A Political Early Warning Device
By: Stanley Palisada
I beat the red light at a major junction in Quezon City last March because I did (could) not see the traffic light turn red. A banner of a city councilor who wants everyone to know she was “proud of the graduates of 2009” was blocking my view. The same councilor greeted me “Happy Valentines Day” a month earlier, not with a Hallmark card (as I would have preferred) but with a hideous tarp mounted on an electric post.
Self advertisement using banners and tarpaulin is becoming rampant as the election nears. It’s the best early campaign strategy of politicians who cannot afford media ads. These streamers mostly brandish every imaginable occasion or advocacy. And they’re getting creative with the tarps which contain (in bold font) their full names, nick names and what appears to be their best picture, (probably taken in the 80’s as they don’t even look like the shadow of these images today).
One Manila councilor had banners to encourage new voters to sign up at Comelec, while another Quezon City official just wanted to wish everyone a “Happy Summer Vacation” with what I’d call “streamerettes” (about 1 foot by 6 inches, framed with bamboo or sticks). These are almost invisible hence useless, even for their own unlawful and immoral purpose.
An anonymous group of concerned young Filipinos set up a Multiply account “Nobanners” (http://nobanners.multiply.com), to protest “political bannering”. These eye sores are not just hazardous to the beholder but to the one who mounted them close to a live wire.
“Nobanners” is not really “politically motivated”. Its campaign against self promotion is largely designed to push for cleaner cities. Here’s its modus:
1. Do not vote for politicians who self-promote, using taxpayers’ money to advertise themselves or their work through banners (many times common in provinces where even a lowly waiting shed is “thru the efforts of” some politician whose job is really to improve public convenience)
2. Keep a copy of the latest list (per city) to know whom not to vote for
3. Spread or e-mail to others who want to have cleaner cities too
4. Contribute photos of banners and streamers so the politician's name can be added to the boycott list. E-mail: nobanners@yahoo.com to send names and/or pictures of self-promotion
5. Alert “Nobanners” if a politician takes down his banners so his name can be taken off the boycott list (to play fair)
6. Continue to pray for the country and help find ways to "be the change you want to see"
I admire the revival of “care” and the hunger for change displayed by today’s youth which has long wallowed in indifference. “Nobanners” is rekindling public involvement, vigilance and volunteerism even in the simplest ways (reporting and condemning banners).
The brain behind the advocacy encourages the public to use resources that are already within reach (as reachable as one’s mobile phone) to fight the corrupt and abusive. The move is reminiscent of ABS CBN’s “Boto Mo I-Patrol Mo: Ako Ang Simula”, a similar culture change campaign which has been getting positive response from the youth. It also encourages the use of multimedia technology (SMS, MMS or the internet) as tool to report anomalies related to the elections or governance in general.
Choosing candidates can be tough and one really needs to sit down, do his own list (checking it twice?), and conduct performance audits or background checks. But for purposes of short listing, “Nobanners” proposes the process of elimination, to first determine whom not to vote for.
Judging politicians just by their banners may not be the best way to choose a candidate but it’s an effective way of weeding out those devoid of decency and respect for the law, public property, safety (and even beauty). These candidates would most likely fail their future constituents and further their abuses, once in power.
It’s just a matter of seeing the “signs”, early.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Online Privacy
Internet Privacy for Dummies
By: Stanley Palisada
We spend hours a day facing a computer at work. At home, we pay bills, write email, view or download movies and music (legally, of course), and shop anywhere in the world, play games and build virtual worlds using the internet.
Our lives revolve around the net which helps us find information on just about anything under the sun. Many even find (or lose) love online. Our social lives have become “net based”. I used to consider myself an introvert. But thanks to Facebook and Twitter, I now make friends without wasting coffee shop minutes (and coffee money) to meet up.
But online life has its trade offs, Privacy. Type your name on Google’s search bar and you’ll find information about you from your social network profiles, group affiliations, or write ups (by or about you). If you’re a little popular (or notorious) than the average guy, forum threads say what people think about you.
