FDCP’s Sine Kabataan Awards P100K Film Grants to 10 Finalists

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

 Ten (10) young filmmakers have been selected as finalists in the 4th edition of the Sine Kabataan Short Film Competition and will each receive a PHP 100,000 grant as fund to use in the production of their respective short films.

Organized by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) and as an accompanying youth film competition with its banner Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino (PPP), Sine Kabataan gives a platform to all aspiring young filmmakers aged 18 to 30 and provides an opportunity to expose their fresh talents. This serves to encourage the youth to develop their creativity and originality in storytelling, touching on important issues of today as perceived by the youth.

After the Sine Kabataan Online Pitch Showcase held last March 20, the Selection Committee composed of filmmakers Alemberg Ang and JP Habac, and FDCP Executive Director Ria Anne Rubia picked 10 finalists among the pool of over 200 outstanding projects with a shortlist of 18 story concepts.

The 18 filmmakers went through an intensive online Story Development Lab last year focusing on their scripts, and attended a Pitching Lab to master how to effectively pitch their projects to possible co-producers and financiers. The top 10 finalists will undergo the Safe Filming Lab and Editing Lab before their final exhibition at PPP 2021. 

The 10 Official Finalists of Sine Kabataan 4 Short Film Competition:

“Abot Kamay Ang Langit” by Brian Spencer B. Reyes

After waking up in an empty city, two street kids have all the freedom to do whatever they want.

“Ang Bunga sa Tiyan ni Adam” by Ella Louise B. Salomon

A teenage boy tells his girlfriend he is pregnant after taking a pregnancy test.

“Jombi” by Angela Francesca V. Andres

A bullied gloomy girl finds out her friend is a zombie.

“Mga Ulap Tayong Nagiging Ulan” by Demetrio E. Celestino III

An anthropomorphic cloud named Ulap shares how it achieves small wins in this natural cycle of life, one that dwells on the commonality that suggests “mga ulap tayong nagiging ulan”.

“Reconnected” by Judd Bradley Avelino

After a total blackout ruins his daily routine, a 20-year-old man goes out to experience the world with only physical connection.

“Love in the Ungodly Hour” by Bradley Jason Pantajo

As two young men reconnect with each other, questions about the past begin to arise.

“Si Jet at ang Dark Lord ng Dol Gurskul” by Terence Giourdan Gonzalves

A young boy cuts class to plot his revenge with his imaginary friends against Dark Lord Marcoth.

“Ang Alamat ng Prinsipe at Mandirigma” by Jacob Mikhail U. Collado

After being scolded by his father for a leaked sex tape online, his younger brother tells him a story in a makeshift blanket fortress.

“Ang Balay ni Conrad” by Ardinian Jaq Sanque

A homeless boy trying to build himself a house on the side of the street rescues a boy whose life is the exact opposite of his.

 “Jeremy Supot” by James Allen Fajardo

Harassed by school bullies for being uncut, a teenage boy decides to sell his cellphone to afford circumcision.

Established in 2017, Sine Kabataan is conducted alongside the PPP wherein the finalists’ short films are screened nationwide during the PPP duration, with one short film shown before an official PPP entry.

“We are truly proud that Sine Kabataan this year is able to provide funding support for the production of short films of very promising filmmakers all over the country. Let us continue to nurture our young filmmakers by giving them platforms to tackle issues relevant to the youth. This is the goal of Sine Kabataan and we commend the finalists for bravely covering themes such as the impact of technology to society, poverty, social divide, bullying, family, HIV, teenage pregnancy, LGBT, and mental health,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

In September 2020, filmmakers of the shortlisted projects were also given access to masterclasses in FDCP’s Film Industry Conference and Workshop Series Online.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/SineKabataan.

 

DOTr Maritime sector in full force in assisting COVID-19 positive Filipino crew members aboard vessel from India

Wazzup Pilipinas?!

