Israel Sponsors Hospital-In-A-Bike Project

Ambassador Ilan Fluss gives to 

MASHAV - Israel’s Agency for international development cooperation and the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines co-sponsored Hospital-in-Bike Project of Makati Medical Center Foundation, Inc. The project aims to save lives or prevent further injuries by giving urgent medical attention and intervention to remote areas across the Philippines.

The PHP 500,000.00 grant will be allocated for a basic Trauma Kit that will include medical supplies and equipment such as nasal tracheostomy tube, surgical tools, and portable oxygen. Specialized communications equipment will also be included.

“Part of the embassy and MASHAV’s vision is to share with the Philippines the know-how technologies which provided the basis for Israel’s own rapid development,” Ambassador Ilan Fluss said. “The embassy gives importance to reaching out to remote communities and supporting them with innovative but simple approach to deal with their needs such as responding to medical emergencies,” he added.

A total of 100 cycle responders will benefit from the said project: 25 Tausug Heroes based in Sulu Province, 25 cycle responders based in Luzon, 25 cycle responders based in Visayas, and 25 cycle responders based in Mindanao.

“We hope that more communities, especially the far-flung areas, will benefit from this project in the future,” Ambassador Fluss said.

Ambassador Fluss and Deputy Chief of Mission Nir Balzam personally turned over the grant to Dr. Victor Gisbert, President of MakatiMed Foundation and MASHAV alumna and Executive Director of MakatMed Foundation Ms. Mary Margaret M. Barro. Present virtually was the board of trustees of Makati Medical Center Foundation, Inc. chaired by Mr. Manny Pangilinan.

PDRF, Partners Call for Donations for Odette-hit Communities

December 17, 2021, MANILA — The Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF), with RCBC, Fintech Alliance.PH, PayMaya, and other partners,  are calling for cash and in-kind donations for the communities that have been impacted by Typhoon Rai, locally known as Odette.

The 15th tropical cyclone in 2021, Typhoon Odette entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility last December 14 and has left a trail of destruction in its wake.  According to the latest report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), more than 80,000 families (or more than 330,000 individuals) have been pre-emptively evacuated from Regions VI, VII, VIII, IX, and CARAGA. Bohol, Cebu, and Negros Oriental have experienced power interruptions.

Reports from the private sector indicate that five provinces are experiencing communication issues due to power failure. Seven airports have cancelled operations with 168 cancelled flights. There are 16 unavailable transmission lines in Visayas and Mindanao. According to DOST Region X, certain roads have been rendered impassable due to heavy flooding.  

Immediate needs of affected families include: food packs and ready-to-eat meals, drinking water, medicine and medical personnel, personal protective equipment (PPE), clothing (including footwear and rain gear), cooking equipment and utensils, family kits with sleeping materials, shelter materials, hygiene kits, disaster kits, and go-bags.

As the country also recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of Tropical Storm Washi (local name Sendong), many evacuees are forced to relive the trauma of that event and require psychosocial support. There have also been requests for toys for the children and other Noche Buena items for the families to try and salvage their disrupted holiday celebrations as best as they can.

The PDRF Emergency Operations Center is closely monitoring the activity of the typhoon 24/7 and the team has been sending regular advisories and situational reports on the track of the storm.

For cash donations, visit this website: www.pdrf.org/how-you-can-help/ 

You may contact PDRF Cluster Coordinators Philline Cruz at 09186262309 and Nikka Villanueva at 09219243980 for in-kind donations. 

Makati Indigent children got a wonderful Chritmas treat from RS Kontra Gutom Advocacy

Frontrow Entrerprise Kontra Gutom project once again filled-up the tummies of the less fortunate children, this time from Poblacion Makati. In partnership with Zoomanity Group headed by Robert Laurel Yupangco Jr and Kiwanis Club of Makati headed by Engr Grace Bondad Nicolas, Frontrow Enterprise makes it a point to make this Christmas season memorable for almost a hundred poorest of the poor kids from the said barangay.

 

No less than the award winning and philanthropist, now the CEO of Frontrow Enterprise, Mr. RS Francisco himself led Frontrow Enterprise in giving joy to the kids present during the outreach. He personally hosted the games and generously gave out cash prizes to the game winners. The kids were treated to an afternoon of enjoyable games, good food and exciting prizes plus they get to take home toys and food pack.  The mommies and guardians of the kids also enjoyed participating.

RS Kontra Gutom project started during the early onset of the Pandemic and RS and his entire Frontrow group did not stop since then. They are continuously identifying areas needing help the most, and they continue to reach out. 

