Striking the Balance Between Digital and Non-Digital Marketing and Advertising for Startups

Lloyd Tronco at the Restaurant Engagement Conference

In a symposium conducted last 2016, Jay Bautista, General Manager of Kantar Media made an impromptu survey among the audience. He asked who sourced their regular dose of information from TV and radio. Those who raised their arms were aged 40 years old and above. Again, another question, who were those who sourced it from the internet. Most belonging to 40 years old and below raised their arms. One final question, who would rather have their smartphones with internet connectivity than TV during an entire day. The answer was surprising, most raised their hands and they cut among the generations present.

Fast forward to 2017. Tech startups are gaining not only traction but momentum. The same is not only experienced in the National Capital Region (NCR) but also in urban centers nationwide. The growth can be referred to as multi-regional driven. This is because of the increasing number of highly educated and skilled urban dwellers that need employment and livelihood opportunities.

The target market for these startups is those that need solutions to everyday problems ranging from healthcare to food and nourishment and everything in between. The idea is to make the target market aware of the available services and technology solutions developed to serve that know niche and to create demand for the niche.

In the Restaurant Engagement Conference held last August 12 – 13, 2017, the focus was on those startup restaurants, those that still belong to the small to medium classifications in the industry. It was only logical that not having the resources of big fastfood and restaurant chains, these startup restaurants would need to have an opportunity to make their products and services known to a wide market as possible.

The conference speakers represented resource speakers that discussed subjects that varied from SEO enhancements, Chatbots, Digital Promotions among others.

Recently, the seeming trend was to go digital in marketing, advertising, and promotion since it is less costly and more efficient in reaching out to most everybody. That was the perception. But the reality is that since it is more efficient, it is easier to do in the long run but that such method saturates cyberspace and thus reduces the “dwell time” of the audience to a mere 4 seconds. 

Lloyd Tronco of philCOuRSe represented the Non-Digital Channels for marketing and advertising. Citing examples found in the US and Europe where restaurants and food services are thriving and using outdoor advertising in conjunction with digital marketing techniques. It was pointed out that a combination of both was a potent mix as a tool for the promotion of these restaurants and is also applicable for tech startups.

According to Mr. Tronco, there is a need for clarity in measuring the efficacy of both digital and non-digital methods in marketing and advertising with regards to startups and restaurants. A so called “sweet spot” must be found by each enterprise that will suit their targets with regards to market penetration share and brand awareness. 

The writer, Lloyd Tronco, is an Out-Of-Home Media Strategist.  He is a constant subject matter expert on matters pertaining to Out-Of-Home Media and Digital Signage.  He is also the industry journalist for OOH in the Philippines.

Recreate, Empower and Capture at the Restaurant Engagement Conference 2017

The Restaurant Engagement Conference had its media launch press conference on June 28, 2017. This was held at the 7107 Culture + Cuisine at the Treston International College, Bonifacio Global City.

The Restaurant Engagement Conference will be held on August 12, 2017 at the Marcopolo, Ortigas, Pasig City. The Restaurant Engagement Conference (REC) will tackle the challenges of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) particularly in the restaurant and Food and Beverage industry sector. 

The thrusts of the REC are the following:

1. RECREATE – Existing brands are subject to the ever changing and fast paced dynamics of today’s business. The need to evolve and adapt to the trends and emerging trends is a must for the entrepreneur. This is more imperative for new entrants in the restaurant and F&B industry.

2. EMPOWER – Knowledge of trends and the uses of traditional and new marketing methods, strategies, tactics and processes will equip the entrepreneur in navigating the paths towards the right business decisions for their enterprise.

3. CAPTURE – Capture the right market. Knowing the proper niche in the market for the enterprise or business spells the difference between success and failure. The correct discernment of the target market, market needs and delivery of the need to customer will translate to brand loyalty.

Mplify Managing Director Miguel S. De La Rosa opening the media launch of REC

The REC will cover a wide range of subjects and topics that the entrepreneur will find useful in their business endeavors.