The maritime sector of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), consisting of the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), together with the agency members of the One-Stop Shop (OSS) Port of Manila, are currently in full force in assisting all Filipino crew members aboard a COVID-19 positive vessel “MV Athens Bridge” from India.

According to the vessel’s shipping agent, MV Athens Bridge departed from India on 22 April 2021 and arrived in Haiphong, Vietnam on 01 May 2021 for the conduct of the crew’s RT-PCR test. It was later on found that out of the 21 Filipino crew members onboard, 12 of them tested positive of COVID-19.

On 06 May 2021, the PCG received a request from the vessel’s captain to execute a medical evacuation of the two (2) crew members who both needed urgent medical care. The vessel, at that time, was located 12 nautical miles west of Corregidor Island.

Upon securing clearance from the BOQ and the Department of Health (DOH), MV Athens Bridge was directed to the quarantine anchorage area designated by the OSS Port of Manila. Security is also provided by the PCG to ensure that no unauthorized vessel or banca will approach the vessel.

Early evening of the same day, BOQ doctors boarded the vessel to assess the condition of the crew and recommended the immediate medical evacuation of two (2) crew members in critical condition.

As of press time, the crew members in critical condition have been safely evacuated and brought to the dedicated medical facility for treatment. The rest of the crew are contained in the vessel and shall be provided with needed medical supplies, including oxygen tanks, with assistance from BOQ and PCG.

The national government, through the maritime sector of the DOTr, assures that the situation and the condition of the crew members will be consistently monitored. Health and safety protocols will also be prioritized throughout the entire process.

PLDT Enterprise empowers an ICT revolution

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the largest integrated telecommunications company in the Philippines, urges the business sector to revolutionize their organizations by undergoing digital transformation - through the help of its ICT services - in order to stay ahead of the competition and achieve differentiation.

In its latest brand campaign “Revolution”, PLDT Enterprise underscores theimportance of revolutionary change in business wherein organizations reshape and realign the strategic goals to transform their products and services for customers. PLDT Enterprise, to this end, offers ICT solutions powered by ePLDT that can greatly improve operational efficiency and enhance business resiliency—enabling them to successfully transform and revolutionize their operations.

Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Group says, “We at PLDT Enterprise aim to empower businesses to revolutionize their strategies to yield an impactful change across industries. One way to achieve this is by the adoption of digital technologies that will accelerate their transformation and help them succeed better in the future.”

When the global pandemic began, digital transformation was hastened for industries all in a matter of months making it a pivotal response to the disruption of work and business ecosystems. ICT has become integral to reshape traditional information technology platforms and has driven a shift to the latest era in digital technology and experience.

“Digital transformation is revolutionary and essential for business growth. We at PLDT Enterprise are urging companies to take the big leap and stay ahead in this fast-changing business environment through the help of our end-to-end ICT services,” says Nico Alcoseba, VP & Head of ICT Business for PLDT Enterprise.

PLDT Enterprise is continuously improving and developing technologies to meet the expanding requirements of businesses. Its digital ecosphere includes a wide array of ICT products powered by ePLDT to help serve and meet its clients’ growing and evolving needs.

Data Centers. PLDT Enterprise offers a suite of data center solutions that cater to the evolving IT needs of various verticals. Its robust VITRO data center facilities have over 9,000-rack capacity that is ready for enterprise needs such as colocation, cloud hosting, disaster recovery, managed servers, security and network services. Hosting three (3) of the country’s Rated-3 Facilities in accordance to TIA-942, VITRO is the preferred site of enterprises who seek high levels of reliability, redundancy, and security. Since network is as essential as data center reliability, all VITRO data center facilities are designed to be carrier-neutral, allowing other telcos both foreign and local to provide network connections based on customer preference. Major data centers are also inter-connected to maximize the access to telcos that collocated in the same facility. VITRO data center also hosts two (2) of the country’s major internet exchanges, making it the preferred colocation site for hyperscalers.

ePLDT Cloud. In today’s digital marketplace, speed, velocity and agility are crucial characteristics to enable better flexibility, maximum productivity and collaboration among the workforce all delivered with a lower total cost of ownership. PLDT Enterprise’s continuous investment on both cloud technology platform and expertise deliver best practices on Cloud Management, getting things done faster, better strategic decisions are made, and employees are able to communicate in a more agile manner. PLDT Enterprise’s full portfolio of Cloud services and technologies complement any company’s business needs. Its scalable solutions address the challenges that come with huge capital expense outlay, long time-to-market and rigid system configurations and management.

