QBO's online conference empowers startups in the face of COVID-19

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Over 100 startup and technology leaders from 20 cities across the Philippines, other parts of Southeast Asia, and the United States gathered together in a five-day virtual training conference organized by QBO Innovation Hub together with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). The conference aims to elevate the capacities of Technology Business Incubators (TBIs) in the country.

Speakers of the virtual conference share different aspects of startup operations from remote global locations. Photo credit: QBO Innovation Hub

TBIs are facilities that house startups and equip their business development. They ensure the sustainability of the startup’s operation, the advancement of entrepreneurs, and partnership of the startups with public sectors.

"During this difficult time, the need to come together and work on solutions is placed at the forefront of innovation. Now is the best time for us incubator managers and technology leaders to help give birth to new startups and develop existing ones,” shared QBO Operations Head Natasha Bautista.

QBO Operations Head Natasha Bautista emphasized the importance of leadership and the clarity of the mission and vision in the day-to-day business of a startup. Photo credit: QBO Innovation Hub

DOST, for its part, is keen on paving the road through tech-enabled assembly as it aligns with the agency’s #RoadTo100Startups initiative to support the training and development of startup industry leaders all over the country and enable a rise in the number of Filipino startups. 

DOST Executive Director Dr. Enrico C. Paringit remarked, “We at the DOST, firmly believe in the startups’ vital role in our nation’s future. With the right support and resources, their capacities are limitless. We aim to empower them and elevate their operations so they can remain at the forefront of innovation. That’s why conferences like these are so important.”

Funding support for startups 

Insights from the conference focused on the creation of incubator programs, use of creative marketing tools, planning of effective online campaigns, fostering of startup engagement, development of incubators in university setting, and garnering of stakeholder support especially during times of crisis.

In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, examining company values may prove particularly apt. It’s during a crisis that startups who can provide solutions may need more funding.

Innovative startups will also need to know how to remain relevant. That’s why in a session focusing on the best ways to generate buzz for a startup, tech media outlet e27 co-founder Thaddeus Koh encouraged startups to improve their public relations tactics and invest in their relationship with the media as it will help drive awareness for their brand. “PR is about telling the best story about someone else,” explained Koh.

The pandemic has also shown why there is a need for strong startup support and funding. Early-stage venture fund and seed accelerator 500 Startups was represented by Singapore Country Lead EE Ling Lim. According to her, accelerators and incubators always make sure to ask startup founders about what they want their startups to get out of their programs. 

Lim was joined by their Partnerships Director Thomas Jeng who bared that operations require paying the bills, thus strong support is needed. “Accelerators and incubators need to pay for staff and related expenses: grants, and stipends, and entrepreneurs; office space and other overhead; marketing and PR for the programs as well as ongoing events especially those that are trying to build sustainable communities around entrepreneurship, ranging from demo days to happy hours, to networking events,” he explained. 

Working together to solve problems

Collaborations are not only possible during crises but are also welcomed under normal circumstances. This was highlighted by Plug and Play Tech Center’s Co-Founder Jojo Flores, who talked about “Bridging the Startup-Corporate Gap.”

As a large organization itself, Plug and Play Tech Center invests in around 200 early stage startups per year and works with over 400 large global networks. “Corporations have accepted that a lot of new technologies, new ideas and innovation is really happening outside their environment,” said Flores. “It’s all about creating this platform whereby startups can collaborate with the various stakeholders, whether corporations, VCs, etc.”

QBO brings its community online in a virtual conference to continue empowering and honing their operations amidst COVID-19. Photo credit: QBO Innovation Hub

In the Philippines, for example, startups step up to help combat COVID-19 through collaborating with the private sector and the government. DOST, in collaboration with Developers Connect, helped launch the RapidPass system where frontliners manning checkpoints can easily inspect vehicles and individuals by scanning QR codes. Tech startup Senti is working closely with the Department of Health (DOH) by providing the knowledge-base for the chatbots in DOH’s different channels to address COVID-19-related inquiries while Multisys developed the online and mobile platform StaySafe.ph which aims to help the government in conducting efficient contact tracing. Limitless Lab, in partnership with The Asia Foundation, developed LGU vs COVID PH, an easy-to-use, updated, and reliable dashboard of all COVID-19 related information which LGUs can use and refer to.

