Photo credit: www.apc.org

Bato CeC

Results of the study are discussed in greater detail in the article entitled “Why ‘real men’ don’t use telecentres in the Philippines” posted at the APC website (posted by LC for APCNews). The article features APC’s interview with Dr. Angelo Juan Ramos, Chair of the Philippine Community eCenter Network (PhilCeCNet). Read more about it here: http://www.apc.org/en/news/why-real-men-dont-use-telecentres-philippines.

Binalonan CeC

Participants of the April 8 Roadmap Consultation Workshop in Baguio pose for posterity with facilitator and PhilCeCNet Chair Angelo Ramos (seated, second from left)

The Regional Consultative Workshops for the Philippine Community eCenter (CeC) Roadmap for 2011 – 2016 started out on a high note in the City of Pines (Baguio). It was an action-packed day, filled with passionate discussions, lively knowledge sharing and good cheer. The workshop was facilitated by none other than the Philippine CeC Network (PhilCeCNet) Chair, Dr. Angelo Juan Ramos, and was attended by twenty-one participants from the different CeCs in Regions I to III.

Dr. Ramos gave an overview of the Philippine CeC Situation through the showing of the 5th Knowledge Exchange Conference audio-visual presentation as well as discussed the accomplishments of the PhilCeCNet from 2008 to 2010.

The participants are then divided into two groups and were instructed to draw their vision of the CeC – how they think CeCs should look like in the year 2016. A few minutes and a lot of laughs later, both groups presented their meaningful artworks. Their presentations gave a lot of interesting suggestions on the development of the CeCs towards the coming years.

General Luna is known as the surfing capital of the Philippines and, along with Camiguin, is one of the prime tourist destinations in the country. Local and foreign tourists alike visit the town to de-stress, relax and enjoy the adventures the island has to offer. It is also one of the eleven new CeC beneficiaries in the CARAGA region under the Philippine Community eCenter Program, and no one is more enthusiastic than Municipal Tourism Officer/CeC Manager, Mr. Al Solloso.
 
"The CeC will be a great help for our tourists, local and foreign. It's always been our main problem here because everytime they come to visit, they always look for an Internet cafe or for wifi hotspots to get connected to the Internet," says Mr. Solloso. "In fact, I already had the same idea to be [put up] here in GL but it was never prioritized. It came to the point I lost interest because the money allocated for it had been used. Having learned about this program through our RITC, Melody, who came to visit and explained the importance of the project… I said to myself, ‘This is it! The project I’ve been longing for!’", continues an enthusiastic Mr. Solloso during the PhilCeC Program Orientation, an activity participated in by all sectors at the SB Hall, General Luna, Siargao Island on April 8, 2010.

Prior to the introduction to the CeC program, General Luna had only one Internet cafe. The town's wifi hotspots were limited within private resorts and their customers. To connect online, backpackers needed to wait several hours for an available spot at the local Internet cafe, where the first-come-first-served policy was strictly implemented. With limited seats, many opt to find another place to surf. However, with a CeC in place in General Luna, the local government is looking forward to changing this practice.

It has been an eventful and exciting three years for the Philippine Community eCenter (CeC) movement.

As of 2010, 153 out of the 188 sites for new CeCs have been identified and approved and the CeC equipment rollout is ongoing. The award winning PhilCeC portal is currently online and is being updated and enhanced continuously.  Joint projects for content development are also being conducted with PhilCeCNet partners in their respective fields of expertise.

The telecentre.org-Philippine CeC Academy (tPCA) is also up and running following a successful run of four pilot courses (which will soon be converted to distance education mode) and regular courses are also being conducted. The tPCA Accreditation Standards and Certification Procedures have been developed and approved.