The Speakers for the conference are the following:

1.. YAYU JAVIER, President/COO - Avanza 

2. JERRY ILAO, President - Simple Life Technology 

3. HAZEL HERBER, Managing Director - Where to Eat Philippines 

4. WESSAM ATIF, CEO/ President - FoodSHAP 

5. JAY BAUTISTA, Managing Director - Kantar Media 

6. BRIDGETTE TAN, Operations Director - Inquirer Mobile 

7. TIMOTHY LEE, VP for Special Projects - Globaltronics 

8. LLOYD TRONCO, Executive Director -Center for OOH Media 

9. AILEEN CONTRERAS, VP Retail SME Loans - Maybank 

10. HENRY DE CHAILLE, Group Sales Manager - Google Philippines 

11. NIKOLAI ANTONIO FREZ, Segment Head - Globe MyBusiness 

12. PAOLO LACUNA, Business Development Lead - Facebook Philippines  

The Restaurant Engagement Conference is organized by Mplify.     

Media Outlook's economic forecasts for 2017

Media Outlook has been providing expert commentary and insights centered on the shifts in advertising and consumer buying to several media, advertising and marketing professionals. 

This year, Media Outlook will focus on topics about marketing communications, particularly, advertising spend in various media touch points, consumer demographics and psychographics, changing consumer habits and behavior and lifestyles influencing major trends and forecasts for the coming year. 

Media Outlook 2017 is set to happen on December 13, 2016 at Fairmont Hotel, Makati City.

Below are the key points that a panel of advertising and media experts will discuss and provide information in the Media Briefing.

KEY TOPIC PRESENTATIONS

I. Media Outlook (Traditional) by Gabriel V. Buluran,

General Manager, Kantar Media Philippines

1. Advertising Expenditure (Radio, TV, and Print)

- Impact of election spending on TV, Radio and Print

2. Forecast for 2017

3. TV viewing and Twitter activity

4. Latest Radio Listening Trends

II. Outlook for Digital and Media Insights

by Jay Bautista, General Manager, Strategic Consumer and Media Incites, Inc.

Media Insights

1. Evolution of Consumer Touch Points

2. The Digital Landscape

- Urban vs Rural Trends

- Rise of Generation Smartphone

3. Digital Media Consumption vs. Traditional Media

III. Outlook for OOH by Norman Davadilla, OOH Director, Publicis One Media

1. Has traffic increased the relevance of OOH?

2. Launch of OOH Media Spend Report

Who Should Attend

CMOs, Managing Directors, Advertising/Marketing/Media Managers, Brand Managers, Category Managers, Product Managers, Corporate Communication Managers, Media Planner/Buyer, Publishers, Advertising Suppliers, Entrepreneurs, Academics, Students, Government, and those involved in media, advertising and marketing.

Discounts and Payment Scheme

PHP 5,999 + VAT inclusive of meals and kit

- Package of 5 Delegates + 1 Free

- 10% Discount to Past Delegates

- 20% Discount to Academe/Students/Government

The resource speakers and experts: 

The panelist:

Manila Harley Owners Group Rally 2016: The Loudest Motorcycle Event of the Year

Harley-Davidson®️ of Manila and the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.®️) - Philippines Chapter are gearing up for the Manila H.O.G.®️ Rally on November 12, 2016 at the Greenhills Promenade.

Beyond the passion for riding and motorcycles, the members of H.O.G.®️ share a brotherhood. Thus, this H.O.G.®️ Rally aims to strengthen ties among members, enthusiasts, and other motorcycle clubs, and at the same time, have all participants contribute to society as one family.

Now on its fourth year, this highly anticipated event will feature a motorcade from the north and south of Luzon, a Harley-Davidson®️ bike show, live performances by legendary local rock bands and artists, bike competitions, good food, and refreshments. The organisers also lined up a beauty pageant to select the 2016 Miss Manila Motorcycle Rally.

"We aren't a group, we are a family."

"Let's throttle together."

Attendees will get a sneak peek of the 2017 Harley-Davidson®️line-up, while aficionados and aspiring Harley owners will surely be excited about the raffle of not one but two Harley-Davidson®️ motorcycles — an Ultra Classic®️ Low and the new Harley-Davidson Street™️ 500.

For tickets & other inquiries, please go to https://www.facebook.com/manilamotorcyclerally/ or manilamotorcyclerally.com

Tech enthusiasts develop apps for peace in #PeaceHackPh

Manila, 4 October 2016 – Fifty-two developers and programmers competed in the country’s first hackathon for peace in September, coming up with apps that promote tolerance, warn of conflict, or marshal assistance to people affected by conflicts or disasters.