Being a victim of electronic rumor (cached as search engine entry) is not the worst that could happen to you. Con men lurk in sites to victimize onliners via identity theft, phishing, hacking, or piracy (if you indiscriminately upload personal masterpieces).
UP Professor, computer law expert and Facebook friend Attorney JJ Disini advises an online newbie to first “know thy internet” before typing away.
One is not really anonymous online. There are ways to harvest information about you or your activities, without your knowledge or consent.
1. Cookies, (inedible) are information your browser saves on your PC from the site you accessed. These could help build up a profile of your buying habits or interests, and tailor advertising based on them. Delete cookies before you log off.
2. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a set of rules browsers use to retrieve sites you ask for. But it also tracks your surfing activities, your e-mail address or the last page you viewed. Delete history.
3. Browsers, such as Netscape, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer may contain security bugs that hackers can use to access personal information. Netscape and Microsoft provide downloadable fixes from their sites.
4. Freeware or Shareware are available for download on the Internet, but keep track of information about them and only use those with good reputation.
5. Search Engines are software tools that allow you to search for information or people. Some engines allow the search of news groups for posts associated with your e-mail address. Be careful.
6. Electronic Commerce. Credit card information is transmitted over the net when you shop online. Make sure your browser has Secure Socket Layer (SSL) which encrypts your credit card details.
7. Electronic Mail (E-Mail), are like locators that track your location in cyberspace. Stanley.Palisada@yahoo.com.ph tells my name, the internet service provider I’m using and the country I’m from. If you can, construct an email address using a pseudonym, e.g. cyclone@yahoo.com.
8. Spam. Those who have shopped, published an email address, or joined news groups online can get spam or junk mail. Some ISPs sell email addresses to spammers.
9. Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Many of those who chat use fake names to keep their identity. It is unsafe to divulge personal information to strangers.
We have to remember that the internet is international and largely unregulated. We have very little control over what we put out, once it’s out there.
- 30 -
By: Stanley Palisada
We spend hours a day facing a computer at work. At home, we pay bills, write email, view or download movies and music (legally, of course), and shop anywhere in the world, play games and build virtual worlds using the internet.
Our lives revolve around the net which helps us find information on just about anything under the sun. Many even find (or lose) love online. Our social lives have become “net based”. I used to consider myself an introvert. But thanks to Facebook and Twitter, I now make friends without wasting coffee shop minutes (and coffee money) to meet up.
But online life has its trade offs, Privacy. Type your name on Google’s search bar and you’ll find information about you from your social network profiles, group affiliations, or write ups (by or about you). If you’re a little popular (or notorious) than the average guy, forum threads say what people think about you.
Being a victim of electronic rumor (cached as search engine entry) is not the worst that could happen to you. Con men lurk in sites to victimize onliners via identity theft, phishing, hacking, or piracy (if you indiscriminately upload personal masterpieces).
UP Professor, computer law expert and Facebook friend Attorney JJ Disini advises an online newbie to first “know thy internet” before typing away.
One is not really anonymous online. There are ways to harvest information about you or your activities, without your knowledge or consent.
1. Cookies, (inedible) are information your browser saves on your PC from the site you accessed. These could help build up a profile of your buying habits or interests, and tailor advertising based on them. Delete cookies before you log off.
2. Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a set of rules browsers use to retrieve sites you ask for. But it also tracks your surfing activities, your e-mail address or the last page you viewed. Delete history.
3. Browsers, such as Netscape, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Internet Explorer may contain security bugs that hackers can use to access personal information. Netscape and Microsoft provide downloadable fixes from their sites.
4. Freeware or Shareware are available for download on the Internet, but keep track of information about them and only use those with good reputation.
5. Search Engines are software tools that allow you to search for information or people. Some engines allow the search of news groups for posts associated with your e-mail address. Be careful.
6. Electronic Commerce. Credit card information is transmitted over the net when you shop online. Make sure your browser has Secure Socket Layer (SSL) which encrypts your credit card details.
7. Electronic Mail (E-Mail), are like locators that track your location in cyberspace. Stanley.Palisada@yahoo.com.ph tells my name, the internet service provider I’m using and the country I’m from. If you can, construct an email address using a pseudonym, e.g. cyclone@yahoo.com.
