ePLDT Receives Global Accreditation for its 2nd VITRO Data Center in Cebu

Wazzup Pilipinas!

ePLDT, Inc., the industry-leading enabler of digital business solutions in the Philippines, recently received a global accreditation for its newly inaugurated VITRO Data Center in Cebu City. NTT Communications now recognizes the new robust facility as part of its network of Nexcenter-certified data centers, which are located in more than 140 locations in 18 countries.

All Nexcenter-accredited data centers passed rigorous in-house parameters set by NTT Communications, ensuring that all facilities meet the globally consistent data center standards in service quality, flexibility and cost efficiency.

NTT Communications employs consistent operational procedures across all its data centers worldwide, backed with the benchmarks set by international certifications and operational guidelines such as ISO and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

To date, ePLDT carries a total of five Nexcenter-accredited data centers that are in Makati, Pasig, Paranaque, Clark and Cebu.

“This accreditation comes at a very opportune time for the company as we recently launched our premiere data center in Cebu,” said Eric Alberto, ePLDT Group President and CEO and PLDT-SMART Chief Revenue Officer. “As part of the international network of the state-of-the-art data center facilities around the world, VITRO Cebu 2 is now more capable of offering technology solutions to businesses that are looking to expand their operations in the region. Similar to other Nexcenter-certified data centers across the globe, VITRO Cebu 2 is positioned to empower both local and multinational businesses with global scalability that conforms with NTT Communications’ consistent data center standards and service quality.”

VITRO Cebu 2 is ePLDT’s 10^th data center facility in the country to date. It houses up to 800 racks, completing ePLDT VITRO Network’s 9,150 total rack capacity. These data centers are interconnected by Software Defined Networking (SDN) technology, which enables consistency of services across the VITRO Network. For instance, SDN minimizes the cost and complexity of backing up and replicating data from one VITRO site to another, therefore not only optimizing IT infrastructure resiliency but also providing geo-redundancy. 

According to Nerisse Ramos, ePLDT Group Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, VITRO Cebu 2—with its global accreditation—will help drive economic growth by attracting more investors to build their business in the region and optimize its operations by colocating in a premiere data center.

“Knowing that there is a state-of-the-art data center in Cebu will help secure the growth of Cebu-based businesses and will help attract more investments in one of the country’s fastest-growing economies,” Ramos said. “Our new VITRO Cebu 2 Data Center will help drive positive economic impact in Cebu, ensuring that businesses meet their demands for managing and safeguarding mission-critical data from natural and operational catastrophes.”

Built from the ground up, VITRO Cebu 2 has 12 layers of physical security, which is one layer more than what other VITRO Data Centers usually have.  Furthermore, the server farm is also built with fire-rated walls that can hold fire for up to six hours. VITRO Cebu 2 also uses high-grade security technologies, including finger-vein scanning features, CCTV cameras, and 24/7 monitoring and surveillance.

Jovy Hernandez, Senior Vice President and Head of PLDT and SMART Enterprise Business Groups, said: “Our network of VITRO Data Centers answers the need for more robust infrastructure in supporting the operations of growing enterprises across the country. With globally recognized accreditation and industry-leading best practices, we can readily provide the best solutions for colocation, security, connectivity and disaster recovery, among others. These inspire fearlessness and peace of mind in customers and allow them to focus on expanding their business.”

For more information about ePLDT, please visit the website at www.epldt.com.

MARINA Rolls Out Ship Modernization Program

Wazzup Pilipinas! 

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has started rolling out its domestic ship modernization program through an information campaign in Batangas City on 03-05 September 2018. 

The MARINA, along with the Development Bank of the Philippines Leasing Corporation (DLC) and Department of Finance (DOF), oriented 80 motorbanca owners and operators from region 4 on the importance of upgrading wooden-hulled motorbancas into either steel, aluminum, or fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) boats. 

"Safety of life at sea is primordial to MARINA and ship modernization is a step towards attaining this objective," MARINA Domestic Shipping Service Director Sonia Malaluan said citing the motorbanca modernization as the first phase of MARINA’s domestic ship modernization program. 

As it is committed to provide full support to its stakeholders, the MARINA has partnered with DOF’s Municipal Development Fund Office (MDFO) to open the Municipal Development Fund (MDF) to motorbanca owners who will modernize their boats. 

