FIELDTRIP AND SEMINARS
Overview
“Once a journey is designed, equipped, and put in process a new factor enters and takes over...it has personality, temperament, individuality, uniqueness. A journey is a person in itself, no two are alike”, quoted by John Steinbeck.
At first, I was never on my mind that the subject fieldtrip and seminars will give me and all of the people enrolled in the subject matter under the Institute of Computing of the University of Southeastern Philippines a chance to explore and go visit many places in the Philippines especially in the young age of ours. I never thought that I will be and been in some places in the capital city of the Philippines – the Manila bound. It is truly unforgettable, unbeatable experience of my entire life, which was the first time I went away in my living place.
Staying in the city capital of the Philippines was never easy as stepping one step forward walking across the road especially for those people like me who were living life in a very simple way. From the first to last breath of me while I’m standing in the land of Luzon island, I cherished each seconds I spend there because nobody knows when will I’ll be coming back at that place soon. It is absolutely beyond doubt to conclude that when I go visited Manila at the 4th day of October 2010 that I learned….I saw….I observed….and I experienced which will make me unique from others. It’s not the usual thing of thinking that what was happened in a place stays at that place. Because unlike from what I’ve experienced, everything stays on my mind and seems everything are fresh in my eyes.
In five days of staying in the central part of Luzon, I do visited companies in which help filled with knowledge and be equipped in the real world of business where they are in such as the SSS, SPI, UP DILIMAN, IBM, Sea Change, PLDT, MMDA (Traffic Engineer), Global Exist, Advance Science Technology Institute & Telecoms Training Institute and also in some other places like Tagaytay and Laguna and we even stop for a while to take pictures and remembrance in the most historical and famous park in the Philippines – the Luneta Park.
DAY 1 (October 4, 2010)
Today, I went on a company visit to SSS (Social Security System) and SPI (Service.People.Innovation)
SSS
Social Security System
Fresh from the NAIA Airport, SSS Main Office is the first company visit stop located at Quezon City. The people of SSS welcomed us wholeheartedly and just about perfectly prepared, from the preparation of the hall wherein the seminar will be conducted, the presentation of the slides, speakers, and down to the respected offices of the company. They given as a chance to come and visit their offices and take an eye of their working and currently using systems and programs particularly in creation room of IDs – from hardware to software. Door to door, room to room, I saw how the SSS does impossible task in a long period of time. I appreciated all the speakers who gave their time to share their knowledge upon us, discussed its company functions such as housing loans, how to become a member, the practical strategies in terms of id member uniqueness, how they make it possible to connect all the offices of SSS through networking and etc.
What I learned?
I learned that SSS engaged in a much secured way of upgrading their system in organizing membership number in most valuable unique identities. They see to it that a single citizen will only apply for a single number of membership form, the great dedication of promoting 1-to-1 SSS membership. Also, I erudite of the things such as the following:
· SSS Automated Teller Assistance System
· The Flexi Fund
· Biometrics ID System(the system used in formulating unique ids to avoid redundancy)
· Information Technology Driven Service
· Messaging Services
· The impressible storage area of their database in which can hold 1.7B records.
What I liked?
In the SSS Company, what I like the most is their system of Biometric ID System. It is indeed convincible that SSS is trying hard to endorse an advanced id manipulation using though the power of technology. The sense of promoting and convincing the Filipino citizen to be apart of the program and last but not the least is their advocacy of promoting their mission to provide users quality, business-driven and technology-based business.
What I don’t like?
What I don’t really like is the way of answering the question regarding the issue of benefits of the clients will earn when they do apply for the membership. Some unfix answers of the questions thrown to them in which appeared to me as unentertaining in the part of the clients especially like me as the probable future prospect client of there company.
SPI
SERVICE.PEOPLE.INNOVATION
SPI Company is the second destination for our first day of our company visit. The SPI ServiceSoft offers a host of IT-oriented services that support the creation, exchange, adaptation, management, and presentation of enterprise content to deliver cost-effective business solutions and improved business performance. It is the business of outsourcing.
