Typhoons in the Philippines may occur year-round, although, historically, the most active typhoon months are June through November, with peak months from August to October corresponding to the Atlantic Hurricane Season. The area just northeast of the Philippines is the most active place on Earth for tropical cyclones to exist. The most frequently impacted areas are northern Luzon and eastern Visayas where cyclone season peaks in September.

It is therefore, important for everyone in the Philippines to understand the significance and meaning of any Public Storm Warning Signal (PSWS) Number that is hoisted by the government in order to save and protect lives and properties. Everyone should also be aware that when the government put a PSWS Number into effect for the first time, the corresponding meteorological conditions are not yet prevailing over the locality. This is because the purpose of the signal is to warn the impending occurrence of the given meteorological conditions.

For everyone's guidance, here are the different conditions referred to by each PSWS Number:

1. PSWS # 1
   
   
   • METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS:
     
     
     • A tropical cyclone will affect the locality.
     
     
     • Winds of 30-60 kph may be expected in at least 36 hours or intermittent rains may be expected within 36 hours. (When the tropical cyclone develops very close to the locality a shorter lead time of the occurrence of the winds will be specified in the warning bulletin.)
     
     
   • IMPACT OF THE WINDS:
     
     
     • Twigs and branches of small trees may be broken.
     
     
     • Some banana plants may be tilted or downed.
     
     
     • Some houses of very light materials (nipa and cogon) may be partially unroofed.
     
     
     • Unless this warning signal is upgraded during the entire existence of the tropical cyclone, only very light or no damage at all may be sustained by the exposed communities.
     
     
     • Rice crop, however, may suffer significant damage when it is in its flowering stage.
     
     
   • PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:
     
     
     • When the tropical cyclone is strong or is intensifying and is moving closer, this signal may be upgraded to the next higher level.
     
     
     • The waves on coastal waters may gradually develop and become bigger and higher.
     
     
     • The people are advised to listen to the latest severe weather bulletin issued by PAGASA every six hours. In the meantime, business may be carried out as usual except when flood occur.
     
     
     • Disaster preparedness is activated to alert status.
   
   
2. PSWS # 2
   
   
   • METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS:
     
     
     • A tropical cyclone will affect the the locality.
     
     
     • Winds of greater than 60 kph and up to 100 kph may be expected in at least 24 hours.
     
     
   • IMPACT OF THE WINDS:
     
     
     • Some coconut trees may be tilted with few others broken.
     
     
     • Few big trees may be uprooted.
     
     
     • Many banana plants may be downed.
     
     
     • Rice and corn may be adversely affected.
     
     
     • Large number of nipa and cogon houses may be partially or totally unroofed.
     
     
     • Some old galvanized iron roofings may be peeled off.
     
     
     • In general, the winds may bring light to moderate damage to the exposed communities.
     
     
   • PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:
     
     
     • The sea and coastal waters are dangerous to small seacrafts.
     
     
     • Special attention should be given to the latest position, the direction and speed of movement and the intensity of the storm as it may intensify and move towards the locality.
     
     
     • The general public especially people travelling by sea and air are cautioned to avoid unnecessary risks.
     
     
     • Outdoor activities of children should be postponed.
     
     
     • Secure properties before the signal is upgraded.
     
     
     • Disaster preparedness agencies / organizations are in action to alert their communities.
   
   
3. PSWS # 3
   
   
   • METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS:
     
     
     • A tropical cyclone will affect the locality.
     
     
     • Winds of greater than 100 kph up to 185 kph may be expected in at least 18 hours.
     
     
   • IMPACT OF THE WINDS:
     
     
     • Many coconut trees may be broken or destroyed.
     
     
     • Almost all banana plants may be downed and a large number of trees may be uprooted.
     
     
     • Rice and corn crops may suffer heavy losses.
     
     
     • Majority of all nipa and cogon houses may be unroofed or destroyed and there may be considerable damage to structures of light to medium construction.
     
