Several years ago, in the days of pre-paid dial up internet and the whopping speed of 56

kbps (maximum speed) and the start of the mobile phone boom, Chikka was born.  It provided a free service (that i’m delighted to mention, has continued to this day, and more) of texting for free.

10 years since its inception (no, not the movie), Chikka has become the tech success story of the Philippines. Not only did it weather the onslaught of economic uncertanties of a rapidly changing industry and the mushrooming of new internet sensations, it has held its own and had gained a firm foothold of its niche. Chikka.com is now in more than 200 countries and have served more than   messages.

As it celebrates its 10 year, it moves to provide better service, especially to the Filipinos from abroad who connect with their loved ones in the Philippines. The imminent release of Chikka Text Messenger v 5.0 enables it to connect with Google Talk and is now compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux. The version for iPhone (iOS4), Blackberry, Symbian and Android are coming too, making it more accessible to more people, especially for the Filipinos abroad. (If my brain still retains some computing power, this would mean that replies using these applications abroad will be through the data plans and not as SMS – which would make it practically free since it will ride on the data plan).

The new Chikka Text Messenger v 5.0 comes out on August 25, 2010.

Session to be held on July 31, 9 a.m. to 5p.m. at the East Asia Pastoral Institute, Ateneo de Manila University Fee of P1,700 includes simple snacks, lunch, handouts, and consultation with parents regarding workshop results. Early-bird fee up to July 9, 2010, P1,500. For more details, call Mae Legaspi (9213711, 09209134690) or Mina Concepcion (09176251965) . Or email: legaspi_pdc@ yahoo.com

The Cradle of Joy-Parents Teachers Association are holding a golf tournament for the benefit of the COJ-PTA Scholarship Fund dubbed as the Cradle Cup.

The success of this undertaking will enable deserving but disadvantaged students to avail of quality education at COJ, and at the same time support COJ’s mission in continuously providing high quality Catholic Christian education.

For more information, you can get in touch with the following people:

1)      Rene Alimbuyugen – HP#918-9281352 (renealimbuyugen@gmail.com)
2)      Moira Bunyi – HP#916-4612471 (moira.bunyi@gmail.com)
3)      Nonet Cabezas – HP#917-5880567 (nonetl@mycabezas.org)
4)      Cocoy Bunyi – HP#917-8008039 (cocoybunyi@yahoo.com)
5)      Ching / Rose (COJ Office #s 9210602 / 8714553; coj_foundation@yahoo.com)

Google launches first ever Global Mapping Competition

Google Map Maker users encouraged to help humanitarian organizations by mapping universities, schools, hospitals and medical clinics in their hometowns

December 17, 2009, Manila, Philippines – To encourage young people to use technology for community development, Google Inc. today launched the first Google Map Maker Global Competition. The contest invites interested participants from around the world, including the Philippines, to map the universities, schools, hospitals, and medical clinics in their home countries on Google Map Maker to help humanitarian organizations such as UNICEF do their jobs better.

Google Map Maker (www.google.com/mapmaker) enables users to become “citizen cartographers” and contribute their knowledge of their hometowns to the online community. Users can add familiar points of interests, draw roads and buildings, and generally create maps of places with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Competition entrants will be evaluated according to the quantity and quality of their map edits and moderation activity, which is essential to making sure that other peers’ edits are accurate. The winner’s efforts will result in a USD50,000 donation from UNICEF to benefit projects that empower local youth through technology in his or her homeland.

“We are very excited to be launching this mapping competition and we hope that Filipinos will participate in mapping as many universities, schools, hospitals and medical clinics in the country as possible to help humanitarian organizations implement their projects effectively,” said Therese Lim, Head of Communications for the Philippines, Google Southeast Asia. “We have seen how useful online maps can be during the aftermath of typhoons Ondoy and Peping, when Filipino volunteers used Google Maps to plot locations of people needing urgent rescue and areas with high levels of flooding. Those maps were relied on by a number of relief organizations to deliver aid.”

“We are delighted that Google is supporting UNICEF’s efforts to help build a world fit for children. We know that mapping is a proven method to enhance community development. Google Map Maker is a powerful tool to create better situational awareness for both young people and communities at large. It will enable organizations like ours to better deliver services, respond to crises and adapt to change,” said Gerrit Beger, leader of UNICEF’s innovation drive focusing on youth.

