent, virtual networks and seamless connectivity, to change how people communicate and connect.”

“Huawei is very happy to sign the MoC and through these cooperation, we hope to provide high quality products and professional services and work with our Philippine partners to bring a better connected service to this country,” Gao said.

Globe also signed a separate memorandum of confirmation with Huawei and Nokia relating to a capacity expansion program for its corporate data network. The fixed line network modernization project will improve the quality of its corporate network with capabilities, capacities, features and functionalities that are constantly responsive to business and enterprise requirements. The project will re-design and transform the network to make it future-proof and meet specified minimum engineering and technology end-state requirement, making the network more agile in serving the heavy data traffic of its enterprise customers.

In addition to these, Globe signed another memorandum of confirmation with Huawei and Wuhan FiberHome relating to the company’s plan to build a fiber infrastructure to support the rollout of fixed broadband lines in Filipino homes. With a robust fixed broadband network, more customers will be better served by high speed internet connections.

Globe signed the agreement with Wuhan Fiberhome International Technologies President Zhiqiang Fan, Wuhan Fiberhome International Technologies Philippines CEO Hui Liu and Huawei CEO Kevin Gao.

“It is a great honor to be the partner of Globe on its nationwide broadband building program which will provide Filipinos with the state-of-the-art fiber technology. We believe that FiberHome’s expertise in telecommunications over the last 40 years will be of great value to Globe Telecom’s infrastructure build. We are proud to contribute to a vision of building a fiber network that will benefit Filipinos nationwide and we look forward to further enhancing our partnership with Globe," said Fan.

Aimed at improving the coverage and capacity of Globe Telecom’s fixed broadband network, the project involves deployment of fiber optics in 20,000 barangays by 2020, which is expected to provide ultra-fast internet access to around 2 million homes nationwide.

Restoration of Energy Facilities in Full Swing - Sec. Cusi

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As Typhoon Lawin heads out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility, Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi directed concerned energy agencies to execute full and immediate restoration of power facilities damaged by the typhoon.

"Restoration of power facilities are underway to bring back electricity service in the typhoon-hit areas in Northern Luzon," said Secretary Cusi.

The Secretary said, “Public safety is the primary consideration when it comes to rehabilitation, so we have to first check and assess the effect of the typhoon to these facilities.”

“I am also urging our kababayans to coordinate with their local officials and authorities on any incidents affecting these facilities and for their families to take extra caution in using their electrical equipment,” Cusi advised.

“On the distribution lines, the National Electrification Administration (NEA) is monitoring and assessing the status of electric cooperatives (EC) for rehabilitation.”

“The typhoon-affected areas are covered by 14 ECs including the Cagayan I & II Electric Cooperatives (CAGELCO I & II), Isabela I & II Electric Cooperatives (ISELCO), Nueva Vizcaya Electric Cooperative (NUVELCO), Quirino Electric Cooperative (QUIRELCO), Abra Electric Cooperative (ABRECO), Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO), Mt. Province Electric Cooperative (MOPRECO), Ifugao Electric Cooperative (IFELCO), Kalinga Electric Cooperative (KAELCO), Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC), Ilocos Sur Electric Cooperative (ISECO) and La Union Electric Cooperative (LUELCO).”

Secretary Cusi informed, “As of October 20, 2016, 7:00 pm, the ECs have partially or totally restored electricity service in 31 municipalities out of the 248 municipalities or 12.5% of the typhoon-affected areas as follows: two in BENECO, seven in ISECO , 12 in LUELCO, one in ISELCO I and nine under NUVELCO.”

As of 2:00 p.m., the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) reported the status of the rehabilitation on the following transmission lines servicing the provinces of La Union, Kalinga, Apayao, Isabela, Cagayan, Abra, Benguet, Mountain Province, Ilocos Norte Sur, Ifugao, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino:

In Search of the Truth About the Controversial Dengue Vaccine

Wazzup PIlipinas!

"The majority of the people are not really aware on how Dengue really attacks the body. I do believe if we can educate them the chances of surviving will increase dramatically and we may even reach a point that dengue deaths will be zero. Thus, this advocacy." - Dr. Richard Mata

Sanofi Pasteur, a French multinational pharmaceutical company, led by Dr. Bouckenooghe, Mr. Joshua_Nealon, and Dr. Ruby Dizon, recently conducted a media conference about the dengue vaccine.

The event was held at the Dusit Thani hotel in Makati city on October 20, 2016. It allowed us the opportunity to ask them several questions about the dengue vaccine, including the many issues that has made it very controversial.

While the Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial assured that the newly registered vaccine was safe for use, there has been an awful lot of questions about this sudden, undue haste in providing the dengue vaccine. The vaccine is the first ever approved for use to prevent dengue, a mosquito-borne disease endemic in the Philippines. Should we express concern that children in the Philippines are being used as “guinea pigs” since the country was the first in Asia to implement the vaccination?

The government purchased the dengue vaccine in March this year and was delivered in the same month. The vaccine was just registered by the Food and Drug Authority on Dec. 22, 2015. The Department of Health (DOH) started to give the first of three doses of the vaccine from April to July this year to almost 500,000 children in Metro Manila, Southern Luzon and Central Luzon.