8. Spam. Those who have shopped, published an email address, or joined news groups online can get spam or junk mail. Some ISPs sell email addresses to spammers.
9. Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Many of those who chat use fake names to keep their identity. It is unsafe to divulge personal information to strangers.
We have to remember that the internet is international and largely unregulated. We have very little control over what we put out, once it’s out there.
- 30 -
Child Pornography Dot Com Dot Ph
By: Stanley Palisada
The first known cases of child pornography in the Philippines was in the late 60’s and early 70’s when US servicemen stationed in Vietnam made stopovers in the Philippines for rest and recreation.
Back then US servicemen filmed willing subjects in the Philippines in exchange for a small fee. Willing subjects were not much of a problem then. Any child or parent in dire need of money fell for prospects of easy income offered by pornographers.
By the 1980’s the Philippines was a regular destination of pedophiles. In fact, exotic destinations such as Pagsanhan Falls gave a face to child pornography and prostitution. Again, poverty played a role in giving pornographers easy and cheap access to subjects. Weak law enforcement also made pornography and prostitution flourish.
Today with the advent of the worldwide web, it is even easier for pornographers to victimize children. They don’t have to travel to the Philippines anymore. All it takes is the internet and a webcam from where they are. Pornographers have since lurked online to prey on young users.
A 2005 study by the UNICEF and the Programme on Psychosocial Trauma and Human Rights of the University of the Philippines Center of Integrative and Development Studies say many Filipino children fall victims to child pornography more than we realize it. These children do not necessarily come from poor families anymore. Those who have access to the internet can be victimized by child pornographers through webcams, chat and porn sites, and this is any parent’s worst nightmare.
The same study says it is now more difficult to track both criminals and victims with internet use being uncontrollable and unregulated. Internet Service Providers or ISP’s cannot be compelled to police the net, and credit card companies cannot be obliged to divulge information on clients who subscribe to these sites.
In 2007 the Optical Media Board took an active stand against child pornography by linking up with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bantay Bata and the Philippine National Police. OMB even collaborated with the Department of Education to use the internet itself to educate the youth and parents on the dangers that lurk online.
But any effort to fight child pornography barely scratched the surface of this menace in the absence of stiffer penalties on pornographers, publishers, pirated DVD distributors, porn sites or ISP’s.
But on August 18, 2009 the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading, House Bill 6440 or “An Act Defining the Crime of Child Pornography, Prescribing Penalties Thereof, and for Other Purposes”. It is the lower house version of Senate Bill 2317 or “An Act Prohibiting Child Pornography, Imposing Penalties for the Commission Thereof and for Other Purposes” passed on third and final reading on November 24, 2008. Several cause-oriented groups and lobbyists have been pushing President Gloria Arroyo to prioritize both bills as urgent.
A specific legislation defining child pornography and batting for stiffer penalties for offenders is a sign that our lawmakers acknowledge that the country could and should be doing more to abate child pornography and other child abuse cases.
But let us not leave it up to law enforcers. As parents, we should also be active in all fronts to make sure our children are protected from those preying on them in the internet.
1. Education is key. We should make sure we tell our children (repeatedly) about the uncontrollable and unregulated cyber space to make them aware of its dangers.
2. Households should also invest on software that can block certain internet sites to make sure kids only access wholesome sites. It is a way for parents to exercise a little more control over internet usage and content at home.
3. Social sites may be a good way for children to interact with friends but these are also the very sites where pornographers and perverts visit. If we warn our children not to talk to strangers in the streets, allowing them to indiscriminately make friends with strangers online is inconsistent.
4. The home computer should be situated in a general area of the house i.e. living room or den and never allow children to go online while locking up in their bedrooms.
5. Internet usage must also be regulated in the household like TV viewing. We must keep schedules. A lot of kids these days spend more hours online than actually interacting with real people.
The internet opens many possibilities and learning opportunities for our children but it should neither rule nor ruin their lives.
