Satellite Technology: Rural areas’ ultimate solution for digital education

July 29, 2022 | 10:00 am

Kacific_main — Mungayang Elementary School of Ifugao is one of the schools connected by Stellarsat powered by Kacific.

Across the globe, both the teachers and the students have been making adjustments in teaching and learning designs due to the health crisis for the past two years. More than just a pandemic, it has resulted in an educational crisis for many countries in the world, including the Philippines.

Internet access is exceptionally low for the 9.4 million people who live at the “last mile”. Only 9.5 percent of Filipinos in the last mile areas (living more than two kilometers from a major road network) live within the serviceable scope of cell towers, according to an analysis by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Thinking Machines Data Science.

Considering the limitation on connectivity, the idea of distance learning modalities— which involve technology and internet connection— came up as an option for online learning in the country.

According to a study by a member of the National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) in 2021, access to the internet is a “major challenge” among teachers across the Philippines amid the pandemic.

Government supports better connectivity for digital education

Meanwhile, Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Ivan John Uy told “The Chiefs” on One News last May 31 that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. handed him some marching orders on different areas, including the digital connectivity.

“He (Marcos Jr.) wanted me to work on providing connectivity, good connectivity with reasonable cost, especially in the remote areas where our primary telcos could not go there,” Uy disclosed.

Uy explained that the President wants to improve the connectivity in the country so that more opportunities can be given to digital education.

“On the education side, our kids have all gone, a lot of them are going online for their education without face-to-face education. So, with better connectivity, we now will be able to provide better access to education to the areas where there is no connectivity,” he said.

Satellite Technology helps to bridge the digital divide

Satellite technology is compatible in connecting the Philippines with its 7,640 islands because unlike other connectivity types, it doesn’t rely on large expensive cell towers or extensive fiber cable networks. Satellite broadband can be used to connect people who live in more remote and mountainous locations, as it simply relies on having a clear line of sight.

Last May, the DICT also opened gates for more satellite systems players, including Kacific, a next-generation broadband satellite operator, to address the challenges of internet connectivity in the country.

Kacific provides reliable, fast, low-cost satellite internet to homes, businesses, and governments across the Asia Pacific, including the Philippines, especially in remote areas.

Fast, easy-to-install, and affordable satellite solutions provided by Kacific give remote areas better opportunities to thrive through the help of stable internet connectivity.

Kacific provides services from Kacific1, a Ka-band satellite that uses concentrated spot beams—from Batanes to Palawan and even all the way to Sulu which allows very effective geographic targeting, especially in mountainous areas.

This brings reliable, high-speed broadband internet to rural populations via easy-to-install 1.2m antennas. Kacific achieves speeds of 85Mbps (70Mbps in download speeds; 15Mbps in upload speeds), with affordable bandwidths offered at affordable rates. This speed is more than enough to run tools and applications for educational needs such as web browsing, video streaming, and conference calls.

Kacific can even provide 100Mbps in download and 20Mbps in upload speeds for up to 60 users for bigger businesses and communities. Terminals are offered for a one-time terminal fee of PHP 34,000 or PHP 52,000 depending on the model. A one-time installation fee of PHP 10,000 is charged by distributors to install the terminal in a specific area.

Stellarsat powered by Kacific offers unlimited plans.

The concentrated spot beams are high power, resulting in availabilities between 99.5% and 99.9%. Kacific can mitigate the effects of rain fade through diverse uplink availability, having two local teleports located in Subic Bay and Clark as its backup sites to ensure that connectivity remains available even in bad weather.

Stellarsat Solutions, Inc., one of Kacific’s local internet service providers, has helped install sites at government offices, schools, and businesses. For example, the satellite internet connection has made a significant difference to public schools in the North Luzon region.

From L to R: Ms. Aida Malanta and Mr. Ardrick Bilibli use the internet provided by Stellarsat powered by Kacific

Kacific and Stellarsat aid digital education by connecting schools

Aida Malanta, who is the school head of Mungayang Elementary School, Kiangan District, Schools Division Office of Ifugao, shared how the Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), powered by Kacific, helps the teachers to prepare for their online classes, enabling them to attend government-led webinars, and submit their reports to the Learner’s Information System (LIS), without going to the city.

“So, when this (VSAT from Stellarsat powered by Kacific) was installed at least we can download their IMs, we can attend webinars, and we can send our reports through email directly,” she emphasized.

Before installing the Stellarsat powered by Kacific VSAT, Mungayang Elementary School Administrative Assistant Ardrick Bilibli, noted that they encountered problems with internet connection in their school as they had to travel to the town just to send a report.

Educators like Mr. Bilibli use the Learners’ Information System (LIS) to update their learners’ data.

“When Stellarsat powered by Kacific came, we use the internet in accessing the LIS or Learners’ Information System. This serves as the database of the learners,” Bilibli said.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd), LIS is an online facility that provides for the registration of learners enrolled in schools run in the Philippines. The data in LIS show basic personal data of the learner, enrollment history, and grade and evaluation results.

“Stellarsat powered by Kacific is a reliable internet provider and we would like to thank Stellarsat powered by Kacific for reaching our school just to provide internet,” Bilibli added.

For fast, affordable satellite internet services in your area, call Stellarsat Solutions, Inc. at 0917 626 6694 or email at info@stellarsat.com.ph.

For more information on Kacific’s satellite technology, visit www.kacific.com or contact sales@kacific.com.

Apply to be a Kacific Authorized Distributor today, visit https://kacific.com/distributor-network to know more.

Why you should invest in people and technology

July 29, 2022 | 9:30 am

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a harrowing test for many businesses across all industries around the world. Digitalization, which had slowly been gaining momentum pre-pandemic as more of a trend than a necessity, ended up becoming the saving grace for many.

