Technology and Philippine Educational Landscape with Microsoft and UnionBank

UnionBank empowers educators and students with tools from Microsoft...

Microsoft Education Ambassadors from UnionBank undergo training

Technology has radically changed the way Filipinos live. Across the country, work, play, and communication now relies heavily on digital technologies. The same goes to learning as more modern workplaces now demand digital skills, it is now necessary for educators to prepare their students for a more digital workplace environment.

Clarissa Segismundo, Education Programs Lead of Microsoft Philippines, explained the importance of digital tools in learning. “Engaging students remains one of the core pillars in the digital transformation of education. How they use technology is crucial in promoting collaboration, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills” said Segismundo.

But technology alone cannot develop the 21st-century skills students require. Technology is an accelerator and an equalizer, but it needs guidance and knowledge on proper usage to truly have an impact on student development. 

Through the Microsoft Education Ambassadors Program, Microsoft and UnionBank are working together to transform the Philippine educational landscape by equipping our educators and students with the right knowledge and skills. The program aims to empower schools, educators and students with 21st century skills through the proper use of technology for teaching and learning. To date, there are over 1,000 Microsoft Education Ambassadors advocating teaching with technology in various parts of the country.

“It is UnionBank’s mission and vision to stay grounded on its purpose of ‘Making a Difference’. And we hope to truly make a difference with Microsoft. It’s an exciting time as UnionBank employees open new doors of opportunities for the youth through technology,” said Henry Aguda, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Transformation officer of UnionBank.

With extensive experience in the industry, UnionBank’s education ambassadors can share valuable insight on the demands and requirements of the modern workplace. It is the desire to impart knowledge and expertise to the country’s future workforce, that led Michaela Rubio, SVP and HR Director of UnionBank, to develop this program with Microsoft. “As Microsoft education ambassadors, UnionBank employees will serve as inspiration and valued resource persons for students and teachers. They possess the necessary expertise and skills to meet industry standards and can pass these on to the next generation,” she said.

Microsoft Education Ambassadors from Union Bank with the Education team of Microsoft Philippines

As ambassadors of education and technology, UnionBank’s MEAs will be training teachers on Microsoft tools and technologies to help improve productivity, classroom engagement, and learning outcomes.

“At Microsoft, we recognize the value of our country’s young minds in shaping our future. By equipping them with work-ready skills with the support of our industry partners like UnionBank, we are paving the way towards employability and economic progress” added Segismundo.

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Microsoft: 5 Areas where AI Is Building A Better, Brighter Future For Asia

Across Asia, a hotly-debated topic amongst business leaders, government policymakers, academics and industry experts is the potential impact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have on society.

Understandably, some have a cautious view when it comes to AI development and sometimes painting a grim, dystopic future where large swathes of the population are rendered jobless, access to AI is not evenly distributed amongst citizens as well as privacy and civil liberties are increasingly under threat from AI’s insatiable need for data.

There is no denying that AI will present a new set of societal challenges that will need to be navigated thoughtfully and carefully and, in particular, it will be critical for all organizations to build trust in AI as to their customers and stakeholders.

However, these concerns should not overshadow the enormous potential that AI offers society.

Microsoft list Five key Areas where AI has created remarkable developments and improvements in Asia.

1.Accessibility
Asia-Pacific is currently home to 690 million people with disabilities. AI can help people with vision, hearing, cognitive, learning, and mobility disabilities perform daily tasks more independently, lead a richer, more productive life and participate more fully in society.

Seeing AI app turns the visual world into an audible experience for the low vision community.

For example, Seeing AI is a free app that leverages AI capabilities to identify a broad range of visual cues - including faces, emotions and handwriting. That data is then converted into audio descriptions for the visually-impaired. This enables the 285 million people in the world with low vision to better navigate their day, making the visual world more accessible.

 2.Agriculture
Today, Asia is the world’s most populous region with more than 4.5 billion inhabitants, approximately 60% of the global population, and this number is forecasted to grow to over 5 billion by 2030. This will put incredible strain on the region’s already-challenged food supply chains unless farmers can find new ways to keep up with demand, such as leveraging AI and analytics to greatly improve their yields.

In India, Microsoft has partnered with a non-profit organization, International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), to develop an AI Sowing App that sends advisories to farmers on the optimal date to sow their crops, based on weather conditions, soil, and other indicators.

The solution predicts the optimal sowing period by using AI to analyze 30 years of historic climate data and calculate the adequacy of rainfall and soil moisture using real-time data and weather forecasting models. In addition, the program does not require farmers to incur capital expenditure, such as installing sensors in their fields, making this optimal for emerging markets.

Microsoft and ICRISAT - Bringing Artificial Intelligence to agriculture to boost crop yield

3. Climate Change

One of the most pressing challenges of the 21st century is the Changing Climate, and how it threatens human health, infrastructure, and natural systems. A leading cause of climate change is Carbon Emissions.

Microsoft is embracing the responsibility to operate sustainably and reduce the environmental impact of its business. One of the ways it doe this is by enlisting AI's help to manage the operations and infrastructure of our data centers. As a result, less electricity is needed to fuel data centers’ computing and cooling requirements. In fact, cloud services are 93% more energy efficient and up to 98% more carbon efficient than traditional enterprise data centers.

