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Effectively finding one’s digital transformation path

It is easy to imagine that there should be one best formula for digital transformation in organizations. Yet, it is much recognized that a large, mature organization with thousands of employees will need to do things differently from a fast-growing small or medium enterprise with just a few hundreds. This becomes more apparent when one recognizes that digital transformation is not just about technology but, more importantly, about the seamless interaction across people, process, and technology.

The digitalization road map, defined by the need for digitalizing documents and information, and the requirements for automating and integrating systems, can vary widely depending on the company’s context. While digital transformation will always follow the same set of broad principles, it needs to be adapted to the company context through a comprehensive view of its work systems.

In effectively pursuing these initiatives, these questions are worth asking: (1) How does the company balance the need for speedy response (often achieved with a top-down, directive leadership style) with the essentials of creativity and innovation (often requiring workforce empowerment, flat organizations, and team-based work)?; and (2) Are the company’s digitalization ambitions ensconced in the strategy documents adequately captured in the organization’s messaging? 

Today’s technology offers a way to help organizations thrive in the post-pandemic world. For instance, cloud-based services such as cloud enterprise resource planning or ERP, robotic process automation or RPA, and distributed workforce technologies such as network access controls are but some of the choices available to companies looking to establish e-commerce channels.

One needs to be aware, however, of the common pitfalls in adopting technologies, since it is far more costly to correct missteps along the way — not even considering the valuable time lost in staying ahead of the competition. There have been many lessons of companies aggressively pursuing technology projects only to be dragged down by a bewildering sluggishness in the adoption of the technology and its diffusion into operations.

Strong support throughout digitalization

Getting things right the first time often requires an objective and independent view that only experienced but dynamic professional consultants can give.

Thus, partnering with a professional services firm that stays with organizations in their system implementation and technology adoption efforts every step of the way gives the quickest and most certain path to digitalization.

“Digital transformation transcends capital investment in technology. It is more about building organizational capability for understanding and responding to ever-changing customer expectations. No matter how daunting your company’s digital journey may appear, RT&Co. can share valuable insights borne of its extensive change management experience,” said Caesar Parlade, Reyes Tacandong & Co. (RT&Co.) Managing Partner for Advisory and Digital Transformation.

Whatever your digitalization requirements are, RT&Co. Advisory Services can support you with a full range of expertise consisting of process and quality management, digital trust (including IT assurance and cybersecurity services), compliance and regulatory consulting, transactions advisory, and internal audit and risk management.

The firm performs these capacities through a holistic approach involving an assessment of your organization structure, business process designs, and existing technologies and systems to decipher and meet your needs. This is also to ensure that no critical elements for success are left unnoticed in the design and execution of your digital journey.

RT&Co. is widely recognized for its Audit and Tax services in the last decade. The firm also offers services on Financial, Vendor assist or Vendor, and Tax due diligence.

With this array of Advisory Services of RT&Co., you can rebuild, reboot, and reimagine your business.

Transform your organization with the professional insights and solutions from RT&Co. Visit www.reyestacandong.com for more information.

 

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Merck says deal signed with Singapore on COVID-19 antiviral pill

SINGAPORE – Merck announced on Wednesday a supply and purchase agreement that will provide Singapore with access to its experimental oral COVID–19 antiviral drug, the latest Asian country to try to snap up supplies.

Molnupiravir is designed to introduce errors into the genetic code of the virus and would be the first oral antiviral medication for COVID–19. Merck is seeking approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration for the pill.

Singapore‘s health ministry did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation of the Merck agreement.

Australia has also bought the Merck pill, while Thailand, South Korea, Taiwan and Malaysia have been in talks to buy it. The Philippines hopes its trial of the pill would allow it access.

The rush to order the drug comes after data from interim clinical trials released on Friday indicated it could reduce by about 50% the likelihood of hospitalisation or death for patients at risk of severe disease from COVID–19.

Singapore reported a record 3,486 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, as it deals with its biggest outbreak so far. It has vaccinated more than 80% of its people against COVID–19. – Reuters

SM Supermalls set to open VAXCertPH booths nationwide

Becomes the first official venue partner of the DOH and DILG initiative

SM Supermalls has inked a deal with the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to become the first official venue partner of the digital vaccination certificate program, VAXCertPH, during its launch in SM City Clark today, October 4.