Nowadays, as the world endeavors to move onward and leave the pandemic behind, the value of digitalization remains. In fact, according to professional services firm KPMG’s 2021 CEO Outlook survey, digital investment has become a boardroom priority, with nearly three-quarters of UK CEOs say they have an aggressive digital investment strategy designed to secure first-mover or fast-follower status.

The same survey found that 58% of chief executive officers (CEOs) are prioritizing investing in technology over developing their workforce’s skills (42%).

“Over the past 18 months, digital transformation has accelerated hugely. Organizations have needed to fix foundational things like moving to the cloud, implementing base security requirements and integrating collaboration tools,” Lisa Heneghan, partner at KPMG, wrote on the KPMG UK Blog.

“But to do this properly, and really enable the workforce to be effective, more of these tools and technologies are needed than many businesses initially realized. New software, new hardware and more sophisticated collaboration platforms may all be needed. So, the job is not done yet and significant investment is still required.”

Accompanying this upgrade is a need to upskill existing workers to maximize the value of these digital tools. At least half of CEOs from the survey say that investing in digital training and skills will be a key success factor in a hybrid world.

“Digital narrowly ‘wins out’ over people in terms of driving growth, but of course it’s only a qualified victory. It’s people who use the technology and unleash the benefits for the organization. That makes training and upskilling essential. New approaches are needed here – moving away from formal training sessions to an approach of continuous learning and development,” Ms. Heneghan said.

Even workers who are not employed in information technology also require sufficient training, particularly with how central data collection and management is handled across every organization. According to professional services firm Deloitte, almost every organization today is experiencing an acceleration of data flows as a result of increased digitalization.

All of this activity, Deloitte says, requires new skills and a broader understanding of how to unlock the value of increased access to data, as well as the creative space necessary to uncover new insights buried in the flows.

“Embracing the new data-rich environment will involve both discrete skills and larger cultural shifts. Large parts of the workforce, including those not traditionally tied to IT, will need more data literacy and proficiency in the tools that handle it. But entire organizations will also need to develop data-first cultures that are comfortable with data aggregation, mining, and analysis — most of it automated — as the foundations of decision-making,” Deloitte wrote in its 2022 Tech Trends report.

Deloitte recommends automation as a good focal point for lower-level decisions that require less human judgment and which may otherwise feature as distractions in a person’s workday.

“That can provide a double benefit, as the technology is put to work in reliable, repeatable ways and the human workforce can run with the output by making higher level, value-added decisions,” it added.

Furthermore, there is a danger of having too much data and insights causing an organizations to become paralyzed when it comes to making tangible decisions. In this regard, Deloitte suggests that organizations that want to take advantage of freer-flowing data focus on action, such as making micro-decisions, or embedding data-driven confidence into the organization’s culture, while being conscious about pairing data with human experience and judgment.

KPMG’s Ms. Heneghan also had additional tips for staying ahead of the game while undergoing the lengthy process of upgrading and developing your organization’s technology and workforce.

“You’re investing in digital, and you’re upskilling and supporting your people – but how do you keep at the forefront of innovation when business models get disrupted so quickly? It’s a critical question that’s preoccupying CEOs. There’s a realization that you have to be constantly looking around the corner, horizon-scanning for what’s coming next. Many are grappling with how to actually go about it,” she said.

Three-quarters of CEOs from KPMG’s survey said that they intend to increase investment in disruption detection and innovation processes to achieve growth.

“There are lots of components needed for successful innovation – but a really critical element is diversity of thinking. This means reaching out beyond your own business – you can’t innovate just by thinking from within. You need to access the wider ecosystem. That means working with tech businesses, start-ups, and other organisations. Almost three-fifths of CEOs are joining industry consortia and nearly half are collaborating or partnering with start-ups or third-party data providers.” — Bjorn Biel M. Beltran

Trusted ways to upskill the workforce

July 29, 2022 | 9:25 am

The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released a report detailing the economic imperative of expanding an employee’s skill set. It argues that now is an important time for companies to embark on an “upskilling revolution”.

Experts have the same point of view on this global issue as they have observed that when people feel like they’ve stopped learning or adding skills to their resumes, they tend to look elsewhere which incurs higher costs.

As it is in the best interests of both the organization and employees, they advised treating upskilling not as an expense but as a business investment that can increase employee retention which saves the costs of talent recruitment and build a culture of learning.

In practice, organizations see the highest return of investment when they identify priority areas to be upskilled through streamlining the company’s current talent acquisitions, assessing the long-term skills needed to be obtained, determining what learning format is most suitable and matching the upskilled employees with new opportunities inside the company umbrella.

Whether companies are looking to make more efficient employees or prepare them for new leadership opportunities, they can enroll employees in courses or training programs designed by professionals for professionals.

Mentorship programs are also on the rise and are particularly useful when individuals are about to take on a more senior position. Enabling the employees to connect with a mentor or an industry expert for a dedicated time in a week can provide more extensive learning opportunities for both the mentee and the organization.

Analysts suggest that companies should utilize this program to make the upskilling process more personalized through using real-life simulations as the topic of the mentorship which promotes higher information retention.

As large workloads and hectic schedules impose a barrier to formal upskilling, making bite-sized information modules and encouraging self-training via flexibility on attendance to workshops can be designed to meet a simple upskilling objective. Peer-to-peer learning and ‘lunch and learns’ are supplemental ways managers also consider in upskilling employees on a shoestring budget.

Meanwhile, team leaders emphasize how upskilling will benefit both employees’ careers and the company growth amidst the costs it may incur by creating performance and development plans that note the employee’s attainment of certain skills annually which are tied to a future promotion inside the company. They also consider offering credentialing programs that give professional certificates that boost employee morale.