Teaming up by twos or threes or going solo, these tech enthusiasts developed working apps inspired by the hackathon’s theme of ‘Perceive, Engage, Alert, Communicate and Educate’ or P.E.A.C.E. Out of 22 apps, the best six were chosen in the first round of judging, and the winning three in the second round.

Hubert Bryan R. Ursua emerged as the first-prize winner with Peacetalk, a short message service (SMS)-based chatbot helpdesk for people affected by disasters or conflicts and for groups with resources that can respond to victims’ needs.

Michael Gerard T. Galon won the second prize with PHOM or Ph Opinion Mining, an app targeted at Filipinos living abroad that provides info and sentiment about issues and events in the Philippines.

The third prize went to Regine S. Reyes and Renate C. Gouveia for SAAN or Social Action Advocacy Network, an app for providing feedback on government services and enabling similarly-minded individuals to band over or push a particular cause.

The winners received trophies and cash prizes totaling P100,000. They and the other hackathon participants retained ownership of their entries. 

#PeaceHackPh, which took place 24-25 September, was the first hackathon on the theme of peace in the Philippines. It was organized by peacebuilding NGO International Alert Philippines and Smart Developer Network (Smart DevNet), mobile leader Smart Communications Inc.’s developer network. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided financial support to the activity.

“We see technology as a tool in peacebuilding. Technology can help address or highlight issues that can cause conflict. It can also create the conditions for peace for thrive,” said Nikki Philline C. de la Rosa, deputy country manager of International Alert Philippines.

“There will be a great difference if we will be able to understand carefully and help prevent the root cause of societal issues. We believe that through the help of technology, we will be able to assess and monitor issues as soon as they arise, to prevent them from progressing into full-blown conflicts,” said Paul Pajo, co-founder of Smart DevNet and senior developer evangelist at Smart.

International Alert began holding #peacehack in 2014 as part of its Talking Peace Festival, a two week cultural event to celebrate the UN International Day of Peace and its founding anniversary on Sept. 21. In the past two years, hackathons were held in London, Barcelona, Beirut, Colombo and Washington DC. This year, International Alert has held hackathons in The Hague, Zurich and London.

International Alert, based in London but with offices in conflict-affected countries all over the world including the Philippines, is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Its new thrust highlights how everyone can play a part in building ‘everyday peace.’

The Philippines country office spearheaded #PeaceHackPh as part of its celebration of the International Day of Peace. Besides highlighting the use of technology in mitigating conflict or fostering understanding about conflict, it also underscored the ways that ordinary people could get involved in peacebuilding. 

International Alert Philippines is actively involved in the peace process between the government and Moro and communist insurgents; undertakes studies of shadow economies and their links to conflict; facilitates dialogues between companies, communities and government; and has pioneered a conflict monitoring system.

For Ursua, #PeaceHackPh was his first time to place first in a hackathon. The Bicolano and co-founder of a tech start-up said he chose to come up with an app that’s SMS-based after seeing the impact of disasters on his region. 

“People won’t have access to the internet,” he said.

With Peacetalk, people displaced by conflicts or disasters simply send a text to a number and then gain access to information, such as what to do in case they’re sick. “The nice thing about this is people affected by conflicts or disasters will get information about what to do,” Ursua said.

At the same time, groups that respond to humanitarian emergencies will know what things are needed. “People or groups with resources can act on victims’ needs,” Ursua added. 

Ursua and the other winners said they look forward to the next peace hackathon, as it gives them the chance to work on something that can promote change using their skills.

“The success of the first peace hackathon has inspired us to hold another one next year,” said De La Rosa.

“As a tech company and communications provider, we play a key role in mitigating conflicts in the country. We would like to thank International Alert Philippines for spearheading a project like this and for involving us in making a difference in the lives of millions,” said Pajo.

Source: International Alert Philippines

Photo credits to Jorge A. Golle of International Alert Philippines

Curious Curator launches with art exhibition on “The Quiet Strength of a Woman” featuring two Ilonggo artists

The Filipino art scene has been evolving and flourishing in recent years. Our artists are getting rave reviews in auctions and exhibitions abroad, while local art events like Art in the Park and Art Fair Philippines are staged with resounding success. This signals not only a renewed appreciation for Filipino art by locals and foreigners alike, but also the eager interest and growing population of art enthusiasts in the country. It is within this context that the idea of Curious Curator was formed by a pair of art enthusiasts. 