Academes stepping up to develop startups

Collaboration in the interest of innovation isn’t limited solely between corporations and startups. Schools, for one, also definitely play a role in the innovation ecosystem.

This was the topic covered by Rick Rasmussen, an industry fellow at UC Berkeley’s Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology. During his session he explored not only the evolution of incubator and accelerator programs but also the various ways schools such as UC Berkeley mentor startups and foster environments that will help them grow. Here, he cited examples such as Northwestern University’s “Experiential Entrepreneurship Course” and UC Berkeley’s “Disrupt Berkeley” to illustrate how academe collaborates with startups to enable their growth. 

In “Disrupt Berkeley”, for instance, Rasmussen details how that class covered the idea of social entrepreneurships. “We talked about how you do mission-based interviews and goals, and identify impact. We also covered problem-solution in social entrepreneurship mode.” It was during this class that Rasmussen was able to guide his students to create projects of their own that would solve various issues around campus. 

It’s this sort of guidance that startups can do with, especially in a challenging and unprecedented crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. With schools playing their role in the startup ecosystem, startups can look back on the values of social entrepreneurship and solving real-world problems.

Apart from the technical aspect of operations, the key takeaway from the training conference is that there is a glimmer of hope even in tough times, the Filipino startup community is still rallying and going strong. In fact, it may be them that best ensures our country can have a future to look forward to, and so the push by QBO and DOST to encourage the growth of Filipino startups is now timelier than ever.

“There is a need to support our startups now, more than ever,” concluded Bautista. “Because startups and what they bring–digitalization, automation, speed–will be what we need to keep going in the post COVID-world.”

ABOUT QBO

QBO (‘ku-bo’) is an innovation hub or a platform for the startup community to collaborate, develop talent, and grow. It provides startups with support and resources through events and capacity building programs as well as focused interventions designed to improve access to markets, knowledge, capital, and talent. QBO is the country’s first public-private initiative for startups, created through a partnership between IdeaSpace, J.P. Morgan, Department of Science and Technology, and Department of Trade and Industry.

Spurred on by the vision of Filipinos startups changing the world, QBO’s mission is to create a globally competitive startup ecosystem in the Philippines.

Messages of gratitude and support overflow as netizens design motivational cards for frontliners and COVID-19 patients

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As COVID-19 continues to spread across the globe, the number of cases has also escalated in the Philippines placing Filipino healthcare workers at the forefront to fight against the virus. Doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and hospital staff face the hazard of infection everyday, and extensive working hours at the hospital can be very exhausting. Virus-stricken patients, on the other hand, have limited contact with their families, and being away from loved ones can really be lonesome.

Photo credit: Stephanie Nodado

If there’s one thing that keeps them going: it’s the overflowing support of families, friends, and even strangers.

To show compassion for COVID-19 patients and gratitude for frontliners, online design platform Canva encouraged netizens to show their support by simply designing a motivational card using pre-made Canva templates. In response, different groups and individuals have shared their messages to our frontline heroes and COVID-19 patients. The Filipinos’ trait of bayanihan is indeed in action even online.

Photo Credit: Ivy Awayan Araullo

Photo Credit: Yasha Christina Alarcon

“At a time when the country is facing multiple restrictions, it’s more important than ever to reach out to those in isolation. It’s incredibly motivating to see so many people step up to demonstrate compassion, something I hope will continue once COVID-19 is eradicated. We’re putting people first, which in turn provides stability and psychological safety in the community - the key to all of us winning the war on an invisible, yet shared, enemy,” shared Yani Hornilla-Donato, Canva Manila, Country Manager.

Canva sent over 4,000 motivational cards and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donations to hospitals around Metro Manila to applaud the sacrifice and dedication of the healthcare workers, and to show support to COVID-19 patients.

Check out more cards for frontliners here and for COVID-19 patients here.

For more information about Canva, visit https://www.canva.com/.

ABOUT CANVA

Launched in 2013, Canva is an intuitive online design and publishing platform with a mission to empower everyone in the world to design anything and publish anywhere. Featuring a simple drag-and-drop user interface and a vast library of templates ranging from presentations, social media posts, posters, invitations to resumes, a huge collection of stock photography, illustrations and fonts, anyone can take an idea and create something beautiful. Canva is available on web, iOS and Android.