Interested people can register for the Map Maker Global Competition athttp://www.google.com/help/mapmaker/competitions/global/getstarted.html. The contest is open from December 15, 2009 to January 31, 2010. Entries will be evaluated on: · Mapping quality: Mapping additions and edits must be accurate and detailed. · Mapping quantity: The more mapping additions and edits published, the better! · Moderation quality: Moderations of mapping changes must be polite, helpful, and correct. · Moderation quantity: The more moderations completed, the better!

In addition to the USD50,000 UNICEF donation, the contest winner will get a VIP tour from UNICEF officials of the local project in their country that will benefit from the donation. Google will also invite the winner to attend the Google Super Mappers 2010 conference, all expenses paid. The winner will be announced by February 15, 2010. Additional information about the Map Maker Global Competition can be found onhttp://www.google.com/help/mapmaker/competitions/global/index.html.

About Google Inc.

Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.google.com.ph/. Google and Google Map Maker are registered trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Google launches first ever Global Mapping Competition

Google Map Maker users encouraged to help humanitarian organizations by mapping universities, schools, hospitals and medical clinics in their hometowns

December 17, 2009, Manila, Philippines – To encourage young people to use technology for community development, Google Inc. today launched the first Google Map Maker Global Competition. The contest invites interested participants from around the world, including the Philippines, to map the universities, schools, hospitals, and medical clinics in their home countries on Google Map Maker to help humanitarian organizations such as UNICEF do their jobs better.

Google Map Maker (www.google.com/mapmaker) enables users to become “citizen cartographers” and contribute their knowledge of their hometowns to the online community. Users can add familiar points of interests, draw roads and buildings, and generally create maps of places with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Competition entrants will be evaluated according to the quantity and quality of their map edits and moderation activity, which is essential to making sure that other peers’ edits are accurate. The winner’s efforts will result in a USD50,000 donation from UNICEF to benefit projects that empower local youth through technology in his or her homeland.

“We are very excited to be launching this mapping competition and we hope that Filipinos will participate in mapping as many universities, schools, hospitals and medical clinics in the country as possible to help humanitarian organizations implement their projects effectively,” said Therese Lim, Head of Communications for the Philippines, Google Southeast Asia. “We have seen how useful online maps can be during the aftermath of typhoons Ondoy and Peping, when Filipino volunteers used Google Maps to plot locations of people needing urgent rescue and areas with high levels of flooding. Those maps were relied on by a number of relief organizations to deliver aid.”

“We are delighted that Google is supporting UNICEF’s efforts to help build a world fit for children. We know that mapping is a proven method to enhance community development. Google Map Maker is a powerful tool to create better situational awareness for both young people and communities at large. It will enable organizations like ours to better deliver services, respond to crises and adapt to change,” said Gerrit Beger, leader of UNICEF’s innovation drive focusing on youth.

Interested people can register for the Map Maker Global Competition at http://www.google.com/help/mapmaker/competitions/global/getstarted.html. The contest is open from December 15, 2009 to January 31, 2010. Entries will be evaluated on: · Mapping quality: Mapping additions and edits must be accurate and detailed. · Mapping quantity: The more mapping additions and edits published, the better! · Moderation quality: Moderations of mapping changes must be polite, helpful, and correct. · Moderation quantity: The more moderations completed, the better!

In addition to the USD50,000 UNICEF donation, the contest winner will get a VIP tour from UNICEF officials of the local project in their country that will benefit from the donation. Google will also invite the winner to attend the Google Super Mappers 2010 conference, all expenses paid. The winner will be announced by February 15, 2010. Additional information about the Map Maker Global Competition can be found on http://www.google.com/help/mapmaker/competitions/global/index.html.

About Google Inc.

Google’s innovative search technologies connect millions of people around the world with information every day. Founded in 1998 by Stanford Ph.D. students Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Google today is a top web property in all major global markets. Google’s targeted advertising program provides businesses of all sizes with measurable results, while enhancing the overall web experience for users. Google is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit http://www.google.com.ph/. Google and Google Map Maker are registered trademarks of Google Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Yugatech Giveaway 2009

I would want to win a netbook and a globe tattoo dongle. The Modu phone would be okay. And the pre-paid load would not be bad. As long as I win. Maybe I’d be lucky to win them all =)

How to join:

1) Follow @abeolandres and @talk2globe on Twitter.

2) Post a tweet “Just entered to win a Modu Phone. Quick! Go follow @abeolandres and @talk2globe and retweet: http://bit.ly/6e2q7O #thanks2yugatech”

You may want to join in the fun too!

Even small purchases can help you win big

Even small purchases can help you win big.

Save your receipts and have a lot of fun with the winning Panalo’tto promo from 7-11, as every 50-peso purchase entitles you to a lotto entry you can match or combine to win up to Php7 million in prizes! The lotto ticket also entitles customers to freebies or discounts indicated on the printout, so everyone walks away a winner.