Curious Curator was conceptualized in order to help budding and potential artists from outside Metro Manila, especially from the Visayas and Mindanao, penetrate the mainstream art scene. Keeping the welfare of the artist front and center, Curious Curator manages the financial, marketing and sales aspect of the collaboration so that the artist can focus on the creation process. Curated and conceptual art exhibitions are held in non-traditional venues to reach a wider audience.  This enables the startup to promote the evolving Filipino artistry while diversifying and simplifying ways that budding art collectors can secure original but affordable art pieces.

To officially launch Curious Curator, two Ilonggo artists will be featured as the first curated artists in an exhibition entitled, “Ang Maugdang nga Kusog sang Babaye.”  Showing contrasting perspectives on the “quiet strength of a woman,” the exhibit will feature two entirely different artists who are both lovers of the silhouette of a woman. One is a man; the other, a woman. One is a sculptor; the other, a painter. One is seasoned; the other, budding.

For Harry Mark Gonzales, “How I carve shapes and movement is how I appreciate and celebrate the beauty and strength of a woman.” The 34-year old effortlessly manipulates cold-cast marble into stunning silhouettes of women. His love affair with marble started after his “A Protest Over Guimaras Oil Spill” terra cotta sculpture bagged the grand prize at the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Awards in 2007.  A self-taught artist, his material mastery was honed by years of experience under the influence of respected artist Ed Defensor, allowing him to create some of Iloilo City’s most important landmarks.

Inspired by poet and artist Akiane Kramarik, 21-year-old Kat Malazarte pursues spirituality as the main theme in her body of work, recognizing this as the core of a woman’s strength.  “A woman’s quiet strength is her resilience. That no matter the storms that rage at her life… she, in the end, rises.” This is beautifully captured in strokes that convey the depth and mystical quality of the woman, strokes that have been meticulously guided by the late Norce Salazar. A Vision Petron National 
Student Art Competition Grand Prize winner for the video-making category in 2015 for her entry, “Tingnan Nang Malapitan, Damhin Nang Malaliman,” Kat is the first cum laude graduate of the Bachelor of Fine Arts program of the University of San Agustin, Iloilo City.

The 18-piece collection of eight oil paintings and ten cold-cast marble sculptures creates a visual feast that pays homage to the strength that allows women to endure.

The exhibit runs from September 30, 2016, 6:00pm to October 2, 2016, 6:00pm at _GALLERY at A SPACE, 5th floor, 110 Legazpi St, Makati City and is staged by Curious Curator with their partners A SPACE, Nipa Brew and 034 creatives. An Artists’ Talk is scheduled on October 1, 2016 at 2:00pm with the two featured artists to share their thoughts on the theme as well as their creative process. For more information, you may contact Curious Curator at 09178828299, or email them at curiouscuratorph@gmail.com or visit fb.com/curiouscuratorph or www.curiouscurator.ph.

#PeaceHack2016: A message from the Community Partnerships Head of SMART Communications

Darwin Flores, Community Partnerships Head, Smart Communications, Inc.

“A woman said: ”Everybody thinks that they are the good guys”. Lahat tayo (All of us). Even those we consider as our enemies or our opposites. And that is the origin of conflicts. We all think that we are the good guys.

So, where is the conflict coming from? It’s because we think that we’re right, and we think we’re the good guys.

On my way here, I was thinking “Paano ba natin malalaman na we are thinking we’re the good guys and the other guy is a bad guy?” (How will we know that we're thinking that we’re the good guys and the other guy is a bad guy?) There are pictures, images, or experiences that come forward whenever we see things. We basically grew with filters – a certain point of view.

One of the organizers of this event is my friend. We were activists during Marcos’ time and we really think that Marcos is an evil person. On the other hand, our counterparts think that we are just troublemakers. Whenever we get caught, we are beaten up, and we are tortured. Many of my friends have been tortured, some even got killed. And that is because we are coming from a certain point of view.

On a personal level, that is where I am coming from; but, from a company point of view, as a telecommunications company, communication is an essential element of our life. That’s the constant search that we’re looking for – “How do we unite with our opposites?”.