Today, employees expect employers to equip them with the skills they need. Companies that invest in upskilling their employees are essentially helping them do their job better and, in return, grow the business. Giving employees an opportunity to learn and grow is key to optimizing and retaining talent.

As Harvard Business Review puts it, “by reimagining the traditional approaches to skilling, business and human resources leaders can take timely action to prepare their workforces to be today- and future-ready.”

According to them, organizations have two choices: upskill or perish — create a skilling competitive advantage or else run the imminent risk of falling behind. — Allyana A. Almonte

Positive hints in luxury segment’s trajectory

July 29, 2022 | 9:10 am

Albeit lagging in the Prime International Residential Index (PIRI 100) of London-based real estate firm Knight Frank in 2021, the Philippines’ luxury real estate segment has seen resilient and consistent performance in the previous years.

Several property firms have shared the observation that the said segment remained steady last year and is expected to stay so this year.

As reported by The Philippine STAR earlier this year, professional real estate brokerage services company Leechiu Property Consultants (LPC) noted that luxury village land values and luxury condominium prices continue to increase in spite of the 18 months of lockdowns.

“Capital values for luxury projects have continued to grow despite the economic downturn which shows the strong capital preservation of these assets,” LPC was quoted as saying in its first quarter briefing.

The firm further stressed that among the luxury villages, land values in Ayala Alabang in Muntinlupa have reached an all-time high of P200,000 per square meter (sq. m.) as of the said quarter, up from P150,000 per sqm in the same period last year. The village also tallied the highest prime lot change of 58%, followed by San Lorenzo (19%) and Greenhills (14%). Dasmarinas Village posted the highest value, with a range of P400,000 to P550,000 per sq.m.

Meanwhile, among the luxury condominiums on LPC’s list, Aurelia Residences of Robinsons Land Corp. in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig showed the highest prime unit change at 17%, with value going as high as P657,000 per sq. m. Horizon Homes posted the highest values, ranging from P599,000 to P786,000 per sq.m.

In addition, Michael McCullough, managing director of real estate consultancy KMC Savills, said in PropertyGuru Property Report that within the general residential market — which he observed remained weak but improved relative to 2020’s performance — the luxury segment was the most resilient while the mid-segment showed recovery signs.

Much earlier, in a BusinessWorld report published before the previous year closed, Mr. McCullough said demand for luxury condominium units will remain stable this year as high net-worth individuals renovate units in the major central business districts (CBDs) on expectations of higher returns.

Sharing a similar view, Joey Roi H. Bondoc, associate director of real estate services company Colliers Philippines, said in the same report that mid-income and upscale residential units will continue to dictate launches and take-up of condominium units in Metro Manila.

These outlooks seem to have started materializing, as hinted in online real estate marketplace Lamudi’s most recent quarterly outlook.

The outlook highlighted that during the first quarter (Q1) of the year, Taguig, compared to Makati and Pasig CBDs, exhibited the largest increase in leads for residential rentals which belong to the upscale and luxury (with prices at P200,000 and above) segments. Lamudi sees this as “a trend that may be influenced by returning expats and C-level executives amid an improving business environment.”

This is a boost from a finding in the company’s earlier “Property Seeker Trends” from the second half of 2021, which stated that luxury listings attracted 2% more leads from the third quarter to the fourth quarter of the said year.

Moreover, in Lamudi’s outlook from Q1 of last year, within leads for luxury properties for sale, those listings priced at more than P20 million got the largest chunk. Leads for luxury properties for rent were much diversified, with those ranging from P60,000 to P100,000 getting the biggest share.

This positive picture is being painted in spite of a declined performance — and the Manila market’s steepest decline yet — on a global scale.

In Knight Frank’s PIRI 100, an annual assessment of prime residential prices across 100 locations around the world, Manila currently ranks 97^th out of 100 key cities; and it has the second-lowest contraction in luxury residential prices in Asia-Paciﬁc in 2021. Having recorded a 1.5% decline in the prices of luxury residential properties, the Philippine capital plunged 96 places from being the hottest prime residential market in 2020.

Prior to its current ranking, Manila was one of the top five Asia-Pacific markets from 2018 to 2020, when it recorded a 19.4% annual incline in prices.

The whole PIRI 100 increased in value by 8.4% in 2021, up from just under 2% in 2020 and its highest annual increase since the index was launched in 2008.

“Of the 100 luxury residential markets tracked, only seven saw prices decline in 2021 while a staggering 35% of locations saw them increase by 10% or more, underlining the strength of the sellers’ market during the pandemic,” Kate Everett-Allen, head of International Residential Research at Knight Frank, wrote in the firm’s The Wealth Report.

With a resilient performance amid the pandemic to ground itself with, the Philippine luxury property segment has an opportunity to attract demand beyond leads and complete this year with better performance and, perhaps, a better ranking in the global market. — Adrian Paul B. Conoza

The upside of investing in luxury homes

July 29, 2022 | 9:05 am

Imagine a house with a uniquely designed facade, standing on a spacious lot that provides different areas for outdoor activities. And inside, the rooms and furniture give a comforting atmosphere. This kind of luxury house is ideal and beneficial to invest in and live in.

The pandemic situation made some people have new preferences in their living spaces, given that everyone was told to stay at home, such as wanting spaces that could allow them to do activities usually done outside before. For others, they could find the spaces and living that they seek in luxury homes.

At the start of 2021, real estate services firm KMC Savills, Inc. has, in fact, noted a rise in the demand for luxury homes during the pandemic. “Residential real estate is a need, and amid the pandemic, people will still purchase,” KMC Senior Manager for Research Gerfer Mindoro said in article published on the firm’s website. “Now that the need of having a safe home is amplified, more people have realized the importance of investing in a high-quality home for their families.”

