1,000 signatures needed for teacher’s empowerment advocacy
CEREBRO, an edtech company committed to improving the working conditions and resources available to Filipino teachers, announced that their petition has breached the 1000-signature mark. The advocacy aims to empower educators by providing them with optimal working conditions, resources, and support necessary for their own success and that of their students.
According to Cerebro data, Filipino teachers spend a minimum of 400 hours annually outside their paid working hours, leading to chronic problems that affect their personal lives, well-being, and ability to provide quality education. To address this critical issue, Cerebro invites parents, teachers, students, and the public to join their campaign by signing the petition. By lending their voices and showing their commitment to improving the working conditions and resources available to Filipino teachers, individuals and organizations can help create change in the educational system.
Cerebro’s learning management system and digital content library services aim to ease teachers’ workload, allowing them to reclaim valuable time for their personal and social lives while enhancing their ability to personalize instruction, foster engagement, and unlock the full potential of their students. With at least 70% of teachers worldwide feeling overworked and facing mental health difficulties, advocating for optimal working conditions and resources for educators is crucial and urgent.
Said Justine Itugot, Founder and CEO of Cerebro, “Join the call for empowering Filipino teachers by signing the petition today. The petition will be a powerful tool to demonstrate the widespread support for change and will be presented to relevant stakeholders, policymakers, and educational institutions. By championing this cause, we can help enhance educational systems, cultivate a brighter educational journey for every student, and unlock the fuller potential of our country.”
To learn more about Cerebro and their advocacy for Filipino teachers, visit cerebro.ph.
Freedom, plurality, safety: keeping Mastodon private and secure
Social networks have long accustomed us to the idea that users love getting together and making friends. But once Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc. became too big for those who prefer smaller communities, many people decided to join Mastodon.
Mastodon is an open-source software based social platform, similar to Twitter, but decentralized. It works on multiple decentralized servers (called “instances”), brought together to form a single network and interact with each other. Users can select instances according to their preferences and settings, but still communicate with members from other instances. This offers better customization and control.
Kaspersky experts have prepared useful tips and insights to help users strengthen their privacy level and keep personal data secure on Mastodon.
Specific privacy policies are issued for each instance. On the whole, they all contain basic clauses regarding data collection, usage, storage, and security, and about sharing information with third parties. Some servers are particularly law-abiding, mentioning users’ rights to delete, amend, or do other things with collected personal data. These are usually EU servers that are subject to the GDPR.
Some settings may look familiar if you’re a Twitter user. There are several types of Mastodon accounts: public (available for everyone), unlisted (your posts are still visible to everyone, but they’re not listed on public timelines), and available only for your followers.
It is important to note that each server has its own privacy policy, so be sure to read the details before registering. Bearing this in mind, a safe tip is to only use instances that you trust, and do not share any personal data with users that use servers that you don’t trust.
Posts can also have three privacy levels: visible to everyone, visible to followers, and visible only to users mentioned in the post.
A good option is to establish rules and exceptions for auto-deleting posts, and to allow archivists to export and download the complete archive of all stored information.
It’s also better to avoid using direct messages to transfer and share personal and any other sensitive information. Messages such as these are stored on instances as clear text, so they are not using any specific extra encryption types like end-to-end encryption (E2EE).
Like all other services, Mastodon can face data leaks. Considering that, a safe option would be to install a reliable security solution, which will detect and protect personal information in such cases. Moreover, these services also have features that can check whether your personal data was leaked or not.
In order to avoid any phishing, it’s safer to install apps that are offered only in official stores like the App Store and Google Play. It is especially important to be vigilant when receiving any links for unknown websites. Such situations can lead you to get malware programs or to get redirected to a phishing service. Modern security solutions can detect possible phishing websites or malware files, so your computer and data will be safe.
“Compared to other social media platforms like Twitter.com or Threads, Mastodon is certainly less regulated. However, there are rules that must be followed by all platform participants. As with any other online publication, users should always follow the ‘think before you post’ rule when publishing information on Mastodon,” comments Anna Larkina, Web-Content analyst at Kaspersky.
Sari-sari stores to gain access to microfinancing,
financial services to boost growth
THE Philippines’ micro, small, and medium-sized enterprise (MSME) sector is described as the most underbanked sector in Asia despite comprising 99% of the country’s registered business establishments.
The 2022 Annual Report on National Strategy for Financial Inclusion (NSFI) by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) reveals that micro-enterprises use significantly fewer formal financial services than small and medium enterprises.
One of the main challenges seen is the stringent requirements set by formal financial institutions. Additionally, many MSMEs lack knowledge about available financial services and how to access them. The lack of access to regulated credit and financing programs also forces them to live cash-in-hand, unable to get loans when they need them, which limits their growth potential.
Recognizing these challenges in the sector, Packworks, which offers a business-to-business (B2B) FMCG marketplace for sari-sari stores, is forging strategic partnerships with financial service providers aimed at seeking affordable and accessible services that can empower over 270,000 micro-retail stores across the country to grow their businesses.
Packworks distributes its integrated mobile app ecosystem that allows them to process their business’s inventory, bookkeeping, and data collection. Its’ store partners are able to access pricing tools, inventory management, sales and revenue tracking, and working capital loans through the Sari.PH app for microstores and Sari.PH Pro app for megastores.
Packworks has recently penned partnerships with Cebuana Lhuillier and 1Sari Financing Corporation to provide sari-sari stores access to secure, reliable, and affordable microloan services.
Through these partnerships, Packworks aims to offer sari-sari stores various financial services to further promote financial inclusion and empowerment, which could expand their businesses.
Packworks Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Bing Tan highlights that sari-sari stores are a fundamental part of the country’s grassroots retail industry.
“Sari-sari stores significantly contribute to the economic fabric of the Philippines. Our objective is to enhance financial inclusion, tap into untapped growth potential, and fortify the foundation of our retail industry. We are actively pursuing these goals through strategic partnerships aimed at providing accessible and affordable financial services to empower the sari-sari store sector,” Tan said.
Packworks is currently in discussions with other service providers to bring more options to its network of micro-retail stores.
The services are particularly timely as the Christmas season approaches, known to be the busiest time for businesses. Enabling sari-sari stores to access essential financial services allows them to efficiently replenish their inventory, ensuring they are well-prepared to meet the heightened demand for various items during this festive period.
In line with their commitment to promoting financial inclusion and empowering sari-sari stores, Packworks is partnering with social development organization Bayan Academy through its SariSkwela program. This initiative provides sari-sari stores access to learning modules on microentrepreneurship, further equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to enhance their businesses.
Packworks also has Sari IQ, a business intelligence tool utilizing data analytics to understand and predict consumer behavior, enabling retailers and multinational brands to make data-driven decisions that boost sales for sari-sari store owners and expand their product offerings to a larger customer base.
Last August the company was cited by Forbes Asia as one of the companies and startups to watch out for in its 100 to Watch List 2023. The list gives a spotlight to companies and startups that are “targeting underserved markets or applying new technologies.” The company targets to reach 500,000 sari-sari stores in the next two years.
