Magsaysay Awardees Hande, Mishra collaborate to electrify rural India

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Two Indians, Harish Hande and Nileema Mishra, both 2011 Ramon Magsaysay awardees, are connecting their respective solutions to bring affordable solar energy to rural villages in India.

“Today at least 1.6 billion people lack access to reliable energy services. But to reach them in a sustainable manner, diverse delivery models have to be developed, as there is not going to be a one-size-fits-all solution,” said Hande in an article for The Climate Group.

This year, Hande’s SELCO India and Mishra’s Bhagini Nivedita Gramin Vigyan Niketan (BNGVN), as well as the Small-Scale Sustainable Infrastructure Development Fund (S3IDF) are partnering to provide solar home-lighting systems in 700 households. 

They will bring their transformative solutions for sustainable energy to some of rural India’s off-the-electricity-grid villages under The Climate Group’s Bijli-Clean Energy Program. The program aims to bring marginalized communities onto the energy access map and to create a program that is environmentally and financially sustainable.

SELCO India’s partnership with S3IDF and BNGVN “will establish a long-term revolving fund that creates a channel of end user financing, to help establish an entire ecosystem of technology and financial support to the rural customer which can be highly replicable,” according to a write-up in theclimategroup.org. It will provide decentralized clean energy in Maharashtra, India’s Nandurbar district, in whose outskirts households typically use kerosene lanterns to light their homes because they are not connected to the national electric grid. These inefficient kerosene lamps are environmentally hazardous and expensive, and they can pose significant health issues to the rural villagers.

Both Mishra and Hande became recipients of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for their work of empowering people from rural areas. Mishra’s BNGVN enabled villagers with the capacity to provide means to livelihood and have a self-sustaining ecosystem, while Hande’s SELCO India enhanced the quality of life of underserved households and livelihoods through affordable, sustainable energy solutions.

Western Digital My Cloud EX4 Personal Cloud Storage System

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You need a cloud of your own?  Keep your content safe at home, get abundant storage and blazing-fast performance without paying monthly fees.

An storage device to store, organize and back up your photos, videos, music and important documents all in one place.

Use WD’s free apps to upload, access and share from anywhere with your PC, Mac, tablet or smartphone.

Here is the EX4 

The EX4 is meant for the home consumer or small office or business. Although an entry level product, the EX4 is remarkably robust in its feature set. Like many storage devices it has a web based interface that allows you to configure the device. In the case of the EX4 it sets the bar pretty high for all other storage devices, even many in the enterprise category.

User interface has only recently become an area which manufacturers are interested in seeking refinement and ease of use. 

As you can already tell, we like the way the EX4 interacts with the user. The interface is clean, logical, easy to use, navigate, and configure. As a testament to this the device took a grand total of 5 minutes get unpacked, installed, and start using. Plugged in and turned and fully booted we dove right in.

Visit http://www.wdc.com.ph/en/ to learn more about the personal cloud and how My Cloud can help you save everything and access anywhere. 

Submission for Cinema One Originals 2014 Entries

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Cinema One is still accepting entries for the film festival that showcases the most original of visions and most unique of voices, as it recently announced an extension in the deadline for submission until February 14, 2014 Friday.

All submissions should be complete full scripts for a narrative feature length film.

The film script should tackle a commercially viable Filipino story with universal themes. The filmmaker submitting these script entries should be ready to discuss the sellable and marketable points of the proposed film project. 

From all submissions, ten finalists will be selected and will be given a production budget of P2 million each, the highest budget given by any institution or festival in the country.

This year's Cinema One Originals Festival will mark the festival's first decade, marking years of taking the work of independent filmmakers to higher heights.

Some films that have made a breakthrough in the world of Philippine Cinema by reaching screens all around the world were part of the past years’ Cinema One Originals lineups, such as “Mariposa” which was shown at the Far East Film Festival in Italy, and “Mater Dolorosa”, "Bukas Na Lang Sapagkat Gabi Na", "Alamat ni China Doll" and “Big Boy” which made their international premieres at the International Film Festival in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Other films that took off from past Cinema One Originals festivals also received an array of awards, including "Sa North Diversion Road", "Ang Huling Balyan Ng Buhi", "Six Degrees of Separation From Lilia Cuntapay", "Di Ingon 'Nato (Not Like Us)", "Rome & Juliet", "Confessional", "Imburnal", "Altar", 'Wanted: Border", "Ang Damgo ni Eleuteria", "Baybayin", "Mamay Umeng", and "Ang Paglalakbay ng mga Bituin sa Gabing Madilim".

