Open Source in the Philippines

Philippines, as we all know, is an archipelago. That fact comes with challenges though and so it has always been my dream for this country to have collaborative groups that will unite every island by creating a system using open source that will map the Philippines to the world as innovators. More than software and technology, collaboration and relationship are the keys.

Open Source in the Philippines

Currently, more serious Open Source groups and developers in the community are now starting to promote Open Source softwares via social media doing some caravans, seminars and hackathons. In hackathons, the programmers are very much involved with their prototypes and those were made using Open Source softwares, very impressive!

Big companies like Microsoft considers Open Source and Linux as the real deal players and movers in their businesses. This helps a lot in promoting Open Source not only in the country but in the whole world. Users are now starting to adapt to a more dynamic approach in technology. In fact, the general public and even those working in different kinds of industries, Non-Profit, Education and Government are using Open Source without them knowing it. Many of them don't have any idea what Open Source is and the principles behind it as long as their gadgets or preferred apps answer their needs and requirements.

What's Next for Open Source in the Philippines?

Here are some insights on what needs to be done in order to properly promote Open Source and take advantage of its benefits:

1. Schools and universities should take Open Source seriously as a tool for innovation and start learning the value of collaboration.
2. Donate to Pinoy Open Source projects to help fuel innovators on their projects geared towards Filipinos.
3. Government should start and continuously adopt Open Source softwares. They should set to be an example for both students and professionals.
4. HB1011 should also be given attention nowadays as government really needs Open Source in this country.
5. Collaboration and sharing should always be promoted in any endeavor.
6. Community should continue to capitalize on social media to have a strong bond and relationship among members to create more projects.
7. Philippines should have a serious movement for research and BIG DATA using Open Source to fully grasp the top priorities in creating projects and solving problems for the country.
8. It would be great to have a Philippine Open Source Day Program for Filipinos. A day that will remind us that collaboration and innovation are good drivers in economic growth.

At the end of the day, it's not about Technology alone anymore. It's about communities that bond together, creating value  made possible by Open Source Technology!

BYICT

I''m off to Bicol for another advocacy work.
We (Team Geekineers/8layer) hope we can share a lot of valuable things for BYICT. http://www.bycit.cspc.edu.ph on WebRTC and IOT Arena. See you Bicol!

Robothon 2016

Cheers to these young men for their dedication and talent in the field of robotics. Representing the Philippines in 2016 International Robothon held in Malaysia last Dec 4 is already a big achievement. Not everyone is fortunate to be given that honor. Continue learning and striving for excellence. I am proud to have witnessed your hard work and triumph.
Congrats to the whole Claret Team and to The Grade 9 students for their 2nd place finish in the VEX Experts Category!

When claiming is bad

I was very sad for my former creative Mr. JB. It's as if we didn't teach him the virtue of work and having pride for his work. I have browsed his porfolio this morning and found out that he's claiming the work of Ms. Tau and Mr. Lariz Santos. I don't understand why people with creative talents still opt to get fame with the work that they didn't do.

 Well, it's sad but it's certainly not hard to do the right thing.

Ramon Alcaraz

Official logo po of claret 's robotics team

These guys are great

These guys are great! All for one and one for all! 😊Interesting things are now on its way.

8layer IOT Button

KahelOS and Project Mulat

It was beautiful!

Seeing KahelOS in the field of Satellite makes me smile. I can feel the Filipino connection in the air.

This is Project Mulat.

Project Fuse

Had a good chat with Mr. Andy. Thank you for sharing with us your knowledge on IOT.
Team Geekineers might have a good collaboration on Open Source project with Dell.

Be more, Be Useful and Be of Service.

May nag-edit ng LNMB sa Google Map

Someone edited LNMB in Google Map. This is a serious matter and will impact on the credibility of the Google mappers 

My drinking buddy in Bangkok, Mr. Mike!

My drinking buddy in Bangkok, Mr. Mike!

There are lots to do in the Philippines for IOT. One of the important things that I've learned from IOT today is what they call "CONNECTION EFFECT".
It means creating value for the next generation using IOT. This is interesting (CONNECTED-->>SMART-->>AUTONOMOUS)


One of my dreams for the Philippines is for the nation to be connected using technology or IOT. I call this "Creating Pinoy Culture of Collaboration through Technology". With this, we can show the world the real power and value of our country.

Dell Philippines 8layer.

Data Collection testing via satellite is a success at Halayhayan

Data Collection testing via satellite is a success at Halayhayan, Rizal. This is history!
We would like to thank Aling Lina for giving us a good tour at Pillilia Hills. The 360 degree view is awesome!

Communic8+Satellite Modem = Connected Philippines

This home grown IMS solution has been tested using satellite modem. Satellite or remote office can now chat with HQ or Command Center via an affordable satellite infra.
It was a success!

