NEWS
NCAA mulls Season 97 opening in February
THE country’s oldest collegiate league, the NCAA, is gearing up for the opening of Season 97 as officials are looking at holding face-to-face competitions in basketball and volleyball in February next year.
After successfully staging Season 96 with different online tournaments by host school Letran, next season’s host College of St. Benilde wants to hold the games physically.
NCAA Management Committee incoming chairman Dax Castellano said Friday, Oct. 29 that the league is already on the planning stage for its calendar of events for Season 97.
“The resumption of competition is in February. We agreed on the level of the Management Committee (to do face-to-face), but still we need the approval from the Policy Board,” said Castellano during a press conference held at Letran College in Intramuros, Manila.
“We agreed to do it with basketball and volleyball and some online events. We’ll do face-to-face basketball and volleyball.”
The decision of MANCOM to seriously consider face-to-face games has been solidified by the vaccination program of the Commission of Higher Education, which initiated a two-day vaccination for NCAA student-athletes that started last Thursday at the Jose Rizal University in Mandaluyong City.
Letran was the vaccination site of CHED’s “Padyak Tungo sa Flexible Learning: Sama-samang Vaccination Program” in preparation for the face-to-face classes and future tournaments.
“We would like to access all the vaccines to as many students, officials and administrators so we can slowly go back to the old normal,” said Ronald Adamat, CHED commissioner, at the same media briefing attended by NCAA Policy Board president for Season 96, Rev. Fr. Clarence Victor Marquez, OP, of Letran.
CHED Executive Director Atty. Cinderella Filipina Jaro said that the guidelines for face-to-face training of student-athletes are still being finalized by the department and should be ready anytime this year.
“There are additional considerations or provisions that we have to integrate to the other guidelines. Now that the supply of vaccines is consistent, we’ll incorporate the guidelines for the vaccinated athletes and unvaccinated athletes,” said Jaro.
Outgoing MANCOM chairman, Fr. Vic Calvo of Letran said that some 100 student-athletes of the NCAA participated in the 2-day vaccination program of CHED, mostly from provinces who returned to Manila.
“We have student-athletes who were vaccinated already. I think from the 10 schools… 90 percent were vaccinated already from the different LGUs the previous months,” said Calvo.
Aside from Castellano and Calvo, also present during the second day of the vaccination of CHED were Arellano University’s Peter Cayco, Paul Supan of JRU, Fr. Glynn Ortega, OAR of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, Atty. Jonas Cabochan of San Beda University, Estefanio Boquiron, Jr. of Emilio Aguinaldo College, Hercules Callanta of Lyceum of the Philippines University, Melchor Divina of Mapua University and Frank Gusi of University of Perpetual Help System DALTA.
During the previous Season 96 of the NCAA, only online games were played as approved by the league, which were shown on GTV channel 11 of GMA Network – the league’s new broadcast partner.
St. Benilde dominated the men’s and women’s speed kicking events of taekwondo, while San Beda toped the juniors side. San Beda also ruled in the seniors’ poomsae event, while Emilio Aguinaldo College swept the juniors competition.
Lyceum of the Philippines University won the seniors’ chess meet courtesy of Neymark Digno, while Letran turned to FIDE Master Christian Mark Daluz to emerge victorious in the juniors’ side.
Letran’s Mikaela Lopez had a successful comeback by copping the volleyball skills challenge plum, while LPU’s Kim Cinco took the basketball skills challenge trophy.
NEWS
Toyota Motor Vietnam selects Synology as Data Management Partner
6:53 p.m. March 31, 2024
Toyota Motor Vietnam, one of Vietnam’s largest automobile manufacturers, has partnered with Synology to strengthen its data management infrastructure for its growing data storage and resiliency demands.
“Synology’s storage solution has increased our business resilience,” said Bui Ta Hoan, IT Division Head at Toyota Motor Vietnam. “Synology is reliable, secure, and provides future-proofing scalability for growing data needs.”
Toyota Motor Vietnam deployed Synology data management systems to securely store hundreds of terabytes of data that are generated from assembling over 10,000 vehicles per year. Together with Synology’s high availability and remote data protection features, Toyota Motor Vietnam’s IT infrastructure is more resilient than ever against disruptions.
“Synology solutions are widely adopted in the manufacturing industry for a few simple reasons,” said Jola Le, Synology Vietnam Sales Manager. “Its robustness and ease of use save our customers considerable time. We’re proud to be able to transform and help modernize Toyota Motor Vietnam’s data management and protection needs.”
To learn more about the deployment, please visit: Synology customer story – Toyota Motor Vietnam
NEWS
Kaspersky shares cybersecurity tips for a peaceful getaway during the Holy Week
5:18 p.m. March 28, 2024
As the holiday season approaches, the urge to unwind and kick back is natural. And it’s all too common for people to let their guard down completely when connecting to the Internet too– but shouldn’t.