From one inspirational quote, “A person’s most useful asset is not the head full of knowledge, but a heart full of love, an ear ready to listen and a hand willing to help.” This is indeed very RS 😊 

Frontrow Enterprise, Zoomanity Group, and Kiwanis Club of Makati, supported by Mer-Nels and Tag Media group, had worked hand in hand in giving joy and happiness every kid should be enjoying this Christmas. Done with Subic & Clark, Tagaytay and Mendez, Cavite and Imok, they are set to visit Masiit, Calauan on December 22, 2021. 

To know more about Frontrow Enterprise updates and advocacy projects, follow them on FB:

FrontRow TV: https://www.facebook.com/frontrowtv 

Frontrow Official Page: https://www.facebook.com/FrontrowPHOff,  

Frontrow Cares:  https://www.facebook.com/FrontrowCaresOfficial

JOE & THE ANCHOR RELEASES POWERFUL PIANO BALLAD ‘LEAVING YOU NOW’

Indie-pop band Joe & The Anchor release new piano ballad ‘Leaving You Now’ - an emotional break-up song about experiencing first love, to grow apart and realizing there is nothing left in the relationship worth fighting for. The singer Joakim's powerful yet emotional voice goes straight to the heart.

“Leaving You Now has been with us for a long time. We’ve all been in that situation, when the first real love of your life turns into your first heartbreak. We tried to really capture that feeling when we wrote this song” - JATA about the song.

The single is the second one from their upcoming album ‘Coming of Age’ which explores the feelings of growing up, the fragility of life, love, and taking things for granted. Following a difficult few month when the band members had to experience the harsh reality of loss, Joe & The Anchor decided to process the events through music. During a hectic and focused period of time, the band wrote and recorded what would later develop into a full-length album, which will be released during the spring of 2022.

Spotify  -        https://open.spotify.com/album/7F2F0XCtbNTLFbJpNoVd01

Apple Music -    https://music.apple.com/us/artist/joe-the-anchor/742094182

Instagram -        https://www.instagram.com/joeandtheanchor/

https://www.instagram.com/joeandtheanchorph/?hl=en

Facebook-        https://www.facebook.com/Joeandtheanchor        https://www.facebook.com/joeandtheanchorphilippines

Youtube        https://www.youtube.com/c/JoeTheAnchor

LYRICS:

Why Am I, Still Caving In

Why Can’t I, Get Rid Of It,

Our Long Nights I’m Thinking About You, Maybe If, I Didn’t Know,

Just How Much It Hurts To Go,

I Could Have Put This Behind Me

 

Chorus:

Cause Baby I Don’t Know What To Say, Cause I Know I’m Losing Any Way, But I’m Just So Tired Of, This Enemy Inside,

So Darling, I’m Leaving You Now

 

Why Am I, Back Here Again

Why Can’t I, Just Let Her In,

My Long Nights Without You Beside Me, Oh No

Why Can’t I, Make Up My Mind,

Always Leaving You Behind,

Still I Keep Thinking About You

 

Chorus:

Cause Baby I Don’t Know What To Say, Cause I Know I’m Losing Any Way, But I’m Just So Tired Of, This Enemy Inside,

So Darling, I’m Leaving You Now

 

Cause Baby I Don’t Know What To Say, Cause I Know I’ll Lose You Any Way,

But I’m Just So Tired Of, This Enemy Inside,

So Darling, I’m Leaving You Now

 

Darling, I’m Leaving You Now

Darling, I’m Leaving You Now

For inquiries please contact joeandtheanchor.ph@gmail.com

ABOUT JOE & THE ANCHOR:

Joe & The Anchor is formed by childhood friends JOAKIM ROSENLUND, ROBIN ZHANG, VIKTOR EDSJÖ, RUBEN SONESSON from Malmö, Sweden. With their own sound and a distinct image, they produce modern, guitar-driven indie pop which resembles a mixture of LANY and The 1975 with inspiration from the timelessness of greats such as Fleetwood Mac and Del Amitri. Everything they produce - music, videos, graphic designs etc. - they do independently and together as a band.

Earlier this year they released their EP ‘Blue’ which was a huge milestone for the band. It helped them gain their incredibly supportive fan base called ‘Sailors’ and recognition abroad. The EP got plays from one of Philippines largest radio station “Wish 107.5” and the track‘ Wait On Me' debuted #3 on the US based internet radio show “Pop Smash” Radios weekly top 10 with 892K votes (it was on the top 10 for 6 weeks). The incredibly high votes show how engaged and supportive their fan base 'Sailors' is! The band also played Sweden's largest digital festival ‘Låt Live Leva’ as well as for TEDx (watch snippets of both performances here).