Knowledge Sharing

It's always a pleasure to share our history to students. We hope that we have inspired them in our own little way.

Be more. Be useful and be of service.

Intel IOT

Team 8layer supports Intel IOT Conference.

To know more about IOT and how it can be beneficial to your organization, email us at info@8layertech.com or call us at 4001905.

Kasosyo Apps Suite

Imagine when your POS is on your mobile and in the cloud. It's a perfect combination to see your business bottomline realtime. That's Kasosyo Apps Suite!

For DEMO, please contact us at (02) 4001905 or email us at info@8layertech.com.

Project Lungti

Project Lungti provides a unifying platform through science and technology that connects and empowers Filipino farmers for sustainable agricultural development that will feed future generations. 

- mbm 06182016.

PNP is still not getting the drift

I've heard this repeatedly but in different names. The positioning is more on fame and not on public service. It seems that all their launches of different campaigns were rushed. PNP still doesn't know how digital space works and how to collaborate with other agencies. They should rely on a solid "platform" to combat crime and corruption made possible by technology.

Just my two cents!

RedButton

Everyone is welcome to see our first prototype for "'RedButton", a Safe City IOT Booth that can be placed in every corner of Barangay so that every Filipino can report an incident and have someone act on it ASAP. #filipinoinnovate #geekineers #IOT

DIGITAL REVOLUTION

I've been watching lots of vidoes these past few days about the left and right movement. I'm staring to think that in this new age and era, Freedom and Democracy can be exercised positively by Technology, BIG DATA. 

 Philippines should start investing in a platform that can do DATA COLLECTION, DATA AGGREGATION and DATA ANALYSIS. Instead of going out on the street for demonstrations, let's do it via internet and cloud!

Type O+

Mga Tol,

One of our friends, Brian Gutierrez, needs our help. They need someone who can donate blood, Type O+.

He's now in NKTI - Rm no. 3419. Note: Blood bank is open until 7pm only and the visiting hours is until 10pm. You can look for his brother, Mark Gutierrez.

Thank you so much! We hope that you can support us on this.

Thank you classmate Mr. Roberto Bituin for informing us.

The Natalia Project

This is one of the possible projects that I shared yesterday on Pre-Hackathon.  The Natalia Project  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pwHm2nbwqis. This is something that can enhance to fit Safe Cities Project for the Philippines.  It is always interesting to join and collaborate on Hackathon Initiative to create IMPACT and value for our country.

Optimising Waste Collection

In the continuation of my study on how valuable IOT and how this can be useful for every Filipino,
I realized that it can ONLY make sense if you know how to create user case that is usable for your target market or audience. It will be made possible by Technologies like Sensors, Gateway, Mobile and Cloud.

For exemple, I want to target Waste Management. Here, I can use our Aksyon Sentral platform (Mobile Companion Apps, Data Analysis and A Computer Aided Dispatching System) and integrate it with Garbage Bin, IR distance sensor, Gateway. This can be a good contribution to Smart City Initiative.

I hope to see the Philippines as one of the cleanest countries in the world very soon. 😊

COMELEC IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB!

Let me start by saying this,
COMELEC IS NOT DOING THEIR JOB!

No other entity but COMELEC is responsible for all problems pertaining to the Philippine Elections.
What I really don't understand is despite the obvious errors, from COMELEAK,Website Hacking, up to this VCM counting issue, COMELEC still doesn't  admit  their incompetence in making this election clean, honest, accurate, meaningful and peaceful for the sake of Filipino people.

Here are my views on the critical issues:

1. Hashcode alteration- Hashcode is like a fingerprint of files. Because COMELEC wasn't able to control the situation, there are now lots of IT Experts in town giving their own opinion. There are even some promoting  a cellphone camera to get a better screenshot, OMG! Also, due to the change made by Smartmatic on the hashcode, COMELEC is answerable and liable. If the hashcode wasn't changed, nobody would think that cheating occurred. That's why when I heard them say that the change was only cosmetic, that's just BS! You cant fool Filipinos! The act is now malicious because of the circumstances. How can we be convinced that the election was clean?  If there are discrepancies in the hashcode, this will cause incomplete transmission, thus, an UNREALIABLE ELECTION SYSTEM.

2. Tweaking of scripts for the ñ problem- My point of view on this is this should not be a problem and this should have been fixed before the VCM counting. Why did Marlon Garcia of Smartmatic came in to correct the spelling without following certain protocol?
-The chain of command and roles and responsibility are not clear on COMELEC side. Who asked Marlon Garcia to do the tweaking? Why was it done directly to production?
-Production server should not be touched and accessed as easily as that. There should be a staging or test server where all the changes should be done and tested.

3. Source Code Review- What happened to the source code review? The tweaking shouldn't be a problem if this was noticed during the source code review period. The whole system should have been simulated if it will produce the right results. It should have gone through Distributed Interactive Simulation to know all situations before election time.

