Lenovo Continues Support for Outstanding Tech Visionary

Lenovo, a global leader in PC and smart device's, renews its support to the Youth by providing additional laptop grants to the University of the Philippines Genetic Researchers and Agricultural Innovators Society (UP GRAINS), a youth organization who was awarded the Outstanding Tech Visionary citation by the company at this year’s Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards.

Anna Abola (center), Marketing Communications Manager of Lenovo Philippines, with the UP GRAINS officers.

The Outstanding Tech Visionary citation given by Lenovo at the TAYO Awards recognizes the youth organization with the most meaningful project that addresses key social issues through the innovative use of technology. Together with the award, the winning organization was also provided with Lenovo units.

Now bolstering its support to the youth organization for their community-based projects, the company is providing UP GRAINS once again devices in the form of brand new YOGA 520 and IdeaPad 320 laptops.

“As a leader in the technological industry, Lenovo injects excitement and vibrancy by driving innovation that exceeds expectations and creates meaningful impact. It suffices to say, that we are in an excellent position to help promote the benefits of technology to the public. Through our partnership with TAYO Awards Foundation, we get to know all these brilliant youth organizations, and together, we could create a huge impact in addressing the country’s concerns through technology. It is inspiring to see young people make an effort to build a better community, and it is our pleasure to contribute in this, “said Michael Ngan, Country General Manager, Lenovo Philippines.

Formed in 2014 by Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Biotechnology (BSABT) students at the University of Philippines Los Baños, UP GRAINS is a service-oriented academic organization that promotes agriculture through various activities involving agricultural biotechnology.

Their Lakbioteknolohiya project is an information and workshop series held in high schools and communities where agriculture is the main source of income. The lessons taught here are directly taken from UPLB’s curriculum which features hands-on exercises on urban farming and agricultural biotechnology experiments with the intent of improving agricultural production and maintain quality agro-environments.

“Since our inception, we have been using our personal laptops for our advocacy projects and activities and these new devices from Lenovo changed that. Now that UP GRAINS has its own set of devices, all our members can have access to laptops especially when out on the field,” said John Albert Caraan, Project Head of Lakbioteknolohiya.

The Search for Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations (TAYO) Awards is a project of the TAYO Awards Foundation, Inc., the country’s premier award-giving body that recognizes and supports the outstanding contributions of youth organizations in the country.

Lenovo has been the exclusive technology partner of the TAYO Awards since 2012.

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IP Converge Data Services, Inc. Partners with PIA for Scholarship for Underprivileged Youth

IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.), a pioneer in local cloud and data center services, announces its partnership with Philippine International Aid (PIA), a U.S.-based charity providing health and educational assistance to underprivileged youth.

One of the PIA’s core initiatives is the “Off the Streets-Off to School” scholarship, a program that helps parents and teachers to keep kids in school. Administered in partnership with the Phil-Asia Assistance Foundation, the Off the Streets–Off to School program provides scholarships annually to more than 1,000 children in Metro Manila.

Together with their partners, PIA helps students go through primary education onwards to college. The student's academic progress is monitored throughout the academic year and are encouraged to correspond with their respective benefactors.

Heading the organization is Mona Lisa Yuchengco, the founder and publisher of PositivelyFilipino.com, an online magazine on the Filipino diaspora. She also serves on the board of the Women’s Media Center, a non-profit progressive women's media organization. Working with her at PIA are successful Filipino-American business executives living in the Bay Area such as Executive Director James T. Lim, the current General Manager of the Omni Hotel, Secretary Sonia T. Delen, a Senior Vice-President at Bank of America Leasing, and France M. Viana, a strategic marketing consultant who currently heads the marketing department of the San Francisco World Affairs Council.

“PIA started out as a scholarship fund to send street children to school, to take them away from the streets where they were being recruited by pimps, and to place them in schools where they belong. Since then, thousands of children have gone through the program. Many of them have graduated college and gotten jobs, and are now able to help support their families,” said Yuchengco.

Under the program, IPC will fund the school expenses of 5 students of the Eulogio Rodriguez Integrated School in Mandaluyong City. The funds provided will take care of tuition fees, books, supplies, field trip costs, uniforms, shoes, and allowances for meals and transportation.

“Supporting the Off the Streets-Off to School program was an easy decision for us because IPC is always looking for ways to use its resources and expertise to give back to the community,” said Reynaldo Huergas, President of IPC. “Everyone of us is very excited to be part of this amazing project. We know that a lot of students are forced to drop out of school because of money and hopefully with our partnership with PIA, we can help those students stay and learn so that they can have a better future.”

This is the second time that IPC has teamed up with a charity dedicated to help improve education. In 2014, they lent their cloud technology services to assist the Teachers for the Philippines in documenting and tracking the effectivity of their teaching programs.

“We are always eager to lend a helping a hand to those in need, especially when it comes to education. We firmly believe that everyone should have access to education and IPC is happy to help schools and students alike in any way we can,” added Huergas.

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