But what really makes up a luxury home? Of course, hearing the word “luxury” already indicates a high price tag, but it is not merely all that. Luxury homes are touted for their exclusivity and unique comfort and are even considered to be a sound investment opportunity.

One of the features that matter in a luxury home, whether a house or condominium, is its location. The location of a luxury home gives its residents various advantages. This can come in being in exclusive neighborhoods or communities or a place that ensures security and privacy.

Some may look for luxury homes residing in central business districts, where they can experience the conveniences that the city center can offer. But for some, they look to invest in a luxury vacation home outside the city to have a place to stay whenever they travel to and wind down in a vacation destination.

But aside from the high-end convenience offered by certain locations, some luxury homes are situated in areas that can present a panoramic view of cityscapes or landscapes, which can give residents a stunning backdrop from their homes.

The outdoors within a luxury home, meanwhile, usually also encompass spaces for various activities. Features such as a swimming pool, outdoor kitchen and dining, and a space for entertainment or a gazebo where families and friends can hang out are among the notable components of a luxury residential. Simply put, this meant having a spacious area to enjoy the outdoors without having to leave their homes.

An expansive space is also typically seen even inside a luxury home. Some include a wide space for the kitchen, rooms for entertainment such as a gym, game room, or home theater, a relaxing spa-inspired bathroom, walk-in closets, or great master suites.

These spaces in a luxury home are also designed with high-end materials, some are even equipped with smart home technologies. A luxury kitchen, for instance, is usually furnished with a kitchen island made with quartz or granite countertops as well as smart appliances from the refrigerator to the oven.

Looking at it from the exterior, luxury homes are also exquisitely architectured, from their façade to the landscape.

These are among the elements that typically constitute a luxury home, which gives its residents an opulent space for different activities that let them have a comfy lifestyle. But aside from offering a unique home living experience, luxury homes are also seen as a safe and sound investment to add to one’s portfolio.

Investing in real estate is commonly considered a low risk. Luxury real estate is also believed to be a good inflation hedge. It was thought that it could be able to keep going with inflation as rents could also be rose reasonably along with inflation rates. Over time, the value of a luxury home could also appreciate. Nonetheless, one should also remember that just like other investments, luxury real estate can have its downside. So better understand and assess the upside and downside of luxury homes as an investment and ask for help from a professional to be able to make a sound investment decision.

Luxury homes usually attract wealthy buyers and tenants who can pay to live in such a kind of home, which means, in turn, yields to the investors. This, especially, when the luxury residential properties they invested in are built with well-designed exteriors, furnished with high-quality materials and innovative appliances, expansive spaces, and standing in a good location, which some people might be looking for in a home. — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio

For Philippine esports, it takes a village to create an industry

July 29, 2022 | 9:00 am

By Bjorn Biel M. Beltran, Special Features Writer

The Philippine esports scene has seemingly exploded in popularity in such a short span of time. A little more than a decade ago, esports tournaments consisted of mainly grassroots, locally-organized tourneys of real-time strategy games like Starcraft, first-person shooters like Counter-Strike, and arcade-style fighting game tournaments.

Fast-forward to today and some of the country’s biggest corporations have their created their own esports franchise leagues and even sponsors their own teams and players. Most recently, the Philippines national esports team Sibol won big at the 31^st Southeast Asian Games, bagging two golds and two silvers and ending their Hanoi campaign third in the rankings. The overall esports medal tally in the Southeast Asian Games saw the Philippines still at first place with a total of nine medals: five gold, three silvers and a bronze.

Mobile gaming has broken the mainstream, pushing video games to become far and away the biggest entertainment medium rivalling movies and television shows. In fact, Statista claims that in Asia-Pacific alone the video gaming market is estimated to be worth $53.4 billion, with almost one and a half billion players.

In the Philippines, according to a survey conducted by Rakuten Insight in April 2022, as much as 80% of respondents in the Philippines stated that they played online games. A majority of these online gamers played daily.

According to Statista, in 2020, the revenue of the video games market in the Philippines was recorded around $1.26 billion, an increase of around $300 million compared to 2019. Mobile games market took the lion’s share of this with a revenue of around $900 million. The Statista Digital Market Outlook estimates that revenue of the Filipino video games market will continue to increase across all segments and by 2025 reach a total revenue of around $2 billion.

And yet, though the numbers are already staggering, esports in the country still has a long way to go to realize its potential.

“If we were to liken the Philippine esports scene to a person, it would be a child that has just learned how to walk and is starting to run. It is no longer in its infancy, nor is it learning how to crawl. It’s mature enough to run by itself, but not stable enough to sustain its current progress without additional support of multiple entities and institutions,” Rina Siongco, head of Get Entertained Tribe at Globe, said in an interview.

“It’s large enough to sustain jobs of all kinds — from the player/team side to the organizer/backend jobs,” she added.

Globe is one of the major organizations that have supported esports from the get-go, launching multiple initiatives centered around the local scene including launching its first Esports Center (ESC) at Play Nation in UP Town Center, Quezon City, and and creating its own official professional team in partnership with Mineski.

Also an early supporter of esports is PLDT and Smart. The Esports and Gaming Summit, one of the biggest gaming conventions in the Philippines created by the organizations, have highlighted Filipino gamers since 2013. Their own eSports team, the PLDT-Smart Omega, also won the recognition of becoming the first champion of Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Conference 1 of The Nationals, held last August 2019.

Last month, PLDT also announced that it signed a memorandum of understanding with OneQode, a gaming infrastructure provider, to further strengthen and internationalize the gaming experience of the local esports community. Under the partnership, OneQode will establish its gaming network infrastructure in the country to boost its operating capability.

Ms. Siongco emphasized how crucial such support is towards the continued development of the industry, especially with the effects of the pandemic still looming large over the general sports and events landscape.