     
     • There may be widespread disruption of electrical power and communication services.
     
     
     • In general, moderate to heavy damage may be experienced, particularly in the agricultural and industrial sectors.
     
     
   • PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:
     
     
     • The disturbance is dangerous to the communities threatened/affected.
     
     
     • The sea and coastal waters will be very dangerous to all seacrafts.
     
     
     • Travel is very risky especially by sea and air.
     
     
     • People are advised to seek shelter in strong buildings, evacuate low-lying areas and to stay away from the coasts and river banks.
     
     
     • Watch out for the passage of the "eye" of the typhoon indicated by a sudden occurrence of fair weather immediately after very bad weather with very strong winds coming gnerally from the north.
     
     
     • When the "eye" of the typhoon hit the community do not venture away from the safe shelter because after one to two hours the worst weather will resume with the very strong winds coming from the south.
     
     
     • Classes in all levels should be suspended and children should stay in the safety of strong buildings.
     
     
     • Disaster preparedness and response agencies/organizations are in action with appropriate response to actual emergency.
   
   
4. PSWS # 3
   
   
   • METEOROLOGICAL CONDITIONS:
     
     
     • A very intense typhoon will affect the locality.
     
     
     • Very strong winds of more than 185 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours.
     
     
   • IMPACT OF THE WINDS:
     
     
     • Coconut plantation may suffer extensive damage.
     
     
     • Many large trees may be uprooted.
     
     
     • Rice and corn plantation may suffer severe losses.
     
     
     • Most residential and institutional buildings of mixed construction may be severely damaged.
     
     
     • Electrical power distribution and communication services may be severely disrupted.
     
     
     • In the overall, damage to affected communities can be very heavy.
     
     
   • PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:
     
     
     • The situation is potentially very destructive to the community.
     
     
     • All travels and outdoor activities should be cancelled.
     
     
     • Evacuation to safer shelters should have been completed since it may be too late under this situation.
     
     
     • With PSWS #4, the locality is very likely to be hit directly by the eye of the typhoon. As the eye of the typhoon approaches, the weather will continuously worsen with the winds increasing to its strongest coming generally from the north. Then a sudden improvement of the weather with light winds (a lull) will be experienced. This means that the eye of the typhoon is over the locality. This improved weather may last for one to two hours depending on the diameter of the eye and the speed of movement. As the eye moves out of the locality, the worst weather experienced before the lull will suddenly commence. This time the very strong winds will come generally from the south.
     
     
     • The disaster coordinating councils concerned and other disaster response organizations are now fully responding to emergencies and in full readiness to immediately respond to possible calamity.

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Filipino agricultural stakeholders in the mango industry will focus on increasing the competitiveness of local mangoes in export markets, and developing more production areas in Mindanao during this year's 13th National Mango Congress to be held this month.

The congress, to run from September 28 to 30 with the theme "Positioning the Philippine Mango Strongly in the World Market," will be held in Glan, Sarangani, an emerging mango producer and tourist destination in southern Mindanao

Fred Dumasis, president of the Sarangani Federation of Fruit Industry Associations, Inc., said the conference will provide updates on export market requirements, the latest production technologies, and best production practices. It will also showcase areas in Mindanao with the potential for mango production.

About 500 growers, processors, consolidators, exporters, and ancillary service providers from across the country are expected to attend the three-day congress.

"We would like to highlight this sub-region, especially Sarangani, as a viable location for off-season mango production," said Dumasis.

Japan and Hong Kong remain the biggest buyers of Philippine mangoes, accounting for 51 and 31 percent, respectively, of the country's mango exports, according to a recent report by the Mindanao Fruit Industry Council (MinFruit).

Other countries where Philippine mangoes have gained a market foothold are South Korea, the United States, Singapore, and China.

Luzon remains the country’s primary producer of carabao mangoes, accounting for 64 percent of production, while Mindanao accounts for 23 percent, according to MinFruit.