By: Stanley Palisada
The first known cases of child pornography in the Philippines was in the late 60’s and early 70’s when US servicemen stationed in Vietnam made stopovers in the Philippines for rest and recreation.
Back then US servicemen filmed willing subjects in the Philippines in exchange for a small fee. Willing subjects were not much of a problem then. Any child or parent in dire need of money fell for prospects of easy income offered by pornographers.
By the 1980’s the Philippines was a regular destination of pedophiles. In fact, exotic destinations such as Pagsanhan Falls gave a face to child pornography and prostitution. Again, poverty played a role in giving pornographers easy and cheap access to subjects. Weak law enforcement also made pornography and prostitution flourish.
Today with the advent of the worldwide web, it is even easier for pornographers to victimize children. They don’t have to travel to the Philippines anymore. All it takes is the internet and a webcam from where they are. Pornographers have since lurked online to prey on young users.
A 2005 study by the UNICEF and the Programme on Psychosocial Trauma and Human Rights of the University of the Philippines Center of Integrative and Development Studies say many Filipino children fall victims to child pornography more than we realize it. These children do not necessarily come from poor families anymore. Those who have access to the internet can be victimized by child pornographers through webcams, chat and porn sites, and this is any parent’s worst nightmare.
The same study says it is now more difficult to track both criminals and victims with internet use being uncontrollable and unregulated. Internet Service Providers or ISP’s cannot be compelled to police the net, and credit card companies cannot be obliged to divulge information on clients who subscribe to these sites.
In 2007 the Optical Media Board took an active stand against child pornography by linking up with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bantay Bata and the Philippine National Police. OMB even collaborated with the Department of Education to use the internet itself to educate the youth and parents on the dangers that lurk online.
But any effort to fight child pornography barely scratched the surface of this menace in the absence of stiffer penalties on pornographers, publishers, pirated DVD distributors, porn sites or ISP’s.
But on August 18, 2009 the House of Representatives passed on third and final reading, House Bill 6440 or “An Act Defining the Crime of Child Pornography, Prescribing Penalties Thereof, and for Other Purposes”. It is the lower house version of Senate Bill 2317 or “An Act Prohibiting Child Pornography, Imposing Penalties for the Commission Thereof and for Other Purposes” passed on third and final reading on November 24, 2008. Several cause-oriented groups and lobbyists have been pushing President Gloria Arroyo to prioritize both bills as urgent.
A specific legislation defining child pornography and batting for stiffer penalties for offenders is a sign that our lawmakers acknowledge that the country could and should be doing more to abate child pornography and other child abuse cases.
But let us not leave it up to law enforcers. As parents, we should also be active in all fronts to make sure our children are protected from those preying on them in the internet.
1. Education is key. We should make sure we tell our children (repeatedly) about the uncontrollable and unregulated cyber space to make them aware of its dangers.
2. Households should also invest on software that can block certain internet sites to make sure kids only access wholesome sites. It is a way for parents to exercise a little more control over internet usage and content at home.
3. Social sites may be a good way for children to interact with friends but these are also the very sites where pornographers and perverts visit. If we warn our children not to talk to strangers in the streets, allowing them to indiscriminately make friends with strangers online is inconsistent.
4. The home computer should be situated in a general area of the house i.e. living room or den and never allow children to go online while locking up in their bedrooms.
5. Internet usage must also be regulated in the household like TV viewing. We must keep schedules. A lot of kids these days spend more hours online than actually interacting with real people.
The internet opens many possibilities and learning opportunities for our children but it should neither rule nor ruin their lives.
Music and Piracy in RP
How do you keep the music playing?
By: Stanley Palisada
Many musicians are short on inspiration (and cash) these days. That’s why we hear more covers and few new compositions. Not that the country is running out of talent, but Piracy is causing the music industry’s lingering death.
My heart goes out to Filipino composers who have long suffered in silence, over the blatant disrespect for copyrighted material in this country. I can imagine how painfully infuriating an experience it is for a musician to see pirated versions of his work shoved on his face by pirated CD vendors.
The Filipino Society of Songwriters, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) is finding ways to stomp piracy by working with record companies in the field of Music Publishing.
