Sikat ang Pinoy

Here's a good blog in Tagalog Sikat ang Pinoy

New Postings will be at

New Postings will be at the I-Cafe Pilipinas website


Hope to See you there

2010 Mindanao Internet Cafe Association Summit Expanded Theme

The 2010 Mindanao Internet Cafe Association Summit will be held on February 18 and 19, 2010 at SM City Davao, Davao City. Lead organization will be the Internet Cafe Association of Davao.


"Asserting Leadership in the Community ICT Access for Peace and Development in Mindanao”

The internet café industry has been around for more than two decades now if we take into consideration the establishments of LAN gaming centers in the late 1990’s but it is sad to say that it has never really asserted its leadership in the field of community ICT access in the country. In a recent study by Yahoo Philippines and Nielsen entitled “Internet Habits Study for the Philippines” it was found out that the Philippines has one of the smallest computer penetration rate in South East Asia which stands at 14 percent of the total population having computers at home. Despite of this, Filipinos are one of the most active users of the internet in which 28 percent of the Filipinos living in urban centers have accessed the internet in a particular month or on an average of 5 percent of our total population uses the internet on a particular day.

In a correlated study that was submitted to the World Bank, Commission on Information Communication Technology and the National Telecommunications Commission entitled “Policy Options to Stimulate ICT Universal Service” it showed that broadband subscriber penetration is at 2.45 percent with only 15 percent of the country covered by broadband internet infrastructure. Despite of this they found out that 26 percent of the total population of the Philippines goes online on a given time frame. Both studies found out that 70 percent of all internet access made in urban centers in the Philippines actually comes from the internet cafes. In the same study that was submitted to the World Bank, CICT and NTC part of the recommendations there was to develop government policies that would make internet cafes as effective access points for ICT at the community level.

It talks about recognizing the vital role of the internet cafes plays in providing ICT access to the community that they serve. It aims for the development of the industry from the traditional gaming business model to a more dynamic one that could offer a full line of ICT related services to the community. It strives for developing the internet café in the following field:

1. The Internet Cafes as Centers for Education and Excellence – internet cafes could serve as access centers for ICT for students and teachers to further enhance their learning experience. It also makes it possible for those living in remote places to have access to updated learning materials that they could use in their day to day activities in school. CICT projects like the eSkwela makes it possible for out of school youths to earn their high school diploma thus providing greater opportunities for them to have a better future.

2. The Internet Cafes as Centers for Community Access to Vital Government Services – growth and stability of a particular area largely depends on the strong presence of the government providing it with vital services that it needs. The internet cafes could serve as access points of the community to vital government services even in the remote areas. One does not need to go to a far away government center and line up for long hours just to get the their vital documents. The government’s eSerbisyo website makes it possible for one to get their birth certificates online and to apply for a passport that they might need in their job application in other countries.

3. The Internet Cafes as Centers for the Further Development of eCommerce in the Philippines – developments in the field of ICT made it possible to break down boundaries in the field of economic development. From operating in a round world which basically connotes separation of states, the world of today is flat meaning that economic opportunities are now available for people in all parts of the world not only to the developed countries. One must not have a physical store today to trade goods and services. ICT made it possible for people to earn a living online. Further engagement in ICT has shown that it provides to stimulate economic activities in a particular area. From a remote beach resort destination in the past, Boracay has been transformed to the number one tourist destination in the Philippines primarily from blog post shared by people who experienced its beauty. There are a lot of interesting places in the Philippines that could be developed as tourist destinations that the internet cafes could play a vital role in disseminating information about these places so that people would be aware of it.

4. The Internet Cafes as Centers for Collaboration and Community Building – achieving peace and stability in an area involves the participation of people at the community level. It primarily involves keeping the people informed of the latest issues affecting their community. The internet cafes could serve as a vital link to people in the community as they share each other experiences online and somehow come up with a consensus on issues affecting them. The recent experience of the Philippines with regards to typhoon Ondoy had shown the active engagement of people to be of service to those who needs it based on the information provided by those in the affected areas. It has provided the people and government of a clear situation on the ground so that adequate help could be provided to those who are in need.