“With physical sports on hold during the pandemic, esports tournaments served as both entertainment and competitive sports, which led to an increase in number of online tournaments being created and held. Unofficial numbers from local esports organizers saw the total number of online tournaments increase by 250% year-on-year in 2020 and a further 400% in 2021,” she said.

“Online tournaments can now be likened to how basketball was used to engage the youth – instead of barangay basketball tournaments, esports tournaments, particularly Mobile Legends tournaments, now became the go-to events organized by local government units and youth organizations.”

Given esports’s relatively young age compared to other entertainment media, its development is still seeing the expected growing pains.

“In addition to operational inefficiencies, esports also does not have a unified pricing model at the moment. Organizers and game publishers valuate their events and tournaments very differently. As a result, while there are more tournaments, leagues, and openings for players, teams, and creators, the number of mainstream brands utilizing esports for marketing has not grown as fast,” Ms. Siongco noted.

She also mentioned the social and health risks involved in the conversation about video gaming as a whole. “While less than in previous years, there is also still a perception of games and esports as addictive and dangerous for the youth,” she said.

“The ease of communication within games (via in-game chat options and other communication tools) also makes it prone to abuse. Abuse can be in the form of bullying or even sexual harassment. The lack of clearly moderated safe spaces is a major point of concern that needs to be improved.”

Esports organizations need to keep aware of such issues and address them before they grow insidious and detrimental to the industry’s development. Especially because the good that esports brings far outweigh the bad, in terms of creating many new careers for passionate Filipinos.

“Content creators serve as ambassadors for the game titles. Aside from creating their own community for engagement purposes, they serve as influencers and key opinion leaders, helping shape whether a game would be successful in the Philippines or not. They are crucial for market growth, and utilizing games as a service depends highly on the exposure they bring,” Ms. Siongco said.

The industry would need more help and expertise to manage its issues and create a path forward, especially in terms of addressing the hurdles regarding its operations, marketing, and navigating the health and social risks involved. The potential is too great to ignore.

“Games are now a crucial part of the youth’s lives. Globe Games and Esports aims to support this by highlighting the good that gaming does. From giving you analytical skills when playing strategy games, to teaching you how to communicate better when you coordinate with your team during a crucial rush in first person shooter games — there’s a lot of good that video games do for everyone,” Ms. Siongco said.

The esports and video game advantage

July 29, 2022 | 8:55 am

Video games used to be perceived as a waste of time or a distraction to studies and even associated with violence. Because of the stigma that video games are bad, several advantages and opportunities from them were overlooked.

In the past years, however, video games went beyond being considered an unproductive activity, given the ascent of competitive gaming between individuals or teams across the world, more known as esports.

Whether among gamers or spectators, esports has grown its popularity in recent years. In 2019, the League of Legends (LoL) World Championship in Paris drew 100 million people. That year’s most-watched American broadcast program, the NFL Super Bowl, gathered around 149 million people, according to Market Research Southeast Asia. The global esports audience is expected to grow 8.7% year on year to 532 million this 2022, games and esports analytics provider Newzoo’s report showed. And this would exceed 640 million in 2025.

But even as esports continues to expand, there are still misunderstandings about video games that exist today. When understood better — and of course, used appropriately — esports and video games present advantages and opportunities. Apart from being a source of entertainment, they could help improve social and thinking skills, especially for younger people, which could be beneficial for them in the future.

Games are generally amusing. Hence, playing video games is treated by many as a break from worries and stress. Yet, winning a game requires skills, and playing put these skills to the test, which eventually could be sharpened further.

Like other sports, video games require good hand-eye coordination, which is the ability to simultaneously use one’s eyes and hands to do a particular activity. According to Dr. Nithin Natwa, M.D., a sports medicine specialist at Henry Ford Health, a professional gamer has 300 to 400 precise actions for every minute. And these actions entail having superior hand-eye coordination abilities among gamers.

Another skill that a player could also enhance in video games is problem-solving. After all, most games are all about solving challenges to win. As one continues to play and be able to solve more and more problems, the game thus allows them to exercise and improve their problem-solving abilities as well.

Furthermore, in esports, gamers have various information to absorb and examine, such as understanding the moves and capacities of video game characters or considering the way their opponents think, enabling them to deliberate carefully and make quick decisions about the next steps they should take to proceed and eventually emerge victorious. And this involves critical thinking, which could be improved as such a skill is put into practice in the game

But aside from supporting individuals to hone their thinking, video games are also considered helpful in improving social skills, especially among students, and fostering a community with a sense of belongingness.

Esports is an opportunity for players to connect, which is beneficial amid the social distancing and other restrictions during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. “A lot of gamers say esports helps them connect socially with friends,” Dr. Natwa was quoted in an article published on Henry Ford Health’s website.

Dr. Laurie Walczak, an English teacher at the University School of Milwaukee (USM), also believed that esports could help nurture social-emotional learning skills. “Regardless of one’s skill in gaming, esports players gain social and emotional learning skills as they establish teams, develop mentorships, collaborate, and compete amongst students who may not otherwise interact with one another,” she wrote in an article from USM’s website.

She also considered esports as an ideal opportunity for students who want to belong to a team and acquire new skills, especially for those who are not into traditional athletics. Furthermore, it presents a unique opportunity to create connections among diverse populations and promote inclusion. “Playing together in a shared space — whether a shared virtual space or a physical space like an esports arena — is the goal of esports, and doing so establishes community, friendship, school spirit, and a sense of belonging,” she added.

Social skills, as we know, are important while growing up. Meanwhile, problem-solving and critical thinking skills are crucial for almost every job. Esports also offers different opportunities to kickstart one’s career in the industry, apart from being a professional gamer, such as in the side of social media, broadcasting, and management, among others.

