Seminar Overview
The five days Field trip & Seminar (FTS) held at the Luzon part of the Philippines specifically at the National Capital Region in the city of Manila was a great adventure for us students of Information Technology & Computer Science students also. It was a jump-packed of activities & too much learning that really molds us and helps us to understand more the world of Information technology. The seminars that we had attended were very informative and also some of the speakers were really motivating. The said Field trip encourages us to do more in our studies and become more innovative. Innovations are the most money-maker thing in our society now which is very favorable to us as IT professionals at the future.
I admit that those companies or government facilities that we’ve visited is my first time to be in that place so that is why I am amazed to see how the things work there, how they get things work, especially at the MMDA Traffic Engineering department wherein there is a vast live coverage on every street of the Manila City. It was so amazing how they handle traffic there, it is really hard to think how they do it but I must give them thumbs up for making their best. As an overall seminar view, it was all informative and really helps us students to become more oriented to what is happening in the real-world. It was all a great exposure.
To be in a new place far from home is a great experience, it was also my first time to be out of town miles away from my home town Davao City, I miss everything about Davao when we were there at the Manila City but in terms of progress in buildings, works well I must say that Manila now is a very fast growing city because I what I have observed during the seminar there is the people where always catching up the time, no one wants to be late stuck up in the middle of EDSA street. But I know that Davao is on its way to become the next center of economy here in the Philippines.
I am also amazed to the high rise buildings their owned by the elite families in the Philippines. It feels like you can reach the sky if you went at the roof top of the building. The city is expanding not in width but in height because the trend home there in Manila City is a “condominium”, why? Because people their find it cheap to stay and there are also a lot of good offers when you stay at the condo. The Seminar teaches me on how to become more knowledgeable on the path that we choose, the seminar sharpens our weapons to meet success at the future.
Day 1
Today, I went on a seminar to Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Bicutan, Taguig and Social Security System (SSS) in East Avenue, Quezon City.
What I learned?
Straight from the breakfast at the “Mcdonalds” in front of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport we went to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in Bicutan, Taguig. It was a great fun riding the bus because it’s kinda traffic there but we were all ready for it. As we landed in the building of the Department of Science & Technology we were amazed because we visited one of the oldest building of DOST in the Philippines. One of the things that I can remember during the seminar at the DOST is their “Project NOAH”. There is a proud sensation revolving inside the room knowing from our mentor Mr. Gamboa that one of the pioneer developers of the Project NOAH is from our school (University of Southeastern Philippines). Project NOAH is an innovation of a son to make sure that his parents were safe. How does it work? Well it detects upcoming rain falls that might become a typhoon that could harm people, through that innovation; he can alarm his parents to evacuate early so that they will be saved. It is a very great idea.
After the DOST adventure, we visit the “Social Security System” (SSS) located at East Avenue, Quezon City. Social Security System office plays a big role in every Pilipino here in the Philippines because they cater the pensions of every Pilipino. We have learned the history of the building (SSS), how does it work, and why it existed. They also encourage us to register so that we can start paying early; well I have registered already during summer because I know that The benefits will be very good at the future.
What I liked?
What I like in DOST is they were all making their best to gather new data that could help us students and all Pilipino people, the people there were very innovative. And it is also nice to know that most of the employees there are coming from Mindanao. They’ve got high respect to the Information Technology & Computer Science people here in Mindanao which I find very great because it erase the denied racial discrimination happening here in our country. We know how the northern part of the country reacts when they hear or know that you came from the southern part of the country, it is a very stereo-type mind set which I believe that it was slowly fading now, especially now that most people of the Northern Part loves our City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to be the next President of the Philippines.
What I like in the SSS is there gallery because there are a lot of good paintings there and aside from that is their mission on every Pilipino people which is to have a good retirement life, pensioned and just live life.
What I didn’t like?
Well I guess that I am just too imaginative or just set a high expectation on what I am going to see (I am referring to the building of DOST), I thought that it was all high-tech there but I forgot that we are still here in the Philippines. But I believe that it will improve at the future through unified help of every people.
At the Social Security System seminar, I thought that the seminar will be more of technical things but the most discussed thing is the history of their building which I know that it was also important.
Day 2
Today, I went on a seminar to IBM Phils., Ayala Techno-Hub, Quezon City and also to the Accenture Philippines.
What I learned?
What I like in the IBM building it’s too big and very cool, so we go inside one of their lecture rooms for the seminar about the IBM “Blue Mix”. If there is a list of cool innovation in the developer tools well I guess Blue Mix will be on the top 20 because it makes the life of the developer to become easier. The program that could take days will be programmed in just a matter of minute when we use the “Blue Mix”. There are a lot of offerings inside the “Blue Mix” that could really help the developers on any field of programming, as far as I can remember there are more or less 50+ types of offers now on their site. As the lecture goes, the speaker introduces the artificial intelligence named as “Watson”. We were all amazed by Watson as its first use was to be a player on a game named “Jeopardy” (famous game in America). It was task to beat the champion players. I was amazed how it works because it really answers the right question and does not make any answer to the question if it does not really know the answer to the question. To make Watson work, it takes a whole room to be install the servers. It is a successful invention of the IBM Company. Watson uses the “Cloud” server. The speaker also introduces the trend now on the net which is the IOT or the “Internet of Things” by the use of “Arduino”. It was too cool to use Arduino tool because you can do a lot of things like you can switch on or off any appliance inside your home though you’re at a very far place away from home. As a presentation, the speaker shows to us his practice tool to Arduino, he uses his own website then it was connected to the Arduino as the switch to the light bulbs. I really wish to have one like that.
