Opening the Archipelago: Local Authors Chronicle PH Blockchain Story in New Book

Nathan Marasigan

Centuries after the age of Discovery, the Digital Era, fueled by thriving innovation, still parallels its ancient predecessor in spirit: to explore unknown areas and to cultivate opportunities towards positive development. 

In this day and age, digital transformation has become an imperative for institutions and businesses to thrive in the digital era. Emerging technologies such as blockchain have provided unparalleled opportunities to accelerate innovation. In the Philippines, we have seen a blossoming of blockchain use cases in various sectors such as finance, art, gaming and education to name a few.

To spur the general public towards a deeper understanding of blockchain and its role in the future of Philippine society, co-authors Henry Aguda, Catherine Casas, and Atty. Nathan Marasigan launched their new book entitled Opening the Archipelago: The Story of Blockchain in the Philippines, which is published by Bookshelf PH, a publishing house and online marketplace for local books, eBooks,and audiobooks. The authors hope that the information in the book demystifies blockchain, enabling more Filipinos to build businesses around this new technology.  As either the next step towards true financial inclusion or the next big virtual revolution, the book aims to localize the blockchain uprising and give Filipinos a glimpse into how blockchain can transform local industries - from finance and banking, to education and even governance. 

The authors elaborate on this in their new book, Opening the Archipelago: the Story of Blockchain in the Philippines. Told in three parts, the book describes the foundations of blockchain, the cutting-edge use cases and initiatives of the technology in the Philippines, and the regulatory environment in the space. 

Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas Sale enjoys a record start, with 11 million items sold within the first 5 minutes of November 11

A Filipino electronics seller earned almost ₱70 million in sales during the first two hours of the sale alone

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, is seeing tremendous excitement and support at its largest shopping festival of the year, the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale. Shoppers across the region raced to Shopee to secure the best deals, with 11 million items sold in just the first five minutes of November 11. The midnight shopping rush saw visits spiking 5.5 times in the first two hours, compared to an average day.

Huawei launched Tech Day to Power Digital Philippines

Huawei Philippines held the Tech Day 2021 on November 11, aiming at discover how pioneering enterprises are applying innovative ICT technologies to create digital infrastructures for the entry of the intelligent era. 

Whilst the pandemic has pushed the pause button, performance varies from company to company, industry to industry, and country to country. One of the keys to thrive is by going digital. According to McKinsey, COVID-19 has caused digital transformation to jump ahead by 7 years globally and by a full 10 years in Asia Pacific. In the face of an increasingly complex business environment, resilience has become an important development strategy for companies, and digital technology, is the key to building this resilience.

the vowels they orbit reflects on the struggles of first heartbreak on new song “Una”

The emotional guitar-rock tune serves as the first single off their highly anticipated sophomore EP

It’s always the first cut that turns out to be the deepest, if not the most life-changing. Indie pop-rock outfit the vowels they orbit knows this by heart, and on their comeback single “Una,” waxing poetic about ‘the person that used to be your everything’ sounds more of an emotional cleansing than a retreading of the good old days.

“No matter what you do, there is nothing that can replace your first,” said the acclaimed group. “Whether it’s your first love or your first day of school ever, there’s something special about the first time. It’s a relatable topic that Nikka, the songwriter and vocalist, felt the need to write about.”

Shopee Provides MSMEs with All-Around Marketing Support to Grow their Online Business

Shopee assists MSMEs in their e-commerce journey from on onboarding and trainings to enhanced marketing tools and strategies

As society becomes more digitalized, e-commerce plays a significant role in helping groom and grow entrepreneurs who can meet the needs of consumers. More people in the region are coming online, and this number is expected to reach around 380 million by 2026. In order to help brands and MSMEs establish and strengthen their online presence, Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, focuses on developing a strong support ecosystem that makes it simple for them to launch and grow their online business. 

James Arthur shares personal changes in life and relationships on new album, It’ll All Make Sense In The End

British singer-songwriter James Arthur is finally back with his highly anticipated fourth studio album, It’ll All Make Sense In The End.

Having written and recorded bulk of the songs during the lockdown in the comforts of his home, the versatile hitmaker spent some time ruminating on the changes in his personal life, while using it as inspiration for his music-making journey. This enabled him and his collaborators to work on their own convenient time, round the clock, but not to the clock.

“And all of a sudden, the music started sounding great,” the former X Factor UK winner shares in a statement. “From day one there was a sound that I wanted to go for. Even early on, it sounded like a real album, a proper body of work. This is the first time I’ve made an album all in one place and you can hear this in the music. There’s something really comfortable about working in your own home – I was able to be more vulnerable than ever."

Ortigas Malls Launches Greenhills Night Market and More Treats

It’s officially the holidays and Ortigas Malls welcomes back its guests with meaningful and genuine experiences perfect for the cool, festive atmosphere, by launching its heartwarming holiday event of the year, the Christmas with the Stars online fundraising concert.

As the local entertainment and performance industry continues to grapple with the effects of the pandemic, Ortigas Malls teamed up with the Kilabotitos—Ogie Alcasid and Ian Veneracion—to create a fundraiser for the benefit of the Independent Production Workers Group (IPWG).