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Representatives from government and business will gather for PowerTrends 2011 to explore business opportunities in a Philippine economy challenged by rapid growth in demand for energy, tight energy supply, tough competition for foreign investment, and critical power development issues.

At the business forum segment of PowerTrends, the government and private sectors will interact on policy, regulatory issues, privatization concerns, and incentives for energy projects.

PowerTrends 2011, the 8th International Exhibition on Energy Trends and Power Technologies will be held on 28-30 September 2011 at the SMX Convention Center.

The business forum engages senior government and private executives in discussions during five sessions. In the first session, government speakers will diagnose and present an outlook of the country’s energy situation. They will also discuss the government's package of energy policy, regulatory issues, incentives and privatization under its energy development plans.

Discussions on the succeeding four sessions are dominated by resource persons from a mix of private companies that are already operating in the country and from new players. They will discuss business opportunities from the perspective of the private investor, share best practices learned from actual experience and discuss financing of energy and energy-related projects. The last session will introduce select new technologies and tools for managing energy projects.

PowerTrends 2011 also incorporates two others events:

• Energy Expo will feature new, renewable and alternative sources of energy and eco-friendly products, oil and gas exploration, nuclear energy & biofuels and clean coal.


• Electech 2011 will present the latest technologies in electrical engineering and lighting for energy efficiency and management.

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This post brought to you by Net10. All opinions are 100% mine.

The second half of the year is already here and many are preparing to celebrate start of the "beer" months, then Halloween and finally, Christmas.

For many students it would mean more days with no classes and more free time for extra-curricular and off-campus work, engagements and advocacy. Managing all these activities would be done efficiently if there is a reliable network provider like Net10.

Net10 is offering a nationwide coverage and unlimited talk, text, and data, for only US$ 50.00 a month. That's not all. The network is doing away with inconvenient processes such as self-serving contracts, hidden costs that increase monthly bills and intrusive credit checks.

In choosing a network that will suit your lifestyle during the remaining months before 2012, think carefully first before signing the dotted line. Some networks may offer convenience beyond your wildest imagination, but it will usually come at price in the form of limited access. The weird case in which calls are suddenly cut by quirky reception and unreasonable content filtering system are more than enough to make sure of this.

After reviewing the pros and cons of various networks, Net10 will emerge as the strongest contender. Subscribers will validate the good reviews Net10 has been getting, especially on their Easy Minutes Plus Plan, an automatic minute-plan that starts at US$ 15.00 for 200 minutes, and the Pay-As-You-Go Plan, an arrangement that carries over minutes with active service. To listen to a Real NET10 customer testimonial, check out the video below:

Aside from the prepaid service, which allows subscribers to control their monthly bills, Net10 Net10 only uses trusted phone manufacturers like LG, Motorola, Kyocera, Nokia and Samsung. Most of these phones have full QWERTY keyboards, slider options and touch screen features, plus great basic application capabilities such as camera and video recorder, web access, among others.

To find out more about this special network offering, watch this Cute NET10 commercial below:

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Many industry leaders and those who are still looking for employment will undoubtedly be satisfied to hear that the Philippine contact center industry is projected to sustain its growth in the next five years, from about US$ 6.2 billion in revenues for 2010 to about US$ 14.7 billion by 2016 - more than doubling the size of the industry, and corresponding to a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15 percent.

The Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP) just released a report highlighting the dominance of the country's contact center industry in the global outsourced voice services market with revenue growth outpacing the global benchmark by almost twice the rate and its global market share growing to 24 percent, or almost 50 percent higher than its share five years ago.

At the same time, the industry is expected to employ about 816,000 FTEs (full-time equivalents) by the end of 2016 from about 344,000 in 2010. Seat capacity is also projected to grow to more than 500,000 by 2016.

To further emphasize the remarkable growth of the industry, the estimated revenue for the Philippines for 2010 has exceeded the estimated revenue of India at US$ 5.6 billion to US$ 5.9 billion.

