Dolly Anne Carvajal on 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

Philippine Daily Inquirer Entertainment columnist Dolly Anne Carvajal she recalls watching the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on December 6 to 15, 2007.
ABS-CBN, GMA, ABC, Dream Satellite and Sky Cable have agreed to a multi-network partnership to air the "A Time for Heroes" where the 24th Southeast Asian Games held in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand on December 6 to 15.

Resident voice-over announcers Peter Musngi, Chinapaps and Al Torres are they doing the 100-day countdown promotional plug aired during the commercial breaks of programs from morning to late night.

Present at the contract signing at the Manila Golf and Country Club were ABS-CBN’s Group CFO Rolando Valdueza, COO for broadcast Cory Vidanes, ABC President Tonyboy Cojuangco, GMA Network vice president for entertainment Wilma Galvante and Sky Cable president Carlo Katigbak.

The Inquirer columnist hinted on covering the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Thailand when sportscasters Paolo Abrera, Dyan Castillejo at His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 5 December 2007, Sports Complex, while Boom Gonzalez, TJ Manotoc, Migs Bustos and Mikee Reyes at Keelapirom Gymnasium, volleyball analysts Ian Laurel and Mozzy Ravena at Korat Chatchai Hall.

She said that no less than the Ambassador Marciano Paynor, Jr. at the International Media Center, Philippine International Convention Center, Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Pasay City, because the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand to be broadcast live on ABS-CBN channel 2 and GMA channel 7, with the pre- emption of daily mid-to-late morning and late-afternoon programming and pushing primetime drama series and weekend programs to 8:30 p.m. onwards.

Paynor told reporters that the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima Southeast Asian Games coverage on television, just unlike the 1995 visit of Pope John Paul II for the 10th world youth day in Manila, Philippines.

At this time, the Philippines hosted the 23rd Southeast Asian Games held in Manila from November 27 to December 5, 2005.

The highlights of the 9-day regional sporting event, according to herself was the Opening Ceremonies live at 6:30 p.m. on these channels. It replayed at 8:30 a.m. of the next day, Friday, December 7.

She hinted that 4-time swimming gold medalist Miguel Molina was named the Most Valuable Male Player of the 2007 SEA Games, the third Filipino to bag the major award for outstanding SEA Games performance after Akiko Thomson in 1989 Kuala Lumpur Games and Eric Buhain in the 1991 Manila Games.

Aside from Molina is no other than Enchong Dee is competing in the men's 100-meter butterfly finals on Sunday, December 9 at 6:29 p.m. (7:29 p.m. local time), due to activists clashed with riot police in Manila and suburbs Quezon City, Rodriguez, San Mateo, Marikina, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati, Pasig, Pateros, Taguig, Antipolo, Cainta, Taytay, Angono, Binangonan, Pasay, Paranaque, Las Pinas, Muntinlupa and San Pedro.

It was caught live on national television when the riots take place near the entrance of Sofitel Philippine Plaza hotel to Star City when several park-goers and the policemen are they dispensed by people.

Another riot was started from the Quirino Grandstand, in Rizal Park, Manila to the One ECom Center in SM Mall of Asia complex in Pasay that close to more than 500,000 to 1 million people.

Digital transformation for Filipinos

Just last week, the National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Summit was held, with a good mix of participants from the public and private sectors.

With the theme “Empowering the Filipino through Digital Transformation,” the event showcased the government’s ICT-powered programs. These included the National Cybersecurity Plan, the National Broadband Plan, Free Wi-Fi Access in Public Places, the National Government Portal, and the National ID system. These projects and initiatives show the accelerating adoption of new technologies that would transform the bureaucracy into an efficient, transparent, trusted, and citizen-centered service system.

But with the government’s limited ICT resources and talent, how can it fully roll out these programs? This is where the private sector will need to come in.

The summit showcased a decent number of technologies well aligned with the government’s digital transformation projects. The delegates got a more than adequate download of the latest technologies and trends applicable to the Philippine public-sector environment, including privacy and cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and a plethora of apps all within the context of the governments Cloud First policy.

