Silicon Valley in the Philippines?

Funding for R&D in Science, Technology and IT from the gov’t would give this initiative a huge boost. If not, and since our gov’t is more inclined to spend the taxpayers’ money on BPOs, tax incentives could also do the trick.

Scholarships and study grants would easily hook in the young ones. Our tech-savvy youth are not purely gamers or friendster-rats, some among them are the brightest and most creative minds, who taught themselves CSS and html in the quest of pimping their Friendster profiles but without crashing everyone else’ browsers. If that’s not potential and creativity, I don’t know what is.

Abe, we’re a decade too late. The word is passe, and so is the idea most likely. Not good inspiration, in other words.

Not something that big. A CDN would be for something like a video sharing site.

A simple step: Pinoy probloggers using their earnings to hire developers (or do the code themselves!) for apps.

If it’s about E-Learning, E-Health or E-Government, these guys want to fund you: Morph Code.

@Miguel: Thanks for sharing that… Did it work for someone, I hope theres a project currently benefiting from them.

We need success stories. Are there any from the Brain Gain Network, for example? Whatever happened to the UP-Ateneo ‘Silicon Alley’ (aka Ayala-funded incubator)?

@Miguel: Morph Code is entirely separate operation (although related in ecosystem) to Morph Labs. Let’s just say it’s Winston’s playground.

A foreigner’s view:

I think the Philippines have most of the necessary ingridients, but these ones get me:

* horrible infrastructure. Yes, I know that there are places with their own generators, that will survive a nuclear attack; but having routine brownouts and electrical spikes that can bust a toaster is, as you understand, very discouraging.
* developers are frequently treated as “computer guys” who do everything from administration of the local network to system programming. For serious development one needs specialists who spend 100% of their time programming or administrating, not jacks of all trades.
* Some of the software infrastructure, which doesn’t really require a lot of investment, simply doesn’t work. How difficult is it to make sure that emails on a website work? If after 3 attempts all of the emails to a huge telco’s return with “account doesn’t exist” errors, what kind of impression does it make about the company? And why everybody insists on using Yahoo and GMail as their work emails?

However, on the positive side:
* people are extremely accommodating, and willing to learn
* the senior execs are more approachable than in other countries
* the skill level is reasonably high
* people are willing to tinker with things, when it’s not in the books. They don’t have it in India nor in China, and this is IMHO what has primarily built Israeli hi-tech.

I have 4 very talented friends who are programmers. All of them were given very good offers in places like Canada, Europe and Singapore.

I can’t blame them though. Earning a sure 4000+ USD for them is much better then literally betting on the “house and farm” on a Start-up venture that might fail and melt away their time and money investment with it.

Also Silicon Valley have ADVENTUROUS venture capitalist who are willing to bet millions/billions on startups. I don’t think the Rich in the Philippines would be so daring as they would rather put their money in more traditional businesses.

I think Baguio is a very good place, specifically on the PEZA and loakan area. The place is nice and still not that crowded compared to central baguio. It only takes around half an hour to commute. Apartments there are also cheaper. The internet backbone is also good as what I experienced when I was working for texas instrument. I had to connect through a VPN to dallas texas most of the time but I seldom had any problem. The loakan airport is also within the vicinity. Some prominent call centers like sitel have an office there. And the climate is also friendly to big servers.

efforts here to start is much greater than other rich countries, why?
1. poverty-you need to feed your family first before tackling your passion and thats requires lots of effort compared to other countries, inventing something requires real time and financing. skills and talents is not an issue, financing? we have lots of it in DOST(dami nila funding kaso ala naman nag aaply) so we have lots of it! but we need to feed our family first now! you needs lots and lots of effort to support your family and at the same time inventing/developing something, it drains lots of energy until you gave up!. if we could just focused our time and effort to our passion not worrying with our family, we can do more! so i need to work muna for my family

I’d be thrilled to see a Silicon Valley or at least a collaboration of talented tech geeks in the Philippines. Amidst all the “buts” and limitations, it could still be possible through proper collaboration

magbigay muna kayo ng magandang idea, then pakita nyo theories ng ideas nyo, then magbigay kayo ng prototype. pag meron na kayo nun, sigurado maraming VCs or even big companies ang lalapit sa inyo. example of a good idea: a rechargeable battery charger using ambient sound as power source; or an IP core for fast data encryption and decryption using AES. ganyan ang mga ideas na dapat ibigay.

Puro kayo problema.problema. Kaia nga matatalino kayo para magisip at gumawa ng paraan. Hindi lang puro salita. Puro Negative pa mga sinasabi niyo. E kung ganyan pala e. talagang wala na tayong pag-asa niyan.

silicon valley – not a good company to desl with. they get awards for being good to customers, thats bull s***t. i bought a emachines and its still in the shop for manufactures defect. it was only after my wife went there to silicon valley sm that they decided to follow up.

lousy company and lousy acer

It’s meet to be an emotional reunion. The parents of Malala Yousufzai, the Pakistani schoolgirl activist shot by the Taliban, are expected to dig their daughter for the in the beginning at all times Thursday since she regained consciousness in a British nursing home mould week. http://www.gafasraybans.eu/
The 15-year-old, who has change an international colophon of gallantry after being targeted benefit of taxing indoctrination for the benefit of girls, is being treated repayment for a encouragement to the head in Birmingham, England.

While sickbay cane pattern week said they were dispiriting to dispose for her hark to to her old boy on the phone, this purposefulness be his head turn to be by her bedside since she was flown from Pakistan 10 days ago, her prepare deteriorating.

Both parents are on a aircraft that left-hand Pakistan Thursday morning, said a command recognized, Noor Malik. The go is expected to get there come in Birmingham Thursday afternoon.www.gafasraybans.eu

For Malala, who has been powerless to say because a tube has been inserted into her trachea to cover her airway, swollen after her gunshot injury, the mien of family members drive unfalteringly be a comfort.

Her create, Ziauddin Yousufzai, has been a central hold in her unfledged soul, having operated at one of the few schools that defied the Taliban in the Swat Valley on keeping its doors unqualified to girls.

“I am leaving this woods with a sad determination and in unparalleled circumstances because the usually realm knows that it is essential that I be with my daughter during her deliverance,” he told Pakistani network PTV previous leaving Islamabad, in his key unrestricted remarks since the October 9 shooting.

“With the domain’s prayers she survived the set and she longing surely recover and her fitness will progress. And God passive, as a moment as she is recovered I devise be go in Pakistan.”

Khushal Khan, Malala’s younger chum, echoed his call in the interest of the polity to recuperate behind his essay sister. “I privation to acknowledge all my friends to ask for Malala,” he said.