Supporting Strong Connectivity While Staying Home with Converge ICT

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With most of the population working from home, the country’s workforce is relying on fast internet connection and efficient productivity tools. That is why fastest growing internet service provider Converge ICT is resuming their operations in Metro Manila and select areas in North Luzon to power hundreds of Filipino households relying on their broadband service.

To protect both their employees and consumers, installer personnel will be covered with protective masks and all paraphernalia and vehicles will be fully sanitized before being taken out for service.

On their part, employees are given temporary lodging near their office, sanitation kits with alcohol, gloves, and masks, and vitamins to boost their immune system. They are also provided with food to minimize their mobility and undergo daily temperature checks.

“We, at Converge, are a firm believer in acting together in these challenging times to provide the best service for Filipinos. As we all adapt into the new normal homes and select businesses should get the extensive resources and support to be online. We will do what we can to provide strong connectivity because more than ever now, we need to stay connected with loved ones, friends and colleagues that we can only see virtually,” said Dennis Uy, Founder of Converge ICT Solutions. 

“The health and safety of our people is paramount, so we are implementing necessary measures to keep them from harm’s way. We know that through this we are able to extend outstanding service to our customers too,” he added.

The processing of applications for new users has already resumed and will operate during weekends to fast track the need for Converge’s service. In addition to the installation service, customer service and repair services will also resume. The services may take within 3 to 10 days in compliance with travel restrictions, checkpoints, and essential manpower that may restrict the operations.

As a company resolute in being one with the front-liners, Converge has also previously given more than a thousand units of personal protective equipment to Angeles City Hospital.

For inquiries and the list of open branches visit https://www.convergeict.com/

The importance of vaccination to children during the health crisis

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Why are immunizations important?

Immunizations are the single most important way to protect your child from disease.

Vaccines can literally help save your child’s life. Many viruses and diseases have all but been eliminated through the use of vaccines

Vaccines can prevent infectious diseases that once killed or harmed many infants, children, and adults. Without vaccines, your child is at risk for getting seriously ill and suffering pain, disability, and even death from diseases like measles and whooping cough.

Vaccination rate in the Philippines is now at an all-time low because of the lockdown, a Department of Health (DOH) official said.

DOH and other medical experts are calling for continued immunization despite the quarantine explaining that the country could not afford an outbreak within a pandemic.

The DOH National Immunization Program manager, Dr. Maria Wilda Silva, said that from January to March, vaccination coverage has dropped to 7 percent which is an all-time low. This number is way below the ideal 24 percent coverage for the country to reach the 95 percent target by end 2020.

During the recent online kapihan of Samahang Plaridel, Dr. Silva said that" this is very low because of the disruption from both the supply and demand side."

Silva shared that one of the vaccine-preventable diseases, pneumonia, remains the number one killer disease among children 5 years old and below. The tender for the child pneumococcal vaccine—between PCV 10 and PCV 13-- is currently being reviewed by the Health Technology Assessment Council (HTAC) for comparability and cost effectiveness. 

Asked on the new evidence presented by the World Health Organization (WHO) saying that the two PCVs in the market are equally effective in protecting the children from pneumonia, Silva said: 

“When we did the cost effectiveness analysis, they are both cost effective. The price of PCV10 and PCV13, they fall on that range na cost effective sila pareho. But, of course, there is another benefit when we chose the PCV13 because it contains te three serotypes that are not found in PCV10 before. But now with the new evidence, this was now presented to National Immunization Committee and then it was brought up to the HTAC for further review and we are waiting for the review.”

The PCV tender is massive, which is even bigger than that of the controversial Dengvaxia procurement. 

“Currently, there is only one available pneumococcal conjugate vaccine available in the market (PCV 13). It is a very expensive vaccine and its eating up more than 60% of the budget of the national immunization program. Mahal talaga pag isang produkto lang ang nasa merkado, ” Silva said. 

The HTAC Review of the PCV vaccines is expected to be completed this June. 

For her part, Dr. Mary Ann Bunyi, president of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society of the Philippines (PIDSP), said that like COVID-19, 

“each opponent virus has its own effective weapon of infecting vulnerable individuals, especially children which is why, vaccination is critical even during a pandemic.