With all of this,
a. COMELEC should be responsible and be liable to this. This is not just an ELECTION issue, this is about the tax and the life of every Filipino for the next 6 years.
b. COMELEC must start reviewing policy inside their institution and must strictly IMPLEMENT it.
c. COMELEC must start investing in Cyber Security Program and should champion the election, as they should.
d. They should also make sure that SMARTMATIC pay the price under their supervision. This is BETRAYAL, BIG TIME!

I remember an article last April 29 that Comelec admits not having certification for automated polls. http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2016/04/29/Comelec-poll-automation-system-not-yet-certified.html. In the month of May, there is an article "Automated polls finally certified accurate, secure " http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/05/06/1580371/automated-polls-finally-certified-accurate-secure . I believe, noting the time these articles were published, the certification was rushed. Thus, it paved the way for all these controversies the COMELEC is now facing. They owe it to the public to honor the mandate given to them and give us clean and honest elections. There were improvements but they still came up short! That's the TWEAK done by COMELEC that we all do not see!

My Point of view for #COMELEAK

It was nice to know that the Technical Forum on the COMELEC Data Leak was a success. This is a collaborative effort of TXTPOWER in partnership with the Computer Professionals’ Union (CPU), 8Layer Technologies, VoteReport PH and other Partners.

I believe that it’s time that COMELEC start facing legal case for not doing their job properly to protect Filipinos' private information. The data being dumped and are now circulating on the internet is a clear picture of INCOMPETENCY of our government plus the fact that they still don’t have a strong program for Data Protection and Data Privacy. A program on the technical point of view should be started as this is a very URGENT issue. This is a call for every Filipino (Tax Payer or Not) that should be given a priority. 

KUNG HINDI NGAYON, KAILAN PA? 

Another point of view that has not been discussed that I personally believe is another problem for COMELEC and ELECTION 2016 is the method of transmission for VCM- that is via Mobile dongle and will tunnel though a VNP created by a third-party company, SMART MATIC. Government should not allow this, having a third party managing a VPN tunnel in which the data that will be transmitted is very important and critical is a NO NO! DITO MATATALO ANG MGA PILIPINO. We should have a Technical team working in the government (ie. COMELEC) that will be accountable for everything that will happen on the result of our elections.

Just my 2 cents!

http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/130523-forum-comelec-data-leak-gross-betrayal-public-trust

http://thephilippinestar.ph/articles/2016-04-24/news/it-community-comeleak-a-gross-betrayal-of-public-trust/149048

http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/130509-comelec-execs-impeached-data-leak

http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2016/04/24/1576297/it-experts-comeleak-breach-public-trust

http://interaksyon.com/article/126841/comeleaks-fiasco--i-t--groups-call-for-class-suit-against-poll-body

COMELEC,THIS IS A BIG DEAL!

They say this leak is a no big deal. https://wehaveyourdata.com It seems that COMELEC doesn't understand the exposure of this information. THIS IS A BIG DEAL! What do you think about filing a case against COMELEC? Your downplay strategy won't work and it is not acceptable.

Choir ng Bayan

Choir Ng Bayan is a platform for popularizing choral pieces written and arranged by Filipinos. 

This kind of app is something we are proud to create. Proud that we are part of this project. The fact that we are collaborating with very good people while creating an that will change the lives of our Kababayans is a reward in itself. 

We thank you, Sir Gary and the rest from AM Studios, CNB Inc, Gary Granada Musicworks and of course my team, 8layer Technologies, Inc. for this wonderful collaboration.

The Shu-Ha-Ri for Geekineers

Geekineers should always remember Shu-ha-ri as a way to achieve excellence not only for themselves but for the benefit of the institution, partners and clients. This is very critical for everyone on our journey for Lean and Agile organization.

Shu - To learn by following instructions

There is a saying that before you become a good leader, you should be a good follower. This is true and very applicable for every Geekineer especially in project execution. Imagine if your boss tells you that this is the best way to code or program the application then you don’t follow him/her. This leads to more rewrite, reword, rework and revision. A lot of waste for everyone. This is not how we want to be identified. We are more than that. We started by obeying the fundamentals. We welcome changes and we deliver regularly. The key is to discipline ourselves so that our bodies absorb the rules and we gain experience.

Ha - To understand and break tradition 

Collaboratively and harmoniously, Geekineers work together and apply the gained experience to make innovations. The "Ha" stage usually is executed via framework and right people in doing the job.

Ri - To develop mastery by embracing creative technique

Geekiners must understand that shu and ha must be internalized and must be second nature to them. This way, creative organizational culture is attained and realized.

Let's make Shu-ha-ri a habit, Geekineers!

Be More, Be Useful and Be of Service.

