Texas Instruments links up with UC-BCF

Bridging program forged for cyber super region, Asian center of excellence

BAGUIO CITY--Texas Instruments, the world leader in semiconductor manufacturing and the Philippines’ Number One exporting firm, has tied up with the University of the Cordilleras to provide a post graduate bridging program for information technology students.

The linkage is vital in the implementation of the Cyber Corridor Super Region created by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and in the establishment of a TI Center of Excellence in Asia.

Dallas-based information technology expert Russell Henarie, worldwide manager of the TI Center of Excellence, personally attended the TI-Academe Linkage and Post Baccalaureate Bridging Program on Application Development at the UC Auditorium on December 1.

“We applaud the University of the Cordillera’s efforts in taking the leadership of a competent IT workforce in the region. We are confident that such steps will go a long way in the advancement of the IT profession,” said TI Philippines human resource director Lourdes T. Sanil in a letter to UC.

The program targets to produce at least 95 graduates until the year 2010 to support the human resource development needs of the President’s cyber corridor project, while bridging and matching skills of new information technology graduates.

College of Information and Computing Sciences Dean Nancy Flores revealed the linkage between UC and TI Philippines is vital in realizing the planned Cyber Corridor Super Region created by Executive Order 561, and would help in the establishment of a TI Center of Excellence in Asia, especially since Texas Instruments has expanded its facilities from Baguio City to Clark Freeport Zone.

Sanil said that TI Philippines shall share the expertise of their IT professionals for a half-day basic training course on IT technologies such as Java, SQL, and Unix.

It was learned that TI Philippines is in need of information technology manpower that specializes in application development, system administration, and project management in the next three years.

Facilitators of the full course trainings like Unix, Java, Cisco and Oracle should preferably come from Sun Microsystems, Cisco-certified training providers, and Oracle Systems, Philippines, Sanil said.

She added that although TI Philippines is not obliged to hire the trainees of the bridging program, the company is committed to hire from the pool of trainees as long as results of evaluation and screening processes confirm a match with their requirements.

TI first entered the Philippines in 1979 in Baguio City, today one of TI’s most sophisticated assembly/test sites. It conducts final assembly and testing of semiconductors for customers in the computer, aerospace, telecommunications, and automotive industries in the United States, Asia, and Europe.

University to Host Dance Sport Congress

BAGUIO CITY(Feb. 02)--Guam Ambassador Stanley Alexander, concurrent chair of the Philippine Professional Dance Sport Association, Inc. (PPDSA) and the University of the Cordilleras are hosting the 2008 Ballroom Dance Sport Teacher Training and Certification Congress from February 16 to 17.
With the theme “Upgrading Ballroom Dance Teacher Competencies Through Practical and Theoretical Research and Development,” the congress aims to develop teaching and coaching skills of Physical Education teachers, PE Majors, PESS teachers, and dance sport trainors.
It also aims to train adjudicating principals with the rules of scrutineering dance sports like modern ballroom standards of waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese waltz and quickstep, as well as latino dances like cha-cha, rumba, samba, jive, Argentine tango and salsa.
UC Center for Creative Productions Director and event coordinator, Dean Alec Mapalo, said the congress outcome is geared towards the development of dance sport teachers, judges, and scrutineers with skills and knowledge in specialized advanced coaching to further educate student youth talents for competitions leading to the 2008 World Dance Sport Tournament in December.
He said Ambassador Alexander, also the author of the Ballroom Bible and the World Open Ballroom Tournament supremo, will himself be a guest speaker in the congress. Alexander is the trainor of 9 World Open Champions in the past 11 years, including seven Filipino entries who are PPDSA DepEd-Ched scholars.
Alexander will be joined by Kremlin ballet danseur Andrei Roslovtsev, a professional ballroom finalist and licentiate degree holder with FATD in ballroom faculty and Latin American faculty.
A teacher participation fee of P3,450.00 shall cover registration with one complimentary copy of the Ballroom Bible Technical Manual, a video compact disc of instructional syllabus, a CD of a computerized scrutineering program, teaching tips on training students, competitor choreography, dance sport rules, certificates, and ID license and membership.
Each teacher is allowed 2 student pairs with a complimentary pass for training. Students shall also be given certificates of attendance, while medals and certificates await competition winners.
Registration is on-going until February 16, but teacher participation must be confirmed with a registration form received by the organizers one week before the congress.--adambaguio