**** Many have asked about Robin, so we thought it would be appropriate to give you an update. Robin is currently focusing a lot of his time on his education and didn’t feel he could put as much time and effort into the band as before. So, he couldn’t attend on our photoshoots, meet and greets and music videos but he's very much still in the band and especially looking forward to going on tour with us .

“It’s an amazing soundscape that is sure to hook you and fill you with intoxicating and mesmerizing feels that will serve to push you forward into the unknown”. - Wolf in a suite

“The stirring vocals remind us of Sam Smith at times, making us yearn for more as we listen… the addictive beat sucks us in as we sing along with the poignant lyrics. The new track is powerful, heartfelt, and gives us all the feels!” - Gas Mask Magazine

“ The EP’s strongest track is without a doubt Blue, which I would like to say is just a pure feeling of joy…” -Nöjesguiden

“(...) remember the name of this talented band, to watch very closely.” - The independent spirit

“A hedonistic mix of early 90s synths, americana melodies and indie songwriting pivots Joe & The Anchor at a metaphorical and audible crossroads that reflects the real-life circumstances that inspired this honest single.” – Unrecorded

“Melodic harmony gravitationally flies over space and the beautiful timbre of the singer’s voice adds color and volume to the composition.” – Indie rock music

DOST Engineers connect PHL Rural areas to Online World

Hello Online World!

Researchers from the Department of Science and Technology- Advanced Science and Technology Institute are bridging the digital divide for Filipinos in rural areas by connecting them to the online world.

Through the project Resilient Education Information Infrastructure for the New Normal or Project REIINN, rural areas will be connected to the online world through community cellular networks (CCNs).

CCNs are community-operated, small-scale network infrastructure which provide local connectivity needs. It is gaining traction as an emerging alternative strategy in addressing the connectivity gap, by utilizing a “bottom-up” approach in providing connectivity to unserved, underserved, and geographically disadvantaged areas.

Project REIINN builds upon the gains of the Village Base Station project (VBTS), which pioneered the deployment of CCNs in the Philippines. The VBTS project provided voice and SMS communication services using 2G GSM cellular technology in seven rural areas in the province of Aurora. To provide an appropriate technology in response to the need for data and internet access, The LokaLTE (“Local LTE”) team of Project REINN will be conducting trial deployments of locally developed LTE cell sites in two rural areas in the Philippines. This deployment will be the first LTE community network in the country and will allow researchers to study how the introduction of internet services through LTE impact service provision and subscriber behavior, among others.

Another team from Project REIINN, the RuralCasting team, is focused on exploring the datacasting feature of ISDB-T, the Digital TV standard adopted by the Philippines, to enrich the remote learning experience of students. Through datacasting-capable Digital TV receivers, educational materials could be delivered to students residing in areas with weak internet infrastructure. LokaLTE and RuralCasting complement each other to provide a way for Filipinos to be better equipped in facing the challenges of the New Normal.

DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit sees REIINN as a significant step towards achieving connectivity within hard-to-reach areas such as in the provinces. He called on other agencies to support this initiative that intends to enhance these areas’ internet connectivity and bridging the digital divide.

“Project REIINN is a prime example of what innovation can do for the people and we will continue in supporting science-based solutions,” Paringit said. 

#ProjectREIINN

Israel Embassy Gifts Portable Water Purifier to IP Community

Ambassador Ilan Fluss drinks from the filtered river water using the Israeli-made portable water purifier

The season of gift giving is in the air as the Embassy of Israel, together with the Shalom Club-Nueva Ecija, donated a portable water purifier and food packs to the indigenous peoples of the Bulwagan ng mga Katutubo in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija.

Ambassador Ilan Fluss personally handed over the Israeli-made portable water purifier to the Samahan ng mga Makakalikasang Katutubong Ayta (SaMaKa) officers.

“We hope that the indigenous peoples will have access to clean and potable water with the use of this Israeli technology,” Ambassador Fluss said. “The embassy continues to look for ways on how Israeli technology and innovation will reach and benefit more Filipino people,” he added.

Ambassador Fluss, Deputy Chief of Mission Nir Balzam, and MASHAV Officer Gladys Baniqued-Turiano made a product demo of the portable water purifier showing how the water in the Bacao River is filtered to drinkable water. 

