UP Cebu Incubation Facility for IT Startups

Having trouble looking for angel investors or venture capitalist (VC) to unleash your business idea? Or simply looking for an environment other than your garage to start a potential business idea?

The University of the Philippines (UP) Incubation facility in Cebu has been open and actively looking for IT startups. Modeled after Ideafarm of Ayala Internet Venture Partners (AIVP), the facility is an ideal environment for startups and small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs) that don't have the machineries to go big in the technology arena. By tapping the Incubation facility, startups will have access to academe research, business support structures and use of its facilities such as computers, servers and Internet access. This increases the survival rate of startups in their infancy stage and make them grow into viable businesses without an initial big investment.

The UP Cebu Incubation facility will help mold the technopreneural spirit, vision and aptitude of Cebuanos or anyone in the region. Soon the facility will become an arena for VCs and investors looking for potential startups to invest into (reminds me of an NBA bootcamp where scouts lurk for promising picks). Successful companies that thrive in this model are Google, Yahoo
to name the few. Dream of yours? Do now.

For inquires, contact UP Cebu campus
Other links:
UP-Ayala TBI, Ayala TBI

Good times ahead

New high-rise IT and commercial buildings sprouting inside Asiatown IT park and reclamation area in Cebu are one of the many indicators that the future of IT (Information Technology) and related businesses is good, confident and promising. Physical infrastructure such as buildings, parks and econ-zones serves as the foundation for businesses to grow. These latest developments are reminiscent to the famed Hsinchu Science Park in Taiwan which the government helped put up in the late 80s. Hsinchu Science Park today houses around 200 companies mostly high-tech laboratories, electronic and semiconductor manufactoring plants and wafer/chip fabrication companies, generating an staggering billions of dollars in revenue every year.

It won't be so long when Cebu will be in the same position. All it has to do is move forward, put more developments on its infrastructure and become a magnet for businessmen, software engineers, scientists and technopreneurs to set up their own companies. Not Silicon, its Mango Valley rising up in the east.

No parking area no business policy

"THIS ESTABLISHMENT IS CLOSED", the bold sign taped over the iron grill fence of the main entrance of Goodah.gud grill and restaurant along Salinas drive in Lahug. Just adjacent to it, construction workers are busy putting the final touches of the renovated AA's, with a noticeable parking area fronting the restaurant. A year ago, the mayor of the city sent a message requiring business establishments with parking area or a joint facility for its customers as pre-requisite to issuance of business permit. More, the mayor threatened to revoked or cancel renewal of business permits for those existing establishments that will not comply. The reason is plain and simple. Without a parking area, customers will be forced to park along public roads leading to traffic congestion and other problems. Aside from being uncomfortable, free parking is a value added service that every establishment should provide (Ayala Mall just increased its parking fee from P20 to P25, argh! They should have increased the capacity of their free parking area instead. This is something somebody with authority and responsibility should look into).

If enforced and implemented consistently, its the general public that will benefit from this policy. I can't wait to go to AA's and Gooduh.gud, should be open in a week or two.

Catching up the world leaders in IT Industry

It was like 10 years ago when the nation's trailblazers in the IT (Information Technology) industry have predicted that the Philippines would become one of the top software producing nations in the world, just second if not first to India in Asia. Government officials then touted the IT industry as a major force in bringing more revenue to the nations purse and as a catalyst in erasing the negative image that maligned the country as a survivor based on dollar remittances by DOH abroad. Schools and universities were once tasked to carry the huge burden in producing skilled graduates that will mobilize and drive the IT industry. Soon, varying IT related courses were offered, with some indistinguishable from the others, up to the point where the industry is flooded with unskilled, incompetent and lost workforce.

Now, a quick and honest assessment is, we haven't lived up to that billing. We lagged behind other countries who joined the race of late. We are witnesses of the constant exodus of skilled software engineers, programmers, system administrators and analysts who in no offense seek for greener pasture abroad. We still haven't seen or heard of a killer software application or a revolutionary thing that came out of the Philippines. In fairness, a lot of IT related jobs has been created since and the number is steadily growing every year. Thanks mainly to foreign IT companies who setup and relocated their branches and offices here due to cheap production costs, tax perks and availability of local talent (which of late has become a concern). The emergence of outsourcing has also helped where local IT companies offer and sell cheap services to foreign markets like BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) and call centers. But these are not enough to carry the stagnant economy (largely due to rampant corruption in the government), not enough even to move us an inch closer to the world leaders in the IT industry.

Moving forward, we should have a realization that for the local IT industry to jumpstart the economy and catch up the world's IT leaders, it must produce and create products. Products that can be sold and marketed abroad. Look around, we have Nokia mobile phones from Finland; Sony Ericson mobile phones of Japan; Cisco, 3Com network equipments of the US; Samsung consumer appliances from South Korea; Acer computers from Taiwan; IPOD Nano from the iconic Apple of the US; Microsoft software, Google adsense, Yahoo email, Intel and AMD processor, all these of foreign origin. The same applies to consumer goods. Look again, everyone is sipping and loving their coffee at Starbucks (US); we associate facial tissue to Kleenex (US) and the iconic of all, Coke soda. The list is very long. After all, we have Bananas and Del Montes. We just need more. No more cheap services and outsourcing, just products.

2008: A rat race for IT practitioners

This must be the year for IT practitioners. In the recent forecast posted at Yahoo HotJobs, IT related jobs are in the Top 5 promising and high-demand jobs in the US for the year 2008. This brings a very good news to everyone not just limited to programmers (specially those who possess skills of the latest technologies in .NET, Web.2, C#, Java, Oracle), lead application developers, web designers, system administrators, system architects, computer security experts and technology specialists.

With the future so bright, you can't face it without wearing a shade! Get a cool one now...

Top five high-demand jobs in 2008

All time Filipino Geek

Diosdado Banatao, Dado as famously called, is the first Filipino engineer-entrepreneur who made it all happen in Silicon valley. He's undoubtedly the first Filipino geek whose work and accomplishments have helped shaped and revolutionized the PC industry in the early 80s. Dado who grew up in a secluded farming area in Cagayan Valley, is the ultimate symbol and proof that Filipinos, with diverse backgrounds, can make it big in the world through perseverance, hard work and continuous search for excellence.

Who will be the next Dado? Will he be a Cebuano? Let's see. Hope we all can drew inspirations from him, the father of all Geeks.

Asiaweek's write-up on Dado

A must to read book for aspiring Technopreneurs

The newest edition of the book entitled Rice and Chips by Dennis Posadas was already released and now available in National bookstore. In this book, Dennis attempts to present success stories and strategies modeled after the famed US Silicon Valley and how it could be replicated locally. I personally recommend reading of this book to IT startups, technopreneurs, technology innovators, IT practitioners, and academic institutions to gain deeper understanding of how technology, innovation and entrepreneurship forge each other to create a successful and blossoming economy in Asia, particularly Philippines.

Grab a copy now!