The popular convenience store kicks off this exciting promo to make their customers Christmas merrier, and what’s more, they’ve pledged to donate a sum of money to ABS-CBN Foundation Inc. for every top prize winner. Winning combinations will be announced every Wednesday, which will be posted in all 7-Eleven stores and at www.7-eleven.com.ph

Match number combinations announced online or in stores to win. Three out of five numbers nets you Php5,000, while four out of five clinches a cool Php10,000. The lucky customer who manages five out of five will walk home richer by Php500,00 while ABS-CBN Foundation gets support for their charitable work.

Go for the win and have fun by collecting receipts and buying your favorite products at any 7-Eleven store this holiday season. You just may have a handful of lucky numbers.

Efren Penaflorida, CNN Hero of the Year 2009

But win it, he did! Read the CNN post here.

Congratulations to efren and his team and to the many kids whom he helped.

The mere fact that he tried to do something awesome makes him a champion and a true hero, in every sense of the word.

For me, a hero is someone who thinks of others beside himself and does something, or merely wishing or dreaming. Whether he succeeds in his endeavor or not, the mere attempt is very laudable.

What is more laudable is how he sees heroism.

Their program, K4 which stands for Kariton Klasrum, Klinik & Kantin (pushcart school, clinic and canteen), takes it where it would really be felt most: To where the kids are. Without fanfare, without the glitz, cameras and photo-ops we usually associate with one-time-then-forget-it missions. It’s plain old drive and compassion that propels each cart, each volunteer.

You are a hero, Efren. May more of us emulate your example.

A quote from the hero in their group’s website, Dynamic Teen Company:

“When people regard me as a hero, I always tell them that they should look inside them too because I believe that there’s a hero inside every one of us and all we have to is just to open our eyes wide and feel what’s going on, then let our hearts be willing to accommodate the needy, the desperate and the hopeless simply by extending our hand to them, and there you will unfold the hero that is in you.” - Efren G. Peñaflorida, Jr.

You make us proud Efren. Continue to push your carts and make the change. Thank you for being a hero and believing that there is one in each of us.

photo from CNN

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS THE MILLION HECTARE WALK?

The Million Hectare Walk 2009 (MHW-2009) aims to raise awareness and resources for the Rainforestation Organizations and Advocates to 2020 (ROAD to 2020), an environmental conservation movement to restore one million hectares of our rainforests using native tree species by year 2020.  Now on its third year, the MHW-2009 is a non-competitive pledge walk that will be held on Sunday, November 22, 2009 from 6:00 am to 11:00 am at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center in Quezon City.  There will be two routes, the 300-meter path and the 1.5-km path.

The Million Hectare Walk in November 2007 and November 2008 helped us reach out to more than 1,000 individuals to raise awareness on biodiversity and forest protection through lectures, discussions and presentations. We were able to network with various sectors that enabled us to plant more than 10,000 native trees to address habitat loss and climate change.

WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO PARTICIPATE?

Haribon members, volunteers, friends and supporters can participate and sign up as a walker.  Non-walkers can still participate by pledging at least Seventy-Five Pesos (P75.00) per lap for a registered walker or by being a volunteer during the event.  Even as a volunteer you can still raise pledges.  The key is participation! Corporate supporters can also become event partners.

HOW MUCH CAN BE RAISED?

The potentials are tremendous.  A pledge by one person can be as high as Twenty Thousand Pesos (P25,000.00).  Last year, we had a total of 334 walkers and raised P311, 014.96, thus each walker was able to raise an average amount of about P930.00.

HOW MANY WALKERS DO WE NEED?
We want to have at least 500 registered walkers this year. The more walkers, the more pledges, the more money we will be able to raise.

WHAT IF WE ARE NOT AVAILABLE ON THE DAY OF THE WALK?
No problem … you can still participate by supporting walkers as you donate, pledge and collect pledges for your chosen walker(s).

HOW DO I REGISTER AND PARTICIPATE?

