Streamers unite to safeguard forests

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The international streaming community is uniting again to participate in Every Last Leaf, the second collaborative global livestream fundraising event hosted by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Network.

The digital fundraising event which launched on the 23^rd of July runs until the 14^th August to raise awareness and funds to safeguard 150 million hectares of forest by 2030 as part of the global WWF Forests Forward initiative.

Nearly half of the planet’s forests have been cleared – with over 10 billion trees still being cleared every year. This is equivalent to losing an area of forest the size of New York City every day, accelerating the rates of global warming.

Trees absorb carbon dioxide to help keep the Earth cool. Without them, 15 billion tons of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere. Forests are also vital in maintaining the biodiversity and health of the planet. Currently there are two billion hectares, an area approximately the size of Europe, of degraded forests which can be revived.

“This is a chance for online creators and their communities to make a real difference for people and nature,” said WWF Livestream Fundraising Coordinator Lucy Chen. “Our Wild-Livestreamers communitree provides a beacon of hope for the future of forests around the world.”

Over 90 Wild-Livestreamers have signed up and fundraised over $20,000 USD within the first week of the event. Among the returning streamers is Twitch partner ExcessiveProfanity and his team, the ‘CForce’, who first participated in a WWF event during the Australian bushfires in 2019. And we also have streamers from TierOne Entertainment Malaysia and Blacklist International such as (SpectraMaster) Jasper Yap, Absolute Yana, Chel. C, Aeonz, Hishiko, and Ajimzz. Joining us as well for the second time are the streamers from the Gamer Girls Philippines and TierOne Entertainment Philippines.

"After an incredible response from our community raising $20,000 to Keep Koalas Climbing in 2019, the CForce is back bringing people together again for another good cause: planting trees, because breathing is great and we want to keep doing it,” said ExcessiveProfanity

The Every Last Leaf event is open to all online content creators. Interested streamers can still register on Tiltify. As a fundraiser for WWF, streamers can earn exclusive rewards including WWF T-shirts, keep cups and hoodies. Streamers who raise over $10,000 are also invited to experience on-the-ground turtle research in Queensland, Australia.

For more information on Every Last Leaf, sign up on Tiltify, join the Wild-Livestreamers Discord or stay tuned on the WWF Wild-Livestreamers Twitter page. For other enquiries you can contact WWF-Philippines at donations@wwf.org.ph. In the online communitree, #EveryLastLeaf counts.

 

Media contact:

 

Angelica Carballo Pago, Communications Manager

World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines

apago@wwf.org.ph | +63 949 889 1332

 

Chezka Guevarra, Assistant Manager for External Communications
World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines
cguevarra@wwf.org.ph | +63 927 656 6436

FDCP, City of Manila Begin Vaccination of 3,500 Film & AV Workers

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

A total of 3,500 film and audiovisual (AV) workers will be inoculated under the #GoodJAB Vaccination Program of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) in partnership with the City of Manila through its “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” Program.

On August 2, over 1,500 members of the film and AV industry received their COVID-19 vaccination at Palacio de Maynila. Their second dose schedule is on September 27, with the venue to be announced.

The remaining almost 2,000 film and AV workers will receive their first dose on August 9 at Adamson University. Their second dose schedule and venue will be announced as soon as finalized.

The partnership between the FDCP National Registry (NR) and the City of Manila Health Department for the vaccination of film and AV workers was made possible by the approval of Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso.

FDCP’s #GoodJAB and Manila’s “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” is also supported by Sound Check and the National Live Events Coalition Philippines.

“The FDCP and Manila LGU VaccineNation Day has been a success, many thanks to Mayor Isko Moreno and the City of Manila’s vaccination team as well as the FDCP National Registry team and FDCP employees who volunteered to assist our film and AV workers. It is our goal to make sure that we deliver the best service possible in providing support to address the immediate needs of our industry,” said FDCP Chairperson and CEO Liza Diño.

“Sa gitna ng pandemya, kaisa ang Film Development Council of the Philippines sa pagbibigay ng tulong sa mga manggagawa — mula ayuda hanggang bakuna — mapa-pelikula, telebisyon, media, teatro, advertising, live events, animation, o music industry man, para sa ikalalakas ng ating iisang industriya ng creatives,” Diño added.

The FDCP National Registry has more than 5,000 registrants. Apart from the 3,500 workers to be vaccinated by the City of Manila, 1,500 workers have already been inoculated by the Quezon City Government’s #QCProtekTODO Program through “Bakuna Nights para sa Film at Entertainment Workers” in partnership with FDCP.

In addition, the City of Manila has vaccinated all FDCP employees to ensure their safety and health as they continue to render public service for film and AV industry stakeholders amid the pandemic.

 

Quick and organized process

At Palacio de Maynila, the vaccination process, which the FDCP spearheaded and facilitated, lasted less than an hour per individual. A total of 45 staff from #TeamFDCP and 35 from the City of Manila Vaccination team came in full force to make sure that the system will be safe, smooth, and efficient for the workers.  Burgers and bottled water were served and photo booths were set up to encourage film and AV workers to pose as #GoodJAB ambassadors to enjoin others to get vaccinated.