Present during the Memorandum of Agreement signing were SM Supermalls Steven T. Tan; Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque; Health Secretary Francisco Duque; National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 Chief Implementer and Vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez, Jr.; NTF DCI Testing czar Sec. Vince Dizon; DILG Usec Jonathan Malaya; DICT Usec Manny Caintic; MMDA Chairman Benhur Abalos, Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin, Jr.; and, Mabalacat City Mayor Crisostomo Garbo.

“The VAXCertPH initiative will be very helpful to our fellow Filipinos, especially the OFWs and international travelers, as this certification can be used when going abroad. We at SM are pleased to be of service in making the vaccine certification records more accessible to Filipinos nationwide,” said Tan during his opening remarks.

VaxCertPH is a program initiative of the DILG and DOH that will provide Filipinos with a digital vaccine certificate verified as authentic by their respective LGU’s database. The program was designed to address the lack of uniformity in certificates that indicate a person’s vaccination status. The mobile app and portal for the issuance of digital vaccination certificates were developed by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Under the partnership, SM is set to provide an area within its 76 malls nationwide dedicated to the VAXCertPH booths which will be manned by LGU representatives. SM will also be assisting the government agencies in informing the general public of the VAXCertPH initiative through its marketing materials, online announcements, and traditional media.

“We are proud to be the country’s single biggest vaccination center, as well as a venue for COMELEC registration, a safe place where you can get your National ID, passports, and business permits. We also provide drive-through Covid testing centers in over 10 of our malls across the country. As a good citizen, we are always – as our Supermarkets say – “HAPPY TO SERVE, Tan furthered.

To date, SM has already administered over 4M doses of COVID-19 vaccines in its multi-mall vaccination drive. The government has reported that over 21 million persons have so far been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country.

For more information about the VAXCertPH initiative, check out www.smsupermalls.com or follow @smsupermalls on all social media accounts.

 

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TCS Sustainathon ASEAN 2021 launches in PHL, promotes inclusivity in education

TCS challenges Filipino students to reimagine education and propose solutions to challenges

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a leading global IT services, consulting and business solutions organization, is bringing the TCS Sustainathon to the Philippines this month. With the overarching theme of “Reimagining Education,” the Sustainathon 2021 hopes to enable senior high school and college students to join discussions on pressing issues surrounding education today and hopefully develop ideas on how to have an “Inclusive Education for all in 2030.”

TCS Sustainathon was initially launched in Singapore in 2020 with the theme of Combating Food Waste. It served as a platform for young minds to collaborate with private companies, nonprofit organizations and government agencies to co-create solutions for real world sustainability issues using digital technologies. Ninety-eight students from more than 15 educational institutions in Singapore developed plans on fighting food waste, which has been one of the major challenges faced by many countries.

This year, TCS expands its initiative to the Philippines and Malaysia to promote inclusivity in education as these countries implement blended and flexible learning.

“Education across the world has been greatly affected by the pandemic. Filipino students, in particular, face challenges in coping with changes but they continue to make extra efforts to pursue learning. We witnessed students in Singapore last year in the pilot run of TCS Sustainathon being passionately involved in key issues and sharing their ideas. We at TCS Philippines are excited to see the ideas Filipino students have on improving education,” shares TCS Philippines Country Head Shiju Varghese.

Creating a learning environment conducive for all

More than 23 million students are enrolled in both public and private schools nationwide for the SY 2020-2021,[1] according to the Department of Education. With blended learning still the mode of education, teachers and students alike face challenges in internet accessibility, mobility and learning materials, among others.

Envisioning an improved educational system in the coming years, TCS Philippines invites Filipino students to join the TCS Sustainathon 2021. Senior high school and college students from public and private institutions across the country are welcome to participate either as individual students or a team with a maximum of four members. Each individual or team must choose a challenge statement and create ideas or solutions to address the challenge statement, on the theme “Inclusive Education for all in 2030.” Entries must incorporate the use of technology to create innovative, practical and concrete solutions for the chosen challenge.

Participants can register and submit their entries at the TCS Sustainathon Philippines website until November 19. The 1st place winner will receive Php150,000 while the second and third placers will receive Php100,000 and Php50,000, respectively. The top two winners will compete alongside Sustainathon Singapore and Malaysia winners at the ASEAN Championship in March 2022.

