University of Southeastern Philippines
Bo. Obrero, Davao
City
TRAVEL REPORT
September 7 – 11,
2015
Seminar Overview
As partial
fulfillment for the requirements of the course Field Trips and Seminars, 81
students from the University of Southeastern Philippines Institute Of
Computing, including me, embarked on a trip to Manila and its neighboring
environs.
We left Davao
City via Davao International Airport on 7th September 2015 at about
5:45 in the morning. Our flight was Cebu Pacific 5J 962. We arrived at the
Ninoy Aquino Intenational Airport at about 7:30 in the morning. We left the
airport a few minutes later.
We were picked by
two buses courtesy of Maynilad Tours and Educational Services, the travel
agency we contracted. Our first destination was McDonald’s Newport. We ate out
breakfast there. We then headed to the national
office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). We ate lunch at Kenny
Roger’s East Avenue. After that, we proceeded to the head office of Social Security
System (SSS). After our seminar there, we ate dinner at Tramway Buffet at Timog
Avenue, Quezon City. After that we headed back to the hotel (Kabayan Hotel).
8th of
September 2015, we started our day by eating breakfast at our hotel. After
that, we proceeded to PLDT InnoLab at Mandaluyong City Philippines. We then ate
lunch at the bus. After that, we headed to IBM Philippines. After our visit
there, we had our dinner at Great Eastern Hotel, Makati. Then we headed back to
the hotel and had some rest.
We attended the
Y4IT convention on the 9th of September 2015. The Y4IT convention is
believed to be the largest gathering of IT students, professionals, and
enthusiasts. We started the day by eating our breakfast at the hotel. We had a
brief tour of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) complex before
heading to the SMX Convention Center. Upon arriving there, we registered for
the event. We spent half of the day listening to the speakers and visiting the
booths inside the convention center. We ate lunch at Taste Asia at SM Mall of
Asia. After eating our lunch, we went back to SMX. After the convention, we
headed to Tutuban Mall. We shopped there for a while and ate our dinner there
as well. After that, we headed back to the hotel.
10th
of September 2015 marked the 4th day of our field trip in Manila. We
started the day by eating our breakfasts to the hotel. After that, we headed to the MMDA Metrobase
at Makati City. We spent half of the day there and then proceeded to Tagaytay
City to eat out lunch. We had a brief moment to experience the beauty of the
Taal Volcano. After that, we went to the Enchanted Kingdom at Sta. Rosa,
Laguna. After days of constant stress, having that small leisure time was
heavenly. After that, we headed back to our hotel to eat dinner and have some
rest.
The last day of
the trip was the 11th of September 2015. We all woke up early to
prepare our thing for our departure for Davao City later. After that, we ate breakfast
at the hotel and then proceeded to UP Diliman’s Department of Computer Science.
We toured their building and they showed us some of their equipment. After the
tour, we headed to Icon Hotel to eat our lunch. We then went to Resorts World
Manila for one last leisure time. After that, we headed to the airport and
waited for our flight. Our flight was supposed to leave the airport at 9:00 pm
but it was delayed.
Day
1
Today, I went on a seminar to the Department
of Science and Technology (DOST) main office at the DOST compound, Bicutan,
Taguig and the Social Security System (SSS) main office at East Avenue, Quezon
City.
What
I learned?
It was my first time to visit a government
office here in the national capital region. I had high expectations and
somehow, my visit to both offices met those expectations. When we arrived at
DOST, we were lead to the Information and Communications Technology Office. We
were welcomed by their staff and so began the seminar. The speaker wanted to
speak about E-commerce here in the Philippines but he spoke about Project NOAH
instead. He started by asking us the difference between a calamity and a
disaster. He said that a calamity is something that can cause harm and
suffering while a disaster is something that caused destruction. He then
introduced Project NOAH to us. Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards) is the
DOST’s response to the call of
President Benigno S. Aquino III for a more accurate, integrated, and responsive
disaster prevention and mitigation system, especially in high-risk areas
throughout the Philippines. According to the speaker, Pres. Aquino got tired of
hearing about numerous casualties every time the country experiences a disaster
so he tasked DOST to create something that would improve the countries risk
reduction capabilities.
Currently, Project NOAH has
eight components namely:
·
Distribution
of Hydrometeorological Devices in hard-hit areas in the Philippines
·
Disaster
Risk Exposure Assessment for Mitigation – Light Detection and Ranging
(DREAM-LIDAR) Project
·
Enhancing
Geohazards Mapping through LIDAR
·
Coastal
Hazards and Storm Surge Assessment and Mitigation (CHASSAM)
·
Flood
Information Network (FloodNET) Project
·
Local
Development of Doppler Radar Systems
·
Landslide
Sensors Development Project, and
·
Weather
Hazard Information Project (WHIP)
DOST, in partnership with different government
agencies, uses these projects to help Filipinos prepare for upcoming calamities
and disasters.
