Sweeping victories at the 4th Smart Sweep

Everyone in the room was prepared to face a disaster. “The Philippines lies in a zone within the ring of fire,” warned Mar Tamayo, a man who is every bit determined to evade any and every disaster in the country.

We may face nothing like a major calamity now, but Mar knows that it greatly helps to be prepared. That’s exactly why he and his associates at Smart Communications decided to dedicate this year’s Smart Sweep Awards to disaster preparedness.

“Going Wireless for Disaster Preparedness” is what the 4th Smart Sweep Awards has chosen to focus on. Launched in 2003, Smart Wireless Engineering Education Program (SWEEP) has been inspiring the country’s next generation of electrics and communication engineers for sometime now. To date, Sweep has partnered up with more than 40 universities and colleges throughout the country, setting up a two-part program that prepares students for work in the high-paced mobile technology workplace.

The first part of the Sweep program takes place in a wireless laboratory. The lab is actually where the students get introduced to mobile technology basics such as SMS (short messaging service), MMS (multimedia messaging service), GPRS (general packet radio services), EDGE (enhanced data for global evolution), and 3G technologies. More, participating students get to try the GSM (global system for mobile communications) and TACS (total access communications system) from Europe, and CDMA (code division multiple access), and AMPS (advance mobile phone system (AMPS) technologies from the US firsthand.

The second part of the Sweep program concentrates on the continuing education aspect, providing various presentations and lectures from Smart’s very own engineers. Topics discussed regularly here include: Introduction to GSM Technology, Evolution of Wireless Communications, Systems Training (SYSTRA), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Short Message Service (SMS), Multi-media Message Services (MMS), VOIP, WiFi, and 3G SYSTRA. And as the whole program goes on, the Smart Sweep program also acknowledges those groups of students who have come to develop a certain mobile technology of their own. That is the reason for the Sweep Awards.

This year, the Sweep Awards were held in the busy trade halls of SM City Cebu where 10 teams vied for a chance to be recognized for their original work in mobile disaster preparation technology. Among them were Bulacan State University’s Mark Jayson Mandap, Alvin Lacdan, Ma. Leofel Laquindanum, Julius Zennen, Rodriguez and Joel Getigan; Wesleyan University’s Dondee Ferry, Leda Celica Samin, Rizza Lyne San Pedro and Jeddrick Glen Perida; Adamson University’s Joseph Españar, Kristina Calpotura, Hanzel Kaith Rayray, Christopher Carcallas, and Christian Ragudos; Feati University’s Fernando Balmocena, Ronald Baral, Esperino Tamayao Jr., Mediatrix Eben and Jessie Descalsote; Universidad de Zamboanga’s Crispin Tuballa, Archin Abejo, Leovic Salatan, Rogie Yamuta and Jennie Larios; University of St. La Salle’s Delman Alagao, Francis Xavier Parcon, John Kimwell Laluma, Paul Edward Alvarez and Mark Paolo Salada. And from Ateneo de Manila University were various competing teams which included Ted Angelo Chua, Mark David Abat, Jose Raphael Arenas, Adrian Joseph Mozo, Adrin Del Rosario, Roy Khristopher Bayot, Archie Dolit, Jimson Ngeo, Jan Lester Gerard Lofranco, Chrisandro Favila, Adriell Julius and Matthew Dagasuan

All these students prepared their Sweep entries intensively. On arrival at the venue, these teams discussed their stuff among visitors to their respective booths. At the same time, they had to face tough interviews from judges, including Tatsu Kono, chief operationg advisor of NTT DoCoMo and PLDT board director; Ronaldo Reario, National Disaster Response adviser in the Philippines for UNDP’s UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Dr. Renato Solidum Jr., director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS); Jay Bacoy, manager for Planning and Engineering at the Network Services Division of Smart; and Patrick Belicena, head for Planning and Engineering Access at Network Services Division of SMART.

Together, they decided who will be awarded third, second and first prizes. The third placer will win a P150,000 grant for the school while the second place winner will receive the same education grant worth P300,000. First place will receive a similar grant amounting to P500,000. Meanwhile, those who visited the teams in their booths got to vote for the People’s Choice winner through SMS. And the winner was the Smart Guards team from Ateneo de Manila University, composed of team leader Jimson Ngeo and members Jan Lester Gerard Lofranco, Chrisandro Favila, Adriell Julius and Matthew Dagasuan. Also taking home the third prize was a mobile technology developed and promoted by the Smart Guards team that allows for a wireless tracking system of disease outbreaks to help avoid the further spread of fatal epidemics.

The second prize for the 4th Smart Sweep Awards went to the Smart FAST team. Also from the Ateneo de Manila University, team leader Adrin Del Rosario as well as team members Roy Khristopher Bayot and Archie Dolit introduced a mobile technology that allows for an efficient flood disaster management system. The Smart FAST also offered five main services: flood alert service, evacuation tips service, donation collection service, and evacuation site status.

Finally, the biggest winner of all was the team from the University of St. La Salle made up of team leader Delman Alagao and team members Francis Xavier Parcon, John Kimwell Laluma, Paul Edward Alvarez, and Mark Paolo Salada. Their winning entry: “The Geo-Specific Public Warning System Using Cell Broadcasting.” Using cell broadcasting allows everyone to receive an alert or advisory through their cellular phone without the need of a network subscription. Being a geo-specific system, the message can be sent to a group of people in a specific area only.

Aside from the Sweep Awards, Smart Communications also hosted the PalaECEpan, a quiz bee for participating students, where Edward Warren Torres of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos in Bacolod was judged the grand winner.

There were also games for all those who came as well as a mini-concert featuring The Ambassadors, Picturefilled, Techisoba, Reklamo, Faspitch, Midi Ok and The Line Divides.

After all, now that disaster can be averted, we can all afford to have a little fun.

* * *

E-mail the author at ravin.facts@yahoo.com.