This was attributed to the increase in the Philippines' share in the global call center outsourcing market from 15 percent in 2006 to nearly 24 percent in 2010.

The market share is also projected to increase to about 29 percent by 2016 if the industry's growth is sustained at the projected CAGR of 15 percent.

The growth of the Philippine contact center industry from 2006 to 2010 (at 15 percent CAGR) was noted to be comparably faster than the rest of the world, which is projected to grow by only 12 percent over the same period.

During the rapid growth of the Philippines in the last five years, other milestones were also achieved - from a diversification of support for up to 17 languages; an expansion of market reach to now include EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Asia), Latin America and Australasia; an extension of industry experience and expertise to now support a wider array of industry verticals including banking and finance, high technology, telecommunications, power/energy, airline, and government services; and an elevation of service offerings to now include financial advisory, health care management, legal help desk, B2B technical support, and sales channel management.

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There are some people who do not like to shop for Christmas this early. They usually find it hard to go out of their way and select the most appropriate gifts to buy since there is no pressure for them to purchase anyway. Christmas is still months away so why hurry.

Christmas shopping is never fun, at least for some husbands. This is a serious stereotyping on my part, but some will agree with me that if it were left to these loving men, they would not mind not receiving gifts as long as they are not expected to give any. But then again, this is a season of giving gifts, which brings us to one inescapable fact of life - shopping for Christmas gifts is one of the highlights of the season.

To help men conquer the fear of early Christmas shopping, here are some tips gathered from various sources of friends:

1. Shop early. Prices are usually lower when you buy them before the holiday rush and the choices are also better. For husbands who don't want to queue behind the counter, this will also make sense since there are few shoppers around.


2. Prepare a list of the recipients. There's a reason why Santa prepares a list (and checking it twice). You won't forget anyone so you go shopping only once and you don't overspend by buying something to cover anyone you might forget. Don't head out to the store only with your credit card in hand. Impulse shopping can keep you up at night worrying about bills!


3. Set a budget cap. Try to stick strictly to the budget set regardless of the length of your shopping list. While you may be expecting the balance of your 13th month pay or a hefty Christmas bonus (or a 14th, 15th and 16th month bonus), don't stretch it too far. You may need some of those monetary rewards later, when emergency strikes your family.


4. Choose good quality but creative products. A quality gift need not be expensive, although an expensive gift wouldn't hurt if you're full of cash. Christmas is a time to buy gift for others that will last and tickle the fancy of the recipient. Durable and eye-catching items will remind the recipient of your love throughout the coming year.


5. Shop in Divisoria, Greenhills or a tiangge. During the difficult times, even those who have will admit going to places that the have-nots frequently shop. There is no reason why consumers should not buy the same items being sold in high-end malls in run-down establishments and bargain-filled bazaars.


6. Haggle. Haggling is an art. It takes time to master this art. But it doesn’t do harm to try exercising this art to all sellers you meet in discount stores and tiangge stalls. Be prepared to walk away when it's not the price you want. If the seller wants to earn a minimal profit in a very competitive environment, chances are they'll go after your last offer.

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Everyone by now recognize that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in the economic growth and industrial development of developing countries worldwide. SMEs contribute substantially to the economy both in terms of number of enterprises and workers.

Given the rising globalization trend and increasing economic integration in East Asia, SMEs could serve as potential suppliers of outsourced parts and services. As such, they could provide the link to the export sector and/or global production networks (GPNs) which have increasingly grown in sectors such as automotive, machineries, electronics, and garments. SMEs could also provide non-farm opportunities particularly through manufacturing activities making use of locally available inputs; thus strengthening the country's industrial structure.

However, there are mixed information regarding the status of existing SME linkages and networks, especially in the manufacturing establishments. One thing certain at this point is that the gains from developing strong linkages and networks are expected to be greater in export activities than those focusing on the domestic market.