Ngayong Pasko, Salo Tayo is an annual Christmas outreach project of the Shalom Club-Nueva Ecija headed by Ms. Lorna Mae Vero in partnership with the Israeli embassy.

The turnover activity was held on December 9 and was participated by Usec. Mr. Rolando M. Rivera; National Commission on Indigenous Peoples-Nueva Ecija Provincial Office (NCIP-NEPO) Provincial Officer Dr. Donato Bumacas; Barangay Chairman of Doña Josefa, Palayan City; Chieftain Lando Belmonte of Domagats; Bgy. IPMR Carling Baclay of Aytas; Provincial IPMR/Board Member of NE Hon. Emmanuel Domingo; Fr. Jacinto Beltran, Exec. Director, BESTI (Diocese of Cab. NGO; and Ms. Eugene Baltazar, director for extension services of the Central Luzon State University.

Second Time's a Charm in WACAS 2.0

As a follow through activity of the very first Week-Long Accomplishment and Culminating Activity of Special Projects (WACAS) earlier this year, WACAS 2.0 brings completed or soon-to-be completed projects that created impacts among the scientific community.

WACAS 2.0 showcases the completed projects of DOST-TAPI on 13-20 December 2021

Organized by the Technology Application and Promotion Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-TAPI), WACAS 2.0 showcases two special projects implemented by the Institute through a series of activities on 13-20 December 2021.

New beginnings aspired in the first WACAS

The first WACAS which was conducted in July 2021, featured the notable highlights of the Support to the Commercialization of 500 DOST-Generated Technologies or DOST 500 Project and the Technology Transfer Day Project, both implemented by DOST-TAPI.

It can be remembered that DOST 500 assisted the commercialization of technologies through the creation of intellectual property (IP) databases, IP portfolios, valuations, and freedom to operate reports.

Also, the project helped in the creation of the Fairness Opinion Board, and issuance of Fairness Opinion Report and Written Recommendation, which are crucial components of technology transfer.

Meanwhile, the Technology Transfer Day showcased the Department’s portfolio of market-ready technologies among possible adopters and investors.

This time, the focus is on the Technology Innovation for Commercialization or TECHNiCOM and the Level-up Assistance Project for the Commercialization of Agricultural, Aquatic, and Natural Resources Technologies o LEAP-AANR.

Technology Innovation for Commercialization

The TECHNiCOM is a funding program that fast-tracks the transfer and commercialization of research and development results of identified priority areas by providing support to pre-commercialization activities.

The Program ensures the market-readiness and transfer of locally developed technologies to bridge the gap between research and development, and commercialization.

In 2021, TECHNiCOM completed 56 projects with four ongoing projects, assessed 45 projects for technology transfer and commercialization strategies, released 94 promotional materials, and nominated two technologies to award-giving bodies.

The 179.4-million-peso grants invested to 56 unique TECHNICOM-completed projects have contributed to improving the country.

Specifically, there are 79.2 million pesos in sales gained by the technologies, 1,946 people adopted the technologies, and 122 local and international IPs filed.

Moreover, 158 persons were employed all over the country through the help of the Program from the technologies that ventured into enterprises.

Level-up Assistance Project for the Commercialization of Agricultural, Aquative, and Natural Resources Technologies

The primary focus of the LEAP-AANR is to provide assistance among spinoffs or startups, or even incubatees to commercialize and continue to commercialize the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD)-funded technologies.

Most spinoffs and startups, when they reach a certain stage in commercialization, need support to overcome the challenges brought by market acceptance and pursue a niche opportunity.

The Program planned to build partnerships with them through a mentoring activity particularly on marketing, business operations, and even financial aspects to truly increase profitability and sustain the venture.

In 2021, existing AANR technologies were evaluated and classified according to their investment readiness.

Aside from the ready technologies, the Program also received 21 proposals to conduct an evaluation through an inter-agency technical committees from AANR projects all over the country in a very short amount of time.

The LEAP-AANR AANR was able to publish a Compendium of Experts as an easy reference to stakeholders.

Continuation of celebrating legacies

WACAS 2.0 starts with the launching of publications on 13 December, the conduct of a virtual presser for the media partners on 14 December, the conduct of capacity building on 15 December, the orientation of accomplishments on 16 December, and the culmination of activities on 20 December.

For the complete list of the program of activities, please refer to the program below:

For more information, please contact 8837 2071 locals 2157 and 2167, or email info@tapi.dost.gov.ph.

DOST-TAPI S&T Media Service

Jund Rian A. Doringo