Uniting with your opposite begins with yourself. Knowing what triggers you, knowing what are your biases. Especially now that there’s a civil war going on - a civil war online. Kung nakakamatay lang ang mga comments, ang dami ng namatay (If only comments can kill, many are already dead). Bumabaha na ng dugo (There will be blood everywhere). That is a very concrete example that you are confronted with. Kung online, ganyan na ang banatan, what more in real life? (If that's how people are online, what more in real life?) So, there is war going on not only online but also within ourselves. So, you need to search yourself because if you give in to that, you are already a participant in a war – in a civil war – and that civil war is within yourself.”

#PeaceHack2016: Peacebuilding through technology

Liam Jamshidi - Tech Officer - London Office

INTERNATIONAL ALERT

International Alert is a peacebuilding organization who works in areas affected by conflicts like Sri Lanka, Lebanon, and the like. “We wanted to try to use technology in peacebuilding and try to make a difference, help people to be aware and take part in making the world a better place,” said Liam Jamshidi, a tech officer from the London office.

The first #peacehack hackathon was held in London in the year 2014. It was an initiative that brought the two worlds of technology and peacebuilding together to try to develop solutions for big problems. Later in 2015, they were able to conduct 5 peacehacks in Barcelona, Beirut, Colombo, London, and Washington DC.  Over 300 hackers took part in the event which was simultaneously done in the 5 regions. The participants were connected through Google hangout. One of the winning ideas is the Safegees – an app that keeps refugees connected. It was developed and is now available in the market.

This year, International Alert was able to conduct 3 hacks so far –in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the first in the Philippines. According to Liam, there are 3 more upcoming peacehacks which will be done in London and Greece.

INTERNATIONAL ALERT PHILIPPINES

Staff members of International Alert Philippines

September 21, 2016 is International Peace Day; but, it is also the 30th anniversary of the founding of International Alert which is an international organization who works in approximately 30 countries where there is often violent conflict. According to Ruel Punongbayan, International Alert Philippines’ Head of Advocacy, “Naroon ang alert kung saan may gulo, may kaguluhan, may hidwaan”.

International Alert has worked in over 60 countries since its founding 30 years ago. There are around 30 country offices at present. From its headquarters in London, International Alert began working in the Philippines in 1988 by doing back-channeling work for the peace process between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Currently, International Alert Philippines is involved in the peace processes in the country. First is the National Democratic Front peace process between the government of the Philippines and the rebels. Further, their country manager, Pancho Lara is the head of the reciprocal working group on ceasefire with the CPP-NPA. They have also been working with the MILF peace process. “Kung mayroong gustong ipaabot ang MILF sa gobyerno or vice versa, iyon ang ginagawa namin.”, Ruel said.

Ruel confidently said that the Bangsamoro Conflict Monitoring System (BCMS) developed and maintained by International Alert Philippines is the only subnational conflict incidence monitoring system in the Philippines. It contains the conflict panel data in Bangsamoro from 2011-2015. They expanded this to the eastern and southern Mindanao conflict database.

Apart from all these involvements of International alert Philippines, they still have a bigger goal and that is to create a Philippine database.

“We’re trying to influence policy and practice in peacebuilding.”, Ruel said. He expressed his joy in seeing the participants of the first #peacehack in the Philippines especially that many of them are members of the youth.

International Alert’s previous tagline was “Understanding conflict, building peace”. However, they thought that it poses an impression that you need to be knowledgeable to be able to make peace which according to Ruel is not true. To that, he said, “No, we make everyday peace”. This is why they have a new tagline: “Peace is within our power”. Ruel believes that “everyone is involved in peacemaking, peacebuilding”.

“We want to challenge you in this peacehack to come up with concepts and ideas to help the Philippines and make a peaceful Philippines”, Ruel concluded.

#PeaceHack2016: The first #peacehack hackathon in the Philippines

International Alert Philippines and Smart Communications, Inc. invite all developers, programmers, and tech enthusiasts to join the first #peacehack in the Philippines, and step up to the challenge of creating a functional and interactive prototype! Build either a mobile or web application that can help the general public and/or peace builders understand conflict, and win up to P50,000 in prizes!

The theme for this year’s hackathon is P.E.A.C.E.: Perceive, Engage, Alert, Communicate and Educate. These are actions essential in building peace, and this is why International Alert challenges developers to create apps under this theme. Apps may serve any purpose, whether it’s for dissemination, mitigation, or education.