Esports and video games are being participated by many people, including children. Nonetheless, while they provide several advantages and opportunities, video games should be used in moderation. Note that there is a difference between being interested and being addicted to video games. When engaged in a game just right, players could realize the benefits and avoid experiencing the pitfalls.

“If you’re not a professional gamer, make sure to restrict the amount of time you’re participating in esports and diversify your activities,” Henry Ford Health’s Dr. Natwa said. He also said that parents must regulate the passion of the athlete, similar in physical sports. “Since esports is a new field, parents need to educate themselves so they can make informed decisions for their children.” — Chelsey Keith P. Ignacio

TELUS International primes tech talents with the most current in-demand and next-gen skills

July 29, 2022 | 8:00 am

Fast-paced technological advancements have transformed the operations and services of many industries, demanding increasingly greater innovations, a trend that is likely to continue to grow exponentially in the years to come. For tech professionals, this highlight the need for being equipped and primed with the imperative skills of today and for the future.

TELUS International, a digital customer experience (CX) innovator that designs, builds, and delivers next-generation digital solutions for global and disruptive brands, recognizes the need to equip their talented team members with the most current and next-generation skills through a global learning curriculum that is aligned with the demands of the market.

This learning program includes in-house and external training resources for professionals seeking to enhance their technical skill set to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving and increasingly digital job market.

“We strive to transform learning from a passive experience to an active engagement that includes a variety of training methodologies to maximize learner engagement, subject matter retention, and training stickiness,” said Mercedes Posadas, Director of Global Learning Excelente for Digital Solutions at TELUS International.

Through the global learning innovation program, TELUS International team members can learn and further specialize in next-generation skills in areas such as Cloud Computing, Structured Query Language (SQL), Python, and React. Along with these technical skills, the program also provides team members with soft skills aids, including assertive communication, email etiquette, time management, and effective delegation, among others.

Aligned with its focus on next-gen digital technology, training is hosted in a proprietary virtual Knowledge Base, where teams can access the catalog of current resources and complete their assigned curriculum. In addition, the Knowledge Base features optional complementary learning resources in various formats such as webinars, workshops, masterclasses, panels, and one-to-one mentoring. Most of these promote peer-to-peer learning involving hybrid projects with theoretical and practical collaborative sessions.

“Peer-to-peer learning provides a space for Subject Matter Experts to continue refining, improving, and assessing their skills through knowledge transfer and repetition, in addition to honing their public speaking and facilitation capabilities,” said Nalakumar “Nala” RS, Vice-President for Digital Solutions at TELUS International.

Meanwhile, team members can also use an assigned annual budget and enroll in technical training under external accredited institutions, where most of the training is done in a self-paced format.

By learning in a self-paced format, Nala said this could encourage the participating team members to “build autonomy and accountability for their progress and generate crucial information about their learning habits and patterns that they can keep and practice for the rest of their lives.”

TELUS International Digital Solutions’ learning platform has logged more than 9,000 hours of training with over 2,000 active enrollments from professionals in technology roles, across nine worldwide locations as of June 2022.

In terms of outreach to local IT circles, TELUS International looks to abridge the industry digital skills gaps of the Filipino IT workforce, as well as reduce new hires’ time to competency while also continuing to develop in-demand skills for potential.

“[The learning program] supports a learning culture by making skills improvement accessible and a part of ongoing performance discussions, with repercussions on their mid-term career growth paths,” Nala added.

“We leverage the fact that most IT professionals already prefer lifelong learning and seek more training resources to build a competitive career, representing a major driver of engagement for them,” Mercedes Posadas said. “By providing these development and growth resources and learning opportunities, team members are more committed to achieving good business results.”

Cultivating the next generation of job-ready IT professionals

Beyond the tech team members within its organization, TELUS International also seeks to support the next generation of software engineers, programmers, and IT professionals in honing their skills through its Digital Solutions internship program, Code Your Career. This 12-week course equipped 39 junior and senior college students from different schools with knowledge of tech support, IT system analysis, software development, cloud infrastructure, cloud application administration, data analysis, and cybersecurity, as well as guided them on portfolio creation, interview, and CV writing to further prepare them as they enter the job market.

Notably, TELUS International has been recognized as a Gold Learning Elite organization by Chief Learning Officer magazine for its excellent workforce development strategies that generate significant commercial results.

“We believe that a commitment to a customer-focused culture starts with our people,” Nala further emphasized. “This means investing and empowering our teams to truly excel at leveraging cutting-edge technology solutions.”

TELUS International has more than 68,000 global team members from 28 countries who deliver integrated CX and next-gen digital solutions to some of the biggest and most respected brands in the world. It has over 26,000 team members based in the Philippines, across eight CX and IT delivery centers located in Metro Manila and Iloilo.

Over 3,000 team members in The Philippines are dedicated to TELUS International’s technology division, delivering the high-tech, high-touch customer experiences that the tech industry depends upon in today’s highly-competitive market. TELUS International’s Digital Solutions methodologies cover the IT lifecycle from design and construction to delivery, operation, and optimization, including intelligent automation for digital transformation.

With a focus on developing reusable frameworks, TELUS International Digital Solutions guarantees faster market turnaround, reduced costs, maintenance, management, and comprehensive support for application development solutions. With hopes to expand the Digital Solutions operation in the region, TELUS International is attuned to the needs of a globalized world and remains committed to strengthening the telecommunications communities around us while supporting economic growth and job creation.

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Invest in a vacation home at the resort-inspired AmiSa Private Residences

July 29, 2022 | 8:00 am

Everyone living a busy life needs a break from time to time. For many Filipinos, this means having an escape to explore the beautiful islands and beaches across the country. But aside from simply visiting these gorgeous destinations, why not own a place that lets you appreciate them on a daily basis?