For updates, visit and like Cinema One on Facebook (www.facebook.com/Cinema1Channel).

LINE generates more than Php25 million for Yolanda victims

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Proceeds from LINE’s special-sticker campaign to help storm-battered communities in PH

LINE, the world’s leading mobile platform with 330-million users, has donated funds raised by its “Pray for the Philippines” special-edition sticker set to victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

The stickers, which were sold worldwide through the LINE Sticker Shop from November 15 to December 31, 2013, generated over Php25-million (58,773,190 Yen). The proceeds have been forwarded to relief and rebuilding efforts in storm-battered communities in Visayas and Mindanao. 

To express LINE’s support for the cause, Akira Morikawa, the company’s CEO, paid a courtesy call to the Philippine embassy in Tokyo, Japan this past week. Morikawa sat down with Ambassador Manuel Lopez to present the proceeds from LINE’s “Pray for the Philippines” campaign.

He was likewise given updates about ongoing relief operations in the country.

The donations were transferred to the Philippine Red Cross last January 10, 2013, with the assistance of the Japanese Red Cross.

Greg Kim, Senior Manager at LINE Plus Corporation said that they are grateful for the donors from around the world for making this generous contribution possible.

“LINE has been in the Philippines for two years now, and our relationship with the country and its people will be strong through thick and thin,” he adds. 

*Useful Links:

LINE Homepage

PC: http://line.naver.jp/en/

Mobile: http://line.naver.jp/app/en/

LINE Facebook Page

www.facebook.com/Line.Philippines

LINE Official YouTube Page

www.youtube.com/lineappglobal

LINE Official Blog

http://en.lineblog.naver.jp/

For LINE Partner:

http://line.naver.jp/partner/pc/index/en

Keeping fit by living and eating healthy, here's the quick and easy way to juicing up

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Philips offers its Soymilk Maker and Avance Juicer for healthy drink fixes

The trend in juicing has become a favorite among celebrities and TV personalities in helping keep their bodies in shape. While this new craze in juicing may come at a price, there is another way to join in to the path of being fit and healthy with Philips’ two offerings for juicing and soy milk making.

“There are many health benefits when it comes to juicing your own drinks. Freshly pressed juices from fruits and vegetables kick starts the body’s metabolism and is a good detoxification method to rid the body of chemicals,” comments Philips General Manager for Consumer Lifestyle, Ms. Angelia Oh.

Ms. Oh adds that on top of boosting your body’s metabolism and detoxification, juicing and drinking fresh fruits and vegetables on the same day ensures that your body gets the vital minerals and fibers it needs. For this purpose, Ms. Oh suggests two liquid diet options - the Philips’ Avance Juicer and Soy Milk Maker.

Fuss-free juicing

Make up to 2.5 liters of juice from the day’s freshest picks of fruits and vegetables with the Philips Avance Juicer. Ideal for those looking for a quick drink fix, this juicer lets you save time on pre-cutting food thanks to its XXL feeding tube. Whether for the toughest or softest of food, the juicer’s powerful 800 watt motor also provides two speeds of juicing options.

Aside from being able to make juice in a snap, the Philips Avance Juicer is designed for easy cleaning thanks to its innovative quick clean sieve and pulp collector for easy disposal. Moreover, its spout accessory directly juices straight to the glass, so you’re ensured that you get the most out of your fruits and vegetables.

Create yummy soymilk in a snap

Fresh and delicious soy milk is now within reach with the Philips Daily Collection Soy Milk Maker. Designed to efficiently cut soy beans, the Philips Daily Collection Soy Milk Maker is equipped with a unique blade with streamlined ribs in its housing to finely cut and grind beans.

To easily enjoy your fresh soy milk, the Philips Daily Collection Soy Milk Maker also has its own filtering system that pours down milk without stirring thanks to its specially designed sieve.

In addition, the Philips Daily Collection Soy Milk Maker lets you choose from four programs for dry and soaked soymilk, five grain soymilk, rice paste and fruit and vegetable juice to make healthy drinks in an instant.

“Filipinos place high importance in the essence of family, and through this meaningful innovation by Philips, we hope to bring families closer together through keeping fit by living and eating healthy. Juicing and drinking more liquids may be a trend, but it’s one of those trends that will benefit us in the long run,” concludes Ms. Oh.