Thursday, October 11, 2012

3rd Icean Congress with Developer’s Connect


University of Southeastern Philippines
Bo. Obrero Campus, Davao City
Institute of Computing

SEMINAR REPORT
3rd  Icean Congress with
DevCon (Developer’s Connect)

September 7, 2011

OVERVIEW

It was almost one year ago, when a the collaboration between the class of Field Trip and Seminars, Society of Information Technology Students (SITS), and Computer Science Society (CSS) fruited as the 3rd Icean Congress with DevCon (Developer’s Connect) was successfully held at the USeP Social Hall last September 7, 2011.

The said congress was attended by the students of Institute of Computing and students of related courses from others schools like Ateneo de Davao University, MATS College of Davao, Jose Maria College, University of Mindanao, Holy Cross of Davao College, and AMA Computer College. It was considered as one of the biggest gathering of information and technology studies here in Davao. The congress was celebrated together with the software freedom day. So, it is predectable that the main topic of the seminar is promoting the use of open-source softwares instead of using pirated and unlicense softwares.
The program was opened with remarks from Engr. Val A. Quimno, Dean of the Institute of Computing, who talked about the how the event is important to the students. Then, an awarding of the Certificate of Recognition was also held given to all the students of the Institute of Computing who gathered an GWA of 2.0 or higher from the last semester. It was great recognition for them but sorry for me, because I’m not of them. However, it make me motivate to strive more harder to achieve high grade and gain respect as what they have got. Afterwards, the 4th year Computer Science and Information Technology students presented their Thesis Proposal and IT Project, respectively.

After the lunch break, the DevCon seminar was officially started by having lightning talks with different topics. Irwin Rod Adesna, a 4th year ICean student, talked about the “Sex of Ideas” or the collaboration between two or more persons to create a more productive and quicker solution to a problem. The another lady speaker from the MATS College of the Davao talks about the Open Source Programming Utilities, she emphasize that it is no need to use the pirated software especially in university computer laboraty if there are lots of free equivalent software available. She also promotes an open-source computer laboratory that the universirty must have. The other speakers also  talked about Open Street Map, Content Management Systems, Android Technology, and Networking. All speakers, intruduce an new and realible open softwares in connection of the celebration of software freedom day.
Another part of the seminar was a friendly debate between three teams, it is  called Birds of Feather (BOF), was conducted to know which among Windows, Mac, and Linux the best operating system is. Three team done good that able to convince the listeners why kind of operation system they represented is better than other. Afterwards the announcement of winners, the team of Windows was hailed as the champions and the distribution of certificates and closing remarks finished the program successfully.

List of Students

1.      Buendia, Hazel Mae
2.      Estose, Mea Chona
3.      Palma, Lady Rose
4.      Papas, Ann Juvie
5.      Carabuena, Tiffany
6.      Consejo, Juvilyn
7.      Del Rosario, Rheanaliz
8.      Nakaoshi, Mari
9.      Tan, Jemelie
10.  Agle, Christian Cabrera
11.  Balagolan, John Paul
12.  Inte, Melchor
13.  MuloƱas,Rouen
14.  Noval, Xaviery Dwight
15.  Bueno, Karlo Jay
16.  Calonia, Viktor Immanuel
17.  Faelnar, Nick
18.  Lim, Eric
19.  Manimbo, Jason
20.  Palacio, Michael
21.  Flores, Brian



Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Field Trip and Seminar in Manila

University of Southeastern
 Philippines Bo. Obrero Campus,
 Davao City Institute of Computing

 TRAVEL REPORT
 Major Field Trip and Seminars 
Sept. 10 – 14, 2012
 Manila 

Field Trip Overview
            Last September 10 – 14, 2012 we conducted our major field trip in Manila together with my fellow students from Institute of Computing in Southeastern University of Philippines. The said field is one of our requirements for the subject of Field Trip and Seminar under our current curriculum. The purpose of the conducted field trip and seminar is the following:
·         To enrich our knowledge especially in field of computing
·         To engage in the modern technologies that are not present on our environment or university
·         To know further what are the profession we have in the future
·         To know the areas that computing is very important
The field trip in Manila was approved by our university president, and manages by one of our professors Mr. Randy Gamboa. We have departed from Davao by 6:45 in the morning of the first day of our schedule, and then we arrive back here in Davao by almost 8:00 in the evening on the last day of our schedule. We have spend five days and four nights in Manila, some say the it was that short to stay, and other say that it was too long. However, in the bottom part, our major field satisfies our all expectation and meets its purpose. It was a great success because we have learned a lot, and all destinations are very educational.