To further aid the motorbanca owners, the MARINA will also provide incentives, capability, and capacity building, as well as guidance in establishing cooperatives that can offer additional financial support during the implementation of the program. 

MARINA’s information campaign will continue in different provinces across the Philippines aimed at clarifying issues of coverage, exemptions and transitions under the program. 

With the shift from wood to a technologically-advanced hull materials, the MARINA expects domestic vessels to be faster, efficient, and resilient for the enhancement of maritime safety in the country. 

Aside from ship modernization info campaign, you may also see info on how to track your goods order.

34 Cities, Municipalities Recognized for Outstanding Education Efforts

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Recipients of Seal of Good Education Governance

get incentives from PLDT, Smart

Thirty-four cities and municipalities from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were recognized yesterday for their outstanding efforts in improving the quality of basic education in their communities. Seventeen of them will be conferred the Seal of Good Education Governance, while the rest will receive the Jesse Robredo Award in Education Governance, named after the late interior secretary and longtime mayor of Naga City.

Recipients of the Seal of Good Education Governance plus an Incentive Package from PLDT and Smart:

1. Bacnotan, La Union
2. Diadi, Nueva Vizcaya
3. Sta. Fe, Nueva Vizcaya
4. Solano, Nueva Vizcaya
5. Villaverde, Nueva Vizcaya
6. Diffun, Quirino
7. Navotas City, Metro Manila
8. Valenzuela City, Metro Manila
9. Maribojoc, Bohol
10. Mambusao, Capiz
11. Concepcion, Iloilo
12. Lambunao, Iloilo
13. Leon, Iloilo
14. Mina, Iloilo
15. Cagayan de Oro
16. Datu Paglas, Maguindanao
17. Bongao, Tawi Tawi

Recipients of the Jesse Robredo Award in Education Governance:

1.    Vigan, Ilocos Sur

2.    Agoo, La Union

3.    San Fernando, La Union

4.    San Gabriel, La Union

5.    Santol, La Union

6.    Dao, Capiz

7.    Ivisan, Capiz

8.    Argao, Cebu

9.    Ajuy, Iloilo

10. Alimodian, Iloilo

11. Cabatuan, Iloilo

12. Lemery, Iloilo

13. Maasin, Iloilo

14. Miagao, Iloilo

15. General Santos City

16. Parang, Maguindanao

17. Upi, Maguindanao

All the 34 local government units (LGUs) met the Synergeia Foundation’s criteria for good education governance. To qualify, they must have reinvented their local school boards and organized functional school governing councils. The cities and municipalities must have also reduced the number of non-readers and frustrated readers in their locality by at least 20 percent.

Moreover, their cohort survival rate (the percentage of first graders who went on to sixth grade) must be higher than the national average of 80% or must have increased by at least two percentage points. The LGUs must have devoted an increasing amount of their budget to education.

Synergeia – a coalition of individuals and organizations working closely with LGUs – started giving the Seal of Good Education Governance last year to promote transparency, accountability, and excellence in the delivery of basic education by local governments. It received 350 LGU nominations this year, which is higher than last year’s 250 submissions.

This year’s results were deliberated upon by Synergeia trustees and representatives from PLDT, Smart Communications, and SGV Foundation.

As an incentive to the Seal holders, PLDT and Smart will provide technology packages suited to the LGUs’ respective circumstances and needs. Among the possible incentives are:

• Installation and maintenance of Smart Wifi in the LGU’s nominated university
• Provision of InfoCast, a web-based solution that will allow the LGU to broadcast announcements and receive feedback via text message
• Smart School-in-a-Bag, which contains a solar panel to serve schools without electricity, mobile devices, curriculum-based educational content, teacher training, monitoring, and evaluation

All recipients of the Seal of Good Education Governance will get smartphones and a cash prize from PLDT and Smart. On top of these, thousands of individuals from each of the 17 Seal recipients who will sign up for KasamaKA will get a free three-month micro-insurance coverage from FINTQ, the financial technology arm of PLDT-Smart digital unit Voyager Innovations. KasamaKA is a community-based, self-help, income-generating, and inclusive ecosystem-building movement.

“We at PLDT and Smart hope that these technology tools would help the country’s outstanding LGUs deliver quality education to their constituents. We recognize that tech solutions to challenges in education work only when major stakeholders pursue innovative learning programs,” said PLDT and Smart Public Affairs Head Ramon R. Isberto.