TCS Sustainathon’s Strategic Partner is Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Challenge Partners are Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Philippines, Inc., Gokongwei Brothers Foundation, and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde who will provide the challenge statements while the Outreach Partners, Edukasyon.ph, UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network – Youth, and ADB Southeast Asia Development Solutions (SEADS) will provide support to boost the awareness about the TCS Sustainathon initiative.

TCS Philippines supports the goals of its partners and the community with its expertise and technological solutions. Driven by its core principle of Building on Belief, TCS Philippines remains committed to its promise of creating viable solutions for the benefit of the society and future generations.

[1] PNA: Deferred school opening allows 345K more learners to enroll

 

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KMC Solutions launches first fully dedicated serviced office building in the Philippines

KMC Solutions, the country’s largest flexible workspace and staff leasing provider in the Philippines, recently unveiled its newest serviced office location at the Armstrong Corporate Center in Salcedo Village, Makati. The fully dedicated flexible workspace building signals a first in the office real estate industry, with eight whole serviced floors, a ground floor café, and 7,400 sq. m. of leasable space committed to serving the clients and tenants of KMC. In celebration of this premiere, KMC held a small and intimate launch event for its community at the Armstrong Corporate Center itself. It relaunched its hit musical event, KMC Sunset Sessions (formerly KMC After Hours) — a showcase of select up-and-coming local musicians, as well as hosted an online press conference that were both livestreamed to its social media pages last Thursday, Sept. 30, 2021.

As the community’s health and safety continue to be a top priority, KMC ensured that the event still adhered to strict COVID protocols — only accepted invited guests who have been vaccinated, along with available antigen swab testing being accessible onsite.

As KMC adapted a hybrid format for its latest launch event, the round of KMC Sunset Sessions featured an exclusive musical performance by Bea Lorenzo, a Manila-based music artist exploring new and stylistic approaches on R&B/Soul. While the physical event was held in its latest Makati location with a small, limited audience and guest list, the online press conference and the musical performances were livestreamed and were easily and safely accessible to a wider audience at home.

Armstrong’s Design for Success

Identifying this new demand for scalable short-term and optimal work environments amid the workforce’s struggles of working in distraction-filled environments at home, KMC has continued to move forward in providing more options for workers’ ever-changing needs during this time.

Built together with SDW Realty & Development as the building contractor, Tracy Ignacio, the Chief Operating Officer of KMC Solutions, says these are one of the things that are able to set their newest serviced office building apart, “We will be able to define the whole building culture (and processes) given that we’re the sole tenant. This was designed by our homegrown designers ­— from ground to penthouse and it is the first time we’ve partnered with SDW as our general contractor who fitted out the space.”

Traditionally, flexible workspaces enter an agreement with a building’s management to get permission to operate and occupy certain levels on their premises. This makes it ideal for office workers and business owners who are looking into alternative options for office space but still desire to be in prestigious, secure, and credible business addresses.

With KMC’s Armstrong building, however, it is a first in the office real estate scene for flexible workspace operators to put up an entire building of their own. The Armstrong Corporate Center has 14 levels in total with over 7, 400 sq. m. of leasable space and over 900 sq. m. per floor level. This makes it the largest serviced office facility at present in the Philippines, with its flexible workspaces occupying eight floors of the building. Aside from offering the usual range of serviced office solutions — which includes coworking space, private offices and customized built-to-suit — what sets KMC Armstrong apart from the past office spaces KMC has opened around the metro is the increased scalability of its workspaces.

KMC Execom

The Future of Work

With more and more businesses looking to transition their workforce operations to a hybrid work setup, flexible workspaces such as the one in Armstrong Corporate Center provide the perfect venue for companies to safely do this transition. Although the return to the workplace has been gradual and steady, interest in both commercial and residential property has increased once again. Industrial and high traffic zones are showing early signs of the Philippines’ real estate recovery and despite most of business’ move out of the traditional office space, there has been reinvigorated interest in serviced offices as swing spaces, scaled down options, or second workplaces for companies that want to de-densify their headquarters.