Day 1 (September 10, 2010) at DOST and MMDA

Today, I went on to two company visit; one is in the Department of Science and Technology and another one is in the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority.
In Department of Science and Technology, one of their staff guides us in their Audio Visual Room. In there, they showed us their latest project such as the Project NOAH (National Operational Assessment of Hazards) that under development but still very useful for the warnings of upcoming calamities.
What I Learned?

            What I learned from the Department of Science and Technology is that the government does exert effort to support the inventions, project and research for the good of the public. The Department facilitates the endorsement of the project to the public, and they also support for the further development. They used modern technology to connect the braches all over the Philippines.
What I Liked?
            What I liked from the Department of Science and Technology is the site they facilitate or hosted, the site is a compilation of database from all educational sites in the Philippines. The site makes the users to find related research on the interest topic by searching using the site.  
What I didn’t like?
            What I didn’t like is when we ask complex question regarding the Project NOAH and other project they facilitate, they always answer us that they only host the project and the group that has more knowledge about the project is not them but the author of the project. It makes me mad of getting nothing information of their some projects.
            In the afternoon, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is the company we have visited The MMDA serves the whole manila with over sixteen cities. In their office they have nine big monitors in their office that they used to keep update on the happening of over the Metro Manila.
What I Learned?

            What I learned from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority used technologies to guard metro manila from extreme flooding using their pumping station with monitoring in their office. The MMDA also ensure the properness of the streets, they installed numbers of CCTV and record it in their database for evidence of violation or incidence.
 What I Liked?
            What I liked about the MMDA is that they have big monitors, large database storage, and moral officers. They used modern technologies to strengthen their service to the public. It makes them empowered and ready for the calamities that may strike in the metro manila.
What I didn’t like?
            I think I don’t have things that I didn’t like about the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, their accommodation for us is fine, their service for the public is great, their technology are incredible. However, MMDA must not satisfy on what they have, the technology is rapidly changing so they must upgrade like adding an automatic license detection and recognition.


Day 2 (September 11, 2012) at UP-Diliman for Y4IT seminar

On our day two in Manila, have the visited the Diliman Campus of University of the Philippines. Comparing the campuses of USEP-obrero and UP-diliman, I think my university is just not half or even more half of UP campus. However, when it comes to the intelligence, USEP is near to UP, I can say that because I am USEP and I am proud to be.
We spend whole day on UP-diliman that was the host of the seminar of Information Technology students all over the Philippines. The seminar is called Y4IT and it was its tenth year so it was expected that more students will come for the seminar.
In the morning session, we have come to the UP-Diliman campus on time, but because there is huge number of participate of seminar there is no vacant seats for the interesting topic about the robotics and programming. As a result, we are not able to join the seminar on the said topic. Then, we find another seminar, and the seminar we have found is about the animation and current trends.
During the start of the seminar, we have surprise that our facilitator Mr. Randy Gamboa came up to the stage and speak to the mass. Oh, Mr. Randy is the one who welcome the seminar participant; this makes us proud that we are the students of the great guy on the stage.
While the Afternoon session, we had a chance on having a seat in the UP-theater where comfortable chair awaits us. UP-theater is dark, a best place to sleep; best time to restore our energy from the traveling using airplane for the first time.
What I Learned?
            One of the lady speakers grabs my attention not because of her sexy body but because of idea she what to deliver, she said the there only three things that the person has to success: tibay ng loob, talas ng isip, at kapal ng mukha. Yes, I definitely agree with her, it makes me encourage of dreaming becoming a successful programmer. She also added that when I expect something happen of improvement for myself, it will be granted only if I believe. What she says is more than anything what I have learned on the seminar.
What I liked?
            I really like about UP-diliman and the Y4IT seminar is the environment. Stepping on the ground of one the top university makes me like the moment. That is why we are very eager to go on their COOP, to buy souvenir for myself.
What I didn’t like?
            The thing I didn’t like is about the communication to the other student all over the Philippines. We are there for seminar to learn, not to prove that we are better to each other. Some other student feels arrogant, however, not all of them participants. 
After our visit in UP-diliman campus for Youth for Information and Technology Seminars, the itinerary schedule us to go shopping on one of famous mall in metro manila. Just what others say “Work with no play, makes me dull”, I really don’t know about the saying but what I wanted to emphasize is the fact that we have already in manila why we don’t maximize our time of spending it in fun way. However, the shopping on the second night of our field trip in Trinoma makes my unforgettable experience, because of the weird and big structure of the Trinoma building. I was lost in the exit of the mall that result of being late of almost twenty minutes on our scheduled dinner. Again guys, sorry for being late.     