RLC Residences developed a leisure-inspired condominium where you can experience resort-like living from your own space at AmiSa Private Residences. Located at Punta Engaño in Mactan, Cebu, this property stands near the tip of the island’s peninsula which allows residents to appreciate the unobstructed seascape view of Magellan Bay, Olango Island, and Hilutungan Channel within their own homes.

Earlier this year, RLC Residences launched the fourth tower of this condo featuring upgraded home features and amenities along with leisure-inspired offerings to complete the home vacation experience.

The new 16-storey tower has spacious studio, one, and two-bedroom units with generous window sizes and a glass balcony railing perfect so you can appreciate the impressive seascape and let in the refreshing flow of air breeze inside your unit. Aside from these, all flats are made future-proof as they are all equipped with Smart Home features for enhanced security and better convenience at home. These technologies include a Smart Lock for the main door which is accessible via key card, fingerprint, or mechanical key; an Audio/Video Intercom that allows you to easily communicate with the receptionist or their guests; and Smart Lights that you can switch on and off remotely via your phone.

When it comes to amenities, facilities for leisure, fitness, and relaxation are made available exclusively to its homeowners. Residents can relax and unwind with a good view of the sea from the Sky Lounge located on the topmost floor of Tower D. They can also use other amenities depending on their needs, such as the private theater, grilling and picnic area, game room, clubhouse, swimming pool, jogging path, and private gym.

In addition to the resort-inspired features available at AmiSa, homeowners are also provided exclusive privileges to the nearby Dusit Thani Mactan Resort.

The luxurious hotel and resort services of Dusit Thani, including beach access, on-call shuttle services, as well as its modern amenities and facilities, are extended to AmiSa residents, providing them the ultimate vacation-like lifestyle experience around their home.

Explore more about AmiSa Private Residences by joining the upcoming Exclusive Property Preview on August 6 at Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu. You can also visit RLC Residences’ website and follow RLC Residences on Facebook and Instagram to get more updates.

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BSP to continue policy tightening

July 29, 2022 | 12:35 am

BSP-Medalla — Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Felipe M. Medalla attends an economic briefing in Pasay City, July 26, 2022. — REUTERS

THE BANGKO SENTRAL ng Pilipinas (BSP) is ready to use the “full force” of monetary policy measures to curb inflation and support the Philippine peso, after the United States Federal Reserve delivered another super-sized rate hike.

“The action of the US Federal Reserve, along with the tightening of global financial conditions and broadening uncertainty over global growth prospects, could continue to drive exchange rate movements in emerging market economies, including in the Philippines,” BSP Governor Felipe M. Medalla said in a statement.

“In order to manage the spillover effects of such external developments, the BSP is prepared to utilize the full force of available measures in order to address the potential risks to Philippine inflation and inflation expectations arising from an overshooting or excessive depreciation of the Philippine peso.”

The US Federal Reserve on Wednesday delivered a 75-basis-point (bp) rate hike for the second straight meeting, as it continued its fight against inflation.

In a bid to keep up with the Fed, the BSP raised its benchmark rates by 75 bps in an off-cycle move on July 14. The Monetary Board has raised policy rates by a total of 125 bps this year.

The Monetary Board is scheduled to hold its next policy meeting on Aug. 18. Mr. Medalla on Tuesday signaled they might consider a rate hike of 25-50 bps next month.

The Philippine peso closed at P55.82 a dollar on Thursday, shedding 14 centavos from its P55.68 finish on Wednesday, based on Bankers Association of the Philippines data. The peso breached the P56 level against the US dollar earlier this month.

“Looking ahead, the BSP stands ready to take all necessary monetary policy action to bring inflation back toward a target-consistent path over the medium term,” Mr. Medalla said.

“Further monetary policy adjustment will be carried out in the coming months commensurate with the primary objective of preventing inflation from becoming further entrenched,” he added.

Inflation rose to 6.1% year on year in June — the fastest in nearly four years — and exceeded the central bank’s 2-4% target for a third straight month. This brought the average inflation this year to 4.4%, still below the BSP’s full-year forecast of 5%.

“BSP’s statement signals to the market that they are committed to fighting inflation and the statement will work to contain previously spiraling inflation expectations,” ING Bank N.V. Manila Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio T. Mapa said in an e-mail.

Asked what BSP meant about the “full force of available measures,” Mr. Mapa said: “Mainly I think they are referring to their main policy rate as well as the interest rate corridor. Reserve requirements (RR) can also be utilized although guidance has been that RR would be lowered if ever it is used.”

The BSP earlier committed to bring down the reserve requirement ratio (RRR) of big banks to single digits by 2023. However, it lowered the ratio for banks in March 2020 to cushion the impact of the pandemic on the economy. The ratio for big banks is 12%, one of the highest in the region. Reserve requirements for thrift and rural lenders are 3% and 2%, respectively

Meanwhile, Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Lead Economist Emilio S. Neri, Jr. said the BSP has room to raise its policy rates by 100 bps this year without hurting gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

“We believe the BSP will need to raise the reverse repurchase rate toward 4.25% at the end of this year and towards 4.75% through mid-2023 in order to ensure that price stability remains conducive to growth,” he said.

“The rate hikes will probably not hurt the domestic economy that much because we are just going back to pre-pandemic levels. For 10 straight years, 2010 to 2019, we grew by an average of 6.4% with a policy rate that was close to 4%,” he added.

The BSP slashed benchmark rates by 200 bps to support the pandemic-hit economy in 2020, bringing the policy rate to a record low of 2%.

The Development Budget Coordination Committee is targeting 6.5-7.5% GDP growth this year.

The Philippine Statistics Authority is scheduled to release July inflation data on Aug. 5, and second-quarter GDP data on Aug. 9.