The new demand for hybrid workspaces has been proven with numerous businesses and clients having already moved into the Armstrong building’s office spaces. Companies like Asia Premier One Source, Inc., Zuellig Pharma Asia Pacific, and Unifin, Inc. have recently moved their onsite operations to serviced offices of their own and are now operating in the newly launched building.

KMC Solutions has over a decade of experience in delivering forward-thinking office spaces and high-performing teams to 400+ global brands and local businesses across multiple industries in the Philippines. With 55+ flexible workspaces in over 20+ locations around Metro Manila, Cebu, Clark and Iloilo, its expansive geographical footprint enables its clients to work in the most efficient, effective, and safest way possible. As the country’s largest flexible workspace and staff leasing provider, it is uniquely positioned to provide clients with the “who” and “where” they need to establish or grow their business in the Philippines.

Spotlight is BusinessWorld’s sponsored section that allows advertisers to amplify their brand and connect with BusinessWorld’s audience by enabling them to publish their stories directly on the BusinessWorld Web site. For more information, send an email to online@bworldonline.com.

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S.Korea to vaccinate pregnant women as it races to 80% target for adults

SEOUL, Oct 6 (Reuters) – South Korea will begin taking reservations for coronavirus vaccines from pregnant women this week as the country accelerates its inoculation drive to reach its goal for immunizing 80% of all adults by the end of the month.

Health authorities see pregnant mothers as key to the campaign and sought to drum up participation through public notices and news conferences saying they have a greater possibility of serious illness and death if infected with COVID-19.

Pregnant women are eligible to sign up for a shot starting Friday, for inoculation set to begin on Oct. 18 using Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA).

“The vaccines are safe for pregnant women and can meaningfully decrease their risks of contracting COVID-19 and becoming critically ill,” KDCA director Jeong Eun-kyeong told a public briefing on Monday.

Of the 731 pregnant women infected with the virus in South Korea as of August, about 2% of them developed serious illnesses, more than six times that of women aged 20-45, according to the KDCA.

But officials have advised people with shorter than 12 weeks pregnancy to consult medical staff before getting a shot.

Some 54.5 of the country’s 52 million population and around 63% of adults were fully vaccinated as of Tuesday, and authorities aim to complete vaccination for 80% of all adults by the end of October.

The government plans to begin vaccinating children aged 12-17 next month, and providing booster shots for people aged 75 or older and other priority groups next week, including those who live or work at nursing homes and care facilities.

Authorities are also mapping out a plan on how to live more normally with COVID-19, to be implemented in phases starting later this month to gradually ease distancing rules and restrictions, though masks will still be mandatory at least in the initial stages.

The KDCA reported 2,028 cases for Tuesday, as the numbers resurged after the Korean thanksgiving Chuseok holidays.

But the ongoing wave has seen far fewer serious infections than earlier outbreaks, with many older and more vulnerable people having received vaccines.

Critical cases hovered around 350, and total infections rose to 323,379, with 2,536 deaths. – Reuters

Netflix to edit Squid Game phone number after woman inundated with calls

Squid Game

SEOUL — A South Korean woman who was deluged with thousands of prank calls and text messages after her phone number was highlighted as a key plot point in Netflix’s hit show Squid Game may soon get some relief.  

Netflix and local production company Siren Pictures said on Wednesday they would edit scenes to remove the phone number, which appears on a mysterious invitation card given to potential players of a series of deadly childre’s games.  

The nine-part thriller depicting cash-strapped contestants playing to the death in a bid to win 45.6 billion won ($38.31 million) became an international hit when it premiered on the streaming service last month. 

Local broadcaster SBS aired an interview last month with the owner of the phone number, who they identified as Kim Gil-young, a woman who runs a business in the southeastern county of Seongju. The woman showed some of the messages she had received, including requests for invitations to join the Squid Game and go “from rags to riches.”  

Reuters’ calls to the phone number were not answered on Wednesday. 

“Together with the production company, we are working to resolve this matter, including editing scenes with phone numbers where necessary,” Netflix said on Wednesday, asking fans to refrain from prank calls or messages.  

The woman told SBS last month that it was impossible for her to change her number due to client contacts and she had declined an offer of 1 million won ($840) in compensation. SBS has reported that she has since been offered compensation of up to 5 million won.  