Day 3 (September 12, 2012) at PLDT and SSS

In the third day of field trip and seminars, we have visited the Philippine Long Distance Telecom Company or the PLDT. In the third day, we have decided to go early in the company that we are going to visit. As a result we come there too early that we need to wait almost one hour in the bus to accommodate us. That the waiting is not for waste, the learnings we have got from the PLDT from the time we’ve enter their building up to we have exit is very substantial. All things are inside very interesting from the booths that display their history, room for internet monitoring, up to the device they invented to make the life of Filipinos more comfortable.
In the first part our PLDT company visit, the vice director of Community Relation Division welcome us by giving a name tag and brief presentation on what PLDT offers. It also tackles the brief history of the PLDT, from the small company and become bigger. But the rise of their company came to stop when the war was entered in the Philippines, lots of their infrastructure was bomb. However, the company still serve the public by providing each house the line of telephone. Then, the company starts to develop and fix the damage they got, and the success was in there. Up today, PLDT makes a partnership in Smart for providing the wireless internet connection.
What I Like?
            There are many interesting things that I liked inside the PLDT building, some of those are the ACER display room and room where the gadget offered by PLDT are being displayed. In ACER, the representative of ACER introduce their latest models of laptops, computers, and projectors.  I really like the war room of the PLDT that facilitated by at least four persons, they do monitoring on the Internet Traffic. In there we can see the total moment of upload and download done by all users over the Philippines. They also explain the technology behind the Virtual Private Network that it has physical wires just like what they offer in the public connection. But VPN is a secured channel where not all internet users can access.
What I didn’t like?
            The thing I just don’t like is that the ACER didn’t make raffle for the prize of a laptop. Are they cheap? Or are we not worthy to be given the prize.
On the other hand, while in the afternoon schedule, we’ve go to the company visit and it is in the Social Security System. On there, they conducted a symposium type of discussion where the speaker tackles about the history of SSS, its infrastructures and technologies used to deliver their service, and how their system is being secured.
After the speakers have presented they open the discussion for question, at first we are shy to ask question to them because many of us doesn’t care about the pension of SSS. But, somebody start to question about the technical part of SSS, and another question came out until the speaker get tired or don’t have enough time to answer our questions. Actually, our main concern is about on how the SSS enforce people especially who work in Business Process Outsourcing market to pay their obligations.
What I have learned?
            I have learned that even government doesn’t have supercomputers to handle their services just like big companies. Although, I understand that government doesn’t have enough budget to sustain and have the powerful computers but in spite of that SSS maximize their resources. It was also discussed to process of evolution in transacting in SSS, it said that at past, it has no specific line for every transaction but in present, every transaction has its multiple allotted line and they now use propriety number. It is normal for them cater hundreds to member per day because they cover the whole manila as they are the main office of SSS.
What I liked?
            What I liked is that they prepare and facilitated a simple program to welcome and accommodate us. After the speaker, they open the discussion for questions. Then the questions came out simultaneously until they said that they having fun with us because we are very curious about the details of SSS. They also said that we are smarter than the other batch that they handled. It makes me overwhelmed, because it came from the mouth of the other. It makes a proof that we are one of the top universities on the Philippines. Cheers!
What I didn’t liked?
            Because we consume lots of time on asking questions, we had ended the discussion of late afternoon. The largest printing machine that we originally planned see is cancel because of limited time left on our schedule and in was a rush hour for SSS that time. So we feel sorry for our self of not accomplishing the main propose why we visited SSS. Yes, we are excited to see their technology but the program they had done is great enough for us.