Aside from increasing domestic value added and export receipts, employment and tax revenues; linkages creation can help diffuse new technologies, skills and management practices as well as provide suppliers with better access to world markets. Linkages can also promote supplier clusters, inducing firms to locate close to multinational company (MNC) affiliates and strengthening the technological level and dynamism of existing clusters (World Bank, 2004).

Clusters can enhance the competitiveness and productivity of firms, SMEs in particular. It is also important to note that developing networks of competitive parts and components suppliers and subcontractors is crucial to the development of strong industries. The more competitive the country’s suppliers are, the greater the potential for creating and sustaining deeper linkages with MNCs and for engaging in higher value added activities.

MNCs, in general, prefer where possible to source their inputs locally. The costs of local vendors, particularly in developing countries, tend to be lower than those of imports. The proximity of local suppliers also adds to the flexibility in production and scheduling. In deciding whether to source locally, import, or bring in foreign affiliates; MNCs’ decision will depend on the existing and potential competitiveness of local suppliers relative to foreign ones. Most supply contracts involve long-term relations based on knowledge of and confidence in vendors’ reliability and technological competence. All the advantages of sourcing locally will be dissipated if local suppliers are unable to develop capacities to manufacture components at world-levels of quality, cost and reliability and to keep up with constantly changing technical specifications (World Bank, 2004).

The World Bank report indicated that apart from the initial base of technical and managerial capabilities and skills in local firms, the critical determinants of linkages also include the willingness and ability of firms to upgrade their competencies. This will be determined not only by the firms themselves but also by the level of institutional support such as technical extension, technology development, worker training, etc. which are provided by the government. At the same time, this will also depend on the ability of suppliers to act jointly or cooperate in forming supplier clubs or using industry associations to carry out skill and technological development.

Raising productivity and competitiveness through technology upgrading (better machinery, improvements in workplace organization, inventory handling, product design, etc) can be achieved through various ways. The most popular mode in the Philippines is through outright sale of machinery and equipment. The other mechanisms involve licensing of technology, imitation of other products, licensing agreements, and direct purchase of technology. Subcontracting and clustering arrangements are seen as possible mechanisms to help improve the competitiveness of SMEs and ability to create and upgrade backward linkages. In subcontracting arrangements, larger companies provide subcontractors certain technologies through specific guidelines on the use of machines or production processes to follow.

In the Philippines, subcontracting appears to be low compared with other Asian economies, especially Taiwan and South Korea. The high levels of protection in the past apparently did not improve the competitiveness of many manufacturing industries in the country.

In 1994, small and medium subcontractors in manufacturing numbered 1,551 enterprises. In 1998, this went up to 1,210; but dropped to 278 enterprises in 2003. The same pattern is observed among large subcontractors which increased from 105 in 1994 to 153 in 1998, but fell to 45 enterprises in 2003. Micro sub-contractors, meanwhile increased their number from 384 to 544 between 1994 and 1998, respectively. In 2003, the number of micro subcontractors increased to 7,684 the bulk of which were in garments and fabricated metal products.

The sales figures also tend to indicate that the local content of the country's leading exports has remained low and has declined substantially during the period 1994 to 2003. It is important to point out that it is in these GPN industries where subcontracting could provide a promising route for SMEs to access export markets. Linking with GPNs offer possibilities of technology transfer and quality control along with the creation of backward linkages leading to a deepening of our industrial structure.

The performance of SMEs in the last decade has not been vigorous enough to boost the Philippine manufacturing industry. As such, the deepening of high technology industries such as the electronics and auto parts and components in terms of the creation of backward linkages within the Philippine manufacturing industry has remained weak.

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Planters Development Bank (Plantersbank) is a privately-owned and managed bank with a complete range of commercial banking products and services especially geared towards promoting the interest of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). For 35 years, Plantersbank's experience in SME finance shows that lending to SMEs can be profitable and rewarding. Its manufacturing clients include SMEs from high-end clothing and accessories, parts for automotive and capital equipment, electrical component, furniture, and plastic packaging.