Netflix and Siren Pictures declined to comment on any compensation offers on Wednesday.  

Presidential candidate Huh Kyung-young made headlines last week when he offered 100 million won ($84,023) on Facebook to buy the leaked number on the show. 

Telephone numbers are considered limited national resources and sales or purchase of such is illegal under the country’s telecommunications business law. 

The culture ministry’s Korean Film Council offers moviemakers screen numbers that are not used in real life, but TV shows streamed on over-the-top (OTT) services like Netflix do not have access to that service.  

Netflix and Siren had said earlier they deliberately only showed the final eight digits of the mobile phone number, and were unaware that, when dialed, the prefix would automatically be added to complete the number. — Reuters

New Japan PM Kishida off to rocky start in polling

TOKYO – Japan‘s new Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, is struggling to find his footing with voters just two days after he was voted into office and launched his new government, multiple polls by local media showed on Tuesday.

On the lower end, the daily Asahi put Mr. Kishida‘s approval rating at 45% while Mainichi put it at 49%. The more conservative-leaning Yomiuri said 56% supported his government, while the Nikkei had 59%.

In all the polls, support for Mr. Kishida‘s new government was lower than that of his predecessor Yoshihide Suga’s administration when it came into power last year, with the Asahi reporting a 20 percentage-point difference.

“I’m aware of the polling results, but also believe that there is quite a gap depending on the company that conducted the survey,” said Mr. Kishida to reporters on Wednesday morning.

“Regardless, I will reflect on my actions based on these results – including the low approval ratings – and continue to work hard toward the upcoming election,” he added.

Although Mr. Kishida‘s ratings are low for a fresh administration, they are still higher than the most immediate ratings for Suga, who became deeply unpopular during his tenure as he struggled to contain a fifth wave of coronavirus infections, exacerbated by the Delta variant.

Mr. Kishida said he would dissolve the lower house of parliament on Oct. 14, and a general election is scheduled for Oct. 31, with the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic recovery set to become key issues.

For single-seat districts, the Mainichi poll said that 41% of respondents would vote for the ruling coalition, while 34% would vote for the opposition and 24% were undecided. The Yomiuri put support for Mr. Kishida‘s Liberal Democratic Party at 43%, up 7 percentage points from the previous poll.

The premier unveiled his new cabinet on Monday. Although more than half of the ministerial roles were filled with fresh faces, the line-up also featured allies of former premiers Shinzo Abe and Taro Aso heavily, signalling their ongoing influence. – Reuters

Digital is the new POP: Who and what to expect in this year’s DigiCon POP 2021

DigiCon POP 2021 speakers

Digital is the new “POP,” as digital services take preference in commerce, finances, and most other aspects of daily life.

The Internet & Mobile Marketing Association of the Philippines (IMMAP) is set to discuss the new digital normal in this year’s DigiCon POP, which will be held virtually from Oct. 11-15, 2021.

“Digital is the new masa,” shares Leigh Reyes, Board President of IMMAP and Creative Chair of MullenLowe TREYNA Group of Companies. “From village Viber groups, to live selling, from learning how to navigate by QR code, to Zoom e-numans and Zoomba, digital made a full shift to the mainstream.”

This year’s featured speakers are comprised of industry giants such as Adam Grant, best-selling author of Think Again; Rory Sutherland, Vice-Chairman of Ogilvy UK and one of the industry’s leading experts on consumer behaviors; Scott Galloway, who’s deemed “One of the World’s 50 Best Business Professors” and host of the award-winning podcast, Pivot; Laurent Ezekiel, Chief Marketing Officer and Growth Officer for WPP, the largest advertising holdings company worldwide; and Gill Zhou, Chief Marketing Officer for one of the largest technology companies globally, IBM.

Furthermore, attendees will also get the chance to hear from DigiCon’s “baddest” speaker yet, Bretman Rock. The breakout content creator and digital influencer made headlines as a trailblazer for both the LGBTQIA+ and Asian-American communities through his very own MTV reality show and social content.

Five days of DigiCon dives into a deep framework which consists of four programming tracks — Disruption, Expansion, Emerging, and Possibilities — which brings together over fifty keynote speakers from all over the world.