“The BSP believes the Philippines’ robust economic prospects continue to provide enough room for further tightening of the monetary policy stance. As always, the BSP’s future monetary policy decisions will remain guided by data outcomes for the Philippine economy,” Mr. Medalla said. – K.B.Ta-asan

Significant China slowdown may hurt PHL credit rating

July 29, 2022 | 12:34 am

A SIGNIFICANT SLOWDOWN in China’s economic growth due to further coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreaks will likely hurt the sovereign ratings of Asia-Pacific (APAC) economies, including the Philippines, Fitch Ratings said.

In a report “APAC Exposure to Slower China Growth,” Fitch Ratings said more COVID-19-driven economic shocks in China will likely have “clear negative” economic effects for Asian countries since China is the biggest export market for most.

“Additional pandemic-related disruption in China could affect economic, fiscal and external prospects for other APAC sovereigns and territories, with possible credit implications through channels such as trade, tourism and financing,” it said.

A China slowdown will be the third major external shock for Asian economies, after the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Successive shocks could further erode fiscal space and exacerbate credit risks in frontier markets, potentially eroding their political and institutional stability. Weaker near-term economic growth prospects would weigh on credit metrics for APAC sovereigns. Post-pandemic fiscal consolidation could be set back or reversed due to weaker growth or the use of fiscal stimulus to offset the external shock,” Fitch said.

China is the Philippines’ main import partner, accounting for 22.7% of total imports in 2021. Around 15.5% of Philippine exports went to China in 2021.

However, Fitch said the Philippines is less exposed to these shocks relative to its APAC neighbors, as most have higher reliance on Chinese imports.

Weaker growth in China may affect countries, such as the Philippines, Hong Kong, Thailand, Sri Lanka and Vietnam, whose tourism sectors rely heavily on Chinese tourists, it added.

The Philippines also relies less on bilateral lending from China, compared to other APAC countries.

In case China’s growth is slower than current forecasts, Fitch said slower growth and weaker global investor sentiment will weigh on other Asia-Pacific sovereign ratings.

“The effects across the APAC region may be largely transitory, but this additional shock after the pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war may raise the risk of economic scarring that could weigh on medium-term growth prospects,” Fitch said.

“Ratings that are sensitive to this risk, with relatively limited headroom, such as that of the Philippines, could face downgrade pressure,” it added.

Fitch Ratings in February maintained the country’s investment grade “BBB” rating, as well as the “negative” outlook as it flagged uncertainties in the country’s medium-term growth and hurdles to bringing down debt. A negative outlook means a downgrade is possible within the next 12 to 18 months.

The Philippines has kept the “BBB” rating, which is one notch above the minimum investment grade, since December 2017.

The Philippines’ debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio stood at 63.5% as of end-March, beyond the 60% limit prescribed by multinational lenders. This comes as a result of the country’s aggressive borrowing to fund its pandemic response in 2020.

The government is aiming to bring down the debt-to-GDP ratio to 61.8% by yearend, and is expected to steadily drop to 61.3% by next year all the way to 52.5% by 2028. — D.G.C.Robles

BIR, BoC ordered to fast-track modernization

July 29, 2022 | 12:33 am

BIR-taxpayers — People line up to file their income tax returns at the Bureau of Internal Revenue office in Intramuros, Manila, April 18, 2022. — PHILIPPINE STAR/ RUSSELL A. PALMA

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno has ordered the country’s revenue collection agencies to accelerate their digitalization transformation programs to improve the Philippines’ tax effort.

“My marching order to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) the Bureau of Customs (BoC) is to fast-track their respective modernization programs to increase our tax effort,” he said at an event organized by FinTech Alliance.ph on Thursday.

The BIR and BoC began implementing digital programs to facilitate trade and make the filing and payment of taxes easier amid the pandemic in 2020. These efforts helped sustain tax collection efforts despite the lockdowns.

“The government expects to collect more revenues on the back of a faster and more broad-based economic growth. Thus, efficient and effective tax administration will be critical in funding our socioeconomic priorities,” Mr. Diokno said.

The BIR aims to collect P2.43 trillion this year, while the BoC set a collection target of P671.66 billion.

Earlier, Mr. Diokno said he was not inclined to seek new taxes, preferring to improve tax administration instead.

On Thursday, he said digitalization would widen financial inclusion in the Philippines.

“We will accelerate the rollout of the Philippine Identification System to bring us closer to the goal of achieving e-governance and widen access to financial products and services among our people,” he added.

When he was Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) governor, Mr. Diokno said he set the goal to digitize half of all retail payments and onboard 70% of Filipino adults into the formal financial system by next year.

“Under President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s administration, we will put greater emphasis on pursuing technological innovations to build new industries, enhance the delivery of public services, and create many employment and investment opportunities,” he said.

“All these will allow us to bounce back stronger from the pandemic and ensure the long-term recovery of our economy.”

The government aims economic growth of 6.5-7.5% this year, and 6.5-8% next year to 2028.

‘ROADMAP’
Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) will take the lead in crafting the “First 100-day Roadmap on Digitalization,” which will improve bureaucratic efficiency and ensure sound fiscal management.

“Digitalization is our way forward. Like what President Marcos said, it is the Fourth Industrial Revolution. We are entering an age of rapid technological advancement. And so we have to adapt,” Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said in a separate statement.

The First 100-Day Roadmap “will explore the capabilities of cloud infrastructure and Application Programming Interfaces for real-time processing of government service, as well as blockchain technology for decentralized transparency,” the DBM said.

The roadmap will include updating the Government Integrated Financial Management Information Systems. A Budget and Treasury Management System (BTMS) will be developed by the DBM, together with the Department of Finance and Commission on Audit.

“BTMS will be a centralized database to facilitate the generation of vital information on all aspects of government financial transactions. Through the platform, all transactions are mapped real-time from purchase to payment,” the DBM said. — DGCR

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