What I learned?
I learned in the world of outsourcing business that it is never be easy enough to only have knowledge and skills to provide services to clients. I also learned that not all of the employees of the SPI are degree holder; some of them are just the product of great dedication to rich and raise enough services to client. The company itself does admit that they were not that kind of choosy in terms of educational attainment, as long as the person who’s applying in the company knows how to speak in English. Lastly, I found out that the SPI uses an approach of waterfall strategy in making project systems in which was once tackled in one of my subjects.
What I liked?
I like it when they give as a short tour to their company rooms. Though the location was not that usually big but my amusingness was focused on the people working inside each rooms. I liked it looking at them who are very dedicated to their works even when it’s a dying job – just by imagining people working at night and the fact of warmth welcome of them to us despite of they restless hours.
What I don’t like?
I feel uneasy when they give a short introduction about their company. It feels sad that only few were facilitating in introducing their company to us visitors. And even the way of setting up simultaneous slides to be seen by us. Most of what I don’t like is the lack of communication between as listeners and speakers which I felt like they don’t have the characteristics of catching the attention of the audience.
DAY 2 (October 5, 2010)
Today, I went on a company visit to University of the Philippines Diliman, UP Alumni Engineer Centennial Hall at Quezon City and Ayala Techno Hub at Commonwealth Quezon City.
UP
University of the Philippines Diliman Campus
On the 5th day of October 2010, I went at the one of the most prestigious, finest and famous universities of the Philippines – the UP Diliman Campus. It’s such a great honor to enter in that school and be one of the listeners of the UP-USEP Information Technology Symposium. Undeniably saying that here in UP Diliman I heard many subject matters relating to my course such as Writing a Winning Thesis by Rose Ann Sale, Visualizing Wikipedia Article Evolution with Stream Graphs talked about by John Boaz Lee, The Personal Learning Environment with Michelle Lee Moscatel while Ms. Len de Gracia talks about Animation then Mobile Device Game Development by Professor Carlos Bott and the last topic is about Empowering the Nation through Educational Technology delivered by Dr. Ferdinand B. Pitagan. . Listening through the speakers will serve to me as an inspiration to continue and finish what I’ve started.
What I learned?
I learned that in every sleepless night there’s success at the end. It is proven and tested by the speakers who shared their experiences to us. I also learned stages shared to develop and create a winning peace of thesis such as thinking about the thesis stage, proposal stage, the burning of your eyebrow stage where all sleepless nights attached and the nerve wracking stage. In the world of visualization, my analysis immense when Mr. John Lee promote strong dedication to visualization, how does visualization activates the thinking of visualizing data and when he stated his remarkable words of “The problem isn’t the availability of data, it is understanding the data” which inspires me more to go on. And some the corresponding aspects that composes visualization such as
· Data mining
· Playing with the data
· Pattern detection
· Structured data
· Visual
· Processing
· Trend detection
Though I’m not really engaged to games but still I saw the importance of it and how mobile technologies done game does. While listening to Prof. Bott, I saw relations to my taken course. I learned that even when I don’t really relay on games but I should still be updated to new developments about it.
What I liked?
In the whole half day symposium held, there is one speaker who catches my attention, maybe not just me but obviously all of us listeners, that was Ms. Len de Gracia that talks about Animation. It was really sincerely interesting especially when the topic is all about animation. Her sense of humor makes the discussion works perfectly though she used some none of this earth words. Every phrase that comes from her mouth seemed to be exceptionally entertaining. More than ever when she brings the words of “Grades Doesn’t Matter” which all of the professor who listened are obviously reacted. But for me as a student, it really does. High grades are useless when your brain doesn’t gain anything. Subsequently, I myself agreed with what she said.
What I don’t like?
What is don’t like in the symposium is when some of the speakers talks in front very fast that made me hardly catch up the information and when the symposium starting to feel like boring.