The session on the National ID System (NIDS) expectedly got the full attention because of the strategic impact to the most productive sector of the population. The successful rollout of NIDS will spark a chain reaction of game-changing technologies that will enable government and private sector to retool services and processes to more cost-efficient and productivity boosting solutions.

One ID that rules them all would simplify public and private transactions en route to seamless service delivery and consequently, enhanced administrative governance, and ease in doing business. The National ID Bill, which was submitted to the President for signing on May 28, has yet to be either signed into law or lapse into law. A long overdue law still stuck in the bureaucracy.

At the summit, the Philippine Statistics Authority said it already has activities lined up for 2018 as well as long-term plans that would drive the full adoption of the system.

Even so, implementation would not be bereft of challenges. The collection and management of data and privacy issues are what can be considered as the most pressing issues, which can make or break the success of the initiative.

Fortunately, these can be addressed by innovative technological solutions. Although it remains to be seen how the government will support this initiative, whether through public-private partnership or other means, this is an area of development that presents an opportunity for the government to increase its potential absorptive capacity.

Connectivity, ubiquity, trust, and interoperability are key to digital transformation. Close collaboration and closer coordination not only within the government but with other stakeholders, such as the academe and industry players, remain to be indispensable in pursuing an effective Philippine ICT Ecosystem. The programs of the government should not be evaluated in isolation but should be viewed in the context of an evolving ecosystem

The DICT’s development of the National ICT Ecosystem Framework hopes to address the following strategic thrusts: participatory e-governance, industry and countryside development, resource sharing and capacity building through ICT, improved public links and connectivity, ICT user protection and information security, and enabling a sustainable ICT environment. It is envisioned for these to bridge the gaps between innovations and policies.

For anyone who has been to a well-developed, hi-tech country, the prosperity and benefits to citizens are obvious.

If we can overcome the bureaucratic and even cultural barriers to change, digital transformation will be the best thing to happen to our country.

To our ICT champions, may the force be with you.

Katrina Clemente-Lua is the Executive Director and Policy Lead for ICT, Stratbase ADR Institute.

After MRT deal, China trains should be next

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) should make public the result of the independent audit on the P3.8-billion Dalian trains that remain unused due to their incompatibility with the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) tracks, a militant group said yesterday.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) made the call after the Office of the Ombudsman ordered the filing of graft charges against former transportation secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya and 16 others in connection with the MRT-3 maintenance deal with Busan Universal Rail Inc. (BURI).

“After the ombudsman found probable cause to indict Abaya and other officials of the previous administration for the questionable MRT-3 contracts, the next issue to be resolved should be the Dalian trains from China,”Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes said.

Reyes said the contract entered into by the previous administration with Chinese firm Dalian for the purchase of 48 coaches was questionable, citing legal and technical issues.

“Cases should be filed against those responsible for the Dalian contract,”he said.

“We worry if there is pressure from the Chinese government to push through with the questionable deal,” Reyes added.

Last April, the DOTr completed the weight testing of the 48 trains as part of the auditing process.

DOTr officials earlier considered the return of the Dalian trains due to problems regarding incompatible signaling systems.

Reyes said the DOTr should make clear its position on the matter.

“The trains should be returned to the Chinese firm,” he said.

The ombudsman found probable cause to indict Abaya for graft over the P4.25-billion contract awarded to BURI for the upgrade and maintenance of the MRT-3.

The anti-graft agency, however, cleared Abaya and his predecessor, Mar Roxas as well as seven other officials of the Aquino administration, of plunder.

PLDT to select site for new HQ by December

Telco giant PLDT Inc. is looking at two possible locations for its new headquarters and expecta to select one by the end of the year.

“Hopefully, we have one or two good leads and let’s see where those leads bring us,” said PLDT chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan.

The group is looking at a campus-style building similar to those of Google and Facebook as it puts more focus on digital services.

PLDT plans to redevelop its current head office at the Ramon Cojuangco Building along Makati Avenue and Makati General Office (MGO) in Legaspi to augment revenue.