Filmmaker and journalist Leilani Chavez was one of the 1,500 film and AV workers vaccinated during the August 2 event which she described as “well-managed.” “Getting vaccinated is important, especially for informal workers in the industry. Because of the nature of our work, we mingle with different groups of people in a week so there’s a higher risk of us being exposed to the virus. We could also be inadvertently spreading it that’s why we need to be proactive in curbing COVID-19 especially the Delta variant,” Chavez told FDCP.

On Facebook, production manager Carlito Marquina Alvarez posted that the event was “mabilis, maayos, at organisado” while creative director, colorist, and photographer Marco Constantino said his vaccination process took less than 10 minutes. He added that half of his team has been vaccinated as well.

Meanwhile, NR registrants who want to register with their respective local government units for their vaccination may present as proof of occupation their FDCP National Registry Certification, which can be downloaded from their MyFDCPRegistry Profile on the NR website (nationalregistry.fdcp.ph). Freelance workers without a company ID can use this to prove that they belong to the A4 Priority Group.

The FDCP, which has lobbied for the vaccination of film and AV workers since 2020, aims to assist NR registrants with their vaccination. Film and AV workers and freelancers who wish to register with the FDCP NR may visit the NR website to fill out the registration form.

For updates on the #GoodJAB x “Vaccine Nation is the Solution” schedules and venues, visit the Facebook pages of FDCP (https://www.facebook.com/FDCP.ph)  and NR (https://www.facebook.com/FDCPNationalRegistry).

For inquiries and other concerns, kindly email nationalregistry@fdcp.ph or visit https://nationalregistry.fdcp.ph.

PLDT Enterprise, Smart and OLFU launch eLearning online store

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The largest fully integrated telecommunications company in the Philippines PLDT, through its B2B arm PLDT Enterprise and wireless unit Smart Communications, has partnered with Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) Inc. for the launch of the OLFU Smart Online Store that aims to support the digital learning needs of its students.

OLFU is a progressive and multi-awarded educational institution: a Philippine Quality Award recipient; an Autonomous University as granted by the CHEd, and certified ISO 9001:2015. Most recently, OLFU’s proactive initiatives towards a seamless Fatima Learning Experience (FLEX) paved the way to becoming one of the first out of a few select schools to be granted the authority to conduct limited face-to-face classes—an indication of its commitment to strengthen its academic delivery through technology, improved processes and enhanced facilities.

And to boost FLEX where digital initiatives for eLearning are key, the University opened its OLFU Smart Online Store—an e-commerce platform that will provide its students and teachers access to exclusive connectivity plans and services to support their online education from home.

“Our Lady of Fatima University reiterates its commitment to our students wherein we will continue connecting with them. We will go that extra mile for our students and teachers to ensure that we can leverage all means possible to address their needs,” said OLFU’s Student Financial Services Head Vincent Kenneth Mercado.

Since the onset of the pandemic, OLFU has implemented various digital initiatives that have made transactions and classes easier for students. “Our goal is to always be flexible and agile, quick to act and adapt to the circumstances,” stated Mercado.

At the onset of the pandemic, OLFU immediately fully utilized its learning management system to be able to deliver flexible instructional modes. Students were likewise offered easier payment terms for their tuition fees.

Through the collaboration with SMART, the University was able to tailor-fit data plans suited for the needs of its teachers and students for navigating through different software. As such, OLFU and SMART offered Smart Bizload plans to students and teachers at a more affordable price without the need to go to retail stores.

OLFU President, Dr. Caroline Marian Enriquez averred, “This partnership with Smart will only further fortify the University’s intent to help our faculty become better teachers; using time more efficiently, creating modules more creatively and effectively. On the other hand, the access to Smart’s affordable products enhances the learning journey of our students by making it more rewarding because of stable digital connections and communication products at reasonable price points. And these collaborative B2C opportunities during tough times can only be viewed as educational triumphs.”

“Despite the challenges that we face, we believe that it is the right of our dear Filipino students to continue their education. And with the launch of the OLFU Smart Online store, we will enable hundreds of students and teachers alike in the member schools of the Our Lady of Fatima University system with the best products that Smart can offer to support their digital learning wherever they are - so that no learner is left behind,” said Al Panlilio, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications President and CEO.

PLDT Enterprise has been a longstanding partner of the University in delivering digital solutions according to their requirements. Over the years, PLDT Enterprise has provided OLFU with end-to-end connectivity and data services including MPLS, trunk lines, Enterprise Broadband, iGate lines, and Smart Bizload.

“We would like to thank Our Lady of Fatima University for trusting us for the Smart Online Store project and we aim that through this partnership, we would enable them to maximize their digital capabilities,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President, and CEO; SVP and Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups. “We at PLDT Enterprise are committed to helping OLFU with technology services that will bolster their education efforts and at the same time improve the online learning experiences of its students nationwide.”

The group-wide push for supporting education underscores the commitment of PLDT and Smart to help the Philippines attain the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs), particularly SDG #4: Quality Education as a foundation in improving people’s lives and obtaining sustainable development.

Jane Basas, SVP and Head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart, said "the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted how students learn. And Smart has responded to the disruption by rolling out innovative solutions and services that enable students to adapt to and thrive in the new normal for education. Smart continues to encourage the youth to live the Giga Life and bring a sense of purpose into their day-to-day activities so they can live smarter and help build a better world.”

For more information, please visit pldtenterprise.com