Azure Stack. Microsoft Azure Stack is a locally-hosted open, flexible, and enterprise-grade global cloud computing platform that allows users to develop and deploy applications in real time managed by ePLDT cloud experts. Businesses can build and run hybrid applications across cloud boundaries, building modern infrastructure and refreshing legacy setup. Azure Stack enables organizations that require data to be retained in-country, whether for regulatory or latency requirements. It provides ability to do hybrid cloud strategy for the needs of today’s modern-day enterprises.

Microsoft Office 365. Migrating to Microsoft Office 365 through ePLDT delivers team collaboration like never before. As the leading Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider in the Philippines, ePLDT deploys licenses, best practice migration services and adoption programs that are customized for growing customers. Organizations can securely work on critical requirements anytime, anywhere and on any device. Microsoft Office 365 combines the familiar Office desktop suite with the latest cloud-based versions of the next generation communications and collaboration services all in one place. Work, learn, collaborate, connect, and create with Microsoft Office 365.

Google Workspace. Making the digital pivot with Google Workspace streamlines all core elements of work like email, chat, voice and video calling, document collaboration, storage, task and calendar sharing, as well as device management and security tools. The suite offers an integrated workspace for mobility, providing the flexibility of collaborating anytime, from anywhere, on any device, to seamlessly accomplish vital operational requirements. With Google Workspace from ePLDT, enterprises benefit from Google's well-known simplicity in terms of user interface, industry leading innovations such as AI-powered tools, platform mobility and data protection, and ePLDT's best practices in deploying Google services governed by strict privacy standards for safe operations and collaboration.

Salesforce. Salesforce is a CRM system that gives enterprises a 360 degree view of its customers by managing and organizing information to be accessed securely and conveniently all in one place. As the world's number one CRM for Sales, Customer Service, and Marketing, Salesforce leads the way in helping businesses find, win and keep customers. ePLDT has extensive experience in providing enterprises with consulting, training, and adoption services for business transformation with Salesforce. Together, ePLDT and Salesforce provide an artificial intelligence-powered platform which efficiently connects companies to their customers, strengthens business relationships and builds customer loyalty.

Cyber Security. ePLDT Cyber Security adopts a holistic, end-to-end approach to predict, prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats, combining the cyber security experience and expertise of our professionals with cyber security intelligence and best-in-class technology platforms and process frameworks.

Managed IT. ePLDT’s Managed IT Services assist in infrastructure architecture design, in actual implementation, and to monitor, manage, and optimize and enterprise’s IT system, thereby enabling organizations to focus on strategic initiatives for its core business. ePLDT comprises of an ecosystem of skilled subject matter experts and the most experienced IT management experts in the nation.

Businesses are adapting to unprecedented uncertainty during the global pandemic. And it is evident that digital transformation, with the aid of PLDT Enterprise’s ICT solutions, can facilitate better collaboration, higher productivity, more agility, and stronger resiliency—giving businesses the opportunity to drive revolutionary change and thrive in the long term.

PLDT Enterprise’s latest brand campaign titled ‘Unbreakable’ celebrates the resilience of the Filipino that enabled them to come out stronger from the challenges of the past year. As an extension of this campaign, PLDT Enterprise now urges businesses to shift their focus from traditional technology management to more revolutionary undertakings that will make their organizations ready and fit for the future. Watch PLDT Enterprise’s “Revolution” video here: https://youtu.be/-J6k3410AW0

For more information on PLDT Enterprise, visit www.pldtenterprise.com.