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