AI technologies are also being applied beyond the data center to improve the energy efficiency of entire buildings. In Singapore, approximately one-third of the nation’s electricity is consumed by buildings. JTC, a government agency responsible for the developing the nation’s industrial infrastructure, is taking a proactive approach to address this voracious demand for electricity by centralizing its operations on the Microsoft Cloud to monitor, analyze and optimize its buildings. Using sensor data and AI-driven analytics, JTC can now identify and rectify faults before breakdowns occur through a predictive model, resulting in a 15 percent drop in energy cost avoidance.

 JTC is modeling what it means to make buildings more energy-efficient and sustainable

4. Education

Education is one of the building blocks for creating a better future, and AI is being leveraged to enhance the education experience for students and improve outcomes in schools.

With the help of AI, more students can complete their education and graduate as employable new workers who will help grow the future economy.

In Andhra Pradesh, a state in southern India, Microsoft is partnering with the Indian government to launch a new app that predicts which students are most likely to drop out of school. Powered by machine learning, AI capabilities, and the cloud, this solution processes complex data sets that include enrollment information, student performance, gender and socio-economic demographics, school infrastructure, and teacher skills, to look for predictive patterns.


This enables administrators and educators to intervene early and target the most at-risk students with programs and counseling to prevent dropouts. The app is already being used successfully by more than 10,000 schools in Andhra Pradesh, covering more than five million students in 2017.

5. Healthcare

Lastly, AI technology has the potential to assist healthcare providers in their quest to tackle some of the most prevalent diseases we face today, as well as improve the quality of life for Asia’s growing population.

In India, Microsoft is collaborating with one of the largest health organizations in the country, Apollo Hospitals, to develop an AI-focused network aimed at tackling cardiovascular disease, which contributes to nearly one-third of deaths worldwide. In India alone, nearly three million heart attacks happen annually, and it is estimated that 30 million Indians suffer from coronary disease.

By bringing together Microsoft’s AI expertise and Apollo Hospitals’ experience and knowledge in the field of cardiology, this partnership aims to develop new machine learning models to predict patient risk for heart diseases and assists doctors with treatment plans.

Apollo Hospitals India: AI predicts heart diseases

These are just some of the amazing benefits that AI is bringing to society according to Microsoft, though it’s clear that it is still in stage of development. The story of AI is still unfolding, and future chapters will be supported by positive, impactful anecdotes. After all, with AI, we are not just amplifying human ingenuity, but the qualities that make us human: Our caring. Our curiosity. Our collective desire to create a better tomorrow.

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Globe Partners with Disney for "Time Please" Volunteering Program

Leading telecommunications company, Globe Telecom and The Walt Disney Company, Philippines, announced a major collaboration to promote volunteerism among Filipinos.

Time Please

The two companies partnered to launch “Time Please” - a nationwide volunteering program that encourages and empowers Filipinos including companies, organizations, employees, families, and friends to organize volunteer activities or participate in existing volunteer programs.  Time Please supports Globe's commitment to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and appeals to the Filipino strong culture of volunteerism rooted in the bayanihan spirit to collectively contribute to social development.

Through the volunteer portal www.timeplease.ph, developed by Globe Future Maker iVolunteer Philippines and the volunteer portal of Gawad Kalinga, Time Please strives to match individuals or groups of volunteers with various volunteering opportunities around the country. Companies, organizations or groups with existing volunteer programs can also enlist their volunteer activities in the platform and get their volunteer hours registered in this initiative.

Mahesh Samat, EVP & Managing Director The Walt Disney Company South Asia and Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO

“We look at Time Please to extend Globe Telecom’s purpose-led culture to our customers. With the help of technology, we wish to make volunteering more accessible to many Filipinos, thereby, making it easier for our partners and customers to contribute to nation building,” said Ernest Cu, President and Chief Executive Officer of Globe Telecom.

“Disney VoluntEARS are committed to supporting and inspiring communities by dedicating our time and skills to help kids and families in need. Time Please is a unique platform that allows kids and families to spend meaningful time together for social good,” shared Veronica Cabalinan, Country Manager of The Walt Disney Company, Philippines. “We believe that it is our collective responsibility to be at the service of the community where we live.”

Mahesh Samat, EVP & Managing Director The Walt Disney Company South Asia and Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO together with Micky and Minnie Mouse

Globally, the Philippines ranked 7th for the highest number of people volunteering their time with 25 million Filipinos volunteering in 2016 (Charities Aid Foundation [CAF] World Giving Index 2017). Volunteer activities are mobilized by various sectors, such as non-government organizations (NGOs), government agencies, companies usually through their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) departments or corporate foundations, the academe via school activities such as Brigada Eskwela, and the private sector.

Volunteer with Partner Communities

Time Please provides a robust menu of volunteering activities and unites the volunteering ecosystem by connecting the volunteers to volunteer organizations using a simple, convenient and easy to understand web platform. Through any device with online access, individuals from all regions in the Philippines can now sign up for free and form groups to join volunteer activities enrolled in Time Please.

The Program will run from May 25 to August 19, 2018 and is open to Individuals and Groups willing and capable to do volunteer work. Each group should have a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of four (4) individuals to be able to join. The group should also nominate a Team Leader who is at least 18 years of age with an active Globe or TM number to register the group.

The group with the most number of volunteer hour credits at the end of the program will Win an All-Expense paid Trip for 4 to Hong Kong Disneyland.

Globe customers, partners, and other organizations are invited to register and volunteer at  www.timeplease.ph and at the volunteer portal of Gawad Kalinga.

So what about it Geeks? Time to Volunteer? Lend a helping hand and let's build a better world...

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