Day 4 (September 13, 2012) at People’s Park in the Sky and Laguna Electronics
            The day four is considered as our relax day where we schedule to go in tourist spot destination, the batch decided two separate the schedule of the two group: big bus and small bus. I belong to the big bus, our schedule is to go to People’s Park in the Sky in Tagaytay. Although, it was not a company and it for pleasure thing we made ourselves enjoy and learn because the technology of PAGASA was settled over there, the Doplar Radar.
What I Learned?
            On this part of our schedule, I learned only some facts. One of those are, former first lady Emelda Marcos who decided to build the Park as their vacation house. And when presented Marcos exploited in malacanang. The government take the house and converted into tourist spot because of it panoramic view as it is in the highest peak of Tagaytay.
What I liked?
            People’s park in the sky is just Jack Ridge here in Davao. What is unique in the people’s park is the 360 degrees of panoramic view that when I saw, I feel like in heaven, I think for a while that how god made this wonderful earth. It was really awesome experience of being there that feels like I am in the top of the world.
            In the afternoon, we visited the company of Laguna Electronics that recently changed their name to Chukkedin to inline in their other international branch. The company manufactured the assembled boards for projectors and other electronics devices. They much like partner of Technology Companies in assembling their products. Companies send their item to Chukkedin, and then Chukkedin is the one assemble the board and send back to the company. The speaker from the Chukkedin presents a video on how the chips are being attached in the board. Only video because there manufacturing area is restricted. And sorry for ourselves. 
              
 Day 5 (September 14, 2012) at J.P. Morgan Chase and Departure from Manila
            In day five, we have visited the J.P. Morgan Chase Company. It was my favorite company because of its unlimited and free drinks for their visitors and employees. The J.P. Morgan Chase is an outsource company that handles transaction from America which comprising Investment Banking, Equity Sales and Research and Trading operations, Treasury and Securities Services, and the Global Corporate Bank. The firm has a number of legal entities operating in the country, including the Manila branch of the bank, which has a commercial banking license as well as a derivatives license, and a securities company with a seat on the Philippine Stock Exchange.
What I Liked?
            What I liked aside their building, unlimited drinks is their communication with other employee. They give value for each other as they are part of diversity. They support it socially, emotionally and spiritually. They also have latest technology, just like the power saving technology that was being implemented all over the building, this help the country for saving energy. I also like what they called the star wars room where they conduct meetings over the network internationally. It was like the thing I saw in the movie where people can meeting using camera and a monitor.
What I didn’t Liked?
            I didn’t like is that J.P. Morgan Chase is monitor by foreign group, there are lots of CCTV at send data outside the country that receive by foreign company to monitor every activity in the Philippines branch. It feels like there was always an eye who is looking on everything you will done. 


Appendix

Recommendations
           I personally recommend to next batch of field trip and seminars of the next year is that choose to go to Manila. It is because there are lot things that makes you inspire to go deeper in our fields of computing. There are lots of company that their strength came from their information technology branch. There also lots of technologies in Manila that we cannot currently seen here in Davao or Mindanao.However, expenses is bigger comparing on having a fieldtrip and seminar locally but it all worthy, sulit na sulit talaga. Just make sure that you booked already your tickets to have the fare discounts.

Pictures