No wonder it has been a consistent recipient of awards and citations for SME finance and development, including the first-ever President’s Citation for MSME Development in 2009 and the 2008 Outstanding SME Development Project Award in Asia-Pacific for the Plantersbank SME Business Park.

Since SMEs are borrowing from a bank for the first time, Planters had to teach them how to access and properly use credit. Planters simplified its loan documentation process, tailor-fitted loans to match the SMEs’ cash flow, and made the amortization schedules easy to remember. For long-term funds needed by SMEs, Planters developed the expertise to tap government special program funds to provide SMEs with stable and reasonably priced long-term funds.

Planterbank requires its loans to be secured by good collaterals. Where loan collaterals were inadequate, guarantees were taken from government agencies. In the early years when SME guarantee facilities were not yet available, Planters set up its own credit guarantee program.

As a gateway for SMEs for several years now, Planterbank was able to create its own SME credit scoring system which led to improvements in its loan process system. It assisted deserving applicants in the preparation of feasibility studies and reconstruction of accounting records. It also helped borrowers to correct business weaknesses that were uncovered in the course of project appraisal. Whenever opportunities arose, Planterbank referred its clients to prospective buyers and introduced them to suitable investors and business partners.

The country's largest private development bank also offered the following services to its SME clients:

• Cash Management Services that were given by commercial banks only to large corporate accounts.


• Pool of consultants and business centers to provide services in the areas of marketing, accounting and finance, legal, human resources management and taxation.


• "Business Line" is a magazine to help sharpen business knowledge and skills of SMEs.


• Regular symposiums and forums to bring together industry players, experts and resource persons, including those from the academe and regulatory agencies.

In partnership with the International Finance Corporation, Planterbank established SME.com.ph, an internet site, to allow its clients to sell their products to the local and world markets using web-based technology. SME.com designs and manages the websites of member-SMEs, provides a payment gateway for them and offers internet business solutions using the World Bank’s SME Toolkit. A number of their clients increased their sales and successfully penetrated the export market via SME.com’s facilities. To date, theSME.com.ph website gets an average of 50,000 hits per day.

Planterbank also introduced SME Proposition, a package of customized facilities offering financial services and technology solutions to help simplify the SMEs’ daily administrative tasks. SME Proposition has practical accounting and time-keeping software to help SMEs automate their operations and enhance their productivity and efficiency. It comes bundled with a free desktop computer and printer to encourage SMEs to use technology in their businesses.

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The Open World Forum is the leading global summit meeting bringing together decision-makers, communities and developers to cross-fertilize open technological, economic and social initiatives, in order to build the digital future.

The event was founded in 2008 and now takes place every year in Paris. With over 160 speakers from 50 countries and an international audience of 1,400 delegates in 2010, Open World Forum has grown very fast. The Forum is governed by steering group that brings together the leading international technological communities (Apache Software Foundation, Linux Foundation, Open Source Initiative, OW2 Consortium, Qualipso Consortium), and the main Open Source software associations from the French-speaking world (Adullact, AFUL, CNLL, PLOSS, Silicon Sentier), with support from major European and French institutions (the European Commission, the Paris City authorities, and the Ile-de-France regional council and regional development agency) (Agence Régionale de Développement).

The Open World Forum 2011 will focus on particular three key areas: THINK, CODE and EXPERIMENT » that will be a future of the Internet. In the past, the history of the Internet, and of open software/Open Source have been so closely interwoven that it's now hard to imagine one without the other. But changes both in the way they are being used and in legislation could affect the future of the Internet and Open Source.

The Forum's partners include 70 percent of the key global players from the IT world.

The Open World Forum is being organized this year by the Systematic competitiveness cluster based in the Paris region, supported by a Forum Committee which brings together the main partners and contributors to the OWF (AF83, Alter Way, Bull, Systematic's Open Software Special Interest Group and Smile).

The fourth series of the Open World Forum will take place in Paris on the 22-24 of September 2011.

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