Science and Technology

Bam to schools: Prepare workforce for AI job termination

With the advancement in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the labor industry, a number of existing jobs in the market is at risk.

During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology on the effects of AI to current jobs, the Union Network International-Philippine Liaison Council (UNI-PLC) told committee chairman Sen. Bam Aquino that around 60 percent of work, especially in the business process outsourcing industry, will be affected.

 However, the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) mentioned that around 40,000 workers in the contact center industry will be lost.

 “The best way to protect ourselves is to move our workers up the skill ladder. This is best done by having opportunities for education and by upgrading skills, retooling and retraining industry workers,” said Sen. Bam.

 “We cannot wait for this downturn in jobs to happen before we prepare. Kailangang handa na tayo ngayon,” stressed Sen. Bam as he called on education institutions to check if the skills they’re providing are the ones needed by industry workers to upgrade their abilities to the next level.

 “This way, we can ensure that we will able to maximize opportunities presented in Artificial Intelligence,” said Sen. Bam, adding that around 250,000 to 300,000 fresh jobs will be created once contact center workers are given the capability to perform higher-level jobs, such as data analysis and data programming.

“Mahalaga ring matiyak na mayroong academic-industry linkage. Kaya ba ng ating mga eskuwelahan na itulak ang kakayahan ng ating mga kababayan upang gawin ang mga bagong trabahong ito?” Sen. Bam questioned.

 Sen. Bam said the BPO industry must work hand-in-hand with concerned government agencies, such as the Department of Education (DepEd), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to ensure that the country is prepared for any eventuality if the implementation of AI goes into full swing.

Sen. Bam lauds signing of free internet in public places, his 18th law

Sen. Bam Aquino is delighted with the President’s approval of the Free Internet Access Program in Public Places into law.  

The President on Wednesday signed the measure into law, now known as Republic Act 10929. The law is Sen. Bam’s 18th in his four years as senator and his first in the 17th Congress.  

 “Masaya tayo na isa sa ating naipasang panukala sa Senado ay batas na. Nagpapasalamat tayo sa Pangulo sa kanyang paglagda bilang batas ang maging libre na ang internet sa mga pampublikong lugar,” said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor and co-author of the measure in the Senate in his capacity as chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.   

 “This will expand internet access across public spaces in the Philippines, including public schools to aid in teaching methods and enhance learning,” the senator added.  

“There is also a provision for faster permitting for internet infrastructure, which is a key feature in the law to improve infrastructure development,” added Sen. Bam.  

The law provides free internet access in all national and local government offices, public schools, public transport terminals, public hospitals and public libraries.   

 Under the measure, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be mandated to craft a plan and a timeline for the rollout of this program.  

 Sen. Bam is also hopeful that the President will sign the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, another measure he sponsored and co-authored in the Senate.

Sen. Bam to look into AI threat to jobs for Filipinos

Sen. Bam Aquino is set to conduct a hearing into the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) to jobs in the country.
 
“Every job created for Filipinos is important. We have to guard against trends that will take jobs away from our countrymen,” said Sen. Bam, who will conduct the probe on Tuesday (August 1) as chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology. 
 
“Gusto nating malaman kung ano ang epekto ng artificial intelligence sa employment, lalo na sa ating business process outsourcing (BPO) o call center sector,” added Sen. Bam.
 
Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 344, to conduct an inquiry on the government’s plan and initiatives to maximize the benefits of developments in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
 
The senator expressed alarm over the growing presence of Chatbots and the emergence of systems capable of referring questions to human operators and learning from their responses.
 
“These systems use artificial intelligence and are capable of performing the tasks of human employees, putting their livelihood at risk, especially in the call center industry,” said Sen. Bam.
 
In 2016, the International Labor Organization (ILO) reported that 49 percent of all employment in the Philippines faces a high risk of automation in the next couple of decades.
 
Based on research conducted by International Data Corporation (IDC), around $47 billion will be spent on AI-related applications globally by 2020, especially in banking, healthcare and retail sectors.
 
According to Jubert Daniel Alberto of IDC Philippines, the rise of AI will definitely affect the BPO industry that currently employs around 1.2 million Filipinos.