Original Filipino Musician and Professor, Heber Bartolome tells me that significant gains have been made by Music Publishing in easing the revenue drain due to piracy. Music Publishers see to it that artists get paid for their work from composition to release. They also make sure artists get royalties or new revenue from future sale or use or live performance of their work.
But Music Publishing can only be effective if a strong copyright framework exists.
The Philippines has a formidable Copyright Law enshrined in the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines under Republic Act 8293. The Philippine Copyright Act is expanded to protect patents, trademarks, and other forms of intellectual property. Quite impressive on paper!
I doubt its enforcement though. The Philippines is still on the watch list of countries where piracy and disregard for copyrighted material is rampant and because of a culture that “takes it lightly and casually”. While the patronage of pirated products is as sacred as crime in other countries, in the Philippines seemingly decent people buy pirated products when they can.
Sadly the Philippines has also achieved very little in its anti piracy campaign despite its numerous task forces and the creation of an enforcement body such as the Optical Media Board (OMB) whose focus is to run after “movie” pirates.
While this benefits movie makers, musicians on the other hand are getting very little help.
A typical OMB raid usually seizes pirated DVD’s. The haul of pirated music is but consequential because the CD’s just happened to be there. The OMB is after all specific to “optical media”.
Besides there’s fewer pirated CD’s in the streets compared to DVD’s. The compact disc as a medium is dying. Unfortunately the technology replacing CD’s is a more voracious pirate. The Computer!
With music now downloadable to flash drives, MP3 players or the Ipod, pirates roam wild online. They worry less about raids and busts as their profit margins are now wider with reduced “selling and administrative expenses”, such as stalls and hawkers to flaunt wares.
Almost anyone can be a pirate in the comforts of home as well. Anyone who loves music and has an internet connection can download or share copyrighted material, free (or for a fee).
That’s why musicians are fighting back. Artists now opt for live performances to gain back (in the form of talent fees and ticket sales) the income from recordings that they lose to pirates. No wonder many artists and musicians perform in concerts or appear on television even if they have no new compositions or releases.
The adage “music does not put food on the table” is more apt if piracy continues. And with the looming drought in new compositions, music lovers are in for less melodious times.
Perhaps it is the artist’s way of getting back at those who claim to love music yet patronize pirated material, because these are the very people who love their music, to death.
- 30 -
By: Stanley Palisada
Many musicians are short on inspiration (and cash) these days. That’s why we hear more covers and few new compositions. Not that the country is running out of talent, but Piracy is causing the music industry’s lingering death.
My heart goes out to Filipino composers who have long suffered in silence, over the blatant disrespect for copyrighted material in this country. I can imagine how painfully infuriating an experience it is for a musician to see pirated versions of his work shoved on his face by pirated CD vendors.
The Filipino Society of Songwriters, Authors and Publishers (FILSCAP) is finding ways to stomp piracy by working with record companies in the field of Music Publishing.
Original Filipino Musician and Professor, Heber Bartolome tells me that significant gains have been made by Music Publishing in easing the revenue drain due to piracy. Music Publishers see to it that artists get paid for their work from composition to release. They also make sure artists get royalties or new revenue from future sale or use or live performance of their work.
But Music Publishing can only be effective if a strong copyright framework exists.
The Philippines has a formidable Copyright Law enshrined in the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines under Republic Act 8293. The Philippine Copyright Act is expanded to protect patents, trademarks, and other forms of intellectual property. Quite impressive on paper!
I doubt its enforcement though. The Philippines is still on the watch list of countries where piracy and disregard for copyrighted material is rampant and because of a culture that “takes it lightly and casually”. While the patronage of pirated products is as sacred as crime in other countries, in the Philippines seemingly decent people buy pirated products when they can.
Sadly the Philippines has also achieved very little in its anti piracy campaign despite its numerous task forces and the creation of an enforcement body such as the Optical Media Board (OMB) whose focus is to run after “movie” pirates.
While this benefits movie makers, musicians on the other hand are getting very little help.
