Essay Writing contest on West Philippine Sea

(US Pinoys for Good Governance) — For the education and increased awareness of Filipino students regarding the issues on the West Philippine Sea (particularly the Scarborough Shoal and Spratly Islands) with China, Celia Lamkin, chairwoman of the US Pinoys for Good Governance-Marianas chapter, has launched an essay contest for high school and college students.

The contest is open to all Filipino students or of Filipino descent in the Philippines or overseas, from 10 to 25 years old who are enrolled in high school and college.

Submissions start from Dec. 1, 2012 to February 1, 2013. Entries can be sent by email to usp4ggessay@yahoo.com  or by regular mail to ATTN: Secretariat, USP4GG Essay Contest on West Philippine Sea, 25 C Luna Gardens, Rockwell Center, Makati City, the Philippines 1221.

The theme of the essay is, "The West Philippine Sea and its impact on the future of the Philippines."

The essay should focus on:

1. Sovereignty or ownership issues of territories in the West Philippine Sea contiguous to the Philippines.

2. How control of Philippine territories and the valuable marine and energy resources found therein can affect the future of generations of Filipinos.

3. How can the youth help defend Philippine sovereignty over our territories and protect the marine and energy resources in the West Philippine Sea?

Contestants are encouraged to read books, publications and the Internet on various articles regarding the theme.

The essay must be original. It must not be previously published in print or online nor in any visual and/or auditory recording. It must be in English and must not be more than 1,500 typed words.

Prize ranges from 50,000 to 10,000 pesos ($1,200 to $240). The school/college/university of the first prize winning essays will receive 20,000 pesos ($480) each.

Every student entry must contain the confirmation of the school principal, college/university dean or president that the essay is written by and originated from the student. Signature of the school principal, college or university president or dean, address, email address and telephone number are required to authenticate the student entry.

Only one entry per person will be accepted. The entry form is available at www.uspgg.org . A parental consent, authorization and liability waiver form is required for minor student. Adult students, for their part, must submit a student consent, authorization and liability waiver form.

A panel of judges, selected by the US Pinoys for Good Governance Ad Hoc Committee for Essay Contest on West Philippine Sea, will make the final decision. The panel is composed of prominent lawyers, journalists, retired educators and university administrators, among others.

The awards ceremony will be held during the Global Summit of Filipinos in Diaspora on Feb. 25-27, 2013, at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila where approximately 400 participants from different countries are expected to attend.

US Pinoys for Good Governance, headed by national chairwoman attorney Loida Nicolas Lewis, president attorney Rodel Rodis and legal counsel/spokesman attorney Ted Laguatan, is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization based in New York, whose mission is a better life for Filipinos everywhere and a better Philippines.

For more information, email Dr. Celia Lamkin at celia.lamkin@yahoo.com .

For more information on the USP4GG, visit www.uspgg.org

Posted in Marianas variety (http://is.gd/mo9xt7) 

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Google with Globe Introduces Free Services for Not-So-Smart Phones in the Philippines

Even if President Aquino didn't have a fancy phone, he could enjoy some smartphone-esque features. Photo: Reuters. 

The Philippines may have one of the most wired populations in Southeast Asia—with a mobile-phone penetration of 100%—but only a minority can afford the latest smartphones and the hefty data plans that accompany them.

Google, in partnership with local telco Globe Telecom, is hoping to change that—allowing users of even the most basic Internet-enabled phones access to some smartphone-esque functions they once envied. Launched in Manila Thursday and unique to the Philippines, Free Zone powered by Google lets them check their Gmail inboxes and use the tech giant's search functions, all for free.

Free Zone's offerings—the ability to surf websites, check Gmail and use the Google+ social-media app—is undoubtedly stripped down from the myriad of functions that smartphone users enjoy, and limited to the staple offerings that define Google.

Gmail, for example, won't be as sophisticated as the versions that run on iPhones, Android-powered smartphones and RIM's Blackberry devices. And Free Zone users can't surf the Web for free by typing websites into their phone's browser; they have to go through Google's search function.

Still, the new software—available only to Globe subscribers—will bring the mobile Internet to many more in the Southeast Asian nation without worry about the availability of WiFi or heavy data charges.

"The open Web is only as open as it is affordable," said Abdel Karim Mardini, a product manager at Google. "We're hoping Free Zone will make the mobile Internet feel like a necessity that everyone can use, rather than a luxury."

Google declined to say whether it or its partner, Globe Telecom, will be footing the data costs of Free Zone, initially available to more than 30 million Globe subscribers until the end of March, but says it designed applications accessible via Free Zone not to be too taxing in terms of data or the phone's processing power. Plans for the service after March 2013 remain undecided.

Multinationals are increasingly trying to tap Southeast Asia's growing consumer class—not just people with incomes allowing for leisure holidays and the latest Blackberry or iPhone models, but budget conscious, low-income earners who are benefitting from high growth rates and record foreign investment.

In the Philippines, mobile is a growing phenomenon; it's the 12th largest mobile phone market in the world, according to a report by Mobile Monday, an open community of those in the industry that shares market trends and reports on mobile growth. The penetration rate will soon surpass 100%, with some Filipinos owning more than one handset. Still, only about 30% use smartphones, which means companies like Google and local telcos have huge untapped opportunities in mobile internet connectivity.

Google hopes to introduce the technology to more countries in coming months. For now, Globe subscribers in the Philippines can access Free Zone through http://libre.ph on the phone's default browser, or text LIBRE to 8888 on their phones.

The Wall Street Journal

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