Sen. Bam wishes TNC Pro, Execration ‘good luck’ in The International DOTA 2 Championships

Sen. Bam Aquino joined the training of the Filipino DOTA team TNC Pro before it travels to Seattle, Washington Sunday to participate in The International DOTA 2 Championships, the biggest esports event in the world.

“It’s not every day that you get to play with the best in the world so it was a big honor that I was allowed to join their practice before they travel to Seattle tomorrow (Sunday),” said Sen. Bam, who joined TNC Pro’s practice session when he visited the group’s DOTA Gaming House.

After placing in the eighth among 18 teams in last year’s edition of the tournament, Sen. Bam believes that the team can do even better this year. The members of TNC Pro are Theeban “1437” Siva, Carlo “Kuku” Palad, Sam “Samh” Hidalgo, Marco Polo Luis “Raven” Fausto and Timothy John “Tims” Randrup.

“These gentlemen play with a lot of skill and talent, and they also play with a lot of Pinoy pride,” said Sen. Bam, who also wished Team Execration, the other Filipino team in the tournament, the best of luck.

Sen. Bam provided help in the travel of TNC Pro, the winner in the Southeast Asian qualifying event while Execration placed third behind Fnatic.

The two Filipino squads will battle it out against the best of Europe (Team Secret, HellRaisers and Team Empire), China (iG Vitality, LGD.Forever Young and LGD Gaming), North America (Cloud9 and Digital Chaos), South America (Infamous) and direct invites OG, Virtus.Pro, Evil Geniuses, Team Liquid, Invictus Gaming and Newbee. The tournament offers a total purse of $22,810,242.

Sen. Bam is a supporter of Filipino esports athletes and game development in the Philippines for its huge potential in bringing honor to the country and creating jobs and livelihood for Filipinos.

The senator helped establish Philippine esports Association (PeSPA) to strengthen the foundation of esports in the country, look after the welfare of cyber athletes and stakeholders and promote esports in the country.

Sen. Bam: Let’s work with rideshare companies, prioritize commuters

Sen. Bam Aquino called on the government to listen to the commuting public and to develop reasonable standards for online ride-sharing applications that promote easy and safe commuting.

“We need to provide the commuting public with better options and alternatives to improve their daily commuting experience. The government must work with rideshare companies that share this mission and develop suitable standards and requirements for them,” said Sen. Bam.

Last year, Sen. Bam submitted a measure promoting and encouraging new, affordable and safe transportation options for the commuting public, like Uber and Grab.

 “In any industry, increased competition often leads to improved quality, improved service, and lower prices for consumers. For the commuting public, this is a change they have long clamored for,” said Sen. Bam in his Senate Bill No. 696 or the Rideshare Support Company Act.

In a memorandum circular (MC), the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has already recognized these innovations “as a driver for progress” and as one of the solutions to “help address the increasing demand for mobility spurred by rapid urbanization.”

 “I urge the LTFRB to address this issue of penalties for rideshare companies,” said Sen. Bam. “Then we can focus on passing legislation to develop the industry and to ensure these new transport networks are held accountable for offenses.”

 While the MC is significant milestone for the promotion of ride-sharing services in the country, Sen. Bam said legislation is needed to create and institutionalize an appropriate regulatory framework for this new type of service and to distinguish it from public transport services.

 The proposed measure clarifies the regulations governing Transportation Network Companies, or Rideshare Support Companies (RSCs), as well as Rideshare Network Drivers and Vehicles.

Once approved, RSCs must obtain certificate of accreditation from LTFRB before getting an authority to onboard qualified Rideshare Network Driver (RND) after a thorough background check and submission of pertinent documents.

Qualified RNDs must also have a minimum P200,000 per passenger personal accident insurance by licensed Philippine insurer.

Sen. Bam: Gaming can bring jobs and business into PH

Sen. Bam Aquino sees the potential of the gaming industry in bringing honor to the country and creating jobs and livelihood for Filipinos.

 “There is so much potential in our gaming industry,” said Sen. Bam upon hearing that a Filipino team – TNC – qualified again for the prestigious International DOTA 2 Championship, which will be held from August 7 to 12 at KeyArena in Seattle. Last year, TNC placed eighth among 18 countries that joined the event.

Sen. Bam is a supporter of Filipino esports athletes and game development in the Philippines. He helped establish Philippine esports Association (PeSPA) to strengthen the foundation of esports in the country, look after the welfare of cyber athletes and stakeholders and promote esports in the country.