A typical OMB raid usually seizes pirated DVD’s. The haul of pirated music is but consequential because the CD’s just happened to be there. The OMB is after all specific to “optical media”.
Besides there’s fewer pirated CD’s in the streets compared to DVD’s. The compact disc as a medium is dying. Unfortunately the technology replacing CD’s is a more voracious pirate. The Computer!
With music now downloadable to flash drives, MP3 players or the Ipod, pirates roam wild online. They worry less about raids and busts as their profit margins are now wider with reduced “selling and administrative expenses”, such as stalls and hawkers to flaunt wares.
Almost anyone can be a pirate in the comforts of home as well. Anyone who loves music and has an internet connection can download or share copyrighted material, free (or for a fee).
That’s why musicians are fighting back. Artists now opt for live performances to gain back (in the form of talent fees and ticket sales) the income from recordings that they lose to pirates. No wonder many artists and musicians perform in concerts or appear on television even if they have no new compositions or releases.
The adage “music does not put food on the table” is more apt if piracy continues. And with the looming drought in new compositions, music lovers are in for less melodious times.
Perhaps it is the artist’s way of getting back at those who claim to love music yet patronize pirated material, because these are the very people who love their music, to death.
- 30 -
Virtual Penetration
High Tech si Inday
By: Stanley Palisada
My son’s former yaya has a Friendster account!
Out of pure generosity my wife created her account and allowed her to go online from time to time. Our yaya would occasionally upload pictures of her Manila “mall tours” to brag about them to relatives in Negros.
Very recently, we also discovered that our neighbor’s wifi is constantly active during the day, even if family members are not home. It turns out their house help is “burning the wifi connection” to chat with a foreigner boyfriend.
Our current yaya (not as tech savvy as our neighbor’s “domestic chatter”) has set aside huge portions of her salary to buy a refurbished cell phone in Greenhills. And it’s not just one with talk and text features. She got a Nokia 60-something, with a camera and can MMS pictures to relatives in Bicol. They don’t go for anything less than one with iphone features these days.
With the internet and cell phones trickling down to mainstream Philippines, one may think our country is tech savvier than its neighbors? No less than social site Friendster thinks RP is an important market because of a huge number of Filipino users. Who among today’s young people has no Friendster (or Facebook) account, an email address or (at the very least) a cell phone?
But despite the popularity of the internet and cell phones in the Philippines, we still have one of the lowest internet penetration rates in Asia and the world.
Budde.com in its 2000 industry data shows other Asian countries have a higher internet penetration than the Philippines (Internet usage and broadband subscriptions are the bases for determining internet penetration). Korea leads the pack (71%) followed by Hong Kong (70%), Japan (69%) and Singapore (61%).
The Philippines (5%) sits (embarrassingly at bottom of list) between Bhutan (also 5%) and Sri Lanka (4%).
But with the aggressive expansion of internet and telecommunications infrastructure that ranking had changed dramatically in just a few years. Yahoo in its 2007 study says penetration rate in the Philippines reached 14%, or more than 13 million of the total population of 96 million.
In 2009, research group Nielsen pegged the number of internet users in the Philippines at 24 million, and it is expected to rise to 30 million by 2012. That may be better but still quite low. In other developing countries, close to half of the population is already using the internet regularly.
Aside from upgraded infrastructure, ad campaigns on internet use are creating new markets. Bayantel’s “Lola Techie ads” for instance, is reaching out to senior citizens telling them it’s not too late to be tech savvy. A Nielsen study shows 80% of internet users in the Philippines are between 10 to 39 years old. A largely untapped market (the 40 and above) are also the age group that can afford to spend on PC’s or internet subscriptions.
The price of personal computers and laptops also affects internet penetration. That’s why telecommunications companies such as Globe, PLTD and Smart offer attractive internet package sometimes with “free” personal computers in exchange for broadband or DSL subscriptions.
But despite all these, the internet is not penetrating as deep as it should. The biggest obstacle still, is the price of the service.