Recently, the Philippine National Police (PNP) Anti-Cybercrime Group shared their findings on identity theft cases in the country. Between November 2023 and February 2024, they uncovered 178 cases of “hijack profile” incidents. Half of these cases, eighty-nine (89) happened just in February. These cases mirror an upward trend seen throughout 2023, where the PNP recorded almost 3,000 cyber identity theft incidents.
Identity theft occurs when a fraudster obtains personal details from a victim, enabling them to commit identity fraud or fraudulently obtain goods/services. This stolen data can be used to open new bank accounts, take over existing ones, or impersonate the victim for criminal activities.
“In 2023, we monitored 26,164,699 web threats attacks in the Philippines, which made the country 4th with the highest web threats attacks globally, and when we looked at it closely, we found out that Filipinos were facing one (1) attack per second. These numbers are a reminder of the importance of remaining vigilant at all times,” said Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
Web threats are browser-based attacks used by cybercriminals to spread malware. This includes common dangers like phishing and viruses, along with offline data theft.
To help Filipinos enjoy a peaceful holy week vacation, below are some of Kaspersky’s recommendations to follow:
General travel tips:
- Be skeptical of tantalizing offers
- Check to make sure your connection is secure before entering any personal information on a website
- Always check the address bar to make sure you are actually on the website you are supposed to be on
- Buy tickets and book hotel rooms either from the company directly or through a well-known ticketing or hotel site
- Do not participate in questionable giveaways
- Use strong passwords and two-factor authentication wherever possible
- Checking the address bar is always a good idea, but it may be insufficient; some malefactors know how to fake addresses. So always use a security solution like Kaspersky Premium that scans malicious links.
Avail up to 20% discounts on Kaspersky’s consumer solutions like Kaspersky Premium, Plus and Standard for the whole month of March at https://www.kasperskyph.com/.
On protecting your personal data against identity theft:
- Keep things to a minimum: Use social media sparingly. Don’t use your real name, never post any personal information and don’t share any personal data via social messaging services.
- Keep your computer up to date: Many hackers now use malware to steal your information. Keeping your computer up to date with security patches and antivirus software helps protect against existing vulnerabilities and detect new attacks.
- Browse safely: To limit the chance of a malware infection, don’t open unknown email attachments or browse suspicious websites.
- Be self-aware: Take the time to check your credit card statements for any strange charges, and contact your credit card bank provider the minute you notice that something’s awry.
NEWS
Kick off your UEFA EURO 2024 adventure and watch games live with GCash
6:06 p.m. March 15, 2024
GCash, the Philippines’ top finance app, joins forces with Alipay+ to bring an exciting opportunity for Filipino football fans to take part in this year’s UEFA EURO 2024. As the premier football tournament kicks off once again, GCash is making it possible for you to witness the action live with the launch of its new raffle promo. GCash is a partner of Alipay+, which is the exclusive Official Payment Partner of UEFA EURO 2024.
Captivating millions of fans globally each year, the UEFA EURO 2024 tournament is set to take place from 14 June to 14 July 2024 across ten iconic host cities in Germany, including Berlin, Cologne, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, and Stuttgart.
By simply using GCash to pay, whether locally or internationally, users can earn raffle tickets and get the chance to experience the thrill of watching the UEFA EURO 2024 games live in Germany.
According to Paul Vincent Albano, General Manager for GCash International, “We are delighted to announce our partnership, together with Alipay+, the exclusive Official Payment Partner of UEFA EURO 2024, a collaboration that celebrates a shared passion and commitment to connecting with Filipino football fans. With GCash, users can unlock opportunities for more enriching experiences, and having the chance to attend the biggest sporting event of the year is just one of the ways we make this possible for our users. Through Alipay+, Filipino fans can pay at thousands of retail stores, F&B outlets and attractions across Germany and Europe, simply with GCash.”
GCash is now available internationally, through its partnership with Alipay+, ensuring seamless transactions for users even while they’re abroad. Through its Scan-To-Pay feature, users can enjoy hassle-free payments with zero service fees at millions of merchants worldwide, including restaurants, grocery stores, retail shops, and more!
The benefits of paying with GCash extends to gaining access to exclusive discounts and promos, including the opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Germany for UEFA EURO 2024. From March 1 to April 30, GCash users can earn raffle entries for every complete payment transaction made with Scan-To-Pay.
Payments made abroad earns users 10 raffle entries, while transactions within the Philippines earn one raffle entry each. The official winners’ draw will take place on May 4, 2024 with 16 lucky GCash users 2 winning tickets, giving them & their friends who love football the chance to watch the games with them!
Be part of football history and don’t miss out on the chance to witness Europe’s top nations in action this year. For more information and updates on the UEFA EURO 2024 promo, visit the GCash website or follow GCash online through @gcashofficial.
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