“Sa ngayon, meron na tayong mabisang bala para sa tigdas, polio, tusperina, flu, pulmonya, pagtatae at iba pang mga sakit. So, labanan natin at sugpuin natin ito upang mapanatili nating malusog ang ating mga bata. Sama-sama, tulong-tulong tayong ihayag sa mga magulang kung gaano kahalaga ang magpabakuna.” (For now, we already have an effective defense weapon against measles, polio, pertussis, flu, pneumonia, diarrhea, and many other illnesses. We need to fight and beat these to ensure the health of our kids. We should all together make parents aware how important it is to get vaccinated.)

The first ever e-Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel last Friday, MAY 15, 2020, 10:30 am-11:30 am, via the Zoom platform. The first virtual Kapihan ng Samahang Plaridel, with topic about the importance of immunization and how it can prevent an outbreak within a pandemic.

The call for immunization is strongly aligned with the statements released by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF which also highlighted the importance of continuing vaccination at this challenging time.said that the benefits of immunization clearly outweigh the risks at this time.

According to Executive Director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, Dr. Lulu Bravo:

“Don’t be afraid because children must get immunized. They are at higher risk of getting measles, polio, pneumonia and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Let us all be reminded that first, if children and other vulnerable sectors are not vaccinated, they can get sick and can die from these vaccine-preventable diseases.” 

Immunizations are safe. Vaccines work, and are extremely effective. Immunization is the best way to keep your child safe from vaccine preventable diseases. 


Stay healthy, Stay Safe.

From farm to table: Australian Table Grapes are back in the Philippines with unique varieties on offer this season

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One of my favorite fruits - Grapes, a good source of fiber, potassium, and a range of vitamins and other minerals. The nutrients in grapes may help protect against cancer, eye problems, cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions. 

Naturally grown and ripened under the Australian sunshine with a sweet burst of flavour and juicy pulp, the new season of fresh Australian Table Grapes are now available for Filipinos to enjoy today.

From April, the 2020 season varieties will be available at different stores and partners like Rustans Supermarket, Shopwise, Marketplace by Rustans, Robinsons Supermarket, S&R, SM, and even thru e-Commerce partners like Baytownsproduce, Crate2plate and Dizon Farms, which includes Tam’s Gold and Crimson Seedless as well as Sweet Sapphire (a long finger shaped black grape), Autumn Crisp (a very sweet and crispy grape) and Cotton Candy (a sweet, aromatic green grape). These varieties are known for their extra sweet taste making them a delicious snack the whole family can enjoy. 

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian Table Grape farmers and food safety inspectors reassured all fruit is grown using the highest food safety standards and most advanced growing techniques, ensuring all produce leaving the farm is of the highest quality and safe for consumption. 

Each variety of grape is extremely versatile in its taste – they can be deliciously enjoyed on their own and best enjoyed whole - as well as able to be added to a range of dishes. Considered nature’s candy, Australian Table Grapes are a versatile snack or sweet and crisp addition to any recipe, making them the ideal fresh fruit for all.

Furthermore, the nutritional value that Table Grapes hold make them fantastic for maintaining a healthy diet for people of all ages. 

Red Globe table grapes have a low Glycemic Index (GI) value and 5g of gut-healthy fibre in every serving. 

Meanwhile, the Thompson Seedless variety is packed with vitamin C which is perfect for giving your immune system a boost.

The horticulture industry in Australia prides itself on the idyllic growing conditions Australia is famous for - warm, dry summers, and deep, rich soils provide the perfect environment for Australian growers to produce world class table grapes.

Every grape grown by Australian Table Grape farmers is from an established second or third generation family-owned farm located in pristine rural Australia. The techniques, knowledge and passion for growing and carefully selecting the grapes has been perfected over many years and passed down through the generations of families. Using this expertise, these farmers are proud to work hard producing more than 240,000 tons of the best quality fruit from their farms and exporting 60% of their top quality produce around the world.

As Australia is the closest southern hemisphere supplier to the Philippines, Australian Table Grapes found in store are guaranteed to be the freshest in the market. The whitish bloom on the skin of each grape is another key indicator of freshness, proving they’re delivered directly from the farm to your table.