 “We have very talented gamers that are winning big in the world stage. But we also have game developers and local studios that are hired to help create some of the most popular games,” said Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam mentioned that several Filipino game developers and studios recently made their mark in the international arena.

In the Tokyo Game Show, Japan’s most important video game convention, seven Pinoy independent game developers brought home awards, including Keybol Games, Squeeky Wheel Studio, Monstronauts, Unibox, Popsicle Games, Moocho Brain Interactive Designs, and Nico Tuason’s “Games by Nico”.

Sen. Bam added that the game Flippy Bottle Extreme by Derrick Alain Mapagu also became a global hit, beating out games like Temple Run 2 and even Pokemon Go in the United States.

Other global companies tap Filipino studios and artists in producing popular games, such as Electronic Arts and FunGuy Studio. Synergy 88 and Microsoft for Gears of War 4 and Sony’s Naughty Dog and Secret 6 on Uncharted 4.

“This is big business. Gaming can actually bring in money, jobs and livelihood into the Philippines,” said Sen. Bam.

 Furthermore, Sen. Bam said the inclusion of esports in the Asian Games in 2022 will give Filipino athletes another venue to highlight their skills and excel and bring honor to the country.

Sen. Bam aims to promote welfare of Filipino scientists, researchers

In a move to recognize their contribution to the country’s growth in terms of research and development, Sen. Bam Aquino is pushing for two measures that will promote the welfare of Filipino scientists and researchers.

“Sad to say, the contribution and welfare of Filipino scientists and engineers and researchers are undervalued in the Philippines. That’s why many of them leave the country to look for greener pastures abroad,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

Sen. Bam is currently working on the passage of Senate Bill 1183 or the Balik Scientist Bill and Senate Bill No. 679 or the Magna Carta for Scientists to strengthen support for Filipino scientists.

 “As Chairman of the Committee on SciTech, we need to lay the foundation of a modern and prosperous society. Proper utilization of SciTech will be crucial in this aspiration and these measures could help in achieving our goal,” added Sen. Bam.

 The Balik Scientist Program provides financial incentives for overseas Filipino scientists and facilitates their return to work on either a short-term, medium-term or long-term basis.

  The measure aims to institutionalize the Balik Scientist Program of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), which successfully encouraged some of our scientists to return and contribute to research and address development gaps in the Philippines.

 The amendments to the Magna Carta for Scientists aim to streamline the process of providing benefits and incentives to S&T government personnel.

During a committee hearing, it was discovered that the Philippines needs 19,000 more scientists working in both government and private sector to turn the country into a significant force in research and development.

Currently, the Philippines has 189 scientists per million, far from the ideal target of 380 per million. The number also pales in comparison with other countries as South Korea and United States have 5,300 and 3,500 scientists per million, respectively. Malaysia, for its part, has 2,000 scientists per million.

 “Sa tulong ng panukalang ito, mahihikayat natin ang mga Filipino scientist sa ibang bansa na bumalik sa Pilipinas at tumulong sa pagpapaunlad ng ating research and development,” said Sen. Bam, referring to the Balik Scientist Bill.

Sen. Bam calls for stakeholders’ cooperation to combat fake news

With more Filipinos now getting their news from social media, a senator stressed the urgent need to combat the proliferation of fake news online.

“Huwag na tayo magpabola sa mga nagpapakalat ng fake news,” said Sen. Bam Aquino. “Panahon na para labanan ang pekeng balita sa Pilipinas”.

“Hindi lang nakakasira ng reputasyon ang pekeng balita, nilalayo pa tayo sa tunay at mahalagang isyu ng lipunan,” he added.

While he supports the passage of Senate Bill No. 1429, Sen. Bam said it needs to be discussed further.

“Nagkakaisa kami ni Sen. Joel na naniniwala na lahat, lalo na ang ating sworn public servants, ay dapat managot sa pagkalat ng maling balita,” he added.

“Pero marami pa tayong kailangan klaruhin, like what is considered a reasonable period for a social media platform to be able to put down a fake post? What would be an acceptable basis for branding fake news?” Sen. Bam said.