The Disruption track will cover innovative trends and digital excellence and will feature speakers such as Michael Patent, founder of sports and entertainment agency, Culture Group; and Todd Schweizer, co-founder and CEO of independent financial platform, Brankas.

The Expansion vertical will cover the key sectors which are uncovering new opportunities through data and will include Key speakers like Nicholas Kontopolous, APAC Regional Head of Growth Marketing for Adobe DX; and Bea Atienza, IBE Leader for Colgate-Palmolive.

The Emerging leg will discuss rising digital trends and tools including new media and e-commerce platforms. This category brings together speakers like Ash Mandhyan, CEO of Quanta Digital, and Carlos Alimurung, CEO of ONE Esports.

The final track, Possibilities, will be about understanding new potential markets that also span multi-generations through innovative strategies. This leg will feature speakers including Budjette Tan, writer and co-creator of hit comic series, Trese; and Grace David, CEO of Edukasyon.PH.

DigiCon POP also marks the anticipated return of two events that aspiring practitioners and professionals have been looking forward to, especially following a year of hiatus due to the pandemic.

DPOP Youth — presented by Unilab — will be back for a one-day workshop and competition on Oct. 12, 2021 where university students can learn, socialize, and showcase their talents in the digital industry while also hearing from key industry leaders on strategy development, creative strategy, and media orchestration.

Aside from DPOP Youth, DigiCon POP 2021 also marks the anticipated return of the prestigious Boomerang Awards, which will culminate the week-long event on Oct. 15. With the theme Unmute, this year’s comeback promises to be louder, bolder, and more inclusive with the addition of Tech Innovation categories.

Special categories have also been added to the award body’s extensive roster including The Purple Boomerang Award, which focuses on gender equality and empowerment for women; and The Blue Impact Boomerang, which recognizes campaigns that were developed as “people first” and measures mobile ingenuity, and innovation in driving business objectives through Facebook.

For more information about DigiCon POP 2021, please visit the official website at www.digicon.com.ph where you can check out a breakdown of the various tracks, more details about this year’s speakers, and how to avail ticket prices.

IMMAP DigiCon POP 2021 would like to thank Platinum sponsors ChatGenie and ShareIt; Gold sponsors Manulife Philippines, McDonald’s, Spotify, and PMFTC, Inc.; Bronze sponsors Facebook, Media Donuts, Metrobank, and Paymaya.

Also acknowledging Platinum media partners ABS-CBN, MBC, Rakuten Viber; Gold media partners CNN Philippines, Manila Bulletin, One Mega Group Inc., Podcast Network Asia, and Rappler Philippines; Silver media partners BusinessWorld, Fully Booked, Inquirer.Net, and The Philippine Star; and Event Partners Certified Digital Marketer, Eventscape Manila, MullenLowe TREYNA, and Future Proof PH.

 

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Taiwan defence minister says tensions with China are the worst in four decades

TAIPEI, Oct 6 (Reuters) – Military tensions with China are at their worst in more than 40 years, Taiwan‘s defence minister said on Wednesday, days after record numbers of Chinese aircraft flew into the island’s air defence zone.

Tensions have hit a new high between Taipei and Beijing, which claims the democratic island as its own territory, and Chinese military aircraft have repeatedly flown through Taiwan‘s air defence identification zone.

Over a four day period beginning last Friday, Taiwan reported close to 150 Chinese air force aircraft https://tmsnrt.rs/3ld6TyI entered its air defence zone, part of a pattern of what Taipei calls Beijing’s continued harassment of the island.

Asked by a lawmaker on the current military tensions with China at the parliament, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said the situation was “the most serious” in more than 40 years since he joined the military, adding there was a risk of a “misfire” across the sensitive Taiwan Strait.

“For me as a military man, the urgency is right in front of me,” he told a parliamentary committee reviewing a special military spending of T$240 billion ($8.6 billion) for home-made weapons including missiles and warships.

China says Taiwan should be taken by force if necessary. Taiwan says it is an independent country and will defend its freedoms and democracy, blaming China for the tensions.

Chiu said China already has the ability to invade Taiwan and it will be capable of mounting a “full scale” invasion by 2025.

“By 2025, China will bring the cost and attrition to its lowest. It has the capacity now, but it will not start a war easily, having to take many other things into consideration.”