After the seminar at DOST, we headed to the
SSS main office. The lecture was divided into two parts. During the first part,
the speaker discussed about the history and duties of the agency, and the
benefits of being an SSS member. During this part of the lectures, we received
some tips that would help us when we become professionals someday. During the second part, the speaker discussed
about the history of the agency’s ICT division. Unlike the in the first part,
we learned about things that are IT related during this part.
What
I liked?
There were a lot of things I liked about the
seminars that happened that day. One of it was the fact that both government
agencies made an effort in preparing for our visit. They also gave us some
publications after the seminars. Another is both discussed some very important
topics that are related to our field of study. I also liked it when we found
out that the speaker that would discuss about Project NOAH was from Mindanao.
Knowing that he is a Mindanaoan made it easier for us to communicate with him.
What
I didn’t like?
I really liked the first day of our trip and
for me, there was nothing unlikeable about it. There were some things that
isn’t really good like when SSS gave us a publication about their 2013 annual
report instead of the latest one but I did not really care about it. Al least I
had something to read while on the bus.
DAY
2
Today, I went on a seminar to PLDT InnoLab at
Mandaluyong City and IBM Philippines at the UP-Ayala Techno-Hub, Quezon City.
What
I learned?
I learned a lot of things on this day. While we were on PLDT InnoLab, we were welcomed by one of
PLDT’s official. She told us the basic things that we need to know about the
PLDT InnoLab. Its main purpose is to hatch new ideas and innovate existing ones
for the benefit of the people. It has four main functions: Engineering, Product
and Development, Sales, and Market. After discussing about it, we had a tour of
the place. We even went to their “control center” where they monitor the
network flow and network conditions of the areas they serve. They also tackled
about their latest offerings like the new PLDT Fibr and FamCam.
After
touring PLDT InnoLab, we ate lunch and proceeded to IBM Philippines. We were
welcomed by Dr. Pantola. He discussed a lot of interesting things. First, he
introduced us to cloud computing.
According to Dr. Pantola, cloud computing has
three services namely:
·
Software
as a Service (SaaS),
·
Platform
as a Service (PaaS), and
·
Infrastructure
as a Service (IaaS)
The difference between the three is what they
provide to us. In Software as a service, you don’t have to purchase, install
and maintain a software. Software service providers do it for you. An example
of SaaS is Google Docs. Platform as a service provides your needs in developing
applications in the cloud. According to the IBM website, in infrastructure as a
Service, you rent a cloud infrastructure – servers, storage, and networking –
on demand, on a pay-as-you-go model. It’s basically like having a virtual
machine.
What
I liked?
A lot of interesting things happened this day.
From our planned tour at PLDT InnoLab the lecture at IBM Philippines, almost
everything was good. What I really liked about it was the fact that both
companies taught us a lot of new things that are not only related to our field,
but are also very important to our future in our studies. Both companies also
discussed very important points that helps keep us informed with the latest
technologies present today.
What
I didn’t like?
If there was one thing I didn’t like about our
seminars on this day, it would be the responses of the person touring us at
PLDT. She was a good speaker but there was this time that we asked her about
the state of the internet here in the Philippines. Instead of discussing the
real problems of the internet here in the country, she just said to us that we
should pay more if we want faster internet speeds. I thought her answer was very disappointing.
She literally endorsed expensive PLDT products instead of answering our
questions directly. Other than that, I really liked the activities that
happened on this day.
DAY
3
On September 9, 2015, we spent our whole day
at SMX Convention Center attending the Youth for Information Technology
convention. In is said to be the largest gathering of IT students,
professionals and enthusiasts in the country.
What
I learned?
Attending the Y4IT convention has taught me a
lot of things. It showed me how amazing technology has developed these days. I
was very impressed when person talking for Microsoft introduced the Microsoft
HoloLens to the audience.
Another thing that really caught my attention
was the discussion about Internet Neutrality. Net neutrality, as defined by the
Oxford Dictionary, is “the principle that internet service providers should
enable access to all content and application regardless of the source, and
without favoring or blocking particular products or websites.” Mr. Al Alegre,
the speaker who discussed this topic, made it very clear to us that internet
neutrality is not evident here in our country.
Philippine internet service providers do not practice internet
neutrality by providing zero-rated services. An example of this is Smart’s
Safezone. Safezone is an app that lets you browse some sites like Facebook for
free. It may be a good thing to others but we must bear in mind that there is
more to internet than Facebook. Safezone only offers them (the limited number
of sites) for free because they are in partnership with the companies that owns
such websites. It makes it difficult for other applications or websites to
offer their services knowing that some ISPs favor other apps more than theirs.
ISPs could also abuse their position by providing better services for contents
from their sister companies (for example, Smart’s Iflix) while providing
mediocre to poor quality of service to their competitor’s.
What
I liked?