Thus internet café operators must play a vital role in community building. It is hoped that they would actively get involved in the building of a community of people that are empowered through ICT to seek changes in their community. Through the resources that they have available in their respective internet cafes one could start building bridges to address the basic issues separating their respective communities. It provides the opportunity for economic and social development at the community level through the advances in ICT.

Bigger, Better and Bolder for the 2010 Mindanao Internet Café Association Summit

Once again sometime in February, 2010 the officials of the different internet café associations in Mindanao will troop back to Davao City for the 2010 Mindanao Internet Café Association Summit (MICAS). Much like the First MICAS that was held in 2007, the Internet Café Association of Davao headed by its president Mr. Adolfo Solanor will take the lead in organizing next year’s gathering.

“It is an honor and a privilege for I-Café Pilipinas to be part of the team led by ICAD that would organize the 2010 MICAS in Davao City in February” stressed by Mr. Ed Zafra, Chair of I-Café Pilipinas the national organization mainly composed of the internet café associations and operators in the Philippines. “We truly believe that the 2010 MICAS will serve as a vehicle in the further development of the internet cafes as a leader in community ICT access for peace and development in Mindanao” added by Mr. Zafra.

Bigger, better and bolder for the 2010 MICAS is the battle cry of the organizing teams. Bigger in terms of participants as they get in touch with the other internet café associations in Mindanao and other stakeholders in the ICT industry. Better for what is planned are three simultaneous events –

* ICT Trade Exhibit that will showcase the latest advances in computer hardware, software and internet related services to the internet café operators

* Internet Café Entrepreneurship Workshop for those who are interested in investing in an internet café

* Main Conference for the officials of the internet café associations and operators to come up with an action plan that would further the development of the internet cafes industry in Mindanao.

Bolder as the participants set their goals as they claim their leadership in ICT access at the community level.

official blog: 2ndmicas.wordpress.com/

Official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/#/pages/Second-Mindanao…/191063362765?ref=ts

Official twitter page: twitter.com/2ndMicas

plurk.com: www.plurk.com/2ndmicas

official email add for correspondence access of which will be given to the secretariat team in davao: mindanaosummit@yahoo.com

Strategic Road Map for a Better Internet Cafe Industry in the Philippines

Strategic Road Map For A Better Internet Café Industry

View more documents from Ed Zafra.

Asia Source 3

Asia Source 3 the biggest gathering of FOSS advocates and enthusiast held last November 6 to 12, 2010 Silang Cavite

First Internet Cafe National Summit Report

I-Café Pilipinas with the full support of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology (CICT) headed by its Chairman, Hon Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III has successfully concluded the First Internet Café National Summit last October 21, 2009 at the Audio Visual Room of the Commission on Information and Communication Technology, CP Garcia Ave. Diliman, Quezon City. With this year’s theme ““Towards A Better Internet Café Industry In The Next Decade, it brought together internet café owners, operators and representatives from the different internet café associations around the country from as far as Ilocos Sur in the north to Tagum City, Davao del Norte into a forum to discuss vital issues affecting their operations.

“It is high time that the internet café industry finds its place in the vast ICT infrastructure in the country. The Philippines with a low computer penetration rate, the internet cafes serves as a vital link of the community to the cyber world. The Commission on Information and Communication Technology supports the efforts of I-Café Pilipinas in improving the quality of service of the internet cafes and in addressing the digital divide” said by Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III in his keynote address that inspired the participants on the role of the internet café industry plays in the ICT infrastructure of the Philippines. “The Commission commends the efforts of I-Café Pilipinas as it strives to organize a single national federation that would serve as the unified voice of the internet café industry” he added.

This year’s theme ““Towards A Better Internet Café Industry In The Next Decade” was further subdivided into four sub themes that was thoroughly discussed during the summit:

1. The Internet Café as Community Digital Business Centers - as part of its initial program in making the internet cafes as a tool to develop eCommerce in the Philippines and getting government services closer to the people through the internet, I-Café Pilipinas, provided the participants with information on the use of the eSerbisyo and eBayad projects of the CICT. Smart Communications also shared with the participants their Smart Contact Channels in which Smart subscribers would be able to get the information they need regarding their subscription online.