The United States, Taiwan‘s main military supplier, has confirmed its “rock-solid” commitment to Taiwan and also criticised China. Beijing blames Washington’s policies of supporting Taiwan with arms sales and sending warships through the Taiwan Strait for raising tensions.

Taiwan‘s special military spending over the next five years will go mostly toward naval weapons including anti-ship weapons such as land-based missile systems.

Taiwan reported one Chinese air force aircraft entered its air defence zone on Tuesday. – Reuters

Felicidad Sy Hall: A multispecialty building soon to rise in UP-PGH

Groundbreaking ceremony of the Felicidad Sy Hall in UP PGH

The University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the multispecialty building, Felicidad Sy Hall.

Funded by the Felicidad T. Sy Foundation (FTSFI), this is the second medical building that the Sy family supported for UP Manila – PGH. Back in 2019, the family, through their Henry Sy Foundation collaborated with the University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Foundation Inc. (UPMAFI) to support the construction of an 11-story Medical Sciences Building.

According to UP-PGH Director Dr. Gap Legaspi, the 15-story building will house the neuroscience department as well as other specialties such as orthopedic, dermatology, oncology, laboratory, psychiatry, ICU, and ophthalmology, among others—to bring quality medical services to the Filipino people.

Artist rendition of the Felicidad Sy Hall in UP-PGH

He also said that this building is designed to be the first pandemic-ready building and will have the most advanced laboratory in the country.

“Putting up this building is not only an infrastructure achievement – it’s a big achievement for anyone who dreams big for UP. Our alumni and current UP students always have a big dream for the university and the hospital. Through this kind of collaboration, we can realize that there’s always a way to do it and achieve our dreams,” Dr. Legaspi stated.

Artist rendition, 12th floor charity nursing units, six-bed ward

Through a video message, Ms. Teresita T. Sy conveyed Nanang’s excitement and commitment for the said project: “My mom is excited that her personal foundation was invited into this worthy project. She’s always happy when her foundation is supporting developments that are focused on health and wellness issues.”

UP President Danilo Concepcion also expressed his gratitude to the FTSFI and the Sy family for supporting this infrastructure project for the betterment of Filipino people in need of medical interventions.

“Lubos po ang ating pasasalamat sa FTSFI at sa Sy Family sa kanilang kabutihang loob sa pagsuporta sa pagpapatayo ng gusaling ito. Gusaling kailangang kailangan natin upang maparami pa natin ang mga doktor na ating sasanayin dito sa PGH at upang dumami pa ang mga pasyenteng magagamot at mapagsisilbihan natin. Makasisiguro kayo na ito po ay aming pagyayamanain para sa taumbayan,” Concepcion said.

Furthermore, UP Chancellor Carmencita Padilla underscored the importance of collaboration for making this effort come into fruition: “At the end of the day, we cannot come up with these big things around us without collaboration. This is a big day not only for UP Manila and PGH community, but also for the Filipino patients. It is indeed a fruit of collaborative planning and the philanthropic spirit of the Sy family.”

“This Felicidad Sy Hall will be a place of healing, innovation, compassion, wisdom, and courage! Thank you to our donors and partners who have continuously trusted us to be the hope and beacon of our people,” Padilla concluded.

Artist rendition, ICU rooms

The Felicidad T. Sy Foundation Inc. (FTSFI) is a personal foundation of the SM matriarch, “Nanang” Felicidad T. Sy. Aside from infrastructure projects, FTSFI also supports the restoration and building of Catholic churches, provides SM employees with spiritual development programs, and carries out special projects enabling church leaders and ministers to spread social good through spiritual wellness and promotion of culture.

Felicidad T. Sy Foundation is an affiliate of SM Foundation.

 

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Facebook ‘operating in the shadows’ says whistleblower as U.S. lawmakers demand probes

WASHINGTON – U.S. lawmakers pounded Facebook on Tuesday, accusing CEO Mark Zuckerberg of pushing for higher profits while being cavalier about user safety, and they demanded regulators investigate whistleblower accusations that the social media company harms children’s mental health and stokes divisions.

Zuckerberg, hours later in a public Facebook post, defended the company, saying the accusations were at odds with Facebook‘s goals.

