Powerful Beginning for Suzuki-VMan Racing Team at the MotoIR Championships

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Suzuki-VMan Racing Team came in powerful at the first round of the MotoIR Championship on Sunday, April 22 at Batangas Racing Circuit bagging 3 awards and a pole position on the Suzuki GSX-R150. 

This is Suzuki's big return on the MotoIR and the brand's comeback has proven that the team is a strong force to be reckoned with. The Suzuki-VMan Racing Team is composed of veteran riders and Suzuki Asian Challenge (SAC) graduates April King Mascardo and Eane Jaye Sobretodo with promising young racers Djereck Ondillio and Dan Carlo Alvarado. Mascardo and Sobretodo are competing at the MotoIR Championship Expert (MotoIR1) category while Ondillio and Alvarado race at MotoIR Novice/Beginners category (MotoIR3). 

The MotoIR1 saw Sobretodo securing the pole position and leading the first few laps with Mascardo on his tail at the lead pack. In the next laps however, a technical problem occurred with Sobretodo leaving Mascardo to secure the team's position which landed him 3rd on the podium. 

The MotoIR3 on the other hand, showcased consistent strong performances of both Ondillio and Alvarado who started the race at 1st and 2nd positions on the grid capping the race with a smooth 1-2 finish. 

Summary of Awards: 

MotoIR Championships MotoIR1 - Expert Category 

April King Mascardo - 3rd Place 

Eane Jaye Sobretodo - Pole Position 

MotoIR3 - Novice/Beginners Category 

Djereck Ondillio - 1st Place 

Dan Carlo Alvarado - 2nd Place 

The MotoIR Championships run within the National Motorcycle Championships 2018. Round 2 is slated on June 3 at Batangas Racing Circuit.

Bigiw-Bugsay: 3 Years of Upholding Traditional Sailing Culture

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A five-day expedition followed by a regatta was held in several areas hemming in the Tanon Strait in the Central Visayas to honor the traditional culture and heritage of seafarers and navigators who use dugout canoes called Bigiw.  

Since the first Bigiw-Bugsay event was staged in 2016, a growing number of fisherfolk have joined the regatta. This year, over 60 participants registered for the youth, women and men’s Bigiw paddling and sailing races. 

The regatta was held at the Seaside Park in Moalboal last 22 April. To make its 3^rd year more exciting, the organizing group Island Buzz Philippines, a water sports company which aims to promote the use of non-motorized watercraft to protect the environment while reviving islander cultural lifestyles, embarked on a Bigiw expedition from 16 to 20 April, featuring 3 Bigiw sailors led by Buzzy Budlong, a renowned Visayan paddler who holds the record for paddling 3025 kilometers from south to north of the Philippines in 88 days.

The other two Bigiw sailors are Gary Neil Benedicto, a longboarding skater champion and Panie Lagon, a lifeguard and fisherman from Moalboal.

During the expedition, the group conducted free Bigiw paddling and sailing clinics for locals. 

Oceana Philippines, the world’s largest nonprofit solely dedicated to marine conservation, joined the clinics to give environmental lectures. “We support Island Buzz Philippines in promoting fibreglass boats which use wind and paddle power. Fibreglass is not only lightweight – it frees fishers from relying on our thinning forests to build and repair boats. Sails harness the wind so fishers need not rely on dirty fossil-fuels,” says Oceana Philippines Director for Communications Gregg Yan. Oceana also distributed primers on the country’s Amended Fisheries Code to better help local fishers in protecting their home coasts.

The expedition and Bigiw clinics covered a number of municipalities, including Bindoy, Manjuyod, Tanjay and Amlan before heading back to Moalboal for the Bigiw regatta and the launch of the ‘Hybrid Bigiw’ – an innovative sailing canoe which is more compact, lightweight and efficient than currently-used designs. Most importantly, the watercraft is environmentally-friendly as making one will not be at the expense of a tree. 

Some Bigiw canoes can still be found along the Tanon Strait, being used by fisherfolk from both Cebu and Negros. Some can also be found in Samar and Leyte. However, because more fishermen are inclined towards motorized boats, the design and most especially the skill of paddling and sailing these Bigiws might be lost in the future.  

Concludes Buzzy Budlong, “We don’t want this to happen. We shall continue with our advocacy of promoting the Bigiw and we will keep on improving its design without losing the local touch. With the help of our sponsors, supporting local government units and the Department of Tourism Region-7, the use of the Bigiw, its pointed and slim hull, triangular sail, plus traditional methods of navigating can be passed on for generations to come, as a source of pride and most especially as a lifestyle.”

IPC’s Timekeeping, Payroll App is now TRAIN Law-ready

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IPC PayCheck, a timekeeping and payroll solution with add-on HR features offered by local cloud solutions pioneer IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) has adjusted its system to reflect the new tax computations under the recently-approved Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law. The latter is the government’s program that seeks to provide a fairer and simpler tax system for Filipinos.

IPC PayCheck is a convenient HR tool that streamlines and automates the management of employees through a digital means of timekeeping, leave filing, and compensation and benefits computations. The system also helps eliminate errors and speed up the completion of tasks, freeing more time for other vital activities like employee engagement and training, as well as other core business processes. IPC PayCheck looks to improve its features according to market feedback and needs of the times.

“IPC PayCheck is a productivity suite of scalable payroll and timekeeping solutions that help HR employees perform their work, easily and accurately.” says IPC Chief Operating Officer, Dave R. de Leon.

“It’s apt for any organization -- from startups, to small-and-medium-sized businesses, and even large enterprises who are looking for a digital approach to carry out manual, repetitive tasks in no time, and one that will allow them to focus on vital tasks that will help the company grow further,” adds de Leon.

IPC PayCheck’s clientele is expanding as more and more companies shift from on-premise to cloud-based HRIS (Human Resource Information System). This is due to businesses’ increasing interest in innovation and cost-reduction efforts.

Aside from personal income, the TRAIN law or Republic Act 10963 decreases the tax on estate, and donations, while increasing the excise tax on certain products such as petroleum, automobiles, sweetened beverages, and cigarettes; as well as non-essential services like invasive cosmetic procedures. The law took effect early this year.