HACKATHON WEEKEND SCHEDULE

The 2-day hackathon is happening on September 24 and 25, 2016, in A Space Manila, 110 Legazpi Street, Makati City, Metro Manila. The fun begins on September 24 (Saturday) at 9:00 AM, and ends on September 25 (Sunday) at 8:00 PM.

Prizes

First prize:         P50,000

Second prize:    P30,000

Third prize:        P20,000

Plus goodies from Smart Communications, Inc.!

HACKATHON RULES AND MECHANICS

Registration and team size

Join as an individual, or form a group of up to three members, and register for free through the Eventbrite page.

Event day mechanics

Participants will have two days to develop an app. They can stay overnight in the venue, and bring their own sleeping bags and extra clothes. Alternately, they can also go home and return the following day at 8:00 AM.

The event will start at 9:00 AM on September 24.

Equipment

All participants should bring their own equipment, including computers, chargers, and tools needed to build their app. It is also highly recommended that they bring their own extension cords, tumblers/water bottles, and pens/papers. A Space will provide power sockets and internet connectivity.

Platform, technology stacks, and API

Outputs can either be mobile or web apps. Participants are also free to use any programming language. If an app will use an API, it should be publicly available for at least a month, or if it is a private API, it should have been developed during the event.

Pre-judging (Only when there are 20+ teams presenting)

Before the selection of the final presenters, the judges will pre-select the top apps. They will go around and test each team’s entry. A strict time limit of five (5) minutes per table will be allotted. The judges will then deliberate and announce the finalists who will present on stage. From there, the winners of the 3rd, 2nd, and 1st prize will be selected.

Stage presentations and app demos

Finalists will demo their app on stage for the judges and other participants to see. It is also important to explain how each app is relevant to the theme. Provide a clear walkthrough of each app. An additional two (2) minutes will be allotted for the Q&A portion with the judges.

Judging criteria

Qualifying criteria: Does it conform to the theme?

40%     Relevance          Applicability to peacebuilding initiatives

40%     Engineering      Code quality, design, user experience, API/frameworks/stack used

20%     Sustainability    Impact and viability

Tiebreaker

A code review will be done in the event of a tie. Judges will audit each team’s source code, with the help of a developer appointed by the judges. The tie will be broken based on the quality of the code.

Intellectual property rights

All teams retain full ownership of their own apps.

FAQs

What’s with the theme?

We thought of this theme because we want the developers to think broadly and creative about the range of functions of their apps. Because understanding violent conflict can be done in so many ways, the theme allows participants to think of the different purposes of the app they will create. (But no disaster / flood warning apps please, since that’s not part of what International Alert does.)

What does International Alert work on?

We’ll talk a little bit more about what we do in the event, but to summarize, we understand conflict, and build peace!

1. We have a conflict monitoring website called Conflict Alert.

2. We also study the connection between the shadow economies (drugs, illicit firearms, kidnap-for-ransom, informal land markets, and cross-border trade) and violent conflict.

3. We also study the different kinds of horizontal conflict (violent conflict between clans, ethnic groups, rival insurgents, political parties and private armed groups, or authorities fighting for control over land, natural resources, elective and non-elective positions, including government resources). We also study common crime as a type of violent conflict.

4. We support the peace talks through galvanizing support within our networks, and we build communities that are resilient to discrimination and extreme ideology.

5. We work with businesses in ensuring that businesses do not incite violence in areas they operate in.

Who can participate?

Anyone creative and knows how to code and develop an app is free to participate.

What will be provided by the organizers during the event?

Internet access, power outlets, and food and drinks will be provided.

What should I bring for the event?

Laptops, chargers, extension cords, tools for app development, sleeping bags, extra clothes, tumblers, and extra broadband dongles.

What should I wear?

Wear comfortable clothing!

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

If you have further questions, please email peacehackph@gmail.com.

When: Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 9:00 AM – Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 9:00 PM (PHT)

Where: A SPACE Philippines – 110 Legazpi Street, Makati, NCR 1229, Philippines

Source: http://peacehack.io/events/peacehackph/

DICT, PSIA, PSITE, and Intel Philippines open its call for entries for the Philippine Startup Challenge 2016

The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), in partnership with the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), Intel Philippines and Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE) officially opens the call for entries for Philippine Startup Challenge (PSC) 2016 – a student startup competition which aims to inspire college students to create socially relevant technologies that can be viable business ventures. 