“The argument that we deliberately push content that makes people angry for profit is deeply illogical,” he wrote. “We make money from ads, and advertisers consistently tell us they don’t want their ads next to harmful or angry content. And I don’t know any tech company that sets out to build products that make people angry or depressed.”

During a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing, whistleblower Frances Haugen called for transparency about how Facebook entices users to keep scrolling, creating ample opportunity for advertisers to reach them.

“As long as Facebook is operating in the shadows, hiding its research from public scrutiny, it is unaccountable,” said Haugen, a former product manager on Facebook‘s civic misinformation team. She left the nearly $1 trillion company with tens of thousands of confidential documents.

“The company’s leadership knows how to make Facebook and Instagram safer, but won’t make the necessary changes because they have put their astronomical profits before people. Congressional action is needed,” Haugen said.

In an era when bipartisanship is rare in Washington, lawmakers from both parties excoriated the company, illustrating the rising anger in Congress with Facebook, which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp.

Senator Dan Sullivan, a Republican, said he was concerned how Facebook and subsidiaries like Instagram affected the mental health of children. “We’re going to look back 20 years from now and all of us are going to be like, ‘What the hell were we thinking?'”

Haugen revealed she was the person who provided documents used in a Wall Street Journal investigation and a Senate hearing on Instagram’s harm to teenage girls. She compared the social media services to addictive substances like tobacco and opioids.

Panel chair Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said Facebook knew that its products were addictive. “Tech now faces that big tobacco jaw-dropping moment of truth,” he said.

He called for Zuckerberg to testify before the committee, and for the Securities and Exchange Commission and Federal Trade Commission to investigate Facebook.

“Our children are the ones who are victims. Teens today looking in the mirror feel doubt and insecurity. Mark Zuckerberg ought to be looking at himself in the mirror,” Blumenthal said.

Blumenthal said after the hearing that he would want to ask Zuckerberg why he rejected recommendations to make products safer for users.

Zuckerberg, in his post, said Facebook would not stop researching its societal impact. But he wrote that Congress needed to update rules to make clear the legal age for teens to use internet services, how to verify their ages and where to “balance teens’ privacy while giving parents visibility into their activity.”

 

SHARES UP

Facebook‘s shares rose 2% on Tuesday to close at $332.96, roughly 13% below the record closing high on Sept. 7.

Coming a day after Facebook suffered an hours-long outage, Haugen pointed to the outage in her testimony: “For more than five hours Facebook wasn’t used to deepen divides, destabilize democracies and make young girls and women feel bad about their bodies.”

As lawmakers criticized Facebook, the company’s spokespeople fired back on Twitter and in statements, arguing that Haugen did not work directly on some of the topics being raised.

“We don’t agree with her characterization of the many issues she testified about,” Facebook spokeswoman Lena Pietsch said.

Senator Marsha Blackburn, a Republican, accused Facebook of turning a blind eye to children below age 13 on its services. “It is clear that Facebook prioritizes profit over the well-being of children and all users,” she said.

Last week, Antigone Davis, Facebook‘s global head of safety, defended the company in front of Congress and said that it was seeking to release additional internal studies in an effort to be more transparent about its findings.

Senator Maria Cantwell, chair of the Commerce Committee, said she would write Facebook to insist that it not delete documents related to Myanmar’s persecuted Muslim minority Rohingya. An aide said she would ask for broader retention of documents.

A U.S. federal judge last month had ordered Facebook to release records of accounts connected to anti-Rohingya violence in Myanmar that the social media company had shut down.

Haugen said she would encourage “oversight and public scrutiny” into Facebook‘s content recommendation algorithms and their consequences. She suggested creating a dedicated body within the federal government to oversee social media companies.

Blumenthal said he might want to hold an additional hearing to discuss national security issues related to Facebook.

Haugen said Facebook had also done too little to prevent violence.

Facebook was used by people planning mass killings in Myanmar and the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of then-President Donald Trump who were determined to toss out the 2020 election results.

Senator Edward Markey, speaking to the absent Zuckerberg, said during the hearing: “Your time of invading our privacy and preying on children is over. Congress will be taking action.”

Throughout the hearing lawmakers referred to Zuckerberg as going sailing instead of facing his responsibilities. The CEO this weekend posted a video taken with the company’s new smart glasses of his wife in a boat. – Reuters

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