Research group BSBC Hook UAI says most Philippine Internet Service Providers have connections through backbones in the United States. This is why internet rates here are still 80% more expensive than internet rates in the US. Filipinos, especially the mainstream may be interested in exploring the internet (the way they conquered texting and cell phones) but simply put, the service is still unaffordable. In other countries the internet is in line with basic utilities electricity and water.
Nielsen Philippines Director for Client Service Eric Barrera still forsees a lopsided penetration with internet users mainly in big cities where Telcos have expanded rabidly. Very little has been done to improve infrastructure in rural areas, where the people still depend on internet café’s for their online needs.
This is perhaps why our former yaya did not become as hooked to the internet as I would have expected. Her relatives in the province really had no way of viewing those Friendster pics.
- 30 -
By: Stanley Palisada
My son’s former yaya has a Friendster account!
Out of pure generosity my wife created her account and allowed her to go online from time to time. Our yaya would occasionally upload pictures of her Manila “mall tours” to brag about them to relatives in Negros.
Very recently, we also discovered that our neighbor’s wifi is constantly active during the day, even if family members are not home. It turns out their house help is “burning the wifi connection” to chat with a foreigner boyfriend.
Our current yaya (not as tech savvy as our neighbor’s “domestic chatter”) has set aside huge portions of her salary to buy a refurbished cell phone in Greenhills. And it’s not just one with talk and text features. She got a Nokia 60-something, with a camera and can MMS pictures to relatives in Bicol. They don’t go for anything less than one with iphone features these days.
With the internet and cell phones trickling down to mainstream Philippines, one may think our country is tech savvier than its neighbors? No less than social site Friendster thinks RP is an important market because of a huge number of Filipino users. Who among today’s young people has no Friendster (or Facebook) account, an email address or (at the very least) a cell phone?
But despite the popularity of the internet and cell phones in the Philippines, we still have one of the lowest internet penetration rates in Asia and the world.
Budde.com in its 2000 industry data shows other Asian countries have a higher internet penetration than the Philippines (Internet usage and broadband subscriptions are the bases for determining internet penetration). Korea leads the pack (71%) followed by Hong Kong (70%), Japan (69%) and Singapore (61%).
The Philippines (5%) sits (embarrassingly at bottom of list) between Bhutan (also 5%) and Sri Lanka (4%).
But with the aggressive expansion of internet and telecommunications infrastructure that ranking had changed dramatically in just a few years. Yahoo in its 2007 study says penetration rate in the Philippines reached 14%, or more than 13 million of the total population of 96 million.
In 2009, research group Nielsen pegged the number of internet users in the Philippines at 24 million, and it is expected to rise to 30 million by 2012. That may be better but still quite low. In other developing countries, close to half of the population is already using the internet regularly.
Aside from upgraded infrastructure, ad campaigns on internet use are creating new markets. Bayantel’s “Lola Techie ads” for instance, is reaching out to senior citizens telling them it’s not too late to be tech savvy. A Nielsen study shows 80% of internet users in the Philippines are between 10 to 39 years old. A largely untapped market (the 40 and above) are also the age group that can afford to spend on PC’s or internet subscriptions.
The price of personal computers and laptops also affects internet penetration. That’s why telecommunications companies such as Globe, PLTD and Smart offer attractive internet package sometimes with “free” personal computers in exchange for broadband or DSL subscriptions.
But despite all these, the internet is not penetrating as deep as it should. The biggest obstacle still, is the price of the service.
Research group BSBC Hook UAI says most Philippine Internet Service Providers have connections through backbones in the United States. This is why internet rates here are still 80% more expensive than internet rates in the US. Filipinos, especially the mainstream may be interested in exploring the internet (the way they conquered texting and cell phones) but simply put, the service is still unaffordable. In other countries the internet is in line with basic utilities electricity and water.
Nielsen Philippines Director for Client Service Eric Barrera still forsees a lopsided penetration with internet users mainly in big cities where Telcos have expanded rabidly. Very little has been done to improve infrastructure in rural areas, where the people still depend on internet café’s for their online needs.
This is perhaps why our former yaya did not become as hooked to the internet as I would have expected. Her relatives in the province really had no way of viewing those Friendster pics.
- 30 -
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