The Internet Cafe Association of Davao and I-Cafe Pilipinas has recently concluded the Second Mindanao Internet Cafe Associations Summit which was held last February 18 and 19, 2010 at the SM City Davao Ecoland, Davao City. The event was a resounding success with more than 300 internet cafe owners that are operating in the various places in Mindanao like in Davao City, Tagum, Digos and as far [...]]]>

By: Gener Morada

The Internet Cafe Association of Davao and I-Cafe Pilipinas has recently concluded the Second Mindanao Internet Cafe Associations Summit which was held last February 18 and 19, 2010 at the SM City Davao Ecoland, Davao City. The event was a resounding success with more than 300 internet cafe owners that are operating in the various places in Mindanao like in Davao City, Tagum, Digos and as far as General Santos City actively participated in its various activities.

The event also serve as convergence of personalities as internet cafe owners are able to connect with the different personalities known for their work in the ICT field. Hon. Commissioner Francisco Perez II, Information Infrastructure Group of the Commission on Information and Communication Technology addressed the participants on the important role that the internet cafes plays in the overall ICT infrastructure in the country. The city government of Davao City had shown its full support in this initiative with Councilor Peter Laviña, Chairman of the Commerce Committee City Council, Davao City welcoming the participants to Davao City. Counselor Maybel Sunga Acosta, Chair of the Education Committee City Council, Davao City informed the participants of the various initiatives of the city govern ment in promoting the responsible use of ICT in the City of Davao.

Manila-based executives and personalities like Mr. Ricky Banaag, Country Manager, Intel Technology Philipines, Ms. Fortune Magsadia, Anti Piracy Manager, Microsoft Philippines, Ms. Aileen Apolo – de Jesus, Country Consultant, Google, Ms. Yuko Lssette Domingo, Project Officer eSkwela CICT, Mr. Rick Amores of the National Computer Center and Mr. Joseph Lee, Manager iGlobe Technology also flown in to the City of Davao to be part of the Second MICAS. One of the highlights of the program was the Skype address of Mr. Andy Hansen, Co-Founder, Senior Executive Vice President & Director, DataVault Security who talked to the summit participants from his office in the United Kingdom. The Mindanao-based resource persons includes Mr. Carlo Paquera, Territory Manager for Davao City of Globe Business and Ms. Romina Go, Account Manager for LEC, DSL and Data Services of Bayan Business.

It is in this summit in which I-Cafe Pilipinas unveiled one its centerpiece program. the “Ang Ligtas Na Digital Batang Pinoy” which hopes to educate the community on the  safe and proper use of modern technology. When the convenors of I-Cafe Pilipinas arrived in Davao City, they learned that there was a large outpouring of concerns regarding the internet cafes being the source of social ills like school truancy and being access points for pornography. The “Ligtas na Digital Batang Pinoy” program is a national initiative by internet cafe owners that aims in providing information in the vernacular to the community on the proper and effective use of technology in their daily activities. Unlike other programs that is already existing, the primary goal of the “Ligtas ng Batang Digital Pinoy” is to create materials that is suited to the Filipino frame of mind and could easily be understood by everyone. One of its primary aim is to incorporate such materials to be part of the regular school curriculum. I-Cafe Pilipinas believes that proper education in the use of modern technology is much more better than regulation.

In a joint statement issued by the Chair of I-Cafe Pilipinas Mr. Ed Zafra and the President of the Internet Cafe Association of Davao said that “We are proud and honored with the success of the Second Mindanao Internet Cafe Associations Summit for it has uplifted the image of the internet cafe industry in the region of Mindanao. It has provided an insight on the various initiatives that we are jointly undertaking in order to improve the conditions through convergence and closer ties among the different players in the internet cafe industry in the country.” “We are hoping that the same initiative would be replicated all over the country as we bring together the different internet cafe operators and allied ICT companies in providing better ICT services closer to the people and the community.” added by Mr. Zafra. While Mr. Solanor stressed “ the summit gave the internet cafe owners an idea on the importance of the internet cafe associations as a means to empower the individual internet cafe owners in properly managing their business.”

The convenors of I-Cafe Pilipinas and the officers of ICAD would like to thank the support given by its event partners to ensure the success of the Second MICAS which includes: Intel Technology Philippines and Microsoft Philippines as its Gold Event Partners, iGlobe Technology, Bayan Business, Globe Business, USAID’s Growth with Equity for Mindanao Program, Metro Preneur Corp, ICT Davao and DICCEP for being the Silver Event Partners and Teleglobal of the Philippines as a networker in the event.