What I have learned at the Accenture is they are not a “Call Center” company however it was a part of their business. We students really think that they are but not until they introduce to us their history and what they serve as a company. They are a company wherein a lot of innovation is happening and they’ve got a lot of companies inside the City and as what they have explained, it was a contingency plan so that if the other company closes then there is still a lot branch company that they can work on. They showed to us there mobile application which uses Digital Image Processing that can help the user to know the right size of the shirt for their body which I find nice.
What I liked?
What I like about the two companies is they both offer a good work wherein we can really use and enhance our knowledge about technology and enhance it more. They are not just a company that aims to grab a lot of money, they aim to help every individual as well, and they treat each others as a friend especially in the company of the Accenture wherein they call each other on “First-name” basis. I find it nice because it makes the employees become more comfortable with each other and it really builds not just work mates but also friendship to everyone.
What I didn’t like?
It’s not really that I don’t like the company but the IBM made us wait for 2 hours before the seminar starts, well we all understand how the traffic works at Manila City so we forgive of course. But I believe that they must prepare some contingency plan like to give substitute speakers because it made us so delayed on our next activity which results to eating the lunch inside the bus which I find very hard because the bus is moving and we can’t eat properly. Well it’s a good experience as well.
Day 3
Today, I went on a seminar to Philippine Youth Congress Information Technology (Y4IT)
What I learned?
The Philippine Youth Congress Information Technology is a great event for us students of courses related to the computer world. It was a whole day event which was attended by thousands of students from different parts of the country. I am amazed to the things that I have learned during the presentations of different speakers from different big companies. The project of the Microsoft Company (International) which is the “Hololens” really captivates my interest because it gives a new definition of user experience. Imagine the world moves in virtual reality just by wearing that glass or eye-wear. I was like in the movie of Iron Man where in you can control data without opening your computer. I also learned about the new trend which is the “Internet of Things”, it is so amazing now that we can control things inside our houses though we are miles away from home just by using various devices and a bit of coding. There is also a discussion about gaming stuffs; it is really cool because it helps us specifically in our programming 3(Android game development) subject now wherein our project is to make an android mobile game. The speaker shares how to plan and make the game which makes us realized that we are doing the wrong thing so we decided to start over so that all will be polish and has clear planning before making the android game. There are also a discussion about the Internet Protocol and the history of the internet which I know already some of the parts.
What I liked?
I like the whole thing about the Philippine Youth Congress Information Technology because it helps us students of Information Technology to be updated on the new trends of technology. I also like the exhibits there because there are a lot of freebies and information. I also like the venue of the Philippine Youth Congress Information Technology which is the SM Annex because it is my dream to visit the Mall of Asia and it was really big and in terms of spaces it was so wide and really caters us all.
What I didn’t like?
There is nothing that I can say that I didn’t like because it was all good for me and all of the things there were enjoyed by me and my classmates.
Day 4
Today, I went on a seminar to MMDA Traffic Engineering, EDSA,Makati.
What I learned?
In our visit to the MMDA, we have witnessed a lot of cool things like there Information Technology office and their Close Circuit Television cameras with live feeds from the streets of Metro Manila. It was discussed their history and the goal and mission of the MMDA. We were also amazed by their Ultra High definition close circuit cameras which can zoom in or zoom out very clearly. It was also discussed there that there are censored streets which amazed me because I never know that thing until such then. They also explain to us how the traffic lights functions like how many seconds before it changes color and what are the algorithm of the traffic lights. They also introduce to us their mobile application which caters the problems of traffic. As what they have said, through that application the problem of traffic in Metro Manila is minimize a bit but they were trying their very best to address that problem.
The traffic in Metro Manila is normally 3 to 4 hours and it will be a miracle if it only takes one hour of traffic. They also showed to us some caught videos on the street which contains accidents or traffic enforcers who collects “Kotong” instead of giving violation tickets. It was so gore to see those people hit by the big trucks due to careless crossing of the streets. But if there is something that revives the name of the enforcers, it would be that traffic enforcer who really sits on the street just to stop the violating driver who really wants to escape his violation. They also discussed to us that they are developing another app which is more improve in catering the problem of the traffic.
What I liked?
I like their monitor building wherein they can see all the activities of the streets of Metro manila as long as there is a camera because it records a lot of things like crimes, incidents, traffic and a lot more that could help investigation or could help MMDA to study the traffic and might as well give a concrete and solid plan that will aid the traffic in Metro Manila.
What I didn’t like?
I can’t say that I don’t really like the mobile application that they have built but I guess they can improve it more but I understand that it will be hard because Metro manila is really big and planning the whole thing to aid the traffic will be like passing through the whole of the needle.
Day 5
Today, I went on a seminar to University of the Philippines Engineering Department & Computer Science Department, Quezon City.
What I learned?
I have witnessed the wideness of their campus and we wander their campus for almost 5 times in a row. There are a lot of numbers of field in their computer science their unlike in our university. They discussed their project thesis which is discussed by their own students from different fields of their computer sciences. They also discussed their achievements from their cup stone project and thesis. They have toured us in their facilities and discussed a bit of information about science and technology.
What I liked?
I like their very organized facilities and division of fields in their Information Technology and Computer Science.
What I didn’t like?
I thought that there will be a lot of discussion about new technologies but it was more on their achievements I guess.
APPENDIX
What can I recommend for the improvement of the advance seminar program of USEP?
I recommend that they will research more companies and more seminars that could help us students in the field of Information Technology.
My advised to those who will take their advance seminar program in the near future.
My advice to those who will take their advance seminar program in the near future is to be ready to explore the whole new world and jump out from your boxes and grab the opportunity to learn new things there.
PITURES