In the past two years, the Philippine Startup Challenge inspired academe stakeholders to create technology and Internet-driven software products and solutions to address real-life problems in industries and communities. Bootcamps were conducted throughout the country to equip college faculty mentors on startup methodologies and Internet of Things (IoT) basics. The challenge has now gathered a roster of 400+ eligible mentors who will be building student teams to pitch their innovations. 

On its third run, the competition offers two tracks – challenging the youth to innovate in a broader field covering mobile applications and systems in the software track and now opening opportunities for hardware-driven IoT projects in a dedicated Iot Track supported by Intel Philippines. Interested participants who have disruptive and innovative ideas may form a team of four (3 college student members and 1 eligible faculty mentor) and pitch their startup idea through a five-minute video. 

Twenty teams will be chosen from each track for further mentoring sessions. The IoT track teams will receive Intel Galileo boards which they can use in developing their projects.  A national finals will be held to host the ten best teams from both tracks who will be given an opportunity to pitch in front of the distinguished leaders of the startup community. 

Winners of the Challenge will get a chance to be part of PSIA-Software Product Incubation Group (PSIA-SPRING.Ph) LaunchPad program and be mentored by prominent names in the Philippine startup scene. The winners will also be given access to valuable networks within the country’s startup ecosystem, which could lead them to future partnerships and collaborations. IoT winners will receive valuable mentoring opportunities supported by Intel Philippines. 

Through this challenge, the DICT together with PSIA, PSITE and Intel and its esteemed partners Huawei, Ideaspace, Microsoft and HP Enterprise will continue in its thrust in developing the Philippine Startup Ecosystem and promoting the creation of innovative technologies that are beneficial to the society and the country. 

For more information on the Philippine Startup Challenge: 

Briefer: http://tinyurl.com/2016PSCBriefer

Contact: 

Karla Legaspi

karla.legaspi@dict.gov.ph

9200101 loc 1101

Jackielyn Isip

jackielyn.isip@dict.gov.ph 

About DICT – The Department of Information and Communications Technology is the Philippine Government’s lead agency on ICT related matters. Its primary thrusts are in the ICT Industry Development, eGovernment, ICT policy development, Internet for all and Cybersecurity.

Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo: A Negrense recipe handed from generations

Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo is not your ordinary gourmet tuyo. Chef April shared the story behind the first shredded gourmet tuyo I have tried. She said that her Lola has always been very hands-on. When they were still little, every time they would harvest watermelons in their farm, her Lola would take out the seeds for them so that they can eat at ease. The same thing goes when they eat tuyo. It was originally her Lola’s recipe and it was always present in their family gatherings. Since her mom loves capers and olives, Chef April tried to add the said ingredients to her Lola’s recipe. Eventually, her friends told her “Why not put it in a bottle and sell it?” That gave birth to Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo. She worked on the product’s packaging and treats that as her main contribution for the coming about of Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo. Chef April is confident enough to say that it doesn’t contain any preservatives.

Being both a Lacson and a Gonzaga, Chef April confessed to be a certified foodie. She owns restaurants where she displays her products. She’s very proud to say that all her products are authentic family recipes. Her latest is the Chorizo de Gonzaga which is her Tita’s recipe.

Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo is now on its 3rd year. You can choose between regular and spicy variants. Chef April suggested ways on how customers can enjoy her Gourmet Tuyo. She said that it’s actually good with pasta, salad, and toasted crostini. However, she still thinks that it’s best with rice – the most Pinoy way of eating it.  Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo can also serve as an appetizer. Chef April said that you can spread it on French bread and add kesong puti for it to be like a Pinoy Canapé.

This is Chef April’s 2nd year in The Negros Trade Fair. She’s very proud of her Gourmet Tuyo which has already won 2 awards. It won the Savor Negrense Award at the Panaad sa Negros Festival 2015 where 19 municipalities and 13 cities joined and only one winner was declared and that is Ading’s Gourmet Tuyo. It was also acknowledged as the grand winner for the deli category of the 26th Bulawan Awards of the Association of Negros Producers in August 2016.