UP-AYALA TECHNO HUB
The UP-Ayala Techno Hub, as it is called, is a 37.5-hectare development along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, which upon completion, will house firms in the high-technology fields and high-value business process outsourcing (BPO) services, start-up companies, and incubate companies wherein flock of technology-based business dwells.
IBM Ayala Techno Hub, Quezon City
International Business Machines
Immediately after our lunch we proceed to the Manila Ayala Techno Hub where IBM and Sea Change Company reside. There, all of the products of each individual company showed us their unique company products and give us a tour in different rooms they have.
What I learned?
I learned and found out that IBM had stopped selling computers and other hardware. They had focused on software to give services to their clients. Now that I’ve been in IBM, I learned what their company serves for such as IT services, business consulting, outsourcing services, small and medium business services and other services like asset recovery and software services.
What I liked?
I was interestedly entertained when one of the IBM’s employees introduces their current server machine and also when they take us a tour to there company. And the very most I like is when they say that they do give opportunities for those who develop systems which they can do give financial supports.
What I don’t like?
The thing I don’t like is when they introduce their current server in a very techno-based terminology. It seems like I don’t understand how does it really works.
Sea Change
UP Ayala Techno Hub, Quezon City
The Sea Change Company provides services for instances of acquiring, storing, managing and streaming video content and applications for those companies that demand superior performance. The company endow with developing simple appliances such as TVs and DVDs. They seek to find innovations from single things.
What I learned?
I have learned that Sea change empowers broadband service providers to manage, deliver and monetize content to any screen. And different software applications they used and how they combine all this stuff to create a new and more improved product.
What I liked?
The excitement of mine exist when they take us a tour to their data center and see people there who are very cheerful and hospitable despite the fact that they are not in complete sleep. And most of all is when they gave us a chance to take a look to there products for us to be able to see their working products and their uplifting words that inspires me to continue even more.
What I don’t like?
I don’t like when the foreigner speaker spoke about the company, it feels like I’m sleepy listening to him. He seems not to be interacting with us.
UP ALUMNI ENGINEERS
CENTENNIAL HALL
Right after visiting the Ayala Techno Hub, directly we proceeded back to UP Alumni Engineers Centennial Hall which is located also at the UP Diliman Campus. In that hall, the entire thesis laboratory resides and each has respected advisers such as the research about high tide, language checker and analytic thinking of concerning games.
What I learned?
What I learned in thesis rooms is the different studies conducted and currently studying by the students of University of the Philippines. How do they done their works and make all things works in realization of reality. I learned that all of the thesis they have been working are all concerning in daily lives of people on earth and those helpful things that can make development to nation in different areas such as educational development, entertainment and internet-based thesis. And most of all is the encouragement of programs that the university has to develop the skills of the students through creating products of their imaginations.
What I liked?
While walking across each thesis laboratories, I like when I seen the updated facilities of the building – from computer monitors to system units. It was really amazing to see Apple Computers in the laboratories which all we knew as one of the most expensive computer brands in the world. And also the people who entertained us and gave as a chance to see what they were working to and even so demonstrate each of its thesis subjects.
What I don’t like?
In the UP Diliman Centennial Hall, there was nothing I don’t like. Everything is all almost perfectly facilitated and well-done.
DAY 3 (October 6, 2010)
Today, I went on a company visit to PLDT and Telecoms Training Institute.
PLDT
Mandaluyong City, Manila
On the 3rd day of our tour in Manila, I visited the largest, longest and biggest telecommunications company in the Philippines – the PLDT, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company located at Mandaluyong City. This was the only company of all the company visits that takes more or less four hours discussions.
What I learned?
I learned that PLDT is the largest telecommunications provider company in the Philippines, also the company’s history and products. I learned also the networking strategy that they done to reach people in the Philippines also other countries in a very strategic ways. I learned and saw different innovations of their products such as prepaid and postpaid services, Smartload distributorship and ResellerShip and many more that tare currently exist and using nowadays as well as some of the company’s clients.
What I liked?
