Online gambling finds home in the Philippines

This is an interesting article featuring an interview with a Philippines-based online casino - King World Casino. As the online gambling industry seems to be ending in countries like the US, Asia is now becoming a new hotbed for operators because of its liberal perspective / policies on the matter.

Government issues guidelines on electronic payment for government transactions

DTI Press Release

Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila and Finance Secretary Gary B. Teves signed on 25 October 2006 guidelines on the government’s Electronic Payment and Collection System (EPCS).

“The guidelines will minimize face-to-face interaction in payment transaction, reducing corruption and red tape in the workplace and making it easier for citizens, businessmen, and investors to transact with government at any time and place,” Favila said.

Electronic capabilities will make payment and collection services quicker and more effective, according to Teves. “Electronic transactions will make it easier to monitor payment, which help us maximize government’s financial resources,” he said. “This, in turn, enables us to make more and better health and education services available for our people, as well as invest in infrastructure that improves business and creates jobs.”

The Joint Department Administrative Order (JAO) No. 02, Series of 2006 prescribing the “Guidelines Implementing RA 8792 on Electronic Payment and Collection System (EPCS) in Government” will allow electronic payments through credit cards, automated teller machines (ATMs), debit cards, stored-value cards, mobile wallet payments and kiosks, among others.

The guidelines will apply to all government offices that currently use or intend to use EPCS to collect fees, charges, assessment and revenues.

The JDAO, which takes effect today, also creates a Government Electronic Payment and Collection System Evaluation Team (GEPCSET). This team, composed of representatives from the Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of the Treasury (BTr), National Computer Center (NCC) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), will evaluate, accredit and recommend the approval of applications for EPCS.

“EPCS enables more government agencies to implement end-to-end e-commerce transactions and is a concrete step towards bolstering our global competitiveness,” Favila said.

Full implementation of the E-commerce Act was one of the recommendations by government and industry leaders to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during the National Competitiveness Summit held last 6 October 2006 in Malacanang.

Copy of the guidelines may be downloaded within the DTI business portal or at the Department of Finance website.

Overseas based Filipinos investing back home

Indeed, Filipinos based overseas, no matter how established they are, likely would want to retire in the Philippines and invest in a Philippine property for a second home. No wonder online real estate selling is booming in the country. This is also dominating most ads found in local news site today.

ReviewMe - a new earning opportunity for bloggers

(Sponsored Post)

I just got an email today about ReviewMe, a website service that invites bloggers and webmasters to write reviews and earn from it. After signing up, you can submit up to six (6) websites but only those that can qualify shall be approved. In my case, this blog and my DigitalFilipino.com website qualified in the system.

I believe that this service is a great opportunity for bloggers out there especially for the young ones. It has one of the lowest sign-up age (14 years old) that I’ve found and this is great news for the teenager out there who are very active in blogging.

Once you are in, you have to wait for review assignments, so earning more will depend on how ReviewMe's advertising network shall grow, and your capability or capacity as a reviewer.

I'm glad that reviewers are expected to provide feedback, or criticism, and should be taken by advertisers as a means to improve their product or service.

Payouts are made through check or Paypal every 1st of the month. I do hope that networks like this will grow and create more earning opportunities for bloggers alike.

My other blogs did not qualify due to not meeting their minimum number of citations, subscribers, and traffic. Although one can return a few months later and try it again. I only hope that they can give more specific feedback when a site is not approved so that the improvement is well targeted. For instance, if it is a matter of being in a Technorati rank of this range, then one can use that as a barometer as to how a rejected blog is improving and can try again to apply in the future.

Penalizing child pornography

Former Lee County School District bus driver Donald Deverso, 60, was arrested in April 2005 after returning from the Philippines and customs officials found explicit photos of underage girls on his digital camera. Investigators later found more images on his computer and some computer discs. He took images of the girl, including shots of her lying nude on a rumpled bed.

U.S. District Judge John Steele sentenced him to 16 years and 3 months for receiving child pornography as well as owning and making child pornography. At least this is a positive news of some sort in fighting against cybercrime.

More local social networks

I just got word that Kababayan.ph is now online. Cheers to Jonno Alcaro for finally launching this project.

This adds to the ever-increasing number of social networks and friend directories that caters to Filipinos.

As Chris Cubos of Fwendz.com was able to demonstrate, there are opportunities indeed for those who are into the creation of niche-based social networks. Check out podcast interview with Chris for more info.

Rodney Jao also helped in the development of a social network for nurses. Check out our podcast interview with Rodney on this topic.