2. The Internet Café as Centers of Entertainment and Communication - the fast internet connection provided by telephone companies like Bayan Business has transformed the internet cafes from merely a gaming center to a center that would provide total entertainment and communication. This is further exemplified with the presentation of Cubinet Interactive that promises to deliver a new level of gaming to the public with the introduction of web based games in the Philippines what uses only the web browser instead of the usual and tedious task of installing clients in every computer station. I-Café Pilipinas is now in the process of exploring collaborative projects with the Game Developers Association of the Philippines in supporting the development and marketing of computer games that are made in the Philippines.

3. The Internet Café as Centers for Education and Collaboration – internet cafes has long been at odds with school administrators and teachers as to its role in educating the children and the use of ICT in education. I-Café Pilipinas fully supports the initiative of the CICT in the creation of eSkwela Centers around the country through the internet cafes. The eSkwela project of the DepEd-BALS in partnership with CICT is such a novel learning modality that makes good use of technology in education. As such, it earned a well deserved UNESCO Award. I-Café Pilipinas is also exploring ways in which to help the Community eCenter project of the National Computer Center and the CICT to further development of the CeC’s around the country.

4. The Internet Café Owners Quest for Continuous Knowledge – the internet cafes is still considered to be a backyard industry in the Philippines thus it lacks the necessary support and training that it needs to improve their conditions. Intel Technology Philippines hopes to address these issues by offering a complete internet café business package through their Intel Net Center program which serves as the convergence of Intel Technologies for the internet café owners. The business package includes hardware requirements, marketing materials, technical support and basic internet café operations for those who would like to set up a new internet café or further expand their business in their respective places. Further tie ups is in the development stage with the UP Information Technology Training Center for the ICT training of the internet café owners and operators to further improve their services.

This year’s national summit would not have been possible without the help of the following:

1. The Commission on Information and Communication Technology – most especially for Secretary Ray Anthony Roxas-Chua III, Commissioner Monchito Ibrahim, Commissioner Cyber Services Group and Director Trish Abejo, Chief of Staff – Office of the CICT Commissioner for providing us the necessary support and for allowing us to use their Audio Visual Room as the venue of the summit.

2. Our event partners – Intel Technology Philippines, gold event partner. Bayan Business, Smart Communications and Cubinet Interactive, event partners. RS Developers, exhibitor.

3. Special thanks to Mr. Mitch Padua, Media Products, Yahoo South East Asia and Mr. Jose C. Luzon, OIC, Events and Marketing, UP Information Technology Training Center for providing the participants give a ways and raffle prizes during the event.

4. The support of the different internet café associations who came to be with us during the summit – Valenzuela Internet Café Association (VICA), Internet Café Association of Manila (ICAM), Los Banos Computer Owners and Operators League (LBCOOL), Internet Café Association of Tagum (ICAT), Internet Café Association of Imus (ICAII), San Juan Internet Café Association, Internet Café Association of Zambales, Internet Café Association of Dasmarinas and members of the Unified Lanshop Owners of the Philippines (ULOP.NET).

5. The different independent internet café owners and operators from the different parts of the country from Ilocos Sur, Central Luzon, Batangas, Bicol region and Palawan who came to be with us in this great event.

Pictures of the First Internet Cafe National summit by jjaas_bcuz of ULOP

Pictures of the First Internet Cafe National summit by jjaas_bcuz of ULOP

First Internet Cafe National Summit

Game Developers Association of the Philippines

The Game Developers Association of the Philippines is now part of the I-Cafe Pilipinas Partner Network

GDAP is a non-stock non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the game development industry in the Philippines. It is composed of game development studios in the country, both foreign and local, and has strong ties to the government, technology suppliers, education sector and the international community of game developers via the IGDA. To find out more, please visit www.gdap.org.ph