I like it when a decade employee takes us a tour to their offices with great humor and hospitality. And also when they gave us a chance to take a view on their products and services; both machineries and software. Moreover, when they grant us the feeling of being one of the shareholders of the company when they shown us their big meeting room. That was very amaze of the real, true to my eyes seeing of a real meeting room.
What I don’t like?
I don’t feel interested when they take discussion about the networking that they have. It’s not because it feels boring but rather the speaker is not immensely aware on how long he’s been taking about the topic which I felt like very mind-numbing and uninterested.
TELECOMS TRAINING INSTITUTE
Valenzuela City
After PLDT, immediately we take a long travel to reach the second company visit on the 6th day of October – the Telecoms Training Institute at Valenzuela City.
What I learned?
I learned different things regarding telecommunications such as their much owned Digital Multiplexer Master Station that is use in transferring data from PCM to DMM one at a time, voice fixed bandwidth which is being applied in telephones and the common things like fiber optics and repeaters.
What I liked?
I like and amazed by those machines and real equipments they shown us which I think I don’t have the chance to see in actual. I was mesmerized by those big machineries and servers that the institute showed. That was the time that I, myself proved that technologies moves in a very frequent time. And that was the very first time I saw different machines that sizes that big which I seen only on pictures.
What I don’t like?
What I don’t like on the institute is the kind of the environment they have, it does not meet my expectations regarding in building facilities. As well as the irritating odor of their floor that takes in into my system.
DAY 4 (October 7, 2010)
Today, I went on a company visit to Global Exist at Pasig City.
GLOBAL EXIST
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
On the fourth day of our trip we headed directly to Ortigas Center at Pasig City to have our company visit at Global Exist – Software Servicing Provider Company. I was amaze with the place of Ortigas Center that was the only place in Manila where we stop in which is clean and very industrial. An old imagination of tall building takes in action, realism and pragmatism. A door to door industrial business buildings resides in, it very fascinating to see buildings that only exist and saw in television.
The Global Exist Company performs even better with partners who can help them use what they currently have and in creating values. Exist have been a software innovation factory for business partners for a couple of years. In a span of 9 years in business, Exist deployed small agile teams of software engineers to help companies meet the demands of the current economy and achieve their goals. The company believes that the success of ours is also their success.
What I learned?
I have known and learned that EXIST company proffers and provides software engineering services and demonstrates Open Source Value Creation. They created new products and/or applications with the use of their practice teams that have an expertise in various fields which includes in the fields of open source, java, .NET and other more. I learned also that the company focuses in the field of using the programming language of JAVA.
The company also provides services in terms of Application Development, Technology Consulting and Software Quality Assurance. Listed below are the current services that the Global Exit has.
Application Development Services:
ü Custom Open Source Solutions
ü Software Product Development
ü System Integration / Enterprise Application Integration
Technology Consulting Services:
- Architecture & Design
- Exploratory Prototyping
- Software Re-engineering
What I liked?
In terms of introducing their products and services, I like it much especially when girl power resides in room. I like the speakers who entertain us in the company visit at Exist. I like it even more when they give souvenirs for those who throw questions and the uplifting words gave by them like when one of the speakers confesses that she is really not into technology-based courses but rather her great interest and perseverance to reach what she have right now. Even so when one of them said that she is very proud to see us – ALL GIRLS, as she stated that it’s the very first time she saw great numbers of female students in Information Technology and Computer Science and their unending inspiring support to reach what we dream.
What I don’t like?
It seems that all in Exist works perfectly aside from one thing they miss to have – the tour portion. It feels sad when we don’t have time have a short tour to their company and a chance to see other workers of Exist actually doing their jobs. Aside from that, all is great and entertaining.
Day 5 (October 8, 2010)
Today, I went on a company visit to MMDA (Traffic Engineering Office)
MMDA (TRAFFIC ENGINEERING)
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
In our last day of tour in Metro Manila, we went at Metropolitan Manila Development Authority which is commonly called to us as MMDA that is situated at Makati City. MMDA is a public government agency that serves the country in a very responsive way. The agency provides monitoring in terms of traffic contingencies in Metro Manila. MMDA gives and provides traffic management in the Philippines that is used to embody the activities undertaken by a highway transportation agency to improve roadway system safety, efficiency, and effectiveness for both providers and consumers of transportation services. MMDA’s role is primarily to synchronize and put together the efforts of local governments and the central government in drawing up policies and tactics, tactics and implementing transport projects within Metro Manila.