COMELEC

OPEN SOURCERER

The Open Sourcerers always share how they create unusual and usable things so that others can learn, benefit and contribute to enahance it and to create IMPACT in the community and country.
--mbm 04022016

VISION
For Change Makers and Movers to share and collaborate for Open Culture, Open Mind,Open Education and Open Innovation for the country.

MISSION
1. To lead a movement for change makers to showcase their work and platform so that others will learn, study and can contribute for the enhancement and redistribution of their work to benefit the majority.

2.To foster collaboration towards open innovation among government, tech communities, academe, civil society, and enterprises.
3.To convene tech leaders, change makers, students, and enthusiasts who are committed to spreading Open Source throughout the country.
4.To share and promote best practices and policies for good governance so others will be guided and can cooperate through open feedback.

Bigas hindi Bala

Ni: Meric B. Mara

15000 sako ng mga Bigas 

Pangangailangan ng mga mag-sasaka’y bakas

hinihiling sa gobyernong waldas

Sa pwersahan at dahas sila nilutas 

Sinisigaw din ng malakas

Ang calamity fund ngayon ay ibukas

Dahil sa init at El ninong Hudas

Ang mga buhay ay winawakas

Bakit pinaputukan?

Ano ba naman ang ilalaban?

kayong mga walang malasakit sa mamamayan

dahilan ng tunay na kahirapan

Dahil walang ani sa palayan

Tag-gutom ang ating kababayan

Kinikitil pa sila ng walang laban

Sa bala sila’y pina-ulanan. 

Sa yungib ng damdamain ay dahas

Sumusuray suray at walang lakas

Panalingin sa maykapal ay lunas

Pag-kakapantay pantay sana’y tumaas

Bigas Hindi Bala

DIY Mobile Telco

I remember when we created a presentation last November 2015 about Internet Declaration where I put emphasis on the need for the Philippines to have a strong program for DIY Mobile Telco. 

I see this solution for those people whining about the “fraud” of Telcos and the “slowness” of Telco's connectivity especially SMART, GLOBE, PLDT and SUN that instead of complaining, why nit create their own solution. Make their own Telco. My wish is to be able to accomplish Open Bay Station where there is a different set-up in each island in the country.

Open Classroom is a VR Classroom/ VR Seminar

Last week, I told my team about the Open Sourcerer movement and how vital it is in the community, promoting open Culture, Open Minds and Open Hardware and open Source Software. 

One of the initiatives that I personally want to promote under this flag is the execution of VR Classroom. The concept is very simple. 

1. Students will wear VR Shutter Glass (or VR Cardboard) and he/she will see the classroom, teachers and classmates. 
2. He or she can participate on the classroom discussion. 
3. He will be graded by the teacher based on his class performance. 

This is it for now !

I’m still studying on how this can be properly executed but I’m very excited about this.

Happy 11th year 8layer!

By: Meric B. Mara

Where do I begin? Too much good memories are flowing on my mind right now that I can't help but smile on reminiscing each one of them. All these experiences - the journey, the challenges, the triumph, the failures, are all valuable to my growth not only as a leader of this company but as a responsible citizen of this society.

Today as we celebrate our 11th year in this industry, I want to thank all those who have been a part of our journey, past or present friends, partners, clients, colleagues, mentors, family members, fellow advocates and many others. Some whom we have touched and have continued the advocacy that we love. You have all been a source of pride to me and to 8Layer.   

11 beautiful and meaningful years of journey...

11 years of learning... slowly moving toward a "Lean but Agile” institution..

What has changed in 11 years? We have improved a lot through the 11 years and are proud to say that we are now better and will continue to progress ahead in these areas:

People:

-We have a high caliber team who is united in creating productive solutions for the country.

-IOT & Service Management Group is now on their way to help us support and make all our customers happy.

-I remember saying that it's not just a job; it's not just about the salary; but it is the sense of pride that you take in what you're doing. It's the sense of self-fulfillment and worthiness you get when you've accomplished your work because it is your responsibility to the people who trust you that matters most.

-Institutionalize our Sales & Marketing Group so that we can focus on offering our solution for the market and so that more will benefit from it. We also have some partners who helped us grow the business.

Technology:

-More innovation has been introduced.

-Aksyon Sentral, Hook and Kabalikat, the core products of 8layer today, have the public's well being as the main priority. bandera ng 8layer ngayon.

-We now have a Git Repository. =) (Ngayong may biruan na kami sa Office)

Process:

The Agile process is very evident in the organization, very far from when we way we started. Having internal tools for productivity is also being practiced.

Others:

Advocacy Programs - Nandyan na ang mga Open Sourcerers

Caravans

Hackathons And more—new ways on how to engage the youth for a better country using technology!  

For 8layer, it has been 11 years that our vision and mission is intact and with that comes the value of sharing to develop knowledge of others. As the CEO of this company, it gives me so much pride and honor to serve this nation with the things that 8Layer does!