Foundation for Media Alternatives to Launch Philippine Gender Report Card

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) is set to launch a Gender Report Card that measures the Philippines’ progress in closing the digital gender gap on April 6, 2017 at the Oracle Hotel and Residences, Quezon City. The launch and forum is expected to be attended by around 50 participants from academe, government, women’s groups, community organizations, human rights organizations, and other civil society groups.

The Philippine Report Card was developed by FMA in collaboration with the World Wide Web Foundation and with support from UN Women and Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. The overall country score is based on 14 indicators that were grouped into five main thematic categories, namely: internet access and women’s empowerment, relevant content and services, online safety, affordability, and digital skills and education. Scores for each indicator were given based on reliable empirical sources such as reports, surveys, and existing legislation.

Information and communication technologies (ICT) have transformed the way people communicate and relate with each other. ICTs have provided opportunities for women to express and assert their rights and identities, access important information that may contribute to their empowerment, and the development of the communities they belong in. However, as the Report Card scores demonstrate, a formidable gender gap in Internet access, digital skills and online rights remains to be closed.

In response to these scores, FMA, in consultation with other national stakeholders, has taken the lead in identifying concrete steps that the Philippine government can take to address the challenges identified. These steps form a 5-point action plan: integrate gender into the Philippines’ national ICT plan; improve internet affordability and speed; implement inclusive digital literacy programmes; conduct gender audits of government agency websites; and end online gender-based violence.

Apart from the Philippines, the Web Foundation and its partners prepared similar gender audits in nine other countries (Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Egypt, Colombia, India, and Indonesia). The audits are designed to help the countries assess the steps that need to be taken to close the digital gender gap. In the future, FMA plans to use the Report Card to push for the agenda included in the action plan and influence meaningful policy change.

Universal Robots Partners Nissan Motor Company to Enhance Manufacturing Productivity through Collaborative Robots

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Nissan Motor Company has simplified processes, reduced relief worker costs and stabilised production output through deployment of Universal Robots’ UR10 cobots

Universal Robots, the leading collaborative robotics company, has announced that Nissan Motor Company has successfully deployed Universal Robots’ UR10 robot arms at its Yokohama factory; joining other global automotive manufacturers including BMW and Volkswagen who are using Universal Robots’ collaborative robots (cobots) to automate their processes. Through the deployment of Universal Robots’ cobots, Nissan has enhanced its production processes, resulting in a higher level of output and stability as well as time and cost efficiencies. Nissan’s aging workforce also enjoy a reduced workload, and were redeployed to less strenuous tasks.

Shermine Gotfredsen, General Manager, SEA and Oceania, said, “We are excited to be working with Nissan in their automation journey. The global automotive industry plays a key role in driving the adoption of collaborative robots (cobots) to produce better manufacturing output, and this is critical for industry players to stay competitive. Universal Robots is at the forefront of this trend; our cobots effectively support process automation, resulting in improved safety standards and less strain on human employees. This can be applied not only in the automotive industry, but also in the manufacturing of electronics and electrical, pharma and chemistry, and food and agriculture.”

Cobots are an offshoot of traditional industrial robots. They are lightweight and mobile in terms of deployment, and are flexible enough to be modified for different applications. The automotive industry uses cobots in a wide variety of processes, including handling, assembling, packaging, palletizing, labelling, painting, quality control and machine tending. The market value for collaborative industrial robots in the automotive industry was US$23.56 million in 2015 and is projected to reach US$469.82 million by 2021, at a CAGR of 64.67% between 2015 and 2021.


Rise of Collaborative Industrial Robots in The Philippines’s Automotive Industry

The automotive industry in SEA is poised for expansion with large markets experiencing important sales growth. As a key manufacturing hub producing for Asia and the world, SEA’s automotive sector grew by 11% CAGR between 2010 and 2015[1]. The upcoming implementation of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Free-Trade Area is expected to lower import and export taxes in the region, further driving demand for cost-effective regionally manufactured vehicles.

The Philippine automotive industry is one of the key drivers of the economy, contributing 4% of GDP in 2011[2], and is the third fastest-growing automotive market in Southeast Asia. The industry aims to make the country a competitive manufacturing base of motor vehicles and parts and components, serving the domestic and export markets globally. Currently the country has a 2% market share in the region[3]. With increasing demand for automotive vehicles, the Philippines automotive industry is moving towards automation using collaborative industrial robots to ensure cost-effective increases in manufacturing.