What I learned?
Through visiting the MMDA site in Metro Manila, I’ve know that MMDA performs planning, monitoring and coordinative functions. MMDA uses wireless IP CCTV camera to monitor traffic within Metro Manila and with the power of usage of Multiplix software they are able to view the road situation in a flat screen TV monitor. Also MMDA use an old-fashioned programming tool of FORTRAN. MMDA provides services in terms of the following:
· Development planning.
· Transport and traffic management.
· Solid waste disposal and management.
· Flood control and sewerage management.
· Urban renewal, zoning and land use planning.
· Health and sanitation and Public safety.
What I liked?
What I like in MMDA is when the time they show to us their isolated rooms where servers placed in, especially when they showed up there currently working monitors of Multiplex Software and some samples of tragic and accidents happened in Metro Manila these past few years such as typhoon Ondoy and car accidents through their CCTV cameras installed in different part of Metro Manila. Also MMDA provides services 24/7 which I like the most. I was amaze when I see people working that day and do their jobs in a very aggressive way.
What I don’t like?
What I don’t like in MMDA is when we take a look at their room where servers placed. It feels so irritating inside the small space they have in that room. Also it felt uneasy to be there because the place is too small that feels like I’m isolated. As well as there facilities that is not perfectly organized.
I felt boring when we tour in server room maybe because of the person who entertain to us and the small place they provide to accommodate us had worked in an opposite way. Instead, I noticed that each of us is busy finding place where we can feel comfortable.
APPENDIX
What I can recommend for the improvement of the Fieldtrip and Seminars Program?
Fieldtrip and Seminars is the most expensive event I ever had. All are busy preparing in terms of money and self provisions. The Institute of Computing Fieldtrip and Seminars that was conducted last October 4-8, 2010 was very beyond my expectations. I, myself was hesitated for the upcoming tour in Manila. Aside from that the said tour was really far away in our own home town, it is also very expensive – from airfare to accommodation fees and even allowances. Maybe for us students are very much excited for the upcoming event without looking towards what our parents might say in which is the very depressing part of the occurrence.
My recommendations for the improvement of the program is to have a fair company visits in the sense that to ensure that all of the students who are in the program can experience the same way. So much for that is the systematic time-usage. It seems that the time spend in the tour was not perfectly managed that apparently caused delays. And most of all is to commit visitations to the company which will actually help filled up the knowledge of the students.
My advice to those who will take their Fieldtrip and Seminars program in the near future…
Many discussions and meeting had done just to make the event almost perfect. But as usual, it never was perfectly done but rather just well done because there are still instances that make the event move at a snail's pace. Even in small conversations we had done with my co-students seems like always on debate in terms of financial contingencies. Everyone has its own suggestions wherein later become dispute between students.
My advice to those who will take their Fieldtrip and Seminars program in the near future is to take the responsibility ahead of time. It was never easy to gain money in a short span of time especially in the economic status we have currently. I think what’s the best way to formulate a successful trip discussion is to discuss first and for most with parents. I believe that was the thing we had done wrongly for the reason that only students are on the meeting without the final decisions of their parents. My suggestion for the next generation is to inform first the parents to make a strong foundation of agreements between parties and as long as possible make all finances in a practical way. As long as there is the way of saving, grab it and give the best shot. Most of all, when the decision is already final to go through the event, stand to it until the last minute of the affair. Decide in a very realistic and sensible way that does not affect others and do everything to comply whatever it was with complexity about the event.
Finally, when you already in the destination place make the best out of it and learn many things as much as possible. Make yourself free in the place and use time in a strategic ways. Be open-minded to learn new things that can be applied in the carrier you have.