In addition, Sen. Bam called for stakeholders cooperation, from government officials, social media platforms and schools to combat fake news online.

“Kailangan natin ng kooperasyon ng lahat, lalo na mula sa mga opisyal ng pamahalaan, at mga social media platforms para labanan natin ang pagkalat ng pekeng balita sa Internet,” said Sen. Bam, who during his stint as chairman of the Committee on Education pushed for social media literacy in schools.

“In a hearing on social media literacy last year, we already called on schools to better educate the youth on fake news and cyberbullying,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam said fake news is not just a local concern but a worldwide phenomenon, with different countries starting different initiatives to battle its spread.

Countries like France are strengthening their fact-checking capabilities while Germany has passed legislation to regulate social media.

In Malaysia, online chat administrators are facing legal action for allowing spread of disinformation among members of their groups.

Sen. Bam also said Indonesia is setting up an agency that will tackle fake news.

“We must study all possible courses of action and learn from the best and most effective practices,” he said.

Sen. Bam: Free internet in public places now a signature away from becoming law

The measure providing Filipinos free internet access in public places is now one signature away from becoming a law after the Senate ratified its final version Wednesday, Sen. Bam Aquino announced.

 “Isang pirma na lang po at magiging batas na ito. This measure will empower Filipinos with internet access to education, information, jobs and business,” said Sen. Bam, the principal sponsor and co-author of the measure in the Senate in his capacity as chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

“We hope that this can be a step towards improving internet services in the Philippines, which, of course has become a main point for many of our countrymen,” he added.

 The final version, which was also ratified by the House, will be submitted to Malacanang for President Duterte’s signature. If approved, this will be Sen. Bam’s 1st law in the 17th Congress and 18th in his four years as senator.

Sen. Bam hopes that internet service will improve with the successful implementation of the free internet access in public places, together with parallel efforts such as the National Broadband Plan and the entry of new players in the telecommunications industry.

 “Let’s work together to achieve our goal of faster, cheaper, more reliable internet services for every Filipino,” said Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam thanked co-authors Sens. Francis Pangilinan, Manny Pacquiao and Sen. Ralph Recto, co-sponsors Sen. Grace Poe and Recto and members of the Senate panel in the bicameral conference committee, including Sens. JV Ejercito, Nancy Binay, Joel Villanueva and Recto for helping develop and strengthen the measure.

The measure aims to provide internet access in all national and local government offices, public schools, public transport terminals, public hospitals and public libraries.

 Under the measure, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) will be mandated to craft a plan and a timeline for the rollout of this program.

Sen. Bam: Is the Philippines ready for cyberattacks?

A senator has filed a resolution to determine if the Philippines is ready for cyberattacks after the recent global ransomware cyberattacks that infiltrated computers in 150 countries around the world.

“We want to hear from the experts from government and also from our Pinoy tech firms on whether our country is prepared for these cyberattacks and what should be done prevent them,” Sen. Bam Aquino said in Senate Resolution No. 381.

“Cyberattacks are a real threat to Filipinos. We need to make sure that bank accounts, online passwords, personal information, and both private and public information systems are protected,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

According to news reports, the cyberattack used the program “WanaCryptor 2.0 or WannaCry” to infiltrate at least 300,000 machines all over the world. The program locks and encrypts the computer files or ransom. If unpaid, the ransom increases over time until the end of a countdown, when all the files are destroyed.

 Among the major victims are delivery giant FedEx, the National Health Service of Britain, Russia’s Interior Ministry and several universities in China.

 While there is no reported Ransomware attack in the Philippines, Sen. Bam wants to ensure that private information of Filipinos, as well as online systems and services, are secure.

 “Hindi tayo dapat magkumpiyansa. Kailangan nating masiguro na ang bansa ay handa sa posibleng mangyari upang hindi maapektuhan ang ating sistema sa anumang pag-atake,” said Sen. Bam.

 The resolution also aims to look into the implementation of the National Cybersecurity Plan 2022, which was unveiled this month by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

 The National Cybersecurity Plan, among other things, seeks to establish the National Computer Emergency Response Team (NCERT) to enable the government to swiftly respond and recover from cyberattacks.

 Sen. Bam has been pushing for the improvement of internet quality in the country and is the principal sponsor and co-author of the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act in the Senate, which is expected to become law soon.

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