1. 1. Complete the Registration Form (Annex A), submit by fax (434-4696) or email to membership@haribon.org.ph or act@haribon.org.ph
2. Recruit walkers if you want to form your own team so you can walk together as a group, and ask them to everyone in the team to register as walkers
3. Collect pledges from family, friends, neighbors, schoolmates, workmates or church-mates, etc.  Use Pledge Form (Annex B) and complete the needed information.
4. 4. Collect Registration Fees from each walker.  Fees for adults and kids are P250.00 (current Haribon Members and children up to 12 years old) and P300.00 (expired Haribon members and non-Haribon members).
5. Payment of Registration Fee and pledges can be made by doing any of the following:
   1. Cash Deposit:  You may deposit the amount via inter-branch deposit to Haribon Foundation’s BPI Kalayaan Branch – Peso SA 1993-0767-47.  We request that you fax to +632-434-4696 (attn: MHW 2009) or scan and email to membership@haribon.org.ph the deposit slip. Don’t forget to include your name, branch where payment was deposited, date and time of deposit and amount; or
   2. Cheque via Post/Pick-up: Please make cheques payable to Haribon Foundation.  You can mail or send it to our office:  2F Santos and Sons Bldg, #973 Aurora Blvd, Cubao, Quezon City 1109.   If you are in the Metro Manila area, we can also schedule for your registration fee to be picked up by our messenger during regular office hours; or
   3. c. Visit us: Haribon Office at 2F Santos and Sons Bldg., # 973 Aurora Blvd., Cubao, Quezon City from Monday to Friday from 9AM-5PM.
6. All validated and verified deposits will be issued official receipts by Haribon Foundation.
7. After paying for the registration fee, you may claim your MHW Kit at the Haribon Office (starting Wednesday, November 4, 2009). You may also have a representative pick it up on your behalf together with a valid ID and Letter of Authorization.

ARE THERE ANY FEES?

We have kept the walker registration fee low – P250.00 (current Haribon Members and children up to 12 years old) and P300.00 (expired Haribon members and non-Haribon members) to ensure the widest possible participation. There are no required pledge commitments in order to participate.

WHAT IS THE REGISTRATION FEE USED FOR?

The registration fees are used to help fund the costs of the event, which include among others, t-shirts, sling bags, advertisements, communication and coordination, overhead, programs, announcements and banners.

WILL THERE BE PLEDGE FORMS?

Yes, pledge forms are also available on Haribon’s website: www.haribon.org.ph. You can print them and distribute them to your friends and recruited walkers.

HOW DO WE RECRUIT PLEDGES?
The suggested minimum pledge is Seventy Five Pesos (P75.00) and this is equivalent to a native tree to be planted in a critical watershed area. There are no total pledge or goal minimums.

1.       No amount is too small – it is the nature of pledge walks that lots of small donations combine to become a big contribution.

2.       You can recruit pledges from family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, church-mates, classmates, etc.  If you have ever sponsored someone in another walk, it’s time for them to return the favor.

3.       It is easier to collect the donation when people make the pledge.  There may be difficulty on collecting after the Walk.

4.       We encourage the formation of informal teams for more participation.

5.       If payments by walkers are in cheque, please remind them that the check be payable to Haribon Foundation.

WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PLEDGES?
All walkers are requested to collect the pledges and turn these over to Haribon Foundation or deposit these to Haribon’s BPI account.   All pledges must be turned over to Haribon on or before December 15, 2009.

ARE DONATIONS TAX-DEDUCTIBLE?
Only corporate donations to Haribon Foundation are tax deductible.

WHERE IS THE WALK ROUTE?

The Million Hectare Walk 2009 will be held at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Nature Center in Quezon City. We will meet inside the park near the Mindanao Avenue entrance (Gate 2).  The walk will follow the perimeter of the tree lined open space of the park (without crossing any major roads).  The walk is a short 300 meters and an optional path of 1.5 km around the mini lake which is a popular picnic ground, to make it accessible for children, seniors and everyone in between.

WILL THERE BE PARKING?

There is ample parking space at Gate 2 – North Avenue entrance.  A minimal parking fee of P15 per vehicle and entrance fees of P8/person (Adult) and P5/child will be settled upon entry to the park. We will have volunteers at the park to meet you and direct you to the Registration Area.    This gate is also accessible via public transportation.  This is a short jeepney ride from McDonald’s Mindanao Avenue (fronting Trinoma).  Get off before reaching Quezon Memorial Circle.

For those commuting and coming from Quezon Avenue, the Quezon Avenue gate of the park is also accessible via public transportation.  This is a short jeepney ride from the EDSA MRT station (alight before the Quezon Memorial Circle).

WILL THERE BE MARKETING MATERIALS?

Yes, marketing and reference materials are posted on the web site. You can print them and distribute them to your supporters and recruited walkers.

DID YOU FIND THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION?

If not, please send your question to membership@haribon.org.ph or act@haribon.org.ph or call 421-1213, 421-1209 or 911-6088 (Lyn or Yolli) or text/call 0922-815-1942 (Maribeth).