Attending one of the largest IT gatherings
here in country was one of the best things that happened on this trip. I really
like the fact that I was able to hear the latest technology news and issues
from very good speakers. Other than the seminar, I also enjoyed roaming around
SM Mall of Asia. It was not my first time there but it was my first time
without relatives accompanying me. It made me feel more responsible about
myself.
What I didn’t like?
As much as I enjoyed the Y4IT convention, I
still thought that the event could’ve been better. I was a bit underwhelmed by
it. It didn’t meet my expectations. I put the fault on myself because I might
just have unrealistic expectations.
DAY 4
Today, I went on a seminar to MMDA Traffic
Engineering Metrobase. We also went to Tagaytay City and Enchanted Kingdom for
some leisure time.
What I learned?
I learned a lot of thing on our visit to MMDA.
Their speakers told us things about how engineering and information technology
works in their agency. They told us that because of the two, MMDA has been able
to control traffic lights, monitor the traffic using censors, and monitor the
metro with their high-tech CCTVs. The speakers also told us about how crucial
the agency’s job is.
What I liked?
Our visit to MMDA was quite pleasing. I liked
the fact that one of the speakers that spoke in front of us was an engineer.
Because of that, we were able to ask some technical questions and he was able
to respond well. Our visit to their agency was very informative. I also like
the fact that they accepted some criticisms that some of us threw to them. They
said that they accept everything that could help better their services.
Apart from the
seminar, what I really like about this day is that we get to spend time to have
fun. Our trip to Tagaytay City was stress relieving, given that we've been
stresses the day that we arrived at Manila. Our trip to Enchanted Kingdom was
an escape for us. We didn't think about anything that could stress us out. We
just had fun. Very good memories were made in this day.
What I didn’t like?
I liked the events on this day very much.
Nothing unlikeable happened. For me, the 4th day of our trip to
Manila was the best day on this trip.
DAY 5
Today, I went on a seminar to the UP Diliman Department
of Computer Science.
What I learned?
I learned a thing or two on my visit to UP CS department.
Their department focuses on these seven expertise of computer science:
1. Algorithms and Complexity
2. Computer Security
3. Computer Vision and Machine Intelligence
4. Networks and Distributed Systems
5. Scientific Computing
6. Service Science and Software Engineering
7. Web Science.
The speakers (and some students) also discussed
the ideas of some of their theses like the theoretical part of computer
science, enhancement of security enterprise, bioinformatives, computational
intelligence, computer networks, database, and software management.
What I liked?
The speakers’ discussion about some their
theses has helped some of us think of ideas that we could use when we begin
writing our papers. I am also in awe on how well equipped their laboratories are.
What I didn’t like?
Just like the Y4IT convention, I was a bit
underwhelmed by our visit to UP Department of Computer Science. I felt like
they didn’t prepare for our visit. But again, I put the fault on myself because
I think I might just had very high expectations.
APPENDIX
RECOMMENDATION
The field trip
wouldn’t have been successful without the officers of this subject. They did
their best to give us an amazing FTS experience. The trip in general was
successful and fulfilling but there were times where we encountered some
problems. These said problems could’ve been avoided if the officers had better
coordination with the participants of the trip, the travel agency and their
fellow officers. If this kind of things is to be avoided, I highly recommend
that the officers of the next FTS batch, while still planning for the trip,
must correct what must be corrected and finalize what must be finalized.
My
advised top those who will take their advance seminar program in the near
future.
The
course Field Trips and Seminars is a very important. In the course of our field
trip, we were exposed to life outside of the classroom. We have learned a lot.
For those who may be reluctant in taking this course because of the cost, I
assure you that you’ll get what you pay for.
PICTURES
Day
1
 |
| My friends and I at Davao International Airport |
 |
| The whole class at Davao International Airport. |
 |
| The whole class at DOST, Bicutan, Taguig City. |
 |
| The whole class attending a seminar at SSS Main Office. |
 |
| DETOUR - A visit to the famous Big Brother House. |
DAY 2
 |
| (Half of) The class at PLDT InnoLab, Mandaluyong City. |
 |
| LAUGHS - Having fun at PLDT InnoLab |
 |
| LIKE A BOSS - at PLDT InnoLab board room. |
 |
| My frinds and I at IBM Philippines. |
 |
| At IBM Philippines with one of our advisers, Engr. Ariel Pabilona. |
DAY 3
 |
| DETOUR - A visit to Luneta Park |
 |
| Groufie with the Philippine flag. |
 |
| Waiting for the bus to arrive outside SMX Convention Center.
DAY 4
|
 |
| The class listening to the speaker at MMDA Metrobase. |
 |
| Group shot at MMDA Metrobase. |
 |
| CHILL - My friends and I chilling at Tagaytay City. |
 |
| Enchanted kingdom!
DAY 5
|
 |
| The class at UP Diliman. |
 |
| UP Diliman Department of Computer Science |