UR10 Robot Arms at Nissan Motor Company

Nissan Motor Company needed to streamline its production process at its large-scale Yokohama plant. The company also needed to manage labour costs with an aging workforce and the associated loss of vital skills.

Mr Nakamura, Expert Headman for the plant’s Engine Section, said: “We needed a robot large enough to carry hefty intake manifold components, weighing up to 6kgs. On comparison with other companies’ robots, we selected the UR10 due to its cost advantages for a single robot, as well as its weight capacity. In the process of installing the intake manifolds, only the UR10 robot arm had the payload of 10kg among the other products we considered.”

Universal Robots’ cobots are collaborative industrial robot arms that can automate processes and tasks that weigh up to 10 kg, and require precision and reliability. With a reach radius of up to 1300mm, the cobots are designed to be more effective at tasks across a larger area, and can save time on production lines where distance can be a factor. Universal Robots’ cobots are easy to program and set up. They are designed to work alongside humans, as a tool, to help simplify and speed up tasks that might be complicated, or require greater physical strength.

After deliberating on the range of safety and features required, Nissan decided on using the UR10 robot arms which were easily installed, programmed and operational within a week. The deployment of UR10 robot arms at Nissan reduced production time and quality as well as allowed employees to be relieved of monotonous tasks, allowing them to obtain valuable line experience elsewhere.

Subsection Chief of Engine Section Mr Onishi said: “We are able to quickly respond to potential production time overruns as we can easily move the UR10 to work on any process in the plant where the issue has been identified. We plan to further the use of cobots by integrating the strong on-site and engineering capabilities, which will increase our level of cobots deployment going forward.”

For more details on how Nissan Motor Company is using UR10 robots please click here.

Top 7 Tips To Become Better in Writing

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If you want to be a good writer, be ready that this will be a hard job. Our short article will give you some writing advice to improve writing skills.

If you are going to become a good writer, be prepared to work hard. It’s not an easy job, but if you will follow our writing advice, you get success eventually. Whether your goal is to publish a detective book or to write a story of your life to your grandchildren, remember that every writer can learn to write better, and try to improve your skills every day.

Writing tips

Start your writing journey today, and be prepared to both good and bad moments. Remember that no one is perfect, and learn on your own mistakes every day. And of course, keep in your memory that your hard job worth the effort.

1. Read a lot every day. You won’t be able to become a good writer without reading. Try to read famous authors, notice what style they use, and how they describe things. When you read a good book, there is a feeling that you can see everything that happens there just in your mind. This is a goal you need to reach. If you don’t read great writers, you won’t be able to know how to write perfect.

2. Write every day. Even if you’re busy with job, kids or something else, try to spend at least half of hour writing. This should be regular to improve your writing skills. Only effective regular writing will help to raise your level. Writing needs a lot of practice, so don’t be lazy and prepare yourself to work hard.

3. Keep a notebook and pencil in your pocket and write down new ideas that come to your head. Your inspiration may come when you’re walking outside on weekend or heading home from work in the evening. Make even small notes that may seem you not valuable. After revising your notebook, you may get a full and bright idea for the future writing.

4. Create your writing ritual. Just find at least 30 minutes every day when you can sit in a quiet place alone and write. This may seem hard at the very beginning, but in about a month you will be used to this, and writing ritual will be your special time.

5. Get feedback. Your writing doesn’t make any sense without readers. Read your work to your friends, relatives, etc. and ask them to give you a feedback. Use criticism to improve your writing and never get disappointed about mistakes. You won’t be able to learn anything without making errors.

6. Read articles, blogs and tips from writers on Internet. There are a lot of useful information you can find there; in addition, you are able to ask for any writing advice you need. Online conversation with other people who are also learning to write may be helpful. Regularly research information about writing styles and different techniques, read various Spider Essay.

7. Create your own blog and publish your work there; you will get your own readers that may react at your article/story. It will be useful for you to be in touch with people in your blog. Their reaction is an important part of real writer’s work. Don’t expect all people to react positive, you definitely will get haters, and this is kinda normal, just be ready for this. Read other writers’ blogs and analyze what in their work attracts you mostly.


These are just some short tips for you how to improve your writing skills, but we hope it will be useful for you. Never give up and keep trying, there is no success without hard work and mistakes.