]]> http://www.icafepilipinas.org/index.php/2010/02/24/the-second-mindanao-internet-cafe-associations-summit-a-huge-success/feed/ 0 http://www.icafepilipinas.org/index.php/2010/02/20/the-2nd-micas-activities-in-photos/ http://www.icafepilipinas.org/index.php/2010/02/20/the-2nd-micas-activities-in-photos/#comments Sat, 20 Feb 2010 00:36:03 +0000 Admin http://www.icafepilipinas.org/index.php/2010/02/20/second-mindanao-internet-cafe-associations-summit-activities/ By: Gener Morada

Photos by icaii.philedu, Feb 20, 2010 -Activities at the Second Mindanao Internet Café Associations Summit held last Feb. 18 and 19, 2010 at the SM City-Davao, Davao City

The Second Mindanao Internet Café Associations Summit (2nd MICAS) will be held on February 18 and 19, 2010 at The Event Centre, SM City-Davao in Davao City. Just like the first regional summit held last 2007, the Internet Café Association of Davao (ICAD) Inc. is spearheading the organization of the event. This time, I-Cafe Pilipinas, the national advocacy body of the Internet café industry in the country, is a [...]]]>

By: Ed Zafra

The Second Mindanao Internet Café Associations Summit (2nd MICAS) will be held on February 18 and 19, 2010 at The Event Centre, SM City-Davao in Davao City. Just like the first regional summit held last 2007, the Internet Café Association of Davao (ICAD) Inc. is spearheading the organization of the event. This time, I-Cafe Pilipinas, the national advocacy body of the Internet café industry in the country, is a co-organizer of the summit that has “Bringing The Benefits of Information and Communications Technology To The People Of Mindanao Through Internet Cafés” as its main theme. The 2nd MICAS is aimed at gathering together the different Internet café associations in the region, individual i-café owners, concerned government agencies and private stakeholders in the industry.

The two-day event has the support of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT), our national government’s highest governing body of the industry where the Internet café business belong. The keynote address will be delivered by Asst. Secretary Francisco S. Perez II of the Telecommunications Office (TELOF) who is also a CICT Commissioner taking charge of its Infrastructure Group. The government agency will be presenting some its programs in the summit especially those that provide online services to the people like the eSkwela and Community e-Centers.

From the private ICT sector, Intel Philippines will be presenting the latest in the computer chip technology while Microsoft Philippines will be rolling-out their I-Café Program that offers their software at affordable prices exclusively for i-café owners. Two (2) telecommunication companies, Bayantel and Globe, will be informing the summit participants about their latest products and services. iGlobe Technology, a Manila-based marketing company dealing on bandwidth management products will exhibit and present them onstage while Datavault, an Australian software filtering system, will also make a presentation. Metro Preneur Corporation (MPC) and Teleglobal are Davao-based companies who will exhibit their ink technology products and satellite Internet service respectively.

Some non-government organizations (NGOs) working on their initiatives in helping the growth of the ICT sector are also participating in the 2nd MICAS. USAID’s Growth with Equity in Mindanao (GEM) Project, Davao Industry Cluster Capacity Enhancement Project (DICCEP) and ICT-Davao Inc. shared financial resources that will directly take care of some expenses in the summit. ICT Davao Inc. will make a presentation about its current projects while I-Café Pilipinas will also present its vision and mission in working towards a better internet café industry in the scheduled program of activities in the summit.

Bayan Telecommunications, through its Regional Operations Group, will participate in the Second Mindanao Internet Café Associations Summit (2nd MICAS) which will be held at The Event Centre, SM City-Davao in Davao City on February 18 and 19, 2010. The 2nd MICAS aims to gather the leaders of various Internet café associations in Mindanao, individual i-café owners, government agencies and private companies with stakes at the Internet café industry in [...]]]>

By: Ed Zafra

Bayan Telecommunications, through its Regional Operations Group, will participate in the Second Mindanao Internet Café Associations Summit (2nd MICAS) which will be held at The Event Centre, SM City-Davao in Davao City on February 18 and 19, 2010. The 2nd MICAS aims to gather the leaders of various Internet café associations in Mindanao, individual i-café owners, government agencies and private companies with stakes at the Internet café industry in the country. The summit has the theme, “Bringing the Benefits of Information and Communications Technology to the People of Mindanao through Internet Cafés” and co-organized by I-Café Pilipinas and Internet Café Association of Davao (ICAD) Inc.

This is the second time that Bayan Telecommunications participates in an event organized by I-Café Pilipinas. Such gesture stands well on the company’s support for the organization’s initiative on working for a better Internet café industry. The i-cafés being on the frontline in providing Internet access to the public at affordable rates need all the support that companies like Bayan Telecommunications can provide to the industry.

Globe Telecom, Inc. joins the Second Mindanao Internet Café Associations Summit (2nd MICAS) to be held on February 18 and 19, 2010 at The Event Center, SM-Davao in Davao City. Globe is a leading telecommunications company in the Philippines with a mission to transform and enrich lives through communications by way of a vision of making great things possible. In its participation in the 2nd MICAS, the company will [...]]]>

By: Ed Zafra

Globe Telecom, Inc. joins the Second Mindanao Internet Café Associations Summit (2nd MICAS) to be held on February 18 and 19, 2010 at The Event Center, SM-Davao in Davao City. Globe is a leading telecommunications company in the Philippines with a mission to transform and enrich lives through communications by way of a vision of making great things possible. In its participation in the 2nd MICAS, the company will present its products and services especially those that cater to the Internet café industry.

The company will be represented in the 2nd MICAS  by Globe Business, one of its corporate arm. Globe Business is a full-service Information Communications Technology (ICT) provider that designs and delivers inspired solutions to any business. It prides itself in truly understanding and providing each business with communications solutions that perfectly match the needs for Cost Efficiency, Security, Mobility, IT Integration, and Reliable Connectivity. Globe Business empowers enterprises to the next level as it provides a strong anchor to give businesses the competitive advantage.